MAJOR-PROJECT UNIT: Additional Testing

In the pre-production unit I tested:

- which camera would be best suited to the production and why

- which settings would ensure the best visual quality

- how the camera could perform in the chosen shooting style (i.e. testing the camera using the handheld filming method with the minor zooms)

- how this footage could then be colour graded to achieve the desired look

- which lighting equipment is needed in which scenes to produce the best lighting to allow for the best exposure

- how the shots from the storyboard could be applied to actually shooting the project


Overall, I covered a lot of the aspects involved in the production of VET-MAN as I worked out which camera was most suitable for the desired visual look and for shooting the shot types I outlined in my shot list (and put this into practice by blocking out how scene 1 would be filmed). However, I overlooked testing the camera when shooting the characters in a moving vehicle which is important for scene 3 of VET-MAN. I, therefore, took on the task of testing filming in a moving vehicle.

Before testing this, I decided to conduct some research into how shows such as The Office and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia have tackled scenes in which a character has hit something with a car. This led me to test the car hit in the following ways:

In my initial storyboard, I had planned to film the characters from behind so that I would be sat in the back whilst they drove the van. However, as there are no seats in the back of the van, this would not be safe to do as I would be at a higher risk of injuring myself and damaging the equipment. This is also not the prime filming angle for this scene as you can not fully see the character's faces meaning that their actions and reactions are being largely missed - this means that a lot of the comedy within the scene is being missed due to a lot of the humour coming from their reactions to hitting the dog. Furthermore, you can see the road in front of the van so would be able to see when the dog is supposedly supposed to be in the road and hit by the van. This means that if I were to film from this angle, I would need to consider a way that we could make it look as if a dog was in the road without using (and possibly injuring) a real dog. As well as these issues, filming from behind poses the issue of filming through the metal grate. This means that on top of only seeing the characters from behind, the audience's vision is obscured by this metal grate which again means that the characters' actions and reactions are not entirely visible.

To demonstrate how filming from this angle would work, I tested the proposed shots for this scene:

As an alternative method of filming this scene, I tested filming each character from leaning through the van window. This would obviously mean that the van would need to be stationary during filming to allow me to position the camera through the windows to capture the characters from in front - this means that the idea that the van is moving will need to be simulated by the camera movement (i.e. adding a little more shake to the handheld filming method) and during the post-production process by overlaying images that mimic the movement of shadows falling on the van as it supposedly moves. A problem that this test shoot flagged is that I will need to ensure not to capture any of the windows as I point the camera at the characters as this will immediately indicate that the van is in fact stationary. Filming the scene from this angle makes a lot more sense due to actually being able to see the characters faces and, therefore, their actions within the shots and reactions to what is occurring within the scene. This will, in turn, enhance the humour within the scene as being able to see their faces will allow the comedy to be communicated a lot clearer to the audience so that no humour is lost due to bad camera angles. Filming using this method also eliminates the problem of being able to see there is no dog in the road prior to them hitting it - this aids the believability of the scene as this action will now be entirely believable due to the characters' reactions and hopefully via the desired sound design. I tested the moment that the van hits the dog by jolting the camera - this camera shake helps to signify that they have just hit something (which caused the jolt). This, when followed by a stationary shot) helps to demonstrate the movement involved in hitting an object. This method was used in The Office when Michael hits Meredith with his car - this is followed by a panning shot to show Meredith being hit, however, it will not be possible for us to do something similar safely with our dog so, instead, I have borrowed the motion used in this clip from The Office. I show the intended jolt motion in the following clip (although this was filming from the previous angle - the same method of simulating this hit will be used from the angle in which the audience can see the characters' faces):

To demonstrate how filming from this angle would work, I tested the proposed shots for this scene - however, I did not film a medium two shot due to this being impossible if trying to avoid capturing the windows (which would give away the fact that the van is stationary):

Here are the moving image shots from both angles to demonstrate the ways in which this scene could be shot:

I decided against using a fixed camera method such as a GoPro as this would break the continuity of the production due to all of the other scenes being filmed in a handheld manner. By fixing a GoPro to the dashboard of the van, the footage captured would appear too structured and calculated in comparison to the other handheld footage which would go against the natural, observational feel of the rest of the production. Furthermore, using a GoPro would mean that I wouldn't be able to perform the minor zooms that characterise the natural, observational filming style that I plan to use throughout the rest of the scenes as they do not have this feature available on them - this again would break the continuity of the production.

What I learnt from this test shoot:

Performing this test shoot enabled me to work out the best way to film the scene within the moving vehicle and simulating hitting an object. Through this, I found the best way to film in a moving vehicle whilst maintaining the shooting style of the production is actually to shoot through the windows whilst the van is stationary and to then simulate the movement of the van through additional camera shake and in the post-production process. This test shoot also flagged the fact that I will need to ensure I don't capture the opposite window to the character I am filming as this would show the audience that the van is not moving. I also found that the most effective way to make it appear that a dog has been hit (without actually hitting an object) it to emphasise the camera movement of this action (i.e. jolting the camera as a result of hitting something) - when combined with the sound design of a dog being hit, this will prove effective in communicating what has just occurred.

MAJOR-PROJECT UNIT: Shoot Day 2

The schedule for today saw us filming scene 7, 9 and 10 of the project.

Like with the previous shoot day, I ensured to check the weather so that I could get an idea of how this would affect the visuals. The forecast showed the weather to be 9ºC with a mixture of sun and cloud. As the sun was due to be out, I brought along the reflector as I planned to use this to bounce the natural sunlight coming from the north-east direction back onto the subjects. However, the trees were much more leafy than they were when we visited the location during the pre-production unit, therefore, direct sunlight did not shine on the location, instead, the sun diffused through the trees. This diffusion of light through the trees gave a well-lit effect to the location, therefore, I decided the reflector was not necessary for the scenes in this location. The forecast for the later part of the shoot was due to be dry with a potential shower. This shower occurred during the break we took for lunch. The weather then cleared but remained overcast looking for the rest of the daytime - this did not affect us due to the only remaining scene to be filmed after lunch being the night scene for which I had already tested the lighting to be used.

Similarly to shoot day 1, I brought my shot list to use for reference to ensure all necessary footage to make up the storyline was captured - however, I allowed myself to deviate from this and capture different / extra footage as the shot list is a guideline. I just needed to ensure that if I did capture different shots that they still made up the storyline and that there would be no gaps - to eliminate this risk I decided to capture all the planned shots and then any extra ones either I or the director wanted (instead of capturing completely different shots to the original planned ones).

Scene 7

As a relatively dialogue heavy scene, this was very simple to shoot due to the majority of the action and dialogue being captured through shot reverse shots. As with the previous shoot day, as opposed to only performing the minor zooms on the planned shots, I did them when it felt natural and appropriate in the dialogue as the humour depends on the delivery of the dialogue - so if I had only performed the zooms on the planned shots, the delivery of the dialogue may not have been as I had thought it would be and therefore the humour would have been missed. I used the time in which the director was blocking and rehearsing with the actors to work out how the actors were delivering the dialogue and, therefore, when the zooms would need to be in order to get the full effect of the humour.

To capture all the shots, we ran through the scene in the same way multiple times so that I could capture all the different angles required. Some shots (such as the medium closeup and closeup singles of Tim and Luke) required multiple takes as my zooms were occasionally mis-timed which meant the humour was not being emphasised to the full extent it could have been through the zoom.

Apart from the final shot of the scene where I pan to follow the characters walk towards the owl academy, I filmed all the shots in a stationary manner. This was due to the characters being stationary themselves for the majority of the scene - therefore, I did not want to over complicate the scene by adding unnecessary pans in an attempt to make the scene look cinematic (as slow panning and tracking shots are often using to add fluidity to a scene to make it look more cinematic) when this is not needed for the tone of the piece.

The settings I used for the scene were ISO 500, an aperture ranging between F/6.8 and F/7.4, a shutter speed of 1/60 and an ND filter of 1/4. For the wide shot, I used an aperture of F/7.4 as I wanted more of the frame in focus (rather than using a wider aperture to gain a deep depth of field which would produce a blurred background look). This is because the characters and van are positioned further away from the camera and I wanted to reduce the risk of them appearing blurred with the background - so I eliminated this risk my choosing a narrower aperture. This aperture, as well as the ISO of 500, shutter speed of 1/60 and the ND filter of 1/4, produced a well exposed shot where the characters can be discerned from the background yet all the detail within both the background and the characters can be seen. This will allow for a good colour grade as the level of detail within the shadows, midtones and highlights means that I will not need to alter the contrast within the shot in order to make the characters stand out from the background (as the exposure means they already stand out). This means that this level of detail within the shot will be retained all the way through the colour grading process as I do not need to artificially add contrast to the footage as this was captured in the raw footage. This contrast is important to the colour grade as this will help me to achieve the natural yet cinematic look I am striving for. For Tim's closeup I used a wider aperture of F/6.8 as he appeared too dull against the background at the aperture of F/7.4. Using this wider aperture blurs the background a little which works for this shot as the characters were positioned closer to the camera so there was less difficulty keeping Tim in focus against the blurred background. I kept the shutter speed consistent with the previous shot as this will ensure the motion blur is the same. I also kept the ND filter the same due to the sun still shining through the trees and needing this to be dulled slightly to prevent overexposure. Following this shot, I used an aperture of F/7.2 as the sun was shining onto Luke's face and, therefore, the aperture needed to be narrowed to compensate for this and allow less light into the lens. However, the sun was coming in and out which means some of the shot is not in sunlight, creating a slightly dull look - although, this is not dramatically dull and can be fixed in post production and the colour grade.

Scene 9

As another relatively dialogue heavy scene, I followed a similar technique to filming this scene as I did with scene 7. I started by filming the wide shot of the two characters before moving on to the medium closeups of each of them. Like with scene 7, filming these shots took a few takes in order to get the zooms in the correct places as I wanted to zoom where felt most natural in the dialogue and the action.

All of the shots of this scene were filmed relatively stationary - I only panned with the movement of the characters. Like scene 7, this technique was used in order to retain the natural feel of the production by eliminating unnecessary moving shots.

The settings I used for the scene were ISO 500, an aperture ranging between F/6.4 and F/7.3, a shutter speed of 1/60 and an ND filter of 1/4. For the medium two shot of the two characters, I used an aperture of F/7.3. This was due to this producing the right exposure when combined with the shutter speed 1/60 and ND filter 1/4. As this shot looked more exposed than the medium closeup single shots (due to the framing), I used a narrower aperture than I did for these closer shots. For Luke's medium closeup, I kept the shutter speed and ND filter the same but changed to a wider aperture of F/6.7. I chose this aperture due to this shot looking slightly darker than the two shot but not as dull as Tim's medium closeup. For Tim's medium closeup I used an aperture of F/6.4 which was the widest aperture of the scene due to this shot appearing less bright than the two shot and Luke's medium closeup. These apertures allow for a natural yet cinematic look due to the colours appearing accurate to what could be seen with the human eye whilst blurring out the background slightly so the detail still remains yet the focus is shifted onto the characters. These settings allowed for correctly exposed images which will allow for more scope for manipulation during the post production and colour grading process.

Scene 10

As a contrast to the other scenes filmed this day, this scene was entirely action based with no dialogue - this meant a wider variety of shots were required to capture all the action happening in the scene as the portrayal of the plot is entirely dependent on the actions being shown.

To capture these shots I decided to rely more on my shot list than I did for the other scenes as I had to ensure all the action was being captured in the best way to convey what exactly is happening in each part of the scene as there is no dialogue to guide the audience.

As we had a large amount of time between filming scene 7 and 9 and filming scene 10, there was a lot of time for the director to work with the actors to block out the action within the scene. Due to having this large amount of time, I was able to discuss with the director exactly where each shot would be filmed from for each piece of action - whereas previously, due to having less time, I have set up shots and approved them with the director just before filming them as the director had already approved the shot list. Going through the scene step by step allowed for the director to request further shots that I hadn't originally thought of in the shot list - allowing me to capture more coverage to experiment with in the edit, rather being restricted to solely the shots I saw as necessary to make up the scene. Blocking this scene out in the day also allowed me to map out where I would be moving with the camera and lighting equipment whilst it was still light to reduce the risk of me tripping when filming in the dark and potentially damaging the equipment or injuring myself. This was also similar for the actors - they were able to see where they would need to be moving about in the light to reduce the risk of them tripping in the dark.

For this scene, I needed to use lighting equipment due to the environment being very dark. I tested the lighting in the pre-production unit which allowed me to set up the lights exactly as I required them to produce a well exposed night shot. To light the scene, I used two aputure LED lights on a medium brightness setting of 60 for the majority of the scene (I brightened them to 80 for wider shots as the lights had to be positioned further away from the characters). When I tested the lighting, I used lights which had an in-built colour setting, however, the lights I used for the shoot had different coloured panels to use to change the colour temperature instead. Therefore, I chose the orange panel as this was most similar to the settings I tested. I chose a warmer colour temperature as the aim of this lighting was to emulate natural street lighting which tends to have a warmer tone. As mentioned, for wider shots I positioned the lights further away from the characters so that they would not be in shot - I also had to be careful that the lights weren't showing in any of the reflective surfaces of the scene (i.e. the sign behind them on the wall and the Kent owl academy sign). On closer shots, I moved the lights closer to the characters to produce a better lit shot (I also reduced the brightness back to 60 when on the closer shots to prevent harsh shadows which would make the lighting look unnatural).

We learnt on the week of shooting that there were actually motion sensor lights fitted above the path which would mean they would interfere with the shot. We had to make the decision as to work them into the shot or to work around them so that the scene remains entirely in darkness. We chose to work them into the shot as this could add to the humour of the piece. I had to plan how this would affect the camera settings I was planning to use - as these lights would change which ISO I would use as if I chose an ISO too high, then the scene would appear correctly exposed in the dark but over exposed when the lights turn on. I chose an ISO of 8000 as this produced a natural dark looking shot during the dark portions of the scene but would not overexpose the sections where the motion sensor lights activate.

The camera settings I used for the scene were ISO 8000, aperture F/4.8, shutter speed 1/50 and no ND filter. These settings produced an exposure that appeared naturally dark for the portion of the scene taking place in darkness whilst retaining this naturally dark tone for the portion of the scene taking place with the motion activated lights. Using a wide aperture allowed me to capture images where the exposure looked accurate and natural for the time of day - some areas appear very dark, however, if I increased the ISO further of chose a slower shutter speed, the visual quality of the footage would be affected by grain. I would have also been at risk of producing an image that looked artificially too bright for the time of day this scene takes place - therefore, using the settings I used worked best to produce an accurate representation of the environment in which the characters are. These settings also enabled me to film in both the complete darkness and the small amount of light produced by the motion sensor lights which allowed for continuity through the scene. However, the scene does look very dark compared to the other scenes that have been shot so far - I will look to correct this in the edit by brighten the highlights and midtones of the footage slightly. I will not brighten the shadows as this will cause the pure black and the detail within this darkness to be lost - I will focus on brightening the scene slightly but ensuring I maintain the natural darkness to prevent the product from looking artificial.

What went well

- The overall exposure for scene 7 is natural and accurate to that which could be seen with the human eye. This means that the colour grade will be a lot more effective in achieving the natural cinematic look as all the details within the shadows, midtones and highlights will be retained, meaning the high visual quality of the product is not negatively affected.

- The selected apertures for all the scenes work to produce a slightly blurred background (on the medium closeup and closeup shots) which aid the natural yet cinematic look. This deep depth of field brings the characters, their actions and their dialogue into focus which allow them to be the main focus for the audience - allowing the comedy within the piece to be conveyed.

- Due to having to wait for darkness to fall to film the night scene, there was time to block through each shot precisely prior to shooting whilst there was still daylight - this made the filming process much smoother when it was dark as the actors knew exactly what they were doing and I knew exactly what shots I needed to capture. This also aided the safety of the shoot as we were able to map out exactly where the actors and crew would be moving whilst this was more visible than at night, reducing the risk of injuries to people or damage to equipment.


What didn't go well

- In scene 7, due to the sun coming in and out, some of the footage is slightly duller than the rest depending on whether the sun was out or in. This difference can be noticed in Tim and Luke's medium closeup single shots where Tim's medium closeup is well-lit and well exposed and Luke's medium closeup has less light coming through from the sun but is still well exposed. This can be rectified in the colour grading where I will ensure these shots match up in terms of exposure and colour.

- The shoot for scene 10 ended up being slightly more complicated than originally thought as we had to work in the motion sensor lights as there was no way of turning these off. This meant I had to choose the correct exposure so that the characters are exposed well enough during the dark portions of the scene but not over exposed when the motion sensor lights switch on. However, I managed to find good settings that worked in both lighting conditions so this did not present a huge issue.

- Due to not using the clapper board for scene 10 as there was no dialogue, it will be difficult to sync up the audio and the visual. Whilst there is no dialogue, there is still the sound of footsteps and general ambience that will need to be matched up to the visuals. Although this is not impossible without the clapper board, it is a lot more difficult than it needs to be.

MAJOR-PROJECT UNIT: Shoot Day 1

Following the production schedule, scene 11 and scene 8 were the scenes to be shot today.

Prior to the shoot I created the shot list with the shots required to capture the scenes.

Before shooting I checked the weather forecast to see how this would affect the lighting and visual aspects of the footage so that I could prepare how best to shoot the footage and whether this would be different to my planned method of filming. The forecast showed the weather to be overcast and cloudy with an average temperature of 10ºC - this meant there was little light to bounce off of a reflector onto the actors - therefore, I decided to go without a reflector as during scene 11 the natural light diffused through the trees to produce a good naturally lit environment. This meant I could prevent using a bulky piece of kit which could potentially interfere with movements within the shot (i.e. when Tim and Luke walk away from Mollie to fly the owl - if I had decided to use a reflector, this may have interfered with this action). I also decided against using a reflector for scene 8 due to the overcast weather.

I ensured all the camera batteries were charged and the SD cards on both the Panasonic and Tascam were formatted so that I could get straight into setting up the camera with the correct settings and then proceed straight into the shooting process. I set up the camera whilst the director blocked through the scene with the actors. I then approved the shot with the director prior to beginning shooting to ensure mine and the director's visions were being fulfilled through the shot (this was a very simple process as I had already approved the shot list with the director). Some of the shots that I had planned to film needed to be slightly adapted in the shooting process as we realised these shots would not be achievable when put into practice - i.e. in my shot list I had planned which shots I would do the minor zooms on, however, it became apparent during filming that it made more sense for me to do these films when it felt appropriate (rather than sticking strictly to the shot list). I was able to make these developments as the director and actors blocked through the scene with the movements and dialogue a few times which gave me the opportunity to practice the camera shots and see which planned ones worked and which ones needed adapting.

As the ground in the woodland area for scene 11 was uneven, I had a runner spotting my movements to ensure I didn't trip and injure myself or damage the equipment. Although I hadn't planned to do any tracking shots (only stationary, zooming and panning shots) and therefore wouldn't be moving whilst filming, this was still a good precaution to take in case I lost my footing whilst moving between shots.

Scene 11

Before framing and exposing the scene, I ensured to white balance the camera by holding a white sheet of paper in front of the lens and pressing the white balance button - however, this produced a slightly warm toned image. I re-did the white balance until it produced an image closer to what could be seen by the human eye - it still didn't appear to be a perfect white balance but one that would be easily rectifiable in the post production process.

To make sure I captured all the footage required to portray the storyline I used the list I created from my shot list. However, I did not film the scene in chronological order due to the owl punch being the most complex part of the film (and therefore, the director made the decision to film direct this section of the scene first). As found in my research, it is not necessary to stick to the shot list during the production - the shot list is just a guideline for the shots to be captured. Therefore, when filming the owl punch scene, I captured more footage than I listed on my shot list to ensure there would be enough coverage to make this scene both realistic and carry a sense of urgency and panic. I made sure to capture a variety of angles for this to build up the tension and to also make the swap from using the real owl to using the fake owl as unrecognisable as possible to the audience. I decided to film all of the owl flying scenes on stationary shots due to the owl's movement being quite fast - I did attempt to film a medium panning shot of the owl flying, however, due to the owl's rapid pace I could not get a well-framed and well-focused shot of this.

The actual owl punch frame took multiple attempts to get correct as I had to ensure the fake owl was entering the frame in the same position as the real owl was flying towards Tim. Filming this frame was a matter of trial and error as it was impossible to tell where the fake owl would enter the frame until it had been thrown - however, the fact that we had tested this in a test shoot was incredibly helpful as I knew exactly how to frame up this shot in order to capture the most convincing punch (it was just a matter of throwing in the fake owl in the correct position). From the test shoot I knew I wanted quite a tight shot (whilst still capturing both Tim and Luke comfortably within the frame), therefore, I opted for a medium closeup so that Tim and Luke were well framed whilst ensuring the fake owl would be in shot for as little frames as possible. Using this medium closeup shot whilst filming in 4K will also allow me to crop this shot in the edit without losing any quality if I decide an even tighter shot is required.

Following the owl punch shots, I then filmed the rest of the scene in chronological order - this made sense in ensuring all necessary shots to portray the storyline were captured. In my shot list I had planned to capture two different shots of Mollie and the owl struggling to portray the idea that the owl was out of control - however, the director requested I film more than the planned medium and closeup shot to increase the amount of coverage so that the sense of panic is really emphasised. Whilst I think this sense of panic is achievable through the medium and closeup shot, I still captured the extra footage so that we have this as an option in the edit.

For the rest of the scene I followed my list made from my shot list which enabled me to capture all the required footage. I checked with the director whether he wanted any extra shots that would help to fulfil his creative vision for the piece, however, the only extra shots required were those with Mollie holding the owl. The producer checked my shot list to ensure all the footage that I had planned to capture was captured. This collaborative process ensured that we captured all necessary (and extra) footage required to make up the scene.

The settings I used for exposing this scene were; ISO 500 due to this proving to be a good ISO in the test shoots as it captures the least grain whilst retaining a good exposure, an aperture ranging between F/6.4 and F/7.6, a shutter speed ranging between 1/50 and 1/60 and ranging between using no ND filter and an ND filter of 1/4. As laid out in my director of photography statement, I am aiming for a natural yet cinematic look for VET-MAN. Keeping the aperture between F/6.4 and F/7.6 for this scene allows for a good exposure with a fair depth of field. I did not want to capture too deep a depth of field as this would make the product look too cinematic, therefore, in this scene I ensured not to opt for an aperture beyond F/6.4 as a wider aperture than this would cause the background to become more blurred with a deeper depth of field. The widest aperture I used was an aperture of F/6.4 when shooting the closeup of the owl taking off from Mollie's arm - whilst the background of this shot is blurred, it still retains the details (i.e. the audience can still discern the trees and metal cage in the background). However, shooting at a shutter speed of 1/60 made the footage look too underexposed without manipulating it. Therefore, I decided to change the shutter speed to a slower one of 1/50 - this worked in my favour in multiple ways. This slower shutter speed allowed for more light to enter the lens, thus increasing the exposure of the shot. On top of this, this shutter speed produced a slight motion blur due to the shutter being open for longer which meant the motion captured by the camera was accurate to that which is seen by the human eye. I then decided to keep this shutter speed similar for the whole scene - I also ensured to keep the shutter speed similar for the other scene filmed today and will ensure that a similar shutter speed is used throughout the rest of the filming process to ensure continuity between shots. Due to filming in a well lit yet shaded area, I opted for an ND filter of 1/4 to prevent an overexposed image - I didn't use an ND filter on the extreme closeup of the owl as this underexposed the shot so that the details in the background could not be seen - this would have made this shot look out of place with the rest of the correctly exposed images so I decided to turn off the ND filter. This showed me that whilst I may have been using an ND filter for the rest of the shots within a scene, this can differ between shots depending on the specifics of what you're capturing (especially when changing the frame size dramatically like I did in this scene as I changed from using mainly medium and medium closeup shots to an extreme closeup shot of the owl - so this called for quite different camera settings).

Scene 8

The other scene that we shot today was scene 8.

Like with scene 11, I used my shot list as a guideline of which shots needed to be captured in order to make up the storyline of the scene. The majority of the scene was filmed in chronological order, however, I needed to film the section with the owl eating the dead chick first as this needed the supervision of the owl experts. I only had one shot at this take as there was only one dead chick we could use (the other dead chicks were in the freezer so were not ready to be used) - to make sure I captured the shot perfectly in one take I practised the camera movement on the stationary owl. This meant that I did not get practice at filming the actual action itself prior to the actual take but I performed a very similar practice shot. Due to this, I was able to capture the intended shot well in one take.

The only other shots of the scene not filmed in order were the GVs of the owl academy and the establishing shot of Tim and Luke walking into the academy - these were filmed at the end of the shoot instead. The reason behind this was because all of the other action took place in one specific area, whilst these shots were further away from this area - therefore, it made more sense to film all of the footage shot in the same area first and then move further away for these shots. This worked well to ensure the shoot ran smoothly, however, the GVs and establishing shot are noticeably darker than the other shots within the scene due to the sun setting and the location getting darker but this will be rectifiable in the edit.

The rest of the scene was then filmed in order of how it appears in the story. To make the filming process as smooth as possible I filmed Mollie's medium closeup first with the minor zooms where I felt appropriate rather than where originally planned in the shot list (as I worked out where felt most natural with the delivery of the dialogue during the time in which the director blocked and rehearsed with the actors). I filmed multiple takes of this medium closeup single to ensure the zooms were in exactly the correct position in order to have the greatest effect on emphasising the humour within the dialogue. I then filmed Tim and Luke's two shot, again filming multiple takes of this to make sure the zooms emphasised the dialogue as intended. I followed this same technique with filming Luke's closeup single and Tim's closeup single. Although this was very repetitive, it allowed me to capture all the necessary footage (and extra) so that we have a lot of coverage to work with in the edit.

The settings I used for exposing this scene were; ISO 500, an aperture ranging between F/6.3 and F/7.4, a shutter speed ranging between 1/48 and 1/50 and ranging from using no ND filter to using an ND filter of 1/4. For the shots facing into the bright sky (even though it was overcast the sky still appeared a bright white colour) I used an exposure of F/7.4 as this slightly narrower aperture (than the rest of the scene) reduced the exposure of the scene to make sure the highlights in the footage were not overexposed. I also used an ND filter of 1/4 for these shots (and all of the other shots except the closeup of the owl within its enclosure) which also helped to bring down the exposure. These settings enabled me to capture a correctly exposed image which allowed all the details within the highlights, midtones and shadows of the footage to be discerned by the audience. For the footage shot facing away from the bright sky (Mollie's medium closeup and the owl's closeup) I used slightly wider apertures of F/6.7 and F/6.4 as I did not need to worry about overexposing the sky as the sky is not visible in these shots. As the image of the owl was taken within the owl enclosure, I did not use an ND filter as this portion of the location was already sheltered slightly from the natural light so an ND filter was not necessary in order to reduce the exposure of the scene as less natural light was entering. I also used a wider aperture of F/6.3 in the later shots to compensate for the reduction in natural light as this allows more light to enter the lens and, therefore, increase the exposure of the shot. I kept the shutter speed between 1/48 and 1/50 as this is a similar shutter speed to that used in the earlier scene so continuity between the scenes is kept by keeping the same amount of motion blur between the shots. Overall, these camera settings allowed for the best exposed shots where all elements can be distinguished from one another which will allow for a better and more accurate colour grade in the edit and, therefore, increase the overall visual quality of the product.

What went well

- The owls were easy to work with, allowing me to capture all the necessary shots to make up the plot. As we had the owl experts on hand, they were able to show the actors how to properly handle the owls and how to get them to behave in the desired way. This meant the actors could control the owl in their positions which allowed me to get the camera focused up on the actors and owl where the action would be taking place (as opposed to the experts having to interfere which would making focusing up the frame in the right location a lot more difficult.)

