Evaluation

Writing Your Evaluation

Evaluating is a process of assessing how far your work has met or exceeded the objectives created at the start of the project. You should use your objectives as the structure of your evaluation. Your objective should be the sub-title and then you can start talking about the strengths and weaknesses about the way you met this objective in your work. After this, you should also discuss and suggest actions or ways for improvement.

(From ISLE resource- linked here)

My Aims and Objectives

1. Interview Filming

Aim: To film an interview in a way that can show my technical competencies and appeal to the audience

Objectives:

• Use a variety of shot angles effectively like wide, medium, close-up etc.

Strength: Achieved this successfully during the filming of my b-roll because I shot a few of each shot

Weakness: Not all my shots were included in the final video so therefore, there were only establishing, wide and mid shots

Actions for the future: Maybe should have urged the editor to include more shots instead of just leaving it be

• Compose my shots using the rule of thirds

Strength: Was 100% successful in composing my A-roll in the rule of thirds

Weakness: Not all of the b-roll was composed using the rule of thirds at appropriate times

Actions for the future: Maybe should have reshot the b-roll footage in the correct composition

• Film using a tripod so that all footage will be steady

Strength: Was able to use a tripod for all shots, interview footage was completely steady

Weakness: Although a tripod was used, most b-roll footage wasn't steady because I was moving the tripod which was a bit redundant

Actions for the future: Could have replaced it with steadier shots or should have found a way to work around the issue of the shaky footage

• Film in a quiet place so that there will be close to no background noise

Strength: Pretty successful because although there was a bit of static-like background noise, the audio was still clear

Weakness: A bit of static-like background noise

Actions for the future: Maybe change the position of the microphone or change the type, e.g. use a lavalier microphone so it will be closer to the subject

• Have appropriate headroom in footage

Strength: I think this was achieved perfectly

Weakness: /

Actions for the future: /

• Ensure the audio in the interview is usable and clear

Strength: Again, I feel like this was achieved close to perfectly

Weakness: A bit of static-like background noise

Actions for the future: /

• Make sure the interviewee is not looking directly at the camera

Strength: Achieved perfectly

Weakness: Although this objective was achieved, I didn't pay attention to the leadroom

Actions for the future: Shifted the camera a bit to get enough leadroom, pay closer attention next time

• Have the correct settings (white balance, exposure, contrast) on my camera/phone 

Strength: I think this was achieved excellently during the A-roll

Weakness: Some parts of the b-roll that was a bit underexposed (when I changed the angle during a shot, the exposure didn't change in turn)

Actions for the future: Paid attention to this during filming and I should have reshot this

2. B-Roll Filming

Aim: To make the video more engaging and appealing using B-roll footage

Objectives:

• To film B-roll in suitable and topic-related places: e.g. the sea

Strength: I got a few shots of the ocean, and lots of footage on the interview day

Weakness: These shots weren't in the final video because we sourced better videos of real dolphins from the internet

Actions for the future: I think if my own shots were of a high quality as well, then they would have been included too so perhaps I should have took better footage

• To vary the amount of B-roll and A-roll footage in the final video

Strength: I think this was achieved well

Weakness: Some b-roll could have been added during the interview

Actions for the future: Advise the editor to do so next time

• Use a variety of shots and angles during the filming of B-roll

Strength: Succeeded in this

Weakness: Shots weren't very steady, the speed of the movements weren't constant, could have tried more techniques like pull focus

Actions for the future: Tried new angles, reshot footage or found a way to make the camera movements smooth

• Have the correct settings (white balance, exposure, contrast) on my camera/phone 

Strength: Close to perfect in achieving this goal- I always remembered to set my exposure manually

Weakness: Did not attempt to experiment with the white balance (although it was already correct), some shots were slightly underexposed

Actions for the future: Avoid shooting in places with high contrast or strong shadows

• Avoid shaky or blurry footage

Strength: Had steady footage during all of a-roll

Weakness: B-roll wasn't always steady

Actions for the future: Replaced it with steadier footage

3. Organization and Preparation of Equipment

Aim: To have the correct equipment that is of high quality and will be able to take high-quality footage

Objectives:

• To follow my pre-filming checklist
• Download the recommended app and use it
• To have and use a tripod
• To have and use a filming camera that will be borrowed from the school (or phone)
• To have and use a microphone (possibly a lavalier) that will be borrowed from the school
• To use the microphone in close proximity and obtain clear audio
• If equipment needs to be borrowed from the school- make sure to book it earlier and that it is available for use

Strength: I followed my pre-filming checklist, used a tripod, used a high quality filming camera, used a microphone in close proximity, was able to get clear audio and used the recommended app at times to film some B-roll

Weaknesses: I don't think this can be called a weakness but I didn't use the equipment from school since our interview was at half-term and before we were taught how to use the school equipment so instead, I had to use my own equipment.

Actions for the future: Maybe should have tried to use the school equipment as well (?)

4. Audio Recording

Aim: To always have clear audio throughout the whole video

Objectives:

• To always record in a quiet environment

Strength: Done so in the interview- it was in a quiet office with no one else

Weakness: Altough it was a quiet environment, there was still some background noise

Actions for the future: Could have also tried closing all doors as well as windows to reduce as much background noise as possible or could have used a program to process the audio in order to remove the background noise

• To use microphones while filming most of the time

Strength: Succeeded in this

Weakness: / 

Actions for the future: /

• To record in close proximity

Strength: Succeeded in this

Weakness: / 

Actions for the future: /

• If doing voiceovers, make sure the speaker is loud and clear, so that it can be of the best quality possible

Strength: All the voiceovers were loud and clear which was good

Weakness: The volume of the voiceovers were varied so some sounded a bit louder than others

Actions for the future: Rerecorded those voiceovers that were a bit too soft or loud in order to get the best result

I think the biggest problem I had was the B-roll. Since our topic is about dolphins, the best possible B-roll we could get is obviously footage of dolphins. However, dolphins are a very rare sight and even harder to shoot. Therefore, we had to resort to footage from the internet. 

Originality and Creativity

Collecting Evidence for O&C

Here is our final documentary:

Please look at the previous blog post for the analysis of my creative decisions in the B-roll footage. Read on for the analysis on the A-roll!

All the A-roll in the video that I have taken (interview) is from 1:48 - 2:57. 

Throughout this whole shot, I have utilised the rule of thirds well because the interviewee (Yuki) is placed exactly where the line is. I shot it in a mid-shot- meaning that most of her upper body can be seen so that she isn't cut off and it is more comfortable for the viewer. The angle I shot it in is just at eye-level, which is a netural angle because I don't want to make her seem more or less powerful using a high or low angle. I gave it all enough headroom so the subject doesn't feel squished and the viewer will find it comfortable to watch. However, I feel as if I could have given it more leadroom by moving the camera slightly to the right. This is because I advised her not to look directly at the camera (something we have learnt) so instead her eyes are looking to the right. Therefore, if the camera was moved a bit right, the shot would have been even better. 

The only big problem I have about this is the quality of the footage. For some reason, the quality has dropped immensely as compared to the raw version which you can find in this folder. Therefore, it has made the whole clip look slightly blurry. 

Full Analysis

Is your footage steady?

I think my A-roll footage is extremely steady. This is because I used a tripod in the whole interview and didn't move it once after I set it up correctly. However, if you watched the full raw version, you would see that I had to shift the camera slightly at one part which made that part of the footage a bit unsteady. 

Is it well composed with adequate headroom and lead room?

As mentioned in my paragraph above- I think there is enough headroom but a bit more leadroom is needed. To improve the leadroom, I should move the camera slightly towards the right in order to where her eyes are leading to. 

