1.4 Review your technical skills and use of equipment

I was grateful for the positive feedback from my group and agreed that one of my strengths in production was flexibility between a producing/directing role and camera work because I could communicate between the two teams what needed to be filmed and what the camera team felt would look good. I also agree that my weaknesses lay in hand held camera work due to shakeyness and so to improve this I need to ensure I’m using a tripod or stabliser.

I feel I did well in my role and have learnt lots about the functionality of a film crew and technicalities of filming since I’ve started the course and I also have lots or ares I now know where to and how to work on in future. In particular with camera work, such as getting a further knowledge and understanding of equipment, making sure shots are always stable and well framed, and keeping the camera rolling all the time to capture unplanned usable moments.

I also have a much better understanding of the role of a producer and confidence doing producing tasks, before the course I had only considered cinematography and directing but have now learnt more about producing and see it as a rewarding role. I think I’ll benefit from being able to work both as a producer/director and on camera for future documentaries as they often have a very small crew and require the director to take a number or roles, which would work well for me. From sitting in and helping with our edits and now understand a new editing software to that which I used before the course, which will be useful for future productions which may use the same software. And although I didn’t work on sound, I feel I now have a basic knowledge of how it works which I didn’t have coming into the course.

Going forward I mostly want to improve my camera skills and I feel like I have a lot more foundation knowledge that I need to go on and do that and feel this will help me a lot with films I make at university and further in life.