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Group 10 Scene recreation - Submarine (2010)

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For our scene recreation we decided to remake a scene from the 2010 film Submarine (directed by Richard Ayoade).

As part of our pre-production, we got everyone together to help breakdown each shot from the film. We disscussed the different angles and shot sizes the oringal scene used as well as the positioning of the lighting sources in certain scenes to make sure we could authetically capture the exact same tone.

One of the challenges we faced is that we couldn't find a dolly track to use for the camera to dolly in towards Oliver on the stairs with his mum. We had an idea, which we eventually scrapped, where we would use an office chair and hoist the tripod on top of it and tape the legs to make it secure however the wheels were unsteady which made the dolly effect look really rocky and unsmooth.

(Above: first image of the breakdown from the over the shoulder shot of Jill)

Once we had broken down how we would approach the techincal side of the shoot, we needed to scout for the right location. The location we ended up using was our friends house (Jaime). On the day I was free from studying, I decided to pay my friend a visit so I could take some reccee photos of the layout of the stairs, which is where most of the scene would take place.

(Above: recce shots of my friends stairs for the stair sequence)

Before we started shooting, we organised a powerpoint shot list of of the original film. Instead of shooting in continuty, I suggested that we should shoot the stairs sequence first. The reason for this was because I felt that this sequence was the most complex to frame and light due to how tight the space was, which meant that we would have needed as much time on day one to get the sequence right.

Its also worth noting that my friends family were present on location when we were shooting, so we would have had to make sure that we weren't disrupting their time.

(Above: continous master shot from 9 to 12 intercut between shots 10 and 11)

By starting with a master shot first, this helped us cover the entire geography of the scene with where the characters are postioned. A benefit for this is if our group ran behind schedule or if one of the actors had to drop out, we at least had a useable shot where all the actors are present in the scene.

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Visual Exercise 2 - Group 10

Me and my production group were once again tasked with another exercise as part of our production workflow class to create a sequence of 8 shots in a location of our choice. Our aim was to interpret a sense of meaning through visual images, by showcasing how important visual literacy by implicating the wider aspects through communication and language.

Upon scouting, we all had our sights set on Makar's Courtyard as the setting for our exercise. We took a trip there and decided to spend at least 20 minutes taking notes on the location. We paid close attention to the visuals and sounds of the court - the wind gusts , the raindrops falling on the courtyard centre, the busy traffic off from the royal mile, the tourists clamouring around the courts attractions. I found this place to be extremely melancholic but also very comforting. In a weird way, the entire scenery felt like a lost memory. Even though I had never visited it before, it evoked in me a sudden burst of beauty and sorrow.

Once we were done, we decided to hire some equipment including a blackmagic camera, a tripod and a lens kit. We also hired a tarp and two umbrellas for the weather.

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Exercise 1 - Tuesday 3rd of October

Centre Frame Video

Rule of Thirds Video

Me and my group were tasked with making two 1 minute videos to submit as part of an exercise for our production workflow class. One video had to be framed centrally, whilst the other using the rule of thirds technique. As part of pre-production, we all collectively made a basic short screenplay and two seperate storyboards - one centre-framed and one with the rule of thirds.

Centre Framing Storyboard

Rule of Thirds Storybaord

The shot that we used, where the two actors criss-cross one another, helped heighten the silliness and comedic relief of the situation, as well as giving the audience a thorough understanding of the setting that the characters are in.

For the rule of thirds video, we used this shot of the main character (David) stepping out and standing outside in the hallway whilst the supporting character (Tom) is seen standing away in the background, completely out of focus. When using the rule of thirds, we tried to compose the most important elements between the intersection points based on the imaginary grid. By doing so, this helped us produce a negative space between the foreground and the background, as well as imbed a visual conversation between the two main characters thus creating a sense of power and authority.

Framing Preference

My prefered framing method would have to be the Rule of Thirds. I think using this method is the most useful as it can help arrest the audiences eyes between the subject from the foreground to the background when off-centre. A rule of thirds guideline can also help determine characters relations to one another in the overall narrative.

With centre framing however, whilst it can be used to great effect in creating comedy and helping the audience understand the characters surroundings in a space, I personally do find the technique to be less apealing to the viewers eye when comapred to a rule of thirds guidline.

Final Script Draft Below