cameras rolling

Right, it seems like its been a long time coming but we got our footage down today!

In all we took 5 takes, each time, I believe it getting better, and noticeably too.

(Word of warning: This features all the shots we took. It will be the fourth draft/take we will use for our final edit.)

I'll start with the tiny amount of downsides experienced during our filming. Firstly, it did seem to be a case, unfortunately, of too many cooks spoiling the broth. This was in terms of when we were initially thinking about how we should direct the piece, where the lights should and shouldn't be, and where the camera should be positioned. Definite areas for focus in the future.

We could have improved this by just having rigidly defined roles, or, being adament on what was set out in the storyboards, after all, thats what they are there for! Also we could have done more extension planning, where we would set the lights up and so on, exactly where the camera would stand. But being new to it all, it's something we're learning along the way. Also, to a degree, we wouldn't have been able to definitively specify lights, because we wouldn't know how it would look.

We had issues with trying to get Davids eyes in shot at the start, as when praying, naturally, you look down and close them. We omitted the close up of his eyes, instead, showing his bowing head and then slowly getting up, but the mishap can be put down to theory clashing with the physical reality, the film logistics. It may not be clear what he is doing at the start, due to the restrictions on how we could move and position the camera, so this is a slight shame. Hopefully not too much of a downside. :(

After faffing around with different gels on the lights, we realised that the mood we wanted (dingy, dark, shadowy) could be achieved by just having one key light. Taking this simple approach worked out well, creating shadows where we wanted them: cast over half of his face, and body.

Lastly, we could have made more an effort with the costuming. Adding some dirt, or grime, and screwing it up may have further pointed out the nature of the man. This is something that if we were to do it again, we'd take into consideration even more.

Nevertheless, once we started filming, it really was an enjoyable process. We had fun, we were also officially "working" and learning on the go. Nobody argued, it was actually a case of us wanting to do more more more shots!

It started off with a really wide shot, taking in the background, and really, alot of unneeded image. However, paying attention to what we had learnt previously in our seminar, about increasing tension, we likewise, tightened the shot, bringing it alot closer and thereby adding some intensity (hopefully!)

One possible problem we were initially met with was that David was wearing a white shirt and coupled with the lights, may have been over exposed. Furthermore, the pillowcase he places over his head, again, was white and may have been hard to distinguish from his normal clothes. However, when acting it through and seeing it on screen, this didn't prove a problem. The plus side to the white pillowcase issue, I believe, was the contrast created between pillowcase and the black gun. It is probably something nobody will notice, but it struck me. You cannot get any stronger a contrast than that: black, and white, good vs bad.

Also, in terms of the pros, we had it so the barrel of the gun appears into the screen, so that we are more or less looking down that barrel. Zooming in with the movement of the executor adds a dynamic nature, whilst also drawing us in very close to the headshot coupled with the gun. Sort of perfectly setting up the final and ending scene.

The scene ended up being 1min 9seconds, so shows that our planning, through the summary of action, was correct for the set length of the piece. We didn't have to ad lib on any sections, nor speed any up. It all fitted nicely, not being rushed and showing a progression through the piece, in the allotted time.

When it comes to our final editing of the piece, the heavy breathing we picked up using the mic will usefully play a part. However, being able to introduce extra sound effects should as a heavy thumping heart beat should add another convincing element, hopefully helping display that the man is under pressure, and creates a sort of rhythm whilst watching the one minute piece.

In addition, we will be able to alter the colour settings. We are looking to achieve the film noir styley; another symbol of the dark tone intended. It should look quite arty as well, what with the shadows.

For now, it's off to the editing suite, to nail our final piece. Although not finished, this whole process has been highly enjoyable, and once we complete the piece, ive expectation for it to be a rewarding one as well.

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