DIRECTIONS UNIT: Shooting 'Love Actually' - Issues and changes

Although I had thoroughly planned out my shoot, I still came across some slight issues on shoot day.

Issue 1: The Sound

I had booked out the Tascam Kit to use with my DSLR camera. However, my actress was unable to provide her own transport to my location so instead of picking up the sound equipment, I had to prioritise and pick up my actress instead. This meant that instead of using the Tascam Kit, I had to use a Rode Mic attached to the top of the DSLR. Although this was better than using the built in microphone on the DSLR, the sound quality was still not great. In future I will make sure picking up my equipment and my actors don't clash.

Issue 2: The Camera Angle

We set up the camera how I had planned, however, it looked slightly odd when the actors were acting out the scene. There was a large space on the right hand side of the screen where no action was occurring. Furthermore, when the actress turned her head in order to carry out the dialogue with the actor, her face was completely turned away from the camera. I decided to make the camera more central and also move it slightly higher up on the tripod. This ensured that the action was the main focus of the frame, both actors' faces could be seen and that the actors heads weren't getting slightly cut off when they moved around in the frame.

Issue 3: The movement of the actress to retrieve the DVD

Due to testing out the action and the shots before the day of the shoot, I knew that capturing this footage would be difficult to get right. I needed the actress to walk over to the DVD collection, pick one out and then hold it up and say a line of dialogue. Getting the shot for this was tricky as from one angle the actress would have her back to the camera, from another angle she would be blocking the actor and in another angle she would be speaking away from the camera and microphone.

The final image of these four images was the one I finally picked. I resolved the issue by making the other actor move slightly as she turned around with the disc in her hand. I also directed the actress slightly differently so that she turned further around - this meant she was not facing away from the camera.

Issue 4: Juliet running up behind Mark

The final part of the scene at Juliet's doorway involves Juliet running up behind Mark to give him a kiss / hug. I decided to film this from the angle facing the doorway so that we could see Juliet's approach. However, this made it look awkward and unnatural. I hadn't actually thought of filming it from the other direction which probably would have made the scene look more natural and give a better look than the idea I settled with. Instead, I decided to leave Juliet at the doorway and shout after Mark. Although the shout works better than the awkward run, it still didn't have the intended effect. Juliet doesn't sound as sympathetic towards him and Mark looks like he's just ignoring her instead of deciding to move on from her.

I managed to resolve most of these issues except from the sound issue. It is important to either use a boom pole or a tascam kit in order to record the sound as this captures much clearer, better quality dialogue. The sound captured by the Rode Mic in my piece is lower quality than I hoped for, meaning there is some noise / static and some echoes of the characters' dialogue. Using better sound equipment next time would improve this, therefore I will learn from this and make collecting sound equipment a priority in my scheduling.

DIRECTIONS UNIT: Shooting 'Love Actually'

After weeks of planning, I shot my re creation of Love Actually on the 13th February.

Everything had been thoroughly planned out in order to make the day run as smoothly as possible.

8:30 am - I picked up my actress from her house and drove her back to the location.

9:30 am - My crew (Alex Hargood) turned up on time.

9:40 am - I gave my actress her first costume (a white bardot top, a flower headband and a veil) to get changed into ready for the shoot of the wedding video. We then started to film the first clips for the wedding video. The majority of these were shot in the back garden of my house, however, a few of them were shot just in front of the church in my local area. This took about 45 minutes - 1 hour to film.

10: 30 am - We finished shooting the clips for the wedding video. I then gave my actress her second costume (a red top with flower embroidery, a red jacket and jeans) to get changed into ready for the first scene. Whilst we waited for the other actor to turn up, I ran through the script with her and blocked out her movements with her. My actress was very nervous, however, as the day progressed she became more relaxed and comfortable in the role.

11:00 am - My actor showed up on time, ready in his outfit for the first scene (a big jumper and jeans). I then introduced him to the actress and had a 5-10 minute chat with both of them so that a calm and comfortable atmosphere was created.

