26th – 29th March
Another Murder at Curtain Call update. This time, I talk about the actual production week this time. This week, all of the filming took place in the Airbnb, which will serve as James Miller's home in the finished film. The night before the actual shooting day, I made sure that all of the outfits for the house scenes were ready. On the day of filming, I arrived early to get everything ready. I was in charge of setting up all the scenes, and by developing specific lists of what was needed and writing notes on each item, I was well organised and prepared.
I also spoke with the actors about their costumes to ensure that they were aware of what they were wearing, and I gave the female performers makeup tips. Elisabeth's makeup is modest because she is in the bath in one scene and in bed in another. Therefore, a full-on makeup look would be out of place Linda's makeup was kept minimal and plain, in keeping with her conservative aesthetic and stern personality.
We filled the bath with bubbles and had Elisabeth wear a bandeau top with shorts to make it look like Elisabeth was naked in the bathtub.
I am delighted with how the costumes came together for each character and how they portrayed their distinct characteristics.
29th – 31st March
Various venues were employed throughout the three days of filming, including the beach, the Carousel, and the Blue Room Theatre. Only the actresses, cameraman, producer, and director fit in the car because there was limited space for the beach scene. As a result, I prepared everything related to costume and props the day before, so they knew what to bring and wear to the beach. I spoke to the actresses individually regarding their costumes and make-up look so that they were well-informed and I discussed with the director and producer what props were needed for the beach scene.
I emphasised the significance of the red colour of the scarf and blanket because I wanted these two elements to stand out because they are so important in expressing message and colour association. The colour red is crucial since it was formerly associated with James and Madeleine's secret affair and is now associated with Linda and Elisabeth's powerful relationship.
From the pictures they sent me, the beach scene turned out to be quite a success.
For the next day, we filmed a bar scene at Carousel. Because of the short time window we were allowed to film, we quickly had to set up the equipment and set. However, there wasn't much to film, and there wasn't much to place on set as Carousel itself created quite a rustic and old atmosphere. Linda's attire, a long black coat with a tight bun, becomes her signature look throughout the film.
We also recorded Elisabeth and James outside later that night. Because of the weather, I made sure that the actors had blankets and that tea was available for both the cast and crew. Fortunately, the shot was straightforward; however, cars continued to pass by, necessitating frequent reshoots. However, we were able to complete the task, resulting in another good shooting day.
The day after was quite an important day as we filmed in the blue room. With nearly all actors in this scene, except for the detective, I had to ensure that each actor/ actress knew what they were wearing and that their hair and make-up looked acceptable. Linda's and Elisabeth's hair and make-up were quite simple; however, Madeleine was rather extravagant and glittery to emphasise that she is a theatre performer. Thanks to the lovely producer, Julia helped with hair and make-up as she is much better equipped at it than I am. This also helped me out immensely as I focused my attention on the other actors.
There wasn't much to be done regarding the set design, as I wanted the blue room to speak for itself and not draw attention from the beautiful space. Because the majority of the area is blue, I had Madeleine wear red gloves not just to represent the secret relationship between her and James, but also to draw the audience's attention to Madeleine. However, one thing I did was hang film posters around the theatre that I designed myself to promote Madeleine's new stage performance. To make these look as authentic as possible, I performed a lot of study on classic drama/film posters.
Overall, I am so proud of what we have filmed so far, and it is coming together very nicely.
1st – 2nd April
Today was the most important day as we finally filmed the dressing room. I am extremely proud of how the dressing room turned out as we constructed everything from ground up (literally and figuratively). In pre-production, we already painted all the walks and the day before filming, with the help of the team, we put up the walls. I then had to hastily decorate the entire set because we were on a tight deadline because the studio can only be booked for a certain amount of time. I am pleased with how it turned out as I spent hours searching the internet and shops for appropriate props and decorations for the dressing room, and it was really satisfying to see everything come together so perfectly.
I ensured that all the décor was authentic to the time period and reflected the era through the various posters and pictures scattered around the dressing room.
When it came to the murder scene part, we had to make sure the blood looked as realistic as possible. We even had a forensic student come on set to help make it look as if Elisabeth was shot in the stomach to make it look as realistic as possible. When we were done filming, we had to rapidly dismantle the entire set so that other people could use the studio. I was really concerned about the dressing room's appearance, but I am very satisfied with the final product.
The next day, we filmed the interrogation scene. Because it is an interrogation room, the set design is limited to evoke a plain and sinister mood. This mood was conveyed extremely effectively because to the cinematographer's excellent lighting. I was also incredibly proud of detective foster's look, especially with the signature Humphrey Bogart trench coat look, which clearly indicates that he is the detective.
Overall, the shoot went off without a hitch, and the crew and cast were fantastic. I am extremely proud of everyone as we poured sweat and passion into this film project. I'm looking forward to seeing the final edit and sharing it with the rest of you!
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