Veiled Glass
How Veiled Glass will be made: one practical room in a Singapore studio, two shoot days, and AI and VFX to build the city around it. This is the pre-production packet, minus the spoilers.
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01 Approach
Think of the interrogation scenes in The Matrix, Mission: Impossible, Cure and Ex Machina, rolled into one. I want a grounded, tense film where small changes in behavior make us question the room. We start with controlled frames and move closer as trust breaks down. Matte surfaces, worn stone and restrained lighting keep the future believable.
I’ll shoot over two days in a Singapore studio, with a minimal practical set and AI to extend the space and the effects. The performances, props and physical action still have to work in the footage we capture, so I’ll test the approach before committing to the final setup.
Walls of tiny cubes that click into mashrabiya lattices. No liquid metal, no floating pixel-sand.
Glass is sand made rigid by heat. The storm is warmth and chaos. The glass is order. One grain scratching perfect glass is the flaw worth showing.
The room hums and keeps a beat.
Corin’s right hand shakes. Anything machine-made is perfectly still.
A dark rectangle that turns out to be glass.
Near the machine, the sound drops to nothing. Turn on the room tone and hover over the lattice to hear it.
02 Schedule
Dates are still open, so the plan counts back from the first shoot day. The two shoot days run back to back. Calendar dates follow once the cast, studio and crew are confirmed.
Pre-production
12 weeks to 3–5 days before
Test the AI approach, collect quotes and lock the shooting script.
Casting
6 to 2 weeks before
Self-tapes and a chemistry read, then confirm both leads and the supporting roles.
Location scouting
4 to 2 weeks before
The DOP, the sound recordist and I check the studio’s noise, space, power and access.
Rehearsals and design
3 weeks to 5–7 days before
A timed read, the key emotional beats, movement rehearsal, and props and wardrobe tests.
Technical prep
7–15 days to 3–5 days before
Confirm camera, lighting and effects coverage, and a realistic setup plan.
Final prep
3–5 days to 1 day before
Confirm packages and finishing scope; issue the call sheets.
Day 108:30–18:30
Day 208:30–18:30
Movement rehearsal and coverage with the two officers, the effects plates, then the set is redressed as the sheltered alley. The rest of this day stays off the site.
Both leads work both days. Kaden has a short Day 1 call; the officers are needed on Day 2 morning.
Before booking, the cast, crew, studio and finishing quotes have to fit within SGD 12,000, including contingency. We also need a timed script and a tested way to capture the action. If the setup time runs short, earlier access or overtime would mean a revised schedule and quote.
03 Budget
The revised estimate includes SGD 2,000–6,000 for AI tools and a 10 percent contingency. It exceeds the existing SGD 12,000 ceiling by SGD 1,211–5,611. Costs and scope need to be reconciled before booking.
| Category | Basis | SGD |
|---|---|---|
| Cast | Two leads, two officers and Kaden | 950 |
| Production crew | DOP, camera assistant, grip, sound, producing support, makeup and movement | 3,960 |
| Studio | Two weekday 10-hour blocks at 400 | 800 |
| Equipment | Lenses 200 and equipment gaps 100; camera loan expected | 300 |
| Set props and wardrobe | Borrowed and reused items and materials | 250 |
| Meals and water | About 10 people × 2 days × 15 | 300 |
| Transport | Local, shared travel | 150 |
| Insurance and venue charges | Allowance pending the venue’s requirements | 150 |
| Editor polish | Pacing polish, final conform and basic grade | 800 |
| Final sound | Dialogue clean-up, design, mix and master | 2,200 |
| AI tools | Credits and tools; estimated range, to be checked in tests | 2,000–6,000 |
| Music | License allowance | 50 |
| Media and backup | Extra storage | 100 |
| Direct costs | 12,010–16,010 | |
| Contingency, 10 percent | 1,201–1,601 | |
| Total | 13,211–17,611 |
These are planning allowances, and I’ll confirm all-in quotes before committing. My producing, directing, set design, first edit and AI work carry no cash fee. The estimate assumes borrowed camera gear, reused furniture and existing studio walls.
