Filming Final Shots- Quick Thinking

     This one's about the day I was able to go downtown with my family and record my little sister's part.

    We went down to the city, where I could get a lot of buildings and lights within my shots, and as we were walking, we came across a little metro. Immediately, inspiration struck. Yes, yet another change. I collected my shots of the city as well as the final pieces starring my sister.

    The moment I saw the train and heard the automated announcements that came with it, I knew this would be the perfect fit for the film. This is because I had been struggling this whole time to attain an environment that could adhere well to both the genre of my film and its plot, but having the final sequence revolve around the main character boarding the train is the perfect puzzle piece of a solution. 

    As for genre, not only would the train obviously suggest an urban environment, but this specific station was dimly lit, not very occupied, and complete with flickering overhead lights (needless to say, we did not stay there very long). On top of that, this specific platform at this specific stop on the route had a greenish tinge to the lighting that screamed cyberpunk almost as audibly as I did after excitedly getting my last shot of a train pulling out.

    As for the story, my original plan was to have our main character in a busy cityscape, to better establish the setting and vibe of the film within the opening, but it didn't make much sense plot-wise to cut to my character in a seemingly random or unrecognizable place. I wanted viewers to be able to understand that she was leaving, but just having her walk out of frame in the middle of a city made that less likely to be understood. Instead, I thought I'd find somewhere where she could do her part in front of a hotel, since her father clearly tells her to go to a hotel earlier in the opening, and have her leave from there so there's a better sense of continuity. However, this was proving a difficult task as I didn't know of any hotels around me that I could take my sister to in a timely manner that were visually appealing enough and fit the urban vibe. This metro was a clear, in-your-face way to show that the character is setting out on her journey while keeping the aesthetic in tact.

    To make matters even better, the sounds in the metro station would make my opening's overall sound flow seamlessly with the music. I had always been a little worried about the cut off point in the song I am using, since it isn't at a very neat part of the music, but since I'll be using the train, I'll be able to fade out from the music while the ambiance of the station goes on, leaving only the announcement that the train is leaving, and completing the soundscape in a satisfying manner.

    Pretty great how that worked out so quickly.