Production Meeting 27/04/2017
Overall positive outcomes from the meeting the aim of the rest of the project is quite clear find some fields to film and for the next three weeks allocate one day to experiment with both holding a camera, filming different aspects of a field from the grass to the subject (s) running through the grass to the variety of shots. Handheld, still shots, tripod movements and steady cam shots, gyroscopic gimbal shots, tracking, panning, and dolly shots. The locations have been pretty clearly established and the camera choice will be one achieved through experiments comparisons and trials. Once the right camera is established and the first raft of carefully planned shots are achieved then I can pick my best shots and refine them, make them greater, and improve the quality of the short narratives, the sequences and of course my filmmaking and technical skills throughout it.
Notes from the True to Form Tuesday Consult 02/05/2017
Go out and film Bacchus Marsh, (You Yangs National Park) supposedly a lot of long grass along that way
-Train between Airplane and Laverton (long grass there)
-Property next to mine at Nagambie/Rushworth (factor in travel times hour 1/2 one way)
-Park ranger (Victoria) get permission through them, will be able to get easier clearance than going through National Park Victoria
-Private property (permission) allocate a day, if you see a good piece of property with a house do ask the owner
-Clear list (not too complicated) of shots and tasks to complete
-Scientific experiment – hand holding, look at it as a simple task that can be managed and achieved over several weeks of production
-EX3 (slow it down) (experiment with it)(FS100 super 35 sensor)
-Higher frame rate (for a slow motion running of the subject in the field)
-10 shots (different focal lengths) (correct exposure)(sun behind and in front of you)
-Different ways to hold the camera, shoulder mounts, hand held shots and using rails potentially (don’t overcomplicate it)
-Tripod as a gyroscopic gimbal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope
-Tracking a person (important to do, through the fields)
-Tighten up the shots, then run them together in a sequence
-Exactly the same film then after that do them better, three permutations of the experiments (three different orders or sequences)
-Pull in examples (collect examples)
-Terance Mallick – Days of Heaven (film about running through grass and beautiful cinematography, look at ), thin red line (director)
-SAFETY FORM (insurance policy RMIT)
-Insurance certificate (blog Paul Ritchard)
Overall I have taken a lot out of this meeting and the future of the project is looking a lot clearer and there is a lot of work to be done, but I am confident it can be achieved through persistence and experiments and consistently hitting the right spots and improving each shoot until I get the desired results, which will be a beautiful looking set of shots, bringing out deep emotions and capturing the beautiful of the movement of long grass.
Still from Days of Heaven (1970) “a film about grass” Paul Ritchard
Michael Serpell