Shoot day reflection

On 26th of January our group filmed the thriller opening scene on which pre-production we were working for the last two months. We didn't change our idea after confirming it with Matt and Mike, apart from minor corrections of props and costumes. Despite our preparations we faced several difficulties on the shoot day, but managed to work without stress and finish on schedule.

There were three roles on set: director, cameraman, and boom operator. Directing meant selecting shots from the shot-list and explaining it to the actors. Cameraman had to find the right angle according to director's choice and set up the camera. Boom operator had to point a microphone at the actors. We were swapping these roles around, the fourth person was to take care of the props and film behind the scenes video. I started as the cameraman, then directed, then held the microphone until I had to take out my iPhone and record the others. Filming was the most enjoyable, this is when I could choose how the shot will look and supervise the actors. Before the shooting I was responsible for props and costumes, which meant I had to wash and iron the clothes the night before and keep all the useful items accessible. Harriet brought the make-up equipment with which she earlier learned how to make bruises, but there was a professional artist with us on the day. Aidan prepared the location by moving away undesired objects, talking to the apartment's owners and arranging the elements of set design such as vegetables and cooking equipment. We also had to move furniture around to make the kitchen look the way we wanted. Dora met the actors and gave them final instructions about the filming process, as well as guided them through preparations such as make-up and costumes. Everyone worked as a team; carrying out their duties and helping each other.

The first problem appeared as soon as we arrived to the location. Peaslake boarding house was used by another filming group at the same time. This created a crowd inside the hall where the preparation process was taking place and slowed us down. Setting up is always the most difficult part of a shoot, it takes a while to prepare the room and actors even without distractions. We then had to wait for permission to enter the apartment, because its owner was taking care of the other students in his boarding house. The filming began twenty minutes later than planned.

Fake blood was another difficulty. Although we proved it to be washable for wood and fabric, it didn't come off our hands. This was problematic because after each time of using it we couldn't touch the cameras or other equipment. We had to wash our hands several times before resuming to film, which was consuming the little time we had.

The third problem was our shot list. It was written with limited knowledge about the location, so it wasn't always possible to make the shots described in it. It was risky to adjust and follow these instructions, so we had to delete or substitute several shots. Because of disregard for the shot list, our group had a few disagreements about filming. These arguments weren't long, but they wasted our precious time. 

Nevertheless, all these complications were overcome. We were moving between the shots with pace, trying our best to film from the first takes. We got all the required shots and finished before the deadline, so we had enough time to clean up the kitchen and pack up without a rush. Although it turned out not how we expected, the footage looks good and this can be something special.