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A short comedy. Sally is trying for a job interview to further her career but fails when the interviewer Jeff catches her out on her “language skills” leading to an embarrassing situation. She finds out later her friend Wendy has been seeing Jeff and may have sabotaged her efforts for getting the job.

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After the first day of the video project, I gained a deeper understanding of the dual roles I'll be undertaking in the production of this film: acting and serving as the director of photography.

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(Any work on my performing role will appear in yellow)

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(Any work as the DOP will be shown in red).

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What my role as an actor will include during this pre production process.

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What my role as an actor will include during this pre production process.

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Preparing for an acting "role can be divided into three great periods: studying it; establishing the life of the role; putting it into physical form" (Stanislavski & Hapgood, 2012). This mean that I need to conduct thorough research into my character's background, motivations, and personality. By delving into relevant source materials from written or visual mediums, I can gain essential insights. Additionally, studying real-world individuals who share similarities with my character provides valuable inspiration and depth to my portrayal.

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In the upcoming film, I portray Jeff, a character who immediately establishes himself as someone who exudes an air of arrogance and egotism. However, the character in later scenes juxtaposes this by coming across as extroverted and jokey. To prepare for this role, I'm will delve into a variety of fictional and real-life personas who embody similar traits. This exploration will serve as a necessary inspiration in guiding the performance of my character.

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For instance, my character swiftly solidifies his role as the film's antagonist with his opening line, setting the stage for the unfolding narrative. When Sally, the main protagonist, fabricates fluency in Cantonese on her CV, Jeff sees through her deception by effortlessly conversing in the language. This revelation leads to her inevitable rejection for the job position. Mastering these lines is paramount; I must hone my pronunciation to deliver them convincingly, all while embodying Jeff's essential arrogance at this pivotal point in the script.

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I decided this week to primarily focus on developing the potential visual style for the film. Now that I have read the script I now have stablished that it is a comedy. So I will try and incorporate a "sit-com style" into my inspiration for each scene.

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Whilst imagining what kind of look we should go for when considering the interview room, my initial thoughts were to go for something like this: Warmly lit, quite ornate, characters smartly dressed. However, incorporating a shot like this into a comedy presents a juxtaposition, as comedies typically employ high-contrast lighting to remove any unintended seriousness in the film.

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So instead I began looking at something like this for inspiration. Not only does it better match the description that the script gives of the interview room "A sparse and rather dull looking office", it also fits better in with that description of a comedic film. Therefore, this is the style we've settled on, which should ideally serve as a reference for any location managers, guiding them toward the type of settings we envision for the scene.

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I saw this as good inspiration for how the shoot the interviewers looking at Sally, applying pressure.

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From the flip of this perspective, I saw this image which looked like a good way of showing how Sally gets more stressed during the interview.

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I searched for sitcom kitchens for inspiration, and one in particular stood out for its sleek, modern design, perfectly complementing the aesthetic of the preceding scene. While I contemplated the drawbacks of portraying her in a luxurious setting, fearing it might obscure the stark contrast between her upscale job interview and the modest, messy flat she calls home, I ultimately opted to stick with it. This decision promises more visually captivating shots within this unique setting.

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What my role as director of photography (DOP) will include during the post production process.

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What my role as director of photography (DOP) will include during the post production process.

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In my role as one of the DOP's, I bear the responsibility of the "visual concepts and technical planning imagined by the director" (Utami & Arifianto, 2019, p.167). This entails orchestrating the camera movements to align with our chosen stylistic direction. To achieve this, I will meticulously outline each shot in advance through detailed shot lists and storyboards. Once the visual style is established, I collaborate closely with the lighting department to ensure that every scene is illuminated to enhance the desired aesthetic. By effectively communicating our vision, we synchronize camera movements and lighting setups to bring the director's creative vision to life on screen.

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It's crucial that I collaborate closely with the other DOP to ensure we maintain a unified vision for the film. Sharing our work and insights regularly ensures that we stay aligned in our understanding of the direction we aim to pursue.

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1: Stanislavski, C., & Hapgood, E. R. (2012). Creating a role. Routledge.

2: Utami, C. D., & Arifianto, B. D. (2019). Symbolic Interaction of Director of Photography in Film Production Organizing at Camera (11th ed.). Jurnal Komunikator.

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This kitchen also had an interesting feel to it. One that would be interesting to design shots for.

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In crafting this scene, I sought visuals that would effectively convey the emotional turmoil Sally experiences. I liked this image as it mirrored the disarray and sombre ambiance I envisioned for Sally's bedroom. The striking play of light and shadow in the picture, particularly how the blinds cast an ominous pattern resembling prison bars, I thought was quite effective. Drawing from this inspiration, I aim to recreate a similar atmosphere to evoke the feeling of confinement and despair that Sally grapples with in the scene.

