Monday 5th August 2024
In a mad frenzy of writing, I have just finished my very extensive shot list for The House on Lidderman Street. It comes in at 7,463 words, with typos galore! It’s now ten past eleven at night and the house is very quiet.
It grew into a bit more of a shot list, to be honest. It’s more of a guide for the entire film. I’ve added where I think the score should come in, any make-up FXs, not to mention shot cuts, and the general rhythm of the edit. It can not only be used by me and Ash, but also by the composer, editor, sound designer, make-up FX artist, and so on. Everyone really.
I now feel a lot more confident that I can make this film. Here’s an example of how I’ve laid it out from a pretty long and complex scene early on in the film:
Scene 7. INT. THE HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
PETE, ANT, ROB
Right, this one is a big scene. Lot of dialogue in this scene and I’d like to try and capture it in very few shots - I want to use blocking and re-framing within the same shot just by the different placement of the actors.
Here it goes- Camera (hand-held - fluid not shaky) placed in the corner by the back window taking in the entire room, the brick archway, and front room -
Pete comes through from the kitchen and stops when he sees what the builders are doing -
Camera pans right to the builders as they are caught having rifled through Pete’s bag - Ant has the picture of Lucy in his hand and him and Rob are having a good look at her.
Pete has walked forward so that he’s framed left of frame and the two builders are right of frame as the first part of the dialogue plays out.
Pete puts the tea down on a nearby dust covered unit.
He then rushes over and Rob steps forward and blocks the way to Ant - Ant is still looking at the picture and talking – camera closes in tightening the shot.
Pete backs off a little - struggling to figure out how to handle this - Ant comes round Rob and puts the picture to his crotch.
CUT TO
Maybe have a cut here - insert CU on Pete’s face as he says ‘Don’t’ - tears are welling. Some movement in this to match handheld.
CUT TO
Back to handheld.
Ant comes over to Pete and camera closes in again cutting out Rob into a mid-shot on the two of them.
At the point -
Pete goes to take it and Ant snatches it away again.
The framing pulls back to reveal Rob again stood behind and right of frame for his ‘Friend zone’ line.
Pete backs away from Ant and turns his back to them framing him close to us left of frame - Ant in the middle, giving us a triangle - this is ‘How did you know bit?’
This goes right up to
Pete can’t hold it back any longer. His eyes begin to water.
And he turns back to them - giving us an over-the-shoulder and the two builders laugh at his misery.
CUT TO
Insert cut here - another slightly moving CU on Pete as he wipes his eyes and bites back the anger and frustration.
CUT TO
Camera then moves around Pete so he’s in profile - leaving a space right of frame for Ant to step into and stick his chin out - wanna have a pop - Rob’s line off-screen, it stays on Pete and Ant side on, right up to “employment tribunal”.
After that it cuts to a wide again from the first position by the back window - this is all the brainbox stuff. Camera stays set but Ant moves around pacing in the middle - with Rob at the back by the brick arch and Pete the other side, giving us the triangle again.
Then we have a cross - at this bit - Go ahead. Your word against our - Pete crosses them, moving close to the wall, backing up against it - near the camera - so he is profile on right of frame. Ant and Rob come to stand left of frame - Ant directly in front of Pete, Rob stood in the middle, another triangle. Camera may have to pan and move in to frame them in a tighter 3.
CUT TO.
This goes up to an insert on Ant saying You have no idea what kind of man I am.
CUT TO.
Back to a wide then as Pete moves away from them - another cross with Pete now left of frame and the two builders right. Things cool down.
Ant steps into the middle and hands Pete the picture of Lucy, then he grabs his tea and takes a drink - he turns to the camera as he drinks - “fuck me”.
So yeah, 32 pages and 7,463 words of that. It’s messy, but it’s every scene, every shot, every beat. Gets the job done.
Off to bed now.
