Camera Workshop 2

 Today we returned to the studio and filmed a few shots in order to practice filming vocabulary and gain experience "on set". We practiced shooting a wide, Mid-close then Close-up shot of one of the students picking up a wine glass. WE filed on that order specifically to ensure that we had the wide shot first, this is because the wide shot is used as a "master shot" that can always be used as a base, and if something goes wrong it's best to have a wide shot established. 

The People on set:

• 
  Actors
• Director
• Camera operator

Here are the callouts we learned:

• “Standby” camera operator stands by the camera
• “Roll camera” when the camera operator pressed the recording button
• “We’re rolling” the camera operator lets the director know that the camera is rolling
• “Action” the actors begin the sequence
• “Cut” the camera operator stops recording

These are important as they ensure the filming goes smoothly and quickly because, on a real set, everything is extremely time-sensitive. These callouts help eliminate and margin for error or easily avoided mistakes.

In order to ensure continuity, actors will have a mark that they stand on which would be the same for every shot, this ensures when editing later on, all the shots look coherent and don't create continuity errors when the audience can tell that something has a changed due to a small error in costume, food, or timeline.

It is better not to watch the footage back on set because of two reasons, for one, it takes double the time to shoot and re-watch everything you shoot, and on a set, this creates a slow in the filming process, but actors will also begin to self criticize and change their acting style while shooting the same scene.

In order to shoot correctly, cameras are set on a 180-degree axis from the actors in order to ensure that the composition of the camera doesn't seem distorted and strange. This is also the reason we stick to the "rule of thirds" keeping actors within the lines of an approximate 3x3 grid on-screen that allows them to look more natural and spatially coherent within the screen.

Camera Workshop 1

Today we learned how to set up a camera using a Balck magic 4k Mini. Here is what we learned: 

Two parts of a tripod- Legs and head

-When changing the height of the tripod, start with the locks from the bottom to maintain balance

The panhandle must always go on the right-hand side

There are two breaks on the tripod head

- Tilt lock- locks the left on the right

- Pan lock- locks the up and down 

- (Both makes it hold still)

If the little yellow spirit level circle is facing you, that’s the right direction 

Bubble the tripod-

Make the bubble within the circle by twisting the bolt below the legs by a quarter turn.

 

To put the camera on the tripod:

 Make sure to say: mine/yours when passing the camera between people

Tripod shoe on the bottom of the camera.

Use locks on the tripod, to keep the head stable.

Clear the metal from the top of the tripod.

As you slide on the camera press the push button on the right-hand side

Once the camera is aligned, tighten the camera with the valve on the left-hand side. 

Make sure to have one hand on the handle on the camera

The camera is top-heavy, when removing the camera, make sure to account for this.

Slide the battery down until it clicks.

To focus the camera: 

Zoom all the way in, focus it, and then zoom out.

There are two rings on the front of the camera lens, the large ring controls zoom, and the smaller ring controls focus. 

When adjusting the exposure: 

Twist the blue button up or down around the lens to adjust the exposure.

White balance:

Man-made/ indoor lights- orange-ish colour

 Outdoor light- blue-ish color the screen used is a touch screen, adjust the white balance by setting the pre-set (dependant on location, sunny, cloudy, shady, indoor light)

Strike the equipment- put it away

Organising our Cast

 Today we received our shoot date and made sure to update our cast on what they would need and when they were needed. 

Finding our props, costume and location for our opening scene

As a group, we each decided we were happy to contribute 20 pounds in order to purchase all the possible costume/props we might have needed, since our scene takes place in an elevator, no extravagant costume pieces were needed, but we had to take into consideration that due to the genre, we would be using fake blood, and we would need to purchase any costume that would get bloody. We looked online for our props and looked up recipes for fake blood we could use.

 

Since our scene only takes place in one location, we plan on shooting within the elevator at our school. We plan for it to look something like this: Our opening sequence is casual, as it's meant to look normal initially, before the fight sequence. but due to the fight sequence, we had to think about what the woman could wear that would tear as she was fighting. We researched business casual attire, as that's what we plan to dress her in, although many of her clothes could be things already owned or in the costume department. 

Example picture 1

Example picture 2

 

Since our location is fixed, and we only have one, we plan to film in the elevator in our school building. Here are some example pictures of the look we're going for: A metallic, sleek, simple, generic elevator that doesn't have mirrors, which we would film the fight sequence in.

Casting - replies

 We have now received replies from our first cast member Liv. Saying she would love to be a part of our scene!

Mood board for my concept idea

 

Casting- Organising

 When we’d agreed upon our casting choices, we reached out to our cast and connected them about their role and availability. Here are the emails: