Section outline

  • REFLECT / WHAIWHAKAARO

    REFLECT / WHAIWHAKAARO learning intentions:

    • We are REFLECTING on the choices we made with film so that we can review its effectiveness
    • We are REFLECTING on the issues we faced in the film making process so that we can evaluate the strategies we employed to create a film

    Success Criteria

    • select a solution from which to make a focused and effective plan of action

    • construct a storyboard  

    • describe the intended effect of visual and verbal techniques used in my film

     FILMING 
    • Run the camera for a few (5-10) seconds before and after your chosen shot. This will give you flexibility when you come to edit the shot. 
    • Try to use a tripod whenever you want the shot to be still or steady. Make sure the camera is level - unless you intentionally want the world to look lopsided.
    • A shaky camera frame can be a real distraction. Film without the tripod only if you want to go for a 
    hand-held filming style. 
    • Frame your subject to give extra space in the direction in which they are looking or moving. 
    • Use a mid-shot for most interviews (frame the subject from the waist to chest up). 
    • Film plenty of ‘cutaways’ - detailed shots and wide shots of locations and interview settings, which will be useful when it comes to editing the film. 
    • Consider filming ‘noddies’ (shots of an interviewer or other people listening) immediately after an interview. 
    • Consider the effect of the background of a shot. Does it distract or add to the shot? 

    LIGHTING 
    • Avoid brightly lit backgrounds, direct light or places that are too dark – unless they are giving you a visual effect that you like. 
    • Cloudy days can be helpful because the light is even and the sun isn’t casting shadows everywhere. On a sunny day you could try shooting in the shade if shooting in the sun is causing too much contrast between light and dark. 
    • Try using a reflector, such as a big white board, to ‘bounce’ light into shadowed areas.  


    SOUND
    • If you have a hand-held or lapel microphone which you can plug into the camera, use it for all interviews and dialogue. Check the microphone is working and sound levels are good. Use headphones to check. 
    • Attempt to have the microphone close to the subject (15-20cm). 
    • Avoid noisy locations. 
    • Check sound quality on playback. 

    LOW-TECH OPTIONS 
    People often talk about film being ‘smoke and mirrors’, a magician’s craft. All film-makers improvise, making the most of what they’ve got to create a desired effect. You don’t have to use flash equipment to make a great film. For instance: 
    • Use a broom as your ‘boom handle’ – to hold the microphone close to the action, just out of shot. 
    • Anything on wheels can give you a ‘tracking’ shot – a trolley, a bike, a car, a skate board, a wheel-barrow . . . 
    • For lighting there are all sorts of options – lamps, torches, car lights, candles, reflector boards .

    CAMERA TECHNIQUES 
    The camera can be a very expressive instrument. Think about how camera movement and framing can express meaning. For example: 
    • A close-up of a face will cause the audience to focus on facial expression. • A wide shot draws attention to the setting. 
    • A shot looking down at a character may make them seem weak or vulnerable. • A tilted frame can suggest danger or an unstable world. 
    • A hand-held shot (a moving unsteady frame that draws attention to the camera) is often used to indicate the POV (point-of-view) of a character. 

    OTHER TECHNIQUES 
    • Tracking (moving the camera) into or away from an object 
    • Tracking alongside a moving object 
    • Panning left or right 
    • Tilting up or down 
    • Framing in close-up, mid-shot, long-shot and extreme long-shot