The Day of the Shoot

The day of the shoot went fairly smoothly and we got done everything that we needed, so I don't feel that at the moment we will need to do any reshoots. The weather was wet, but not raining enough to pick up on the camera, instead it gave the square a wet, miserable look, which turned out quite well, in evoking a similar emotion. The problem with this was that we had to keep wiping the lens of the camera, and a few shots had a droplet of water in them. Seeming as the lens was quite small, one droplet of water is quite big, but fortunately the shots with the water on them were not essential to the storyline.

We did encounter a rather major problem whilst filming, which was that we couldn't gain access to the lift, as there was a cleaner refusing to let people in, meaning we had to find an alternative location for the fight sequence, without going too far. We decided on filming it on the steps around the side of the square, as there weren't that many people there...or so we thought. Whilst filming it quite a lot of people did walk past, so we had to keep stopping and starting, but we got it done in the end. This change of location also meant that we had to re-choreograph the fight sequence, without all the features of the lift, and including the geography of the steps. To try and not waste too much time, we split into two units, one of us filming Richard and James's shots in the square and Lee and I choreographing and practising the fight sequence.

Back in the main square we had an interesting time filming Richard fall into the fountain. We remembered all the equipment we needed for the day, except a towel, so afterwards Richard was left to drip dry. Fortunately it was only his face and hands that went into the fountain, so that we didn't make too much disturbance. A few passers-by laughed at him. We filmed the scene three times, but only one really showed it to it's best potential, and after that Richard refused to fall in any more.

It was very hard to film the running scenes, as you have to run at the same speed as the actor, whilst keeping a camera steady, so we filmed the run many times from multiple angles. To get the moving shots we just ran at the same pace and didn't bother trying to keep the camera steady, reasoning that with the number of shot that we took, we'd be able to get a few decent ones. A cool shot that we managed to get was from up Nelson's Column. I climbed up a few layers and filmed Lee running from there, which gave it a very high budget look.
We also did some of the filming in horseguards parade, as planned, and this turned out better than expected, as we were worried that it might look strange due to the different times of day that we filmed each side of the scene. We were also worried that we might be stopped filming there, as there was a guard patrolling up and down the corridor when we scouted it.
Altogether it was a very successful day, and we got everything done that we needed to and to good quality as well. As much as I would have liked to have filmed the fight scene in the lift, filming it on the steps by the side of the square worked quite well. We also didn't get stopped by anyone, despite quite high security who didn't seem to notice a fight, someone falling in a fountain, and someone sprinting desparately across the square.

Map

I have printed off a map from google maps so that we know exactly where we're going.
1. Trafalgar Square
2. Davidson's exit from Trafalgar Square
3. Horse Guards Parade

Production Pack

In order for the day to go smoothly, I have created a 'Production Pack', which includes everything that we need, such as checklists, schedules, maps, the script and more! Of course, it looks much better in the document and the hard copy as it was split up into the relevant pages, but here is what's roughly in it :

DAY  1  PRODUCTION PACK

SINS OF THE MARTYR

Ø  Schedule – 2

Ø  Script - 3

Ø  Props List - 8

Ø  Map - 9

Ø  Storyboards - 10

SCHEDULE

08:15 – Meet at Enigma Studios and rehearse

09:15 – Depart for Ashtead station

09:29 – Take train from Ashtead to London Waterloo

10:10 – Arrive at London Waterloo

10:20 – Depart Waterloo station for Charing Cross

10:25 – Arrive at Charing Cross

10:30 – Shoot Trafalgar Square sequence

14:00 – Depart for Horse Guards Parade

14:15 – Shoot Horse Guards Parade sequences

SCRIPT

SCENE 1 – LONDON - INT. CHARING CROSS UNDERGROUND STATION

Darkness. Train lights quickly illuminate the tunnel as the train emerges. JIM gets out of the train, looks around then heads for the stairs. DAVIDSON steps into view.

DAVIDSON

Just got off the train right now. We’ve arrived at Charing Cross.

He watches as JIM crosses the walkway above, and trails him through the underground station.

DAVIDSON (CON’T.)

I’m in pursuit.

CAPRIVI is elsewhere, his voice coming from DAVIDSON’s earpiece.

CAPRIVI

Good. Keep following him.

DAVIDSON follows JIM through the tunnels beneath Trafalgar Square and makes his way up the stairs of the subway exit.

SCENE 2 - EXT. TRAFALGAR SQUARE

 JIM is out of sight.

DAVIDSON

I’ve lost him. He’s somewhere in the Square. Yung, do you have visual?

YUNG is watching from the balcony in front of the National Gallery, coffee in hand.

