Studio Lesson 4: Shooting the Preliminary Task

Today we shot our sequence for the preliminary media studies task. We were briefed on a simple story bored, given to us by our teacher, containing script, positioning, and shot type, that we were all to follow as closely or as loosely as we liked. My group of 4 decided that the storyline was very dull, and so added a comical twist that underlined the entire piece that made its fantastic "outburst" in the ending.

We realised that although we had multiple different shots for multiple different parts of the sequence, the wisest route was to shoot the whole sequence to perfection in each shot. This way we could use any part of the sequence with any shot. We also realised that, thanks to our great choice in location, it would be difficult to break the 180-degree rule, as the characters were up against a long desk. Continuity was very important to us with such a simple, yet critical sequence.

We began with the simplest shot which was the wide shot. We chose the entrance for one character, and a starting position for the other that suited the shooting area, as you can see in the opposite photo. We ran the sequence multiple times so that the actors could practice their lines, while Chris (assigned director) and I (assigned cameraman) began setting up the camera. Once we had white-balanced, corrected the exposure levels, and focused the shot, we began to shoot the whole sequence multiple times. Each time we went through it, we started a new clip, and eventually, after maybe four takes, we got the perfect run through with the perfect wide shot.

As we went through each shot that we had been asked to use (on the story board), we repeated the same process until we got the perfect take for that shot. As well as the wide shote, we used a mid shot, two over-the-shoulder shots and three close ups. Once these were all complete, we decided to add our own little details that would create a more professional look to the overall sequence.

For example, we decided that we wanted a horizontal tracking shot of the character's feet as he walks into the room. As we didn't have access to any equipment that would aid us in creating that shot, we were forced to get creative. We fortunately came up with the idea of sliding a smooth slab of wood, with the camera on top of it, along the carpet. This meant we could control the speed of the track, as well as the angle and rotation as the tracking takes place. After multiple unsuccessful takes, we finally got that perfect shot, which was surprisingly smooth.
As well as this shot, we added a close-up of the character's finger being pulled, and short close-ups of extra clips which included things like typing on a keyboard and pushing buttons.
In conclusion, I believe the shoot was very successful, in that we covered all the bases of the storyboard in a professional way, and added our own touch with an edit to the script and detailed extra shots.