Preliminary Task (Shooting)

This week, we have been given a scene with a simple storyboard which made it possible for us to be quite original due to the various options to shoot it. Nevertheless, it required at least five different shots to make it effective and realistic: 

• A wide short first. It is always safer to do this in the beginning because if an unexpected issue makes the rest of the filming difficult, at least we can tell the story. (1)
• An over-the-shoulder shot from one of the characters' back and vice versa. (2,3)
• A close-up of one of the characters' face and vice versa. (4,5)

I was in a group with Celine, Emma and Adri and we were assigned the studio as the venue where we would record the scene. We were extremely lucky because we already had a set prepared as a consequence! Adri and I soon got in charge of the technical aspects of the sequence, assembling the tripod and camera as we had been taught some days ago: meanwhile, Celine and Emma went on learning the script, though in the end they decided to be spontaneous and read the actual pages in front of the camera... Not that I didn't object, but one gets tired of fighting with a group of people who are not willing to work. So yes, the acting could have been taken much more seriously so it wouldn't involve as much work as it is going to require in the editing process. We are definitely going to see the storyboard through the screen, and the actresses laughing a couple of time though, no matter how much we crop the frames. 

On the other hand, I am very satisfied with the job that Adri and I did. We performed our task with the utmost efficiency, recalling all the pieces of advice that Matt and Paul had given us about the use of the cameras. We carefully planned the order in which we were going to get the different shots and, each time we changed position, we focused the camera as we had been taught previously. Moreover, we extended or lowered the tripod depending on which person or object we were going to film to make it look smoother, and we used the appropriate terminology to get everyone prepared for a new shot. 

We did all the shots that were compulsory for the actual completion of the task in 10-15 minutes, and then we decided to explore a bit further during the time we had left —half of it—. We did close shots of the door, a piece of furniture which appears both in the beginning and in the ending of the short sequence so it conveys a feeling of familiarity but also of the superficiality of the action that takes place inside the room. We also carried out the scene from the floor, recording the pieces of script being torn by Celine and stepped on as well —more drama—. 

At all times, we respected the 180 degree rule, which establishes an imaginary line between the characters in a dialogue that we shouln't cross, and we tried to encourage our actresses to match their actions each time we recorded the whole scene again from a different angle. Honestly, I don't know what we will encounter when we have to edit this, but I hope that we can achieve continuity throughout the whole video as well as getting a funny result, at least.

My biggest regret is not having played a bit with the lines and transformed the basic story into a gripping one with some effort and creativity. I heard that many other groups came up with brilliant ideas for their tasks even though we all have the same storyboard. Themes as varied as pregnancy came along the way, in fact, thanks to the versatile lines that we were given. I have learnt, anyway, that I need to be more firm next time we film and implement energy and work ethic among my peers. 

Another important lesson that I took out from this practice was that, in any media text, people in front and behind the camera have to work with coordination and cooperation in order to get a good result, while before shooting the Preliminary Task I thought that actors and the rest of the crew, other than the director and producer, would barely talk during the process of making a film. Communication is key!

First Studio Lesson

It was such a relief to hear that we were finally going to the studio and we would have our first experience with the Black Magic Mini URSA cameras which are available in Hurtwood House. At first, we gathered around the central espace of the room and Matt showed us how to bubble the tripod and place the camera on top, as well as fit in the lense. I found it very useful to learn about the procedure of assembling the camera and the tripod because in previous works I had done, I had difficulty doing so due to my lack of guidance. 

Once explained, it surprised me how basic the operation was: we just had to press a button and slide the camera through a group of small rails. We also turned a wheel around so that it stayed in that position without moving. This meant that there was no further risk of dropping the camera unless we tripped with the tripod. Furthermore, we made some arrangements with the handles that made the tripod pan and tilt to reduce the danger of damaging the camera. 

Afterwards, we were shown that we had to place a yellow bubble in one of the sides of the camera in the middle of the frame so that the image was recorded correctly. Then, we got the hang of focusing the camera. First, we had to zoom in the maximum possible and turn on the wheel until we saw the image as clear as it could be, and then zoom out and the job was done. If what you are filming is a person, it is important to know that the best reference is their eye. 

The exposure was the next concept we were taught about. It is what controls the amount of light that influences the frame, and the blue wheel through which you manage the different lumonosity is not very cleverly placed; it is right next to the button that makes the lenses come off the camera, which makes the situation really risky. The ISO, another of the three pilars of photography, is basically how sensible is the camera to the light. The default setting is 400, something which is not bound to be changed because it is the best measurement for the Black Magic camera and, simply, there is no need to do it. We also looked at the Shutter Angle, which should be kept at 180 degrees to achieve a normal effect when an action takes place. However, if you want it to be sharper (i.e. a recording of an Olympic performance) you need to lower it down. Finally, the White Balance establishes the colours of what we are filming. In an indoor location, it should revolve around 3000-3200, while outside, the ideal setting would be from 5600 to 6600 depending in the place and time; WB is measured in K (Absolute 0).

To conclude the lesson, Matt made us participate in a group challenge: we needed to detatch the camera from the tripod, remove the battery, and put everything in their specific boxes before the others did it, as well as arranging all the material again and making sure the camera was focused and with the right settings from the ones I just explained. Unfortunately, my group didn't win! Anyway, I learnt no much from the lesson thanks to the attentive guidance we were given by Matt and Paul. Now I can say, without doubt, that I am able to use Black Magic technology effectively.