Safety Report Done..

* Reflection:  I had tried – unsuccessfully – to write my safety report before last Friday’s class at uni whereby I was able to do a trial run of my film shoot. This is due to the fact that I’ve never actually used the dolly and tracks therefore I couldn’t anticipate the potential dangers. Going through the steps of setting up the equipment the equipment and filming the main issue I recognized is that of a spatial one. I need approximately four hands on deck to assist in the tracking and tripod stability. Since the tripod is not huge the four individuals need to be choreographed in a particular position so as not to cause friction and ruin the smoothness of the shot if they bump into each other, which is a safety hazard also.

Exposure Exposure Exposure Exposure…. ah why is this element so hard to wrap my head around ? actually it’s not hard… in fact it’s quite systematic in its breakdown.

Step one : TURN ON THE CAMERA

Step two: set up the view finder

Step 3: Check the colour bars

Step 4: Check contrast and brightness setting

step 5: make sure you know what percentage of luminance the zebra patterns are exhibiting.

Robin : “Lighting and exposure are Indivisible.” This really sticks out to me because I often foolishly forget they are so directly linked.

Epiphany: Always use the viewfinder when establishing the lighting scheme. When standing further away from the camera your eye is heavily influenced by extraneous lighting variables which influence the accuracy of the actual colour scheme of the camera.

So Wednesday’s class I found very productive; we focused on depth of field and the elements which influence the depth of field:

1. Focus

2. The length of the lens

3. Aperture

I guess I had prior theoretically knowledge these elements, yet Wednesday’s class allowed us the opportunity to undertake smaller tasks where we can, quite simply, apply these elements and understand them from a more practical perspective.

Epiphany: I did not in fact know about the marker theory when doing a rack (focus pull). I know this may seem miniscule but that is my epiphany this week because It was the first time I had marked the camera to successfully realize a focus pull using markers .

Daniel Meeting – Week 8 for media project

Just finished my meeting with Daniel. Very excited for this project because I’ve never broken down the logistics so meticulously before, so I feel like we’re really going in to this project with a clarified plan.

Firstly we discussed the equipment we would like, where we would source it and why that specific equipment is to be used.

1. EQUIPMENT:

• Sony a7s (it has very good low light capabilities, full frame sensor, 35 mm frame, a lot of freedom with colour correction.) -Daniel
• Tripod dolly (eye level tracking shot because we can’t track with the crane horizontally) – RMIT
• Lens Canon L Series 24 70mm f2.8 (good mid range zoom, good aperture, sharp lens, can change focal length (I’m looking for Mark 11 because its sharper) if its not go for the l series 24 105 mmm f2.8
• Heavy-duty tripod that can carry 10 kilos and above to lift the crane. If tripod already comes with wheels we don’t need the dolly
• White reflectors for changing the two environments.
• Red Head (3)

We moved on to theme/concept…

2. Theme / Concept

• Perhaps get atmospheric sounds, an eerie droning in the background. We want to suggest life events that were traumatizing through the use of sound combined with the smoothness of the tracking shot which progresses as the events unfold.
• We start with a heart beat monitor that is pulsating and then stops, suggesting the mother is dead. Silence. Kids laughing. Dad screaming, swing, Car crashing, Church bells, Hospital again.
• In the last frame we will make it as though one long take and suddenly the girl is dressed in a straightjacket and yanked from the chair.

Then location…

Location

• The first background is inside my house because we want an elegant room reminiscent of a home where the girl feels safe.
• The second background is also inside my house using a white wall. We have to create the exact composition within the frame, same focal length, aperture etc.

Then costumes…

3. Costumes

• Red dress contrasts nicely with the crème colour of the couch and the light green curtains framing her. (I’m getting this)
• White straight jacket (I’m getting this)

Timetable…

Timetable

Wednesday – 6^th May (go ask if I can borrow tripod and dolly +ask about all the equipment I want and book in for next week)

Friday – 9^th May (borrow tripod/dolly)

Saturday – 10^th May (going to the space with Daniel, blocking, trying out his camera with the tripod and dolly)

Monday – 12^th May (return tripod and dolly)

Friday – 15^th May (I will borrow equipment)

Saturday – 16^th May (Proper shoot)

Monday – 18^th May (MUST RETURN ALL EQUIPMENT)

🙂 ….

