Shoot day reflection

We first set up our location and this is where we came across our first problem. If we had to do it again, I would spend less time on the setting up process. Our first problem was that the elevator doors wouldn’t stay open. This meant we had to tape the light sensors on the side to stop it from activating the doors which worked momentarily. However, when we had managed to tape the doors, we needed to bring lighting into the lift otherwise it would be too dark, and we could not film inside it. 

So we used some long fluorescent lights, however they didn’t fit inside of the lift. We also faced the problem of when moving the lights into the lift, it activated the sensors which then made the lift door close. We overcame this problem by using a different type of light for the shot, ones which were on tripods so they could stand outside of the lift and did not activate the lift doors. It did mean that we couldn’t shoot shots that were far away, however this actually ended up making our piece look even better as it adds to the claustrophobic feel of the sequence. So therefore, I would have spent less time trying to set up and use the second type of lights straight away.

Before filming and after setting the lights up, my group did spend quite a lot of time going over fine and unnecessary details. Through this process I learnt more about time management, and how to spend less time talking about what to do, and more time doing it which helped me realise that even though communication is key, it is really important to not waste time, as in the real industry ‘time is money,’ meaning it is highly precious

When we started filming, I realised that many of the previous workshops I had done really helped on the shoot day. For example, I was able to properly set up the tripod for the camera within a couple of minutes which saved time. Also, by applying what I had learnt about exposure, white balancing and focusing I could set up my shot.

One thing that I found particularly crucial was being able to use the rule of thirds in the opening sequence for a number of reasons. Firstly, I was the camera person, so it was my job to make sure the shots looked good which the rule of thirds comes into. Secondly, because it is an opening sequence, there needs to be enough room for credits, so by using the rule of thirds, I had room to put them in the negative space.

I learnt a new skill whilst filming my opening sequence which was using hand held shots, including over the shoulder hand held, hand held shots where I would follow the motion of the action, and hand held low angle shots as well as others. I used the black magic 4k mini USRA to film this. I also learnt about lighting and how to use monitors to look at what the camera angles look like. For example when the director would explain what angle they wanted me to shoot, I would observe what it looked like through the monitor and try to mimic it, which was highly effective.

I didn’t get to watch the clips back that I filmed on the camera, which is a key rule, otherwise it may tempt us to be dependent on watching the clips back, which will waste time. However, I believe that the clips that we shot looks really good and I am happy with how the turned out. Also, I got to see some footage that other people in my group filmed, and it looked really professional and good. We incorporated a go pro into our filming, which we did get to watch back because of the use of a fisheye lens. Using a different lens made the clip look like CCTV footage which was what we intended. This just meant that we would have to adapt with how we filmed this and to make sure that the angle we were filming at didn’t get the open lift door in it, which we managed to achieve.

However, I didn’t just learn about how to shoot certain camera angles, I also improved my communication skills with the actors more. For example, if I want to frame a shot and I need someone’s hand in focus I would ask the actor if they could position themselves as if they were in the scene, so I could get the correct shot.

I really liked the majority of the day however my favourite part would be when I was actually filming the clips with the camera, as I felt very content if I had filmed a shot and was told that it looked good on the monitor by my friends. I find it really satisfying when I finally got a shot in the correct place/ the correct time and angle as it makes me feel like my hard work has amounted to something. I also like this as it makes me feel a strong sense of teamwork, and I really like working together with people to make a final project, especially as I find it fun.

Overall, I have learnt many different things during the shoot day and it was a really good experience here are some that will specifically help for any future projects I may work on: I have learnt how to watch the monitor when reviewing the clips, and I have learnt how to use more handheld shots, and also how to apply fake blood realistically. 

This will really help with my next filming projects, as it means that I can get a feel for how the camera looks when it moves, and also to get better at special effects make up as my favourite genre is thriller, and if I am working on more thrillers in the future the make up will look more realistic.

Our next step in our opening sequence is editing it, I’m excited to put everything together, and review how our clips look in the postproduction. This is because I want to see what my groups work amounted to, and I also find it highly satisfying watching all of the shots pieced together perfectly and seamlessly.