Professional Practice: Shoot Day 1

Professional Practice: Shoot Day 1

Today was the first day of shooting.I packed all the equipment on my equipment list and made sure I had both my script and storyboards ready to work from. I had Mellissa helping me today and arrived at the museum around 10:30 so that I could set up before Mellissa arrived.

Although Rachel herself was busy today I thought it best to make them aware I was here and maintain a professional persona. I headed for the reception desk and they called Steve who met with us and we went through all the details one last time. He then opened up doors to the courtyard for me and helped me move the Pump outside where it would benefit from space and natural light. 

Although I had a shot list to work from I also had a lot of creative control since I was working with objects as opposed to people. This meant I could adapt ideas as new opportunities presented themselves, I think adaptability is one of the most key skills you can have in the industry and I certainly worked on that here. Since the day was quite overcast and I was under shelter I had to adjust my ISO and white balance so as to bring out the object without over exposing or losing quality.


From my research in to other museum commissions, I knew which shots were used the most and which were the most key.

I started by getting some establishing shots. When I reccied the location I noted down the sign as a great starting point. I got a few static shots as well as some pans. 

I also got a few wide shots of the pump before Mellissa arrived to help. 

In this shoot I acted as the presenter, the camera operator, and the director, which was a good learning experience. 

PTC's

Once Mellissa arrived I decided the most productive use of time would be to shoot the PTC's. I had Mellissa use the fig-rig to allow for easy handheld movement while maintaining a steady shot. We then used the Tripod for shots where I wasn't walking. It was useful to have Mellissa behind the camera as she could tell me how my framing was and if I was in focus, which would have been more difficult by myself. She was also a good listener. 

After the PTCS I got Mellissa to help me capture movement in my shots. While I set up the camera in various locations she stood out of shot and moved the pumps handles and other moving parts at various speeds to get the most accurate re-creation possible. 

Panning

When it came to panning I had various methods that I had looked in to. I started with simple Tripod movements, making sure to pan both vertically and horizontally to give me the most options in the edit.

Next, from my research I found that most camera operators often pan using a Dolly. As such, I was sure to bring my mini dolly and Action cam (go-pro) so that I could get a variety of unique shots. 

The space wasn't as ideal as I first noted as the ground was a bit uneven. however, I overcame this by utilising a plank used to roll the pump outside. I placed the Dolly on the plank and was able to get a variety of perfectly straight pans both from the side and from the front.

I was then able to take this one step further utilising my environment. Thanks to its size I was able to place the dolly on the surrounding pillars and adjust its tripod head to achieve some excellent vertical pans and tracking shots. 

POV Shots

The Action cam continued to come in useful as I was able to mount it to various parts of the cart using my gorilla pod. 

This combined with the movement of the cart made for some really unique angles and POV shots that I hope will draw in the viewer. This was actually something that was not in my shot list but on the day I found it would make a great shot.

Other Shots

I was sure to record multiple takes of each shot to give me the most options in the edit. 

I was sure to follow my shot list before venturing out to additional shots. I obtained wide shots, mid shots, and close-ups from different angles e.g. from the rear, looking at the wheels, paintwork etc. that would fit with my script. 

In order to keep the narrative on the move, I wanted to incorporate as much movement as possible to maintain audience attention. So even when the cart wasn't moving I made sure to either use a zoom lens or a focus pull to direct attention. 

To get the best sound possible I had a shotgun mic on top of my DSLR (mainly for atmos), as well as a tascam that I experimented with the location of to get the clearest dictation possible without having it in shot. 

To conclude the day we wheeled the cart back inside and I got a few shots of its home location to help bring a conclusion to the project. As well as getting Mellissa help me record a closing PTC

Difficulties

The day was quite overcast so I had to change the aperture and ISO on my camera to account for this.

The ground was uneven and wasn't ideal for pans, but I overcame this by using a plank and pillars to provide steady footing.

Line learning was not quite as easy as I expected but after a few takes I was able to recite the script smoothly.

The shotgun mic cut out towards the end but fortunately I had the Tascam as a backup. 

Positives

I got plenty of footage from a variety of angles so should have a lot to work with.

I was able to utilise the equipment to its full potential making effective use of the tascam (which i hadn't used before).

I communicated effectively with Mellissa and was able to share my creative vision.

I managed my various roles well, following my shot list and gaining additional shots.