Despite finishing late, the night before, we were up early the next morning to arrive at The Blue Room theatre. It was a very hectic day, as we only had the location from 9am-2pm and would not be able to carry out reshoots. I had stayed up later the night before completing the camera and light set-up plans to ensure we were fully prepared. I found that, due to the constant changes to the script and our need to stick to the strict schedule, it was efficient to run through the shot list every night (and before each shoot). This meant I could remove any unnecessary shots and prepare for the next day in a manner that kept the plans fresh in my mind. It also meant Julia and Millie could edit the shooting schedule accordingly, making sure everyone was up to date on what was happening at all times. I found completing set-up plans was extremely vital to keeping production efficient, keeping time wasting to a minimum and ensuring every single shot was as good as it could be.
Due to the tiredness and pressure that came with this shoot; it was one of our hardest yet. The theatre scenes were originally written to be set at night, but due to the availability of the venue, this was not possible. We tried our best to create a completely dark environment so that we could create and shape the lighting ourselves, however this was not entirely possible. Whilst the shots of Madeleine on stage look authentic, and as though they are set at night, it proved harder to block out the natural light for the scenes in the theatre lobby. This was also hindered by the modern furnishings in this location, meaning we could only shoot this scene from a limited number of angles. We used flags to block out the light from the windows, where possible, and stuck Murder at Curtain Call posters (made by our production designer Emma) over light switches and fire escape signs.
Although we needed no more than ten shots in total for the theatre scenes, each shot required a wildly different set-up. For example, an authentic theatre setting needed to be created for the shots of Madeleine singing onstage. This meant arranging rows of chairs, with an ‘aisle’ in the middle of the camera to be positioned on the track and dolly. The shot begins as a medium shot framing Madeleine’s legs and then, the camera is pushed forward on the dolly whilst tilting up to Madeleine’s face. I had to be careful not to tilt the camera too far upwards as, although the stage curtains were closed, there was a gap at the top where natural light was pouring through. To outbalance this, a Rayzr LED Fresnel was used, alongside Dedo lights, to create harsh shadows and a ‘stage lighting’ appearance. Almost all of the equipment we booked out prior to production, we used for this shoot, meaning a lot of time was spent setting up and taking down. Despite this, we were extremely lucky that the venue was already decorated beautifully, with blue walls and greenery that contrasted, yet complimented the warm colours of the scenes previously shot.
Overall, despite the strict schedule and lighting issues that needed to be consolidated, I believe this was an incredibly successful shoot. Despite how long it took for us to set up, we ended up with time to spare for a longer lunch break – something all the cast and crew deserved! In the evening, the crew went to the studio to construct the set for the theatre dressing room. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to join as I had to work.
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