AM - Filming Report 4

Solo Task: Alex Major 9190

• A very cold day meant we had to work quickly to get the shots done and keep our actor warm. This meant rehearsing shots with each other as stand-ins, or with Ben wearing his coat, so by the time it came to filming, we only had to do one take, and not spend time getting the camera set at the right angle.
• For the low angle shots, we couldn't use the tripod, and yet couldn't rest the camera on the floor either. We therefore had to make use of our book props to rest the camera on, and build them up to the right height. This also protected the camera from the muddy ground.
• The field was even more muddy than previously, and meant we had to work even quicker in the field, as the mud stuck to shoes and made moving around difficult. We therefore cut some of the shots we wanted to use but were maybe unnecessary. We decided that the wealth of studio shots we had already shot would be able to pad out the film and replace any missing time.
• We also relocated the end shot of the singer walking into the distance to a similar field that had more regular grass that was a lot less muddy, and easier to walk on. This was especially important, as we needed the singer to walk quite a far way into the distance, which would have been impossible in the other field.
• The weather also threw up further problems in that upon placing our hero photograph in the grass, the dew made the photo wet and flimsy. It was also difficult to see the photograph when the singer held it later on, whilst walking. We therefore directed our actor to hold the photograph somewhat unnaturally, so that the camera could clearly see it. The book also needed to be held at a slightly strange angle for it's close-up when the singer read it. Whilst odd-looking from the actor's viewpoint, this made for a better shot through the camera lense.
• A particular shot where there are berries hanging in shot, we wanted specifically after taking a similar photograph for our photoboard. However, it was difficult to manouver the camera into a position to see both the berries and our actor, especially as we were filming next to a steep decline. We therefore had to use a fallen branch with berries on, and have someone stood off-camera holding the branch in the right position - and keeping it there for the (quite long) shot. This meant re-shooting the shot a few times, with branch sometimes swaying across shot and obscuring the actor.