After so much time spent in the research and planning stages, it feels amazing to start shooting the first scene of my film. Filmed in my sister's room, this scene focuses on Sophia's morning routine, demonstrating her character right from the beginning.
Lighting Choices:
I decided to film during the early afternoon to take advantage of the peak natural light, ensuring a consistent and high-quality look for the scene. Although this scene illustrates Sophia's morning routine, the early afternoon sun supplies a steady, bright light source that is much easier to manage than the rapidly changing shadows of a sunrise. To maintain the morning illusion, I diffused the direct sunlight with window blinds, creating a soft, even shine across the room. This setup allowed me to focus fully on Sophia's performance without racing against the sun, ensuring the visual lighting stayed the same from the first shot to the last.
With the blinds closed:
Creating a storyboard was a complete lifesaver for keeping me calm and on track while filming. It was helpful to know exactly what shots I needed and wanted to utilize so I didn't have to wing it or waste time figuring things out on the spot. Because the plan was already set, I had much more head-space to focus on directing, positioning my actress, and perfecting the lighting. Below are some of the main shots captured during the first day of filming.
I wanted the hair, makeup, costume, and room design to be an extension of Sophia's "messy-clean-chaotic" personality, while making sure everything felt strongly embedded in a present-day aesthetic. Her look was purposefully understated—pairing leggings and a baggy shirt with Birkenstocks and light, natural makeup to capture the modern, effortless and carefree vibe. Her hair was tossed up in a messy bun, mirroring her inner chaos, while her room reflected a balance between cluttered and curated. The neutral palette of light gray walls and black/light oak furniture supplies a clean "modern" background, but the makeup bag overflowing with beauty products and the scattered personal touches reveal the more complex side of her character.
Stills Showcasing Mise-En-Scene:
Overall, the production day was a huge success, as everything ran exactly on schedule and the final footage looks amazing. The shots that were captured perfectly establish Sophia's unique personality, and I am eager to shift into the next phase which is filming Asher's morning routine. By completing his part of the scene, I will be able to create a distinct visual contrast that illustrates how these two characters are total opposites. Since Sophia's scene depends entirely on visual storytelling without dialogue, I plan to use diegetic sound and a carefully selected musical soundtrack to set the tone of the film. While I haven't settled on a certain track yet, I plan to experiment with a few different music choices to find the one that most authentically connects with the film's atmosphere.
This has been a long and rewarding process, but now that production is finally in motion, I am more motivated than ever. I am excited to continue pushing forward to ensure my film opening is a success.
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