Is there a variety of shots?

In the A-roll, I cannot say that there is a variety of shots because it is just one full shot with no movement etc. The lack of movement and angles is compromised in the B-roll. In terms of content, I think there was "too much" variety because the background was pretty messy which could have distracted the audience. Although I did notice this whilst filming, I didn't raise this issue up because I didn't want to be impolite or picky. Therefore, the next time I film, I need to make sure that I have a quiet background in terms of mess and noise. 

Did you manually set the exposure, white balance and focus to get a good shot?

Yes, before filming, I touched the settings in order to get the exposure right- there was natural sunlight coming in from the window opposite which aided the exposure. I think the shot was at a correct exposure because it wasn't under or overexposed at any time. I did not change the white balance on my camera because it was already on the correct setting- this is why the shot does not look tinted yellow. I switched my focus to auto-focus because as mentioned during my b-roll analysis, I think changing the focus is risky and might lead to a bad shot in general. 

Did you remember to use the rule of thirds sometimes to help you frame the shot?

I used the rule of thirds during the whole shot. I find this rule to be almost natural by now since it is very simple and easy to get right. I think I could have improved the composition a bit by making her eyes at the rule of thirds gridline instead of hter body at a whole. 

Can you hear what is being said?

Yes I can definitely hear what is being said clearly although I feel like it is a bit muffled at some places. I used a shotgun-like microphone which I attached onto my camera- it was a close proximity, dynamic microphone. I think this was very effective because I didn't catch any background noise and the audio was clear. 

Did you use any interesting camera angles or camera movement? Was the camera movement smooth?

As this was just one whole still shot, I did not have any angles or movement. 

B-Roll Show Reel

Shoot and Find B-Roll

What is B-roll?

B-Roll is footage that you take in order to intercut the main footage. This footage is usually supplementary footage that is related to the A-roll and is used to give more insight into the topic. Whilst shooting B-roll, you should always:

1. Start with a wide lens that should show the exterior of the building- this is usually a tilt or a pan

2. Shoot a scene where the subject is walking into the building- let him/her walk in and out of the frame and pan the camera across quickly

3. Try to use different angles: shoot high and low angles when you are in an interior space

4. Use different camera movements like panning, sliding and tilting

5. Avoid bright windows, and try to shoot where you can give your subject a lot of space

6. Consider your background: try to change the focus from the foreground to the background and vice versa

7. Take shots without a lot of talking or conversation because it will be more useful after

8. Don't lose important scenes! Just shoot and don't change exposure settings whilst shooting

I think the example in the video below was a good insight into what a good documentary type video should look like. Firstly, it included excellent quality B-roll which were all steady shots, included a variety of angles and gave us further insight into the work the interviewee does. The B-roll was also directly related to what the interviewee was saying at all times.

Link to video about B-Roll

B-roll in my documentary

B-Roll ideas:

• Shots of Hong Kong's oceans- wide angle shots
• Dolphins- probably from the internet or our charity's Facebook page
• Shots of us going to our interview- panning of walking
• Charity's office and building- establishing shots
• Maybe litter on beaches?

Folder with all the B-roll taken on our interview day and other times of the HK oceans

Evaluation of the B-roll in the video

0:00 - 0:04, 0:11 - 0:21, 1:02 - 1:09, 1:19 - 1:21, 2:58 - 3:21: This B-roll was found on YouTube from National Geographic, we used this because we couldn't shoot any footage of dolphins
0:22- 0:27: This B-roll was found on YouTube again and it is originally from RTHK on their documentary about saving the Chinese white dolphins
0:59 - 1:01: This short clip was taken when we were walking to our interview
1:35 - 1:44: These clips were taken when we were going to our interview
All other short clips of B-roll were mostly pictures that we sourced from Google Images

In the short clips I took, I think that the camera work was not extremely stable but still at an acceptable level. I included techniques I have learnt like panning and tracking, whilst also trying to maintain a rule of thirds although it wasn't really obvious. My b-roll clips did not include any sound. However, if you look in the folder, I think I took some creative shots of basic things like the lift doors opening with the subject walking out, the lift display moving, zooming into street signs etc. but these weren't included in the final video. Most of our b-roll had to be sourced from the internet because we weren't able to take clips of actual dolphins.

