After we finished our Script (check on Blog #7), Dima and I made use of the time that Mr. Wunker would usually give for coursework. Prior to finishing the script, we were actually practicing camerawork already. Last November 18, 2021, it was a very foggy day in Chaoyang, Beijing, We asked permission from Mr. Wunker to film on the rugby pitch because we really liked the natural foggy setting and we thought we can have extra footage that we can use as insert shots.
Initial Reflections:
What have you learned from the task?
A few things that I have learned from filming our opening are the importance of communication and time management. From my perspective Dima and I had really had amazing ideas, and (If I'm not mistaken) we're also one of the first people to finish our scripts and planning. This became an important thing because after we finished planning, the two of us weren't able to do filming asap like the other groups because we focused on urgent revision for other classes.
Finding time to film was sort of challenging for us because Dima had to prepare for his GCSE Maths and AS Biology exams, and we both had LSAs (after-school activities) on different days which meant the days I was free, he wasn't, and vice versa. We initially planned to film during the Chinese New Year break, but unfortunately due to Covid, the school shut before we even broke up for the holidays, and then students were not allowed to be on the school premises. So for our group, the strategy we did was whenever we had free time we would shoot a bit so we can somehow accomplish all the scenes little by little. To be honest, the two of us were kinda worried because 3 groups in our class already finished and we still had not, but then we would always talk about it in class when Mr. Wunker give us a few minutes to be in our groups.
Communication is very important because not all the time do we agree with our ideas. Being vocal about your opinion matters! When we were planning the two of us were really saying when we don't fully agree with the ideas each of us had, and I think this is important because settling for something you don't really want and just agreeing to all ideas of one person dulls creativity and potential betterment of the project. During the process of filming, we also learned that despite having a plan made, everything won't go smoothly. For example, when we were using the gimbal, there were times it was flimsy so the shots we wanted were not made and we had to reshoot. There were also instances when the lighting was not the best so we had to consistently move the placement of artificial lights.
Because I am acting in our film, I can only film insert and still shots. What I did is I tried my best to help with transitions. Whenever I think of transition or insert shot ideas, I immediately share it with Dima. For lighting, Dima and I helped each other.
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Below is a video of how we set up the lighting in the School's main theater.
What equipment have you used?
Dima asked Mr. Wunker if he can lend us the Olympus OM-1 since Dima already knew how to use this type of camera. He also helped and taught me how to use this camera and how to adjust ISO. There was also a time when Mr. Wunker taught me how to use a Zoom lens. Using the Zoom lens, I learned how to make extreme close-up shots. We used this camera for most of our shots. For scenes where I was going down the stairs, we tried using handheld shots and a Benro tripod.
Since Dima is in charge of the Olympus camera, I told him I will borrow the school's DJI Osmo pocket. During the winter break, I watched videos on how to use this. I also downloaded the DJI Mimo APP on my iPhone 12 so I can use it to connect the device to my phone which made viewing and video taking easier. The DJI is great for handheld shots because it had a built-in stabilizer. I used this to shoot footage in my bathroom wherein Elise was holding a bloody knife and she cleaned it in her sink. For this setup I was alone so, what I did is I used a tripod and attached my phone connected to the DJI to shoot the scene.
What skills did you utilize (and develop)?
A skill I developed in the filming process is how to use a camera. For my part, I learned how to use the DJI in which during the Year 11's GCSE PE I was able to assist in filming them using the DJI. I also learned the basics of using an Olympus camera which was nice because I really didn't know how to "actually" operate a professional camera and before I only take pictures without thinking about the scaling and ISO.
A skill I utilized is my acting skills since I was in Elementary I have been doing acting and I initially wanted to take A-Levels Drama but unfortunately it had a schedule conflict with my Psychology and History class so I chose Media Studies which wasn't a bad decision because I learned so many new things. A challenge for me though was I am not used to is trying to not stare straight in-camera and break the fort wall because I usually perform live and on stage.
For Elise's character, I didn't do wear any makeup because I wanted to make her character someone who doesn't care about her appearance, and her eyes had terrible eyebags which was something I already had... Here you can see how I kept my pale lips and under eyes add to create an anxious, stressed look that I wanted to convey with Elise's character.
What did you learn about continuity editing?
Although Dima was the one who edited most of the film, I mostly contributed with the opening shots and sound editing. I recently did paid voice acting for an indie sci-fi film and I was able to learn sound techniques from the sound director. For our opening, I recorded my own voice at home. I layered it and changed some of the layers into a lower pitch or higher pitch. This sound added a thrilling effect and hints at the narrative of Elise's mentally unstable character.
I still did my research on how to do editing. What I did is I made another video with the same footage Dima and I shot. The new thing I learned is the importance of cuts in filming. For thrillers, fast cuts, and jump cuts are crucial in making the film thrilling. Personally, I enjoyed editing sounds than cuts. For a few days, I have been listening to foleys that are copyright free and I tried applying it to one of our extra footage. I only focused on sounds and added a little bit of transition, there are no changes in colors and lighting.
First video is the sound I recorded and edited for the rough cut and the other one is an example of the video editing I practiced :)
Below are some screenshots of raw vs edited scenes (Dima edited these)
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What difficulties did you encounter and How did you overcome them?
As I mentioned earlier, one of the difficulties we encountered is finding time in which both of us are free to film. Our timetables don't really match, and we both had after-school activities, same with Erykah (our schoolmate who's acting for our opening) which made it hard for us to film. We overcame this challenge by filming our scenes bit by bit every free period, we also used the class time given by Mr. Wunker to practice and film scenes. Another challenge I face was filming scenes by myself, there's a scene in our opening wherein Elise was washing a knife in the sink. Since I was alone to film everything, I had to set up lighting, camera, and other equipment alone. This wasn't the hard part, but it was making sure that the scaling was correct and that I don't go out of frame. I had to film this scene about five or more times so I can compare which footage is the best to use in the opening.
Next Steps:
What needs to be done now?
What problems have you noticed in your footage?
Do you need to reshoot any scenes?
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