This week we focussed on exposure and focus. During our Wednesday class, each of us took turns to adjust the focus and exposure of a shot ‘properly’.  This was much harder than expected, and I realise that I have pretty much forgotten everything that I learnt about camera operating last year. The following Friday, we went out to Bowen Street and did a focus pull from very deep depth of field to a shallow one. Mostly, we just played around, focussing on random individuals who were walking towards camera. Can’t say I’m the best at it, but I did enjoy it. When you describe focus pulling, it sounds very simple, almost trivial – all you do is pull the focus according to markers. But in reality, it is so difficult. First of all you have to keep your eye on the subject and where they are going, secondly you have to monitor the markers on the tape and make sure that you’re hitting all of them at the correct timing. You can’t see how the image looks until afterwards so you’re kind of clueless and insecure during this whole process.

Afterwards, while we were waiting down in the edit suites for Robin to make his rounds, we reviewed what we had filmed and realised that our images came out quite ‘flat’. It got us thinking about some other ways we could do it better next time – if we should move the camera closer or further, what focal length it should be, how big or small the aperture should be…etc. Some students also showed their documentaries they filmed last year. I found them all to be interesting, and I’m not just saying that out of politeness. They told me they were less ‘trained’ at the time of filming, but I think it might not have made such a huge difference – or maybe it would have actually, I’m not sure. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed them. I guess I am trying to achieve something similar with my project, just an editing version.