Digital Filmmaking - Week 9

31/08/2019

I went through my screenplay to closely look through the locations needed. I would then look at Google Maps, specifically at Invercargill's CBD. I also screenshot a scene list from my Celtx screenplay for this short film. I could view it, but couldn't use it properly because I'm on the Celtx's free plan. I got around that by screenshoting it with the Snipping Tool and Photoshopped the screenshot to be more readable (adding brightness and contrast). 

I was surprised to discovered that according to Celtx, that the short film needs 20 locations for filming. But I think it's really less than it exaggerates.

What I really wanted to film in urban and city streets was to have the Art Gallery pyramid in the background and to film in the block that is to set to torn down in the future for redevelopment (adds historical posterity to the film). I also wanted as much of my film shot within the CBD as possible in an effort to limit transportation.

When the character of Daisy arrives in Invercargill and walks on city streets, I initially thought about filming it outside the block that is to set to torn down in the future for redevelopment on Tay Street's side, but then realised that I really wanted to do on Esk Street because it looked more modern, inviting, and less gritty. Esk Street being a more narrow street would allow me to film the scene with Daisy talking with a stranger with easier from shooting an angle across the road.

EXT. CITY CENTRE - DAY

EXT. CITY STREET

EXT. URBAN STREET - DAY

Director's script notes (concerning locations for scenes)

EXT. URBAN STREET - DAY

Weekend scouting during day. With locations in mind from looking online, it may pay to go to the actual places. It would also give me an idea what these locations might be like during a weekend

• Number 10 (outside parking)
• Polytech library
• SIT Main campus (Darren entering / hallway)
• Yarrow Street
• Gala Street
• Outside Rebel Sport on Deveron Street
• CUE building
• Esk Street (2 degrees to Starbucks, next to Kelvin Hotel) I wouldn't consider using a dolly for shots on this location, in order to avoid being an inconvenience to the public. Using Osmo would be a better tool if such shots were to be applied.

Things to talk to Patrick about

• Best way to approach Nursing school
• Office space and waiting room to film in. Best way to approach local businesses and organisations
• Best way to approach dairies
• Signage on city streets - potential copyright issues?
• Filming on city streets and Wachner Place. Filming at Wachner Place has been done before for a third year short film.
• Can first years use Blackmagic in an AC role

Idea for filming location for office and waiting room: Number 10 and just keep the camera shots away from the window

01/09/2019

Location Scouting

Yarrow Street

I went down the street and figured out in my head a rough estimate of how much of the scene in my film could potentially require. I reckon it would from 164 to 152 Yarrow Street. I came across a bus stop in the path, but it only comes by very few times during the weekend, less so than on weekdays. This is important to note because one of my shooting days is on a Saturday

Should contact the Police in advance for filming this scene?

164 Yarrow Street

152 Yarrow Street

Bus stop

Gala Street

I went along down Gala Street to figure out how much distance of the street would a scene in my film require, in the same way as Yarrow Street. But this time, I also tried to visualise potential camera angles for the particular scene with an ARRI app like I did when planning shots for the genre sequence portion of my cinematography showreel last semester.

159 Gala Street

This angle wouldn't be ideal in this type of weather. Even with flag blocking out the sun glare, it would be awkward to move around when filming (when it comes down to myself and my crew).

In any case, this angle would work better

Outside Rebel Sport on Deveron Street (Southland Museum and Art Gallery pyramid in the background)

One advantage of filming at this location would be the cover from wet weather if it happened to rain during filming

With his shot, it proves to me that having the pyramid in the background is possible from this location, pending where the actor would be in the shot.

I experimented with different focal lengths and height for the scene requiring this location, but it's something I couldn't visualise for now, but I did at least give it a go. 

This wide shot could work for what I have in mind. The only pain being that it's right at an intersection. In hindsight, I should had gone down the road to see what it would look like there for the scene.

Number 10

This side of the location (Esk Street) would be used for filming if the parking on the other side of the site (Deveron Street) was full and had no place for the car to go for the scene. The actor could climb over the concrete fence.

This side was my first choice for the scene involving this location, but doing the location scouting today has made me consider the other side more for the scene.

With these three angles above, I was considering how wide angle shots could work the scene from this particular point of view.

