1.2 Take a role in the production of a short film

As a camera operator, I had to capture the image, and video footage of my interview subject, Jolene, based on the specifications agreed on by my team for our principal production.

My role as a camera operator involves ensuring I have quality lighting and sound recording for my interviews. I also have to engage with my interviewee. As co-director, I have to work alongside the other director and producer to ensure the short film’s visual concept adequately conveys the key ideas and intentions of my team. To complete these roles, I have to be patient, open-minded, flexible and creative. As I am working with people I have no previous relationship with, everyone’s ideas must be considered relatively and implemented into the principal production.

Before principal production, I conducted a short pre-interview of my subjects to gain critical information about her personality. Using this information, my team and I designed a storyboard. We generated shooting scripts for each contributor to make sure we collect the proper footage. Then, we used this information to establish important themes we wanted to explore further in our short film. We also identified exciting connections between our subjects that could support our intentions. As standard practice, we also completed risk assessments before the shoot. After the shoot, we gathered relevant b-roll footage to support our interviews. I used a portable studio light to light and add depth to my interviewee’s face correctly to conduct my interview. I shot my footage using a DSLR Canon Camera and a RODE Videomicro microphone to record sound.

As I am in a distant location from my team members, I had to collaborate and communicate effectively with the producer and other team members to complete my duties. We utilised Zoom and Microsoft Teams to host meetings regarding our shoots and WeTransfer to share footage easily. Also, I worked closely with the producer to certify that I submitted all required footage on time.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY Schedule Being Myself

Pre Interview Jolene

BFI – Production Schedule Being Me

BFI – Production Schedule Being Me 2

Summary of Interviews

1.3 Gain feedback on how you performed your role

During the production of our short film, ‘Being Myself’, I took on the responsibility of a camera operator and co-director. This year, we had to complete our short film remotely, so the nature of my role has adapted to fit the restrictions of COVID-19.
I gathered feedback on my performance from my production team. Regarding my role as a team member, my team felt that I worked well with others. They liked that I never failed to contribute ideas to every group discussion we had. They thought that my vocal contributions during our planning processes were creative and helpful in developing our short film’s overall concept. I brought a “refreshing energy” to our meetings, making it easier to proceed without conflict. My team stated that I was easy to work with. Notably, the director of photography appreciated that I took on her creative direction and advice with ease. I listened to my group members and stayed true to their vision without sacrificing my style or creative expression. Finding a balance between my creativity and the group’s ideas was essential to me. Having this recognised by my team members was encouraging.

Regarding my role as a camera operator, my team members complimented the footage that I submitted. They described it as high quality, clear visuals. One of the mentors praised me for my use of camera movement within my shots. This technique is a characteristic uncommon with beginners in filmmaking. Creating quality content is essential to me as a filmmaker, so it helped me to know that my team members accepted my approach to the short film’s visuals. Finally, as a director, my team members commented on my ability to interact respectfully and patiently with my interviewee. My subject was a younger child. When working with her, my patient attitude suggested that I will handle pressure well and remain respectful when collaborating with others in a professional setting. This comment, particularly, inspired me, as I hope to be a director in the future, so I understand the importance of having a good relationship with your cast members. Having my team recognise the qualities of a good director in me was very motivating.

Despite the positive feedback from my team members, they identified one key area for development. Although I used movement shots, one of the mentors suggested that favouring a slower pace when shooting would allow me to create more beautiful, impactful movement shots. The main challenge I had with my role was during principal production while working as a camera operator. My interview subject, Jolene, was six-years-old. I had to adapt my interview techniques, and a few of the questions asked to make it easier for her to understand. I often had to probe further or ask unscripted questions to get more concrete, cohesive answers from my subject. However, I enjoyed working with a younger child, regardless of the challenges, as it forced me to think creatively. Overall, I found the production process exciting. It was enriching to have successfully produced a short film even with COVID-19 restrictions, such as social distancing, making filmmaking more challenging.

1.4 Review your technical skills and use of equipment

The feedback given to me by my production team was much appreciated. It was encouraging to have my team notice qualities in me like patience, flexibility, and creativity that I feel are essential to surviving within the film industry. I aim to become a director in the future. Being complimented on my ability to interact well with my interview subject has given me the confidence to follow a directing role in the future. I feel that I carried out my role in the film production well. Although COVID-19 restrictions meant that my role as a director was somewhat limited, I could still contribute creative ideas to my team project. I am very proud of the work that we have done and the quality of my content.

My biggest strength during production was my confidence. This quality allowed me to feel comfortable enough to share my ideas with my team and accept rejection if they were not taken or used. It also made it easier to complete my role as a camera operator. I was not afraid to experiment with different angles and framing to ensure I got the best quality content for my team. Finally, I feel that I collaborated efficiently and respectfully with my other team members. I have never produced a short film or production while working in a group. I was initially worried that I would be unable to relinquish some control and adapt to a group setting. However, I found myself speaking confidently with my group members and enjoyed the collaborative process. It helped us develop new ideas that I could not have accomplished on my own. I managed to stay friendly and upbeat throughout the collaboration process. My ability to work well with others is a new strength that I’ve identified.

