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.

• £50 Budget, £49.53 spent.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

• 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.

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.