Interview Lighting Analysis

We participated in a Lighting for Interviews masterclass conducted by our tutor Ed. In this exercise we were tasked to find three different background in the classroom and set up an interview shot there. The when everything was set up we had to light it appropriately. 

In the 'before' picture below you can see the deep shadows on the subject. She melts into the background has there is no lighting to make her pop. The back of the room looks dark, dull and uninviting, and the only light on the subject is a dramatic rim light that just accentuates her right side.

We added a powerful spotlight in the back with the barn-doors opened fully. Then we put a soft box on with an addition diffuser to give her some really soft and even light. It was just 4 feet away from her too as the lighting was educed because on the soft box and diffuser in front of it. Lastly we added a reflector to bounce light onto the right side of her face and bring out her jawline.

-lighting set-up diagram-

In the picture below you can see the result of our work. We're really proud of it but next time would like to try boost the shadows on her face and torso more, thus making her stand out more.

When we set up the lighting for jake we thankfully had a bit more daylight left and were thus able to use that to our advantage. We sat and positioned him near a massive window that gave him a glorious and even spread of natural light on the right side of his face. Then we just needed to add one soft box on the other side of his face and he was ready. In future I think a third light source in front of him would of worked really well, even if it was just a reflector.

Then we had to light, me! For this we used a diffused softbox about 4 feet away from me on the left side of my face and then a reflector on the opposite side bouncing the light back onto me. Though very simple, I think it worked very well. In hindsight I think it would be best if we made the softbox brighter.

Malfeasance Reflection

• Was my project successful?

For what it was, yes I think it was successful. I did not set out to create a Hollywood level film, that would be very unrealistic. The perfectionist i me had to convince myself of this over and over again. I didn't try to cram an immense plot in that short time frame, resulting in a complicated and rushed film. So instead I set out to make something three minutes long that used context clues and broken dialog to give the audience a vague idea of a bigger plot, leaving the rest up to imagination. I was proud of what I produced, definitely a far higher standard of production for me. I was able to apply what I learnt about cameras, microphones, script writing, and directing over the last few months all into 'Malfeasance".

• What feedback did you receive from your peers?

What my peer had to say:

"Wow that was so epic, it's a shame about the noise of The Weir but that's just a problem with the location, the rest of it was epic, I loved the use of extreme close ups and the music, also the story was really good!" - Tom Arthur, 19 (YouTube)

• What would you change/do differently?

I would definitely try to improve the audio next time. The weir is far to overpowering most of the film. I thought I had the right microphone set up but maybe Lavalieres would of been a better choice over directional microphones. Or I could of overdubbed all the dialog.

• How will you improve for your next project?

I will use more interesting camera set-ups and movements in my next film. Like crane and tracking shots. Also I will get better audio and costumes.

• What did you enjoy/not enjoy?

What I Enjoyed - Directing, I love directing! Getting to film in such a beautiful location. Also I enjoyed every aspect of editing the film as I find it fun and incredibly relaxing.

What I Didn't Enjoy - My cast letting me down. They all forgot their costumes which I thought, really broke the characters. Jillian is supposed to be a hugely successful and influential politician, but is wearing ripped jeans, and our private detective is wearing a t-shirt under his blazer, instead of a shirt and tie.

• How effective was your production team?

At times they were very productive, and we were able to get a lot of filming done quite quickly. But at other times they completely switched off and no matter how frustrated I got or how much I begged they wouldn't cooperate.

• How effective was your planning in terms of execution?

Pre Production was definitely the most important part of the filmmaking process. It was critical that every aspect of the production is thought out and psychoanalysed Doing that saved us a lot of time and money. It also made the filmmaking process as smooth and hassle-free as possible. On the day of filming, besides them not having their costumes, everyone had their scripts and knew their lines and what they had to do, and where they had to do it.

Recce UPADTE

For my new filming location I will be using the public footpath around the Bath Weir. As it is a beautiful location and makes for a very interesting background. Here are some of the pictures I got from our recce:

Pre Production

Pre Production is definitely the most important part of the filmmaking process. It is critical that every aspect of the production is thought out and psychoanalysed, as doing so will save you massive amounts of time and money. It will also insure that the filmmaking process is as smooth and hassle-free as possible.

Scandal In Belgravia Scene Analysis

To start off with, OTS (Over The Shoulder) shots are used to help visualise the dialog taking place. It helps the audience to get engrossed in the conversation. It also shows the emotion of the person that is being focused on (ie, Irene Adler) where you can see her crying.

3 Minute Short Pre Production Process

It’s election year, parties are looking for votes and some will stop at nothing to gain power in Westminster.

If reports are anything to go by it is going to be a closely run race between the 2 main parties, but a Private Investigator with no agenda holds a secret that could turn the election on it’s head. Who is this PI, what do they stand to gain and what decision will they make?
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