Props And Costumes

Throughout our filming time for our opening we used many different props to assist the person behind the camera, in order to get an effective shot so our opening can be unique and more interesting for the audience. We also used some props to assist our characters to help them connect, relate and help our audience (understand the character). Here are the props that we used when filming;  

Here is one of the props we used while filming, this was for when we filmed the track shot in the bedroom location. Before we used the skateboard when we were filming this shot we found that the scene looked too shaky and did not flow like a track shot should. This is when we had the idea of using the skateboard so we could roll it along the ground while the camera (that was on a tripod), doing this we found that the camera was kept level, instead of it going up and down. This turned out to be very successful because it helped keep the camera steady so the shot was clear for the audience and not shaky.

These are two other props that were used at the same time, for a shot in the garage location, which was for the flashback scene. During the filming part of this scene we were experimenting with different types of shots to see which ones would be the most effective for when it comes to editing the flashback. One of the shots that I came up with that I thought would be effective for a flashback scene would be a High angle shot. The reason we decided on this shot was because it would make 'Lydia' look vulnerable as the audience looks down on her, with the addition of the tension building throughout. After trying to film this scene without the props (instead Chelsea held the camera) we found that it looked too shaky, making it look out of place compared to all of the other shots as they were all steady. This is when we decided to use the props, where we put the bucket upside down on the ground and put the plank of wood laying over the top of it. This allowed us to put the camera on top of this, which let us get the steady High angle shot we were after, which meant these props where successful in helping us get an effective shot for our opening.

For this next prop we used it to add to our character's personality so the audience can get a insight into what 'Lydia' is like and what she enjoys doing. We decided to use art work as a prop because it can also help the audience sympathise with our character, this is because someone with such an innocent hobby/talent whilst also going through something so traumatic is hard for the audience to see. As the particular character did not deserve it even more so now that the audience has seen the innocence through her art work. We found this to be an effective way of reaching our audience and that is why we used an Overhead shot to allow the audience to get a clear view of the work 'Lydia' is doing.

Moving onto Costumes, we made sure that we picked a suitable costumes for both our characters in order for not only the dialogue to make sense but also make the whole opening look more believable (because our characters had realistic costumes.

Our aim when thinking about our characters costumes was to wear something quite casual and relatable to the age of our characters (which is our ages now 16/17). When thinking about 'Lydia's' outfit I chose jeans that we also ripped as I was going for the casual look, I also chose a black top with a design in the corner because I did not want something that would draw too much attention from the audience, as I wanted the audience to concentrate on the storyline. I also chose a thick coat for when it was the park scene with black trainers to relate to the weather at the time and to go with the rest of the outfit. This was an effective choice of costume because it looks casual and relates to a lot of people the same age in todays society, making 'Lydia' look more realistic and believable for the audience. In addition, for 'Mia's' outfit we wanted something very particular in order to go with our dialogue and script. We chose an all black outfit with the addition of a black coat with a hood. This is because part of our storyline is where 'Mia' is walking towards 'Lydia' however 'Lydia' does not know its her best friend, she panics and falls to the ground thinking it was her kidnapper. This is due to the costume 'Mia' is wearing, the all black outfit can be associated with evil or danger, especially with a hooded figure. That is why 'Mia's' costume was important, and turned out to be effective and successful, as it created tension and they fear for Lydia's safety.