The two classes in which we set up and shot a short scene with the entire class were beneficial in my opinion, because whether you were assigned a role or an observer, you had the chance to learn and participate in some way. The first setup you gave us lights and a variety of equipment to experiment on with two different subjects. This gave us the chance to test a variety of effects including the use of shadows, light intensity, colour correction and camera settings. It was educational as an observer to watch and also have an input into the method of each set up. Organically progressing as we came up with ideas such as ridding the subjects face of harsh shadows or creating particular shadows to give an stylistic look. Using the pegs to give the illusion that the person was under a palm tree was great and another moment that stood out was using the two large square defuser frames to produce a beautiful soft light. The subject looks as if they were in a room as the sun was setting.

The second time we had a full class camera set up, Robin took the role of the director for a short scene. This time there were no lights to be used so we relied on the sunlight coming through the classroom windows. This experience was very different as it was a scripted scene so shots, angles and movement had to be planned out with the restrictions of natural light. I enjoyed this as a crew member because it had been a long time since I had used natural lighting in a film setting. The exercise showed me that it can be done efficiently when your thought process is open and willing to think outside of the box. Using objects around you and making sure to get the right angle so the sun rays can hit the exact spots you want then to all amount to the ideal image you want. 

Exercise eight was a constructive task because following a script in a particular location with a whole team gives us a tiny peak into what it is realistically like on actual film sets. I had the role of director which was on the spot but I enjoyed doing because I had creative control. There was a lot to take into consideration with the space being very open on a sunny day but we managed by keeping the camera angles closer and more angled towards the elevator. Brining the ND filter and f.stop down also assisted us majorly. I enjoyed directing this particular scene because I wanted to be creative (but still simple) in the coverage we shot, so while taking our surroundings in we sill had the chance to give the script character. It was a challenge being in a public area (People walking through and out/in of the elevator) and it took a while for our group to find a clear direction but once we got started it went smoothly from there.

Timing is always the biggest issue on a camera set as movements take up the most amount of effort and therefore time. Organisation and planning are key in lighting and cinematography because there is no space to stop and make drastic decisions. This is where our team work came in, we worked efficiently and helped each other in our roles to get the filming finished.

Darcey edited our cut. When we got one last ‘two shot’ in from the right side of the actors that I knew would or wouldn’t be used depending on what angle she chose to put in. Her edit came out so well and consistent. The right friendly awkwardness came through with he shots and edited cuts.

In my last blog post I commented on how I enjoy watching and receiving feedback on our exercises in class because constructive criticism gives us something to work from. We also get the chance to analyse the different ways other groups attempted the task.

From doing the screen and media diploma and advanced diploma I already had a fair amount of understanding and appreciation off film lighting and coverage so I took this a more of a refresher/re-learning as it is not my strongest suit. It’s not as easy as people think it is and there is a whole lot of technicalities that go into setting up even the simplest lighting scheme. I do have more of an appreciated for film noir and more classical films that I hadn’t analysed as much. I am accustomed to realistic and stylistic lighting in modern movies that I tend to forget the beauty in classical film lighting. Less can be more and you can be creative with out a ridiculous number of lights and equipment.

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