Preliminary Task Evaluation

For our shoot we filmed in the filming room on a set, which was made for this task.  I believe this location was really good for our task because it provided us with a good background, setting, props, mood and lighting.  We were able to move around the set also to get the best shots.  During filming I contributed in setting up the camera, which included bubbling, putting the camera on the tripod, white balance and making sure that the camera was in focus.  I also positioned the camera for some of the shots such as the wide shot.

For lighting, we used light and soft because it was important to cut out shadows and give a natural, attractive aspect to the set.  I think that this was effective because when editing, I found the lighting gave an appealing colour to the set and characters while giving off an engaging disposition.  

We set up the camera properly by refocusing it every time we moved the camera to a different angle or type of shot and by bubbling the camera at the start, we knew that the tripod was level in each shot.  We also made sure the frame was shot correctly each time by going over the script before every shot and also redoing it a couple of times to make sure it was the best it could be.  We also ensured that the ceiling and lights were not in any of our frames, otherwise the effect of the set would be ruined and give off an unprofessional look.  Most of our sequence was filmed at eye-level: this showed the subjects how we expect to seem them in real life, which I thought was appropriate for the script given.    When filming the shots, we made sure we filmed in a practical and a sufficient way so we had enough time to make each shot perfect.  At the start, we planned on beginning with a wide shot, filming the whole sequence of our storyboard then moving to other shots such as medium shot, repeating the sequence and then following with over the shoulder and close ups.  We realized this technique would be the quickest and easiest way to get through all our shots and I believe it was a good decision.  During filming, we also had to consider other rules of filming such as the 180-degree rule, which we didn’t break.  By following the 180 degree rule we made sure we followed the 180 degree axis.  We did 5 separate takes behind the actor’s shoulders and with close ups so that you could see the conversation line between the two actors.  If we broke this rule by going over the 180 degree axis, the filming would look odd and confusing for the viewer.  To ensure everyone on set knew what was happening, we used all appropriate terminology such as ‘stand by’, ‘action’ and ‘cut’ before and after each frame. 

In conclusion, I have learnt that in practical film making it is always easiest to film the whole sequence in each shot first and then put it in order during editing afterwards.  You never follow the storyboard otherwise you would have to change the camera angle and shot on too many occasions, refocusing constantly: it would waste money, effort and a lot of time.  I also have learnt how important lighting is in filming as whatever lighting you use; it will give off a different mood each time. 

Storyboard for Preliminary Task