11:20 am - I then ran through the script with the actor and blocked out his movements with him. This was fairly straight forward due to the markings I had put on the floor to show their positions. I had also sent my actors the screenplay for the shoot a week prior to shooting so that they were already familiar with their lines.

11:30 am - I then decided to run through the whole scene with the actors so that they were comfortable and confident with what they needed to do before we started filming. I also showed them where I would be standing as the director and where the crew, camera and microphone would be. This just helped to familiarise the actors with the set.

11:50 am - We were then ready to shoot the first take of the first scene. However, once we shot this, we realised the camera could have been positioned slightly differently in order to get the optimum coverage of the scene.

12:00 pm - We then set up the camera slightly higher on the tripod, this gave a much better look as 'Juliet's' head was not cut off when she moved closer to the chair to sit down. We then shot the second take of the first scene. This visually looked better than the first scene, however, the actors made a few errors in their dialogue (errors which could not be fixed without reshooting).

12:10 pm - We then decided to go in for the third take. This take again had errors in dialogue so we reshot it again.

12:20 pm - On the fourth take we finally got the shot with all the correct dialogue.

12:50 pm - We then decided to move on to getting all the other coverage for the shoot. This other coverage included; both the characters' entrances to the scene, medium / close up shots for both of the characters during the scene, another wide angle shot for the whole scene, close up of the DVD collection and an overhead shot of putting the DVD into the DVD player.

13:20 pm - We then decided to break for some food. We also took this time to get to know each other better, this really helped the second half of the shoot to flow better as we were all a lot more comfortable around each other - this meant the performances from the actors was a lot more natural which gave a better overall look.

13:50 pm - We then decided to get straight back into shooting. I gave the actress her third outfit (a red jumper and jeans) for her to get changed into for the scene at the door. The actor just wore the same outfit as the first scene but with a coat over the top.

14:00 pm - We then set up the camera on the tripod at the same height as the actors. We then also put a dead cat windshield on the microphone in order to prevent the wind interfering with the sound too much. We then decided to start shooting the first take of the second scene. I decided to shoot it all with the camera facing 'Mark' first. This only took a few takes due to the scene having no dialogue whatsoever for the actor. I decided to get the scene in a variety of different shot sizes.

14:20 pm - After getting all the footage facing 'Mark', I then decided to get all the footage of 'Juliet'. Again this was really simple due to her only having a couple of lines of dialogue. I decided to get the footage in a variety of different shot sizes as well.

14:35 pm - We ran into a little bit of a problem when it came to 'Juliet' running up behind 'Mark' at the end of the scene. Whichever way we shot it, it looked awkward and unnatural. Therefore, we decided to change the ending slightly and just have her saying "wait" at the door.

14:45 pm - Before letting the actors go, I decided to go over the footage to check that I had everything that I needed. I decided that I needed a little bit more footage at the door.

15:00 pm - After getting the extra footage, I decided to wrap the shoot.

After reviewing all the footage properly at the end of the day, I realised that the quality of the sound in my production was not as good as it could have been. However, I assumed this would be the case as I was unable to get another person to be my sound operator so I had to make do with a rode microphone on top of a DSLR. In future, I will make sure my crew are secured so that I do not run into the same issue.

DIRECTIONS UNIT: Preparing for shoot day / testing ideas

After breaking down my script, storyboarding my scenes, creating a shot list and blocking out my scenes, I decided to prepare for the actual shoot day itself.

I started by making a call sheet for my actors. Here's a copy:

I sent these to the actors 5 days before the shoot along with my new adapted screenplay. I then kept in contact with the actors so that they were secured for the shoot.

I then arranged travel with the actors. After finding out their locations, I recommended the best travel option for them and discussed the rough price of their travel so this could be sorted out.

Finally, a couple nights before my shoot, I decided to try out my camera angles with my family. This enabled me to see whether the shots that I had visualized and storyboarded would actually work when put into action.