- The owl punch looks convincing - this is important in delivering the humour within the scene. In order to make sure the punch looked convincing, I took several takes of this section of the scene with the fake owl being thrown from different angles until we had a take that matched up with the movement of the real owl. I also ensured to keep the frame size slightly wider than I ideally wanted as I did not want to miss any of the action - I can always crop in the footage in the edit due to filming in 4K but I cannot extend the frame if I had missed some of the action.

- All the footage in scene 11 is correctly exposed allowing for a good colour grade during the post production process. All of the footage in scene 8 is correctly exposed, however, some shots appear darker due to the sun setting on location. Capturing this correct exposure allows for the most scope for manipulation during the edit which will result in the best quality product as possible.

- Due to filming in 4K, any footage that I feel needs to be on a tighter shot when it comes to the edit can be cropped without losing any quality. This is something I found through my research in the pre-production unit - whilst most screens do not display 4K footage at its full capacity (instead showing the footage in full HD 1080p), filming in 4K is still a good idea as it allows for more manipulation due to the higher resolution and it future proofs the project - the project can always be downsized from 4K but the opposite cannot be done.

What didn't go well

- In some shots it is not apparent what take it says on the clapper board, making it difficult to sync the visual and audio footage in the edit. This isn't so much an issue with the footage as all the shots are correctly exposed and capture all the action and dialogue - however, it will make the edit slightly longer as it will take more time to figure out which piece of audio goes with which video clip and it will also take longer to sync it properly as the clapper part of the board is cut out of shot.

- The colour temperature of the footage appears quite orange despite being white balanced correctly. This is not a huge issue as I can cool the colour temperature in the edit - and once colour graded, this footage will match in perfectly with the rest of the production. As all the footage is correctly exposed, all the colour can be easily manipulated as all the details of the footage can be seen in the highlights, midtones and shadows - therefore, meaning no quality will be lost with the colour manipulation.

- The focus on Mollie's medium closeup shot is slightly soft in focus, however, when shooting I did not think this would be an issue as I filmed multiple good takes on Mollie's medium closeup. Although, now that I have reviewed the footage, there is movement from the owl in the cage behind Mollie in the other takes which distract the audience from her dialogue, making the slightly softly focused take the preferable take. This is not a huge issue as this scene is made up of multiple camera angles so I can ensure to use this angle the least in the edit, however, it would have been even better if the shot was properly focused. To make sure this doesn't happen in future, I will use the focus assist tool which outlines the elements of the footage in focus in red which will ensure I can tell whether the shot is in focus or not.

- The sun was setting as I was filming the establishing shot of Tim and Luke walking towards the enclosures and the GVs of the owls for scene 8 which means these shots looking slightly darker and less saturated than the rest of the footage for the scene - this, however, is not an issue as this can be rectified in the post production process in order to make the colours of this footage match those in the rest of the footage. I have shown below how the footage can be graded in order to make sure it looks in place with the rest of the footage.

MAJOR-PROJECT UNIT: Developing the Shot List and Storyboard

Like in the pre-production unit, I used the script to produce a shot list and storyboard to guide myself in what needed to be shot during the shoot to make up the narrative of each scene. However, in the pre-production unit, I only had the latest version of the script to work off at that time (not the final product). This time, I had the final script to work off which made this shot list and storyboard a lot more useful as it will guide exactly what is to be shot to convey the exact narrative of the script.

As found in my research in both this unit and the pre-production unit, storyboards are a useful tool as they act as a timeline of events from top to bottom. This helps in visualising the narrative so that all major shots can be thought of in order to convey the storyline of the script in the most effective way.

Through my research, I found that "the storyboard helps bring out ideas and find trouble spots in your scenes". [1] I found the majority of the storyboard simple to put together as I could clearly visualise how each of the scenes in the script needed to be portrayed in order to form the narrative of the production. However, I struggled when it came to scene 4 as I couldn't visualise how I would film all the movement within the scene. Firstly, I needed to film Tim moving the dog from the road to the van in such a way that the dog is not seen. I also needed to film Luke opening up the van for Tim and fumbling around for Tim's tools. I needed to film all of this in such a way that it was clear that Tim was working on the dog in the van but also capturing Tim and Luke's facial expressions and reactions. To overcome visualising this difficult scene, I sat down with the director and brainstormed ways that the action within the scene could be captured to give the best result. We discovered that I could film the majority of the scene from sat inside the van pointing out at the characters (an option I hadn't thought of prior to beginning the storyboard and sitting down with the director to discuss options). This shows how the storyboard can be used to find problematic or complex sections of the production to film and rectify them before entering the production stage. Finding these problems and solving them prior to filming them helps to make the production process a lot smoother as I won't be trying to solve these problems on the spot with the actors present. If I hadn't made this storyboard, I would end up encountering these problems on set and having to rectify them on the spot which could result in a lower quality product as the optimum shots to convey the narrative of the scenes may not end up being used as I may not have thought of them if it were not for the process of producing the storyboard.

The storyboard makes the production process a lot smoother as all the different shots and the details of how to shoot these shots (i.e. the camera movement involved etc.) have all been considered prior to the production. The storyboard also makes the creation of a shot list a lot more simple. The scenes within the script may call for multiple camera angles and shooting these in a linear order is not the most practical or effective way to shoot. The storyboard allows you to visualise these shots which can then be grouped together in the shot list to make an efficient shooting schedule. The advice I found in my research suggested to "prepare the list by looking through a scene's storyboard and noticing which frames can be captured during the same setup". [1] I took on this advice and created my shot list based on the frames drawn in my storyboard - at the end of each scene's shot list, I then compiled a list of the different shots that needed to be captured to make up the narrative so that I could shoot the scenes from one type of shot / angle at a time to prevent constantly changing the camera and lighting setup unnecessarily.

As my shot list and storyboard are very detailed, I was unsure whether I would need both on set with me as I shoot the project as this could over complicate the shooting process. I decided to refer back to my research in which I contacted DOP and editor Tom Baker for his guidance and advice. When asked his opinion on using storyboards and shot lists, he said the following:

"Most of the time the storyboard (if you use one at all) is a guide or help sell the idea to the client. But the idea and shots always develop from there. Shot list is invaluable and one of the most important things. If you don't have a shot list, you forget ideas and key narrative shots to shoot." [Baker, 2019] [2]

From this, I decided to prioritise using the shot list on the shoot days as this details what exactly needs to be shot in a logical filming order. In my shot list, I created both a detailed list which outlined every single shot in detail in chronological order according to the narrative and a simplified list which outlined each type of shot to be captured in a logical filming order (which would then be cut between in the edit to fulfil the order of the more detailed shot list). On the shoot days, I will use the simplified list as this outline everything that needs to be captured to fulfil the more detailed list - I will use this as my guide and check off the shots as they are captured to prevent overlooking any important shots to the narrative.

Further to being useful to me, the shot list is also useful to the producer as this will help to schedule the shoot days. The shot list outlines how much needs to be captured in every scene - this will help the producer work out how long each scene will take to film and, therefore, when it should be scheduled to be shot.

