Production

Production Process:

For the production stage of the FMP, we were allocated two weeks to film. I have planned to shoot for seven days, as this gives me time to reshoot anything within the schedule that I’m unsatisfied with. Before filming commenced, I filled in pre-production documents to ensure that the cast and crew would be ready to film on the chosen dates. This enabled me to prepare my equipment for the seven production days. I did this by setting up and checking my camera, tripod and sound equipment. I had a script from which the actors learned their dialogue, along with a storyboard which enabled them to follow the narrative and understand what I intended to shoot. For the filming dates, I created a call sheet, which is a document outlining for the cast and crew the details of the filming day - the location, what times the cast and crew are called for and what is going to be shot that day. There is also various specific information covering departmental requirements, such as Props and costumes.

Script

When writing and filming my short film, I began to realise that my film was going to be more of a social realist film. Similar to the artistic approach of Director Ken Loach. Loach has a long history of these types of films such as ‘Kes’ a story about a boy from a deprived background who cares for and trains a falcon - and more recently the film ‘I Daniel Blake’ which looks at people trying to survive on meagre government benefits. His films feature a mix of professional and amateur actors in an attempt to bring a natural and realistic feel to his work. Tried to apply some of my thinking by using the script as a guide and trying to improvise some of the work, this changed the script but the cast was able to adapt, making the film more authentic for the audience.

13/03/23 - Working as the director on day one of shooting, I thought it would be more useful to use some of our time for rehearsals. I worked with the actors to choreograph some different training routines. This enabled the cast to understand what movements we intended to shoot. They could also practice with physical items, such as wearing the prop boxing gloves. This also meant that the crew could rehearse shooting the footage and capturing the sounds of the training.During rehearsals there was a problem with some of the movements - in particular the ‘upper cut, double jab and hook’ coordination, as the actors found it difficult to remember some of the action. In order to overcome this problem, I simplified the movement to the easier ‘Double Jab, hook’ repeat. Practising this made sure the actors and crew were ready to film and resolved any issues with choreography. I then checked the set space - looking for the best places to shoot in order to get the best outcome. For this, I decided to film towards the brick wall where the gym equipment was, earlier when we arrived the other end of the set looked too much like a garage, a look that I wasn’t going for. After this I double-checked by looking at the script that the props needed in the scenes were present and ready to be filmed on. This would resolve any issues before filming. My list of prop requirements were, boxing gloves, hand wraps, pads and a sports bag. Everything was there and ready. Finally, I could set up the equipment for the shoot - the tripod, lighting and foley equipment. We began with the opening scene, which focused on the protagonist Frankie in training. As the location was inside a small gym without large windows letting in natural light, it meant that we could film at any time of day. Before we could shoot, I set up various artificial lights in different areas of the set. This ensured that the lighting was bright enough for the actors to be seen in the footage. No problems arose using the artificial lighting - however, the actual daylight was sometimes too bright and affected sections of the footage, so to overcome this lighting problem, I would in post-production, colour correct the affected cinematography. We shot first with the two characters, Frankie and Mia, training with boxing pads, during this sequence, Frankie keeps making mistakes with her boxing movements, as she is distracted by events in her personal life. This scene involved various over-the-shoulder shots and mid-shots of the actors which provided a variety of footage to use when editing. I then moved on - filming two different conversational scenes in the gym, one involving an upcoming fight, followed by the second half of the scene, where the characters are talking to each other and Frankie leaves. We shot three takes on both scenes, capturing different angles on each take, a static mid, close and long shot, which captured both actors and meant when editing there would be different angles to use. Next, I focused on smaller aspects of the scene, including Frankie shadowboxing, skipping, working out, then with her as she winds some boxing hand wraps onto her hands followed by her boxing gloves. I also filmed an establishing shot of the gym. These were simple takes of different angled long shots, over-the-shoulder and mid shots which were all filmed with static movement, giving me more footage to use when editing. During filming, I had one problem with the camera shaking, to resolve this issue, I connected the camera to a smaller tripod that has more control whilst being handheld to reduce the shakiness. Finally, I played back the foley sound recorded on a separate microphone, to check whether I needed to re-record any foley or dialogue sound. The sound was was good and I felt that the microphone had captured the correct sound with no issues. I am happy with the footage from that day and feel I have completed the shots to a high standard, including how they have been framed. I am hopeful that it will not require any re-shooting so that I can go straight to editing. The cast and crew worked well together and there were no other problems whilst filming.

