When using the Photography Studio it is very important that everyone is aware of their responsibility to work safely and to take immediate action to prevent accidents and warn others of potential hazards and dangers so an incident does not happen. When using the studio you need to ensure that all doorways and emergency exits are marked clearly and not obstructed.
Things to be aware of when using the studio:
Only people that need to be in the studio should be there, this is due to a studio being a confined space and other people not knowing the procedures of a studio. So it is advised to only have the people using the studio in there.
Slips, trips and falls can easily be caused by people falling over equipment, make sure that any equipment not or in use is placed in a safe place where no one can trip over.
Be aware that there could be issues in regard to the use of electrical equipment, the lights could run out of battery during a shoot, a bulb could break and the lights could overheat.
The lights over-heating; this is due to the bulbs inside using a high voltage so it is quite common that the studio lights over heat after a duration of time.
Issues of manual handling; the lifting and moving of heavy equipment, however this is a less frequent risk.
If in doubt when using the Photography Studio, about the use or safety of any of the equipment or health and safety ask the studio technician for support.
No Food or Drink is to be taken into the studio. This is to prevent food or drink being split during your time in the studio as it can destroy or damage any of the equipment inside, getting electric shocks from the wires. This can also be a slip hazard if any food or drink is to be spilt on the floor, there is also a possibility that photographic chemicals are in the studio, creating the risk of contaminating your food and drinks.
Wide Angle Lens {in order to shoot wide angled shots of Clifton Suspension Bridge}
Tripod {to create steady shots}
{BOTH THE WIDE ANGLE LENS AND TRIPOD WILL BE LOANED FROM COLLEGE}
Group Planning:
Group Planning consisted of us pin pointing the locations we desired to go, to make it easier for everyone, this task helped us know where people are going so that no one went to the same place making it easier for us to cover the whole of Bristol in one day, creating loads of footage for us all to choose from in the final production part of this task. We decided that our group will be taking Clifton area, We also decided that I will our camera handler due to having experience from previous tasks, Connie will be our director as she is very confident when it comes to speaking to people as well as planning and Emily will be the safety and technology person because she understand that aspect and will be able to do that role to her best ability.
Travel Prices:
Deciding on how we was going to travel down to Bristol was very frustrating, as we initially wanted to take 3 cars down to make easier for us all to get to our desired locations when we down there but the parking at the Rock & Bowl each night was too expensive as it was £12 a night. So Emily did some research into the different ways of travel to Bristol and it resulted in a Train to Birmingham then a Mega Bus from Birmingham to Bristol town centre, all together the charge of this travel would be £21 each, which is a lot cheaper than us driving down and having to pay for parking.
Locations:
These are the tourist attraction locations that I intend to view during my trip in Bristol, I chose these locations due to the beauty they hold and not being directly in Bristol Town Centre instead being in the little town of Clifton, which is a 12 minute bus journey from the Rock & Bowl hostel which we will be staying in during our travels. To get to our locations we intend to get a bus, this bus will be the number 8 which stops in Clifton, which is a 5 minute walk from our tourist attractions.
Screenshots from Google Maps to show Length of Travel:
Clifton:
Clifton Suspension Bridge:
Clifton Observatory:
Story Board {Shot Types}:
Clifton: I intend to take a durational shot of the houses within the town of Clifton, as Clifton is known to be a posher area compared to Bristol Town and all of the houses within the area are very grand and some of them are known to have some history behind them.
Clifton Suspension Bridge: I intend to take a multitude of shots at Clifton Suspension Bridge due to it being a beautiful tourist attraction that I want to capture through various shots. I want to capture various shots using different techniques and lenses, I want to use the technique of a pan to reveal the length of the bridge, I would like to use a zoom to create a dramatic shot, I want to achieve a tracking shot of one of us walking the length of the bridge. I also intend to use a wide angled lens to make it easier to capture the whole of the bridge. I would also like to create a shot showing leading lines positioning the camera in the middle of the footpath for the walking and the road where the cars pass.