Below is my storyboard. Like with my storyboard in the pre-production unit, I read through the script and picked out which actions were required to convey the narrative of each scene. During dialogue scenes I had to ensure that both action and reaction shots were accounted for. I also had to consider who the audience are most interested in within the scene i.e. for the most part, VET-MAN revolves around Tim and his actions so most of the shots should communicate this and convey this as the focus. However, in scenes such as scene 11, at the beginning of the scene where the owl is behaving frantically, this is the main action within this section of the scene, so the shots need to communicate this fact. I followed this principle throughout the process of creating the shot list, considering what the most important aspect of each shot needed to be in order to work out what shots needed to be conveyed to visually build the narrative of the production.

At the beginning of each scene, the location and lighting set up / equipment is specified as this informs the visuals and atmosphere of each scene. Then for each shot it shows a sketch of what is to be expected within the shot, the shot type, framing, camera movement and character actions /dialogue involved within the shot. The storyboard gives a clear idea of the plot and action to show how VET-MAN will be captured through the cinematography.




Below is my shot list. The shot list gives an objective list of the shot types, framing, movement and description of the contents of the shot. Like with the storyboard, at the beginning of the scene, the location and lighting set up / equipment is specified so that the crew members know exactly what is required for each scene so that the production can run as smoothly as possible. This is important as these aspects inform the visuals and atmosphere of each scene which in turn affect the shots which are subsequently listed. Listing the equipment on the shot list also helps with the scheduling of the production as all the information about how to shoot each scene is included - the amount of equipment involved affects how long it takes to set up each scene and, therefore, affects the overall time it will take to shoot each scene. This will help the producer in scheduling as she will be able to work out how long each scene will take to film and then allocate the appropriate amount of time to filming each scene in the shoot days.

As well as including the detailed shot list, I also created a simplified shot list based off of this more detailed version. This simplified shot list outlines all the different angles that are needed to make up each scene which works to make the shoot days more efficient as I will shoot the scene from each angle one at a time so that I am not having to change the camera and lighting set up between every shot (like I would need to if I were to shoot it in chronological order like the detailed shot list suggests).



Sources:

[1] https://www.videomaker.com/article/c18/14584-the-perfect-plan-storyboard-and-shot-list-creation

[2] Baker, Tom (2019) [Interview by email, 30th January 2019]

MAJOR-PROJECT UNIT: (Research) Shot Lists and Storyboards

To expand on the research I undertook in the pre-production unit which mainly focused on the types of storyboards that existed, I decided to look further into the area and focus on the practical uses of storyboards and WHY they are so helpful on shoots. I decided against looking further into the types of storyboard as this research in the pre-production unit helped me to produce my initial storyboard which I found helpful and informative. Therefore, I am going to be using the same style of storyboard but this time based on the final version of the script.

Why are storyboards and shot lists useful / used on set ?

"Storyboards will help you visualise your film and determine the shots you need before you ever set foot on set" [1]

The storyboard acts as a planning tool as it details all the major shots, angles and actions that are outlined in the script. This helps to turn the script from a written idea into a visually composed narrative. Producing a storyboard with all the necessary shots for the narrative also helps to ensure you know how your shots work together which prevents any surprises when it comes to the edit (and realising that certain shots don't work together because you didn't map them out beforehand). Creating a storyboard helps to outline what sort of coverage is needed to ensure everything will be there and will work in the post-production element of the project. The storyboard also helps to point out any trouble spots in the scenes so that these can be worked through before the project goes into production.

The main purpose of the storyboard is to visualise the shots needed to compose the film - "the storyboard is important because it allows the director and cinematographer to visualise the shot and agree on where the camera goes". [2] This means it is a useful tool for both the director of photography and the director as it can be used to decide where the camera needs to be positioned in relation to the actors within the blocking of the scene so that the desired shots can be captured. This shows how the storyboard can be used as a communication tool between the members of the production team as it can be used as a clear display for both myself and the director to refer to in order to work out camera positioning within scenes.

Further to this, the storyboard helps to inform the shot list. The storyboard is a lot more time consuming and complex to create than the shot list as the process of visualising how the narrative will pan out from analysing the script is a difficult process. When creating the storyboard the elements to be considered are; [3]

- The rule of thirds - the characters should be drawn within the correct positions to accurately show where they will be shown within frame. The rule of thirds applies when filming so the storyboard should reflect this. If a character is supposed to be on the right of frame, they should appear on the line of the right third. If a character is supposed to be in the centre of the frame, they should appear in the centre third. If a character is supposed to be on the left of frame, they should appear on the line of the left third. This helps to accurately display framing and positioning within the shot.

- Foreground, middle ground and background - simpler storyboards tend to focus on the foreground but more complex storyboards can involve all of the above. These should be distinguished between with the use of shading or with abbreviated labelling (FGD, MGD & BGD).

- Shot angles - the storyboard will be made up of different types of shots. These should be clearly displayed in the drawings (i.e. close up shot types should appear to fill the frame more than medium shot types). Commonly used shots are; closeup, extreme closeup, establishing shot, long shot, medium shot, over the shoulder shot, panning shot, tracking shot, zoom shot. These are detailed alongside the pictures in the storyboard.

- What is the story about? - this decides what the shots should include and what action they are required to capture to make up the narrative. The storyboard artist should always consider the storyline to ensure this is being conveyed through the chosen shots.

- Who are the characters and what is their motivation? - their motivation dictates the blocking and framing

Once these have been considered, it should be easier to create the storyboard as the key elements to portray within the script should stand out. These key elements should then be taken and broken into the shots that are required to convey the necessary action and reactions. I will consider this when I create my storyboard. I have the advantage of having already created a storyboard in the pre-production unit which has allowed me to see what works in terms of visually conveying the narrative. I will use this to help create the updated storyboard - I am completely re-doing the storyboard as a lot of the content of the scenes has changed and, therefore, requires different shots to convey the new actions and reactions involved within the shots. This shows how any updates need to be analysed as this will call for different shot types to be used.

After the storyboard has been put together, the shot list can be formed. The shot list compiles all the details of the shots from the storyboard into a simplified list which outlines the shots that will need to be captured. The shot list forms a more objective list of what needs to be captured, rather than a visual representation.

As well as conducting this research, I have some research from my interview with DOP and editor Tom Baker who provided some advice in relation to storyboards and shot lists. The advice he gave was:

"Most of the time the storyboard (if you use one at all) is a guide or help sell the idea to the client. But the idea and shots always develop from there. Shot list is invaluable and one of the most important things. If you don't have a shot list, you forget ideas and key narrative shots to shoot." [Baker, 2019] [4]

This shows the importance of creating a shot list from your storyboard. The shot list guides you through the shoot and acts as a checklist of shots required to fulfil the narrative - without the shot list, important shots may be missed and, therefore, the narrative won't be conveyed as effectively.


Sources:

[1] https://www.videomaker.com/article/c18/14584-the-perfect-plan-storyboard-and-shot-list-creation

[2] http://www.elementsofcinema.com/cinematography/shot-list/

[3] Hart, J (2007) The Art of the Storyboard : A Filmmaker's IntroductionNew York: Taylor & Francis Group

[4] Baker, Tom (2019) [Interview by email, 30th January 2019]

MAJOR-PROJECT UNIT: Additional Location Mapping

In the pre-production unit, I created location maps for each location involved in the production of VET-MAN so that I could determine where the natural light would be coming from in each scene (due to my plan of filming each daytime scene with the natural light).

Since the pre-production unit, another location has been added so I made an additional location map for this location:

Dog Hit Location

This location is used for scenes 3, 4 and 6. The location is naturally well lit from all directions, therefore, the only consideration to make is where to position the van and characters and at what time of day to prevent the sunlight posing an issue. Ideally, we would like to position the van opposite the church so that the characters are stood against the houses to allow for less continuity errors (as the church is popular among locals so could possibly have more movement going on which could disrupt the shots). However, as we plan to film this scene in the morning / midday, the camera would be pointed towards the south-east direction which would mean the sunlight would be directly entering the lens which could silhouette the characters. I will see what the weather is meant to be like closer to the time of the shoot as if the weather is due to be overcast, this will not pose an issue. However, if it is supposed to be sunny, it would be better to position the cast and van against the church on the opposite side of the road as the camera would then be pointing more in the north direction (away from the direct sunlight).

Producing these location maps has proved to be helpful in deciding where to position the cast and van as the direction of the sunlight greatly impacts the look of the shot and the visual quality of the production. This is something I found through my research into DOP and editor Tom Baker - knowing the lighting of the location and mapping the scene in accordance with where the sun will be hitting the scene helps to work out what time of day and which position within the location to film the scene to get the best visual result. 

In the pre-production unit, I also researched the sunrise and sunset times for each shoot day so that I could make the most of the natural light available on each day - this helped the producer to schedule the shoot days so that each scene could be filmed at the optimum time to give the best visual results.

Below are the daylight times and when the scenes are scheduled to be shot:

6th February 2019 - Sunrise: 07:27 - Sunset: 16:56 - Daylight Time: 09:29 hours

Owl Academy

Filming scenes; 8 & 11.

The call time is 8 and the wrap time is 4.

The producer scheduled to film scene 11 first due to this being the more complex scene of the two to film and the fact that this scene will be shot in a shaded area so will not be affected by direct sunlight which has the potential to cause harsh light and shadows to fall on the characters which creates a less desirable exposure. Scene 8 will then be filmed in the afternoon when the sun is positioned slightly west as it will be on the way to setting. This works well for scene 8 as the location is well-lit from the west at this time (due to there being little to obstruct the sun in this area of the location) - and as I will be filming facing away from the west (i.e. the light for the west will be directly illuminating the characters in a soft way as the sun will be setting) this will provide the best lighting conditions for the scene. I will bring the reflector to reflect light back onto the characters if it appears that the scenes need it.


7th February 2019 - Sunrise: 07:26 - Sunset: 16:58 - Daylight Time: 09:32 hours

Owl Academy Car Park and Owl Academy (at night)

Filming scenes; 7, 9 & 10

The call time is 8 and the wrap time is 7.

Scene 7 and 9 are both set in the owl academy car park. These will be filmed first as the other scene to be filmed this day is the night scene which requires darkness and so will be filmed after the sun sets at 16:58. The owl academy car park is in an area shaded by dense trees and, therefore, the sun will not interfere with the camera positioning too much as it should not matter which direction I film in. I will bring the reflector to bounce light back onto the characters, however, due to the shaded environment, I do not think this will add anything to the scene. The night scene will be artificially lit once darkness falls so the method in which the scene is shot and the positioning of the camera is not dependent on where the natural light enters the scene.

18th February 2019 - Sunrise: 07:06 - Sunset: 17:18 - Daylight Time: 10:12 hours

Sheila's House and Dog Hit Location

Filming scenes; 3, 4, 5 & 6

The call time is 8 and the wrap time is 4.

The producer has scheduled scene 5 to be filmed first which takes place at Sheila's house. Sheila's doorway is north-west-north facing meaning that it will be in full sun in the afternoon when the sun begins to set which I had originally thought would be the best time to film. However, having reviewed this, it makes more sense to film this in the morning before the sun directly shines on this area of the location to avoid too harsh lighting conditions which may lead to overexposure. Following this, scene 4 is the nest scheduled scene to be filmed at this is the most complex scene of the shoot day. These scenes are filmed in the 'dog hit location'. The light will be shining on the scene from all directions but will be strongest and most direct on the actors from the south-east direction. As the location is naturally lit from all directions, there is no best time of day to film these scenes - instead the positioning of the actors and van will be affected. I will check the weather closer to the shoot day (so that the accurate forecast can be accounted for) - if it is overcast, these scenes can be positioned anywhere within the location. If it is due to be sunny, the scenes will need to be positioned against the north-west (facing the lighting coming from the south-east so that the characters and van are not silhouetted and are instead lit well from this natural light). I will bring the reflector with me to bounce back light onto the characters if the shots prove that this is necessary to illuminate the scenes further.

19th February 2019 - Sunrise: 07:04 - Sunset: 17:20 - Daylight Time: 10:16 hours

Pub and Pub Car Park

Filming scenes; 12 & 13

The call time is 8 and the wrap time is 4.

The producer has scheduled scene 12 to be filmed first and scene 13 to be filmed second due to only having access to the interior pub setting for the earlier portion of the day. As the pub is a dull location with little natural light entering through the windows, the scene will be artificially lit as outlined in the test shoots, shot list and storyboard. The scene will be lit by two aputure LED lights, one on a high setting (80) and the other on a medium setting (60), both set to a warm colour temperature (5000k) to mimic the practical lighting in the pub. The exterior pub scene in the car park will be filmed in the afternoon with the natural light coming from the west. This light will be softer due to the sun being on its way to setting. I will ensure I communicate with the director so that the characters and van are positioned so that this natural light can illuminate them well. I will need to ensure that the characters and van are not positioned against the light coming from the west as this would silhouette the characters and produce lower quality visuals.

21st February 2019 - Sunrise: 07:00 - Sunset: 17:23 - Daylight Time: 10:23 hours

Tess' House

Filming scene 1

The call time is 8 and the wrap time is 4.

The producer has scheduled scene 1 to be filmed on this day. As Tess' house is due to be dark with the curtains closed, the natural light does not impact how this scene is filmed due to it all being filmed in a dark atmosphere. The scene is only lit after Tess' entry where she flicks on a light switch - the scene is then lit by this practical lighting of the room. Although, to avoid grainy footage, the scene will still need to be somewhat lit so that the correct exposure can be captured (and then the desired dull effect can be achieved in post production). The curtains for the south east facing double doors will be left open to allow a little natural light in the room - meaning it makes most sense to film this scene in the morning as the light will be shining through these double doors at this time - therefore, this scene will be filed in the morning.

22nd February 2019 - Sunrise: 06:58 - Sunset: 17:25 - Daylight Time: 10:27 hours

The Alleyway / Van Pick-up

Filming scene 2

The call time is 8 and the wrap time is 4.

