This Monday was Pitching Day and the feedback we received was so validating, with a positive response surrounding the humor and specificity of the dialogue, the feasible/fun timeframe within the film and our exploration of the paradox of conforming by being non-conformist. This all got us all pumped up for our shoot. Wednesday night, we piled our equipment into Saint Bradley’s car and journeyed to Fitzroy. I felt a little uncertain in the beginning as we took a long time setting up and adjusting to the street noise, pedestrians, darkness and general blocking. However, we soon got in the swing of things and began to film more confidently and experimentally (almost documentary style as we took long takes, tracking the characters movements). Watching the jokes we’ve written in the script was really rewarding and so funny to see! The work that went into creating the visual humor of the Rat-man and DJ Ozempic was well worth it and I cannot wait to see how it translates on screen.

My job was lighting, and quite the physical role as I often handheld the light, following closely behind the camera. I used LED Light panels as the main source of light as well as Alex’s bike light that we utilised as a spotlight to draw focus to certain features such as the USB, people’s clothes and the rat’s tails. I also used a strobe light to raise tension during the characters fight scene and to mimic the lighting coming outside of a club. Our biggest challenge was sticking to the time frame, as we ran behind a few times and by the end of the night we decided to push a scene that we were going to shoot to another day in order to finish at a reasonable time. This was expected as it was a shoot-on location situation and our first time shooting as a group. In hindsight, we could’ve brought less equipment which would’ve helped speed up the pack up process and the moving to different settings. I also wished I’d maybe experimented with coloured gels more, making DIY ones to make the lighting more eclectic and unique. On Sunday we are shooting the inside club scenes so I’m aiming to really push myself with the party lights as I want to make the space seem like a genuine club as well as a visually exciting experience for the viewer. I also want to learn from our Wednesday shoot and ensure we are on top of marking every shot with the clapper, taking continuity notes and time managing the shoot so we don’t run behind.

BTS Photos taken by yours truly: