As this was our final week before production officially commences, there was a lot to be done! On Monday 21st March, Emma and I drove to two different locations in Lincoln to pick up a mirror and curtains. These will be used as part of the set design for the dressing room. Incorporating a mirror into the scene will allow for some interesting shots of Madeleine as she sits at her dressing table, as well as the opportunity to play with lighting and reflection.
After this, we joined Millie and Javier at the Duke’s Cottage on Bailgate to look around the location that will act as James’ House. I focused on looking at the main settings in the cottage (the bathroom, bedroom and living room) to understand what I’ll be working with on set. I considered how we could alter the layout of each room for the benefit of each scene and how I could rework the shot list to reflect this. I made sure to take pictures and videos for reference when compiling the camera and lighting set-up plans for the house.
The following day, on Tuesday 22nd March, I carried out test shoots along with Javier, Emma and Julia. During this shoot we focused on the interrogation scene between Elisabeth and Detective Foster, with Emma and Javier standing in as the actors. As well as practicing the shots as written in the latest version of the shot list and storyboarded by Javier, I devised the lighting for the interrogation scenes. During these scenes, Javier and I decided that we wanted to entirely conform to film noir conventions and light the scene as though it would be edited in black and white. This means creating harsh shadows using a single light set-up (chiaroscuro), which I achieved using a Bi-Colour LED (mounted on a C-Stand) as a top light. It was difficult to gauge the full effect of this set-up as there was natural light leaking into the room - this is something that will not be an issue on set.
We also decided to later add a Fresnel light into the scene as an unmotivated source. The aim of the cinematography in this scene is to have the background enveloped in darkness and completely separated from the characters in the foreground. The interrogation scenes take place within the main timeline of the film, with the remainder of the narrative told via flashbacks. These scenes, and Detective Foster, thereby act as a form of subjective commentary on the events of the film as Madeleine’s killer is slowly revealed. We don’t know where this interrogation room is located or when these events are taking place in relation to previous events in the narrative. Due to this, we could take creative liberties with the lighting in this scene to truly lean into the visual style of noir and the non-linear narrative of the story we are telling.
We also carried out a test shoot the following day, on Wednesday 23rd March, during which we focused on Madeleine’s murder scene. This scene was difficult to practice accurately as we did not have access to the studio and therefore, struggled to create a lighting and camera set-up that closely resembled the dressing room set. Although this was not as successful as the previous day’s, it still provided an opportunity to decide on an appropriate lighting set-up in preparation for the tight schedule we will be faced with for the studio shoot.
Although we couldn’t carry out these test shoots in the actual locations, I still found them extremely helpful for practising camera movements and establishing lighting set-ups. It also meant Javier and I could iron out creative differences we had to ensure we’re on the same page. One example of this involved the inclusion of a subjective shot in the shot list; a close-up of Linda from the point of view of Madeleine. Whilst Javier considered this unconventional for a noir film, I argued it would be effective to place the audience in Madeleine’s shoes for the briefest of moments. We eventually agreed that a P.OV. shot was vital in this context to evoke questions surrounding moral intelligence - was Linda justified in killing Madeleine? Did Madeleine deserved to be killed?
Following the location scouting and test shoots that took place this week, I revised the shot list multiple times. This involved cutting shots for scenes set in the dressing room, as we only have the studio for 1 day and the schedule was incredibly tight. Without cutting shots, this meant no leeway for errors or adapting onset. I often found, for the interrogation scenes, we did not need as much coverage as previously thought. The number of camera set-ups in each scene was an important consideration, as film noirs often feature slow-paced editing and lingering frames. The test shoots also allowed me to see whether lenses should be used or what camera movements and angles should be changed to portray the story in the most effective way possible.
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