Leading Lines
Zoom, to show dramatic perspective
Wide Angle Shot
Pan Shot, from one side to the other
Clifton Observatory: I intend to take multiple shots of The Clifton Observatory due to it being another big tourist attraction as it holds so much history inside, I intend to take footage of the inside the observatory and pay £4 to do so, as the inside holds a historical trip upstairs which shows you a huge camera that is observing The Clifton Bridge. The Observatory also has cave which you climb down and it brings you out onto a surface that is high above the motorway and you can see the bridge from a far.
Close Up Shot, Mid Shot
Far Away Shot, Establishing Shot
Overall:
Overall, we intend to capture the historical essence of Clifton Town documenting the rural area, highlighting its greatest assets, such as Clifton Bridge and Clifton Observatory while also showing the houses within Clifton which display signs of a picturesque setting. Due to the historical aspect of Clifton, we are intending to aim our video towards an audience who are more interested in tourist attractions and people who more historically inclined.
Promotional Video Research:
I think promotional videos are produced to show the main purpose of something, being an event, competition or a place. Promotional videos get straight to the main aspects it wants to portray. The music normally used within promotional videos tend to be more upbeat so that the audience will want to continue watching and find out more information. Promotional Videos also contain lots of information regarding what the are promoting, however the information is short and straight to the point so the audience wont get bored of having to read all the information.
Pull Focus: Pull Focus is a technique which also known as rack focus, Pull Focus is a creative camera technique in which you change focus during a shot; usually this means adjusting the focus from one subject to another.
Manual Focus: Manual Focus this operation is carried out by the photographer/user has to manually adjust the focus of the lens by hand.
Autofocus: Autofocus operates when the shutter button is pressed halfway down. During this operation the camera will automatically focus on the subject, once the subject is in focus, the focus will automatically lock. This technique is suitable for shooting motionless subjects such as landscapes or portraits.
Continuous Autofocus: Continuous Autofocus operates when the camera focus option is selected on the camera, the camera will continue to focus the lens as long as the shutter release button is half-pressed, or the AF button is pressed.
Focus Stacking: Focus Stacking is a digital technique in which several images taken with different focus distances are combined into one image that is sharp from the foreground all the way through the background.
Pull Focus Evidence:
REFLECTION:
Here is my evidence displaying a Pull Focus, this technique achieved by changing the focus during the shot; this means I adjusted the focus from one subject to another. The footage is slighting unstable due to doing this shot hand held instead of being on a tripod like the technique is normally shot on. The footage is also grainy due to shooting the footage in low light, and the dust in the room hitting the camera lens.
Rembrandt Lighting: Rembrandt Lighting is a lighting technique that is typically used in the studio. This technique can be achieved two ways; the easiest way is using one light and a reflector or by using two lights at different light settings in order to create the triangle shadow under the eye. This technique is popular because it a technique that can produce images which appear both natural and fascinating with little equipment.
Rembrandt Lighting
Edge Lighting: Edge Lighting is a lighting technique that is typically used in the studio. This technique is used to create subtle 'edges' in the image upon the subjects face, it is most popular to have a light edge along the jaw line. Edge lights are aimed in the direction of the camera, so the photographer has to be careful to keep any light from shining into the front of the lens, due to this causing lens flare.
Edge Lighting
Butterfly Lighting: Butterfly Lighting is a lighting technique that is typically used in the studio. This lighting technique is one of the oldest techniques for lighting the face of a subject. This technique got its name from the shapes the lighting creates on the subjects face, the light creates a butterfly-shaped shadow which forms underneath the subject's nose, this setup is a proven method to ensure your subject is well-lit in a pleasing manner.
Butterfly Lighting
Rembrandt Lighting Evidence:
REFLECTION:
Here is my evidence displaying the Rembrandt Lighting Technique, this technique achieved through the placement of lighting, this can be achieved two ways; the easiest way is using one light and a reflector or by using two lights at different light settings in order to create the triangle shadow under the eye. I achieved mine by using two different light sources at the same setting on one side of the face to give the brightest definition and having somebody bounce the light via a reflector, in order to achieve the triangle shadow under the eye. I personally think my video evidence shows the Rembrandt technique very well, however if the footage was edited into Black and White the shadows would be more defined and prominent.
