BDM 311 Personal project.

Now that our shooting dates have been locked down I have made contact with people who's locations I will be using. The GYM that was looked at for a location might not get locked down date. As they have a competition going during that week and I can only shoot that one day. And I have a few scenes at that location. There was another GYM that I was going to have a look at on Thursday but I got called in for work. I have rescheduled for this Tuesday.

They're called Invercargill boxing gym and are situated at 27 Lindisfarne street.

The other location I have is when Henry, Eunice and Walter kidnap the wrong person, Mildred. Yes you have read it right. When I talked to Patrick he gave me another insight to the script and during a meeting with a friend he told me the same. So that will be something I will take in consideration during my tweaks on the script.

When they enter SIT I have it in my script that the criminals will use the elevator. So the one at SIT would be great.

There is the problem with the camera in such a small space. But using a long lens and stand a little bit away from the elevator will work out nicely.

There is a wheelchair on site that is left behind from the Drama department and it was my original inspiration for my short story. That in combination with the elevator was the juice. Now my main actress mentioned that in her feedback on my script. Do I have a wheel chair as she also ones one. The 2 brothers for me is a visual gag and I want them to fit the from, like the elevator, and the scene in the hallway. Which will be the main hallway at the Don Street Campus.

A mid shot (low angle camera) when they walk up to the cleaning lady would be ideal. With them both framing Mildred.

Story board courtesy of James Tobin © 2015.

I'm a big fan of framing and one shot I have clearly in my mind is Eugene, Henry and Mildred in the elevator. With the same framing as before with the kidnappers going up to the right floor. Here is a storyboard image of that.

Story board courtesy of James Tobin © 2015.

The inspiration for this shot comes from The Blues Brothers (1980) John Landis .

The opening scene will be from a high angle looking down with a vehicle slowly coming into view (shot). The idea for this comes from the movie Zodiac (2007) David Fincher.

This is the parking space I want the car to drive slowly into. It would look great from the top and I am planning on keeping the car wet so we can get a good reflection from the water. And when teh car comes closer in shot we might not be able to see the passenger which I want !

The above are also from the Zodiac movie and just ideas I want to visualise.

I've might of shown this photo in my blog before it was taken at the boxing club when we arrived in the car. We were early so I saw this shot quickly got my camera out and took it, as a future reference. 

The sky and the sun just fading in the background and the perspective appealed to me. And the way both cars are situated with the car door open. Again to come back to the movie Zodiac. The beginning scene has the Zodiac killer shooting these 2 kids in the car. And my idea is to use a certain ending in my "updated" script.   

 This is the Invercargill Airport where I would like to shoot the scene with Bruce arriving and Eunice is waiting. 

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BDM 311 Personal project.

With writing my script I had a few issues that needed to be cleared on behalf of the structure at the end. So with my general idea of having a hit man introduced in my early draft I have incorporated that character. Now with being so tired and writing the final draft for submission on Friday. I made the mistake of saving the script at an unwise hour in the morning. With opening it up I noticed I only saved 2 pages of it. This was due to my Final Draft program on my laptop that only lets me write 15 pages and I needed more than 15. So I had to save about 2 pages into another file. And did not save the 15 :( but still had the former draft so that was the one I submitted. In saying that I am still working on my other hit man draft.

Me and Don decided to bring the film students together on a joined Facebook page for support and the scheduling of the days also. There are about 9 film students in year 3 and everybody gets 4 days of filming so that is 36 days, a little bit over a moth. So we will all need to get organised and help each other out as much as we can.  

As I've mentioned before I have sourced a gym for one of my locations. But as a back up will visit another gym this week as I have not heard back from the former gym that I visited.

And I got a reply. I really like the former gym as a location but in the back of my mind I also want to be communicating with the people that run it as time is of the essence!

I took some photos and plan on sending them to that gym so the communication can, maybe, start again. I reckon it is not always a given for people to just accept film people to come in and say yeah we'll set the lights up here and the camera there. Might come over as overwhelming. And being on quit a few sets I know how a film crew can come over as intimidating.

Location, location. My idea was to use one of the empty rooms in our flat as a location for our short. But now that room has been taken by a new border and I'll have to look for a new location. Now Don has rented a room at the Living Space for a scene that he wants to shoot. I have talked to Don and we will both share the cost and I will film my scene in there also. The other good thing about the Living Space is it has a good view on the top of the building and it looks good at night so I want to incorporate that in my short also.

Now I also want to shoot a scene at the Invercargill airport and am in the process of sending them an e-mail.

I have also been working with my flatmate James Tobin on storyboards. Now these are his drawings but with my help. They will be very useful on set and during the blocking sessions and with my DOP !! Note these will not be the ones I will submit to my Directors manifesto as I have not done them myself but will be based on these ones, done by me.

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BDM 311 Personal project.

In my screenplay I have my main character visiting a loan shark at a gym/boxing ring (location) and through a bit of research came up with some clubs in Invercargill

I've contacted all these.

And got  a reply from Invercargill Boxing Gym.

Tui's Boxing Gym where the replies where more frequent through txt messages and e-mail.

It is situated at 258 Mersey street Invercargill. I arranged to go and see the manager, Tui Maree Sunter, who is also the trainer last Thursday.

It is small gym and has its own charm which I think would be well suited for my short film. The dialogue between me and Tui went quit well and she's happy for us to be filming at her gym. The only problem, issue, is that she trains on designated days only. So I'll have to work with my crew and actors on a certain schedule that fits all.

Tui Maree Sonter manager and trainer at Tui's Boxing Gym.

The gym has a charm all on its own. 

 

My original idea was to have a JIB shot that came from above and then into the boxing ring. But due to the ceilings being so low that is now impossible.

My DOP was not with me during the visit, but with the boxing bags and assorted gym equipment we can have a few cutaways during the scenes. Or inserts. With the loan shark standing by the ropes (red mark). And the door where my main character is passing through (green mark). I would have the dolly behind his back and then slowly traveling up towards the boxing ring. 

Here again the POV of the main character walking up to the loan shark who stands by the ropes. With then a dolly shot following towards him.

Insert or cutaway that can be used for conversations between the characters.

When I arrived I quickly took this photo as a reference. Its raw empty appeal was spot on and the location spoke to me. Would be great to set it during the shoot. Below is the original photo but then not cropped.

   

I have seen the film Snowtown Murders (2011) Justin Kurzel. And the environment it was shot in was quit desolate and empty. Not that I want to see my short get that treatment but the empty environment made me take this shot (photo). With both cars in the middle, a person sitting in the car and the door open makes for a great narrative.

With my opening scene I want to use the Jib crane to the highest point it can be reached. And a car will come in slowly into frame which, in my opinion will be a good shot. I was even thinking if I can use the extension arm for it to go even up higher.The inspiration for this might come from movie fetishes like Drive (2011) Nicolas Winding or Taxi Driver (1976) Martin Scorsese.

I want to recall the style of the seventies movies but still set it in contemporary days. One of the first year film student has a car that suits my vision of the short. He drives a Ford Cortina MK3 that would suit the style and feel of the it.

Through a friend of a friend I got the opportunity to film a pro wrestling event. They brought their own ring and here is a photo of that. This would have been ideal for my last shot in the movie.

Blog out till further posting.