On the Friday, we shot all the scenes set in Madeleine’s dressing room. After an already long week, this was another incredibly full-on shoot and tensions did run high. I had to be up extra early on this day to collect the equipment from Julia’s flat, as well as the mirror and curtains from Emma’s flat – integral elements of the set design. I arrived at the University campus around 9am. Everyone helped unload the equipment from my car into the studio and we began setting up. Despite the fact the dressing room set had been constructed the night before, the set still needed dressing to ensure verisimilitude. Due to the limited space, equipment could not be entirely set up until this was completed and shooting did not commence until 11am. This meant we were an hour behind schedule and we only had the studio book until 3pm – in this time we also needed to dissemble the set.
Luckily, Javier and I had gone over the schedule for the studio shoot comprised by Julia and I weeks prior. As we knew we would be on a tight schedule, we had a long conversation over Facebook Messenger to decide what shots would not be necessary. I’d already cut out 5 shots from the schedule, following the test shoots, but the amount left was still not realistic for the limited time we had. We came up with ideas on how we could combine shots in a way that doesn’t affect the coverage of the action, as well as easier, more time efficient ideas that would be more appropriate for the scene. This was an incredibly helpful conversation, and an example of how well myself and Javier can collaborate. After this conversation, I used the template Julia had made for the shooting schedule and made a new, updated running order for the studio shoot. This was to ensure everyone was up to date on the changes we had made to the scene.
Despite the shots that had been cut out, starting late meant the shoot felt incredibly rushed and there was very minimal time for error or further changes to be made to the scene. The running order and camera set-up plans were incredibly helpful in keeping me on track, although I realised early on in the shoot that Javier had not read over the updated running order, and was therefore unaware on what order we were filming in. This resulted in me getting upset, delaying us further, as I would expect the director of the film to know what is happening at all times in order to maintain control and keep production on track. It did not help that the dressing room set was constructed using walls that were not very wide, meaning the space was limited and each set-up took time to arrange. Danay needed to be in an appropriate space as the sound recordist, to ensure the dialogue was crystal clear, which proved difficult for two shots.
During the phone conversation scene, a Dedolight was used as the key light to create a slither of light across Madeleine’s eyes. This matched the shots of James on the phone whilst contrasting the red walls and warm fill light coming from the lamp. The lighting during this scene is something I am incredibly proud of, especially given the time constraint and tension on set. I look forward to seeing how the cinematography looks once it has been colour graded in post-production.
The lighting was a saving grace throughout the murder scene as a lamp sourced by Emma and positioned on Madeleine’s dressing room table acted as the key light. A Bi-Colour LED was used as a subtle fill light for these shots and for each new set-up, was the only thing that needed to be moved with the camera. It also helped that Josie Lincoln was helping as a runner on set.
The murder scene was one of my favourites to film, despite the large number of shots that were needed. We had Tiffany Sharpe, a forensic science student, on set to advise us on how we could make Madeleine’s death look as realistic and believable as possible. Whilst this was incredibly helpful, I felt an immense amount of pressure to get the shots of Madeleine dying absolutely perfect. Once there was fake blood on Paloma’s hands and clothes, the shots had to be completed in one take. Luckily, with everyone’s help and speed, I succeeded!
We also had Josie Lincoln, DOP for Burned Out, helping me as a camera assistant during the latter part of the shoot. I tasked her with fetching lenses and focus pulling – something she is amazing at! I had planned to shoot James’ discovery of Madeleine’s dead body on a tripod, but this simply wasn’t possible given the limited space. I decided to shoot this handheld, a technique I had largely avoided prior to this as I did not feel it was appropriate to the mood, tone and visual style of the film. To achieve the low angle shots we needed, I had to be in an extremely uncomfortable position with the Sony A7Sii positioned on my shoulder using the SmallRig accessories and advanced handheld kit. I was incredibly grateful for Josie’s help during this scene!
In the evening, after we had all taken a well-deserved break, we headed up Motherby Hill in Lincoln to film exterior scenes of Detective Foster (Victor) outside the police headquarters. Despite the cold and exhaustion we were all feeling, this was a fun shoot! The streetlamp adjacent to the alley we were filming in provided a lovely orange hue to the shot and allowed for me to create a classic noir looking shot, with half of Victor’s face shrouded in shadow. We used a Bi-Colour LED – set to a warm colour temperature – to make the shadows even harsher. The smoke and flame from Victor’s cigarette and lighter looked really effective against his silhouette.
For the dialogue in this scene, we decided Javier would play the police, as written in the script. The original plan was to utilise a close-up of the character’s shoes, where Javier walks into frame and stand next to Detective Foster. Instead, the placement of the streetlamp and Victor’s position in the right third of the frame against a brick wall allowed us to play with light. When cued, Javier walked into a position that obstructed the light coming from the streetlamp and cast a shadow of his figure onto the wall behind Detective Foster. It looked great! I’m really proud of my cinematography during these scenes.
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