Pre-Production: Reece

Reece:

Location:

· Wanstead flats.

· Abbots park Leyton.

· Bullying scene (school/college environment).

· Any bus stop.

· Rest of the scenes will take place on various streets.
 

Wanstead flats:
 

Having visited our chosen location for shooting our short film it gave us more of an accurate picture of the feeling of the environment we will be filming in and how this would adversely impact our film. Meaning the effect of filming in such an environment in contrast with the overall idea and intended consequence we hope the viewers will feel. Of course in the picture the location looks bright and attractive however as the weather changes and the time we plan to film, the look of the scene will automatically change. Once we viewed the location it was much easier to visualise where the characters will be placed and when filming how it would all combine together. In this particular scene the main character – Kevin will be walking through and the scenes would reflect his emotions at the time, having an area of this appearance would give the film a much more effective feel in the sense that it creates anticipation when viewed by the audience as Kevin will be alone and the overgrown trees add to this making it that much more nominal. The camera shots at this point would be a tracking shot as the character is walking, as we have shown in the storyboard page 5 scene numbers 5-6.

Abbots Park:

This location is where the majority of our filming will take place. The specific scenes of Alisha and Kevin meeting as well as the murder of Kevin right at the end, such a location demonstrates the reality of such events as they often take place at discrete areas with couples – specifically teenagers meeting in parks which are seen to be calm and relaxed places for them to converse with one another and often enjoy intimate moments. This specific area will be used in our film a great deal and will mark some of the most pivot moments. As depicted in our case studies from our inspirations quiet areas are the targeted hotspot for murder scenes to take place. Therefore having chosen a park would reflect this and contribute to showing the reality of what is being displayed overall impacting the effect this has on the audience. Using an area which is quite accessible for almost everyone would make them conscious and aware of what may take place within it. The image above is of the entrance to the park and this is where the specific scene of the murder will begin to commence. We thought it would be best to position Alisha’s boyfriend at the entrance so we can capture his expressions and emotions as he looks for both other characters in order to execute his move. Not only this but having such a camera focus would improve the suspense and tension between the viewers and the events taking place. What we had in mind was that tension and suspense leads to audience members becoming more aware and focused on the issue being shown and the approximate severity of what is being shown. This has come from experience when me and other members of the team have come across reality films such as the one in our case studies – my murder.

This is another close-up of the location in which the scene where the murderer will be looking around to find the victim – Kevin will take place. We hope to build up the tension at this point as it is the main point which the whole short film is anticipating and therefore the camera shots will be various such as longshot once he arrives, mid-shot when he slowly pulls the knife out, close-up when he is looking for Alisha and Kevin and finally an extreme close-up when he finds them. We need to watch out for any potential hazards such as small children running around and other obstacles such as members of the public who wish not to be filmed however apart from this there are not many health and safety implications we are liable to face.

Within the park this is the particular area in which we will be filming the scenes where Alisha and Kevin meet. At first Kevin will be alone and the filming will reflect his emotions as he will be feeling ecstatic to meet Alisha assuming the feeling is mutual however once she arrives and they get talking he will become more relaxed. At this point he will be using his phone to text Alisha and we will show his emotions while this is happening through close-ups and mid-shots. Once Alisha is at the scene there will be many shot reverse shots as both characters are speaking. Finally Kevin will assume Alisha is interested in him as much as he is and will attempt to place a kiss on her lips and what he doesn’t know is while they were talking Alisha is texting her boyfriend letting him know of their where about. At this point we will show a close-up of her texting and then the various scenes of her boyfriend on his way to the park will take place in a separate location. Using a bench area establishes the relaxation and intimacy Kevin feels towards Alisha as they both will be alone and having the murder take place while this is happening will show how Kevin was unquestionably unaware of the likelihood of such events taking place. This contributes to showing the “honey trap killing” and how secretive it is. After the murder the scene will end straight at that point, ending the film.

College (bullying scenes):

The scenes of Alisha being intimidated by other students are also a major part of the short film. As the scene will be repeated in the form of continuous flashbacks it is important that we are able to film this correctly and accurately. At this point Alisha will be seen leaving college however when approached by two members of the college whom she has straining relationships with things take a turn for the worse when she is unable to handle the pressure leading to her resulting to the extreme lengths of a honey trap killing. Using this environment adds to the realism of the film as such events do actually take place within the environment of peers and can lead to devastating effects on the individual if not tackled. You can then agree that the film promotes two aspects of the events which take place in today’s society both of which need to be tackled. One being bullying and the idea that this needs to stop and the second being not to result to the lengths of the honey trap killing as well as raising awareness of what goes on between different social groups and the role technology plays towards this. Again the issue of making sure we are not filming anyone if they are not willing to will arise in the filming of this scene other than that filming should go according to plan.

A bus stop of the similar looks to this will be used to film the scenes once Alisha has left her boyfriend when he is unable to understand the pressure and trouble she is facing through her daily college life and how much this is having an impact on her mentally and emotionally. The actress will be sitting down with her phone and this is also the scene at which point Kevin calls Alisha and the camera shots will reflect her emotions when he calls such as the close-up to the phone.

Remainder of the scenes such as when Alisha first comes into contact with Kevin and when she meets her boyfriend at various times will take place on a variety of roads which are of convenience to the actors and the camera crew. Filming these scenes will require us to ensure continuity however there is no set location for this as using any road will near enough create the same effect we need.