These shots were filmed on the first day, as none of them required the actors. We used a third Dedo to add extra light to the objects being filmed in many cases, such as in the shot of the monkey and of the woodpecker. Due to the need for the camera to often be very close up to the subjects and the limited zoom on the 70D, I was unable to use a tripod for many of these. For many shots of the paintings in particular I chose to use very dynamic angles in order to add a Gilliamesque nightmarish tone to the piece.
I chose to film on two cameras, with one locked off capturing this master shot. I chose to frame it in such a way that Edith is definitely the centre of attention, through positioning her in the centre and composing the rest of the shot outwards from there. The key elements to include were the two actors, obviously, as well as some of the posters, animals and the dolls house. The spotlighting also adds to her importance. While we considered filming in black and white, I am glad we chose to use colour as, rather than the kind of black and white contrast used in The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, we instead used a colour pallet of reds against the green background, which also bounced green light onto other surfaces of the room, such as the dolls house. This drastic contrast and dramatic use of primary colours contributes to the manufactured feel, as if this is almost filmed in the dolls house.
These two shots illustrate the difference in how Jacob and Edith were filmed. For the most part, Edith was shown in very standard close ups, which we could cut to in a way that was almost reminiscent of a shopping channel, as if she's showing Jacob off. However, Jacobs shots rarely have him acknowledge the camera, and are cantered, often with him lit in a less even way than Edith, such as below.
In this two shot, Jacob is half lit in a very deliberate, German expressionist style way, which makes him an imposing and threatening presence in the shot. The shot below also adds to the characterising of Jacob as a threatening presence, as we had a typical close up and this one of half his face. It is extra jarring that we show only the dark half of his face rather than the well lit half. In addition to this, the contrast of his pink skin and the green wall is very jarring.
This is my personal favourite shot of the film, where Jacob grabs the biscuit. The way his hand interrupts her spotlight makes the light on it very dramatic, allowing it to take over in the shot. Furthermore, it is positioned in the centre, and the camera was placed as close to the plate as we could get it, which made the hand appear very large and threatening. The angle of it also contributes to the feeling that something is wrong as well as serving to block Edith out of the shot, meaning that when Jacob looks to the camera it is easier for the audience to spot.
The way Jacob leans back into the shadows at the end of the shot serves to set him up as even more of a danger. However, he leans forward it is one of the best examples of chiaroscuro lighting in the film. Giving him this kind of presence and importance in such a dynamic shot set him up nicely for when he takes power from Edith when he goes to the window. As you can see, he is spotlit and shown form below, making him look powerful. Whereas when we see Edith again, she is filmed with the same techniques that were used to make Jacob look weak earlier on, filming at awkward angles and placing the camera above her.
Rather than show an on screen death, we chose to represent her death cinematically. One technique we used for this was pulling in and out of focus on Edith with all the paintings, the screaming face by Francis Bacon in particular, in the background staring down at her. This would also be an opportunity to show all the insert shots of paintings and other things around the room, the next thing we cut to was a shot of her teacup on the floor, to symbolise that she had dropped it and died.
The third Dedo was used again in this shot to create a large, dramatic shadow on the cup.
This final shot is a variation on the master shot, showing Edith dead on the sofa, with jacob taking her spotlight and eating a biscuit.
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