YUNG

Yeah. (Yawns) He’s just gone round the Column.

DAVIDSON walks along the road at the edge of the Square.

DAVIDSON

Yes, I can see him.

YUNG

He’s moving towards my position. Looks like he’s carrying a case.

DAVIDSON

A case? You sure? He didn’t have that on the train.

JIM sets the case down on the edge of the fountain. He begins to open it.

YUNG

I can get in for a closer look.

DAVIDSON

We have to make sure it’s clear. Palmer?

Davidson’s voice emerges from a fallen earpiece. A dead man is dragged away from the edge of the roof.

DAVIDSON (CON’T.)

Palmer? Caprivi, do we know if there’s a meeting about to place?

CAPRIVI is walking through a darkened walkway, consuming a meaty burger. A Slender-Man like figure follows in the shadows, albeit much shorter and browner.

CAPRIVI

I don’t know. We can’t risk it. Tell Yung to fall back.

YUNG

We have to go NOW.

DAVIDSON

Caprivi’s orders are to stand down! Yung?

YUNG

FUCK IT!

Yung rips the earpiece from his ear and casts it down into the Costa abyss.

DAVIDSON

Sir, he’s gone dark.

CAPRIVI

You have to stop him.

DAVIDSON hangs up. As YUNG makes his way from the balcony and down the stairs DAVIDSON starts moving. YUNG reaches the fountain as DAVIDSON makes a mighty leap over the wall into the Square. ZUBASU appears behind an agitated CAPRIVI. YUNG and JIM briefly exchange glances as DAVIDSON stops in the middle of the Square. Pause. Everything is at a standstill. Bang. YUNG is dead. His glasses float away.

DAVIDSON

Yung is down. I repeat Yung is down.

Silence. No response.

JIM shuts the case. DAVIDSON starts moving towards JIM, but two men approach from across the Square and lead JIM and the case away. One of them starts to follow DAVIDSON.

DAVIDSON (CON’T.)

Hello? Hello? … God damn it.

DAVIDSON crosses the Square and enters the toilets. The man follows him in, and, as the lift elevates, he and DAVIDSON engage in brutal combat, culminating rather bloodily. DAVIDSON exits the lift at the top, leaving the dead body behind him. He wipes the blood from his knuckles and tosses the handkerchief to the floor. He walks over to the balcony and looks down at YUNG’s body, as a local youth prods it.

RANDOM LOCAL YOUTH

You alright, mate?

A woman (or perhaps an effeminate man) screams at the sight of the deceased thug in the elevator, so DAVIDSON quickly makes his escape into a nearby alley. 

PROPS & COSTUMES LIST

Ø Ear Pieces

Ø Briefcase

Ø Cup of Coffee

Ø Phone x2

Ø Handkerchief

Ø Caps x2

Ø Caprivi hat

Ø Suit

Ø Burger

MAP

Shooting Schedule

It is important to schedule the day of the shoot, to try and keep things going at the right pace and to make sure that everything is fitted into the day. We have to shoot the whole thing in one day otherwise we'd have to wait ages for another filming date, the Christmas Tree wont be up in Trafalgar Square, and the weather may change. We also have to film it all before around 3:30 so that we don't lose too much light. Unfortunately we can only really get to London at about 10:10 as train tickets are very expensive on weekdays and we can't ask our cast and crew to pay £18 a ticket! We have arranged to meet round my house (also known as Enigma Studios) which is very close to the station, so that we can rehearse things before leaving, making the day go faster. So this schedule fits around all the little issues and leaves some extra time because we will inevitably overrun and finish about an hour after our schedule. At least we know we should be hurrying up if we're behind the schedule.

08:15 – Meet at Enigma Studios and rehearse

09:15 – Depart for Ashtead station

09:29 – Take train from Ashtead to London Waterloo

10:10 – Arrive at London Waterloo

10:20 – Depart Waterloo station for Charing Cross

10:25 – Arrive at Charing Cross

10:30 – Shoot Trafalgar Square sequence

14:00 – Depart for Horse Guards Parade

14:15 – Shoot Horse Guards Parade sequences

Shooting Update

The date for our shoot has been rapidly updated to the 27th of December, as this day has become available to all our cast and crew members. This is much sooner than we had anticipated, but we have decided to take the opportunity as that will leave more time for post production and re-shoots. We also have to bear in mind that our composer could take a while to compose a score that is suitable for our film, and his schedule has to be taken into account.
There is a fairly sizeable problem with filming on the 27th, and that is that we will only be able to go into London after 9:30, which is an hour and a half later then the train we had anticipated taking. This is because the trains before 9:30 cost over £18 and this is a lot of money and a big ask for our cast and crew members. Unfortunately this pushes our schedule back considerably, and means that we'll have to film a bit quicker then before. To slightly make up this time the cast are coming round my house at 8:15 for rehearsals, and this means that we won't have to fully choreograph on location. We will also go over lines and change the lines according to what sounds better, and what the actors are more comfortable with saying. The script will change according to the actors.
We were originally going to shoot the underground scenes at the start of the day, but now our schedule has changed so that we will film them after the Trafalgar Square sequence, seeming as we don't need the light for the underground sequences, but we do for the scenes in Trafalgar Square.
Obviously we have a fair few last minute adjustments to make, such as schedules and production packs, and these will come soon.

