LO5: Final Product

 

LO5: Analysis of Post-Production Techniques

*Disclaimer*

I use a yellow/orange tinted colour filter on my screen. It doesn't affect the actual footage, it is just something that helps with my vision. However, most screenshots are affected by the filter, meaning that evidence of editing may look different to the footage in the final product. To try and combat this somewhat, I was able to export frames that weren't affected by the filter, but this isn't an option when evidencing techniques and settings used.

LO4: Setting Up Camera & Lighting Equipment

Setting Up Equipment

Equipment Used:

• DSLR (x3)
• 4k Camera (x1)
• LED Light Box
• Samsung Galaxy Note 20
• Google Pixel 6a
• iPhone 12
• Tripod (x3)
• Lavaliere Microphone

Explanation

During the first shoot with Ovie, the Lav Mic and the 4k Camera wouldn't work so we ended up recording audio and visual footage on our phones. The visuals were recorded on the Samsung, and the audio was recorded on two devices (Google Pixel and iPhone) in case the file corrupted. In the second shoot with Harry, the Lav Mic and 4k Camera worked and so we used those instead of phones. We also added additional DSLRs to give us more angles to work with whilst editing.

Josh's House - B-Roll Capture

UTC Sheffield City Centre [Studio 2] - Interview Footage

We set up multiple cameras during Harry's interview. One was facing directly at him, the other was at a 45 degree angle, and the third was set up to capture a close up of the activities taking place on the desk. During the second half of the shoot, Jed walked around with the camera capturing behind the scenes and b-roll footage whilst we were interviewing. Having multiple angles and shot types will allow me to have a professional and interesting looking short film. 

Sheffield City Centre

When shooting the b-roll in the city centre we only used one tripod and one camera as the intention of the shoot was to capture timelapses meaning we only needed the one camera. We also brought spare batteries so we could capture more footage without the risk of the camera dying.

LO4: Rushes

Rushes

Rush Log

Conventions

Lighting & Camera Settings

Lighting

During filming I used soft boxes as the primary light source. I chose to use soft boxes as they conventional to the documentary genre. Soft boxes do not drastically change the look of the footage, and therefore are a common choice for documentaries. This is because documentaries are not supposed to be cinematic fiction, but rather an educational discussion of information. Two soft boxes were used; one key light and one back light. The key light helped to make sure the subject was distinctly visible on camera, and the back light was used to prevent a large shadow being cast on the set, keeping the entire shot well lit.

When filming b-roll, I relied on the sun as the primary light source. I chose not to manipulate the footage by using artificial light sources as I wanted to maintain the natural look I was intending to capture.

Frame Rate & Shutter Speed

When filming both the interviews and the b-roll, the industry standard frame rate and shutter speed were used - 24fps & 1/48ss. Typically, shutter speed is double that of the frame rate as it reduces the risk of motion blur and produces a high image quality. Therefore, I decided to follow this convention for my short film.

Composition

When filming both the interviews and the b-roll, I decided to follow the rule of thirds when lining up my shots. I applied the rule by using the 3x3 grid on the camera screen and by positioning the subject to be sat in the centre third for the straight angle, and on the line between the left third and the centre third for the side angle. The horizontal lines typically align with the eyes of the subject; this helps to correctly frame the subject and make the final product look more professional.

Comparing Rushes to Storyboard & Influences

For the interviews I used a two camera set-up and soft boxes as a light source to make it conventional to the documentary genre. Documentaries typically use multiple angles to keep the film varied and interesting to watch. Moreover, the soft boxes are conventional as the diffused light gives a more natural look to the footage. The soft box lighting also mimics the lighting used in the existing products that have influenced my work. In addition, the camera setting used were also conventional to the genre. Industry standard frame rate is 24fps with the shutter speed typically being double that of the frame rate, therefore, I used a shutter speed of 1/48. The aperture was set to f/8 as I felt that this gave the footage a depth of field that didn't leave the background too blurry, but left it slightly out of focus in comparison to the subject in order to highlight the interviewee as the focal point of the shot.

Harry's Interview

In the storyboard, I planned for the shot to be a medium close-up, however, I feel that the shot came out closer to a medium shot than a medium close-up. Although the final shot came out different from the planned shot, I feel like it ultimately fit the conventions of the genre better as it better mimicked the style of the existing products. Furthermore, continuing to mimic the style of the existing products, I applied the rule of thirds when aligning the cameras. This helped to make the film fit the conventions of the genre and look more professional.