This would a good spot for a wide angle shot of the car if parked on this side of the location. The camera would be situated just outside the Scottish Hall.

Another potential idea for a wide angle shot for the scene that involves this location.

A more intimate and shorter focal length and distance for the actor to enter the location if shot on the Deveron Street side of the location.



Esk Street

I came to the building that I envisioned to shoot of two characters; Daisy and a stranger talking on a city street and shoot it from across the road, but found a potential problem with shooting this scene here. If the parking was like this on the day of shooting, I would have to move the shot to the nearest building where parked cars aren't blocking the shot.

If I was shooting the scene today, I could potentially here outside the old Southland Times building, but a problem still remains since we don't know if a car will come and park in those vacant parking spaces in the time we prepare the equipment, block the scene with the actors, and shoot the takes.

A compromise I did come up with for this scene is to instead film it in Cambridge Place, hopefully between outside a dentist's office there and the old lolly shop.

Shooting on Esk Street down this way of the street and at this time of day and type of weather would definitely not be ideal because I can't imagine flags effectively blocking the sun glare (or at all) and still not be nuisance to pedestrians.

I could potentially do tracking shits with an Osmo in this space, away from the main footpath

The shot would start here...

The shot would end here.

I did some focal length tests and figured that it wouldn't work because you would be able to see the production crew or least the camera crew in the shot because of the reflection in the shop windows. So it would also be definitely not ideal to shoot a tracking for the film in this particular spot on Esk Street.

These are mainly angles that I have in mind for a scene where the character of Daisy walks through a city street. I had to use my imagination to visualise the character in the shot.

I then came across another space for potentially doing tracking shots on an Osmo. It would likely end up being a brief cut in the scene, but it's worth a shot and there won't be reflection of the production or camera crew in the shot.

The shot would start here...

The shot would end here.

Wachner Place

A shot for this scene would start with tis angle...

...tilt down to here to see the character exit...

...then pan along as they walk way and halts.

Another camera angle of the character halting and scanning the place with her eyes

Wide shot for this scene with visualising the character in the middle of it.

SIT main campus 

This is one place on the campus where the scene of the character entering a polytech could be shot 

The shot would start from here...

...and pan to here (with an Osmo) and end

Another alternative location for the character (Darren) to enter the polytech

I cannot pan from this shot with an Osmo because bushes would be in the way.

Shooting in this location would be tricky because it would look too stiff, which makes the first option of shooting this scene here more preferable.

02/09/2019

I have discussed with Luqman about our shooting days and manage to clarify each other.

Myself and David were going to have a tutorial on the F3 camera, in order to be certified to use it for filming our projects, but we didn't end up doing so because we weren't comfortable with using it
We had a talk with Patrick and he showed us ring-binders full of pre-production of his work in film and television production, including Oswald Gold for TVNZ. It included legal framework, letters from TVNZ, NZ on Air, and South Pacific Pictures, and budgets and other finances.

There's no industry standard for pre-production - you can use anything

The shooting script is the next step after completing the final draft.
Shoot scripts add visual and camera directions and numbered scenes, unlike like a screenplay or final draft
Different coloured scripts (white, blue, pink paper) can indicate different revisions of the screenplay or can be to indicate a shooting script (blue paper)

White paper - Screenplay
Blue paper - 1st revision / shooting script
Pink paper - 2nd revision

We had a tutorial on Scencronise, which is a great site for doing pre-production for our film projects and we managed to develop solid pre-production techniques along the way. 
This is a very useful tool that I wouldn't mind making use of for organising my short film.

We were introduced to rule of eights, which I had a vague understanding about. Rule of eights is a mathematical way to calculate how much a scene covers a page of a screenplay and how much it can be determined for a day of filming.

Call sheets should always include a page about the filming location (directions, nearest parking and toilets), as well as emergency information like where the closest hospital is located.

I had a chat with Konstantin about what roles would suit him and he reckons any would do from sounds of it since he worked in a lot of production roles as part of his film studies in Germany. He gave me his contact details, so I can get back to him on what role I would want him to do for filming my projects.


Classroom 2-01 (Seminar Room) , SIT Downtown campus

Later that night, I looked about the classrooms on campus to see if there's one that could be dressed as an office space. I came across a seminar room for the business course and believe it could work fine and focus on a portion of the room to look like an office as far as the cinematography is concerned. I would just need to talk to Kathryn about using this room for filming because it's locked during weekends.

