Over the time I have been using camera equipment, I still don’t feel like I am an expert whatsoever. I have definitely gained more knowledge with the equipment we/I use, but I constantly have to re-learn skills. I have to remind myself through practice, of the creative ways I can use the equipment.

Often I try to keep my ideas relatively simple with what I film. However, I’m getting to a point where I want to challenge myself by trying to capture my content more intricately. I feel as though I will be able to achieve this as long as I put it into more of an everyday practice.

Even when I visit my hometown, Wellington, in New Zealand. I try to capture glimpses of what goes on there to just test out different ways of filming;

(Filmed on a GoPro and Cannon D3100)

(Filmed entirely on iPhone 6)

Obviously these are just mash-ups and don’t tell a particular story, but it does often give example of the camera techniques I’m interested in to make something interesting visually.

My creative aspirations for these sorts of clips are clearly not pre-planned, they’re more a matter of working with what I’ve captured. My creative ideas in the shots are only ones which I think about just before or whilst filming in this case. Normally, when I actually think of a creative idea, plan it out and go forth with it, it doesn’t always turn out the way I intended – and this is usually due to my lack of expertise with my equipment. I find experimenting in the now of filming much more rewarding than actually planning out my creative aspirations and trialling them, but failing. I realise that this is almost a naive way of approaching my work, as pre-planning is extremely important, particularly when a storyline is imagined. When we begin working on our own tasks, I’m definitely going to be attempting a more organised approach, where I lay out my creative ideas and try for appropriate execution of them. Clearly, this may fail on several occasions, but really it’s more important that I work like this and learn from my mistakes – and pick up skills on the way by doing so.

For me, the relationship between creative aspirations and technical skills is rather challenging – as I really don’t like setting my goals too high in case of failing to match my imagined reality. But I do entirely understand that it’s important do go beyond your comfort zone and I plan to do so with my next project.

Today’s class consisted of everyone getting involved and having a role. I ended up having a very small role, as the film clapper! I was really looking forward to actually clapping it – but apparently it wasn’t necessary as we were only using one channel of audio.

Once the class members were assigned roles, we took to our script and worked on it accordingly. We shot the work in alignment with what is written on the sheets and I marked each shot. I’m hoping we get to edit these, but we may begin working on something else.

CREW setting up camera and sound equipment

ACTORS waiting patiently to begin their scene

In this class I learnt that there are a couple of things to have called out in order for everyone to check they’re all ready to begin shooting, it is no longer just ‘lights, camera, action!”

This is called “calling the roll” and the first section is conducted by the first assistant director (1st AD):

1st AD: Quiet on Set! Roll sound.

Sound Recordist: Sound speeds / Speeding.

1st AD: Roll camera.

Camera Operator/s or Cinematographer: Camera speeds./Rolling.

Then the second assistant camera (2nd AC) will slate with the clapper board and call out the current scene and take numbers eg: Scene 25 take 2.

[clapper is clapped to allow the syncing of the audio and video media]

Camera operators cinematographer will say “Set” when their camera is in position and focused properly.

Director or 1st AD: Action.

and once the action is over the Director or 1st AD (or possibly camera operator): Cut.