Monday 26, January 2009

Today, we began the first part of filming for our thriller coursework. We began by going to a suitable location, and filming the opening scenes of the detective. He had Derek smartly dressed in formal wear, and used his car as the opener for the clip. By using different angles, such as low-angle shots, followed by a slow pan upwards of him, we were able to establish a sense of high status and authority; something we were trying to achieve. We also had the car coming into the frame, and several different possible match cuts were filmed i.e. Derek pulling the car handbrake, followed by him stepping out of the vehicle.

Throughout filming, we ensured that we didn't reveal the face of the detective. This was done to create a sense of mystery about the protagonist, as well as incorporate the 'slick' demeanor of such law enforcement positions; putting him higher than the typical police officer. We managed to capture a lot of useful shots in a relatively short period of time, as everyone was co-operative with one another, and able to work efficiently.

However, we did run into some expected and unexpected difficulties. For one, the car itself was quite dirty, and so it didn't have a crisp, professional feel when we saw it later on the Macs. Secondly, some factors of Derek's outfit were not as sophisticated as we had hoped i.e. the Kickers and cartoon socks. Nevertheless, we were able to film what we wanted to film, and will likely re-do some of the shot during our next lesson. Also, we need to find a house in which we can film the rest of our thriller.