PRODUCTION DIARY
9/03
To greater understand the comedy genre to influence my work, I started researching the history and conventions which contribute to the classification. I have so far read ‘Film Art: An Introduction’ and ‘Beginning Film Studies’ to guide my research from the College library. I have recognised the elements that define genre which I plan to cross-over to create a hybrid of comedy and horror. For example, using a dark colour palette which is often prominent in horror/thriller films, however overshadowing it with the use of an upbeat soundtrack will contribute to the intermingling of the two genres. Of course, there is more to just these two elements, therefore I will continue researching into more factors to influence my project.
12/03
Looking into the history of comedy, starting with the Lumiere Brothers and their first film The Sprinkler Sprinkled, made me appreciate and consider the audience of my project. As comedy was once purely physical for a universal understanding without the accompaniment of audio, there was a broad audience able to connect with the content. However, as media has progressed through sound, acting and acceptance there are many factors to comedy thus many different categories integrated within it (such as dark, satire, physical) that gratify the audiences taste in humour. As I am aiming for irony, and dark humour I will attract a particular audience interested in this type, which is why I will research into similar films that were received well to create a professional and attractive product aimed for my audience.
14/03
Inspirations that have influenced my ideas so far are House Of Cards, Frank Underwood’s use of breaking the 4th wall is for thought input responding to the audience directly, creating an intimate space as nobody else does the same or notices these thoughts. I also am taking inspiration from Claire Underwood as my main character is female and this character is strong, ruthless and cold. I also like the costume design that reflects this personality, blue, white and black suits never colourful and generally restricting. I think this would transfer well to the character I am creating as she is well established, professional and unemotional. I have also been thinking about Hannibal (TV show) and Mads Mikkelsen’s character, he hides in plain sight, manipulating the people around him to think he is concerned about others and a caring person for his own gain, having no remorse while doing so. I would like to show similar characteristics by having a conversation or social interaction of some sort.
18/03
After researching about colour theory and the uses in film to create meaning, I have decided to employ yellow either with costume design, prominent objects or possibly a yellow hue in post-production. I think this will imply a two-faced tone in the film as yellow can be both associated with happiness and disgust or madness.
19/03
Understanding sound as diagetic and non-diagetic has given me thought to take advantage of audience expectations. When watching a film, non-diagetic music is not heard by the characters as it’s only to create mood, however I could utilise this expectation and have the character realise they are in the film and break the 4th wall by acknowledging the background music. I think this could be a comedic way of approaching this convention therefore will keep in mind when filming.
20/03
Some potential audience grabbing beginnings I have been thinking of are an introduction to the character staring at a disturbing painting to set the tone and personality of the character, or I could introduce with a monologue and the thoughts going through her head. I have also been thinking of using straight angles in shot to represent her orderly and methodical brain/thoughts.
22/03
I would like to experiment with foley art for sound effects so as to add dimension to the film and unsettle the viewer like the sound of rustling clothes, footsteps and cracking knuckles. I will record either in the college studio or a quiet room in my house which I can sound proof. Unfortunately, I will only know exactly what I need to record until after filming but will research into some basic sound effects to minimise time later.
23/03
I purchased a book on eBay called ‘Confessions of a Sociopath’ by M.E.Thomas to regenerate some of the same characteristics for my character. The book starts with a psychological evaluation excerpt explaining the attributes seen in sociopaths and prominent in this individual - A pronounced lack of empathy, a ruthless and calculating attitude towards social and interpersonal relationships and a relative immunity to experiencing negative emotions as well as ego-centrism and sensation seeking characteristics. I would particularly like to use the ‘calculating attitude towards social relationships’ as the representation of good and bad behaviour through a relationship or social interaction will cue the audience to her lack of empathy which in turn will encourage the ‘sensation seeking characteristics’ through the use of her manipulation of others. I am thinking of having a few phone calls to demonstrate this as I wouldn’t want the visual dynamic of two people to be obvious on how she is taking advantage of the other.
26/03
I attended a sound workshop during college as I am unfamiliar with mics and how to use them and got useful information of the pros and cons of each.
Pros and Cons of different audio recording:
In built - easy to instantly record sound, however picks up every noise and is not directional. Lots of background noise and needs to be close to subject.
Camera-top Mic - Does not give much feedback, however also has to be close to subject
Cabled Mic - Needs an XLR cable connected to a break box which reduces signal interference and can be up to 100 meters away. Directional pick up. The only drawback is the need for batteries.
Wireless Mic with Lavalier - Receives clear audio from subject as it is connected to clothes and camera can be further away. It is noticeable therefore I will not be able to use it for my short film, better for documentaries as it is not a concern.
With all these considered I will be using the cabled mic as it seems the highest quality and gives a larger distance. I may also have a camera-top mic for close scenes and backup.
