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For our first department meeting as the set and props team we discussed the director's vision and how we would execute it appropriately. I also discussed with the props master (Adam) the best way to get everything done. We agreed that we would combine set and props so we could all work together on both sections to get everything done more efficiently.

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Final props list for A Love's Bite.

Props are sorted by a scene in which they appear but may be used/seen again in other scenes. This is is to avoid any confusion that there may be muktiples of a prop, even though there is only one, for example.

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Props/set budget for A Love's Bite

£50 Budget, £49.53 spent.

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Camera equipment booked out from the 15th of November. We have booked out one BlackMagic pocket camera for sationary shots and a Sony A7 that we will attatch to the gimble for the moving/fight scenes.

The booking out of the smaller Sony camera is so that the gimble will be slightly lighter and easier to film with as we will be moving around a lot during the fight scenes.

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The director requested that the cafe set stay wholesome and comforting, with just the addition of Halloween decorations to emphasise the time of year in which the film is set.

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Veronica's House (Living Room and Bedroom) Moodboard

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Veronica's House (Living Room and Bedroom) Moodboard

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The director asked for a darker colour scheme for Veronica's house to match her transition into becoming a vampire.

We also discussed extra set dressings like trinkets and photos and how those would come into play. The director explained to us how they wanted the set design to contribute the the world building of the story. Aside from the key props interacted with by the actors, the director and I agreed on how we wanted to maintain both aesthetics and naturalism, especially in both of the house sets. We wanted the sets to be busy without being distracting acting "as a back drop sometimes as 'wall-paper' [sic] to the main contenders in that approach - the actor and the action which occupy the foreground" (D'Arcy, 2018).

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The director requested earthy tones for Laura, such as greens and browns. We also wanted her house to look brighter than Veronica's.

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Costume's Chosen for Set Decoration/Wardrobe Scene

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Costume's Chosen for Set Decoration/Wardrobe Scene

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We had a look around the costume department to find some clothes for scene 12A. We wanted to match the same colour scheme for Veronica's costume in the film.

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I started creating the prop from scene 2, a heart with bat wings. I started by cutting a base out of cardboard to glue onto the fabric and consulting with the director on what colours/textures of fabric to use.

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I bought material for the heart with bat wings prop, the director and I agreed on this colour and material for the prop for some texture.

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Almost finished making the prop just gluing the material to the base and then gluing it together.

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I finished making the prop prior to the first day on set, we will be shooting the first six scenes in the cafe.

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I went to the fabrication lab on the Media City campus to create a cross for Veronica to use to defeat the Stranger. I used a laser cutter for the design and glued it onto thicker pieces of wood so the prop would be stronger. I have yet to paint the prop but I will be using red and gold paint.

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Shot list for 'A Love's Bite'.

My annotated shot list (subject to change as editors may end up using different shots or unplanned shots that were changed on the day by camera/director).

We worked on the shot list all week, going through each shot with the director. We also worked on the blocking with both actors and the director, specifically for the fight scenes (Scenes 6 and 17). We wanted a clear idea of the movements of the actors so we could plan each shot efficiently.

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Video Project - Shot List - Claudia's Copy + Notes

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Counter set dressing for the cafe scenes. The film is set just before Halloween, therefore we sourced Halloween decorations so that the cafe could match the film’s aesthetic and the time of year in which it is set.

The Halloween decorations were our number one priority, we needed the audience to know the time of year, because, when it comes to set dressing it helps "create a sense of place and time, or evoke an atmosphere" (Hart, 2013).

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We started filming the first 5 scenes at a cafe in Salford called Kith and Kin. Alex took the lead on camera as I was concentrating on the the set decoration. I was also helping explain the blocking with the actors in order for everything to look the best it can on camera.

We wanted to be able to tell the stories of the characters through visuals too, not just through the dialogue as "visual worlds are created through the cinematography" (Brown, 2016). This meant shooting the characters in closer frames together if they are close, for example with Laura and Veronica. We used a medium full shot for Lyn and Veronica as they are only colleagues.

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On Wednesday and Thursday we began filming scene 6, the scene where Veronica first gets bitten by the Stranger in the park and Pat defends her. We solely used th gimble on Wednesday for the mobile shots, such as the Stranger's feet following Veronica (as shown above). Then on the Thursday we switched to using the tripod for wider shots and close ups as they looked better stationary.

We faced a few struggles over the two days as the temperatures were very low and we had to try and make sure that the actors were as comfortable as possible considering their costumes were not warm enough for the current climate. Additionally, filming became even more challenging on the Thursday as it started to snow and we had to make sure to protect all of the equipment. We ended up calling it a day with the scene unfinished due to to the unworkable conditions.