The producer has scheduled scene 2 to be filmed on this day. As the natural light enters this location from every direction without obstruction, the time at which this scene is filmed does not affect the shoot too much as the scene can be filmed at any time. The location is south facing and is not blocked from light in any direction. This scene will be filmed in the morning to allow the most time to film the scene - this will mean that the characters and the van should not be placed against the east as this is where the sun will be entering the scene.

The times for the sunrise and sunset were found on timeanddate.com - looking specifically at the Maidstone area.


https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/uk/maidstone?month=2&year=2019

MAJOR-PROJECT UNIT: (Research) Being a DOP and Editor

In order to get a better understanding of my role as both Director Of Photography and co-editor of the project, I decided to contact a professional who also takes on both roles.

Tom Baker is a DOP and editor - below I have briefly looked at one of the projects he worked on - an advertising campaign for Top Score called We Are Nambian. I would have analysed a short film he had worked on as this would have been closer to the style of our production, however, he has not yet worked as both and editor and DOP on these projects - therefore, I decided to look at this advertisement as he took on both roles, thus I can observe how he took on these roles to produce the finished result. As this production is a different style to our production, I focused my research on contacting him rather than on the specific production as I feel he can offer more guidance through contacting him than I can gain through just looking at his work.

We Are Nambian

The premise of this campaign was to highlight the happiness and togetherness present in the Nambian community which is enhanced by the product Top Score. Therefore, the shots used reflect this and convey the sense of happiness and community that the advert is highlighting.

The way Tom creates this atmosphere are as follows:

- The colours captured within the shots are all bright and saturated which connotes happiness and joyfulness. This is achieved through planning the shots and knowing the lighting directions of the locations in order to maximise the colours / tone captured as well as the colour correction and colour grade which enhances the bright colours within the shots.

- The shots have a constant movement to them (tracking, zooming, panning etc.) which helps the shots to have a faster pace which gives the piece more energy. This is enhanced by the editing which is also fast paced and inserts text with a slight glitch effect which, again, adds to the high energy of the piece.

- It can be seen that thorough planning has gone into the locations and lighting as the light is utilised in a perfect way in each shot - this means Tom would have had to plan for each location and work out when the light would be entering the scene and from which direction so that he could structure shoot days around these facts. This allows for maximisation of the light and enhancing the effect it gives.

- The shots that track / zoom in also pull in the audience and draw their focus in - this helps them to engage with the product and engage with the feel that the product gives off (in this case, a happy and joyful feel) which makes them connect more - this allows the campaign to have the maximum impact on the audience. VET-MAN will use a similar technique of using zooms to draw in the audience to ensure their focus is on specific elements - this will work to capture the audience's attention and make them connect more with the product which will hopefully enhance the comedic elements.

- Whilst the colours are bright and saturated (and enhanced through colour correction and colour grading), a natural warmth is captured within the piece which helps to suggest that this happiness and joyfulness is a natural occurrence within the community - this natural feel also helps the audience to engage more as they feel as if they are watching normal behaviour and want to be a part of this joyful community. This natural feel is maintained through not over-exaggerating colours - so the colours are saturated to a level where they are bold and bright to convey the sense of happiness, but they are not too contrasted which helps the shots to look natural (almost as if they have not been manipulated at all) which helps the audience to perceive the shots as natural. I will use a similar technique in VET-MAN - I want the product to look natural yet cinematic so I will add cinematic elements such as the orange and teal LUT but use it at a low intensity to ensure the production still feels natural - this will allow the audience to engage more with the product as it will feel natural and observational whilst having a slightly higher visual quality.

From looking at this product, I was able to see how certain shots and planning work to create specific moods and atmospheres. Whilst this isn't directly comparable to the production of VET-MAN, it has highlighted how doing things such as planning how the light will affect the scene makes an impact to how the shot is captured and then, in turn, received by the audience.

As Tom Baker was both the DOP and editor on this production, he planned the shots, captured them and then worked them in the edit - so he had a lot of creative control over how the end result would appear. As I will be working as both of these roles within the production of VET-MAN, I decided to contact Tom Baker and ask for his opinions and guidance on taking on both of the roles - this will allow me to perform better in both roles.

What advantages and disadvantages are there to taking on both roles of DOP and editor?

Biggest thing is you care more. If you know you're going to be in the edit for a long time, and you're ultimately presenting to a client, on the shoot you will work harder. I find I'm even more motivated to get the shots because I want them in the edit to make the film better. Also, as you mentioned, you shoot for the edit - I like to shoot textures and quirky shots that aren't necessarily on the shot list. This gives me some unconventional variety to work with in the edit.

The big disadvantage is that sometimes you can be too close to the footage, know too much. It's important to transition from DOP to editor, which means to change mindset. It's easy to fall in love with shots etc if you've been on the shoot. Lastly, an editor can look in every direction, up, down, left, right, behind. If you've been on set, you don't necessarily think so clearly.

Would you say being the DOP influences how you edit the piece?

Yes but it shouldn't. The two roles need to be completely separate.

What kind of relationship did you have with the director during your projects i.e. were you given strict instructions or was there an element of creative flexibility?

Very close relationship. Sharing and collaborating ideas. The more you work with a director, the more you understand what they like and what you can experiment with. What is great about being a DOP is that even in the edit, you can still run outside and shoot more during post if you need it! There should be nothing stopping you from making the best films possible.

What advice would you give to someone acting as both the DOP and editor of a project?

Take time to be great at both crafts. It's not worth being a DOP and an editor if you're going to be average at both.

How closely do you stick to a storyboard / shot list when shooting a project? And how useful is the storyboard / shot list during the edit?

Most of the time the storyboard (if you use one at all) is a guide or help sell the idea to the client. But the idea and shots always develop from there. Shot list is invaluable and one of the most important things. If you don't have a shot list, you forget ideas and key narrative shots to shoot.

What have I learnt?

- Communication with the director is key as this allows for the sharing and collaboration of ideas which will produce the best end product with everyone in the production team being left satisfied with the product.

- Be flexible with the footage that is shot. As DOP, I will have a connection to the footage as I would have shot it all and, therefore, would have a personal preference towards certain clips. However, these clips may not convey the narrative as well as other clips - I will need to objectively look at the footage as the editor and choose the clips that convey the narrative and comedy well (instead of using a clip I am specifically attached to).

- However, I have also learnt that as DOP, being close to the images can be a good thing as I will remember which shots captured the scenes better - I will also be open to capturing extra footage on the shoot days if I feel these would benefit the edit. As my role doesn't end at being DOP and just with the shots captured on the day, I have more attachment to the project as a whole and will be considering what I can do in each role to benefit what I need to do in the other role. (i.e. as DOP I will be looking for additional shots which can be inserted in the edit that I may not have thought of when planning the shoots).

- I have also learnt that I will need to distance myself from the other role when I am taking on one of the roles. When I am being DOP, I will need to focus on this role and what this role encompasses (i.e. the visuals, colours, shot types etc) and not think about what I'll specifically be doing in the edit. The same applies when I am acting as the editor.