Cameras: XF305

As mentioned before, on my last shoot, I was able to use a Canon XF305 camera, as we weren't able to rent 2 XF100's from the media stores. Even though I enjoyed working with the XF100, I definitely prefer the XF305. I feel that with this camera, I had a lot more control and it was easier to manage as I was filming at the same time. For example, the Iris, Focus & Zoom on the XF100 are on lens, however there is a switch you need to change to adjust each individual feature, for example if I were to be filming an interview and needed to change the Iris because it was too dark, but then the shot somehow went out of focus, I couldn't quickly change this, well, not as quickly as I could with the XF305.

I definitely felt more comfortable with this camera, even though it was heavier. I felt more in control of the shots I was capturing, and therefore would prefer to use this camera in the future.

XF100 Camera is smaller and easier for hand-held shoulder rig work. However some of the settings are more difficult to function during shooting.

XF305 Camera: A lot better for controlling shots.

A World Within Three Acres - Shoot #4

On the 26th November, we travelled down (to what we hoped would be our last shoot this year) to Peterborough for another day of filming at the pet refuge. This time we went down with shot list (shown previously) as usual, however focused more on what we needed to capture rather than roaming around and capturing random shots. I enjoyed working on this shoot, the organisation made it more focused and therefore made me more productive than previous shoots, where I'd wander the area and shoot random shots wherever possible.

However, due to good communication between our director and our contributors, we managed to use our time a lot better and capture some good shots.

I also got to work with a completely new camera. Even though we decided that we wanted to keep the footage on one style of camera to ensure all the footage could be formatted the same way/also allow me to get used to the camera (as I'd never used it previously), we unfortunately run into the problem of media stores only having XF100 available at the time we needed it. Yet, I found this to be an advantage to both the project as well as my personal skills.

On this shoot, I was able to work with the Canon XF305, which I like better than the FX100, but I will explain why in a different post to keep focused on the shoot. With these cameras, we worked well and captured some great footage, mainly interviews from Pam & Toni that were more focused on them and their role at the refuge (as we previously captured interviews about the animals). I'm happier with the visuals we captured on this day than I'd seen previously (the shoot I wasn't present at captured an interview which was in an unfortunate place and overexposed). I'd like to have had more time with the volunteers, following them around and working with them to capture more close up footage (as we mainly focused on long shots for this feature on this shoot) however I feel it was a successful shoot, and hope that this shows in the post-production process.

A World Within Three Acres - Shoot #4 (Call Sheet)

Created by Paul :

Analysis On What Makes Good Cinematography

Cinematography is often misrepresented as Photography, and is often believed as being 'the art of getting a nice picture', when it is infinitively so much more.

Cinematography is much more dynamic, it's purpose (as well as to present an nice image) is also to construct a narrative or tell a story through visual images, which is compiled through a selection of features such as framing, lighting, angles, depth of field, composition and even the length of the shot (e.g. long cutaways).

To me, cinematography is a way of representing so much more. It's powerful, and therefore can be used to show a range of different things you, as the film crew, want it to. For one it can be used for emotion or to create (a mood) an atmosphere within a narrative you're trying to get across to your audience, it is important to have a nicely constructed image that's appealing to the viewer's eye, but the story and the emotions it brings with it is the most important feature with our cinematography.

There are many rules or framing, which I will research throughout my workbook to improve what I know about setting up the perfect shoots which capture the story in the best possible way, and I therefore aim to research into each of these points to improve my contribution to our projects.

Sean Bobbitt, a cinematographer known for 'Hunger' (which I've seen in previous years of studying film & media), states how for aspiring cinematographers, you should 'just shoot, shoot everything and anything, and look at what you shoot, and be very critical. Also, try and use a skill base... you know these days it's very simple with auto-focus and auto-exposure and auto everything... if you let the camera make those decisions, you're failing, those decisions are the basis of Cinematography... if you're not in absolute control of all that, you're not a Cinematographer' - which I agree with completely. Without full control, it seems wrong to call whatever you are capturing you're own shot, as you're allowing the camera to do the work for you. I definitely think it's important to have full control on all the set ups, the focus, the exposure, as of course, auto hardly ever (in opinion) gets this right. This maybe just my personal opinion, but tweaking these to perfection is part of being cinematographer, and creating a shot through this work means much more, and looks much better than being 'lazy' and automating everything. It's not cinematography, it's mere amateur filming this way.

Above is the video I found of Sean Bobbitt, who states about his work as a documentary film-maker, as well as being involved in Drama works. I found this specifically interesting, as he spoke of how working on documentary works requires an open mind, and that, by working on such works creates a frame of mind in the way you work and capture the images, I feel that I act heavily on my instincts, due to documentary experience in the past, and I feel that filming anything and everything is the best approach in this sense. This is because in documentary, even though you can plan a story arc and focus point, you never know what may happen. In regard to our film, you never know if maybe an animal would break loose, something doesn't go to plan, and you want to capture everything about the experience, because you might get an unexpected feature.