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Since this scene unfolds in the same contemporary setting as the previous two, I sought inspiration that aligns with its modern aesthetic. This particular image intrigued me because of its unique angle, reminiscent of how the character Wayne occupies a sofa in our scene. This angle offers an interesting perspective for filming that moment. Additionally, as Sally peeks around the corner in this scene, the image sparked my imagination regarding the comedic potential of her entrance. I envisioned a scenario where she subtly edges into the frame, with Wayne blissfully unaware as he remains engrossed in watching TV. This playful dynamic adds depth to the scene and enhances its comedic charm.

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I decided to study how comedy films approach filming scenes set in parks. I stumbled upon a scene from Ted (Macfarlane, 2012) that caught my attention with its intriguing symmetrical framing. It occurred to me that this framing technique could be effectively utilised in the preacher scene of our script. Imagining the two preachers framed similarly in the scene, with Sally entering and being centred within the frame, I saw the potential to create a visually dynamic and engaging sequence that captures the essence of our story.

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I thought this was an interesting shot of how to film Sally stalking Jeff through the park.

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After developing specific visual styles, I collaborated with the assistant directors to gather their insights. They concurred with the critical decisions I made and recognized that these choices effectively captured the envisioned style for the film. With this feedback, I provided inspiration to the set design and props departments based on these styles. For instance, for the preacher scene in scene 5, we discussed the potential use of leaflets on a table and how it would enhance the shots. Additionally, I talked with the lighting team to determine the most suitable lighting equipment to complement these styles effectively. We started discussing the possibility of using cooler lighting instead of warm orange and yellow tones to better convey the cold, atmospheric nature of the film.

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Having got a basic understanding of what could be achieved with each scene, me and the other DOP began work on the shot list, which next week I'll begin to storyboard.

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This week, I also aimed to delve deeper into understanding the character of Jeff.

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Character profile:

Name: Jeff Powers

Born: 7th July, 2000

Son of: Lord Alan & Lady Paula Powers

Brothers and sisters: Only Child (meaning he always got the very best)

Education: Masters in Business

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Personality:

Studious and serious about his work.

Not known to smile easily with his colleagues.

Has a huge ego and isn't afraid of showing it.

Can be jokey and relaxed with those he feels comfortable around.

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Attributes:

Very independent and self-reliant.

Good at reading people for who they truly are.

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Habits and Manner:

Goes for a run every morning.

Plays golf with his friends in high places.

Never mentions his personal life to anyone at his workplace.

Can appear cold to people who meet him.

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Exploring what these mean for the character

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Exploring what these mean for the character

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All of these descriptions of Jeff help me as actor to understand the kind of life this character has and helps me to represent who I am upon this character. So whilst I am acting, I completely forget about myself and completely absorb myself into the life jeff has, right down to what sort of thoughts he may have in a given scenario. To achieve this, I practiced doing things in the real world (e.g., going to the shops) but instead of being me, I'm rather acting as Jeff. This means that when it comes to filming scenes as Jeff I should have more confidence slipping into the shoes of this character and how to convincingly portray his life.

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Once I had crafted this character profile, I delved into embodying Jeff's persona by attempting to portray him as the egotistical and arrogant man he is in the first scene.

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I also practiced playing as the jokey and extroverted version of Jeff we see in the later scenes.

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After pondering over potential fictional characters to loosely base Jeff on, I found myself drawn to Hugh Laurie's portrayal of Dr. House. This choice stemmed from the similarities in personality traits between House and Jeff, including their somewhat arrogant and narcissistic tendencies. Having a character like House as a reference point allows me to observe how an actor effectively utilises such traits in various scenarios. By studying Laurie's performance, I can extract valuable skills to incorporate into my own portrayal of Jeff, adapting them to fit the specific contexts of Jeff.

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1: Macfarlane, S. (Director). (2012). Ted [Film]. Universal Pictures.

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This week I wanted to focus on working with a shot list to develop a storyboard and even practice some shots in our rehearsal space as the other DOP had booked out some equipment to test with.

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"While a script is text, a shot list is the blue print for how to visualize that script" (Smith, 2016). A shot list serves as a blueprint, breaking down the script into a comprehensible visual format. My fellow DOP and I collaborated to meticulously compile a shot list, meticulously detailing each shot required to effectively convey the story's narrative visually.