My biggest challenge during production was adapting to a documentary filmmaking style. I have never worked on a documentary film, so at first, it was difficult for me to understand how to tell a story without dramatising it. Thankfully, our mentors helped guide us through the documentary process. Specifically, the question prompts used during the pre-production process helped streamline our ideas and establish a clear, authentic storyline. The other challenge I faced during production was adapting to working with a child. I am used to working with older subjects who follow direction easier. Working with a child meant altering how I posed specific questions to her and my instructions regarding framing. As children can often be restless and independent, I counteracted this challenge by framing my shots differently to allow for movement within the frame without compromising the footage’s quality. I found new ways to engage the child. Involving her in the interview’s set-up process and complimenting her when she gave good answers was an effective technique in keeping her focused and interested in the task at hand.

One of the main lessons that I have learnt from the production process is the difference quality lighting makes. When working as a camera operator, I opted to use a studio light to improve my images’ quality. At first, it was challenging figuring out the suitable placements for lighting as I didn’t want to cast heavy shadows or create unwanted reflections on shiny surfaces. I also needed the lighting to compliment the face of my subject, as well as her background. I had to learn the proper way to position my lighting before a shoot and other techniques to create an even spread of light within a frame. Also, I experimented with movement shots when recording footage of my subject. I felt that movement would add a sense of vitality to the footage as opposed to still images. This technique was reasonably challenging, as discovering the right pace for panning shots was technical and complicated. I practised this technique repeatedly and experimented with new angles to try and invent a flow that worked best for me. I’ve also learned how angles can be used to manipulate a frame’s composition and can be an advantage in telling a unique story. I eventually found that higher-angles worked well with panning shots. Still, with slower movement, I feel my video footage would have been more impressive.

I am thankful for my participation in the Academy. It has given me a more profound insight into the realities of filmmaking. For the most part, the masterclasses were extremely valuable in teaching me about the industry and new ways to approach film production. For example, I learnt from Hugo Pettitt about innovative methods to complete film production while respecting strict COVID-19 guidelines. And I learnt from Paul Holbrook that sometimes telling people’s story authentically is more important than having the best actors or crew. The masterclasses showed me how people working within the industry survive and inspired me not to give up on my career goals. The main lesson I gained from the Academy was the importance of collaboration. I have always known that teamwork is essential to completing a film, but as I have never worked in a team before, I did not fully understand why this was. Being a part of a group project showed me how advantageous collaborating is and revealed the industry’s natural beauty. Having people from different backgrounds brings out a more potent, creative image. Each person can encourage the other and contribute original ideas to the final project. I have learnt from this that sometimes, you have to sacrifice control to allow people who are better qualified to take over. This is a lesson I will continue to implement in the future.

The COVID-19 regulations meant that my production team and I had limited physical contact. As a result, we had to be flexible and quickly adapt to new technologies. For example, we used Zoom for team calls and Google Drive to share files. These programs helped with our time management and prevented our different locations from interfering with production quality. Time-management played a critical role in our production as we had to consider other factors. For example, we had to account for file transfer size limits, upload times and download times. With our producer’s careful management, we stuck to strict schedules and productive communication structures. This supervision made it easier to assess our footage and make any corrections before our set deadline. We also used a shared Google Drive to collectively view, edit and store all relevant documents and footage. This shared platform allowed us to collaborate more efficiently. We had easy access to production schedules, risk assessments, and a central document that contains other essential information relating to our production in the drive.

In summary, I have enjoyed my role in film production as I had visual and technical control as a director over the short film’s storyline. I also benefited greatly from collaborating with my team. Our varied ideas came together to create a cohesive, impactful short film. I had to fulfil my duties from a distant location from my team members. Still, collaborating meant that my location was not an issue in fulfilling my role. We utilised Zoom and Microsoft Teams applications to host meetings regarding our shoots and WeTransfer to share footage easily. By embracing different cultures, production practices and ideas, the production of our short film ran smoothly.

Moving forward, I hope to continue working on group projects. It is the most incredible way to develop quality content and innovative films from original ideas. Being a part of the course has also made me consider other aspects of the film industry that I have not explored yet. I aim to do more film courses like this to learn about particular skills such as editing and camerawork. I never felt that I would enjoy being a camera operator, but being able to test out new ideas during production has convinced me to invest more time in understanding how cameras work and the technicalities of camera operating. Also, I have a narrow understanding of editing and never thought it could be as complex before participating in the Academy. In the future, I want to dedicate a lot of time to learning how different editing software’s work and the endless, creative capabilities of editing footage. I believe that editing is where the story is truly told. I am looking forward to exploring this new passion further. I hope to continue making as many short films as possible. I will be applying for short film competitions as well to start building my resume. I am excited to explore what else the industry has to offer.

BFI – Sat Call Sheet Being Me

Sunday Call Sheet BFI Being Myself

BFI – Production Schedule Being Me

BFI – Production Schedule Being Me 2