Recent progress - Filming & changes

After a long discussion with my colleague, we agreed that it would be best for us to proceed from the stage we are at, if we separated and participated with the filming separately. The reason for this was that we found it prove to be difficult for us both to be able to arrange times where we can meet so the filming can proceed. We live a good distance away from each other, so the only times we could film successfully with enough time would be on the weekend, which isn’t ideal for us to enable to complete the filming. This separation also allows us to compare each other’s final product from the storyboard we had initially planned out, and how our own ideas had changed the original plan we had created.

I was allowed to take out some important hardware from the media department to enable me to catch up from the work I had left myself to fall behind on. I took out a camera, tripod and an Apple mini, along with a keyboard and mouse, which could then be plugged into my monitor at home, and I would have the software which is used back in my lessons. Being able to book these out to use at home has helped boost the speed and progress of my work greatly, and proved to be much easier to get the work done in the time off from school, such as the filming, and editing in the evenings.

During the half term I had begun to find it a challenge to contact someone who was able to assist me with the filming, as they were busy, with work or other things important to them. After many phone calls, I managed to get hold of someone who was able to help me. I met up with this person during the end of the week, and we discussed the footage which would be taken, and what’s involved. We concluded to a decision that many changes would be taken, such as setting, camera shots, script, mise en scene and we also arranged who else we could film, as I needed more than one person.

We then filmed the next week, with the setting prepared, and the mise en scene arranged, which took a while to prepare. We took some footage of basic shots, to give the basis for the footage to be included. There were a few mistakes which were noticed, such as a slight continuity problem upon one shot to the next of holding the chair and sitting down, but nothing too major to amend. Watching it back over after the editing of what it would possibly look like, and a discussion with my media teachers, we decided that several improvements could be made;

• More variety of shots, CU’s, PoV’s, HAS’s, Track/Pan, Over the shoulder and 180

  ⁰ rule for the conversation

• Light the candle for symbolism
• Take advantage of the lighting and setting to create more mystery to fit the story and the film noir theme
• Use some zoom in/out shots
• Take more shots, faster cuts, increase of pace and action

I arranged an evening to film this, but instead we ended up discussing the scenes and story again, to enable a detailed discussion, so that changes could be made, but also so that we had a better idea of what to do, and what would be going to be involved in the shots, to help the people who would be acting, and for myself to prepare the shots, concentrate on the continuity, props and ensure that it goes as planned, with any changes made along the way.

We then arranged another date to then refilm, including the new shots, mise en scene features, editing and ensuring that it became a big improvement from the original footage which was taken. It took us alot longer to finish this filming, just over two days, but we all felt that it had been more successful. Along the process of taking the footage, we changed our initial ideas slightly, and made amendments we felt would improve it. I then took it home, uploaded all of the shots, took out the ‘bloopers’ and placed the shots which would be used in order, so that the next day I could meet up with those who were assisting me, and they could see the progress, and we could discuss any improvements which would be needed to take place.

Upon looking back over the footage we had taken, we noticed a slight continuity problem upon a few shots, concerning the clothing due to how we had filmed across more than one day. It was an easy mistake, but meant that we would have to arrange some more time to film so that we could make sure that there is no continuity problems like there was in the original footage we took at first.

We met up the next day and took the final part of footage, to cut out the continuity errors. This is the stage we are now at, the next progress is to;

• re-edit the new set of footage
• see for problems
• refilm if it’s needed
• add in sound, voice-over and possibly a soundtrack

Once this is done, I will then look for some feedback from both my media teachers, and those who assisted me in my filming, and look for any improvements to add in if there is time before the deadline.