Hallway outside Upstage, SIT Downtown campus

I also thought using a part of the hallway outside Upstage to stage as a waiting room using chairs nearby that are for people to wait for lessons at the private music school oncampus.


More mood boards

As well as being in a gritty and downbeat environment (in the protagonist's mind) like it's suggested in the image of Timaru's air pollution, I visualise Darren's perception of his surroundings to be somewhat of a post-modern metropolis, a post-modern version of environments and settings seen in German Expressionist films, and films by Tim Burton and Fritz Lang, while still possessing aspects seen in paintings by Rita Angus put into the mix.


Guber, P., Kenny, C., Peters, J., & Burton, T. (1989). Batman [Motion picture]. United States: Warner Bros.

Pommer, E., & Lang, F. (1927). Metropolis [Motion picture]. Germany: UFA

Meinhert, R., Pommer, E., & Wiene, R. (1920). The cabinet of dr. caligari [Motion picture]. Germany: Decla-Bioscop AG

Queen Official. (2008, August 1). Queen - radio ga ga (official video) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azdwsXLmrHE

Queen's Radio Ga Ga music video made me think and come to mind of the visuals in Metropolis

The tone and colours in an artwork might not also reflect what an isolated character is feeling or reflecting and vice versa on the environment, take paintings by Rita Angus for example.



Angus, R. (1955). Cass [Painting]. Retrieved from Christchurch Art Gallery website: https://christchurchartgallery.org.nz/collection/69-74/rita-angus/cass

Angus, R. (1969). Flight [Painting]. Retrieved from Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa website: https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/43394

Angus, R. (1955). Flood, hawke's bay [Painting]. Retrieved from Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa website: https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/36333

Angus, R. (1933). Gasworks [Painting]. Retrieved from Christchurch Art Gallery website: https://christchurchartgallery.org.nz/collection/l022017/rita-angus/gasworks

Angus, R. (1962). Early morning, thorndon [Painting]. Retrieved from Christchurch Art Gallery website: https://christchurchartgallery.org.nz/collection/2002-147/rita-angus/early-morning-thorndon

From doing some location scouting in the weekend, I have come to realise that I want the film's cinematography to be partly an embodiment of Darren's feelings of isolation even when not alone and this is why wide shots and a letterboxed aspect ratio would be dominant throughout the film. Wide shots like in films by Taika Waititi and Wes Anderson
Unlike Anderson, it won't be have as much focus on symmetry. It is also direct reference to the research into aspect ratios that I found through No Film School and documented in a blog post for this paper, a few weeks ago.

I have come to realise that you don't ted to develop better aspects of your film until well after you have proposed or presented it to others. This is in itself an example and points that I have just made are points I had wised were part of my presentation, and were conceived earlier.

04/09/2019

I have realised that there I made a mistake with my shooting dates for my short film. I had already booked an appointment on the 11th of October before this week and may interfere with shooting on that day. I will have to notify Luqman and negotiate with him again over our shooting dates for our BSA231 short film.

I want to sort out things with Luqman, as well as Oisin over our overlapping shooting dates for VFX before sending out messages to see who would would be available as crew for my shooting dates. It would be good to have all my ducks in a row.

05/09/2019

I have messaged Luqman and he is fine with the shooting date changes for my BSA231 short film. 

I have started messaging people for my film crew. Most are unsure and will know for certain closer to the time

Jacqui Bree; She is unavailable because she will be shooting her screen arts project
Tyler Baikie: He will be unavailable and helping out on Jacqui's screen arts shoot
Oisin : He reckons he will be available - AC
Kiarne: He is available - DOP
Luqman: He reckons he will be available - Sound
Ash Bartlett - No response yet
Bo - No response yet
Zara Samuel - It's a big maybe. She is aiming to shoot her music video then and would have to get back to me closer to the time - Boom Operator
Vajka Thomsen - No response yet
Kres - No response yet
David Mosen - No response yet
Konstantin Mayer - No response yet

I might end up getting desperate getting a crew together. I would had contacted more internation students for help as film crew, but I didn't know their names.



I took test framing of a wide shot I have in mind for the office scene. I'm hoping that on the day of filming that it's okay for the projection screen to be pulled up.