My epiphany this week may not be so interesting to the world but to me, it is GREAT!

So in Wednesday’s class the girls and I thought we’d tackle the EX3 and just try to understand it a little better. Okay, so it’s not that scary! It is physically heavier than the z7 and that’s something I have to consider because I do like hand held shots and logistically, it makes more sense to use a lighter camera if I am going for a more stabilized shot however if not, then this element is irrelevant really.

The z7 obviously has the recording unit that you must attach to the back of the camera whilst the EX3 requires the SD card to be inserted directly into the slot.  If I wish to edit my files I need to use the card reader in the downstairs editing suites and then transfer files.

So I guess this week’s epiphany is that the z7 and the ex3 are actually very accessible. There differences, aren’t enormous and that’s quite comforting (I know it’s such a late epiphany, but I’m proud!).

Updates!

Okay I’ve been thinking a lot about what it is i want to achieve in my final project this semester. Yes I want to understand the Long take its potential for suspense. However I want to more. I want to  understand what the Long take means to me and how, through the experimental use of it, I will better understand my own style as a filmmaker. I think that changing this mindset has helped me clarify what exactly it is I want. I chucked out my overly elaborate scripts. I am creating an atmosphere now:

1. Instead of my elaborate script of a girl’s thoughts, I will have a little girl laughing continuously, this laugh will slowly age into that of an older woman. Why I chose this laughter is because I think a child’s laughter portrays such innocent without even having to speak. I believe I can juxtapose that laughter with the eeriness of the girl sitting solemnly on screen and that will establish the type of atmosphere I want. In just working on this scripting process I’ve realised how much I love the unspoken word. I really love to tell stories without words, rather finding other creative, less literal ways to express what I am trying to say.

2. I don’t want to film in a white room, Daniel and I have been discussing and we want to use a green screen. I’ve always been drawn to changing backgrounds and I believe I can really encapsulate the feeling of this scene with through this alternating background. Daniel owns a green screen and we will have a meeting this coming Wednesday to plan out the logistics for this particular element! It may not work, It may be a total visual fail from this perspective but I really don’t care, it’s the process not the result that I want in this project.

to be continued….. 🙂

Okay. SUCCESS.

Firstly, I managed (with much help) to, for the very first time, entirely film on my own, upload my own work and edit it from start to finish. For that reason I am overwhelmingly glad because it was something I felt so anxious about for a while.

Secondly, I learnt aspects of what to do and what not to do and to that I say: SUCCESS!

1. Informing the actors about the background of the story before we had started filming made the actual recording process run so smoothly, while I had to guide them for the first two runs, they immediately understood the pacing and physical gestures by the third run. All I had to do was follow the action with the camera. For me this is a wonderful thing. These kids are not actors, rather dancers in my studio. Obviously it was much easier working with dancers who understand elements such as music, pacing, footwork etc. This illuminated my mind to the fact that I should pick ‘actors’ who have a familiarity with the type of work I like to do. You see, a trained actor can try to adapt to whatever the vision is, but for this particular instance what I need was a dancer who understood pacing.
2. I am not saying I will always edit sound in post, but perhaps as a dancer I think I am drawn to this idea more so than filming with present sound on set. I think, with the knowledge of the post-editing sound in mind, I acquire a particular method for filming that relies heavily on choreography and pacing which I will then match in post. This proved successful, as I was able to guide the actors through recording (Fellini style). BUT, in saying that, my speaking did hinder the fluidity of the camera movement as I found myself unstable whilst trying to speak and track with the camera. Next time I want to direct out loud I will make sure I have a camera person.
3. Telling the dancers that I was particularly focusing on framing just the feet was perfect because they understood that they needed to exaggerate movements, much more so than If they were to perform with their entire body in the shot.

