Blog #46 Filming Day 2 - Scene 7, Shot 1

 Scene 7, shot 1 follows Dillon and Anna inside Dillons house, just going about their day, talking to each other like a normal couple, but in the background of the shot, the cultmember who snuck inside(in the POV shot) is revealed. One thing I had to keep in mind while filming this scene, was that, at least for Dillon, the characters are still in their state of harmony, and the malicious force has not done anything to them or revealed themselves yet, so even though so much has been set up, and its just about the climax, I have to keep the camera very still, as if its on a track or a dolly; so that I can properly convey how the characters feel.

Before filming on more complex shots as usual, I like to go over my scene plan:

After going over it with the actors, assigning action phrases to Robert(the cultmember), which since I do plan to use the audio from this shot, the action phrase for Robert, ended up being to start walking 5 seconds after Gavin(Dillon) and Lauren(Anna) start talking, so 3 non filmed tests and 3 filmed tests later we came out with a shot I am very proud of

Dillon and Anna walk into the kitchen - Two shot - Tracking

Just to reassess why I use so much camera movement in shots and so many one shots, I truly believe that that is the most immersive form of film(on raw film not including Imax or things like D Box), a continuous shot following characters as they walk and interact truly brings the audience into the scene, and makes a film all the more memorable.

Dillon and Anna talk in the kitchen - Two shot 

Note: I am really proud with the camera movement I used to transition from the tracking shot to the two shot, almost looking through Dillon's POV in a pan

The lighting in this shot really does not give off horror vibes, its just a standard kitchen, and I used the lighting provided to make it feel more natural and realistic.

Dillon and Anna talk while a cultmember lurks in the background - Three shot

One thing horror movies have taught me is to always check the backgrounds and empty corridors, and with the layout of my kitchen, with the little cut out entry way, I knew I had to incorporate a scene like this; Neither of the characters notice or see them, but the killer is right in front of the audience's faces.

I am extremely happy with how this shot turned out, and I truly cannot wait to add everything together.