Full Analysis

Is your footage steady?
As mentioned, I think my footage wasn't extremely steady. Although I did use a tripod during the whole filming process, whenever I touched the tripod or had to move it in order to give some movement to my shots, the camera would shake a bit. I think I could have avoided this issue if I took longer shots so that there would be less shaky footage to work with. Another method would be to use a heavier tripod that would not move as easy.

Is it well composed of adequate headroom and lead room?
I don't think headroom and lead room is relevant in terms of B-roll for our video. However, there were a few shots with the group members walking and in those shots, there was enough space around each person for the viewer to feel comfortable.

Is there a variety of shots?
In the video, there wasn't much variety in the shot I took because most of it was either establishing shots or mid-shots with a bit of panning and zooming in. However, if you look in the folder, you will be able to see that I had many close-ups, and a few long-shots of the scenery around (I wasn't able to control what the editor decided to put in the video). In terms of the content, I think I had a lot of variety because I took basically everything- the sky, the exterior of the building, the interior, street signs, the lift, the office but most of it wasn't included in the video (I had no control) which is a shame.

Did you manually set the exposure, white balance and focus to get a good shot?
My camera was set on aperture priority mode so yes I technically did set the exposure myself in all the shots. I didn't touch the white balance much- meaning that I just kept the settings that I made when I last touched my camera. For focus, I put it on autofocus because I know that this is a function that is messy to play with because I might forget to focus it properly or the focus will be incorrect which will ruin the whole shot. That is why I did not take the risk and just set my camera on autofocus.

Did you remember to use the rule of thirds sometimes to help you frame the shot?
This was one of the things that I always remembered to do- this is evident in the shot with us walking. I had more evidence of this in my other shots but again I didn't have control on what was included in the final video.

Can you hear what is being said?
All the audio from the b-roll was removed so this is not applicable.

Did you use any interesting camera angles or camera movement? Was the camera movement smooth?
I used a variety of camera angles and movement but I wouldn't call them special in any way. I think it definitely did make the whole shot look more interesting as compared to a still shot. On the other hand, I think I need to work on my camera movement because I found keeping the speed constant really hard. Therefore, you can see that whilst applying camera movement, the shots weren't entirely steady. This is something I need to improve on if I ever do this again.

Developing Technical Competencies Pt. 2

Practicing Filming 

In order to practice filming for the interview, we had to imagine we were filming a documentary in Island School. This included working in teams of two and filming A-roll footage of an interview and B-roll footage of the school. The shot list and instructions we were given were as follows:

• Check and set the focus, white balance and exposure manually for each shot
• Check the sound recording quality and level before filming the interviews

A-Roll

For the A-Roll interview, we had to interview a teacher with the question of "What do you like about working at Island School?" We chose to do our interview with Daniel in the office.

In order to get an interview of high quality, we had to set up our camera- which was my phone, place it on a tripod to get stable shots and then to use the i-rig mic in a position where it picks up a good quality sound. Moreover, we also had to use our knowledge collected over the past few weeks- framing our shots using the rule of thirds, having sufficient head and lead room, make sure the environment is not noisy visually and audibly. 

Here is our interview:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7vbIj8T3tVmZU9UX3MtSHlQeFE/view?usp=sharing

I think this short interview went well because we incorporated the rule of thirds, had clear and audible sound, and basically achieved our goals.