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Filming in the park with the gimble was challenging. We had to ensure focus was right and make sure we were walking straight in order to capture the actors' movements whilst keeping them in frame.

The picture above shows me guiding Alex whilst he was walking backwards to film the Stranger's feet walking towards Veronica. I made sure to watch his back, as he did wuth me whilst I was walking backwards.

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On the Friday of week 2 and Thursday of week 3 we filmed in a house in Droyslden that we used as Veronica's house; more specifically, her living room and bedroom. This came with its challenges for camera as there was a massive TV in both rooms that the director did not want to get in shot. This limited our movement for shots as we had to avoid a full wall for both filming days. However, we figured it out through blocking with the actors. We filmed scenes 7, 8, 10, 12A, 18, 20 and 21 in both days.

One way we avoided the TV was through close ups when we had to film at that angle, like in scene 10 when Veronica is looking down at her notebook (as seen above).

Another challenge was the scene when Veronica runs up to the mirror to discover she no longer has a reflection in scene 8. Alex and I discussed this and he told us he can splice two shots together in the editing process (as he is also an editor). We did this by filming a shot of Niamh in the mirror, and one of just the mirror. We also had to film this at an angle as we had to make sure the camera wasn't shown in the mirror.

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Props for the park scenes on Wednesday and Thursday were minimal: we only needed a set of keys and an umbrella.

We were able to outsource both of these things through the group.

The umbrella was sourced for the Stranger before Monday too as it was used in Scene 1 when the stranger walks past the cafe.

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For Veronica's house we spoke to the director about their influences. They specified that they were inspired by The Lost Boys (Schumacher, 1987) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Whedon, 1997-2003).

We wanted to reflect this aesthetic in Veronica's house. Her character has alternative style from the beginning, even before she goes for a more gothic style later on in the film. We showed this with a range of eclectic blankets and cushions in the living room to reflect the character's personality.

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I also worked with the director and producer to decorate a shelf in the living room to display more of Veronica's character. We felt it important to concentrate on details when it came to set dressing, so as to make the house scenes feel more like a real home.

Additionally, I printed a baby photo of the main actress (as pictured in the gold frame above) in order to add more depth to the set. I also had more current photos of the main actress in another frame in the living room. I felt this extra detail added another layer of realism to the character and I hoped it would help an audience connect with her more.

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We started off the third week by finishing off the first 5 scenes set in the cafe. We decorated the set the same with photos provided by continuity.

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We filmed in 'Laura's House' on the Tuesday and Wednesday. This consisted of scenes 9, 12B, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 19.

The director wanted more earthy tones for Laura's house, so as to match her personal style. We spoke to both the director and costume in order to coordinate her house's set dressing with the character herself.

The photo frame with the picture of Laura and Veronica (as pictured above) is in the script so the props master and I knew it was a priority, along with the meal and the cross. Any extra set dressing was either to show Laura's style or they were Halloween decorations to showcase the time of year.

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On our second day filming in the cafe I was in charge of camera as the other camera operator had to be off.

I had a couple challenges going in: one of them being that I was an extra in a shot the week prior so I was not able to use that angle of the cafe in Scene 5. I made this work by only using close ups/tighter shots when filming Veronica who was on that side of the cafe.

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The writer and the director both specified to me that they wanted a more colorful, elegant Catholic cross to be used in scene 17 (the final standoff between the Stranger and Veronica).

Thus, I decided to make it myself with guidance from the director on style and colour. Here it is in Laura's house.

The prop needed to be sturdy but also detailed as it is a hero prop and a stunt prop. I made sure to concentrate on the painting whilst also making sure it was glued together to be strong enough to be used in a fight scene.

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For scene 14, we were faced with the challenge that none of us in the props/set department had handled before: producing edible food for a film.

For this, the props master Adam bought the food and I cooked it. I cooked it shortly before the scene was to be filmed so that it would still taste good for Niamh (Veronica). I cooked the food in the producer's house as it was closeby and brought it over to set when it was ready. This was a challenge as I had to run back and forth both helping film on set and cooking the meal.

We also made sure to ask about any dietary requirements/allergies beforehand to make sure both actors were comfortable with having meat in front of them.

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For filming in Laura's house we started by using the cine slider to shoot scene 9. Alex, the other camera operator, decided to use it to add a more dynamic feel to the scene rather than just shooting a stationary shot.