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For the first scene where I'm acting, the other DOP experimented with some shots based on our shot list. One of these was an over-the-shoulder shot, framing Sally with the interviewers in the background. However, upon review, we decided to opt for a POV shot instead, altering our original plan. Additionally, we discussed the possibility of incorporating shots featuring Sally's clasped hands in front of the camera, intrigued by the unique angle it could offer.

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This displayed the reverse angle of the previous shot. Once again we opted for a POV of the interviewers instead of doing a behind the shoulder shot. All changes were reflected in the shot list.

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Now that I had a deeper understanding of my character, thanks to the character profile I had created, I was eager to pay close attention to any feedback from the director. While I had made progress in perfecting the Cantonese lines, both the director and I felt that there were still areas for improvement. To refine these aspects further, we arranged a team meeting where we could focus on polishing my pronunciation. Additionally, we discussed how my character would naturally deliver these lines, taking into account both their personality and the context of the scene.

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After completing my acting in scene 1, I transitioned to testing shots for scene 2. Given the dynamic interplay between the two characters in this scene, I saw an opportunity to employ the over-the-shoulder shot that we had experimented with in the previous scene. This setup would allow for seamless alternation between the perspectives of the characters engaged in dialogue.

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Storyboards are ordinarily "used in film production as a pre-visualisation technique, in order to help the DOP plan the film and try out different scene ideas and orderings of camera shots" (Walker, Ap Cenydd, Pop, Miles, Hughes, Teahan & Roberts, 2015). Fortunately, we had access to a rehearsal space and equipment, allowing us to practice various shots hands-on. Once my fellow DOP and I settled on a shot we liked, we updated and refined it in the shot list. Additionally, as a reference and for continuity purposes, I created storyboards to visually depict each shot, complete with descriptions of the shot and movement details. These storyboards, shown across the three images here, provide a clear blueprint for the first scene. However, if needed, we also captured plenty of reference shots on the day to ensure smooth execution during production.

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After numerous repetitions of the Cantonese lines with the director, I began to feel more confident in my ability to pronounce them correctly. While there's still room for improvement, I've made significant strides and am getting closer to the desired pronunciation. As we continue rehearsals in the upcoming weeks, I'll keep refining and fine-tuning to ensure it's perfected by the time of filming.

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I ventured out to inspect some of the locations scouted by the location assistants. This allowed me to start envisioning how the shots we had meticulously designed in the rehearsal room could be seamlessly integrated into the actual settings. I took a camera with me as well to capture this process.

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1: Smith, D. R. (2016). Movie Script Shot Lister. San Jose State University.

2: Walker, R., Ap Cenydd, L., Pop, S., Miles, H. C., Hughes, C. J., Teahan, W. J., & Roberts, J. C. (2015). Storyboarding for visual analytics. Information Visualization

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This week, my focus was on determining the precise equipment needed to execute the shots outlined in the shot list effectively. Some of the equipment I'll look at more closely after Easter including the easy rig, rails, and camera track.

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We decided to utilise the Blackmagic 6k camera for our project. Despite weighing the pros and cons, we found that its advantages outweighed any drawbacks, making it the optimal choice for our needs.

Pros

Excellent image quality

Button placement

Open Gate

In-body anamorphic desqueeze

Wide range of built-in exposure tools

Menu system

Large tilting LCD screen

(Mini) XLR audio

Cons

Battery life

Limited autofocus

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I aimed to solidify my understanding of lens variations before production commenced, ensuring I was fully prepared. While I already had some confidence, I wanted to sharpen my knowledge. Additionally, the director mentioned providing an anamorphic lens. An anamorphic lens compresses the image onto film or digital sensors, enabling wider aspect ratios beyond what traditional lenses offer. This results in cinematic images characterised by a shallower depth-of-field and a distinctive oval bokeh effect.

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I observed the assembly process of the camera, meticulously studying the arrangement of its various components. This included attaching the monitor, securing spare batteries, aligning the rails, affixing handles, installing clamps to support the lenses, and configuring the follow focus mechanism.

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I familiarised myself with using the Easy Rig system, a setup designed to alleviate the weight of the camera from my arms by transferring it onto a cord attached to a pole extending from what resembles a backpack. This practice was essential as we had decided to incorporate it into certain shots to streamline our workflow. The designated day for its use coincided with a filming day, during which we had limited time at a house location to shoot four scenes. To prepare, I practiced maintaining my balance while wearing the rig and even rehearsed filming some of the scenes to ensure smooth execution on the day of production.

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We rehearsed using the dolly track, assembling it between two tripods. During this practice, we explored a few shot concepts to familiarise myselves with the equipment and its capabilities.

