Hey everyone, Adrian here. Finally, the REAL Filming day. It was intense, productive, and honestly a huge learning experience. We are not finished yet, but we are close. I would say we are about seventy five percent done with principal photography.
We began with the opening sequence where Matheus is dropped off at the target house by the contractor’s assistant, Massimo. Originally, this scene included Matheus putting on the helmet, mask, and night vision goggles. We filmed a full version of that setup and believed it was complete. However, once we discussed the upcoming fence climbing stunt, we realized the helmet and night vision would be too heavy and unstable. It would likely fall off during movement and compromise both realism and safety. As a result, we made the decision to remove those elements entirely. That required reshooting the drop off scene without the helmet accessories. The mask was kept, but the bulkier gear was removed.
After that, we filmed Matheus approaching the side of the house and confirming the address with the contractor through the earpiece. Tati confirms it. Her final voiceovers have not yet been recorded. During filming, she delivers a rough draft of her lines off camera so that timing and reactions feel natural. Later, I will remove that audio and replace it with a cleaner, more controlled recording to improve clarity and performance.
We then inserted a security camera style shot of Matheus walking toward the house. This acts as foreshadowing for a later reveal that he has been monitored the entire time.
The fence climbing scene required careful staging. For safety reasons, we filmed it in two parts. First, Matheus climbed up one side without going fully over. Later, we will film him descending from the other side separately. This maintains the illusion while minimizing risk.
Inside the garage, Matheus finds the Mustang and asks for license plate confirmation. Tati instructs him to get in and out quickly and not to kill the target, only knock him out. Production wise, this section went smoothly.
Matheus then enters the house from the garage and notices a glowing light coming from a room. We briefly show Cesar in a spinning computer chair before he quickly hides. The monitor displays the same security camera footage from earlier, confirming that Matheus has been watched. When Matheus sees the monitors, he realizes he has been exposed. This leads directly into the fight sequence.
The fight scene required multiple takes. Cesar unintentionally smiled in several attempts, which forced us to reset. Eventually, we secured a strong and convincing version.
After filming the fight, I came up with an additional crosscut idea. I want to show Tati waiting anxiously for communication through the earpiece. In this added sequence, Massimo reverses into the meetup location and asks if she has heard from him. She responds no. Then Matheus finally confirms, “I got him boss.” This will be filmed from Tati’s perspective and will increase tension through parallel editing.
We then filmed Matheus dragging Cesar’s unconscious body down the hallway. Originally, we considered a POV stomp shot from Cesar’s perspective, but it did not feel logical within the narrative, so we removed it. The dragging sequence felt more grounded, here is a video showcasing what was done with the footage instead.
The trunk scene required coordination. Cesar was positioned inside first with his legs partially out. On action, Matheus adjusts his legs and closes the trunk. The space was tight, so it took several attempts to get a clean take.
During this sequence, Matheus checks his phone. However, we forgot to show the actual image of the license plate on screen. Currently, it appears as if he is looking at something unclear. This will be corrected next week with a proper phone POV shot displaying the image sent by Tati.
Next, we filmed the garage exit sequence. One angle was captured from inside the garage as the door opened. A second angle was filmed from outside with smoke effects and headlights cutting through. This was done intentionally so I can blend both shots in editing and control pacing.
Below is a short clip of the temporary burnout placeholder.
The real burnout sequence was not filmed in time, so we are temporarily using an older unrelated clip as a reference. The final version will be shot next week with multiple angles and proper framing.
Unfortunately, in the outside garage shot, Tati and Cesar are faintly visible in the background. I should have caught it during filming, but I did not. As a result, I will trim the clip and reshoot an additional rear angle of the Mustang driving away. I plan to clearly show the license plate from behind so the audience connects it to the earlier phone image.
The meetup scene was filmed after that. Matheus arrives and receives payment from Tati. We had to use a Lightning McQueen backpack instead of the intended duffel bag because the original was missing. We made it work. Tati then prepares to perform the burnout, but we ran out of time to capture the final shot properly.
Below is a sneak peek of the early edit.
Editing has already started. Reviewing footage helped identify what needs to be reshot and what adjustments are necessary for pacing and continuity.
Below is a behind the scenes montage from today’s shoot.
Overall, filming day one provided a strong foundation. What remains for next week is the phone POV license plate shot, a clean rear angle of the Mustang leaving, and the final burnout sequence. After that, we will complete voiceovers and move into full post production.
We are not finished, but the structure is solid. More updates soon.
