After last weeks first test shoot we decided that things needed to be sorted. The first major issue was with camera as the shots had been very shaky and had drips/steam on the camera lens due to rain which meant most were unusable.
As a group we have decided to get help with our camera skills and so far our Cinematographer and Producer have had help with using DSLR's. We thought that it would be better if at least a few of us knew how to work them so that we would be able to help each other and also because we have been using two cameras on the shoots someone else needs to know how to use them properly.
So far we have been using XF100's and Canon DSLR's but the group thinks it will be easier shoot-wise and post-production-wise if we just stick with one sort of camera. We decided to go with DSLR as the cinematographer owns one herself and I think feels more comfortable with using them and two other members of the group also have one. I also think the shot quality is a lot nice in terms of aesthetics and the editors have been having problems with converting the XF100 stuff so also agreed using DSLR would save them time.
I also decided that it would be beneficial if me, the cinematographer and maybe the sound person could go to Heeley farm or somewhere close and get some test shoots. I think we all need to work better together and because I have been going on camera as well on shoots I have neglected the cinematographer a bit and instead of working separately we need to collaborate. I think going on this test shoot will give us chance to work closely together without worrying about the pressures of shooting at the refuge and also be an opportunity to iron out any problems using the camera.
The agenda for the day will be to capture static shots of the animals mainly and just let the action happen in front of the camera rather than trying to follow. We will also work on exposure and the other settings and aim to capture the best quality shots possible. If we have chance I think looking at interview set ups and framing will also be useful for us and maybe just practice on each other. I think Luke our editor is also going to be capturing sound on our next shoot so if he is free to come along with us I think that would be good for him to practice using the Zoom H4N as he has not used it before and also aim to capture clear sounds free from wind etc especially when interviewing people.
We also discussed me and the cinematographer getting together to draw up the storyboards together before our first proper shoot.
We have decided that for our next shoot we need to stay over the night as by the time we drive down to the refuge we have missed some of the opportunities for filming volunteers preparing food and capturing the refuge in the early morning. We also miss things in the evening as well because we always leave by mid afternoon and Pam's son Darren doesn't get home until after 4 and he is in charge of feeding some of the bigger animals like the Alligator so by staying over we wont need to rush back. I also think it will be more efficient to stay down there and try and get as much as we can rather than having to keep going back down as it is a long drive and costs money for petrol.
I also discussed my ideas for the structure of the film and everyone seemed much happier now with what we're aiming for and how the film is going to look. They all agreed with splitting it up into different emotional sections in order to take the audience on a journey. They also agreed that it was a good idea to play on people's expectations by not showing any exotic animals straight away in order to make it seem more ordinary like a farm.
Using the marked-up shot list I have already done I am going to create 5 individual shot-lists which will represent each section of the film - Intro, Conflict, Positive, Negative, Hope/future. By breaking it down it will help us see what we need to do and what different elements we need for each part of the film.
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