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This rehearsal marked the first time I fully immersed myself in the character within the context of a genuine filming shoot. By this point, I had aimed to embody the essence of the character flawlessly, resulting in a mostly smooth rehearsal. However, there was one minor hiccup with the pronunciation of my Cantonese line, which I quickly rectified. Additionally, I arrived dressed according to the specifications provided by the costume department. Upon seeing me in full costume, they suggested adding a jacket and tie to further enhance the business setting of the scene and solidify Jeff's persona as an egotistic individual. I agreed with this suggestion as it reinforced the desired atmosphere and Jeff's character traits effectively.

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Today marked our tech rehearsal day, a crucial step before kicking off production tomorrow. During this session, we meticulously went through every aspect of the project, where I focused on perfecting my acting performance and ensuring I'm completely at ease operating behind the camera. Additionally, I familiarised ourselves with all the equipment and gear needed for the shoot.

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We booked out all the equipment. Below is a list of all the camera related equipment I booked out:

· X1 - Blackmagic 6K Pocket Cinema Camera (Includes 1TB SSD)

· X4 - Blackmagic 6K Batteries

· X1 - Blackmagic 6K Charger

· X1 - Blackmagic 6K Power Cable

· X1 - Tilta Mini Follow Focus

· X1 - 4x4 Matte Box

· X1 - 14mm XEEN | T3.5 | Canon EF

· X1 - 24mm XEEN | T1.5 | Canon EF

· X1 - 35mm Prime | T1.5 | Canon EF

· X1 - 24mm – 105mm Zoom | F/4 L IS | Canon EF

· X2 - Video Tripods

· X1 - Hague D5T Camera Tripod & Tracking Dolly Kit

· X1 - Kessler Cine-slider

· X1 - Atomos Ninja Flame (Charging Kit Included)

· I X1 - Atomos Ninja Blade/Flame SSD Storage

· X2 - Atomos Ninja Blade/ Battery

· X1 – Easy-Rig Camera Support System

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We had planned to conduct an on-site rehearsal of the scenes in the park. However, due to the absence of several actors, we were unable to proceed as intended. Unfortunately, this meant that there wasn't much progress made on my acting role this week.

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As I'm acting in this scene today, my focus will primarily be on delivering my best performance as Jeff rather than my duties as DOP. This scene demands a silent presence from me until my first Cantonese delivery. However, even in silence, I must convey a range of emotions, including smugness and arrogance, to create ambiguity about my character's identity for the audience. When I finally speak my Cantonese lines, I'll channel all my energy into embodying Jeff's intention fully – his desire to sabotage Sally's job interview.

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I believe today's performance went smoothly, and I'm pleased with how the effort I invested in perfecting the Cantonese lines paid off.

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Today, I remained focused on my acting role, prioritising it over my duties as the DOP. The scene I performed in was a subjective flashback from Sally's perspective, creating a hyperreal atmosphere to convey the notion that the depicted events never actually occurred. This setup allowed for some comedic elements, including the enlargement of my face on the screen, replacing the professional business posters seen in the first scene. This alteration emphasised Sally's main memory of the interview – Jeff's intense gaze that seemed to penetrate her soul, overshadowing her original purpose of securing a job. Today's performance involved a lot of choreographed standing and pointing alongside the other actors in the interview scene.

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After a few attempts to synchronise the sequence of standing up and pointing, we finally nailed it and delivered a strong performance. However, we encountered some equipment issues throughout the day, which prolonged our shoot. Despite the challenges and the long hours, I'm confident that my tiredness didn't affect my performance.

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Today marked my debut as the main Director of Photography on set, which required me to take on a significant role with the camera. The primary challenge of today's shoot was the time constraint - we had to record four scenes within the limited timeframe we had rented the property for. Renting the property for an additional day would have been expensive, so it was imperative for everyone to work efficiently to complete all tasks as quickly as possible.

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Today, I applied my practice with the Easy Rig on set. One notable challenge I encountered was maintaining camera stability - I found it difficult to prevent shaking while using the rig. Despite this difficulty, we opted for the Easy Rig to save time on set, eliminating the need to set up the tripod repeatedly. While I felt comfortable using the Easy Rig, it inevitably resulted in less stable shots compared to those achieved with a tripod. However, given the time constraints we faced, we had to prioritise efficiency over perfect static shots.

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Another challenge with the Easy Rig was maintaining proper shot composition, including ensuring sufficient headroom and looking room. This task was particularly tricky during mid shots, where the effects of my shaky hands were more noticeable. Moreover, maintaining focus proved challenging while simultaneously handling the camera. That's why, on most of these shots, the director took control of focusing on the subjects while I focused on framing the shots.