Another documentary cinematographer I found was Albert Maysles, who created works such as Grey Gardens (1975) and talks about how they unexpectedly captured a relationship between a mother and daughter, and it was one of the strengths of the movies. Their aims was to capture their lives in this place, but instead got something much stronger and emotional to accompany the story. I now acknowledge the importance of Bobbitt's words of just 'shooting everything'. 

Another specific point I liked that Sean Bobbitt mentions is the scene in Hunger, where the characters talk for almost 16 minutes, and yet the shot doesn't change. He says the director stated that 'when you're listening to a conversation, you don't move around, you merely listen.' But cinema has changed it as we are so used to having cuts within films. 'Cuts offer us an escape, we realise yes this is film because it cuts from one person to another, whereas when there is no cut, there isn't this escape.' Even though it isn't heavily linked to my research, I find it an interesting point, it's seems to add realism to the audience, which I enjoy and would like to interpret. Since we're creating a documentary, I don't want it to feel like a film in regard to editing lots of cuts, but rather shots of the subject in a realism sense, which maybe an interesting approach to the project. 

Cinematography Recaps: Frame Axis

Developing my research further into framing, I researched the term 'frame axes'. A frame is seen as two-dimensional and is therefore defined by two different axes: a horizontal (x) and a vertical (y). There is also a third axis (z axis), which is used to denote the depth within a particular frame; this means that this axis is mainly used to create either a deep or flat frame.

Here's a quick example of what I mean by deep framing. In this (rather terrible) shot, we can see that there is a depth within the frame, the teddy is sat far away and therefore emphasises the use of the z axis as a deep frame. 

Here is an example of flat framing. The bear is sat against a wall, which shows a lack of depth within this particular shot. Even though we see a little depth in the bears features, the shot itself is quite flat, with no depth shown (like the corridor shot I took above).m 

It is said that in most film-making cases, this idea is used to create compositions in depth, and to further enhance verisimilitude. The perception within these frames can also be manipulated by the type of camera lens used by changing the visual relationship between the subject in frame (object 'teddy in my example' and the space around them (the corridor). 

Name Change

The Director decided to change the name of the production from 'My Animals and Other Family' to 'A World Within Three Acres'. I like this change because it expands on what there is within the film without focusing too much on the animals. This title doesn't give as much away as the previous one, therefore I agree with the change.

My Animals & Other Family - Shoot #3 (01/11/2013)

On 1st Nov, we travelled down for our third shoot at the refuge. We aimed to wrap our film and capture all the remaining shots we needed for our project.

We arrived in good time, and managed to get a good range of shots, (we missed the sunrise due to sunlight hours) however managed to capture the 'end of day' shots with the sunset. We mainly used this time to focus on interviews of Sandy & Toni whilst they worked.

Firstly we got shots within the kitchen, mid shots and close ups (with the help of James) of food being prepared and helpers working. These went quite well, we managed to get a range of shots, with animals intervening.

We then got shots with Toni and the animals, and Sandy working with the crates whilst he spoke about the refuge. We also got the main interview with Toni.

One thing however we were unable to capture was a reshoot of Pam's interview and shots. This was because they ran into unexpected problems when their van broke down and therefore was not present during our shoot, which meant we were going to have to return. Minus this, I feel the shoot went well, we managed to capture some good shots and interviews, as well as cutaways and random shooting moments such as the vets arriving and so forth.

I feel a ran into a few problems with the weather being too bright and therefore struggling to see the shots when shooting, however I covered them as much as possible and hopefully won't run into any problems when they are captured for post.

My Animals & Other Family - Shoot #3 - Production Stills

Stills taken my producer (Paul):

Inspiration: The Cove

Since I've researched into different documentaries already, I wanted to look at the cove, because of the styles of interviews it has. The film mainly involves archive and underwater filming, which may be helpful when it comes to filming the turtles within the pet refuge, however it wasn't my focus when watching this film. The interviews here are very picturesque, and are appealing, because the backgrounds are visually pleasing and yet not focused and therefore doesn't distract the audience from subject and the interview sound we're listening to. Here are some examples I've taken from the film:

The first example is something similar I'd want to create with Toni's interview, because she's outside working all the time, when we get to interview her, it would be nice to have a background that corresponds with her life and what she is talking about, therefore it would be nice for her to be near some greenery like above. The lower shot is something similar to what I would want to capture for Pam's interview, as she is the owner who lives in the main house, and therefore, would want something similar to this to be appealing yet not distracting.

I picked on this shot also, because it's similar to the style of shot we wanted to capture when Toni is making the food bowls for the monkeys. 

My Animals & Other Family - Shoot #3 (Shot List)

My Animals & Other Family - Shoot #2 (01/11/2013)