Edge Lighting Evidence:
REFLECTION:
Here is my evidence displaying the Edge Lighting Technique, this technique is used to create subtle 'edges' in the image upon the subjects face, it is most popular to have a light edge along the jaw line. Edge lights are aimed in the direction of the camera, so the photographer has to be careful to keep any light from shining into the front of the lens, due to this causing lens flare. I personally think this video evidence looks more like split lighting, however there is evidently darker areas in the footage and all for edges are darker than the main subject, creating a focal point. I also think that if the footage was edited into Black and White the shadows would be more defined and prominent.
Butterfly Lighting Evidence:
REFLECTION:
Here is my evidence displaying the Butterfly Lighting technique, this technique got its name from the shapes the lighting creates on the subjects face, the light creates a butterfly-shaped shadow which forms underneath the subject's nose. I personally think this evidence doesn't show the shadows under the nose very well, however it does emphasise the contours of the cheeks through the use of shadows. I also think that if the footage was edited into Black and White the shadows would be more defined and prominent.
Here is my evidence displaying my personal take on the top of Creating Shadows Evidence, we used an old plastic wallet which we crumpled up to create a rough texture and held it up to the light moving it on different directions to create cool shadows upon the subjects face. I personally think this evidence shows an experimental way of creating shadows perfectly, as we used our surrounding resources to our personal advantage.
Here is my evidence displaying Low Key Lighting, using an artificial light source. Low-key lighting is a style of lighting often used within photography or film. This technique is a necessary element that needs to be mastered in order to develop further allowing you an advancement on creating a chiaroscuro effect. For this I used two lights, placed higher than my subject in order to create a clear emphasise on the lights and darks within this footage, this is in order to achieve the convention of low-key as it is usually used for dramatic use.
High Key Lighting Evidence {Artificial Lighting}:
REFLECTION:
Here is my evidence displaying High Key Lighting, using an artificial light source. High-key lighting is a style of lighting often used within photography or film, that aims to reduce the lighting ratio present in the scene. This technique is used to create and suggest an upbeat mood. For this technique I used two lights at a high setting to illuminate the face fully, I placed the light source in front of my subject in order to create a clear emphasise on my subjects facial features.
The song starts and its like that quick drum beat so each beat can be like Emily stumbling down the street on her way to the pub n she gets inside and it's just like messy handheld shots of her drinking and like rolling her head in her hands and falling about. Then the camera will change to a shot of Connie and Leah in the background like whispering about her, pull focus back somewhere or something choppy and then Connie and Leah approach Emily near the bit of the song; the two lines before the 'kick me out’ bit and we can like come up to her and have a cheeky smile to each other and then the next shot is Emily like falling out of the pub doors in a slow mo at the first 'kick me out' and then a different angle of her falling at the second 'kick me out’. Then there's like a point of view shot from Emily's perspective looking up at us at we're standing at the doors looking down at her. Basically we ruff her up and give her a gun and turn her into one of the others {Connie and Leah are basically modern day outlaws that take misfits in off the streets}
Genre: Grunge Music Video {with narrative}
Music: Arctic Monkeys - Fake Tales of San Francisco
{only be able to do like 2 mins of the song anyway so we can
fade out at the instrumental bit around two minutes.}
Equipment:
Nikon DSLR
Spare Battery
18-55mm lens
Macro Lens {extreme close-up - detailing of the clothing, facial expressions, props}
Tripod {to create steady shots}
Props: Fake Gun, alcohol
Location:
The location will vary but it will all be inside Nuneaton due to travel expenses and the shortness of time we have to produce a 1-2 minute feature film. Most of the locations we will be scouting will have some sort of derelict aspect to fit with our ‘grunge theme’.
