Introduction
After successfully handing in my 4 minute film on deadline day, I can conclude that this unit has allowed me to expand my experience with directing as well as general experience i.e. with cameras, sound, editing, etc. Below are some key weaknesses ad areas for improvement which will hopefully help me for future projects:
Firstly, one of the main problems which I knew would get in the way is the general lack of experience with the camera, as this is the first time I have used the Canon (and my second project of actual filming). Despite feeling confident after having the Canon workshop a few weeks ago, it was obvious that I may have some difficulty with the camera. For example, in some scenes of my film, the lighting doesn't quite work out, or the film itself looks quite pixelated, especially when filming indoors. This may be because I couldn't quite find the right manual ISO setting to have enough light in the room when filming, meaning I tended to switch to auto when filming which caused this pixelation. Nevertheless, after my first day of filming I became more confident with the camera and didn't use the auto setting again. Therefore, this may have slightly altered the quality of my film as I couldn't get in the right amount of light in some cases, meaning next time I may have to use light equipment when filming.
Another problem I found with this project was the use of the cast. Because I was using a general light carry of equipment, I thought it would be easier for me (as a director) to be the cameraman and manage sound by myself - seeing as the camera had a clip on mic. However this proved difficult as I had too much to try and remember whilst filming e.g. which shot I'm filming, checking lighting, the camera, sound, etc. So after this, I decided to get a cameraman so that I didn't have to film and direct by myself. However, I could've had a few extra cast members who could've helped out with general queries, as well as having a microphone holder.
Leading on, I felt that the use of my actors didn't quite create the general effect of my film which I wanted. This is because my actors were only friends and aren't actual actors, which of course will create a problem. For example, I didn't quite create the bond between the teacher and student as I expected. Thus, I will definitely be using professional actors (if I can) for my next filming piece.
Another problem I realised was my habit to stick more a less on the shot lists which I created instead of the script. This is because I felt my shot list had exactly everything I needed to film. However, when actually filming I glanced at my script frequently (at first rarely) which helped significantly, as reading the script almost reminds me of how I wanted to film it, instead of just reading it off a piece of paper. Therefore, next time I film the script will always be with me so that I can remember and refresh my mind on what exact shots I want. Leading on, I could potentially create a storyboard or more detailed explanation on shot lists which is likely to help me get the exact shots I need, as I felt that in general I didn't quite get the shots I had pictured in my head.
Conclusion
Despite these weaknesses, I felt that trying as a directing is very interesting and fun, however also very stressful. I felt that my film is quite consistent in terms of the theme and editing and was quite pleased how everything came out in the end, although not being exactly how I wanted. Nonetheless, this unit has taught me a wide variety of things and have also learnt some valuable tips throughout the process!
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