And Then There Were None Episode One Media Notes on Camera, lighting and sound

1. ‘And Then There Were None’
Episode One BBC One (2015) Directed by Craig Viveiros
Format: Series
Genre:Crime
Narrative Structure: Soldier Island is the set and the opening titles show how ten sculptures
breaks down to create the island. It is set in a Linear but can be seen a non-linear due to the
flashback.
Notes:
● Tense and harsh beat non-diegetic music as the titles come onto screen to add
tension and to create the mood of the whole series
● Sound perspective on the sounds of the wind though the grass and the gulls cries
and the breathe of one of the ten main characters
● Master shot with hints of what happened to one of the main characters and then to
where she is now - montage (lighting of her in on the beach was high key to show the
mood of the character but then cuts away to her now with the use of low key lighting
to show how depressing her life is now
● In the title part, there is different shots of each character in a range of different angles
which shows who is key to the story
● Close ups shots on the person’s faces - shallow focus with a cutaway between two of
the characters on the train
● Low angle of Justice Lawrence Wargrave to show how powerful he is but also is the
only character in full black
● Quick cuts to explain who is involved in the story with close up shots of the letters to
each character showing that someone has planned this event with this group of
people.
● Eyeline match to Miss Claythorne and the road from the train blinds shows that it
might look like a hanging rope.
● Cross cutting to show how each member of the group is travelling to the harbor either
by train or by car. Some of the characters meet briefly but do not speak
● Clock sounds increase to add the thought of that time been important
● Clothing matches the period of the film

2. ● Parallel cutting between the guests on the boat sailing towards the island and the
Rogers preparing dinner
● Master shots of the island with high angled to how how high the island is but also to
show how dangerous it can be
● Tracking shots of the characters walking up the beach
● Shallow focus on the poem in the bedrooms as the character is looking at them to
how that these poems are important to the story
● Little bits of information given about each character in the shots showing them and at
dinner (drugs, gun and swimming suits)
● Low key lighting in the hallways to add tension to the location and how dark it is
about to come.
● Shallow focus on Miss Claythorne and Philip Lombard to show that there is
something between these two characters.
● Graphic match between the sunset and the bell that Thomas Rogers uses to ring for
dinner
● At dinner there is a shallow focus on Philip Lombard as he looks at each member of
the table as he feels like something is wrong with this whole event
● Parallel editing between the dinner and the kitchen
● Over the shoulder shot with a shallow focus on when Dr. Armstrong works out that
Anthony Marston who is sat on the other side of the table was the one that ran him
off the road.
● Shot reverse shot between the two character when they argue over what truly
happened on the road.
● As the record is played, the emotions of each characters change expect Philip
Lombard giving the thought that me wasn't surprised with the comment made about
him killing twenty-one men.
● When Thomas Rogers is speaking about the woman that from what the recording
said about him and his wife Ethel Rogers murdered their former employer speaks
about what happened in a flashback he says that the woman died in her sleep
however the flashback scene shows that in fact he killed her in front of Ethel.
● After Roger leaves, the group of people each give a small confession about the
names that they may have killed and tells them that they didn't kill them but they died
either because of an accident or that they knew them.
● When each character speaks about what happened, there is a close up on their face
showing their emotion before cutting to another character’s statement or reaction to
what happened
● When Philip Lombard confesses to what was said in the recording was true it creates
shock within the group. As he confesses to killing the twenty one men in africa he
shows no emotion
● In the flashback of him in Africa sound perspective highlights the sound of the flames
cracking and then in the dissidents screams of the villages.
● The camera slowly pans and tilts when Lombard argues with Emily Brent that he isn't
the only white killer in Africa.
● As Lombard confesses to the murders, it gives the audience the thought that is he
only confessing to these murders because he is not going to let them leave the island
alive
● As the camera is set as a medium close up on Anthony Marston he confesses to
accidentally killing two children whom he did not spot on the road as he was going

3. fast. As he tells the others that it wasn’t his fault and that on Europe's roads he likes
to push his car to the limit he starts to choke and dies right in front of them all.
● The camera follows the action as Dr Armstrong tries to save him and then as his
body falls to the floor the camera zooms slowly on his face.
● There are cutaways from Philip Lombard and Marston’s drug box showing that the
dead man took drugs, giving the idea of him overdosing himself or that someone may
have killed him with it.
● With Ethel we find that the knocking sound on her door is heightened a little and as
she calls the person in the room the scene is cut soon hiding information away from
the audience about what is about to happen. This adds tension to the scene.
● By the first two deaths being poisoning it falls to the idea of the killer being a woman
as poisoning is more likely a female murder weapon.
● Dr Armstrong as he sleeps he has a dream, by having the camera at a low angle
hows that at the time he believes that he has power over life and death like all
doctors do. However when he sees the body that he might have killed, he looks
scared as the body comes closer to him and when he sees himself down the hall he
wakes himself up panting and gasping for breath.
● As Thomas Rogers leads Dr Armstrong to his room where he has found his wife
Ethel who appears to have died in her sleep, as he returns to his room. Miss
Claythorne stops him and shows him that two of the sculptures from the table are
now missing leaving eight for the eight people on the island.
● As Miss Claythorne goes to leave, she turns to face just past the camera as an
echoing voice of Cyril’s mother is crying about losing her son and then is cut over by
Cyril’s screams as he drowned in the water.
● As General MacArthur looks for a way out he soon speaks to Lombard about what
type of soldier he is. The medium shot of the two on the stairs add tension and fear to
the audience speaking about how this time period they are in is like the calm before
the storm
● This leaves the the episode with an open ending drawing the audience in to see what
happens and for them to guess who the murder is.