Cliff test shot- Evidence of experimenting with new and complex techniques

One key reason for travelling to Beachy Head during pre-production was to get a test shot for the end scene of the film. We wanted to ensure that we could successfully achieve the effect of someone standing on the edge of the cliff, without causing any danger to anyone. We hope that the finalised version we use in the film will work even better as we are hoping to get darker and cloudier weather to make it easier to film and edit with the correct lighting. Our experience through this practise shot, as well as a lack of shadows, should allow for a near perfect shot of John standing on the edge of the cliff. This shot is an essential part of the shock factor we are trying to instil in spectators, so it must be effective and exciting.

We used a new and complex filming technique through the use of a drone- the DJI Phantom 2, which needed to be flown effectively and safely to achieve this powerful cliff shot. The drone allowed us to capture shots of the cliff and sea from angles which would be impossible without it. If we weren't to use the drone, we wouldn't have been able to get anywhere near the edge of the cliff with the camera, which would have ruined the dramatic effect we are trying to achieve by showing the daunting drop in front of John. This extreme height needs to be shown as it aligns spectators with John, as we see the terrifying descent that lies below him. This is what the initial shot looked like:

As shown above, the drone shot included Harry standing far from the edge of the cliff, before the drone then flies over the edge. These two parts of the shot needed to be composited into the same shot, to give the impression that Harry is on the edge, like John will be in our film. I had to use complex editing techniques to create this shot, such as rotoscoping and colour grading in order to make it believable that Harry is on the edge of the cliff. The shot had to be cropped, as the wind made part of the drone enter the shot, which looks unprofessional and detracts from the important part of the narrative which will be taking place. The angle of the drone as it passed over Harry is the same as when passing over the cliff, which creates the effect that he is standing looking over the edge. We feel that this shot proves our capability to carry out VFX heavy shots in this film, with this being probably the most difficult. Once we film in a setting with less shadows, and film with a slightly slower camera track to add suspense, the shot should be incredibly powerful.