Production Breakdown — Shoot This Week (3–7 Mar) — Dir: Katamelo — 10 scenes, ~8–10 min
Scenes 1–6, 8–10. Raw unfinished concrete room, exposed rebar. Bare incandescent bulb on wire (must swing). Space for table + 3 chairs. Min 5×4m for wide shots. Must black out for night scenes.
Scene 7. Outdoor area for coffin + kneeling figures. Simple yard/courtyard. Natural light. Low art direction — coffin is the set piece.
Park scenes. Wooden bench under old tree. Must have depth for Death watching from distance. Shoot golden hour. Darkening as Death approaches (ND filters or time-of-day).
Scene 2. Person's traumatic memory. Can be abstract (same room, different lighting) or a quick exterior. Director's call.
| Prop | Scenes | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy wooden table | All room | Scarred, aged, rough planks. Central to every scene. | rent/borrow |
| 3 wooden chairs | All room | Mismatched OK. Simple, no cushions. | rent/borrow |
| Edison bulb + wire (2m) | All room | Practical light. Must swing in Sc.10. Warm amber. Filament bulb. | buy critical |
| Haze / incense | All room | Floating dust particles in the amber light cone. Incense or small haze machine. | buy |
| Prop | Character | Scenes | Details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book of Life | Life | 2–7 | Large weathered leather journal. Tea-stained pages, handwritten Setswana text. Life reads from it, holds it to chest. | buy + age critical |
| Prop knife ×2 | Death, Life | 8–10 | Ritualistic look. Bone/wood handle. One for Death (at belt), one for Life (lunges). NOT real blades. | build critical |
| Soul Catcher | Death | 10 | Death opens it to collect the soul. Carved wooden box with clasp, OR leather pouch with symbols. | build critical |
| Bone-white die | Both | 8–9 | Single oversized die (25–30mm). Must read "1" on camera when it lands. | buy |
| Clay pot (small) | Death | All room | Traditional Botswana terracotta. Sits on table. Falls in Sc.10. | buy |
| Whiskey + glass | Death | 1–2 | Dark bottle + tumbler. Amber liquid (use tea). Establishes Death's casual ownership. | buy |
| Cigarette | Death → Person | 2 | Death gives Person a cigarette. Must produce smoke. Use herbal/prop cigarettes. | buy |
| Baby photo | Person | 1 | Small framed photo. Person looks at it reflecting on life. | buy |
| Black coffin | — | 7 | Full-size. Woman lies in it. Death kneels beside it. | rent critical |
| Stage blood | Life | 10 | Hands, blade. Test color on skin under amber light. | buy/make |
| Bread / crumbs | Lady | Park | Lady feeds birds. | day-of |
buy 3m linen fabric at market. Can sew simply or find matching separates.
buy 3m linen + 1.5m patterned fabric for headwrap. Practice wrapping before shoot.
Actor may already own. Confirm: no visible branding.
Script: "Every step Death takes it gets darker and Lady gets old." She ages visibly as Death approaches.
Needs: Stipple latex, age spot paint, grey hair spray, wrinkle pencils. Test on actress before shoot day.
Climax visual. Stage blood on both hands + forearms + blade. Must look visceral under warm amber light.
Test: Blood color on actor's skin tone under warm light before shoot. Corn syrup + red food coloring + touch of cocoa powder = film-grade DIY blood.
Greying stubble (stipple + grey spray if actor is young). Crow's feet around eyes. Weathered but timeless — not decrepit.
Consistent throughout all scenes.
Young, tired. Subtle dark circles. Dry lips. Traumatized look for flashback (Sc.2): slightly paler, hollow cheeks.