Here are a couple of examples:

This is the opening interaction between Mark and Juliet. I found that this shot worked, I would just need to make sure the camera was set up in the same position (as any slight difference could make the shot look unbalanced with too much action occurring on the left hand side of the frame, or if the tripod was set up too low then their heads would be cut off).

I experimented with  the shot where Juliet crosses over to the DVD collection. I attempted to film it handheld and follow Juliet as she walked over. However, this shot felt very unnatural and out of place due to all of the other shots being static. I also attempted to pan on the tripod to follow Juliet, however, this again looked odd.

I found out that the majority of the shots I had storyboarded would work fine, however, there was one shot that I found particularly difficult to work with. This shot was the one where Juliet crosses over to the DVD collection and then turns back around to Mark. I found it difficult to shoot this scene without the actors blocking each other. The only way I could see myself getting a clearer shot of this scene would be to cross the line which ultimately would have been a worse decision than keeping the actors slightly blocking each other.

In the end, I decided to try and direct the actors in such a way that their action was not being blocked by each other. I managed to do this by getting Mark to stand further back and move slightly when Juliet would have originally blocked him. In my storyboard, I also planned to film more coverage doing this sequence of action. I planned to film Juliet picking out the DVD in a close up shot of the row of DVDs, therefore, if any of the coverage from the wide shot of both of them is unusable, I have this coverage to replace it with instead.

Although this still didn't make the perfect shot, it was the best I could get due to the space limitations in the location. I had considered changing the whole arrangement of the room around but this seemed to create more problems than it solved.

As this all meant that the actors needed to be in specific spots for the scenes to work, I went about putting colored markers on the floor so that they would be in the correct positions when it came to filming:

Once this was all planned out, I just needed to wait for the shoot day itself. I decided to give myself a generous amount of time in which to shoot the scenes just incase I encountered similar problems with the positioning of the actors.

DIRECTIONS UNIT: (Production) Editing and Sound Design

Once I had captured all of my footage, I began to assemble it into a rough cut. This involved using my storyboard which I had created in the pre production phase and assembling the clips into the order in which I wanted them.

To begin with, all the shots were separate from each other on the timeline. I knew this would not be how I wanted the finished product to turn out, however, I needed to get the clips into some kind of rough order. Once they footage was all assembled, I could then begin overlapping some of the dialogue and inserting reaction shots in over the top of some of the dialogue.

When gaining feedback from my rough cut, Mike suggested that overlapping the shots would help the flow of the edit and make the conversation appear more natural. I therefore continued overlapping pieces of my audio and video.

The next thing I did was apply video effects to the wedding video in order to make it clear that it was a recorded video. I used a black camera frame effect in order to give the impression of watching the video on a laptop screen and I used a camcorder frame effect in order to give the impression that the video was shot on a camcorder. 

Once these effects had been applied, I decided to adjust the exposure and add a glow effect to the wedding video. My aim for this was to create a glowy, dream-like effect in order to convey the romance of the wedding whilst also conveying Mark’s feelings for Juliet.

The edit for the wedding video is quite rapid to give the idea that Mark was just filming snippets of the wedding. This fast editing also makes the characters’ reactions more immediate to the footage (this was some feedback I received from Simon when showing both my rough and fine cut).

After the wedding video footage was complete, I decided to apply some colour correction to the other footage that takes place in Mark’s flat. Due to the varying levels of natural daylight, some of the footage turned out a lot darker than other parts. I decided to increase the exposure for the darker images in order to make them match the brighter images - this helps with the continuity of the editing.

Sound is something I struggled with all the way through the production. I managed to reduce some of the background noise but the voices are still slightly echoey - something which unfortunately cannot be resolved. I decided to compensate for this by really focusing on the sound design for the rest of the product. 

One of the first pieces of sound design I focused on was the sound for the wedding video. I found a rights free track that suited the wedding video perfectly. I then adjusted the audio to make it quieter and applied a muffled audio effect to give the impression that the music is playing from the laptop. As well as the music, I added sound effects such as the wedding bells and atmospheric sounds such as birds.