14/03/23 - Day two saw us filming all of the scenes that take place in Frankie’s house, including Frankie arriving home, watching an A-level tuition video when a text appears from a bully, Frankie punching a boxing bag and the phone call scene with Mia from her house. The days filming began with Frankie arriving home. For this scene, I began by looking at the set space to see where the scene would look best using objects that are already in the house - next to the front door was a table which meant she could enter and put her prop keys down and pick up a note left by her Mum. Just before filming the actor and I did a simple rehearsal of the action. This helped cast and crew be aware of what we needed. I checked the prop needs again - keys and a note were there and ready to use. In this scene, we used a couple of shots that focused on different objects, including a close-up of the note left by her Mum, with a long shot of Frankie entering her home. This helps move the narrative along as the audience can see and understand the note that Frankie is reading. For the lighting, we decided on natural light, as when we added artificial lights the scene became too bright and affected the cinematography. We discovered this whilst we were rehearsing so the problem was sorted out before shooting. Whilst recording the foley sound, a problem arose with the dialogue of the character saying ‘Mum’. This was due to the foley of the door shutting clashing with the dialogue, to overcome the problem, the crew recorded each sound separately to edit together later in post-production. The next scene is Frankie watching an A - Level video, when a text from a bully appears. I used a long shot of the protagonist for this to allow the audience to read the body language and facial expression of Frankie, who is visibly upset by the message. I then screen record a separate video of the computer screen in close up, in order for the audience to see what is being said without overcomplicating the scene. No rehearsal would be needed for this scene as it was a simple one-shot take. The only prop needed on the list was a computer. As in in the previous scene, I decided just to use natural lighting as again the artificial light made the scene too bright and had a negative affect on the cinematography, light bouncing off the camera being one of the problems. When playing back the foley there were no problems with the sound, which meant I was able to move on to the next scene. The next scene in the script features Frankie training & punching her boxing bag before filming this scene I looked at the set space - the location was full of personal items not relevant to the story so I decided to try and film in the space looking at a plainer wall so as to not add distractions to the scene. We also choreographed and rehearsed the different types of punching to use and worked out ways to shoot that would add more of a dramatic element while showcasing the character's body language and facial expressions. This was done successfully as the actor understood the correct methods to punch the bag, with the majority of the movement being a right and left hook mixed with a few jabs. The crew followed the actors moves closely, without revealing too much of the location. There was no natural daylight here, so I used artificial lighting for this I had to supply my own lighting, which was the main house lights as they looked realistic. The props needed for this scene was the punch bag and boxing gloves. We made these were here before shooting so that we could do a worthwhile rehearsal with the actor. This was simple to film, as I did a mid-shot while adding movement around the subject. Doing this makes the scene more dynamic and was one of the changes I made to the storyboard, it prevented the scene from being too static and allowed us to see the character's body language and facial expressions throughout the movement. I was happy with the foley sound recorded with no problems encountered. Finally, the last shot was the phone call from Frankie. I had no rehearsal for this scene, as there was no choreography involved and was a simple one-take shot. I also decided to use natural daylight, as the lighting in the cinematography for this scene was well-lit with no problems. Ahead of filming, I also made sure that I had the correct prop for the scene which was just a phone. I also made sure the microphone was set up and ready to record in order to capture the dialogue clearly. For this scene I kept the camera in the same place, a mid-shot static - this is because in post-production I will cut it between Frankie and Mia’s dialogue, without it becoming too complicated for the audience. With filming complete, I checked the recorded dialogue and I was happy with the outcome, no issues as you could clearly hear the character speaking. One of the biggest problems whilst filming this was the lighting of the scene. The cast and crew's availability during the day, meant I had to overcome the problem of filming during the day and not at night as described in the script, however, when I matched it up with previous footage, I managed to make it work by colour grading and correcting the footage. I’ve also decided to re-shoot some other footage due to the chosen location not being suitable for the character’s class/background - the house used had highly patterned wallpaper and wall art, which proved to be a big distraction. This happened again when Frankie is watching the A-level tutorial video. These scenes will be reshot when filming the other scenes is completed, in order to match the footage up.

15/03/23 - Day three of filming consisted of shooting two scenes - which was Mia’s dialogue on the phone to Frankie and Frankie receiving a text from Mia. I decided to match up the previous footage of Frankie’s end of the call so that it doesn’t jump all over the place and is consistent. By using a mid-shot static of the character, also makes it flow more when editing in post-production. I had no rehearsal for this scene as there was no choreography involved and was a simple one-take shot. I also decided to use natural daylight as the lighting on the camera and in the cinematography for the scene was well-lit with no problems. Before filming the scene I also made sure I had the correct prop for the scene - just a phone. I also made sure that the microphone was set up and ready to record to capture the dialogue clearly - when looking at the playback I was overall, very happy with the foley sound as there wasn’t a problem when recording. The production then moved the location to an outside field, where Frankie is running and stops to text Mia, hesitates, then decides to leave it. At the location, I looked at the space and found a path at the location that would be easy for the crew to film on without any issues. I rehearsed with the cast and crew - the character Frankie is running -the scene involves the character running and stopping, which meant we had to work out the best place for the crew to stop without ruining the scene. To achieve this we made a mark of the actors final position and one for the crew. Knowing where to stop was very effective as when looking at the footage the stop adds to the dramatic feel of the scene. As we were filming outside, I decided against using artificial lighting - the daylight was bright enough to see the character's face and complimented the cinematography. For the foley, when the recorded sounds were played back, we were unable to hear sound effects due to the wind and the sounds of the crews footsteps. This meant I had to re-record the foley sound in a quiet environment - using location surroundings and phone audio, to then edit in post-production, this proved effective and overcame the issue. Finally, I checked to see I had the correct props of a phone and headphones so there were no issues when filming. For this work, there were three shots to film, one extreme long wide shot of the surroundings where Frankie is running, an extreme close-up of the phone's message finishing with a mid-tracking shot of Frankie running. It went smoothly and there were no problems to overcome, with the equipment working well, the actors attending and the cast and crew working well together. I feel happy with the footage and don’t think that it will need to be re-shot as the framing is correct and the shots are all in focus.