B-Roll

Next, we had to film some B-Roll footage. The shot list was as follows:

• Three 4 second establishing shots of different parts of the school entrance

• Three 4 second interesting long shots of the school architecture at different angles

• Three 4 second interesting close-ups of the school architecture at different angles

• A 4 second long shot of the school office

• Two 4 second establishing long shots of the same classroom

• Two 4 second mid shots of students working

• Two 4 second 2 close-ups of students working

To make sure we had high-quality B-roll footage, we still filmed with a tripod so that the shots would be stable. We also manipulated the exposure whilst filming: for example, when we were in the office, we turned the ISO up a bit and when we were outside, we lowered the ISO to complement the natural lighting we had. We also didn't just film still shots but include techniques like panning, tracking, tilting and zooming in.

Here are the clips:

Three 4 second establishing shots of different parts of the school entrance:

Three 4 second interesting long shots of the school architecture at different angles

Three 4 second interesting close-ups of the school architecture at different angles

A 4 second long shot of the school office

Two 4 second establishing long shots of the same classroom

Two 4 second mid shots of students working

Two 4 second 2 close-ups of students working

Overall, I think today was a valuable learning experience because it allowed me to learn and practice using the filming equipment provided by the school. Although I actually have already gone to our interview, we might go to another one and so, I will be able to use the skills I have learnt today. 

Here is the final edited video of all the film clips edited together:

Evaluation:

Is your footage steady?

I think some of the B-roll footage isn't extremely steady but the interview footage is 100% steady because I used a tripod whilst filming. Although whilst filming the B-roll, I was also using a tripod but the tripod wasn't still.

Is it well composed of adequate headroom and lead room?

In the interview, it was framed well so therefore, the whole picture did not feel cramped. 

Is there a variety of shots?

Yes, I used establishing shots, long shots, close-ups and mid-shots each with different angles (high, low etc.). Furthermore, I did more than still shots but included techniques like panning, tracking and zooming in. 

Did you manually set the exposure, white balance and focus to get a good shot?

This was not done in the interview because everything was set to auto. However, whilst filming the B-roll, we did manually set the exposure and focus because this had to be changed each time we changed the setting. For example, when we were in the classroom, we turned the ISO up a bit because there is less natural lighting.

Did you remember to use the rule of thirds sometimes to help you frame the shot?

Yes, this is illustrated in the interview. Our interviewee was placed where the rule of thirds line is and he wasn't looking directly at the camera either. For some of the B-roll, when there was a person present, I also tried to use the rule of thirds but at these instances, they aren't as obvious as the interview.

Can you hear what is being said?

Yes, I think the audio in the interview is of excellent quality because there was close to none background noise. Firstly, this is because we were in a quiet environment and secondly, it is because we used an i-rig microphone that picked up the sound well. 

Did you use any interesting camera angles or camera movement? Was the camera movement smooth?

I wouldn't necessary call my camera angles and movement as interesting but I think I quite liked the movement during the shots taken at the front entrance. I also think that my shot of Block 3 that I took from the roof was pretty cool because it gave us a different view/angle to the school. I think that at times, the camera movement wasn't very smooth but mostly, it was quite steady and smooth- there weren't any really stuttery bits that stood out. 

Developing Technical Competencies

Exposure

This week we learned about the exposure triangle which consists of the ISO, aperture and shutter speed. It is placed in a triangle because as soon as you change one element, you need to compromise it with another.

The Exposure Triangle

ISO is the sensitivity to light and is a bit like a pair of sunglasses, this affects the graininess of an image. 

As you can see, in the picture with an ISO of 3200, the picture turns extremely grainy as compared to the picture with ISO 100. I think the best ISO value, in this case, is 800 because it has good lighting and isn't too grainy.

Aperture is the size of the hole which lets light through and is a bit like a window, this affects the depth of field

From these two pictures, we can see that with a high aperture (f2.8), the background is blurred, the focus point is high and the depth of field is shallow. With a high aperture, our focus is turned to the first peg instead of the background. In the second picture that has a small aperture (f16), the background is clear, the focus point is equal and the depth of field is deep. We can use this photo below to help us:

Shutter speed is how long the camera sensor lets light in and is a bit like a curtain, this affects the sharpness of a photo. This is mostly used to capture moments that happen really quickly like jumping into a puddle, jumping down the stairs etc. and is mostly used in sports photography.

