Scenes One and Two Extensive Planning

Scenes One and Two Extensive Planning

I have decided to film the first two scenes of my thriller opening in a classroom in the PE area of my school. This area is often unused, due to the fact that PE is often more of a practical subject, therefore we will be undisturbed during shooting, I have also decided to use it on a Wednesday in the afternoon, when sixth form have PE therefore the room will be completely free. However there are drawbacks to using a classroom as I will have to remove all of the tables and also cover up posters, which adorn the walls of the room, so as to disguise the fact that it is a classroom.

The classroom itself was chosen after recceying the whole school. It is essential for the classroom to have a corridor outside which has predominantly bare walls to make the corridor appear to belong to a dull, dingy hotel. It was also necessary to have the ability to control the lighting in the room, this made the PE class a perfect choice as the blinds drowned out all of the room's natural light allowing for the use of film lights instead which will enable me to produce the desired lighting for the scene and set the thriller opening in the dead of night. The classroom I have chosen also has plenty of room outside to store the equipment which belongs in the room such as tables and chairs. The only drawback of the PE class is the size of the room which is quite large, however I believe that through closely following both the protagonist and antagonist whilst avoiding the use of wide shots, I can make the room appear smaller to the audience than it actually is.

There is another room in the school which meets the same requirements as the PE room however has two corridors which would be needed for the length of the walk at the very beginning of the opening. This classroom is based in learning resources on the other side of the school and may act as a backup location just in case anything unexpected occurs and I am no longer able to use the room in PE.

An issue with using the PE classroom is unmovable objects such as projectors and whiteboards which would clearly indicate to the audience that this is in fact a classroom and look very unprofessional. This would also contradict the fact that my thriller opening is set in the 80s due to the fact that the technology would appear to be too advanced. Again, similar to the issue with the size of the room, I will have to use tight, close shots of characters to ensure that I mask the fact that it is a classroom and make it appear to be a hotel room. It would be easier to film in an actual hotel room however this would include transport difficulties for both actors and props as I would still have to dress the room with typical 1980's props.

Dressing the Set

Before shooting even begins I will have to completely transform the room. Transforming it from a PE classroom, covered in sport posters - into this dark, dingy hotel room which looks perfect for a murder scene. The first thing I will have to do is clear all of the school equipment into a rarely used classroom opposite. The posters on the other hand cannot come down as they are stapled into the wall therefore I plan to cover these with pieces of art which I feel resemble typical cheap motel art, which I will collect from the art department.

List of items needed to disguise the room as a hotel and where I will acquire them:

• Television - School - Science block
• Fake cigarettes - Myself
• Mugs - School - Sixth form
• Pillows and blankets - Daniel Comley
• Coffee table - School - Sixth form
• Artwork - School - Art block
• Sofa - School - Drama hall
• Lava lamp - School - Drama hall
• Typewriter - School - Drama hall
• Cabinet - School - Drama hall
• Pot - School - Drama hall
• Radio - School - Drama hall
• Clock - School - Drama hall
• Rug - School - Drama hall
• Kettle - School - Drama hall
• Chair - School - PE classroom

The classroom is free from 1:40 until 4:00 therefore I do not wish to spend any more than twenty minutes clearing and decorating the room to ensure that I can film both scenes one and two within the two hours I have available. After 2:40 the school will be considerably quieter as many of the students will have left meaning there will be very little in the way of disturbances.

Actors required for scene one (final):

Adam Canning - Serial Killer

Costume: The same killer outfit from the filming of scene three only this time with big, typical 1980's headphones.

Props: Fake knife

Shornie Britton - Blonde Woman

Costume: Blue top, skinny jeans, leg warmers, converse

Actors required for scene two (final):

Adam Canning - Hudson

Costume: Open white shirt, trench coat, smart trousers and black shoes

Props - Fake cigarette

Jack Stiff - Detective 1

Costume: Open white shirt, braces, smart trousers and black shoes

Props: Fake cigarette, lighter

Shornie Britton - Blonde Girl

Costume: Same as in previous scene

Zoran Micic and Myself - Detective Extras

Costume: White shirts, black trousers and smart shoes

Harry Denley, Samuel Godwin and Aaron Gough - Press Reporters

Costume: White shirts, black trousers

Props: Notepads and pens