Shooting Reserved - Day 2

My second day of shooting started off very well.  We had confirmed the cabin for shooting and we were well ahead of schedule. 

We decided to shoot the remaining scenes from yesterday first then move on to the cabin.  I felt it was important to not have actors waiting around a lot just to film one scene at the end of the day.  I therefore made my shooting schedule so that the actors with the least scenes would all be shot together at the start. 

For example Patrick had the least amount of scenes so we shot his first then moved on to Ryan.  This allowed me to be able to send actors home early without asking them to wait around all day.  This method was terrible for my mental health but fantastic for team morale. 

Due to  our battery life once again not stretching the length we needed, we perhaps rushed the final and most important scenes.
Blame can only fall on my shoulders for this as I really should have picked up the equipment myself, I kick myself even more after the same thing happening on the first day. We had one battery on day one and two batteries on day two.  I really feel like this shoot should have had a third day to get things 100% right but that would have been too much to ask from everyone involved, for free.

Overall I was happy with the days shoot.  Light constraints in the cabin made for me having to adapt the plot slightly on the set.  A lot of it was meant to be shot in total darkness and without total darkness a lot of it wouldnt have made sense.  I changed things around and although I feel it wasn't as good as the original idea, I think it should still work. 

Shooting Reserved - Day 1

All of day ones shooting took place in Hillsborough Forest Park.  The schedule that I made had us filming several more scenes and using other locations today but due to our lack of camera batteries we were only able to shoot about 25% of the total film's scenes.  

I wanted to make the first day easy and quick enough to shoot in order to ease everyone into this film gently.  I did want to shoot more than what we ended up with after day one but overall I was very happy with what we shot.  

I scheduled the first day to use only 3 of the 5 actors required.  This give me a chance to iron out any wrinkles in how we were working things before having to get really stuck into shooting the more important scenes.  The main thing I will take from today is to always have spare batteries and to personally check that things have been done with your own eyes.

A Martin Scorsese Picture

One of my main directorial influences would be Martin Scorsese.  Some of my all time favourite films have been directed by him; Cape Fear, Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Shutter Island and more recently The Wolf of Wall Street.

I have been researching how Martin is on set and have found that unlike a lot of other directors I have read about, he likes to get right into the set with the actors and tell them face to face how he thinks a scene is going and what he would like to change.  This is how I will try to direct Dislocation, up close and personal with my actors getting involved in the acting process and letting them know exactly whether or not I feel like they are doing a good job or not.

I have always been told to 'let an actor act', which of course I will not be instructing them on how to do their job.  I will however not be standing by smiling if I think we need to do another take.  I intend to praise my actors when they do well and politely request another take with suggestions if things are going as I had visioned.  I also will be taking a lot of advice from my DOP, Conor Shearer whose opinion I trust greatly.  

If you go down to the woods today...

A lot of Dislocation will be shot within the forest. I have now got permission to shoot in Hillsborough forest park, thanks to their groundskeeper.  I have always thought there was something particularly haunting about this forest and having found Geocaches here before, I thought this was the perfect, picturesque setting for my horror film.







One of the main reasons I chose Conor Shearer for my Director of Photography was that I know he has a natural talent, as well as experience of shooting nature and capturing the soul of his surroundings.  I am confident that he will be able to get some beautiful shots with this setting as it oozes allure.






We have chosen to use an abandoned cabin on some farmland also in Hillsborough for the cabin scenes.  I feel that this broken down shabby looking house is exactly what we are looking for.

I will need to examine this building in more detail to ensure it is safe to work at and whether we would be able to get inside it.  If not, we may have to set up the studio with a stone cabin theme.

The Dislocation Club

One of my favourite movies of all time would be the 1985 John Hughes film, The Breakfast Club.  Five different stereotypes meet for the first time with nothing to say to each other, but by the end of these 97 minutes of glorious progressive conversing, they bare their soul.

I have always thought this is the kind of film I want to write.  It has a simple easy to follow plot, likable characters with pure entertaining, memorable dialogue.  

"Bender: Well, I don’t know any lepers either - but I’m not gonna run out and join one of their f****n’ clubs."

With the Breakfast Club, there is a quotable moment every 1 or 2 minutes.  Due to the nature of the plot in which it mostly contains five people sitting talking in a confined space, this is all the more impressive that the overall movie didn't come across as boring and slow.  This has really affected how I have been writing for my movie which I feel is also heavily dialogue based.  

"Bender: So it’s sorta social. Demented  and sad, but social."

Most of my short film is based within the forest with some exchanges between Josh and Dan being the height of dialogue.  I tried to make the dialogue fast paced with snappy well thought out comebacks to keep the audiences attention.  

"Bender: I wanna be just like you. I figure all I need is a lobotomy and some tights. 

      Brian: (to Andrew) - You wear tights? 

      Andrew: No, I don’t wear tights. I wear the required uniform. 

      Brian: Tights."

The ending scene of this movie is not only iconic but brilliantly worked.  While the movie is essentially ending and there is no possible room for more of the genius dialogue we have been supplied with, a voice over blasts out the film's swan song.  

Bender is walking towards a final freeze frame air punch to wrap up the movie, serenaded by an 80's classic and galvanising dialogue.  Nothing is actually said here by the character in shot, but the audience still go away feeling fullfilled, I feel I can try to adapt this technique with my end scene in Dislocation.  

In short, this film makes me want to make films.  

Propping up a Film

Props

Binoculars
Backpacks (x2)
Mobile Phone
Images/Videos for mobile phone:

• Geocache available: Dislocation
• Compass, 100 metres away South point
• Compass, 100 metres away North point
• Video: Compass, 15 - 9 metres away North point
• Compass, 7 metres away North point, Geocache hint
• Geocache hint: Closet
• Compass, 0 metres away, North point
• New Spoiler image added
• Bloody head image to be taken on the day of the shoot
• Dislocation, found it option
• Congratulations, you've found it!

Metal Box
Cigar (x2)
Boxes
Gun
Lighter
Make up/prosthetic attachments
Cabinet for body to hide in
Car
Shovel

Costumes

Dead Girl: 
White pumps
White dress
White tights

Groundskeeper:
Dirty dungarees
White t-shirt
Brown boots

Old Man:
Dusty Brown cardigan/jumper
Black/Brown trousers
Black/Brown shoes

Dan Groves (Alive):
Plain (colour TBD) t-shirt
Walking boots
Dark jeans
Army Green coat

Dan Groves (Dead):
Grey t-shirt
Grey shoes
Grey or light coloured jeans

Josh Sugar:
Plain (colour TBD) t-shirt
Walking boots
Dark jeans
Army Green coat

Josh Sugar (End):
White shirt
Black tie
Black blazer
Black trousers