16/03/23 - Day four of filming’s location was train station - with action on both on the platform and in the carriage. Two scenes were required, the first being Frankie and Mia talking while waiting for the train to arrive, the second was another of Frankie on the train. Pre -filming the two different scenes, I found an appropriate set space to film in, which showed the location of a train station to the audience. I then rehearsed both of the two main character scenes along with the lone Frankie scene. No artificial lighting was needed as the natural daylight was good. We started off filming the characters at the platform and for this, I used three different shots, one establishing extreme static long shot, a mid shot in the middle of the characters and a mid shot behind the characters as the train arrived, which gave me various footage to play with when editing. I also filmed footage with just the character Frankie at the platform following the same angles and movements so I had different footage to choose from to see which one would work best when editing the film. I played back the foley sound recording - again, the wind was an issue, affecting the dialogue, so recorded the dialogue again in a more quiet location to add onto the final cut in post production. The scene with Frankie by herself was fine as there was no dialogue. Once I was happy with the footage from the platform, the cast and crew went on the next train and filmed the interior shots. I needed a few different shots of Frankie sitting on the train, so I used a static mid- shot looking outside the window and interior/exterior shots of the view from the train as it moves. For this, as we were on a tight schedule, the cast and crew did one rehearsal and then filmed the rehearsal footage, so that I knew ways in which to film. We also sound recorded the scene. I checked that there were no members of the public in the shot and made sure the setting of the space was correct with the seating. The daylight added a dramatic effect on the characters face and scene, so we decided to keep this as a natural shot with no artificial light. As the foley is unnecessary in this scene as we are using background music, we only recorded a surrounding track. Watching it back, I was happy with the footage as it was nicely framed and in focus. However, I felt I needed to re-shoot the exterior shots of the train moving as, on closer inspection, you can see the camera reflection in the window. Apart from re-shooting the exterior of the train, there were no problems to overcome as the equipment worked well & the actors attended the shooting day and the cast and crew worked well together.

Reshoots - 23/03/23 - After the production dates were completed, the cast and crew re-shot footage due to scenes not being shot to a high standard or affecting the flow of the narrative. The main shots that had to be re-filmed, were the ones filmed on 14/03/23 I re-shot the scene where the location was wrong due to the wallpaper and artwork being both a distraction and failing to match the character profile of Frankie. I found another location, something simpler and more suited to Frankie’s personality. I used the same angle shots that I had used before with the same angle and movement as we were happy with the camera work in the original videos. For these scenes we set up artificial and used natural lighting, just so that the character's facial expressions and body language are seen, however, there was one issue with daylight coming in through the window being too bright - drowning out the character's facial expressions. To overcome the issue, I will colour correct the footage and will attempt to bring down some of the lighting so it won’t affect the cinematography. In these scenes, we used the same props of keys, computer and notes. We also made sure when looking at the location we found a similar set space to the previous filmed footage, this was achieved as the sets look similar to the original footage. We also recorded the foley and dialogue audio to make sure everything matched up with all of the footage. After re-shooting in a different location, I feel happy with the look of the footage and feel it is ready to be edited in post-production. When filming the reshoots, there were no other problems that occurred, as the footage was in focus and the cast and crew all arrived at the location.

Cast and Crew Feed Back:

After shooting, I asked for feedback from the cast and crew on any improvements that can be made and what had gone well when filming, this will help me to improve on other projects:

“If a problem occurred when filming you came up with solutions to make sure it worked in the narrative, particularly when the lighting was wrong in the scene, so you changed it in the script to make sure it made sense in the story. You also checked all the footage before moving on to the next shot which made sure all the footage filmed could be used in editing, particularly when the camera was shaky, by attaching it to a smaller tripod you could control the movement more. To improve you could explain to the crew more about what you are filming and where it will be in the script so it’s easier for the crew to follow. You could also when setting up the shots, explain to the actors what type of shot it is and rehearse more to make sure we understand what is being filmed. Lastly, we could have saved time by you thinking more about the set location, we lost time when you realised that the background wallpaper was too busy.’

This feedback helps by informing me what the cast and crew thought worked well and what they feel can be improved upon when working together. Next time, I will do more rehearsals and explain to the actors the types of camera angles and movements that are to be used in the scene. This will help them think about their performance, how they should move so as not to affect the shot. I will also consider the settings more carefully when scouting for locations. The crew will also get a full explanation of what we intend to do on each shoot day. After receiving this feedback, I agree with how I can improvements and intend to take this with me on to future productions.