Shooting a dialogue sequence

A couple of weeks ago, I worked together in a group with Daisy, Meadow, Matthew and Olly to shoot our own dialogue sequence. We came up with a short sequence of dialogue which was performed by Meadow, playing a woman who had employed a cleaner, and Olly as the cleaner. Daisy, Matthew and I worked as camera operators. I was absent from school with Covid when the camera workshops took place. This meant that I wasn't aware of the different tips and rules that the rest of the class had learnt. However, Matthew and Daisy were able to fill me in on what they had learnt, meaning that soon I was able to have a go at using the cameras. They taught me several different rules which must be used on a film set. These included the 180 degree rule which we made sure to practice throughout. Furthermore, I was shown how to assemble the camera, including where to install the battery. Additionally, we made sure to follow on-set protocol. This included making the actors aware of when the camera was rolling so that they were ready to act out the sequence and not watching any footage back. We also made sure to film everything in wide, then mid, before moving onto other shots of our chose such as close-ups. One problem we encountered was the battery running out. However, this issue was quickly resolved as we found another battery in the studio that we were able to use. Although we focussed on achieving many different shots including various shot types, I feel that we should have focussed on taking fewer shots and really focussed on the composition of our shots. Therefore, next time I would take more time and care setting up each shot.

 

Today, Daisy and I worked as a pair editing our sequence. We arranged a variety of different clips that we had taken from different angles, starting with a wide shot. We began by watching through all the footage we had recorded, which we remembered could be found in the rushes section. I refreshed my knowledge from the previous workshop which included the uses of the four different sections of the screen. The top left is where you can play the clips from the rushes and bins. The top right section is where you watch the product and the bottom right is where you edit the clips. I also refreshed my knowledge of the cutting tool which is used to cut down a clip to your chosen duration. Another key thing we had to remember is that when you place footage in the timeline, you must ensure footage doesn't overlap. 

Whilst editing our footage we realised that the composition of our shots was not exactly how we would've liked. Next time, we will take more time to set up the shot, instead of worrying about the quantity of footage we have recorded. We followed the 180 degree rule and made sure to maintain continuity by not altering the set throughout the footage. 

The time we had to edit the sequence was a little limited and so as a result we did make some errors. After editing our sequence once, we were instructed to edit the sequence once again, however this time focussing on one particularly character, a technique used to give the audience the impression that they should be rooting for this character. We began editing with the hope of focussing on Meadow through the use of some of the close-ups we recorded. Unfortunately, we ran short of time which meant we were unable to do this. Additionally, although most of the scene was edited pretty seamlessly, there is an error in which Olly says "this" twice. By re-watching our edited footage several times we likely could've avoided this error.

Below is a video clip of our edited footage:

When approaching the actual sequence, I think it will be important for our group to really focus on the composition of our shots, making sure that they are executed well before rushing to take more footage. Additionally, given that our opening is an opening sequence, meaning that it is less narrative based than an opening scene, we will have to record lots of close-ups of and extra close ups of the range of props that we have selected to ensure that the audience are engaged. When paired with a soundtrack, we hope to create tension before revealing the man's evil intentions at the end of the sequence. When it comes to editing, we need to watch through the edited product several times in order to identify any errors. Additionally, we must set aside enough time to edit the footage to the best of our ability.