Production Stage 1: Test shots

 Experience shots

First test shots and findings

                Comparison of our two test shots periods. Location, costume and mise en scen are obviously changing as we would want to test out location, weather and sunsetting time first. The first test shot was conducted on Dec 5, 2022 and the second test shot was conducted on Feb 19, 2023. 

                The range in time recorded reflected on our various pre production work, due to differences in time table of group members but mostly due to our procrastination. 

                Test 1:

                Test 2:

• The two test shots having some variation in angle and shot types. The first test shot have a closer angle and towards the side profile, thus showing the photo potrait in center without on screen involvement of the detective. On the other hand, the second test shot was shot from the back, with a bit of left leaning angle showing the whole body of the detective on screen, while later would cut to a closer direct shot of the portrait. 
• Moreover, lighting was different of the two test shot, one using a lower ISO and thus lower lighting, giving it a more melancholy, moody look in the dusk period of day. On the other hand, the 2nd test shot using higher intake of light, thus making it very blaring and saturated, warm color. The critique of 2nd test shot was that it look so much like a typical Vietnamese TV series, characterized by exaggerated expression, realistic yet uncinematic take on daily life subjects. 
• The location for the 2nd test shot was indeed more grounded and realistic to the feeling of Ho Chi Minh city, but with a major flaw. Having the flower fence directly affect our color grading, as masking the sky to be more blue and increase saturation would make the flowers too purple and blaring, being oversaturated and distracting to look at.

➡️     The 1st test shot, turns out, was the one that we preferred more. However, the 2nd test shot is still in great use to assess acting and camera movement (panning when the Detective run down the stairs).