Final Project - Trumbo

             While trying to choose a final project, I found myself reading scripts about a very specific time during American History: The Cold War. I found this period of paranoia and fear to be a fascinating period, and I’ve always been fascinated with civil liberties, honesty, and what is right.  Even though I personally have some reservations about Communism, I found Trumbo’s story to be admirable, and I supported the idea that we should all be able to believe in differing worldviews. I was also glad that the scene was fairly short (only 2 pages) because it helped my actors memorize their lines quickly and I was able to focus on every element of the scene. I was extremely fortunate to get access to the BYU Law Building, as I don’t think the film would have been nearly as good had it been filmed elsewhere.  I was also blessed once more to work with great actors who came prepared and memorized, and my crew (Sariah and James) did a great job with all of the technical aspects.  I really wanted to focus on tone, color, and line while we were shooting.  We framed the first master shot so that the actors’ heads formed a triangle, and we dressed them so that the antagonists are wearing dark blue and red that contrasts with the brown background.  I wanted Cooper to wear tan and brown so that he would be more neutral and blend in with his environment, but I also liked him wearing white instead because he further contrasted with the other actors (although I felt like this symbolism was a tad obvious and over the top).

            We had some problems with the dolly. I should have checked the equipment more vigorously, but it turned out that I needed to check out another piece in order for it to run smoother. Fortunately, we were able to resolve the problem. I actually had more dolly shots planned, but after talking to Sariah, we decided to only do a dolly shot on Cooper because it would make his character stand out, and it would contrast from the two antagonists in the scene. I was very glad to collaborate with Sariah, and it felt like we were both contributing to the project in meaningful ways. If I could do it again, I would have prepared my shot list a little earlier, and I would have met with Sariah beforehand and discussed the scene in greater detail.  I feel like this would have helped things move better on set, although I honestly thought things ran fairly smoothly and efficiently. It was a fairly relaxed set.  I felt like the scene was an exciting and tense scene to shoot, although in retrospect I wish that I had chosen a slightly longer script.  It would have been a bit more of a challenge and would have required more preparation and thought. But as final projects go, I was very satisfied with the end result.

Edit: Sariah mentioned her ingenious setup for the light diffusion, and I think it deserves to be seen. Here are some pictures: