Shoot Day Notes

What went well and why?

We managed to shoot everything we wanted and more within daylight with lots of leftover time, despite the late start
Prosthetic (initially) stuck down and generally turned out a lot better than I was expecting
Everyone was professional and offered their own individual input and skills so we got everything done smoothly and efficiently
It was extremely exciting for me personally as all the shots were coming together identically to how I had pictured them in my head
Carrying the equipment around was very easy (and fun) as we had access to a very convenient cart to drive it around from one location to the next
We ended up changing how the final sequence would play out but with the same sentiment, it went from intense chaos from the motorcycle surrounding the shack followed by momentary relief, and finally a jumpscare - to complete tense silence with only footsteps and the Survivor trying to sneak outside again, only to be (somewhat) jump-scared.

Did any issue arise and, if so, how did you fix them? / What could you have done differently?

Bus broke down unexpectedly for two hours, meaning we had much less time to film, but we instead took the time to have lunch early to save time and I fiddled around a bit with costume and makeup, but then we got picked up by another bus and managed to shoot everything
Better transition from junkyard to garage (keeping background + ground material similar) as it was fixed last minute
Simple continuity error where she ran off with her bag and then appeared in the next scene without it, and the Hunter entering the shot from the other side (not impossible, but just didn’t make as much sense as entering in the same direction as the Survivor)
Prosthetic cut could have been glued down better (but - the amount of time between application and shooting was unexpected, and was fixed with readjusting leg position + more fake blood)
Very nitpicky but I could’ve progressively added more gel in her hair/face as she ran and sweated more
Could have planned out the jump scare a bit better

Did you learn any new technical skills? Did you learn any new technical language?

How did the skills that you learned in the initial camera workshops at the start of term help prepare you for the shoot?

What equipment did you use (make sure to include any lights or additional equipment you may have used as well)

What was your favourite part of the day?

The sequence where she ripped the sleeve off to tie around her wound played out exactly as I wanted it to and simply looked awesome, was also around the time I realised it would all come together as expected and that it would be great
Filming the one take was a very interesting new experience that was surprisingly nerve wracking (through no fault other than my own - cast and crew were very kind)

Are you happy with the footage you have shot?

Yes except for transition between the two locations simply due to continuity errors
Aside from that simple mistake, the composition and colours of every shot were absolutely amazing and really looked like a post-apocalyptic film
We also certainly got all of the shots we needed as I made sure to film any extra shots, such as a close-up of the axe dragging across the ground, despite intending on that sequence to be one continuous take, or a few extra shots of the locations in case we want to have a brief world establishing shot sequence if we wanted to, better to have footage and not need it rather than no footage and need it

What have you learned that you can use for your next filming project?

If you have an idea that you think will look good but you’re slightly unsure of, to just go for it, and if it doesn’t end up working, you can always just film something else because it might end up turning out perfect unexpectedly. I learnt this since I started feeling unsure of whether or not the Survivor should rip her sleeve off as it could be complicated to pull off, but we ended up going for it after receiving some encouragement and, despite the actress struggling slightly with ripping the shirt (which was my mistake), we managed to make it work through selective angles and cutting up a massive rip hidden behind her arm to ease the effort.

If you had to do it again, what would you do differently?

Test out the ‘rippability’ of the shirt better
Buy a slightly better quality bag as the zipper broke (even though we made it work)
Take a note of small continuities like whether she ran off with the bag or not
This is nit-picky but the makeup I did on her face ended up coming out a bit bloodier than I intended, which looked great but didn’t make as much narrative sense as simply having a lot of dirt or simple scratches on her face instead of a full on bloody wound on her forehead

What are you most excited about when it comes to editing?

Watching and physically crafting my vision come together into a solid project
I’m also looking forward to looking through all of the actual camera footage and seeing the shots up close in detail

What challenges do you face in the edit suite?

In the last project I did in the edit suite, I struggled with the overall process simply due to issues with footage that I very messily shot; the actions were generally difficult to nail down and the audio was hard to edit in time mainly due to overlapping dialogue or irregular timing.
I found the audio issues in particular very confusing to fix, I’m confident enough I could have eventually figured it out if I wasn’t as annoyed by the footage - I tend to get fairly emotionally invested when filmmaking, which can either be very fun or very inconvenient for myself and others, I hope to work on it.
I didn’t let this bring my spirits down for this project however, I know I’ll try my very best to make it work to be the best of my ability with enthusiasm and determination, and of course a lot more patience and time

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