In this photo, we can see that with a slow shutter speed, our camera is unable to focus on a fast-moving object like a windmill. As the shutter speed increases, it freezes actions and allows the camera to focus on the windmill very clearly.

Finally, here's a photo that summarises everything I have learnt today about exposure.

Frame Rate

The frame rate is the number of individual frames taken at every second of the video. The most common frame rates for video recording are around 30 frames per second. A higher frame rate means that the video is smoother whilst a lower frame rate means that the video is more jerky. 

Many people cannot differentiate between frame rate and shutter speed- they think that the shutter speed is the frame rate. For example, if your shutter speed is 1/200th of a second, they think that they are taking 200 frames per second. This concept is wrong. 

Shutter speed is how long you are exposing each frame to light per individual frame

Frame rate is how many individual frames you are taking per second of the video

A good way to remember how to adjust your shutter speed according to your frame rate is that the shutter speed should generally be double the number of frames per second. For example, if you are recording at 30 frames per second, you would adjust your shutter speed to be about 1/60th of a second. However, you do not have to do this at all times because by playing around with the shutter speed, you can achieve varying effects. 

Cinema FV5

Cinema FV5 is the name of the Android app we will be using to practice filming and possibly also use to film. I watched a video linked here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1FfucjbgmU to help me learn how to use this app. Here are some screenshots I took whilst watching the video to help guide me in the future.

This is what the start screen looks like

This is what happens when you click record- on the top left corner, there is a bar showing whether or not it is picking up audio and on the right, it shows how long it has been filming for.

Some settings that need to be ticked for the best recording quality:

Use camera compatibility

Lock exposure during recording; lock white balance during recording

Choosing the correct audio source

Checking the audio settings- set it as follows

You can choose different display modes- for example, the grid for the rule of thirds

You can choose the white balance- choose auto

You can choose the focus- choose the one where you can click on the screen to focus

Aims and Objectives

Identifying and Setting Objectives

Before setting my own aims and objectives, I learnt about the differences between an aim and an objective. An aim is something general, broad and strategic while an objective is something that is specific, clearly defined, allows aims to be achieved. Next, I took the short quiz that tested my knowledge of differentiating between an aim and an objective. This was my result:

My Aims and Objectives

1. Interview Filming

Aim: To film an interview in a way that can show my technical competencies and appeal to the audience

Objectives:

• Use a variety of shot angles effectively like wide, medium, close-up etc.
• Compose my shots using the rule of thirds
• Film using a tripod so that all footage will be steady
• Film in a quiet place so that there will be close to no background noise
• Have appropriate headroom in footage
• Ensure the audio in the interview is usable and clear
• Make sure the interviewee is not looking directly at the camera
• Have the correct settings (white balance, exposure, contrast) on my camera/phone 

2. B-Roll Filming

Aim: To make the video more engaging and appealing using B-roll footage

Objectives:

• To film B-roll in suitable and topic-related places: e.g. the sea
• To vary the amount of B-roll and A-roll footage in the final video
• Use a variety of shots angles during the filming of B-roll
• Have the correct settings (white balance, exposure, contrast) on my camera/phone 
• Avoid shaky or blurry footage

3. Organization and Preparation of Equipment

Aim: To have the correct equipment that is of high quality and will be able to take high-quality footage

Objectives:

• To follow my pre-filming checklist
• Download the recommended app and use it
• To have and use a tripod
• To have and use a filming camera that will be borrowed from the school (or phone)
• To have and use a microphone (possibly a lavalier) that will be borrowed from the school
• To use the microphone in close proximity and obtain clear audio
• If equipment needs to be borrowed from the school- make sure to book it earlier and that it is available for use

