Lemon Tree

DOP pre-production write up

Lemon Tree is a 10-12 min comedy drama, it’s a story about the life of the socially awkward Jason as he struggles through high school. Yet another school shooting has recently occurred and Jason accidentally causes a scene through a finger guns gesture, making him a social pariah. The story follows Jason and his story as he copes with his mistake and how life is thrown at him. Ultimately, it’s a social commentary on our world today, for Jason it’s story about self acceptance, and the consequence of action. The film starts with Jason alone on a roof, to Jason becoming a social pariah, to him having a genuine friend.
Although it’s a serious topic, the lightheartedness is found in the characters and their real reactions to an outlandish scenario. A world based in reality but is turned up to 100. The dialogue and social commentary drive the film. In the end of the film not a lot happens to the world at large, it’s simply a week in the life of Jason, and ends on a happy note with a final farewell to Jason running over a lemon tree to an intense musical moment that continues into the credits.

Inspiration

Movie: Eighth grade (Bo Burnham) / Fargo (Ethan Coen, Joel Coen) 1996 / Billie Elliot (Stephen Daldry)
Shot film: Gregory go boom (Janicza Bravo)
Tv series: This Is Us

My goal is to tell the story of the story in a realistic way, keeping the lightheartedness and comedy. While also keeping the drama undertones present; without undercutting any of the jokes.

Natural lighting is key for the outdoor scenes, it would also be ideal to light for the whole scene, rather than for each shot to keep the realistic tones.

Lighting

The lighting will reflect a realistic space, practical’s will be used in most shots. Lighting ratio: 2:1 or 4:1
light will be fairly even, a slightly dialled back commercial look.
LIGHTING scenarios: outside (roof / front of school), inside (school hallway, school assembly, school-principles office, Jason’s Room)
There will also be a gradual change in light from light to moody to bright again following the tonal shifts in the story.
All light will be motivated, and have a natural feel. This will be achieved props and practical light.

Lighting Progression

Colour

the colour Palette is: Blue and Orange
The tones of the story will also be told through the colours of the film.
School Colours: blue and Yellow
Natural sunrises and sunsets will add an orange hue to everything. Megan will also be wearing brighter shades of blue or yellow or orange. Darker Blue will be used for the school and Jason.
Having blue and orange tones will creating colour contrast, and add depth to the frame.

Colour for Characters

Jason will be wearing dark blue colours at the beginning to black when he is an outcast, back to blue (lighter shade) and white cast for the finale of the film
Megan: lighter shades, fashionable, wears school colours, bright colours, more opposite to what Jason is wearing

Camera Angles & Framing

The camera is a fly on the wall perspective.
Most camera angles will tend to be eye-level. Or Slightly high angle if Jason is meant to feel small in a scene.
Jason is meant to blend into a scene, if there is a crowd.
Framing will be used to show the emotional state of Jason throughout the story.
Coverage of each scene will be a wide master, medium two shot, OTS close up on Jason and whoever he is speaking too.

Camera movement will be fairly static, swapping from tripod to easy-rig, and hand held (for the ending scene to make it feel more organic and real, light leaks and lens flares). Dolly shots needed for the assembly coverage.

Movement is meant to feel smooth not too noticeable.

Camera Specs

Lenses:

14 will be used for the assembly
24 for the wide shots of the principle scene and the wide coverage. 50 for close ups and OTS coverage
135 for ECU inserts

Camera Settings:

1920x1080 RGB444 12 bit ISO 800 (or less) (4k for the VFX shots)
Canon Log
Saves a lot of the colour profile but is still log and leaves room for easy colour correction (considering filming in Log and colour grading it) if not being colour graded rec. 709 (aiming for a shallow depth of field) – F-stop: 2-5.6 for medium shots 5.6-11 for wide shots
bars will be used - most likely 235