Call Lists

To help us on the day, I created call lists. I did this so that we could see easily who was needed to be in each scene and what props we would need as well as the individual risks for each location.

Updated Storyboard

We produced a new storyboard after filming our run through and deciding upon changes. This is the storyboard we used when we were filming the final thing.

Our Cast Selection

After careful consideration, we picked a cast that we are very happy with.
     The person playing Hannah was chosen because she is small and vulnerable looking as well as the fact that she looks her age which is the most important as the girl who has been kidnapped is roughly the same age as her. We wanted to make the character look as small as possible while looking her age to emphasise her vulnerability while still making the audience feel sympathetic towards her. The actor also took GCSE drama, therefore she was able to take our directions easily, knowing exactly what we wanted he to do.
      The person who plays Bradley was picked because of his maturity which is important as he was playing the role of someone a bit older than he is. We needed someone who would be able to create a sense of mystery about the character's true motives by using specific body language and the person we chose was able to do exactly this. The actor was also chosen due to the fact that he was able to understand what we needed from him and was able to deliver.

Updated Shot List

This is a new shot list which contains changes to shots seen on the new storyboard as well as shot durations.

Shot 1: Establishing shot of the house - 3 seconds
Shot 2: Medium close up of door opening - 1 second
Shot 3: Close up of girls feet running - 6 seconds
Shot 4: Close up of detectives feet walking - 6 seconds
Shot 5: Mid shot of girl running - 12 seconds
Shot 6: Mid shot of girl standing and untying rope - 3 seconds
Shot 7: Close up of hands untying rope  - 3 seconds
Shot 8: Mid shot of detective walking - 3 seconds
Shot 9: POV shot of detective as walks towards the rope on floor - 3 seconds
Shot 10: Mid shot of detective walking - 3 seconds
Shot 11: Close up of detective as pick up rope - 3 seconds
Shot 12: Long shot of girl as runs up bridge - 4 seconds
Shot 13:  Long shot of detective as walks up bridge - 4 seconds
Shot 14: Mid shot as girl runs across bridge and down it - 3 seconds
Shot 15: Mid shot as detective walks across bridge and down it - 3 seconds
Shot 16: Mid shot as girl runs into park - 4 seconds
Shot 17: Long shot as detective walks to body - 3 seconds
Shot 18: Close up/over shoulder shot as body is uncovered - 3 seconds

Our Title and Our Characters

Our thriller is called 'The Girl Next Door'. We chose this title because it best suited the concept of our film. The girl who was kidnapped is held in a house, in a normal neighbourhood and so is essentially ''the girl next door'' but not in the way that it is normally meant.
     Our opening sequence features three characters who would play a major role in the plot of the film. The detective, Detective Bradley Johnson as well as the girl, Hannah Williams.
     Hannah was an average teenage girl who enjoyed what any teenage girl does, shopping. She was popular at school, but one day she disappears and after about a year, she is presumed to be dead. Her kidnappers took her and hid her in a house in a neighbourhood in a different part of the country and none of the neighbours suspected what was going on next door.
     Bradley Johnson used to be a detective but unfortunately, this is not the case anymore. The murder of Hannah Williams is pinned on Johnson after he is found in the park next to the dead body. Due to his previous vocation, Johnson is eventually able to find evidence to prove his innocence as well as who the killer was and why he did it.

Film Day Attempt 2 - 26th January

On 26th January, we filmed our opening sequence. We were successful in taking the shots we needed and the cast did exactly what we needed them to do.
     The morning went exactly to schedule and our plan for the day really helped, however, when we took the shots in the dark, we had to start later than we planned. This was because we needed to wait until it was dark enough to create the right atmosphere. Once it was dark enough, we had to move quickly between locations because it got dark very quickly. We still wouldn't move on until we had the shots we needed and were happy with.
     Overall, I am pleased with the outcome and am looking forward to seeing how the footage turned out when we come to editing.