4. Audio Recording

Aim: To always have clear audio throughout the whole video

Objectives:

• To always record in a quiet environment
• To use microphones while filming most of the time
• To record in close proximity
• If doing voiceovers, make sure the speaker is loud and clear, so that it can be of the best quality possible

Collaborative Dispositions

3 Dispositions I am good at currently from the GREEN section

3 Dispositions that is important for my role from the BLUE section

2 Dispositions I need to work on in group situations from the RED section

Planning Interviews

Planning Interviews

For this task, to start off, we had to watch three videos that gave us information on some basics on how to film an interview.

The first video gave us the basics and talked about:

- Make sure it is a quiet environment with not a lot of background noise

- Have good lighting to make the subject seem more alive and to make it more engaging

- The interviewee should never look at the camera but at the interviewer

- Send the interviewee a list of questions prior so that they can prepare

The second video explained about bounce lighting:

- Avoid harsh shadows under your eyes so that you can see the subject clearly- fix this by using bounce lighting (reflectors)

- Reflectors help disperse light and fill in the shadows, this has to be done by another person

- Play around with your reflectors to get the best angle

- You don't need to use a reflector- you can use paper, umbrellas and even pizza boxes

The third video talked about:

- Always be prepared before an interview: learn everything you can about your subject, prepare a list of questions that are open-ended to allow articulate answers, make sure you have suitable equipment (camera, tripod, lavalier microphone)

- In the interview, make sure you have thought about your shot angle (wide, medium, close-up) and your composition (rule of thirds)

- Closer shots add intensity while wider shots are more relaxed

- Try to make sure your interviewee is not directly looking at the camera lens

- Prepare your lighting set-up with a reflector

Rule of thirds in an interview and not looking directly at the camera

My next task is to create a checklist that I will be able to use to help me plan, organize equipment and the shooting I will do. 

Paperwork

- Interview questions: interviewer has read through them and knows them, remember to bring spares

- Emails with the organization that contains the address, person to contact etc.: to make sure the whole interview process goes smoothly

Equipment

- Camera: make sure it has a full battery, clean lens and it works!

- Tripod: try fitting it on the camera and that it works properly

- Batteries: bring spares and make sure they are all charged so that if one fails, we will always have another one

- Microphones: make sure they are connected/can connect to the camera and there are windshields and other accessories if needed

- Storage media: ensure that the camera has more storage (SD card) than what you actually need

- Weather protection: depending on the weather, make sure there is suitable protection for the equipment, e.g. it is raining, bring a cover for the camera

- Earphones: to check the audio during filming to make sure it is of good quality

- Phone: the backup camera if the camera fails to operate, make sure it has a charged battery and there is enough storage left to be able to take a good amount of photos and videos.

Microphones and Recording Sound

Understanding Microphones and Recording Sound

For this task, we had to watch two videos that briefly explained the basics of microphones and then take a short quiz that tested our understanding of the use of microphones in different circumstances.

The links to the video are here:
https://isle.island.edu.hk/mod/page/view.php?id=54594- proximity effect
https://isle.island.edu.hk/mod/page/view.php?id=54595- equipment tutorial

Firstly, I watched a video talking about proximity and how this affects the quality of sound depending on what type of microphone you are using and the environment you are in. The narrator talked about how important it is to make sure you think about proximity whilst buying/using microphones. I have learnt that the best type of microphone to use for interviews are handheld dynamic microphones because they are inexpensive, does not pick up extra sound from around the room and they have a good sound quality. Something that he emphasized was that you can't fix sound in post, meaning that if you have recorded bad sound in the first place, you will not be able to fix this during editing.

