Franky Four Fingers & Boris the Blade

Shoot 2:

The first of our studio shoots has been completed, we began our shoot by creating the set for Boris' scene in which we see Boris taking a shotgun from his cellar via a low angle shot from inside said cellar and one more shot of him cocking the gun. In order to get this shot we created a rig with a box on top that our cameraman could set up underneath, from there we could get the low angle shot seemingly from a basement without having to find a location with a hatch basement. We then added a ceiling tile to disguise the studio ceiling and lights and set the scene as Boris's house.

There were two issues with this rig that we discovered only when using it. Because the box was quite tall we had to raise the height of the false ceiling, the lights and the actor. This meant taking the extendable height of the light stands to the limit to ensure there was enough light in the scene and having the actor stand on a table, it took us quite a while to get the shot right because of the difficulties with
the lighting.










The second shot was much easier to complete, it consisted of Jordan having to come up into the frame as if standing, and cock the shotgun while looking at it. The only issues we had with this one was trying not to laugh while he repeatedly bowed at the camera in a grey suit that hung off of him as if it were his dads and he a small child (it was my jacket).

The second part of the shoot is probably the best looking shot so far, from day one Louis was suggested to play Franky Four Fingers and it's easy to see why, he's got that Vegas look. While this shot was fairly simple to set up it is one of the only scenes that is one continuous shot and so was slightly more difficult to get right every time. There were some more difficult camera movements that required getting the camera from an extreme close up at the centre of the table, back to a mid shot then back in for another close up. The only problem with this was having the rig get close enough to the table without hitting it as the jarring would ruin the shot, to combat this we had Damon steady and stop the camera from underneath while Peter made sure the shot was looking as it should through the viewfinder. 

The lighting for this piece was nice and simple, the dedos were placed directly at the table and high over to cast a few shadows and get that Ritchie look. The original setting appears to be an old warehouse or otherwise empty space composed of mainly shadow (makes sense for a dodgy poker game) so the studio was a great setting as we could use the space and the black curtains to get the shadows we needed. The closeness of this shot meant we were able to get the lights in really close as well and get their full effect, that and we were able to bring a tv close to the set so the actors and cinematographer could study the movements and other aspects of the scene such as prop placement.

TEAMWORK!

The thing that stood out most in this shoot was the level of effort everyone was willing to put in and how well we work together, sure there were moments where we disagreed or felt something could be done better but we were always keeping to the task in hand and making sure we were working to the best of our abilities to make sure our clip was the best it could be. It was lighthearted and fun working with these guys and I'll definitely think about shooting with them in the future (after this project is finalised of course). Peter was invaluable as a cinematographer and cameraman and always made sure the shot we got was the right one and matched the original clip in as many ways as we could manage. Damon was handy once again with costume and props just making sure we had everything we could need as well as a few options. I made sure we were well organised and not running over our time in the studio without getting what we needed, all of the actors were really accommodating and took direction well, they all got stuck into their roles and had some fun while doing so. Everyone else in the crew was always ready to help and pitch in wherever needed, we always had plenty of help on hand for even the smallest task. Though we took our time with this shoot and could have potentially got more done, we may not have ended up with such high quality footage and we wouldn't have been so relaxed and enjoyed it as much. Great job team!

Let the shooting begin!

The day has finally come and we've started principal photography for the snatch edit sequence. Shoot 1 is scene 3. Mickey's caravan. Unfortunately all of our efforts to use a real caravan have not been successful and though we were hoping to have this location be as close to the film as possible we need to be realistic with our scheduling. So no caravan, however we have the luxury of a second option; Damon's bedroom has a large space by a large window with netted curtains and so by making only a few adjustments (adding a table and some pictures of 'his ma' we have transformed the space to resemble Micky's caravan.

Damon has made a big effort in recreating the space for the shoot while Peter (our cinematographer) has focused on getting the angles and lighting right. While most of the shots are one continuous shot with the camera on a dolly or steady cam changing the focus of the shot we found it would be just as easy to have the camera on a fixed tripod to get a better shot and shoot the scene from different angles. As each clip has several jump cuts it will be easy to blend the images later on. The camera placement for this shoot was never going to be ideal, if it were in a caravan as planned we would have had the cast and crew in an enclosed space so we planned for that eventuality. The house we did shoot in was obviously much larger than a caravan however the window placement was important to the shot which meant that the camera would have to be positioned in the doorway. This obviously presented issues as the cast and some of the crew would potentially be trapped in the room which of course is a problem if there were ever a fire or another emergency. Luckily there was a patio door leading to the garden at the rear of the room so there was always an exit available (though it made tea runs a bit of a nightmare). 