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This is a frame from one of the tracking shots I did.

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During today's shoot, I utilised the camera track on a few occasions, enabling us to capture some unique and visually captivating shots. One notable example was the track and tilt shot, which proved to be particularly effective and added depth to our footage.

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A copy of the annotated shot list from the entire shoot.

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Throughout the shoot, I diligently referenced the shot list to ensure that each shot aligned with the original plan my fellow DOP and I had drawn up. Any shots that we decided against were crossed off, either because they weren't necessary or didn't work as intended. In their place, we added new shots as needed, meticulously checking off each one and jotting down any important notes. Since it was my first time seeing the location we filmed in today, I had to adapt some of our initial plans on the fly. For instance, while we initially intended to use the anamorphic lens for certain shots, we had to switch to the 23mm lens due to space constraints and the required width of the shot.

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Today, I returned to my role as an actor, portraying Jeff's polar opposite personality—playful and extroverted. This scene held significant importance as it unveiled a plot twist: the revelation that Jeff was involved in sabotaging Sally's interview by colluding with her roommate. This dynamic added depth to the performance, as it became easier to understand Jeff's jovial and relaxed demeanor in the context of his relationship.

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Today was a success as we wrapped up all four scenes with half an hour to spare for packing away the equipment. Upon reviewing the footage, it was reassuring to see that the time constraint wasn't evident in the final product. This was a testament to the meticulous preparation and dedication that went into crafting each shot. I ultimately decided not to use the storyboard, as I found it more effective to position the camera intuitively within each scene while still adhering to the shot list.

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One major challenge I encountered today was acting in the cold weather. As the temperature dropped, I found myself shivering and developing a sniffly nose, which I tried to conceal in my voice during the performance. Although the situation improved when the sun eventually emerged, I struggled to fully warm up after being so cold for an extended period. However, I remained hopeful that these conditions didn't detract from my final performance.

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Today was a dynamic day for me, juggling roles as the main Director of Photography and later transitioning back to acting. We kicked off with scene 5, the preacher scene, where I had the opportunity to utilise the camera dolly. We captured some captivating establishing shots of the park, including a striking moment with the sun glaring on the camera, which we patiently waited for to achieve the perfect shot. Additionally, we employed the dolly for a walking shot featuring Sally. When filming the preachers, we opted for a static shot using the dolly without the rails. The entire scene, shot exclusively on the anamorphic lens, turned out exceptionally well.

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This shows a setup for the previous picture, with how we managed the over the shoulder shot.

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After wrapping up the preacher scene, I went back to my acting role. This time, I portrayed Jeff swaggering through the park while Sally pretended to stalk me. I chose to swagger deliberately, as it not only contributed to the comedic tone of the film but also allowed me to embody Jeff's personality more authentically. The swaggering walk perfectly encapsulated Jeff's egotism and cockiness, enhancing the character's presence on screen.

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In the slapping scene, similar to the hyperreal flashback in scene 7b, I heightened the comedic performance. I delivered a more theatrical reaction, particularly in response to Sally's shouts and especially in the facial expression I portrayed when Jeff gets slapped.

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The most challenging aspect of the day was the 12-hour film shoot, leaving everyone feeling exhausted by the end. However, the pleasant weather helped to conceal our tiredness somewhat. Shooting the final slapping scene posed additional difficulties, as it occurred later in the day when more people were present, making it challenging to shoot the swearing scenes, especially with children nearby. Despite these challenges, from my perspective, all the scenes I either filmed or acted in ended up looking rather impressive.

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While I haven't yet seen the finished film, I consider this entire experience to be a success regardless of the final outcome. It has ignited a passion within me to continue developing my own films in the future. I've gained invaluable knowledge about various camera equipment and the collaborative process of crafting a cohesive visual style alongside other departments. Additionally, this experience has enhanced my approach to understanding and portraying characters, which I believe will make my future acting endeavors even more seamless. Overall, I view this as a valuable learning experience that I will cherish and remember fondly.

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I conducted a comprehensive camera-related risk assessment for each filming location selected for the film. Risk assessments "identify methods adopted to highlight potential risk" (Mobey & Parker, 2002). Therefore, in this assessment I meticulously outlined every potential risk associated with operating the camera on set and provided strategies for mitigating these risks to ensure a safe and smooth filming process.

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Camera Risk Asessment - Peel Park (SIGNED)

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Camera Risk Asessment - Interview Room (SIGNED) (1)

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1: Mobey, A., & Parker, D. (2002). Risk evaluation and its importance to project implementation. Work study.