MediaStudies 23/24: 43. Filming Day 3 (Bathroom)

One of the constant issues I have during filming is the lack of space to have the camera, and the space to make the character look 'small', or extremely different compared to the background. When V enters the bathroom, she was supposed to be a small figure compared to large room/door; it would show her new uncertainty and how out of control V is in the current situation.

The shot in the film that shows V next to the door, she looks normal compared to it.

Having the light on in the bathroom was a good idea. Although, I haven't had time to film during the daylight hours, so I tried to film when it was night. The main problem for that was that the bathroom is pitch black now and I would have to incorporate 'turning a light on' somehow into the acting. I tried to make it like she turned the light on while she was coughing the flowers up, which isn't an awful idea, but I may try to draw it out in natural light when I re-film to evoke more stress to the audience, since the symbolism of a 'small character' is gone. The way I did it made it also inaccurate to the time of day in the movie.

Although, it gave me a consistent lighting to use for any shot I want to re-film.

There were handheld camera shots taken for this scene, and the natural shakiness added to the nervousness V was feeling.

For some of the shots my hair did, slightly, ruin it because it blocked my expressions. I didn't want to tuck it behind my ears was to keep that frantic and messy look, so I angled some of the shots to capture my face.

An example for where my hair blocked my expressions.

Some of the long takes were a little awkward to film, but I do enjoy how calm it is, to then break that moment of peace and fall into a panic.

I hadn't thought about it before, but having to reapply the fake blood (for when I washed it off) onto my face and hands was quite annoying. I had to completely stop to put more on. Then to change angles or repeat the shot again, to get a better take, I had to put it back on. It was never consistent looking, but that was a good reason for my hair being in the view for most of that shot.

Now, the flowers. The flowers in the drawer do have meaning. The darker, red flowers are meant to be flowers that have soaked and consumed blood over a long time, meaning those ones have been there for so long and shows how long V has had the disease. For the more orange ones, those are to show more recent flowers she has coughed up. The one displayed in the sink is the one least drenched in blood, showing she just coughed it up. There are also little flowers which are meant to show the progression of the disease, starting from a bud to a full flower. I should have put more petals around in the drawer; however, I was nervous I was going to stain the drawer.