Production diary content

During pre-production i was involved with the planning of the documentary i felt it was important for me to understand the layout of the film and what content we are getting and why. This means i can understand how to effectively carry out my job role and use the camera to my best advantage. A basic shot list was created and having a lot of previous experience with cameras i had mental notes and mental visions that i could also incorporate in and introduce to add a more ‘cinematic’ feel to the film. In my own time i researched these locations so i knew what i was going into to mentally prepare myself, i also went over how certain shots makes an audience feel so that i could mimic these shots to the themes and feelings conveyed at that given location based on what the subject said in the interview. Feelings/themes include isolation, sadness, regret and others.

During the shoot I was on camera and responsible for the shots and angles filmed. I set up shots and angles that i thought were appropriate on the interview and while taking b-roll with and without the subject and monitoring camera setting to make sure the quality remains the same. I was also responsible for everything ‘camera’ wise, this includes management of the kit, monitoring batteries and making sure that they are being charged during production and keeping things in an orderly way.

Day 1 was a simple and short film day, we took b-roll of the subject inside a cinema which we presented multiple imagery/video which was relevant to the documentary and what the subjects interests were. This included family photos which was projected onto his face and we would therefore capture the reflection of the imagery, this is hugely effective and impactful it highlights the themes of isolation, love and a bit of courage to face what was his past and how his situation has turned out. This is an important part of this film.

Day 2 was a full day of production of the the film. We traveled to multiple locations which were relevant to what the subject was talking about, such as his primary school and the area he grew up in. This was important as it re-lived his past in a way and the feelings and emotions towards these locations gave the film a unique touch. First thing filmed was the interview at Bristol old vic. The rest was B-roll which was filmed the the locations Redcliffe and Bedminster. One of our last outdoor shots was by Bristol harbourside which we filmed our timelapse. In the evening we went to Jake(the producer) house to film in his pool, we did this to emphasis the feelings/themes of isolation, drowning/suffering, silence and pain which he had felt keeping bottled inside which he is engulfed by and therefore alone. Although the pool was extremely cold the team must be aware that in order to achieve your desired vision for the film you have to do what it takes, whether it does, or doesn’t work out at least you tried.

On set i worked closely with everyone but particularly with jade who did some camera operating to discuss shots/angles and how and why we would film in a particular way. i worked closely with the Sound to ensure when the right time was to record to ensure there wasn’t backround noise and that we got the best audio/video possible.

Throughout production focus and professionalism was key. Everyone communicated effectively which allowed production to be smooth and easy and capture what was planned. As we were filming during winter i was especially aware of light so timekeeping was always on my mind which is why effective communication within the team was important. Everyone was focused and dedicated towards producing the best quality for the film i felt my team was very strong and everyone was supportive of each other, this is key within a team.

Effective communication, support and professionalism i feel are the basic foundations for a film crew working collaboratively on a film shoot. My team and i did this and more, although we were a bit behind schedule by doing this we are able to make up the time and maintain the high quality footage we had planned for. Although i knew why effective communication was key I understood why support and professionalism is just as important because if other members of your team aren’t working collectively this can and will impact the quality of the film produced.

Time keeping is a major pressure in film production as many things can go wrong, mistakes can be made, retakes of film will always be the case so sticking to the schedule is important this is where focus, effective communication and professionalism comes into play. You have to allow for flexibility during production as things can change instantly it is the teams job to adapt to different situations. decision making is also a pressure as when things don’t go to plan sometimes you will have to prioritise some shots over others due to a lack of time.

Challenges includes the use and setting up of equipment. In the cinema due to a restriction of space to film in the area filming certain  shots and angles did pose an issue, so we had to adapt to the environment and shoot what we could. The second day I had some issues with the use of the gimble and we had to re-do shots many times as the gimble seemed to be having some issues working, however i managed to adapt to this and shoot the film and get the shots we needed.

I learnt basic life skills in general such as the basic foundations of teamwork within a film crew and generally when working in a team. I learnt that support is key, as sometimes the subject can be uncomfortable in certain situations so supporting them was important for both our film and for the general mental state of the subject. Throughout this process I have improved and developed my knowledge in film.

Overall, the shoot went very successfully, altogether as a group we worked collectively and we managed to achieve the outcome we had visualised. I think to improve next time I will familiarise myself with the equipment I’m using beforehand to improve efficiency, as the issues with the stabiliser took up some valuable time.