Production: Script finalization and sharing

The Script Adjustments

Going into this project, I always knew that the script was going to need some fine-tuning before we could actually get it in front of a camera. After taking a close look at what we had written, it became clear that some of the elements, while exciting on paper, were simply not going to be physically possible to execute for a school production. Things like a moving body bag, an overhead aerial shot, and an entire additional scene with a new character being arrested were all things that sounded great creatively, but would have created real logistical problems on the day of filming.

Because of this, I went through and made targeted changes that kept the story and its tone completely intact while making everything far more shootable. The moving body bag became still, the overhead shot was replaced with a simple camera tilt, the daughter's arrest scene was modified and readjusted to make it shorter, so we could make sure it fits under a minute. Every adjustment was made to keep the vision alive while making sure we could actually pull it off.

The Actor and Costume

Now that our killer has officially been cast, the next steps on that front are already in motion. The revised script was shared with the actor so that they could begin familiarizing themselves with the role, the physicality of the character, and what will be expected of them on set. Alongside that, the order for the killer's costume has been placed — the judge's robe, the mask, and the mallet are all being sourced so that we have everything ready well before our filming dates arrive. Getting the costume sorted early is important because it directly affects how the actor carries themselves and how intimidating the character reads on camera.

The Shot Breakdown

With the script locked and the cast coming together, the next major piece of work was sitting down and mapping out every possible shot, angle, sound design choice, and mise-en-scène detail for all five scenes. This breakdown covers editing techniques, specific shot types and camera movements, the technical sound elements at play in each moment, and a full mise-en-scène analysis using proper film terminology. Rather than tucking this into the blog post itself, I put it together as its own separate document so that it can serve as a proper production reference going forward — something the whole team can look at and work from as we head into filming. It covers all five scenes from the garage opening all the way through to the title card, and having this level of detail mapped out ahead of time is going to make the shoot significantly more efficient and intentional.