I really learnt a lot from this process; I learnt a great amount about interaction with actors and how having them on board makes the filming much smoother

So last Friday we were given an assignment that really intrigued me. We were offered scene options which we were to shoot, edit and finalise by this coming Wednesday (so, still a work in progress). The aim of this assignment is not to advance ourselves in the technological training, nor is it to systematically go through the production process; in fact, it is about our own unique methodology. Every director will adopts a unique method which they prefer, one which proves successful to them. As  a third year student, I speak for myself when I say I haven’t really experienced that capacity whereby I can experiment with my own methodology.

We were given a scene and I made a list of the things I wanted to do:

1. I will give the background knowledge to all actors as, having knowledge of the background of the story they might feel better equipped to realise it.

2. sound will be edited in post production therefore i will verbally guide the actors as we record.

3. I will tell the actors the exact frames I am shooting so that they can accentuate their features and movements with the knowledge that I am using tighter frames.

4. I will ask if the actors have any ideas after having heard the background information.

This task I chose to do solo because I wanted to particular configure a methodology around the actors and myself. I think it’s so important to break down the elements separately within the production process and understand them before holistically looking at the entire process. Therefore this task is, for me, an experimental methodology of actor/director relationships.

Blog from Wednesday’s class

Despite not being in class last Friday I learnt a substantial amount from just watching the student edits in class this Wednesday. Last week the focus was entirely on performance however, from watching the films and speaking to Robin I recognize that performance does not exist independently from the camera, the crew and all other production processes. An actor must be totally aware of their relation to the camera, how they are framed etc. An actor must also be aware of the lighting and that certain physical positions will have completely alternative results because of elements such as shadows. Synonymously, the actor should be able to fluidly move around the space despite the props, the camera, the crew, cords, etc. that may be slightly intrusive. One piece of work that I loved was in fact a long take. Robin identified a feature that I really admire, which is that once you remove the montage, the power of the pacing is left with the actors and that is an extraordinary thing. In fact, it is a thing I see so rarely these days whereby the narrative drives the cuts and pacing of a film as though it were separate from the characters that exist within it. There’s a beautiful-perhaps slightly untapped- synthesis between the actor and the camera, whereby they engage in what I would describe as a choreographed dance.

Epiphany of the week: THE ACTOR CANNOT EXIST IN ISOLATION FROM THE CAMERA, WHICH FRAMES THE WORLD THEY LIVE IN. In a theatrical production, the actor must be aware of the space on stage as well as direction their movement out towards the audience. On screen, the actors need to place themselves in the world of the frame, and all movements must be made with the knowledge of that Frame.

After having a chat with Robin about my film I feel inspired by a better understanding of focal lengths and how they alter the sense of depth of field. As I had the idea to track from a high angle and then slowly descend to an eye ‘level tracking shot, it would be more aesthetically pleasing if I were to frame the girl by placing perhaps an painting on the wall behind her. This would mean that when the camera itself neared her there would be a greater depth of field between the girl and the painting behind her, rather than a plain white wall, which would diminish that depth of field.

Side note

Long focal length = Shorter Depth of Field

Short focal length = longer depth of field

Certainly, each focal length has its advantages and disadvantages and should be used appropriately with the consideration of the set, the lighting, the cast and props etc. Robin showed me a film whereby a lens with longer focal length was used inside a moving car. The result was, a frantically driven car with the external surroundings appearing unnaturally close to the car, as though having been flattened. The result was certainly not the most realistic, had the director used a lens with a shorter focal length, the external surroundings would have appeared further away in the field and thus more realistic. However, I admired the intrusiveness achieved through the longer focal length and it created a sense of abstract chaos that I actually appreciated. To bring this back to my project for this semester, If I were to use a lens with a long focal length, then, Id assume when I approached nearer to the girl the frames behind her would be very close and the depth of field would not be great. Alternatively If I sued a short focal length, when nearing the girl, I would witness a greater depth of field, which will make the mis-en-scene appear more dynamic (that is perhaps advantageous since I am only doing a long take with a very tedious tracking shot).

I HAVE ADDED PAINTINGS TO THE SET AND CHOSEN A FOCAL LENGTH.

ONE STEP CLOSER