Cinematography - Week 3

28/02/2019

Film Boot Camp
It was fun and interesting experience learning how to use a Sony F3 on my own. Because of the camera's weight, it was much more straining to use the camera handheld. My muscle memory will probably improve in time. It took me a while to find a way to hold the camera in a way that was safe and comfortable. I mostly just had the zoom on servo, so I didn't have to adjust both zoom and focus manually by the hand at the same time. It made it more convenient. 

It was difficult to get good shots because there were a lot of people moving around and I couldn't adjust the zoom and focus that fast and people also tended to get in the way of the shots I was aiming for. Spending time on my own with the camera was a good learning experience.

I manage to import the footage from the camera. It had a massive card reader via USB for importing. I managed to copy over all the footage to my hard drive with no issue at all. I also created a new project on DaVinci Resolve and imported the footage onto there for editing and post-production.

I couldn't properly go into post-production because all the computer labs were all booked up for the afternoon for other classes. I will undergo post-production at a later date for the footage I took today.

Screenshots from BTS footage

01/03/2019

Film Boot Camp
I didn't know what role I wanted for today's filming because I wasn't comfortable with most of them aside from the assistant roles. Nevertheless, I was selected to be the gaffer and there was someone to help me along the way. He was the Best Boy. It was a challenging, confusing, and slightly depressing learning experience as my introduction to being in charge of lighting on a film set.

We were told to be respectful to the performances by keeping our distance from the actors, so that they can channel their performance correctly and concentrate.
I consulted with the director about the lighting angle and he was happy the way it was.
I learned that bringing light closer will increase the exposure. 
I was asked by the Best Boy if lighting could be improved after the first take, in my view as gaffer. I felt it was a pretty okay. I couldn't see any room for improvement.
I couldn't see if the lighting in a take being filmed was satisfactory because the director held the monitor around like a tablet.

I learned that the camera movement of the dolly can express what the character is feeling.
I was asked by the director on the light coming from a window being a problem to do with over or underexposure, colour, continuity, or whether it would distracting to the viewer. I felt that the colour was more yellow than before and the daylight exposure from the window was much brighter onscreen than before.

My autism had an effect on my role and made feel a bit depressed. I had difficulty reading social cues onset and was told that I was too close to the director and monitor and had to stay back because I wasn't needed. I was close because the footage on the monitor wasn't visible enough from a distance, I didn't know about it being a rule, I didn't notice I was being too close, I was making certain that the lighting was satisfactory and I can't tell correctly from a distance, so I couldn't really do my job as a gaffer properly in that respect. I was also told not to speak to the director, but to the DOP, even though I didn't had to before and didn't need to for the rest of filming that morning. I also had problems with getting in people's way, even though I wasn't trying too.

The next shot we did after our break that morning was to do with the lighting being similar to the last shot, but from a different position. It was difficult because I couldn't get a proper visual idea of what they wanted, but it was good that the Best Boy was of help to me. 
I had to set up a C-stand, even though I didn't know how, so I took it slowly. I'm still not 100% certain how to sort out a C-stand.
I was glad when it was over for lunch, but that was that it for me today because I had an appointment with learning assistance at the time filming would resume, but I did let the film crew know beforehand.