Lesson Two

After learning to set up the camera (including sound equipment) and how to get it film-ready in the first class, we then ventured into the real world in our next class! We had to interview people... dun-dun-dun! It wasn't as scary as it seemed at the beginning, as we were given a direction in terms of our question (fees for the uni). We came up with our question and set off. I was working the sound, and boy do I have a new-found respect for those who do this as their profession! My arms were killing me after holding the boom for a mere 2 minutes! But it was interesting to see just how much can be heard in the background, and how conscious you have to be of little things like air conditioning, planes, birds, or someone skateboarding a few meters away. Definitely an eye-opener! 

We managed to get 3 interviews within our time limit, as we tried to keep things interesting by changing up our background. We had to learn to work with the rain and the wind, so finding sheltered places to film was key! The interviewee was informed before we began recording to look at the interviewer and not into the camera to ensure there would be no awkward eye contact in the recording that would break the professionalism of the overall product. We also checked the sound before filming by asking them to count to 10. Even though it was impossible to avoid background noise due to being in public, I made sure that the interviewee was louder. All important things to make sure we get a smooth recording!

Hugo was our camera man, and from what I saw he was following the rule of thirds and made sure the background was non-distracting yet visually appealing. As we were showed in class, a distracting background is the worst... 

This was an example used in the lecture presentation, and even though it's a still image, the viewer is faced with a lot of goings-on here! Her scarf, her hair, the pot plant, all the colours - it's just too much. When it comes to background and the "empty space", simple is best. Yet it's good to have more than just a plain blank wall, it's all about finding that middle ground and using your instincts!

I thought this class was super helpful in teaching me the ways of working efficiently and with what you've got - you may want beautiful sunshine but if it's pouring with rain, you gotta go with it! Also, it was good to put our knowledge into practice. I find the best way of learning is to jump right in!