Second Filming Day

This second film day was less seamless and smooth as the first day as there was more of an external element to today shoot. The conditions weren't necessarily within my control as for example the scene on the bus I had no control over as I did not know when the bus was going to arrive or how steady and stable the bus was going to be while driving. 

However there was an interior scene today of the protagonist in the prison cell and then leaving the prison as well. This scene didn't go necessarily how I planned or expected as during filming I found that the space that I plans was not large enough and therefore I couldn't do the tracking shots that I wanted. I had to change my initial plan and decided to use some initial stills shots trying to get the same effect. I don't know how well this turned out as I haven't yet piece it together. However my fear that it didn't work and I might have to reshoot or rethink this scene entirely. 

For the scenes on the bus however though they were outside my control I believe they work effectively and I was able to gather all the footage I needed to. The only concern I have is similar to the first day, of filming my actor corped several occasions ruining the shot. My fear is that I won't have enough footage to last the duration that I planed.

Looking over the footage that was shot two day I feel that some aspects will definitely need to be reshot as they are not as I envisioned them to be. However other elements such as the bus scene is better than I thought it was going to be and I feel that I can create a short film from this footage.

First Filming Day

Today was the first filming day of the short film, the tasks and scenes that were set to film today was the interior scenes of the house and the exterior scene of the protagonists walking up the street. The interior scenes were the tea making scene, the protagonist in the chair and coming to the front door to pick up the flyer. The exterior scenes were the protagonist is walking up the street and then entering the house closing the front door behind him.

This was relatively easy and planning due to their only being one key character to organise, therefore I could simply arrange one day to film on. During the filming my actor was corporative and completed the tasks that was required from him, however many takes were needed due to him corpsing frequently. Hopefully this will not affect the end outcome from today's filming.

The filming went according to plan and I was able to capture all of the footage that I require, during the process there were some considerations and thoughts that I needed to reshoot some scenes even before reviewing them on the computer as I felt that possibly these shots would not keep the continuity of my short film. However viewing the footage on the computer I believe that if I edit in the correct way that the continuity will be retained.

The dolly that I created for today's filming was not use as unfortunately the ground that it was tracking on (the road) was not smooth or steady and therefore the footage came out initially as quite jerky and unsteady. Therefore I disused the dolly and decided to equally balance the weight of the tripod out with the legs fully extended to create a steady and seamless tracking shot. Viewing this footage on the computer I believe that I have achieved what I set out for myself for today's filming.

Dolly Created

For the tracking shots with in the short film of the protagonists walking down the street I learnt from my AS production that to gain a steady shot a dolly needs to be used so the tracking is smooth and fluid. Therefore I created a dolly to use, see the images below:

Hopefully this dolly will be sufficient in supporting the stabilisation of fluid shots that I need for the tracking.

Shooting Schedule

Below is the shooting schedule for the first cut of the short film that starts on the 26th Jan. This has helped me organise the time and how I can best use it so I can get the most done in the shortest about of time.  

Flyer Design

I knew that I needed to create a flyer that would be posted through the protagonists letterbox at the end of the short film that would bring about the conclusion and ending that I desire. Therefore I created this flyer that has synergy with the poster as it uses the same font style and colour scheme that are used so there is a link between both items within the main and ancillary texts.

The design of this flyer has again been inspired by George Orwell's 1984 as at the top the logo resembles the leader of the party that is presented in the novel "Big Brother", With the two "B" been back to back with each other, which also could resemble a butterfly and the freedom that the government promised but never delivered. Also the text in the centre of the flyer is a quote directly taken from the novel and also is the text that is on the poster so again there is synergy between both texts. The last line of the flyer "On behalf of the Ministry of love this is compulsory reading." Is the line that will be focused on to bring about the ending of the short film as it is the protagonists unwillingness to read the flyer that brings about the knock at the door at the end.

Second Draft Script

After writing the first script and recording it for my first animatic me and my media teacher went through the script and slightly altered it so that it would flow more naturally and fluidly. Below is the improved and final script.

Look at it…another bright cold April day. It has always been another bright cold April day for as long as I can remember. That's not saying much, as after all… there’s no such thing as memory, well…no such thing anymore. 

The year is twenty twenty two… or is twenty twenty three? No, maybe it's twenty twenty four? The thing is, no one really knows. Years as we used to know them ceased to exist after the "Great Restriction"…

Look at them all… They're getting ready for hate week. You can’t see it, there are no banners… posters …or advertisements but we all know it. Those things… the banners and what not, were all removed during the “Great Freedom”. 

There are stories; wonderful stories about people being happy. Large groups of people would come together, just for the enjoyment of being with each other not for mid chant or appraisals. They’re things that came after the “Great Freedom”, things the government imposed on us.

The government controls everything now, we all bow to them, we have no choice. There are four Ministries between which the government is divided. The Ministry of Truth, which concerns itself with news, entertainment, education, and the fine arts. The Ministry of Peace, which concerns itself with war. The Ministry of Love, which maintains law and order. And the Ministry of Plenty, which is responsible for economic affairs. Have I heard that before?

But we can’t talk or think about these matters, we are not allowed to, they know they always know. I should not have, I did not have, nothing was said. Forget what was said and then forget that you forgot what was said. 

That is how you stay alive here, that is how you remain sane.

Now I need to find an individual to record the voice over. After a conversation with my media teacher we decided that an individual with a deeper voice, that will holds the audiences attention and sounds like it has some history behind it would be more apt at delivering the script.