Remains of Britain: The Next Step in the creation of
World of Depleted’s Forsaken
by
James de Paula Hanika
(This is a continuation of our previous article published in the April issue of MicroFilmmaker Magazine. To read it, click here.)
Only when the script is in place can the framework of filming be mapped out. It is quite normal to film out of sequence, as most filming schedules group scenes by location, or grouping actors, or both. In our case, it was the first scenes where the main character is introduced. This was actually a big help to us, because it was an easily managed location that didn't have a limitation of time or lighting conditions, as we were shooting all under low and artificial light in a garage. It also meant that we were setting the groundwork for the rest of the film, so where better to start that then the beginning?
The main character is only referred to as Man, even on set. (The draft script referred to him as David, but we later dropped this and kept all of the characters anonymous. The later gang members are referred to by their look, character type or even what happens to them.) In a world where there is no power or open access to fuel, we rigged up a desk that had a bank of car batteries and a number of basic lamps for him to live by. We shut off the entrance to the garage with a large, thick cloth, which we could roll up for some dolly shots, and set up our filming lights and polystyrene reflectors, and worked out where the dolly would run and the angles the shots would be filmed from. With the script broken down into numbered shots, we loaded our clapper with the details and started filming on May 29th, 2010.
Don't underestimate the use of a clapper
Now, “loading” (positioning and using) a clapper adds quite a bit of time to the filming process, but is well worth doing for those slow days in front of Premiere or Final Cut Pro, or whatever editing software you use. There are two distinct benefits of using a clapper on EVERY shot. Firstly, if you are recording sound separately, a clapper is important in lining up the visual to the sound. Secondly, we found that we could note the number of takes per shot on the script, and mark any take we thought should end up in the final film after we had shot it. It didn't always end up that way, but it certainly sped things up when we were putting the draft edit together. We sometimes used a standard clapper and sometimes used a digital clapper on an Apple iPad. The iPad didn't do so well in very bright sunlight, but offered a digital time code, which was very useful.
Shooting the picture scene from Forsaken.
We were filming on HD 1080p cameras. Our main camera was a Canon HV30, which has manual controls for focus and exposure, as well as direct input for a microphone, which not many consumer camcorders can boast. Most of the colour correction would be completed in Premiere, during the editing, and we had discussed desaturating the footage, but being able to adjust the exposure turned out to be very useful in a few shots in this particular location and lighting conditions. We also had a secondary HD camera, the Canon HR10, for alternative angles during the same shots. Using a second camera raises the production values a lot, as it adds a different viewpoint to the same shot, which you can cut between. Sound is generally seamless, and reduces the problems you may get in continuity with a single camera shot. Choreographing a scene with two cameras is important, especially as we were doing almost every shot as hand held, so walking into the path of the second camera needed to be avoided. We also used a Røde VideoMic for the sound and recording almost all of the sound directly in camera.
Early tests
We initially shot a number of test scenes to evaluate the way we would light or film the sequences. One such test was that the safe-house/garage was scripted as being lit almost entirely by an open fire. We set up an old barbecue that we built a fire in, but the camera couldn't really cope with the very low light levels. Checking the tests showed that a lot of quality was lost and the visuals had a lot of noise and grain. This was hardly the result we were after, as we were filming in full HD. We tried a number of fire effects, but none of which worked the way we visualised it. In the end we settled on on-screen lighting that would only be powered by a collection of car batteries. Additional lighting was used to create shadows and supplement the filming requirements.
A second test was related to a 'death effect' that we had originally developed to apply to each of the deaths you see in the film. The idea was to add an unsettling effect, drawing the viewer to the sequence each time. We shot slow motion footage on a Casio Exilim digital camera, which is capable of recording up to 1000 fps. After a number of tests, we settled on 240 fps, which was then upscaled to the rest of the footage shot on the HV30. Additional shake and effects were applied in After effects to create the unsettling sequence you see in the final film. The death effect was only used for the demise of 'Headshot' and not used for the remaining gang members.
Applying headshot prosthetic makeup.
Makeup effects were tested in a similar way. The headshot death called for a gruesome hole in the actors forehead when the hoodlum falls to the ground. We did a test of this makeup on the actor who played the boy in the film. One specific result we needed was to see the blood pour from the wound when the actor turns his head as he hits the ground.
The makeup was created using a technique that dates back to the Lon Chaney films of the thirties and forties, which uses cotton wool and gum. This then had a coating of liquid latex and painted to good effect. Fake blood was added to the well in the middle of the scar that poured out when the head was turned. We eventually shot this multiple times to make sure that we had the most effective shot. One test that didn't quite work out was to create a complete scar using liquid latex, which we built up in layers to get the right size and spread. The problem turned out that the edges, although only very thin, didn't blend very well with the skin of the actor, and the sweat of the action undermined the adhesive.
The filming schedule for the first few weekends would cover the safehouse scenes, the initial walk and the shots where our hero acquires a vehicle. As noted in the first article, we scripted the film in such a way that the majority of the scenes involved only our main character and the boy. This meant that we could complete a large number of shots with only a small cast and crew. In fact, for the first few weeks, we only had the main actor, director and one other, usually dealing with boom or clapper duties. The storyboards for these scenes turned out to be invaluable, but I would say that we should have spent a little longer on developing the shots. Especially the camera angles and close ups. We found that it was all too easy to forget enough close ups without the prompt of a storyboard.
Sound was another concern. In the garage scenes, the Røde VideoMic was mounted on a fixed tripod, as the protagonist was seated the whole time, but was moved around the set to gain the best sound quality. A constant problem related to the occasional traffic sounds that came from the front of the house where we were filming. This was particularly difficult when a Police car or ambulance went by, ruining the current take. It's actually incredible the amount of ambient sound that modern life throws at us. A good mic, therefore, is a must.
We learnt a great number of things from a technical point of view. Not least the need to organise the crew as well as the actors in every scene. This would seem obvious to many, but most low-budget filmmakers are not professionals and are unlikely to have a large crew to deal with. Multiple camera setups were more complicated, but worth the trouble for the results at the editing stage.
