Monday

Overall, we had managed to work on and finalize the script. We also sorted out how we would shoot it and the jobs we would be doing. Today, Andrea played the piano piece that she composed in the audio room for the rest of the group to hear and comment on it. However, the group felt that the tune lacked a climax and the tune was not catchy enough. As such, the piece was scraped. The group then managed to engage other piano players to help create the tune as a back up plan.

Later on in the afternoon, the group went to Kent Ridge Park and Hort Park to recce the place and check if it was suitable for the piano scene. The place was scenic. However, the location was sloped and was not suitable for a grand piano.

So far,

The locations we have recced are:

1) Loyang Ave

2) Potong Pasir

3) Kent Ridge Park

4) Hort Park

5) Punggol

6) Fort Canning Park

As a group, we decided that Potong Pasir was the most suitable. As it was a big land filled with lush greenery. However, we realized that there was much traffic at Potong Pasir. Although the trees diluted it out, still we knew that the camera mike could still pick up certain sounds of the traffic. One of the ways to work around the problem was that when sound on set was not required, we would replace it with the surrounding sound of another nature park. Another way was to shoot those of the scenes that required sound on set at another deeper in area or a totally different location.

Later on, we also spotted another problem. Although the land at Potong Pasir looked flat, it was actually very uneven. As we are using a grand piano for our shoot, we needed it to be placed on a flat ground such that the piano would not be strained and go out of tune. One way we could work around it was to put a wooden circular stage on the grass to lay the piano on during the piano scene. Another way was to find a totally different location for the piano scene.

Also, for one of the scenes, a swing was required to be built. Jin Yu brought the rope for the swing to start building it earlier so that we could have more time later on in production week.

The requirements we had for our casts had changed too. The female lead we had cast was too tall and exceeded our requirements. However in all other areas, she was perfect for the role. (Fair skinned, able to play the piano, pretty) As such, we changed the criteria for the male lead as finding a primary 6 student was also very difficult and impossible as most parents wanted their children to focus on their PSLE. The male lead’s requirement was changed to a 14-15 year old boy, about 160 or less in height and could play the piano.

A rehearsal/bonding session was arranged to be on Saturday so that the actors (mainly the boy and girl) could get to know each other and would be able to act more naturally around each other during the shoot.

- Sholleh