Glycerin drops for controlled sweat beads at temples during intense scenes (KF06). Simple and effective.
| Scene | Loc | Cast | Props | Costume | Makeup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Room | Death, Person | Table, chairs, bulb, baby photo, whiskey, haze | Death: linen. Person: tee+jeans | Death: aged. Person: tired. |
| 2 | Room | Death, Person, Life | + Cigarette, Book of Life | + Life enters: linen + headwrap | + Life: fierce, clean |
| 3 | Room | Death, Life, Person | Book of Life | Same | Same |
| 4 | Room | Death, Life, Person | Book of Life (Life reads) | Same | Same |
| 5 | Room | Death, Life, Person | Book of Life | Same | Same |
| 6 | Room | Death, Life, Person | — | Same. Death exits. | Same |
| 7 | Ext House | Death, Life, Woman | Coffin, Book of Life | Woman: burial. D+L: linen. | Woman: deceased. Life strangles Death |
| 8 | Room | Death, Life, Third | Table, 3 chairs, die, knife, clay pot | Third: contemporary | Third: nervous/sweating |
| 9 | Room | Death, Life, Third | Die (rolling ×6) | Same | Same |
| 10 | Room | Death, Life, Third | Knife ×2, Soul Catcher, blood | Same | BLOOD on Life's hands |
| Park A | Park | Death, Lady | Bench, bread/crumbs | Lady: gentle outfit | Aging progression |
| Int | Room? | Death, Life | — | Same linen | Same |
| Park B | Park | Death, Life, Lady | Bench, bread | Same | Aging continues |
| Item | Est. BWP | Priority | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edison filament bulb + 2m wire | 80–150 | critical | Hardware (Game, Builders) |
| Linen fabric 6m (costumes) | 200–400 | critical | Fabric market / Main Mall |
| Patterned fabric 1.5m (headwrap) | 60–120 | critical | Fabric market |
| Large leather journal (Book of Life) | 150–300 | critical | Craft shop / Takealot |
| Stage blood 500ml | 80–120 | critical | Pharmacy or DIY: corn syrup + red dye + cocoa |
| Prop knives ×2 | 60–150 | critical | Toy shop or carve wood + paint |
| White die (oversized) | 30–60 | high | Game shop / craft |
| Grey hair spray + aging kit | 120–230 | high | Beauty supply |
| Glycerin spray | 30–50 | medium | Pharmacy |
| Herbal cigarettes ×2 | 40–80 | medium | Health shop |
| Small clay pot | 30–60 | medium | Street market / craft vendor |
| Whiskey bottle + tumbler | 40–80 | medium | Any shop / reuse |
| Photo frame + print | 20–40 | medium | Print shop |
| Incense / haze | 50–100 | medium | Spiritual shop / event rental |
| Item | Source | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Black coffin | Funeral home / coffin maker — arrange Mon/Tue | critical |
| Heavy wooden table | Carpenter workshop / UB maintenance | critical |
| 3 wooden chairs | UB / restaurant / local | high |
| Haze machine | Event equipment rental | medium |
| Item | Method | Assign to |
|---|---|---|
| Soul Catcher | Carved wooden box + metal clasp, or leather pouch with symbols | Aobakwe (9/10, set design) |
| Book of Life — aging | Tea-stain pages, burn edges, handwritten Setswana text | Art dept |
| Linen costumes | Simple tunic sewing if not found ready-made | Zakotoka (costume+makeup) |
Mohau (10/10)
Since 2013. TV & film. Sicario.
Dimpho (9/10)
EEAAO. Flexible.
Lame (10/10)
Boom + post. 4 NLEs.
Zakotoka (6/10)
Cin + costume. Apocalypto.
Aobakwe (9/10)
Film school. Prod + set.
Constantine (10/10)
7 tools. 15yr. Blender/AE.
Malebogo (10/10)
Composer. Sibelius. Lifelong.
TaboNa (8/10)
3D animation. For aging FX.
Faith (8.5/10)
Producer. Takes responsibility.
Tebogo Reteng is listed for both Death AND Life. They share every scene. Life is written as female ("sister"). Need a second actor for Life ASAP.
Are the Lady (park bench, final scenes) and the Woman (coffin, Sc.7) the same character? Affects casting, costume, and makeup plan.
The dice-game victim. Small but important role (Sc.8–10). Could pull from the 20 interested actors.
Sc.2: "We go through a flashback of their life." Full location shoot or abstract impressionistic cuts in the same room?
Box? Pouch? Vessel? Glass orb? Needs to be built this week — design decision needed today.
Recommend practical (3-stage makeup passes cut together). But if time is tight, VFX is fallback.
Suggested: Day 1: All Room scenes (1–6, 8–10) — single location, same cast. Day 2: Park scenes + Coffin exterior. Maximizes efficiency.