The second video explained in detail on the types of microphones, polar patterns, and which type of microphone in what situations. I learnt that there are two main types of microphones, dynamic and condensers. All microphones are either dynamic or a condenser. For example, a handheld microphone is dynamic while a microphone for recording a song in a studio are condensers. Dynamic microphones are cheaper, more durable, less sensitive and self-powered while condensers are more expensive, fragile, highly sensitive and require phantom power. 

                                       

Afterwards, the video explained about polar patterns- diagrams that show a microphone's sensitivity. The types of polar patterns include omnidirectional (from all directions), bi-directional (from the front and back), cardioid (front) and super cardioid (highly sensitive from the front but can still pick up some sounds from the back). The narrator also explained how you have to think about the microphone's polar patterns and if it is suitable or not for the situation you are filming in.  

                                       

Finally, I took the test which I passed after two attempts. I found the test to be quite helpful since it basically helped me to summarise everything I learnt and told me what things I would need to revisit and research more on. 

Composition and Camera Movement

Composition and Camera Movement

Framing and Focusing:

For this subtopic, we had to watch two videos that were linked on ISLE that explained different forms of framing and focusing techniques. For example, the long shot is a shot that shows a human from head to toe and gives a clear view of the nearby surroundings; a cutaway is when you interrupt a continuously filmed action to give a view of something else related; a pull focus is when you change focus from one subject to another; an extreme close-up is when you tightly frame a person or an object in order to show their emotions and precise actions. These are just a few of the framing and focusing techniques I have learnt while watching the videos, a complete list can be found in the picture below.

Summary of camera shots, angles and movement

Example of a wide shot

Example of a high angle shot to show vulnerability

Other than framing and focusing, there was another video that focused mainly on the rule of thirds. This video taught us how to recognise shots containing the rule of thirds and the different types of thirds there are. For example, there are horizontal thirds, 2/3:1/3 ratio which is suitable for moving objects etc.

Example of vertical rule of thirds

Camera Movement:
For this subtopic, we had to watch this video in order to understand the basics of camera movements and give me some ideas on why I would need to move the camera during filming. For example, I learnt about the pan movement, which is when you look left and right, the tilt movement, which is when you move up and down and the track movement, which is when you track a moving subject.

Summary of the camera movements technique

I think these three things are extremely important to my role because this can help me take better shots when filming and fulfil the responsibility of learning how to take shots. Without these two basic skills and knowledge, I will be unable to produce high-quality content.

After learning the basics, we had to complete a test on camera shots and composition to see how much we understood. I passed the test on my first attempt, getting over 80% (although the screenshot does not display my grade)

Production Technician: Roles & Responsibilities

Roles and Responsibilities of a Production Technician

Being a production technician includes:

- Developing knowledge on the technicalities of filming a video

- Getting filming and audio recording skills

- Understanding things like exposure, focus, white balance, lighting etc.

- Understanding how to take shots: compositions, being creative

- Understanding the process of getting good audio quality: choosing and using the best microphones

- Understanding the differences between A-roll and B-roll and the importance of both

My role is very important to the final documentary because a lot of it will depend on how I complete my role and the quality of the things I do.

More information can be found here: https://isle.island.edu.hk/course/view.php?id=1382&section=1

Looking Back

Looking Back on Last Year

My strengths last year were that I did good self-assessments, as well as being able to complete my responsibilities as an information designer because my graphics were of a good quality that enhanced the video and linked well to the topic of hunger. In my blog, I showed my creative processes clearly.

My weaknesses last year were that in my evaluation and comments, I talked about things other than my role like the video. To improve, I was suggested to make annotations in my evaluation directly relating to the video, for example, I could say, "At 1:30 in the video..."

I think my assessment and my teacher assessment's were similar because we both agreed on the things I needed to work on. 

My targets for my work this year:

• To manage my time better so I will not cram everything into the last week or so 
• To produce excellent quality of work, and since I am production technician this year, I am aiming to be able to have stable shots with good composition
• To get all the cross-cultural perspectives needed- i.e. more than one interview