29/03
When watching American Psycho, I noticed the narration of Patrick Bateman seemed like an advert as each line is clear, and almost promoting his lifestyle as he describes each action he does with pride.
Because this displays the sociopathic and ego centric characteristics I think this would be comedic as it’s blatantly obvious and an unlikeable attribute. I think the unlikeable protagonist works well in American Psycho as you can easily find humour in his actions and I would like to have the same type of monologue/narration for my character to persuade the audience of her success.
I have also noticed the cinematography conforms to the lines in shot and externalises the importance of Bateman in each shot by keeping him centre frame. As he is the one ‘running’ the story and guiding the audience through his life he narcissistically sees himself as all important, which I may use in my own film by centring the actor in the middle to convey a similar meaning.
9/04
When lounging on the sofa, I noticed a shadow silhouetting my face on the blank, white wall behind me. It made me think how shadows can be misleading, creating distorted reflections of physical objects. The use of shadows can be a metaphor for reality and expectations, for example the shadow of a small cat can be distorted to seem as if it is a large dangerous animal where the reality is harmless. I would like to experiment in a similar way by using shadow for the opposite effect, where it serves as a comfort and single constant in the distorted and manipulative reality the character inhabits. The immediate reaction when confronted with a shadow is fear, therefore to introduce the audience to the untrustworthy nature of the film and character, the odd reassurance of a shadow will keep the viewer engaged, questioning the real intentions of the character whose constant goal is manipulation.
PAST SCREENPLAY
15/04
I started writing the screenplay for my idea, however I did not fully like it as the character seemed too obviously sociopathic and became cringy. I also did not like the way I chose to break the 4th wall as it seemed out of place and disrupted the flow of the narrative. Because of these reasons I decided to look at the narrative from a different perspective. I started researching into unreliable narrators and how they work well in film and novels as well as some characteristics I can use to convey the unreliability effectively and realistically.
What I am deciding to use in the film based off research from online websites, are: Exaggerated narration, used by Patrick Bateman in American Psycho to cue the audience of his unrealistic view of the world and in turn question his reality. I plan to use this by having the character overplay her life and success. Misdirection, used to show the audience one biased view from a single perspective of a character however, provide evidence of the truth throughout the film without being obvious, therefore the twist at the end won’t be random and odd. I think I can do this by focusing the camera for a fraction on the conflicting reality from her narration. Following this, limited perspectives is also important, as the story is told by one character, I think the camera should reflect this and be restricting the truth around her by use of tight angles. Another important aspect of creating a realistic narrator is their relatability, I won’t necessarily want them to be liked by the audience, however they will need to understand the reasons for her actions which will create a more empathetic and intimate relation with the character.
One of the most helpful sites I had found on unreliable narrators: https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/8-tips-to-writing-unreliable-narrators
25/04
I have modified my original idea so my character has a clear goal or desire where I can clearly create a structure following beginning, middle and end. To create an understanding between the character and audience while still keeping the initial sociopathic characteristics that are comedically blatant, I have been thinking of having her convey the life she sees herself have through the narration and actions to follow, however have the camera point out insecurities which will eventually lead her to collapse and give in, facing the true reality of the insecurity she inhabits by trying to tell herself otherwise. I would like to show this by my initial thoughts of using camera angles, colour and conflicting narration vs on screen reality.
26/04
After talking to my lecturer Matthew, I’m thinking of using red accents instead of yellow as it’s a stark contrast to the otherwise monochromatic setting, hinting again of a dark and alluring lifestyle while also having connotations of blood and danger.
30/04
I have been working on my screenplay over the weekend, planning on filming on Monday and Tuesday, however as my actor is diagnosed with PDA (Pathologic demand avoidance) I am struggling to film. However, I am using this time to update and look over past decisions. I have since changed my idea once more. I have decided to create a monologue with accompanying visuals in a different location, therefore I can focus on the performance of the actor to convey her narcissism. Cutting to a blank room with only the character acting the lines to the audience and speaking directly to the screen will entice the viewer and require their attention, keeping them involved in the experience.
01/05
I helped one of my friends with their project and was able to learn the technical aspects of the camera as this was recently purchased by the college and I had no past experience with it. This was useful as I understood how to alter the f.stop, ISO and frame rate applying knowledge of their effects from past projects. From unit 12, I learned the f.stop alters the aperture and the depth of field (the lower the number, the closer the depth of field and lighter the image). I also learned the amount of frames per second (usually at 25) must double for shutter speed for a smooth image.
02/05
Over the past week, I have been talking to my lecturer and thinking about creating a single monologue with no separate location. I think cutting back and forth from separate scenes will distract and overshadow the performance, which originally was my main focus to subtly convey her characteristics. Nicole Kidman in ‘To die for’ directed by Gus Van Sant, has a similar monologue, talking directly to the screen with a blank background to focus the audience on her.