I’ll keep the paid editor polish and sound finish in scope while negotiating the shoot costs. No discounts or contributions are assumed in this estimate.
04 Shot list
There are 44 shots in all. Dialogue runs through whole beats and shots share camera positions. These are the first 16, up to the scan; the rest stay off the site until the film is out.
WS wide · MS medium · MCU medium close-up · CU close-up · ECU extreme close-up · OTS over the shoulder. Locked means a fixed camera. Lenses in mm, full-frame equivalent.
| Shot | Scene | Framing | Image and action | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | S01 | WS 35 · locked | Both leads reach the alley wall. | Breath, distant wind. No triumph cue. |
| 02 | S01 | CU 65 · locked | Corin’s relief drains. “It let us go.” | A clear line and isolated breath. |
| 03 | S01 | WS 35 · short push or cut | Move into darkness; cut to the dark observation panel. | The wind narrows into the room’s hum. |
| Shot | Scene | Framing | Image and action | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04 | S02A | WS 35 · locked | The room’s geography: Corin, the table and the door. | Room tone; restraint handling. |
| 05 | S02A | ECU 85 · locked | His human right fingers tremble; the left forearm is restrained. | Skin and table texture; a fine cuff click. |
| 06 | S02A | CU 85 · locked | The right-temple implant. An intrusive memory hits Corin. | Breath and a restrained pulse. |
| 07 | S02A | MS 50 · locked | The door opens and Maeve enters. It closes slightly too early. | The door closing, and her stopped breath. |
| 08 | S02A | MCU 65 · locked | Maeve waits for an answer, then presents Kaden. | The full, clean interrogation side. |
| 09 | S02A | CU 50/85 · locked inserts | Kaden alive; the blue cup; a separate blade impression, no contact. | Cup sound; a short memory layer. |
| 10 | S02A | MCU 65 · locked | Corin denies, then admits hiding the memories. | A complete emotional take; no music playback. |
| 11 | S02A | Two-shot 50 · locked | She challenges his decision to keep her uninformed. | Overlap-safe dialogue and pauses. |
| Shot | Scene | Framing | Image and action | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | S02B | OTS 50 · locked | Corin spots the clock discrepancy; Maeve checks the second source. | Keep the investigation conversational. |
| 13 | S02B | Insert 85 · locked | The 10:47 reflection against the 11:23 record, then the matching shadow. | Small interface sounds, added later. |
| 14 | S02B | MS 50 · locked | Maeve reaches out; the hum eases before her touch. | Record a clean action; offset the hum in post. |
| 15 | S02B | CU 85 · locked | Maeve realizes the room is ahead. Corin reads it differently. | An exact pause before her line. |
| 16 | S02B | ECU 85 · locked | A cube forms in Corin’s left palm. | A granular scrape; a clean plate. |
Shots 01–03 are filmed with the alley scenes on Day 2, so the opening matches what follows.
05 Storyboards
Boards made with AI image tools from the shot list.
06 Design and locations
We need a quiet Singapore studio with usable walls or flats, enough camera distance and controllable light. The venue is still to be confirmed; the plan allows SGD 800 for two weekday ten-hour blocks. Every screen location is built inside it.
| Location | Setting | Needs |
|---|---|---|
| Interrogation room | INT · night | Table, two chairs, a dark observation panel and a door. Quiet for dialogue, with room for movement coverage. |
| Sheltered alley | EXT · night | A studio wall return with stone texture and a narrow light from the exit. |
I’ll handle the basic set design. We’ll borrow or reuse furniture and build only the pieces we need for performance and contact.
