Within this vignette I want to explore the way we perceive ourselves in relation to others, and how our sense of identity is often formed by our interactions with those close to us. To do this I thought I would use a romantic relationship. I didn’t feel that it particularly needed to be a heterosexual relationship but both Ben and Bel are actors I’ve wanted to work with for a while. The other factor was that I still wanted work around the idea of the mirror and it was a justified inclusion as Nina (Bel’s character) applied her make up. Although the vignette is scripted I wanted it to be simplistic and short. I decided to keep the minimal dialogue and I wanted something that would be able to pace appropriately in minute to a minute and a half time constraint. To explore the significance of the interaction I’ve added a short narration at the end. I feel that it will be likely that I will narrate other vignettes and this will serve as a way in which I can link ideas, weaving themes throughout.

I found the shot a pleasant experience and although I was somewhat overwhelmed by the fact I was the only crew member it was a success. This isn’t to say that I would have liked to have spent longer on set design or rehearsals but I’m pleased with what I accomplished under the circumstances. Due to the restricted space I was working in a crew may have been more of a hindrance than a benefit. The space also influence my lighting decision which was a single dedo bounced off the wall and roof to achieve a somewhat softer look than lighting them directly. For sound I set up a shotgun mic on a stand and had that placed as close to the actors as possible. I think that this worked out well and was aided by the quite interior setting. If the scene had been outside then more monitoring of audio would have been required.

Working with trained actors also reduced the stress of the situation. Both actors had prepared aptly for their roles and were tremendously ascertain in ensuring I was happy with their portrayal of their characters and their performance was appropriate. There were receptive to any of my suggestions and I made sure that if they raised ideas these were explored. In retrospect I would have planned more in terns of how I planned to cover the scene and spent time drawing up a shot list. Although I had a clear image in mind for how the scene should look and it’s pacing I hadn’t thought extensively about particular shots. During the shoot I found that I would begin with a particular shot type and experiment if it didn’t feel right or convey the core message of the vignette. Although it meant that the process was somewhat more organic, reacting to the actors and their performance in the space, I felt slightly pressured. In future I intend to work from a loose shot list or at the very least with experience of the shooting in the environment.

Relationship Script