The First Interaction Shot

 As part of our ongoing production of Missing Eva, our second day of shooting focused on capturing the scenes of Eva and the stalker together, including the first interaction between them. The main goal was to make the encounter feel a bit unsettling, and as the cinematographer, I had a clear vision for how the shot should unfold. 

Us attempting to get the interaction shot

We planned to film the conversation between Eva and the stalker from a side angle, also known as a profile shot. This shot shows the side of a character's face, which may make it harder for the audience to see their full expressions, but we weren't concerned about that because the shot was designed to keep Eva in full view while subtly cutting out the stalkers head. This allowed for his presence to feel mysterious and give the scene an eerie atmosphere. This technique would shot that something was off without fully revealing his face.

However, when we reviewed the footage, we realized there was an issue: despite our efforts, the stalker's face was still visible, which was exactly what we didn't want. The reveal of his features would counteract the suspense we aimed to get. 

The stalker standing on his tippy toes

To solve this, we first attempted to adjust the height of the camera by lowering the tripod. But that only created a shot that didn't look right, since it was now too low on our actress for Eva. After several more failed attempts, we came up with a creative solution: we decided to have the stalker stand on his tippy toes. This allowed us to raise his height just enough to position him out of frame, keeping his face hidden without ruining the shot's composition. However, this solution came with its own set of challenges. Our actor struggled to keep his balance while on his tippy toes, which led to a few takes where the shot didn't look right. It was difficult for him to stay steady, but after a few attempts, we finally managed to get the perfect shot that conveyed the suspenseful vibe we were aiming for. This experience taught me the importance of flexibility when it comes to solving problems on set. Through our two days of filming, we learned the best solutions come from thinking outside of the box, even if it means asking our actors to be in a little bit of discomfort. In the end, the shot turned out exactly as planned.