Risk Assessment for Our Filming Day

In order to make sure we keep safe on our filming day, I made a risk assessment so that we are aware of what dangers there may be and how to avoid them as well as what to do if they occur.
     One of the problems we may have is the weather. It may rain, be very windy or icy which is a concern for us as all our footage will be taken outdoors. In the case of very heavy rain or strong wind, we will have to postpone our shoot day as it will be too wet, damaging the equipment or too dangerous to film. Due to recent weather, it is likely to be icy, meaning that we will have to be careful when moving the equipment or when the girl is running, however, it shouldn't be too bad. If someone does fall over due to ice, we will have a medical kit to help us.
      Another concern is that we are filming in a residential area. This means that there is likely to be people walking past and cars going past. If there are people or cars going past, we will need to wait until it is clear to film if we don't want them to be in the shot. This is particularly the case when we are filming the girls parts as it is night and no-one is meant to see her escape. Additionally, we may need to stand in the road to get a better shot and if this is the case, we will have to be very careful of cars driving down the road, if it is unsafe to stand in the road, we will have to alter the shots so that they can be completed safely.
      We must also be careful in the park as people may be walking their dogs. The dog may come up to us, and if it does, we will need to wait until it has gone to start filming. While the dog is there, we must not leave the equipment as it cannot be left unattended at any point.
       The grass in the park may be muddy, and so we will have to be careful using the tripod and ensure that none of us, including the cast slip over. This will not only ruin their costumes but could also break the equipment. To prevent this from happening, we will not run when on the grass and take out time, being careful where we step.

Plan for The Day

We will be filming our opening sequence on the 26th January. In order for us to use our time effectively and for us to be efficient, we have produced a plan for the day for each of these two days. This breaks down what needs to be done and tells us when we need to do it. In the morning, we will focus on the detective's parts as we need this to be completed during the day and in the late after noon, we will focus on the girl as we want this to be filmed when it begins to get dark.

SUNDAY 26TH JANUARY
8:30 - Briefing - this is to ensure that everyone knows what needs to be done and when as well as what we will actually be doing
9:00 - Make-up and costumes - the cast will be put into their costumes and have their make-up done so that they look the part properly
10:00  - Run through - we will run through each scene so that everyone is confident in what they need to do and when
11:00 - Film Scene 1 (for the detectives part) - at the house
11:45 - Film Scene 2 (for the detectives part) - down the road
12:30 - Film Scene 3 (for the detectives part) - across the bridge
13:15 - Film Scene 4 (for the detectives part) - in the park (the girl will be needed for this part)
14:00 - Lunch 
14:45 - Review shots (this is in case we decide we need to redo parts)
16:00 - Film Scene 1 (for the girls part) - at the house
16:45 - Film Scene 2 (for the girls part) - down the road
17:15 - Film Scene 3 (for the girls part) - across the bridge
18:00 - Film Scene 4 (for the girls part) - at the park entrance
18:45 - Review shots (to check we have everything we needed)

In order for us to be able to stick to this schedule, we will need the storyboard and shot list on hand at all times to ensure that we don't waste time filming things we don't need. We will also need to have a watch or a phone on hand so that we can be aware of the time.

Filming Day 2 - Sunday 4th January

Unfortunately, the other member of my group was ill, and so we had to postpone filming for a while. I managed to look over the footage that we did have as well as filming it to send to the other girl. From this we concluded that what we took was not good enough to be used and decided that when we filmed what we were meant to today, we will film the entire thing from the beginning and we will stick closely to the storyboard and shot list.

Filming Day 1 - Friday 2nd January

We began filming on time, with everything running to schedule. We managed to take the shots we needed and even finish a bit early due to the efficient use of our time. The cast was great and really listened to our direction, apart from the occasional giggle coming from the body bag. We took our time taking the shots we needed, however, we seemed to neglect the storyboard and shot list and so took additional shots in each location other than those we needed.
    Overall, I am pleased with how the day ran and look forward to watching our footage.

Plan for the Day - January 2nd & 4th

So that we are using our time efficiently, we created a plan for the day. On the Sunday, we will begin to film later in the day because we need it to be darker.

FRIDAY 2ND JANUARY

8:30 - Briefing - this is to ensure that everyone knows what needs to be done and when as well as what we will actually be doing
9:00 - Make-up and costumes - the cast will be put into their costumes and have their make-up done so that they look the part properly
10:00  - Run through - we will run through each scene so that everyone is confident in what they need to do and when
11:00 - Film Scene 1 (for the detectives part) - at the house
11:45 - Film Scene 2 (for the detectives part) - down the road
12:30 - Film Scene 3 (for the detectives part) - across the bridge
13:15 - Film Scene 4 (for the detectives part) - in the park (the girl will be needed for this part)

Review shots (this is in case we decide we need to redo parts)

SUNDAY 4TH JANUARY

1:30 - Briefing - this is to ensure that everyone knows what needs to be done and when as well as what we will actually be doing
14:00 - Make-up and costumes - the cast will be put into their costumes and have their make-up done so that they look the part properly

15:00 - Run through - we will run through each scene so that everyone is confident in what they need to do and when

16:00 - Film Scene 1 (for the girls part) - at the house
16:45 - Film Scene 2 (for the girls part) - down the road
17:15 - Film Scene 3 (for the girls part) - across the bridge
18:00 - Film Scene 4 (for the girls part) - at the park entrance
18:45 - Review shots (to check we have everything we needed)