Possibly the biggest issue at this location was light. We had planned for a decent amount of light coming through the windows and brought dedo lights and reflectors with us to make sure our talking props looked picture perfect incase there was no sunshine (which being in Cornwall right next to the sea is bloody likely). Instead the unexpected happened and there was a flood of light streaming through the windows washing out everything and ruining the 'caravan-ness' dingy aesthetic we were going for. Luckily the reflectors and some spare cardboard worked nicely as impromptu sun blockers (luckily Damon and his housemates are big pizza eaters).

Props and Costume:

Luckily for us Troy makes a wonderful Brad Pitt (who would have guessed?), he has a similar wiry build and the same facial hair as Mickey so just needed some costume. The Mickey costume was fairly easy and Troy was able to provide most of the clothes himself. All he needed was a vest a pink shirt a waistcoat, a hat and some gold jewellery. I went hat hunting around the charity shops and Damon hit the costume shops to get some costume gold. 

  

The outcome was pretty close to the original, though we were unable to find a suitable pink shirt and the hat was more of a tweed than leather, the look was pretty spot on and we were happy (as was Troy who spent the rest of the day talking about dhags).

Props in this scene were mostly provided by Damon, he was able to find a striking leather purse 'from his mum' to put the gold jewellery in. We found a small box and painted it dark brown to match the one used in the scene and Damon just happened to have an ash trey and a lighter in his house. The playing cards used on the table were part of a set bought for the Franky poker scene. I found a picture of Micky's Ma online- the same one featured in the background of the actual scene and referenced later in the film. I also printed a picture of Jesus which is always visible in Mickey's caravan as well as printing out some actual size bank notes. I had planned to head to Lloyds and get the real thing for the scene however I was informed by a member of the group that using real money in films was illegal. After some quick research I made my way to tvtropes.org (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StageMoney) and verified that this was true, you can't use real money on film legally, thus I ended up looking sheepish printing out £20 notes on campus - 'it's for a film...honestly'.


Outcome:

We were shooting for most of the day but that was mostly due to all the cast and crew finding their feet and getting into the swing of shooting again. We got some excellent shots and are ready and rearing to get the next shoot rolling.

Until next time film fans!

Pre Production- Locations & Dates

Our production group consists of mostly amateur editors, Peter and Damon are the only ones in our group comfortable with the editing software, so once again ambition is the name of the game. To take some of the pressure off of the two of them I have agreed to be the groups producer and handle all essential paperwork. This is an entirely new experience for me and I look forward to the challenge. We began planning our shoot by laying out a rough time table based around shooting locations.

Scene breakdown

Avi->Sol->Mickey->Vince->Franky->Turkish, George, Tommy->Tony->Boris->Doug->BrickTop

  1       2         3             4            5                            6                          7           8          9           10

Shoot 1:

Shooting dates: 01/03/16

Scene 3: Mickey caravan scene. 

Location: TBC

Finding an actual caravan to shoot in is going to be the most difficult of all of our locations and so we've decided to tackle it first. We have submitted requests to local caravan sites as well as requesting to use the caravan of an actual travelling family camping close to campus. It's important for us to use an actual caravan for this location as it is a highly recognisable location from the film and will set the bar for our efforts to recreate the sequence as realistically as possible.  We would ideally find a caravan with a table and a large window to make sure we have enough light for the scene. 

Shoot 2:

Shooting dates: 08/03/16

Scenes 8&5: Boris & Franky 

Location: Studio

As both of these shots have little in the background and require odd angles (Boris low angle shot from inside his cellar/box) we will be shooting these in the studio. 

Shoot 3:

Shooting dates: 11/03/16

Scenes 1,2,4 & 9: Avi, Sol, Vince & Doug 

Location: Studio

Again, more shoots that will require the studio, as these locations are essentially blank rooms with props in it is far easier for us to shoot several scenes in the same space in one long day. 

Shoot 4:

Shooting dates: 15/03/16

Scene 6&7: Turkish, George, Tommy & Tony

Location: TBC (Scrapyard)

In the film an empty warehouse is used as a boxing promoters training yard. This will be very difficult to find as we will require an empty warehouse either with a caravan inside or with the potential to put one in there. If necessary we will add the caravan in post and just use an empty warehouse.  We will also require an industrial like setting for the back alley of Bullet Tooth Tony's scene. 

Shoot 5:

Shooting dates: 19/03/16

Scene 10: Bricktop

Location: Pub

In another attempt to maintain realistic locations we have requested permission to shoot in several local pubs all of which are of an older style and have pool tables in. 

Before filming in any location the production manager and myself will be completing a full recce and completing a thorough risk assessment. There is the potential that several of these locations may not pass our risk assessments (such as the caravan or warehouse) so we will make sure to have them signed well in hand to combat any issues