Pull the string; explorations in film.: Media studies project BDM 320 in connection to BDM 331.

Last Friday I have filmed my parody of Psycho for BDM 331. As with every project it is quit a lot to deal with in the way of organizing people and gear. The gear was not much of a problem as I only wanted one camera and my sound person had his own gear. My main talent had some issues with arriving on the day. So I said no all good I will play the part myself but then he declined and said no I'll pull through I won't let you down. The crew was about 7 people large for a 3 minute short. There was blood involved and the main prop was a plastic knife but that broke during the shoot so a real knife replaced it. I contacted people about the 5 of April and a day after so I was sure I could get people in on time. Setting up a Directors manifesto for the shoot which was greatly appreciated by my crew on Writers Block. And I repeated that for this shoot. This is the Directors Manifesto.

A Noisy Graveyard Productions presents:

Directors Manifesto for BDM320 assignment. Re-enactment of a famous (Psycho shower) scene in 3 genres.

v Comedy/Parody

v Musical

v Silent Film

The actual scene is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VP5jEAP3K4

For those that don’t know the scene it starts about 0:46 the end 3:27.

My version of it:

MUSICAL

Reference to this is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0u4M6vppCI

The Musical part will have the choir singing the lines.

The victim drops the towel, showing hairy legs, walks into the bath closing the curtain. Turn shower on (close up) shower running (close up of shower head).

Then the choir (in robes) appears to the right side of the shower singing the actions “the victim does not suspect anything”. “The killer is in the house” (Repeat 3x). Yet the killer does not appear so the choir start to argue amongst themselves “where the hell is he” ?? This will be mostly improve and I’ll edit the best out of the takes.

Then …..

(choir) “The killer walks in” (we see him (her) from the back) . The curtain gets pulled seeing the victim. The knife goes down. (choir in harmony) slash, slash, inter cutting with the knife going up and down. Then the killer focuses on the choir “O no he is coming our way”end of the scene.

COMEDY/PARODY

Same as the above. Only I want it to be a paody in the style of Monty Python https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmcrreUVBeo

When the killer slashes the victim blood will squirt onto the choir (who are straight faced) still mentioning slash, slash, slash. The choir will be wearing robes so most of the fake blood will be squirted onto the robes. the ending will be one of the choir members saying (with a smile and bloody) “No matter how bloody I get surf makes it all white again”. Showing of a box of washing powder.

SILENT FILM

I’ll edit it the original footage in After Effects and cut in Premiere Pro adding lines in between the shots like in a silent film.

Proposed day for filming: Friday the 10^th of April from about 11AM to about 3PM. Set up and filming should not take that long.

My needs:

Crew:

Ricky DOP and Arjun first AC.

Lana, Kim, Kayla the choir. If you peeps are available? I also have Anita as a choir member if Kayla cannot make it. Anna might be on set (to supervise blood) or if she wants to be a choir member we can fix something. Depends if some of you are scared of the blood scene.

INTERMISSION: WE WANT TO HAVE FUN !! Guerrilla film making nothing beats it.

Other needs:

Props:

A knife; maybe from the Chinese shop a toy knife will do the trick. Sheets about 5 of them. 3 for the choir and a few for the floor. Cut a hole in them and you’ll be fine.

I’ll check the op shop or if any of you have some old down trodden sheets feel free to bring them or get in contact with me. Towels again I’ll scout the op shops but if any of you have some bring them along. We’ll aim for the sheets bit a speck might hit your face.

Anna the white wig or Kayla the red wig.

BLOOD + -

It cannot be toxic or poisonous.

NOTE: Don’t wear any good clothes in case the blood gets through the sheets.

Other:

The victim and the killer I am trying to get Tim on board. Meeting up with him tonight at his radio show or might see him today at the studio.

Right that’s about it any comments concerns be sure to give me a tingle.

Or just to comfirm for the shoot. D.

The other prop was blood, I got a recipe for making it but was so tired that I decided not to. As one of my crew had some fake blood in their car that could be used for the shoot. Everybody came on time and the shoot went great. Not as I had envisioned but it does not always go like that. If I had some more time then it would have added some more towards it. But the crew and cast supported my vision and were very supportive. A towel rack broke but that was all. Now I just have to edit and cut the material. Here are some photos from the shoot.