2nd camera workshop

 21st Jan 2022

Using the camera and filming

Today we had our first filming lesson where we were taught how to film with a camera and how to perform close ups, mid shots and wide shots. We all got puts in groups of 4 so we could each take turns acting and filming. We decided that we should make the scene simple and not complex as it was our first time filming so we wanted to learn properly. I came up with the first idea which is to to have Issy bending down and tying her shoelace then Mia came up with the second to have us walking into the frame and then doing a handshake. Both Bert and I filmed the first sequence of Izzy tying her shoelace and then I got a chance to act in the second one. It was really fun to film our first sequence. 

We first had to assemble the camera and tripod together before filming. We lifted the Vinten tripod into the place that we needed it. We then screwed in the lever onto the side so that when it came to filming, we could have the camera round smoothly. Carefully we lifted the camera out of the box and slid it onto the grooves on the top of the Tripod and then made sure it was properly attached. After that we bubbled the camera to take sure that it was level and not slanted. I then turned on the camera and saturation of the film to match the light indoors. Issy then sat down on the chair in her first position when I focused the camera on her. I made sure that the camera was focusing on her and not on another object. Bert and I also made sure that the Tripod was level to Issy and we that we didn't leave too much headspace, so that the footage would be correct.

Bert and I then started filming the sequence. We began in a wide shot level to Issy and got her to bend down and tie her shoelace. After we got the camera lined up we then filmed the same thing in a mid-shot and a close up. I then moved the camera in front/ on the side of Issy so that we could have footage of her tying her shoelace. This would made our sequence more interesting when editing. We had to make sure throughout that we didn't break the 90 degree rule by filming on the other side of Issy. This was because it would be confusing to the audience if she suddenly appeared on the other side of the composition. We had to keep checking that our camera was 'bubbled' so that the frame wasn't tilted. 

This is Issy the actor!

Filming the second sequence:

In the second filming we chose another simple sequence. Mia and I were acting in this one when Issy and Bert did the filming. We began by filming a wide shot of both of us walking into the centre composition of the frame and the doing our handshake. We then did this twice more in a close-up and a mid-shot. Then we wanted to create more exciting shots so we focused on one person at a time and we had to repeat the same handshake each time. This meant that we could choose who we wanted the focus to be on whilst editing. The footage also looked very cool as both of us look matching!

The second sequence: