We’re farther along into the process now, and things are starting to go from images in my head to actual realities.
First off, a new cast member has been added to fill the role of Elmer. He’s the perfect fit — the one I was truly hoping for when I was scouting — and I’m so pleased that he’s agreed to do this. The character is suited entirely for him, and I think he’s going to really bring it to life.
Next off, we’ve got guns. They started originally as dollar store children’s toys, but I’ve made them look just a little more… illegal. The revolver, besides being my favorite of the two, will be the weapon that Elmer carries throughout the film. The one above it belongs to Ryota, though it isn’t necessarily used by him… Both guns, I spray painted, then used a silver Sharpie marker to add the nicks in the metal. The ivory-looking handle on the revolver is also dry-brushed with black. They took a whole day to figure out, but overall, they were quite simple to make.
This is the finished scale model of Lucio’s Mansion which will be used in any exterior shots. It was a bit of a nightmare to make, as I used balsa wood for the entire construction. I then painted it with multiple washes of browns and finished it with the plastic sheeting stuff that you use to cover a window; you can see it in the little window frames. There’s also little planter boxes along the bottom filled with green grass-like material. For how few shots this thing will be in, it certainly took up an incredible amount of time.
It will only be seen from a distance, hidden mostly behind some CG trees, but it was important that I build it instead of trying to find a stock image of a mansion. This way, I can shoot whatever angle I want, light it anyway I want, and even put a little light inside to make the windows glow.
I also made some fake cigarillos that Luc will keep in a tin, along with an accompanying paper ad featuring my brother taking part in some underage smoking. The blue and gold poster is a fake band advertisement for a show at the Troubadour. I’m not entirely sure where these will go yet, but I wanted to get some world-building stuff made in case I need it. There’s also some newspaper clippings, but I can’t reveal what those are for…
This thing, apart from being one of the weirdest things I think I’ve ever made, is a stunt dummy. There will be a scene where a character is falling down the stairs, and due to the fact that I can’t exactly push someone down a staircase, I had to come up with another solution. I took an old pair of pants and an old shirt, stuffed them with foam, fabric, and plush animal stuffing, then taped them together. The head is foam, which is taped onto the shirt. Once we start filming, I’ll dress it in the character’s costume, then maybe add some fake hair so it doesn’t look completely fake.
That’s all for the moment. I’ve suddenly become productive in the wake of the COVID-19 quarantine, so I’ve been burning through the list of props that need to get built. Now, most of the work left to be done is in the costume department. I also have to find some more locations for filming.
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