However, setting it solely in the studio will limit some of the ideas of shot types and colour therefore I would still like to interject some stark contrasting colour through small objects balanced on either side of the screen so as not to draw too much attention but still create atmosphere. I would also like to experiment with shots in a single environment as this would be more challenging therefore possibly more interesting to watch. However, I wouldn’t want the camera to become distracting so I will try filming one continuous and unambiguous shot for backup.
08/05
I had short notice for the available use for the college Tv studio and had to film sooner than expected. My actor did not memorise the lines fully, however I brought extra printed sheets so she could refer back to them. Obviously, this was not ideal as many scenes she was looking down so in the future I will finish the script sooner and provide my actor with her lines weeks in advance.
During filming I encountered many difficulties, one of which was the camera automatically cutting while recording. As I was using the college studio, I was able to ask one of my lecturers and luckily after wiping the SD card it filmed smoothly. I also had difficulty with the provided college microphones, the audio recording stuttered in and out and realised tape was holding down a button on the mic. I adhered the tape stronger and the audio recorded clearly.
I also did not have a crew so I had to prop up the mic close to the actor by leaning it against a stool which I borrowed from a nearby classroom. I wanted red accents, unfortunately did not have time to purchase red lipstick, therefore I used a couple red objects from my house to administer a release of colour similar to American Psycho’s use. I only filmed a few of those shots as I wanted those to be special and even more satisfying when exposed.
The battery started to deplete sooner than expected, but the rush of filming unexpectedly was beneficial as it induced a different line of thinking. I improvised the shooting of more shots from angles not originally allocated to specific dialogue. I also thought of cutting to the actors hands fidgeting and b-roll shot of flowers so I could break up the monologue to keep it interesting.
Before shooting, I remembered the outfit inspiration of Claire Underwood and the results of my primary research, my demographic agreed the film palette of dark, cool tones were more memorable and alluring therefore I purchased a dark blue formal sweater/blouse for the image of importance and success and groomed back hair to support this image. While filming, I mainly centred my actor to mimic Mary Harron’s American Psycho shots to display the characters self-inflated ego.
10/05
During editing, I realised some scripted lines did not flow well with the tone of the film and negatively prolonged the sequence. For example, I cut the description of her 'morning routine' as it seemed out of character and uninteresting. I also tried to follow my initial thought of gradually unravelling the character by changing the tone in music and cutting the line 'I won't apologise for any of that' as this was blatantly exposing her narcissism too early.
12/05
For the previous induction project I desaturated the complete sequence to mimic the characters emotion, this made me decide to gradually desaturate the colour rather than the whole excerpt so as to subliminally unveil her inner feelings of apathy by physically creating a colder environment as the story progresses. I also decided to cut more frequently than my initial storyboard. It seemed unstimulating and drab, I don't think it would have held attention as their is no action and watching a person talk in initself is not very interesting. The camera style (angles, movement) and pace thus demands the audiences concentration in addition to the performance and music to enhance the experience.
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Middle of the sequence -
Increased shadows by (-30)
Decreased saturation to (90)
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End of the sequence -
Increased shadows by (-70)
Decreased saturation to (75)
13/04
I increased the audio for the dialogue after consulting with one of my peers to gain some feedback. This was helpful as I was unaware that the volume was difficult to hear. They also proposed to fade in for the exposition shot of the character to smoothly progress into the music and development. I administered this idea as I thought it worked well.
13/04
I recorded one foley production of a squeaking chair to add in, however the sudden sound interrupted the immersion thus detracted from the production as the music and steady flow of dialogue was comfortably regulated. I was dissapointed as I wanted to experiment further with foley, however it didn't fit well with the type of production and tone of seriousness I was going for.
14/04
As there were shadow caused by the actors glasses, I managed to increase the exposure. However, this was not ideal and the lighting setup must have been too high to create shadow underneath.
16/04
I asked my peers for feedback on the film to see how much of my initial ideas were able to get across to the viewer such as angles, music, dialogue and perception of the character. I did receive feedback noting the lack of credits at the end was confusing, therefore I added them in to give a sense of completion.
17/04
I finally finished filming and editing, I am pleased with the outcome and aware of the complications and production subtractions because of these. Planning was a vital part of my film to include everything I wanted to convey and keep the process smooth. There were some things I could improve on, like the use of red-head lighting, editing music for a seamless transition and camera quality. This will all be useful to recall in the future for further practice and development to create improved productions. I find documentation by means of typing is more effective for decision making. I am generally a very shy person and would have liked to have filmed myself, however I am very self-conscious. Taking pictures during production provided this outlet to demonstrate the process.
I enjoyed filming, using the camera was especially gratifying as I could practice use of different angles and exposure. In the future I will try harder to obtain more advanced sound equipment and prepare scripts in advance for the actors to learn and experiment with so on production day they can recite them with ease.