Filming Diary - Day 2

Filming Diary - Day 2

Planned Date: 15th October 2017

For the second day of filming, I plan to film the whole running sequence of the narrative. This will take place in Hockley Woods between the hours of 12pm-3pm. These timings have been chosen specifically in order to enhance the verisimilitude of this particular section of the narrative, which should work well alongside the 'bicycle' sequence of the narrative if the times are kept effectively.

Props and Costumes 

• A phone with connected earphones as accessories for the character.
• Suitable footwear - preferably trainers to match the costume design and to ensure the costume is realistic for a runner. 
• The entire costume for the runner, as explained in the props and costume post, should look like suitable sports attire.
• The Steadicam and camera should be fully charged and transported in the protective storage case.
• A bottle of water should be brought to the set, as the actress is required to do more strenuous activities as part of the narrative - health and safety.

Evaluation of Day 2 

What went well?

All of the planned shots were shot as proposed in the storyboard. The sunshine on this particular day was bright, however the issue of over-exposure was solved by changing camera angles slightly or changing location were necessary. Shots with bokeh and lens flare was used as creative techniques which were 'accidentally' possible as a result of the good weather, and a lot of these types of shots were taken to build a bank of shots which could be helpful during editing as cutaways. Although the setting was already previously decided, specific locations for the character's 'training' activities (such as the step-ups and sit-ups) were successfully selected / improvised on the day to match the original concept. 

A shot which I was particularly pleased with, which was not completely planned or expected, was the shot in which the runner stands recovering with her hands behind her head in front of a cloud with a silver lining. This aesthetic, creative and professional-looking background was not storyboarded, however its quality and uniqueness means that the shot has the potential of being the key branding image for the entire product. It is also relevant that this shot was proposed to be used as the feat section of the narrative, towards the end of the song. The silhouetted figure will add a greater sense of achievement and glory. 

What could have been better?

One of the main concerns during shooting was the continuity of the shots. The day chosen appeared to be a popular day for dog walkers and families to go on an outing. Although in a music video the continuity is not as essential as in a production with a linear narrative, the continuity of having nobody else in the background was still important to me. I was also concerned that having extra people in the background, without the ability to toy with the depth of field, would distract the audience from the runner and their achievements: the true focus of the narrative. In relation to Hall's Reception theory, I wanted to ensure that the audience decoded the correct message (and to do this, they would have to full understand the fast-paced narrative).

The only other concern which occurred to me on the day was the worry of losing light. It was planned that this sequence of the music video was to be filmed later than the cyclist sequence (12pm-3pm rather than 10am-1pm), and being in the autumn, naturally days were shorter. Initially, I chose these times so that the times within the narrative would appear to coincide with each other; the cyclist and runner act within a parallel narrative, with their actions happening simultaneously to enhance realism. However, the woods location meant that it appeared to be getting darker earlier than anticipated due to the leaves on the trees. This turned out not to be an issue because I ensured that I worked quicker to get the desired shots to avoid a noticeable change in light. I also tried to control the problem by filming in chronological order. In the future, I will take natural surroundings into consideration more carefully when choosing times and locations for filming.