Locations in particular that we want to shoot are:
Pool Club
Pool Club Car Park
Independent food restaurants
Streets
Ideas:
Derelict places in Nuneaton and shoot cool shots of derelict area’s/buildings {Pool Club, Pool Club Car Park, Independent food restaurants and Streets}
Dress: Grunge, Alternative Rocker, mid-1980s {teenage dirtbag}
Sort of ‘on the lamb’ storyline, like we are running away from something
Something that happened in San Fransisco, using the song lyrics metaphorically
In the song the lyrics repeat ‘kick me out, kick me out’, swap the characters around; the first verse is Emily getting pissed in the pub and the getting kicked out, then Connie and Leah find her and we all run away together
Fake Gun: Emily shooting someone after she gets kicked out but we find her, save her and run away {have her point the gun at the camera then drop to the floor, have the camera placed on the floor so the camera just captures our feet running to her, and then get a tripod and set it up so it is framing an over the shoulder shot of Emily so we have the same shot from different perspectives}
Emily has lost it because she is drunk, her having a gun make her go crazy
When Emily has the gun pointing at the camera the editing could be very fast paced and choppy where as when she drops to the ground, the footage could be slowed down
STORY BOARD:
REFLECTION:
I personally think the music video turned out very well and follows the narrative our group intended, due to us using all the resources we planned and having a well written plan to work from, it allowed us to know the full set up and work quickly. The editing was quite a difficult part of this music video was the editing due to the songs chorus coming in earlier than we initially thought, making the footage at the start very faced paced in order to have everything fitted in the intended order. The hardest part was managing the lip syncing aspect of our video, even though we had the music playing when recording it, it was slighting out of sync.
FEEDBACK FROM PEERS:
Edited well however some bits are edited to fast, so the footage isn't very clear making it appear disoriented
The music video is entertaining, due to the method acting within the narrative
The footage is consistent all the way through, making it flow well
I like that the shot is tilted as she took a sip from her drink, works well and is very effective
The music video uses repetition, flash back to the narrative allowing it to flow
The music video follows the narrative placed very well however it can be quite confusing due to the narrative advancing too much
The lip syncing is good however it is slightly out of sync but lip syncing is the hardest thing to tackle
Basic Outline: A short film depicting a group of college students seemingly recording themselves being clueless about what they are doing and how to create a film for what they are planning, then at the end of the film it is revealed that this was there idea all along. With use of different angles and a more hand held feel camera it has a more real life documentary feel to it. With the use of upbeat music and editing to enforce that. Genre: Unusual Perspective Music: General Chat and Laid Back by Rat Boy
Equipment:
Nikon DSLR
Spare Battery
18-55mm lens
Location:
The location varied during the short film as it documented us discussing what we intended to achieve inside the classroom, then it switches to us walking to Sainsbury's.
REFLECTION:
I personally think this video wasn't the best outcome due to the topic of 'unusual perspective' confusing us which resulting in us loosing a lot of time and just shooting footage of us talking about the project and using that. I personally think we could have planned it out more but we struggled due to not understanding the topic, even after researching it online, so we just worked to our best ability. However, even though the footage was unplanned, I still think it matches the theme and portrays an unusual perspective. I also think the narrative is confusing as there wasn't enough transition footage as the P.O.V switched from Emily and Connie to Leah and Emily, resulting in the transition not being as smooth as it could be making the narrative confusing.
FEEDBACK FROM PEERS:
Narrative is confusing {Switched P.O.V, how it switches from Emily and Connie to Leah and Emily, the transition isn't smooth making the narrative confusing}
You could have included P.O.V shots, to make the footage flow better
The hand held camera make the footage appear more natural
It was good that the footage was unplanned, so it matches the theme
Basic Outline: A short film depicting a girl getting locked into a room and discovering something unfriendly and unknown, shows uses of Pull Focus, using Non-Diegetic sound and voice-over with choppy editing to create a story with depth and exploiting one or more of the senses. Uses of Low-Level lighting with a variety of angled shots creates a composition that jumps from the P.O.V angle to a spectator angle creating a depth that fully envelops the viewer into the film. Genre: Horror Music: Voice Over created by ourselves overlaid with Creepy Piano found on YouTube
The room for this short film will be an abandoned room inside college, due to the creepy aesthetic the room creates, the run down interior compliments the horror genre.
