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Need some help, would you have any ideas, please?

Am shooting a 'high risk' short and really looking to push the limits creatively and artistically with this one. However, there is one, extremely important element which we need help with.

One of the issues is a highly emotionally charged scene where a character is crossing a bridge and is torn between killing himself or not. This is based on a true story so we want to do this justice.

What we were thinking of was a high point in London, say suicide bridge, where we could film this taking place and I can get filming permissions. However, the issue we are wrestling with is audio in that we want to record the performance well which would be impossible on a bridge due to the nature of filming in an area where there is traffic. Therefore, our solution is to have an ongoing hallucination where the character is so torn and twisted inside that they flick to another location (in their mind) and they would look to kill themselves there. This could maybe be an interior location but with an open side where they could throw themselves out (keeping the theme of throwing themselves off a bridge).

The questions I would ask help with are therefore as follows:

1. Are there any other solutions?
2. Where someone can look as if they are killing themselves in London, maybe somewhere high up but inside so we can control the sound? We have a small budget and I would gladly pay for this but does anyone know anywhere?
3. ADR is absolutely not an option. We need to capture the full performance and ADR will not allow us to do this.
4. Green screen is an option but this would require skills I do not have and I have greenscreened on multiple occasions. It would need a real expert.

We would be filming with the ubiquitous 5D, 7D plus a Nikkon, VG10, shoulder rig, slider, steadicam, tripods (with fluid heads) and recording sound on two Tascam DR100s, one of which will have a heavy-duty, professional, non-portable mixer attached plus a couple of different mics. For the sound, we would have one DR100 with an NTG-2 in the middle of the room set to 'low' to catch the shouty elements (I like the lower, rich tones) and a second boomed mic (ECM 674 which will have high tones) on the mixer to catch the quiet parts. The disparity is due to the sudden contrasts in volume which will come through the performance.

What are your thoughts? What other solutions would you have?

Thanks in advance
 
What we were thinking of was a high point in London, say suicide bridge, where we could film this taking place and I can get filming permissions. However, the issue we are wrestling with is audio in that we want to record the performance well which would be impossible on a bridge due to the nature of filming in an area where there is traffic.

This is one of those situations where wireless lavs come in real handy.



For the sound, we would have one DR100 with an NTG-2 in the middle of the room set to 'low' to catch the shouty elements (I like the lower, rich tones) and a second boomed mic (ECM 674 which will have high tones) on the mixer to catch the quiet parts. The disparity is due to the sudden contrasts in volume which will come through the performance.

And this is a situation where an experienced PSM and a skilled boom-op would make a huge difference. Both would know the script well and would be able to account for the wide dynamic range with some judicious help from a limiter.
 
This is one of those situations where wireless lavs come in real handy.





And this is a situation where an experienced PSM and a skilled boom-op would make a huge difference. Both would know the script well and would be able to account for the wide dynamic range with some judicious help from a limiter.

We want the actors to bring creativity and their own 'feel.' The script is more of a guide setting parameters and therefore we do not have the option of predicting when the dynamic adjustments need to be made. Therefore, the 'two recorders' option is better as far as I am aware. We record the lows and highs and cut them together.

As for wireless lavs, there is this option but again, we would need two recording devices and cut together the footage afterwards. I think. But am guessing...
 
Wireless lavs a "made" for improv situations.

If you have a DR-100 each channel could record a separate wireless lav, you wouldn't need two (2) recorders. Quality wireless systems, (Sennheiser, Lectrosonics) have pretty good reach, so distance is not a major issue unless you are going to be more than 100 yards/meters. They still have to be line-of-sight, though.
 
suicide bridge is right round the corner from me lol iv seen some nasty sights there, even a failed suicide attempt..

I have a rode blimp that you could use if i get to watch you lot film..
 
Have you thought of using the London Eye? Filming one or two actors trying to talk/jump?
With an upward camera angle on the actor, could have the jumper clawing at the glass as if it were hindering him, afterward, on the ground with upward camera angle he could break glass (using any curved piece of auto glass, rear preferred) and jump through, cutting to your camera shot looking/zooming down from atop your suicide bridge as though it were his viewpoint...
While in the location he would jump from if it were his "preferential" leaping point, he could be filmed reminiscing about different times enjoyed and/or hated while ON the Eye, looking back on why that's the place. Plenty of room for any other actors to hide while he's filmed alone if those other times involved them. Also very controlled "room", you know what you'll get for noise.
Just a thought, would take a single guy, single DSLR on top of the bridge... And a group of "tourists" with some DSLRs and discreet wired lav.s in a cabin of the Eye... ???
 
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