Story Boards
Log Sheet
Eight Shot Journey Evaluation
For our '8-shot journey' project, we had to complete some pre production, production and post production tasks.
Firstly, we had to produce a storyboard which consisted of 8 individual shots, which included a beginning, a middle and an end to illustrate one single journey. For example, the beginning was shot 1 and 2 of the traveller realising she was hungry and wanted something. Then the middle was shot 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the character travelling to the café and the end was shot 7 and 8 of the traveller retrieving a snickers bar.
My storyboard contained a variety of shots such as, I used mid shots to show parts of the setting but to keep focus on the traveller, long shots to establish to the viewer the surroundings and close ups so the viewer could see the travellers facial expressions so they knew something was up. I also used close up to show an important object, the snickers bar. Also in my storyboard I planned out a variety of angles to effect the shots, such as, low angles to make the traveller and object look powerful. I also used an high angle in shot 3 to get the scenery below into the camera shot but also to make the traveller look weak. Lastly, I used a ground shot to make the shot interesting and for the viewer to focus on the traveller's feet and to see her turn around in the lift, changing direction to keep continuity of action.
My storyboard contains written information of; the location of each shot, the shot number, the shot sizes, the sounds of each shot, the angles of the shot if any and clearly states the start shot and end shot of each shot. The drawn information my storyboard contains includes; the moving directions of the traveller if any, the 'T' icon to show where the traveller is in the shot and contains the drawing itself showing the angles and shot sizes.
The next task to do was the production which was to shot my 8-shot journey. I began by labelling my tape so if I miss placed it, people would know it belonged to me. Also if I didn't label it there would be a risk of my footage being overwritten. I then striped my tape which is important to do so, to ensure a continuous time code and that the time code does not break. Before I started shooting, I also recorded handles on my tape to ensure I captured the whole take and so when it came to editing it would be easier to edit and would contain the whole shot. We used tripods when shooting as they had many benefits such as they could put the camera in the angle you wished for the shot and would keep the camera fixed and still at that position. The tripod could also be fixed at a variety of different heights.
I recorded at least two takes for each shot except the last shot as I was exceptionally pleased with it. The reason I recorded at least two takes for each shot was so when editing, I could have a choice of shots to choose from and also some takes didn't turn out correctly so I had to shoot another take. Problems I came across during shooting included my camera running out of battery which I overcame easily by replace the empty battery with the spare battery. Another problem I came across was crowds when trying to record the traveller getting out of the lift which I overcome by waiting a couple of minutes until it was suitable to record.
Lastly, I had to complete the post production tasks which included preparation for editing where I had to complete a log sheet. A completed log sheet should contain the time-code of when the take begins and finishes. A time-code is like a clock on the camera and shows the hours, minutes, seconds and frames of the film. There are 24 frames per second in film and 25 per second in video. The purpose of the time-code is to keep track of when each shot and take begins and ends so when it comes to editing, you can accurately find the shots and takes needed. A completed log sheet should also contain; the shot size, the shot move and location for each individual shot and take of each shot. Also it should contain comments about each take of each shot to understand why the take will be used or not used in the final cut. Lastly, it should show what takes of each shot are going to be used and in what order.
My log sheet includes all this vital information which had a big impact on helping me as I knew where to start and end cutting each shot and which takes to capture. Also it helped me put each shot in the right place.
Once I'd completed the log sheet I had to edit my footage which I used 'Final Cut Pro' which is a editing software. I then did the capture process which lets me capture the takes of film I need for each shot and once I had captured all the shots I need I would batch capture which would then take the video I want from the tape onto the computer, ready for me to edit and put together for the final product.
I knew what parts of the video to capture and what parts that did not need to be captured by looking at my log sheet. On the log sheet I would find the shot takes I was going to use and then look at the time-code in and time-code out of the take and then type it into the editing software. Once I'd finished the capturing process, I went on to trim my 8 shots and place them in order in the time line to make one completed sequence.
In conclusion, I think my edits work together well as it follows the continuity of travel rule and shows the viewer when the traveller turns direction. If I was to do this project again, I would make sure to put the spare battery on charge and if I was having crowd problems, I would go onto a different floor if possible. Also, I would add effects to some shots, such as slow motion for when the traveller reaches for the snickers bar, to make it more dramatic.
