I first started off by laying out the combinations of my outfit for the brunette lady, and when my model was wearing them, i just layered up lots of black, fur, sequins and lace. I didn't have to make my outfits work completely because it would be quite dark while filming as well as being black and white - to dark to see the outfit. As i had a tapping-foot shot (to show she is being impatient) of this character, i had to find the right shoes to fit the era. I'm not too sure about this but i think because i played with the lighting and shadows, i might be able to get away with it as not all of the shoe may be seen.
I then had to layout my table with a dark sheet over the top, then i put the fake money, ash tray, the cards, dice and light on the table. I made sure that the light-source was never in the shot as it is way too modern. But the ash tray is one that we already had in the house and just happens to be very old (1930s-ish). The dices were also very old, and there were 5 of them - probably made of ivory or similar. The fact that these dice were probably quite expensive when they were originally bought, fits well with the financial situation of my characters. The cards were again a very old find which fits to the time and place of my OTS and the amount of money my characters have.
After having organised the mise-en-scene of the poker scene, i had to start filming. I made sure that i went by the storyboard with the same shots but, i made sure i also got some extra angles in there also - JUST IN CASE and it also gives me the chance to experiment with interesting light and angles. I filmed my shots in chronological order according to my storyboard. So as my shots often jump from one character to another, my characters just stayed in the same place while i went round them and filmed those specific shots. I did it in chronological order because i knew it would be easier for me to know what is going on while filming and also it will make the editing process simpler and easier! I first filmed the brunette lady (the brunette one first because my actress is a natural brunette-head) and also my male character. After i had gone through my story board for the poker scene with the brunette character, i didnt need to film my male character any longer and i then had to film my blonde character (my actress in a blonde wig). My male character was dressed very smartly, with a white sharp shirt and trousers. I was planning in my storyboard to have my make character put the handkerchief in his suit-jacket pocket, however my male character didnt have a suit-jacket with him and it would have looked strange if he had put the handkerchief in his shirt pocket. So to sort this out, i decided to film my male character putting the handkerchief in his trouser pocket instead - which in turn, didn't look to bad in comparison to my original plan. To make my male character look sweaty on his forehead, i had to us just ordinary water which also looked realistic. I tried to do a very close-up shot of a sweat-drop flowing down his face, but, i couldn't get the camera to capture it and also i think it would go against the idea of my male character being very confidant and arrogant - it would have made him look over-nervous and tense and wouldn't fit his characteristics.
There will be no digetic sound in my OTS - exept when my male character 'THUDS' the winning cards on the table, and the non-diagetic sound will be low and mysterious. I have not determined what EXACT sound i will have, as i would prefer to wait until i have edited the OTS so i am make sure that the music fits the atmosphere and feel of the film.
I used just one spotlight, and it was positioned on the table and shining straight onto the money in the middle of the table. The light was the reflected onto my characters faces - so the light was shining 'up' their faces, making them look mysterious and eery - as if they have something to hide.
Filming the blonde lady was exactly the same as filming the brunette, with the same shots that were in the storyboard and also some extra just-in-case shots. It was actually quicker to film the blonde character as i was aware of what my aim was a bit more, and i was a bit more confidant that the lighting and mise-en-scene looks okay. Her costumes were black, fur sequins and lace however, with different clothing items. Just like with me brunette lady, i filmed under the table of my characters shoe tapping in nervousness and impatience.
The photos i took before, during and after my filming session will be uploaded soon.
Conclusion
In conclusion, i am very pleased with the progress i have made as i was concerned about reaching the deadline with an edited piece. All together, the poker scene took around 2 and a half hours to film including the costume change from brunette hair to blonde hair. Each shot was quite quick to film, as most of my shots were still and short - giving the impression of tension and foreshadowing something bad is going to happen. I decided to film my street scene before the poker scene because i knew the street scene would be harder to edit as i have to get the timing very precise and fit together correctly. It also needs to flow to not jump too much, however, i wanted my poker scene to be very jumpy, creating an unsettled feel so therefore it would be quicker and simpler to edit and film.
My next step is to film a quick shot of my killer holding a 1950s gun up and pulling the trigger, and another close-up shot of my killer lifting the gun out of her coat pocket. These small shots would have been filmed while i was filming in the streets, however i wasn't going to risk holding a gun when it was at night - just in case we got into some trouble. I did plan to do this from the start. So, to produce these shots, i will have my female character in the exact same costume - making sure she is still wearing the gloves and the same ring. I was film these shots probably against a brick wall as i don't think it will matter dramatically about the mise-en-scene because it will not be shown. I will then edit the shot into black and white, and make the whole shot darker. i am planning to borrow a fake gun and i have done some research on a gun which would have been used by a woman in the 1950s. Note: a female must be able to lift it up and also it doesn't necessarily HAVE to be based on a 1950s design - it could be from an earlier era because somebody would have kept a gun for a majority of years. So here are some still shots i found of guns used in 1950s films noirs:
Again what a brilliant shot. The cigarette and gun are highly contrasted against her sweet, modest clothing and glamorous hair. The gun is very similar to the previous photo, however it is black. (Right)
This is still very similar to all of the other guns i have seen in a film noir.(Above, left)
I like the effect of the bird-shaped shadow. The gun is a very typical design - a design that you would generally associate with a gun.
If i cannot find a specifically old-design gun to borrow, i think i will have to make do with black - it HAS to be black so that it will portray a mysterious atmosphere. Why would a killer carry a neon gun around? It must be subtle.
Linking back to my target audience
My audience is 16-25 year olds and are male and female. After filming the poker scene, i still feel as if i am targeting this group. I am targeting them by sticking to my storyboard and also with my intention of having the scene quite quick, tension-building and easy to watch, I'm sure that they will be hooked and will want to watch more. However, i can never determine this hope until after i have edited it.
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