06/09/2019

I started the day by going ahead with ringing up actors from the contact information that Jacqui gave to me. It took a lot of courage to say the right words in contacting them, so I took my time practicing a script for the calls. I also kept in mind of the filming dates across all my projects, which are September 21 (BSA206), 28-29 (BSA227), & October 4, 6, 12 (BSA231).

Call script
Hi there, I'm Jerry Westaway, a film student at SIT. I understand you auditioned for a part in a student film earlier this year. I'm ringing you to see if you're interested in acting in a couple of short films on [filming dates]. To get back to me, my number is 0273146356.
The films include a drama on mental health and a sci-fi on a conspiracy theorist discovering a portal.

Jeremy (No.35)
I rung him about being in my 231 and 227 projects, but he didn't answer and I just left him a message. He get back to me and told me he was interested, but only available on the 21st of September (BSA206), 28th of September (BSA227), and 12th of October (BSA231). With this in mind, I will just have him cast for my 206 project and eventually have the screenplay 206 sent to him.

Sophie
I rung her and she answered. She is interested, but would be unavailable for filming 206 and 227 because she would be in Dunedin. She would be available for the filming of the BSA231 with the exception of being unavailable for an hour on the 6th of October. I will email her the script for my 231 short film, but I would like to do a final draft before then. 
She will be cast in the role of Daisy for my 231 short film.

Jenny
She is interested, but is only available for the afternoon on the 21st of September. She seemed genuinely keen to be part of this and I will try to work around this obstacle for filming. I will eventually email her the 206 screenplay.

Final draft
I made some changes with the script one last time and some of the changes were in an effort to consider things pragmatically for filming.

Chat with Patrick
I gave the changes for the final draft to Patrick, which he read. He saw the screenplay is now better without those counselling session as it was when the screenplay was submitted for the screenwriting paper. Patrick did think some dialogue was unnecessary and that the logic why Daisy cares so much about Darren to the extent that she would travel down there, rather than ring him. 

Patrick also saw the resolution being too neat and having too many endings like Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. He did understand that I was going for a montage type of ending. I will definitely take out the nursing practices scenes out with this in mind.

I will keep these suggestions in mind when typing up the changes into the screenplay

I had a list of inquires to be mentioned to Patrick like what is the best way to approach a dairy. He suggested to do it personally, wearing SIT hi-vis vest and cap (professional image of yourself). Patrick also suggested that with careful and tight framing, I could pull off filming in the cafe at the main campus as a dairy interior and just film the exterior at a real dairy. He did recommend to film at a dairy that is not on a busy or main road.

I had concerns about signage in public places, but he assured that I should be fine as long as it's in wide shots and not the center of attention in the camera framing. However, to play it safe, he suggested to digitally cover or blur the signage if worst comes to worst.

When it came to filming on city streets, He advised me that I'm not allowed to filmed on the State Highways streets - Dee Street, North Street, and Tay Street.
Nathan Gills is the person to talk to about filming at Wachner Place and he is more likely to have jurisdiction with that location than ICC Parks and Reserves. Patrick also suggested to check with the City Council on civic events or maintenance (Nathan Gills) happening at Wachner place during the days of shooting.

I can have first year film students onboard as my crew as AC, since I will be using Blackmagic cameras and they are now certified with those types of cameras.

Getting around the health and safety of particular scenes in my film was to find a private car park or road like the the one around the main campus that is between the Presbyterian church and the main building or in front of Hansen Hall. Patrick reckons I could pull it off with creative and smart framing on an actual street, but that's something I cannot comprehend. He also suggested to film the stuff on the road at a private road or car park, and film the rest of the scene at an actual street, which could come together nicely with good framing and editing, but it would be very difficult to maintain consistency between the private street and actual street. Patrick then suggested green screen and rotoscoping.

I was going to mention to Patrick more about my locations, including outside Rebel Sport and the seminar room oncampus for the business courses (dressed up as an office), but I forgot.


Chat with Kathryn
I told Kathryn about difficulties with my short film and she was quite helpful in suggesting that I could send her an email on cast and crew roles that I would need and she would send a message out to all the SIT students and staff. She was quite interested in the subjects of the my projects.


Bo
He is definitely available to help me out on the days of shooting for all my projects.