We also made sure to use close ups for the ring in the ring box and for the photo frame of the two characters.

For scene 16 we wanted to also play with lighting, as I had previosely mentioned to the director that I was inspired by the shadows and use of lighting (as pictured above) in Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (Murnau, 1922). We used a red light to show the Stranger's shadow in the doorway with Laura in the foreground.

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Laura's House - The Final Standoff Scene

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Laura's House - The Final Standoff Scene

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For scene 17, the final fight between Veronica and the stranger, Alex took the lead. We used both the tripod and the gimble (so also both the BlackMagic Pocket and the Sony A7) to capture the scene.

For the shot where the stranger slams Veronica's head into the table we used the tripod but made it taller so as to capture a higher angle, a request from the director.

Furthermore, I filmed a centred shot of Veronica grabbing the cross from the wall (as pictured above) which resulted in a very visually pleasing shot.

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We finished off filming scene 6 in the park on Wednesday the 4th. We used the gimble and other limited equipment due to weather condictions.

Shooting did not go to plan with the actress playing Veronica having to leave before the end of shoot, as did I. I personally was too tired and cold and I had to ask Alex to take over for me as I did not have the energy to continue.

However, shooting wrapped not long after with Alex cheating the shots by getting an overhead shot of the Stranger from Veronica's POV. This meant we did not need Niamh and it all worked out.

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On the Friday the group filmed scene 11, however I could not be there for personal reasons.

I was told that filming went well and quickly as there was only one scene and a limited number of shots that needed filming.

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We also used Schloer for scene 14 to mimic wine as the two characters are having a romantic meal and we wanted to make it seem realistic. This also included tealights for the table and a vase with flowers. The tealights, however, were not to be lit for health and safety reasons and we did not get a chance to get LED candles. We sorted this by having Laura hold a lighter as if she is about to light them, before she is stopped by Veronica running out of the house. We kept this mindset of health and safety for the plates, which were plastic, and for the knife Veronica uses in Scene 17, which is a rubber knife that replaced the knife on the table in between shots.

The rest of the set department and the director also chose the posters for Laura's house to give it more colour. They all matched the colour scheme the director gave us and matched the rest of the house's overall aesthetic.

Furthermore, I decorated the sofa (which thankfully was already green, which is Laura's core colour) with some stuffed toys and a cushion and a blanket to give it more colour. We wanted Laura to have a lighter, more happy colour scheme to reflect her character. This, I believe, is very much reflected in the set dressing for her house.

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We finished off filming the scenes in Veronica's house with scenes 12A, 20 and 21. This once again required continuity and set to work together in order to recreate Veronica's house. However, we had to work without the mirror as it could not be transported the week prior and the only way to get it out of the house was to get rid of it.

Additionally, we had a new prop for this set that had been used in Laura's house the day before: the ring box (as pictured above) with the ring in. This was sorted out by props, despite the fact that the ring is actually 'propstume' (Hart, 2013), meaning though it has been interacted with like a prop, it is also worn by a character (Veronica), forming an overlap in props and costume.

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We faced a few challenges when filming scenes 7 and 12A in Veronica's bedroom. A main one was the big TV on one of the walls that the director made clear they did not want in any of the shots as it did not match Veronica's house set dressing. This shot is one from 12A when Veronica opens her wardrobe. As the wardrobe was mirrored we also had to avoid seeing the camera and other equipment in the reflection.

Also for this scene the director asked if we could film from inside the wardrobe (as pictured above) as Veronica opens it. This, however, was not possible due to space in the wardrobe and a shelf near the bottom would not support our weight. We did come to a compromise and filmed the shot from a side angle cutting the TV out. This was important for all of us as camera's job is to "translate the director's intent" (Stump, 2021) in a film. We must work out the logistics for the director's vision.

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Brown, B. (2016). Cinematography: theory and Practice. Image Making for Cinematographers and Directors (3rd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315667829

D’Arcy, G. (2018). Critical Approaches to TV & Film Set Design (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315205939

Hart, E. (2013). The Prop Building Guidebook. For Theatre, Film, and TV (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780240823584

Murnau, F. W. (Director). (1922). Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror [Film]. Prana Film.

Schumacher, J. (Director). (1987). The Lost Boys [Film]. Warner Bros. Pictures.

Stump, D. (2021). Digital Cinematography. Fundamentals, Tools, Techniques, and Workflows (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429468858

Whedon, J. (Creator & Executive Producer). (1997-2003). Buffy the Vampire Slayer [TV Series]. Mutant Enemy Productions.