Harry Interview - Side Angle

 

Storyboard - Harry Interview - Side Angle

Shot Duration: 25-30 Seconds

Shot Type: Medium Close-Up
Location & Time of Day: Studio/Classroom - Day
Description: A side angle shot of Interviewee 2 (Harry) discussing representation in film and tv.
Dialogue: Interviewee 2 discussing representation in film and tv.
Sound/Music: n/a
Editing Technique: Straight Cut
VFX & SFX: n/a

Influence - Interview - Side Angle

Ovie's Interview

In the storyboard, I planned for the shot to be a medium shot, however, I feel like the shot came out closer to a medium close-up rather than a medium shot. Although it was not the original intention, I feel like this better fits the genre as it mimics the shots seen in the existing products that have influenced my work. Furthermore, similarly to Harry's interview, I also used the rule of thirds when positioning the camera angles for Ovie's interview. I did this as the rule of thirds is an industry standard practice for making the shot composition look professional.

Ovie Interview - Straight Angle

Storyboard - Ovie Interview - Straight Angle

Shot Duration: 30-45 Seconds
Shot Type: Medium Shot
Location & Time of Day: Studio/Classroom - Day
Description: A straight on shot of Interviewee 1 continuing to discuss representation in film and tv.
Dialogue: Continuation of discussion about representation in film and tv.
Sound/Music: n/a
Editing Technique: Straight Cut
VFX & SFX: Name Card - Presenting the Interviewee's name & occupation.

Influence - Interview - Straight Angle

LO4: Influences

Lighting

I chose to use a soft box when filming the interviews as soft boxes are often used in documentaries. Soft box lighting achieves its gentleness by diffusing the light through a screen. The inside of a soft box is lined with aluminium foil, or another alternative, to efficiently reflect the light from the bulb. By diffusing the light it gives the subject a more natural look. This can make a character appear more trustworthy as they come across as more relatable due to their normal composition. Soft boxes are often used in documentaries, specifically during interviews, as the intention of the genre is to inform others about a certain topic, not necessarily to entertain. This means the use of soft boxes minimises the cinematic style of other genres. By doing this, the documentary appears more factual and trustworthy as the style synonymous with fiction is sparsely used. 

It was my intention to make the interviewees appear as trustworthy as possible, therefore, taking the connotations associated with soft boxes into account, I felt that they would be the best choice of lighting when filming my short film. Furthermore, lighting is often used to evoke certain feelings from the audience. The existing products I have taken inspiration from had their scenes bright and well lit, making the interviewees clearly visible on screen. By having a scene be bright and well lit, connotations of openness and truth are conveyed to the audience, helping them better connect with those on screen. This made it so the things my interviewees discussed during the documentary appear more factual and/or believable, making my film seem more professional.

Existing Product 1 - Lighting

Existing Product 2 - Lighting

My Film - Lighting

Shot Composition

For the interviews, I had one interviewee sat behind a desk, and the other sat on a sofa. This was to give the illusion that they were in two different locations. Having the interviewee sat on a sofa gave a casual feel to the interview, making them seem more relatable to the audience. In comparison, having the other behind a desk makes them seem more factual as it gives the appearance that the interview is being filmed in a professional setting, making the interviewee appear more factual, therefore reliable. By having two differing styles of perspective, it makes the audience believe that varying opinions were considered before filming. This makes the overall findings of the documentary more believable as two different types of interviewees, professional and casual, are seen to be in agreement, validating their statements.

One thing I considered during both production and post-production was the interviewees positioning on screen. The 'rule of thirds' is a technique often used in the film industry as framing the subject on the intersecting lines is considered more pleasing to the eye. I used two cameras to capture multiple angles during the interviews. Camera one was positioned in a way that centred the subject in the frame, and Camera two was positioned the same but from a side-on angle. In editing, I adjusted the zoom and positioning of the footage captured on Camera two to place the interviewees on the left side of the screen (the left third). This technique can be seen in both existing products exampled below. I kept the footage from Camera one centred on screen as this made the shot balanced and symmetrical. I chose to do this as the symmetry forces audience attention to the centre of screen, adding emphasis to the things being said. However, centring the subject can make the shot seem flat and dull. To combat this I used the alternate angle from Camera two to offset the interviewee in line with the rule of thirds, maintaining the emphasis of the centred shots from Camera one by using the variation to prevent boredom.

Existing Product 1 - Shot Composition 1

Existing Product 2 - Shot Composition 1

My Film - Shot Composition 1

Existing Product 1 - Shot Composition 2

Existing Product 2 - Shot Composition 2

My Film - Shot Composition 2

LO3: Risk Assessment & Recce

Recce

Risk Assessment

Sheffield City Centre

UTC Sheffield City Centre - Studio 2

LO3: Camerawork & Lighting Set-Ups