I then moved on to the sound design for the scene at Juliet’s doorway. As there is very little dialogue in this scene, I muted all of the clips (leaving just the few lines of dialogue). This meant that the background noise which was reducing the quality of my work could be eliminated in this scene. I replaced the sound with atmospheric sounds e.g. outdoor ambience, bird song, dogs barking and the sound of cars. I also re-recorded the sound of Mark tapping on the laptop to move the slides on. I did try leaving these sounds out but the scene ends up looking odd as it just feels like there’s something missing. With the added tapping, it now makes more sense to the audience that he is manually moving the slides of the presentation on. 

As feedback from my fine cut, Simon suggested adding background music to the scene before the wedding video as the mood is rather flat. I didn’t totally agree with this suggestion as every piece of background music I tried seemed to distract the attention away from the conversation between the characters. However, I eventually managed to find some calm, ambient sound which helped to lift the mood whilst not distracting the attention away from the conversation.

Overall, I am happy with my edit. I think I produced the best product that I could with the poor quality sound and varying levels of light. I resolved many of the sound issues in post production but the dialogue is still left with an echo and a low level of background noise / static. 

DIRECTIONS UNIT: Final Cut

After implementing all the feedback I had received over the sessions, I finally produced the final version of my product. Here it is:

DIRECTIONS UNIT: Second Cut / Fine Cut and More Feedback

After getting feedback on my rough cut, I decided to get straight on and implement their advice. 

I added titles to the start of the piece, however, I still need to add the title sequence on to the front.

I also changed it so that during their initial conversation, the camera stays on quite close angles, rather than switching between wide and close shots.

I also added in the sequences which I hadn't filmed yet.

I decided to change the frame around the wedding video to make it even more evident that it was a recorded video. I also shortened the wedding video to make the characters' reactions to it more immediate. 

I flipped the door scene so that their eyelines now match, this makes the scene more comfortable to watch.

This then formed my fine cut:

I then received some more feedback about my fine cut:

It may be a good idea to put in some background music before the wedding video begins as at the moment it is quite flat until this moment.

I need to cut the wedding video down slightly more to leave less space between their reactions.
I also need to include a close up of Mark when I show a close up of Juliet looking upwards towards him. The black screen at the end of the video also lasts slightly too long, this makes her reaction of "you never talk to me..." quite delayed. I will reduce the time of this black screen.

In the scene at Juliet's doorway, I will get rid of the background noise and instead replace it with some other outdoor / ambient noises.

I also need to do some colour correction and work with the exposure of some of the scenes. Once I have sorted these things out and the issues with the sound, I will finally have my final cut.

DIRECTIONS UNIT: Rough Cut and Feedback

I decided to get straight into editing my footage in order to produce a rough cut.

Feedback and changes:

I received quite a bit of feedback on my rough cut which I will put into action straight away.

- I used a mix of wide and close shots in the opening conversation between Mark and Juliet. This gave quite an uncomfortable feel and didn't work with the content of the scene.
To change this I will start with a wide angle between the characters and then keep the following conversation in close up and shot-reverse type shots.

- The wedding video took up quite a lot of time, making their reactions to the video look a bit unrealistic. I did put quite a lot of the wedding video in slow motion to give it a more cinematic look, however, this also made it look a bit juddery.
To change this I will change the speed of the video back to normal and cut a few bits of the video out. This way, their reactions seem more immediate and the general flow of the video works better. It will also make it more believable as a wedding video (as opposed to a video just of her, which is what it looks like at the moment).

- In the scene at the door, there were some issues with eye lines and the direction in which the characters were looking. Both characters were looking from screen right to screen left, which doesn't make sense visually.
To change this, I will flip the footage of 'Juliet'. This will make her look from screen left to screen right which will make more visual sense to the audience. I was concerned that this may make the footage look slightly weird and unnatural, however, I will attempt it and see what effect it creates.

- As Mark walks away, it would look better if I were to change the angle so that he walks away from the camera. Therefore, once he has turned around, I will change to the other camera angle.