Location and Equipment
On the 17th September 2012 our group needed to test out some of the camera techniques which we intended to use in our new wave production film. We chose to use a local area in Nuneaton, such as the small park outside the Abbey Theatre. Beforehand we had to compile a list of equipment that we would need, we chose to bring with us at least 2 tripods, one of them being a fluid-head tripod for smoother camera movements, a dolly to move the camera while attached to a tripod and also we made use of 3 600D DSLR cameras for clear HD filming capabilities, and a smaller stills camera for documentation purposes.
To begin the testing we first needed ensure the cameras were fully charged and had an SD card of at least 4GB to capture enough footage. the next step was to set up the equipment, firstly all of the cameras were set to manual focus to avoid the depth of field changing automatically, next was the setup of the tripods, in groups we setup a tripod to use with the cameras, however since there was one extra DSLR camera it had to be handheld. For a few of he test scenes we were shooting the use of a dolly for tracking shots was required so we had to set that up as well.
Techniques
Whilst shooting we used a varied amount of camera techniques and shots, for instance extreme close ups of the subjects face and objects in the environment, panning and tracking shots and in one instance we used a reverse dolly zooming shot, one of the problems with this we faced however was that whilst moving the dolly backwards we needed to zoom the camera in with distorted the focus and depth of field and this caused complications as it took two of us to operate it. Another problem we faced with the dolly shots was that the surface we used it on was rather rough and caused a lot of camera shake, it also didn't help that the tripod we used wasn't very stable so the entire shot looked rough and frantic.
A few of the techniques we tested turned out quite well however such as a long sequence where the camera was placed on a merry go round and was spun at a moderate to high speed, this captured an interesting piece of footage so we decided to test it again but this time with a subject in front of the camera. Using one of our group we placed them on the merry go round and a tripod opposite them, whilst one person operated the camera another would spin them, this created an interesting effect as the subject remained completely in focus while the environment seems to frantically fly by, this seemed like a success so we decided to consider it for use in the actual filming process. Afterwards we decided to shoot some environmental objects to test the possibility of using them as filler with our production such as swings, basketball hoops even something such as a cigarette burning on the ground all with the possibility of using objects like these as a means to detract from our film into reality to try and keep with the New wave style of filming.
Overall what we managed to accomplish was the testing of certain camera techniques which we intended to use within our production, and now that we have undertaken such tests we have a better knowledge of how we can improve and develop our use of the camera and certain techniques in order to create better footage worth using. The initial objective of the testing was after all to test what techniques worked well and how we could better improve them, as an addition due to our participation in this process each of us has a better understanding of our individual roles within the group and what our strengths are which we can better utilise in future shoots.
OH&S: Occupational Health and Safety
When going out to a location one thing that must be considered is health and safety of each member who is working alongside you, the various dangers and hazards should be taken into consideration and action should be taken to prevent them from becoming a problem. Solutions to hazards should be thought of before shooting actually commences to help prevent such dangers from occurring.
When in a location some of the dangers that should be considered can include:
- Is there any risk of gangs/criminals in the area
- would there be any harmful objects in the environment that could cause harm e.g. needles/syringes, broken glass, nails etc.
- would there be any risk of falling due to uneven ground
- is there risk of un-hygeinic items being in the area e.g. droppings, used toiletries, litter etc.
- is there any risk of theft occurring
- visiting the area beforehand to ensure it is safe
- travel in groups
- do not carry unnecessary equipment when it is not needed
- ensure that all members stay clear of areas with harmful/un-sanitary items e.g. broken glass
- shoot during the day
No comments:
Post a Comment