introduction to camera

Last lesson we finally got to use the cameras. I did some filming in my GCSE class but the camera was very small and quality of the filming was bad. I remember something, but this was like a new and fresh start. And I was excited to use the cameras. I learned how to:

·         put the battery in and out

·         put in and out the memory card

·         Place the camera on a tripod

·         Film

·         Upload the clips on Mac’s.

I also know how to take care of the camera, how to hold it safely. I liked using tripod, through this camera stays stable and we can pan it and tit it.

We were given a story- CARD GAME and we had to make it thrilling. I already had some ideas in my head, and with my group we came up with best plot, ideas and shots we could do. Through this we also learned how to work with each other and got to know each other a little bit better. 

This is the camera we use

Next lesson, we got to film! We had our story board, the names of shots and everything bit by bit, so once we got to making, we didn’t get stuck and wondered “what should be do next”. Instead, we exactly knew what we wanted, therefore we spend time on in and if we didn’t like the outcome, we filmed it again. It ended up with 1000 versions of one scene because we wanted to get the best shots and we exactly knew how we wanted it. As a result at the end, we weren’t finished with our film so we had to rush to get everything done in time. I think that if we could spend more time filming it our outcome could be even better.

We filmed in the classroom. We used special lighting to set the thrilling atmosphere (part of Mise en Scene), camera and tripod. We only used tripod when we wanted to get simple shots only, so the camera would be steady.  When the camera was tracking we held it in our hands, so it was easier to move. However these clips may be a little bit shaky, so next time we may think of a trolley to put the camera and tripod on it. This will allow is to get more stable, tracking shots.



Final Cut Pro logo



Once we finished,  we then unloaded the clips into Mac’s and used Final Cut Pro for editing. I liked the quality of some clips, it was really clear and looked professional. BUT some of the images were too dark. This did make a nice, mysterious climate however we now have a mixture of two different types of lighting. I guess this was when we rushed and tried to get our shots done. If we could spend more time on it, the lighting would be the same in all scenes.

We used some editing techniques such as SLOW MOTION, we had a play with it. I learned that I can change how fast/slow I want the scene to go (I used different programme to edit before). I really enjoyed filming. It gave me space to think and be creative. 

What we did well:
ü  Had everything planned (story board), ideas in out head about the outcome
ü  Used variety of shots, tried panning and tilting techniques
ü  Thought of Mise en Scene and the atmosphere we want to create through this.

What we can improve:
· Manage our time better 
· Pay attention to change in lighting
· Use more close ups