| Set | Palette and dressing | Key props |
|---|---|---|
| Interrogation room | Matte charcoal and muted sand; restrained institutional light | Steel-look table, two chairs, observation panel and door |
| Sheltered alley | Worn stone and muted sand; a narrow light from the exit | A textured wall return, reused from the studio set |
| Prop | Source or method |
|---|---|
| Table and two chairs | Borrowed, or the studio’s own furniture. |
| Restraint | A safe sleeve with a real quick-release catch. |
| Left arm | A test sleeve or cover, or the natural arm as reference for AI treatment. |
| Right-temple implant | A small adhesive appliance, tested with makeup. |
| Maeve’s wrist interface | An adapted wrist band, with flat graphics or tablet inserts. |
| Evidence and scan graphics | Portraits, timestamps, memories and signature screens, made in advance. |
| Blue cup | A borrowed cup with a painted chip. |
| Character | Costume |
|---|---|
| Corin | Worn, dark civilian clothes in a matte fabric that works with the left-arm treatment. |
| Maeve | Functional dark tailoring, with free movement and access to her wrist. |
| Officers | Matching dark uniforms and visors, borrowed or adapted. |
| Kaden | Simple, neutral civilian clothes. |
Corin’s cybernetic arm stays on the left, his implant on the right temple and the tremor in his human right hand. Maeve’s interface is proposed for the right wrist, to be locked in rehearsal.
07 Casting
I’ll cast the leads through self-tapes, a chemistry read and a rehearsal. The age ranges are a guide. Rehearsal time, fees, physical contact and the AI treatment of each performance are agreed before the shoot.
| Character | Age and performance | Needs |
|---|---|---|
| Corin | Playing 30–45. A mixed Arab-British detective. Restrained fear. | Both days. Tremor continuity, arm contact and matched takes. |
| Maeve | Playing 25–40. Dark-skinned, observant and emotionally direct. | Both days. The scan decisions, non-contact action and partner contact. |
| Two officers | Adult performers with precise, repeatable movement. Officer 1 has a short line of authority. | Day 2 morning: movement rehearsal and matched effects plates. |
| Kaden | A man in his early thirties. A brief, warm memory performance. | Memory inserts and the evidence portrait. A short Day 1 call. |
The priority is the leads’ chemistry and the change in trust between them. We’ll rehearse the withheld-memory exchange and the scan.
08 Camera and equipment
The DOP leads camera and lighting. I expect to borrow a Canon R5 C from the office and rent a small set of lenses. We’ll confirm the full package before booking; my iPhone is a backup that would also need testing.
| Department | Equipment | Source and status |
|---|---|---|
| Camera | Canon R5 C, with power, media and monitoring | Office loan expected. Confirm permission, recording settings and power run time. |
| Lenses | A small set covering about 35–85 mm, full-frame equivalent | Rental allowance SGD 200. The DOP chooses after the studio visit. |
| Support | Tripod; a simple slider if available | Borrowed or from the camera package. Repeatable frames for effects. |
| Lighting | Soft key, controllable hard light, a practical, flags and negative fill | Studio inclusions or borrowed kit. Units and power agreed with the DOP. |
| Grip | Stands, sandbags, clamps, cable protection and black fabric | Studio or crew package. A modest, floor-based setup. |
| Sound | Mixer-recorder, boom and two lavaliers | The sound recordist’s package, subject to quote. Clean, isolated tracks. |
| Media | Laptop, card reader and two production drives | Own or borrowed. SGD 100 for extra storage. |
| References | Color and gray card, tape measure, phone stills and a lens log | Borrowed or existing supplies. |
We start with controlled, wider frames, then move closer as the evidence and the trust become unstable. Corin’s breath and right-hand tremor stay visible.
The ratio is 2.39:1, anamorphic. I’m proposing 24 fps, subject to a flicker test with the actual lights and screens. Makeup, dark materials and the arm treatment are tested in the same setup.
Before the camera moves, we capture the matching empty set, actor reference stills and any contact inserts, and log lens, camera height, focus, exposure, white balance and light positions.
09 Sound and music
Sound lets us feel the room before we understand it. We record clean dialogue with no room hum or music playing on set, then build the room’s behavior in post.
The recordist captures boom and lavalier tracks, breath, the cuff and the chair. The room hum is built in post.
A clean reach and reaction, recorded with a silent cue. The sound designer makes the hum ease before Maeve touches the control.
The full dialogue, device handling and the cup, recorded on set. Scan tones and memory layers are built in post.
Quiet tails on set. The sound designer adds wind and electrical ambience.
A sparse score that leaves room for dialogue. Low strings and restrained electronic texture carry the tension, and a small human theme belongs to Corin and Maeve’s partnership. The opening holds that theme back.
