PROPS

 

Food

Our main props were food, as we needed it for the cooking sequence. We used lettuce, pomegranate, tomatoes, and other basic salad ingredients. We also used some bread and strawberry jam to make jam sandwiches. We had researched the best way to open a pomegranate, and the internet suggested putting a pomegranate in the microwave, followed by crushing it, would make the fruit release more juice. When we created a slit for George (our actor) to use to open up the pomegranate with his hands, it released a splatter of red liquid (as seen in the photo below). The overall effect was a dramatic - blood like effect which we used to our advantage. In my film I used a unsettling shot of the juices dripping onto a butchers knife, which appeared very effecting.

 

Other

For the first scene, we used some basic props to prepare the food - butchers knife (to suggest the couple are dangerous), a chopping board which we used to contain the mess of the food and protect the table from the knives, and a salad bowl. We also used a picnic bag and blanket to contrast the suggestion of a threat. Although we didn't have a conventional picnic bag, we overcame this by using a cooler bag that had a similar appearance and looked as if it would contain food. We also used fake blood to create the effect of a bloody hand belonging to a body in the back of the car. We practiced beforehand, so we knew what effect we wanted to create, however I included pictures on my Costumes and SFX blog page.