Actors

Here are some pictures of what the actors will be wearing. I took the pictures at night because my dad thought it would look better.

This is my dad, dressed as a WW2 U.S. Paratrooper. He is wearing the 101st Airborne Division "Screaming Eagles" insignia on his left shoulder. He also has a Thompson Sub-machine gun. This is what the majority of the actors will be wearing but their weapons will vary between M1 Garands to Thompson Sub-Machine guns and M1 Carbines to a 30.Caliber machine gun.

Camera Testing

Before i go and film the opening two minutes, i want to get familiar with the equipment, especially with the camera. To do this i took the camera and tripod to the top of my garden and practised pan shots. The idea behind this is that, the first couple of seconds of the opening will be a pan shot of a worn-torn battlefield, so to make sure that i know how to do this, i filmed various parts of my garden.

Pictures of the filming location

This is a photo of a gun emplacement. This could be a good place to film some of the battle.

This photo is of a small campfire with pots and pans around the edge of it. I like the layout of the camp fire because it reminds me of a WW2 style film set.

This is a photo of a pig-sty that has been converted into a camouflaged weapons store room.

 This picture was taken inside a wooden hut. Displayed are the weapons that i am planning on using for the opening two minutes. They are authentic WW2 German weapons and i am planning on scattering them on the ground to add to the destruction of the battlefield. Since the weapons are real, it will give the opening an authentic feel and add to the realism of the film.

This is another picture of the inside of the barn. This is just a seating area for the actors.

This picture is of a dummy dressed in a WW2 German Paratrooper uniform. I am going to use the dummy in the opening because it will  will add to the destruction and chaos of the battle. The white pickup truck will not be there for the actually filming.

This is a picture of fallen trees. These will be good to use because it looks as if a battle has just happened and gives the film a more authentic look and feel.

This is another picture of the fallen trees plus a trench running through the middle of it. This is where i am planning to film most of the opening. There is also a U.S. Army tent in the background

This is a photo of a fallen tree. I am going to use this in my film because it looks as if there has been an artillery bombardment and the tree has been hit. This will also add to the authenticity of the opening.

This is another picture of a blown up tree. In the background there are some logs and another tent.

This picture shows a larger view of the field that i am going to use. There are a lot of fallen/blown up trees and a number of foxholes scattered over the place.

This is a close up of some of the logs. A foxhole can be also seen in the centre of the screen.

I am planning to use this part of the field to shoot the opening seconds of the film because there are a large number of fallen trees and foxholes. I am also going to scatter weapons and pieces of American and German equipment over the ground. Along with the fallen trees and foxholes, it will add to the chaos of the battle and show how horrific it must have been.

This is the last picture that i took. It shows more foxholes and trees. I think this will be the perfect location to film the opening two minutes because everything i need is already there.

Equipment

Today i collected the equipment that i will need to be able to film the two minute opening. The equipment is as follows:

• 1x Camera
• 1x Tripod
• 2x Sound recording equipment

Tomorrow i am going to collect the Dolley plus tracks as i will need to move the camera along on uneven ground

Sound Effects

The sound effects that i am thinking of using for my film are machine gun fire, preferably that of a Thompson Sub machine gun, rifle fire and explosions. I am planning to use a free copy right music/sound effects website to download these sounds.
So far i have found a good website called http://freesfx.co.uk/sfx/ which allows me to search for loads of different sound effects such as explosions and machine gun fire. It also enables me to search for good music that i can use.
I have also found a website called http://freeplaymusic.com/, which has a wide range of music. There are a few scores that i like, such as "Resonat Evil". This is quite a somber piece of music and i feel that it may be a good piece to use for the opening two minutes.

Sound Track

Today i am carrying on looking for some somber music that i can use in my opening. At the moment i have a couple of good songs that i am thinking of using, but i am still looking for something that will add to the disaster of the post battle. I am looking for music that has either a piano or violin or both and has quite a slow rhythm and tone. I am also having a look at some sound effects such as explosions and machine gun fire that i can use.

Filming Arranged

Today i phoned the people i am going to use in my film and arranged a date for it to be filmed. The filming date is now set for Saturday 6th November (weather permitting).