I’ll check that each license covers the intended release before using a cue, and use AI-generated music only if its release rights can be cleared. The music allowance is SGD 50. The sound designer covers dialogue clean-up, Foley, ambience, music and a stereo mix, ideally with separate dialogue, music and effects stems.
10 AI and visual effects
I make the AI effects myself. Before the shoot, I’ll act out a short test at home with my planned Seedance 2.5 workflow, to check continuity, contact, repeatability, and the time and credits each usable shot needs.
| Effect | Practical or digital |
|---|---|
| Room, alley and storm | Practical walls and contact surfaces; AI extends the texture, depth and storm. Matching empty plates, with camera and light references. |
| The cube and the left arm | Practical hand contact plus AI treatment. Palm detail tested, with the dialogue that depends on it kept in step. |
| Memory imagery | Actor reactions and cleared memory footage, with prepared flat graphics and AI memory layers. |
| Evidence screens | Exact graphics, made in advance, on a monitor or a composited screen. Timestamps must be legible. |
A plate is matching footage used to build an effect: the empty background and separate actor reactions, recorded before the camera moves.
This site’s concept art was made with AI image tools too. The scene behind each page title is drawn live in code.
11 Post-production
I’ll build the first edit, then bring in an editor for pacing polish before the final AI pass. The windows count from the first shoot day. They’re estimates: the effects test and the course deadline set the final dates.
Organize and sync
Days 1–4
Organize, sync and back up the footage. Original media stays intact.
First picture edit
Days 5–10
The complete story and performance cut, with rough effects placeholders.
Edit polish and lock
Days 11–14
With the finishing editor: settle pacing and shot lengths within 11–14 minutes.
Music selection
Days 11–14
With the sound designer: choose cues and check the rights before the mix.
AI VFX and screens
Days 15–21
Final effects and graphics. This window is revised once the tests are measured.
Conform and color
Days 22–25
The finishing editor brings in the effects and grades, with my review and the DOP’s input.
Titles and credits
Days 22–25
Final, readable titles and credits.
Sound edit and mix
Days 26–31
Dialogue, Foley, effects, music and a stereo master with stems.
Final export and QC
Days 32–35
A full check of the film, then the master, a viewing copy, captions and the archive.
The editor gets an organized project, relinkable media and a timecoded reference. The sound designer gets the locked picture and original sound files in an agreed interchange format.
Dialogue clarity, screen readability, arm continuity, stable AI faces and hands, and matching color across effects shots. The AI pass is the least certain part of the timeline, so it’s tested during prep.
12 Crew
Six core people on set: the director, the DOP, producing support, a camera assistant, lighting and grip, and production sound. Makeup and movement specialists join the blocks that need them. Editing and sound design happen after the shoot.
Nobody is booked yet. I’ll confirm each person’s scope, availability and fee first.
| Role | Who | Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|
| Producer and director | Erik Magelssen | Producing, casting, direction, script decisions and final approvals. |
| Production design | Erik Magelssen | Basic set, props and wardrobe; continuity with producing support and makeup. |
| Director of photography | To be confirmed | Camera, lighting plan and visual continuity. |
| Producing support and AD | To be confirmed | Calls, floor coordination, schedule, meals and continuity notes. |
| Camera assistant | To be confirmed | Camera support, focus and lens changes, media and verified backups. |
| Lighting and grip | To be confirmed | Lighting setup, stands and flags, and practical support to the DOP’s plan. |
| Production sound mixer | To be confirmed | Dialogue, isolated tracks, room tone and sound reports. |
| Makeup | To be confirmed · short calls | Subtle makeup and repeatable continuity states. |
| Movement specialist | To be confirmed · agreed blocks | Rehearsal and supervision of non-contact movement. |
| Picture edit | Erik Magelssen, with a finishing editor to be confirmed | My first cut; the editor adds pacing polish, final conform, a basic grade and agreed revisions. |
| AI visual effects | Erik Magelssen | Tests, effects, screen graphics and continuity review. |
| Final sound | Sound designer, to be confirmed | Dialogue clean-up, Foley, sound design, music, stereo mix and stems. |