Pre Production Planning: Local film student advice.

Pishdaad Modaressi Chaharaderi.

Lighting

Our film is mainly set inside the home of Dave and Ellie so therefore we saw a lot of upcoming issues with aspects like lighting and set space. After consulting Pishdaad he had a few suggestions in terms of these problems. He warned us against using the normal lighting within rooms, even in daylight as it can have an amateur appearance on camera. So instead of this we will use artificial lighting that is easy to transport and easy to change the brightness and add diffusion to reduce any harsh shadows. However, if we are to shoot any night scenes we will use small lamps within the shot as well as the extra lighting we have behind the camera. This will then add to the mis en scene of night time .

Use of shot

In terms of the way we use additional signifying shots , Pishdaad recommended we don’t use shots of door handles to show a character entering the room as this can also look amateur . Instead , we can use mirrors and use a shift in focus which will not only show better filming technique but it will also help keep the story flowing as there will be a shift in character focus for the audience, thus allowing them to follow the story at al points rather than have to establish who is entering the room and why.

Furthermore, when using close up shots , he told us to ensure we are only including close ups for important information or emotion. Instead we have decided to use simple zooming medium shots as this will show the importance of the close up shots when we choose to use them.

Another point , was when showing characters moving between rooms we should try not to just show them walking from one room to another as this can take up vital time in the production. He also reminded us how Edgar Wright once said “Enter a scene late, leave the scene early”. Following this we will cut the shot before the character has left the room and then go on to a next scene showing them in the room they were intended to go. However, to build suspense within our film at maybe one point we may break this in order to build suspense.

Filming structure

When it comes to our filming plan we decided the best idea would be to establish when shots would be more convenient to film rather than where they came in the film. In agreement Pishdaad said to not film it in sequence and film it in an order which is efficient. For example, we can film all the shots that happen in “Ellie´s Room” first. So don´t run up and down from locations cause that will just waste time. We should only move between filming locations if we find there are mistakes when it comes to editing and we need to return to certain locations .

Before we start filming , it is vital that we the have a detailed storyboard and are happy with the unfolding of shots , without this the filming could get unorganised and could take longer than necessary. Pishdaad added to this and said the more information each frame has the less camera angles we need , he also guided us to look at David Fincher, Akira Kurosawa, Stanley Kubrick). The less angles we have the better the scene works in the edit he added this was a mistake he made during his first short film production.

Whilst filming , he suggested we do at least 5 takes. 10 takes would be better as this is our first short film an he added he does at least 12 takes for each shot. We are aiming to do at least 5 takes but will try for 10 , as this will ensure we have enough footage to choose from when it comes to editing.

Art direction

The main issue we asked for advice on is the art direction because our shots were so limited to a certain setting. He emphasised that art direction is the biggest asset for this film. If the room itself looks interesting enough then half your work be done for us however he reminded us to avoid white walls and to put up posters or anything to make the room look cooler. Also , we should make each room should look noticeably different from each other so the audience can tell them apart. The Lounge could be neat and clean, filled with family pictures. Ellie´s room can have loads of posters and mirrors adding to the mis en scene again of a typical teenagers bedroom.

Something that didn’t occur to us was the use of mirrors, if we use them right our product can look like a pro. Steven Spielberg uses mirrors in his films all the time, so Pishdaad advised us to look into this. He used the example of a shot of Ellie talking to Dave. Next to her is a mirror. In the mirror we see Dave and therefore we could create a two shot by using a mirror.

Costume and makeup will play a vital role in defining the roles within our film, as well as this it will construct the mis en scene of each scene so therefore we must make sure each character has their own unique look. We have already made a small character costume and make up portfolio which discusses what costume we plan on allocating to each character. The main characters we must focus on is Dave and Sam because we must represent the difference in age. To do this we will often have Dave in suits as though dressed for a job, whereas Sam will either be in uniform or casual typical teenage attire.

Editing Not having looked much into editing technique yet we decided to ask for his advice in terms of how to make our film look as professional as possible. Pishdaad recommended to use the 2.35-1 aspect ratio. From his short film we can tell it just looks more cinematic. The 2.35 – 1 aspect ratio (letterbox) can clearly turn average looking footage into pro looking footage. However, only if lighting and art direction are executed well. This is used here , in one of Pishdaad’s productions.