Major Project - Test Shooting The Fitness Sequence
Fitness Sequence Test Shoot
Today, following the interview with Jamie this morning we headed as a group of 4 to 'The Strength and Conditioning Institute' gym in Tonbridge. We chose this gym due to the ease of access and their willingness to work with us when it came to shooting the fitness sequence segments of our 'DreamChaser' documentary. Upon showing up we were greeted by the manager of the gym who introduced us to the team and spoke briefly with us about what our plans were for the sequence, and what we wanted to do there today.
The benefit of having the test shoot today was that it allowed us to get an idea of the area we're working with when we come to shoot the first part of the sequence in 2 weeks time. By doing this, we can establish limitations that we may not realise are present, that may or may not prevent us from executing on the vision that we have in our heads for the fitness segments. An example of this was the application of lighting within this scene - there were several areas where we immediately noticed that the shots would be too dark for the conversational sections of the script, therefore we were able to make note of what kinds of lighting we would require and test various lighting equipment. George owns several lights on of his own which can be mounted via a bracket to the top of most DSLR's and video cameras, such as my FZ330 or Alex's Sony AX53. This allows camera operators to maintain a central key light during lower-light scenarios, thus brightening the scene substantially.
On the day we come to shoot the fitness segment it will of course be Alex taking part in the training exercises, however today since we had Connor Winfield with us, we decided that it would be handy for him to fill the role of Alex, ensuring that all 3 of us are able to gain insight from the style of shots that are achievable on set versus the shots in Alex's shot-list. This is actually the largest shot-list we've had so far for a shoot on this project, with an expected 25 shots in totality. Though a lot of these shots consist of minor actuality like Alex rowing in and out of frame, picking up and placing down dumbbell weights and exercising on an exercise bike.
We were also able to step outside and frame-up for what would be the establishing/introductory shots of the sequence, something that would have been difficult to plan perfectly without first knowing the exact logistics of the roads, pedestrian paths and obstacles in between the camera operator and the establishing shots. This was useful as it will aid in making the set-up and filming process in 2 weeks time much smoother, having already known various pitfalls to avoid.
Overall, I think today we were incredibly productive as a group, and Connor's help is always greatly appreciated. I think the work that we are doing in test shooting & scouting these locations in advance can only be a good thing, and will serve our project well in the long-run. Potentially eliminating the need for any miscellaneous re-shoots towards the end of the major project process. I look forward to being at Brand's Hatch next week for Alex's track day in a Ford 1600GT Puma with accredited British racing driver Rod Birley.
Today, following the interview with Jamie this morning we headed as a group of 4 to 'The Strength and Conditioning Institute' gym in Tonbridge. We chose this gym due to the ease of access and their willingness to work with us when it came to shooting the fitness sequence segments of our 'DreamChaser' documentary. Upon showing up we were greeted by the manager of the gym who introduced us to the team and spoke briefly with us about what our plans were for the sequence, and what we wanted to do there today.
The benefit of having the test shoot today was that it allowed us to get an idea of the area we're working with when we come to shoot the first part of the sequence in 2 weeks time. By doing this, we can establish limitations that we may not realise are present, that may or may not prevent us from executing on the vision that we have in our heads for the fitness segments. An example of this was the application of lighting within this scene - there were several areas where we immediately noticed that the shots would be too dark for the conversational sections of the script, therefore we were able to make note of what kinds of lighting we would require and test various lighting equipment. George owns several lights on of his own which can be mounted via a bracket to the top of most DSLR's and video cameras, such as my FZ330 or Alex's Sony AX53. This allows camera operators to maintain a central key light during lower-light scenarios, thus brightening the scene substantially.
On the day we come to shoot the fitness segment it will of course be Alex taking part in the training exercises, however today since we had Connor Winfield with us, we decided that it would be handy for him to fill the role of Alex, ensuring that all 3 of us are able to gain insight from the style of shots that are achievable on set versus the shots in Alex's shot-list. This is actually the largest shot-list we've had so far for a shoot on this project, with an expected 25 shots in totality. Though a lot of these shots consist of minor actuality like Alex rowing in and out of frame, picking up and placing down dumbbell weights and exercising on an exercise bike.We were also able to step outside and frame-up for what would be the establishing/introductory shots of the sequence, something that would have been difficult to plan perfectly without first knowing the exact logistics of the roads, pedestrian paths and obstacles in between the camera operator and the establishing shots. This was useful as it will aid in making the set-up and filming process in 2 weeks time much smoother, having already known various pitfalls to avoid.
Overall, I think today we were incredibly productive as a group, and Connor's help is always greatly appreciated. I think the work that we are doing in test shooting & scouting these locations in advance can only be a good thing, and will serve our project well in the long-run. Potentially eliminating the need for any miscellaneous re-shoots towards the end of the major project process. I look forward to being at Brand's Hatch next week for Alex's track day in a Ford 1600GT Puma with accredited British racing driver Rod Birley.
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