REFLECTION:
I personally think this film went very well especially being our first attempt at a 4 hour film challenge, I think this was made easier for us because we was given a desired brief to allow us to plan from, allowing our time to be split efficiently. The specific things that we needed to include in this shot film was a door, including a pull focus which we had previously learnt in the week.o The focus intentionally made blurry to create a distorted aesthetic which typically is found within the horror genre to create suspense and unknown, so we decided to not correctly focus our footage so that it would perfectly fit the horror genre. The room we used for this short film was an abandoned room inside college, which had a very creepy aesthetic due to the run down interior the room displays which work in our favour as it was very complimentary of the horror genre. During the filming the only lighting we used was the minimal lighting achieved from the window in the room, we lit our footage using our phone lights and downloading a strobe effect light to create flashing lights throughout some of the footage; I do personally think we over-used it making it appear less effective than intended. I also think we filmed to much filler footage that doesn't have any meaning instead of focusing on the narrative we wanted to achieve; making the story very blunt instead of being free flowing.
FEEDBACK FROM PEERS:
Focus was off - some of the focusing within the footage was blurry, not correctly focused
Editing at the start matches the sound
The footage ends too bluntly, could have faded out
Good use of lighting, however the flash lighting is too much
Good props - Enigma
The pull focus within the footage is very effective
Shutter Speed: Shutter Speed is measured in fractions of seconds. Here is an example of shutter speed numbers, from fast to slow: 1/2000, 1/1500, 1/1000, 1/750, 1/500, 1/350, 1/250, 1/180, 1/125, 1/90, 1/60, 1/45, 1/30
Double the number of frames per second that you are recording
24 or 25 frames per second = shutter speed of 1/50th of a second
Frame rate is not Shutter Speed
Frame Rate = image per second
Shutter Speed = Exposure of each frame
Shutter Speed or Exposure Time is the length of time when the film or digital sensor inside the camera is exposed to light, also when a camera's shutter is open when taking a photograph. The amount of light that reaches the film or image sensor is proportional to the exposure time. 1/500th of a second will let half as much light in as 1/250th.
Here is my evidence displaying Shutter Speed of 1/30, this footage displays a slow shutter speed, which is very clear due to the footage being under-exposed. The footage is under-exposed due to not correctly balancing the aspects within the exposure triangle; this could have been avoided by making the ISO higher however that could increase the chance of grain, the other alternative is lowering the F-Stop due to the larger the opening the more light reaches the sensor.
These screenshots display the motion blur which created due to using a slow shutter speed. The slow shutter speed means the length of time the camera's shutter is open when taking a film is shortened, creating blur between the frames.
Shutter Speed Evidence {1/250} - Fast:
REFLECTION:
Here is my evidence displaying Shutter Speed of 1/250, this footage displays a fast shutter speed, which is quite clear, however the footage is slightly over exposed. The footage is also very blurred at the start due to forgetting to focus the footage before pressing record. The footage is over-exposed due to not correctly balancing the aspects within the exposure triangle; this could have been avoided by making the lowering the ISO or the making the F-Stop larger due and decreasing the opening of the light, making less light able to reach the sensor.
These screenshots display motion blur showing that I haven't correctly achieved a fast shutter speed, this shutter speed should have achieved a crisper image.
No Food or Drink is to be taken into the studio. This is to prevent food or drink being split during your time in the studio as it can destroy or damage any of the equipment inside, getting electric shocks from the wires. This can also be a slip hazard if any food or drink is to be spilt on the floor, there is also a possibility that photographic chemicals are in the studio, creating the risk of contaminating your food and drinks.
