PLANNING THE VISUALS

Organising and collaborating to bring about the visual aspects...

I have chosen Kian to be my cinematographer for my film as since last year I have had chance to work with him quite extensively. We both worked on last year's 3rd year production of the horror film Black Paint by Aria Tabatabai, on......... by Tarik and also during the testing and part-filming of a transformation sequence I created for a project based around research and experimentation.

Seeing the attention to detail Kian pays to his camerawork and knowing how much he commits to a role, I really believe he will help me achieve the best shots for my film and will invest himself in the story to bring it to the screen in the most effective way possible on a tight schedule and budget. Also I live with him so he is conveniently at close quarters! We have begun to sit down and create a shot list using my storyboards and script as reference. Here are my storyboard that I drew up as a guidance for possible shot compositions, blocking, angles, movement and lighting choices...

During the first year at uni, whilst working at a furniture shop in Kingsbridge I discovered West Soar Signal Station, a nearby landmark pictured on a canvass photograph we sold there. It took me until last Summer to check the location out in person, then I revisited in December to take photographs. When I wrote my script I had the signal station in mind and encorporated it into my storyboard, featuring it as a focal point to the main two lead's screen-time together, their uncovering of the artefact in the beginning of the film and the climax where they discover the section of the alien ship itself.

The signal station and the field around it would essentially act as the retreat where Tobias and Mazarine find peace and eventual ascension away from the trauma they are experiencing in their lives. In the context of my story the station would become an old mill and the fact that during my visits I established that the structure could be entered via a low window meant that I could incorporate shots of the characters inside as well as out. 

Immi Prestidge is helping me again to build costumes as she did for me on Dead Alive Girl which I'm very happy about! This time there are a lot more characters to dress considering the whole of my film will be a period piece, and I'm hoping to present the 17th century location as authentically as I possibly can. To ease things up for Immi I have managed to recycle a costume that Ruby Oliff created for Jake Mowat's Mayflower 400 film, consisting of a brown tunic, shirt and trousers which is perfectly suited to my main teenage character of Tobias. Also another friend, Grace Hogan who graduated from Painting, Drawing and Printmaking in 2019, will help me modify shirts for some of the male characters as well as gather and create props for the production design of Coryn's bedroom of which will feature prominently in my film.

Immi's Costume Boards...

Mood Board for Coryn's Bedroom...

I realise that a lot of learning comes from acknowledging and rectifying mistakes and overcoming obstacles but I really do hope that throughout this project I can prevent any mistakes from happening in the first place. I believe if I can do this it will reflect on my planning and organisational skills as a producer and in my handling of crew and actors as a director. I have made a substantial amount of oversights in my past projects which I intend not to repeat, aiming to demonstrate a refining of my filmmaking abilities to avoid the downfalls and make as smooth as possible the process of bringing what I envision to film. With Kian's help, if my film turns out technically sound I will have something which I can potentially enter into horror and sci-fi film festivals, something I feel I have so far been unable to do.