Storyboard Animatic

We have created a storyboard animatic in order to work out exactly what we need to film on the day. This will greatly increase the efficiency of our production, as well as giving us an idea of what the final product will look like. 

Final Shooting Script

SINS OF THE MARTYR

SCREENPLAY BY

Philip Smith & Nicholas Ashurst

BASED ON A CHARACTER CREATED BY

Nicholas Ashurst & Lee Davidson

SCENE 1 – LONDON - INT. CHARING CROSS UNDERGROUND STATION

Darkness. Train lights quickly illuminate the tunnel as the train emerges. JIM gets out of the train, looks around then heads for the stairs. DAVIDSON steps into view.

DAVIDSON

Just got off the train right now. We’ve arrived at Charing Cross.

He watches as JIM crosses the walkway above, and trails him through the underground station.

DAVIDSON (CON’T.)

I’m in pursuit.

CAPRIVI is elsewhere, his voice coming from DAVIDSON’s earpiece.

CAPRIVI (V.O

Good. Keep following him.

DAVIDSON follows JIM through the tunnels beneath Trafalgar Square and makes his way up the stairs of the subway exit.

SCENE 2 - EXT. TRAFALGAR SQUARE

JIM is out of sight.

DAVIDSON

I’ve lost him. He’s somewhere in the Square. Yung, do you have visual?

YUNG is watching from the balcony in front of the National Gallery, coffee in hand.

YUNG

Yeah. (Yawns) He’s just gone round the Column.

DAVIDSON walks along the road at the edge of the Square.

DAVIDSON

Yes, I can see him.

YUNG

He’s moving towards my position. Looks like he’s carrying a case.

DAVIDSON

A case? You sure? He didn’t have that on the train.

JIM sets the case down on the edge of the fountain. He begins to open it.

YUNG

I can get in for a closer look.

DAVIDSON

We have to make sure it’s clear. Palmer?

Davidson’s voice emerges from a fallen earpiece. A dead man is dragged away from the edge of the roof.

DAVIDSON (CON’T.)

Palmer? Caprivi, do we know if there’s a meeting about to place?

CAPRIVI is walking through a darkened walkway, consuming a meaty burger. A Slender-Man like figure follows in the shadows, albeit much shorter and browner.

CAPRIVI

I don’t know. We can’t risk it. Tell Yung to fall back.

YUNG

We have to go NOW.

DAVIDSON

Caprivi’s orders are to stand down! Yung?

YUNG

FUCK IT!

Yung rips the earpiece from his ear and casts it down into the Costa abyss.

DAVIDSON

Sir, he’s gone dark.

CAPRIVI

You have to stop him.

DAVIDSON hangs up. As YUNG makes his way from the balcony and down the stairs DAVIDSON starts moving. YUNG reaches the fountain as DAVIDSON makes a mighty leap over the wall into the Square. ZUBASU appears behind an agitated CAPRIVI. YUNG and JIM briefly exchange glances as DAVIDSON stops in the middle of the Square. Pause. Everything is at a standstill. Bang. YUNG is dead. His glasses float away.

DAVIDSON

Yung is down. I repeat Yung is down.

Silence. No response.

JIM shuts the case. DAVIDSON starts moving towards JIM, but two men approach from across the Square and lead JIM and the case away. One of them starts to follow DAVIDSON.

DAVIDSON (CON’T.)

Hello? Hello? … God damn it.

DAVIDSON crosses the Square and enters the toilets. The man follows him in, and, as the lift elevates, he and DAVIDSON engage in brutal combat, culminating rather bloodily. DAVIDSON exits the lift at the top, leaving the dead body behind him. He wipes the blood from his knuckles and tosses the handkerchief to the floor. He walks over to the balcony and looks down at YUNG’s body, as a local youth prods it.

RANDOM LOCAL FELON

You alright, mate?

A woman (or perhaps an effeminate man) screams at the sight of the deceased thug in the elevator, so DAVIDSON quickly makes his escape into a nearby alley.