Location Recce
After identifying the rough structure of the film and breaking it down into sequences and scenes, we scouted Grindleford to find two areas suitable for filming the two scenes we would be filming there. We managed to find an area of flat land that would be ideal for filming but also dense enough to provide depth for the scene when filming the hoax Bigfoot video.
The second location we found was near the stream which was ideal for a change of environment still within Grindleford. Again, the area had a patch of flat land to film on but crucially it had a large bank behind it, allowing us to look down on the other characters for the POV sequence. This was important as we want to establish the villain as the predator in this scene and make the other characters seem vulnerable. As we will not see the actual kidnap of the characters, it is important that we use as many devices as possible to infer it.
We have also been looking for a suitable house location for the other scenes, as well as a basement for the interrogation. We travelled to Alex's house to do a recce of his basement, scoping out where we would be able to block the scene and also crucially place lights, as the existing light in there was very dim. Due to the small size of the room we anticipate we will have difficulties flagging off the light so that the walls are not lit, as they will be filled with set elements we only want to see after the lighting change.
We also briefly had a look in the other rooms in the house and made rough ground plan for use in blocking and set design. It was important also that we checked where the light fell in the room, as we will use this for lighting plans and also for being efficient with setups and what equipment we will need on the day.
Scriptwriting
As the initial idea was mine, I have been leading script development since finalising a structure for the film. Although this prior planning was useful, the main difficulty in writing the script was trying to get logical movement around and between the scenes, achievable scene transitions and succinct dialogue.
After several drafts and discussions about changes with the group, we settled on the final version. At this stage I can see the most challenging elements of the script being some of the more technically demanding scenes and transitions, such as tracking out of a paused computer screen and assembling the creation montage with what time we have to spare.
I made sure to include the four cinematography elements required by the brief in the script: the POV sequence as the two characters are being stalked in the woods, the sequence shot as the news reporter speaks to them at their home and the lighting change as the antagonist is exposed in the film's conclusion. The colour element will be a key consideration as we begin to gather props to dress the set, particularly in the basement where we are creating the environment of a teenager boy.
Ultimately I wrote the film with the edit in mind, which will be very useful as we create shot lists for production. However, this will require clear communication between me, the director and the cinematographer during production - ensuring full and correct coverage of each scene.
Casting and Auditioning
After outlining the character descriptions we began the casting process for the film. Chris put a casting call on StarNow, the SHU Drama pages and other amateur dramatic sites, and within a week we had a number of applicants. After short-listing our favourites, we arranged a script read-through with the rest of the team. However, I was disappointed that Alex did not make more of the opportunity with the script read-through to explain our ideas for the role and to allow them to discuss it afterwards.
Despite some issues with actors' availability and having to find replacements, we found Lewis and Craig who both looked ideal and also understood the characters and the comic timing - which will hopefully help my role coming to edit dialogue afterwards.
As we were taking influence both in the script and stylistically from the films of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, we also dressed them accordingly, with the brighter Laurence wearing a shirt and suit tie, and Ed wearing loose clothes and a stained T-Shirt.
Next Steps
With these steps completed we will move on to gathering props and creating a detailed shot list from the script, blocking out camera angles and positions as well as character movement before we begin production.
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