The loan I have for filming equipment gives me the time slot of 14th December - 7th of January.
Almost all of these days are eligible to film on, other than the obvious complication of festivities.
I'm currently unable to set a specific date to film in the train station because my only requirement is a particular type of weather so I'll only be able to plan a few days in advance. Preferably I would like it to be misty and frosty, for which the first few weeks of December have been a promising omen.
The empty room scene is being filmed at Alleyn's school, so I will have to wait for the start of term on January 8th to do it but this should be relatively easy; with myself, all the equipment and my actors present on a regular basis.
With consideration of the criteria given by the British Board of Film Classification, I feel the 18 certification is most appropriate for my film. Applicable Criteria:
Very strong violence
Frequent strong language
Strong horror
Strong blood and gore
I have made this decision based on my idea of the entire feature film that the opening 2 minutes will portray a sense of, rather than the two minutes themselves.
The patient is on a train, travelling to therapy, she gets off the train and lights a cigarette on the platform. A hurriedly passing man knocks into her by accident and with little reaction but a cold fury she methodically proceeds to grab, turn him and (a knife having appeared in her hand without explanation) stab him in the stomach. She holds the knife in one hand, sticking into him and holds him into the knife with the other hand on his back. He doesn't struggle from shock but judders and chokes and she continues to steady him, keeping him held to the knife. The man is fixated on her with terror, she stares coldly over his shoulder, looking bored and resigned. Eventually he goes limp and she lowers him to the floor without emotion; still not looking at him. The scene cuts back to reality - the man has just knocked into her, he regains his stance, apologises and moves on his way as she glares after him. She continues to smoke. She holds a lighter by her side and grates her thumb over it, slowly and purposefully. On the third grate the flint catches and she looks down. Blood is welling from the thumb. She looks down at it for a moment then back up and starts to smile then laugh; quietly but manically. The laughter begins to calm and then suddenly she snaps out of it, looks down. She flexes her hand; the blood is gone. She continues to stare straight forward; expressionless, inhales on the cigarette again, starts to smile once more as she exhales the smoke.
In therapy. Only the patient can be seen in shot, in the empty room, talking to her therapist who is behind the camera.
I am still toying with the possibility of having the dialogue in French (with subtitles):
Idents
< Some examples of hollywood studio idents - for mainstream, big budget films
They have used lots of powerful images; impressive skies, snow capped mountain scenes, castles over lakes.. the world
Lots of colour
<Some examples of independent studio idents
There seems to be a common circular theme running through most of these..
Most of the independent studios have gone for more simplistic idents; mainly graphic and with little imagery, reflecting their financial positions
Film 4 create motion idents with an explosive, visually rich
clip of film that the logo then materialises on top of
I might like to create something of this sort for my ident with a clip of my own film, separate to the project, or something more similar to the other independent studio idents shown but with a stronger visual; again, an separate photograph of my own
Possible images/an idea of the kind of images I would use for the latter option Broad colour scheme images:
(will Disney sue me?)
Narrow colour scheme images:
Black and white (or close to it) images:
An idea of the kinds of moving image I would use for the first option:
(If I later decide to cut my intended opening shot - passing scenery from the train window, I may actually use one of the clips of this nature)
Black and white, in conjunction with the visuals of the film
Credits not over images, just plain backgrounds
I like this 60s, black and white TV show look for the credits, the quite simple, childish nature of it, hardened by the black and white and further juxtaposed with the nature of the material
Possible credit fonts: I definitely want a fairly condensed font, and most likely a bold one.
I'm leaning towards Abadi MT Condensed Extra Bold/Myriad Pro Cond. (which look pretty much the same)
I noticed, while re-watching Black Swan that throughout the film there is a lot of sinister breathing, wing flapping/fluttering (etc.) foley sounds - watching it for the first time I didn't realise this but it adds a lot to the tension without the audience really realising, making it even more unnerving.
(much more obvious in this clip but I couldn't find another one)
I'd like to record some sounds of this nature (breathing, soft laughing, whispered words/phrases) to heighten the sense of my characters insanity
I want a lot of amplification of real sounds, over the general background noises of the train station, so these will be recorded and manipulated digitally
I will record these on Logic Pro 9 and create an mp3 track, which I will combine with the effects I have put together on Final Cut Pro X for the "inside head" noises
I will also take a buzz track for atmospheric sound throughout the film, using a digital audio recorder
Dialogue
All dialogue aspects of my film will take place in the empty room so I will record it with a directional mic:
Non-diegetic Sound
I will write all music for my film on Logic Pro 9 and convert to mp3 tracks for use in Final Cut Pro X
I would like to write a tension building, ominous track for varied use in the train station scene, something like:
and a melancholy classical piano track for possible use in the final "interview" scene, something like:
