A2 Media Studies Advanced Portfolio : Production

Filming outside Banbury reservoir

The location of the third filming day started outside of the Banbury reservoir. There was a water station on the drive down to the reservoir which provided the perfect location for the external shots of the couple smoking and embracing. The significance of this location meant that the casual, external shots, showing the couple isolated together could be shot. I wanted a location like this so that it made the isolation of the couple clear; that they have no one else and how the two's world are each other.

We began filming at about 4:00 and Harry, who assisted me during filming, drove myself and Ollie Poole (my actor), to the reservoir. The shots took us about an hour. We took shots in front of wire fencing. This shot was representative of the woman being trapped in the relationship. We also took shots of the couple running together. This is another shot representative of the couple isolated together.
In order to film the couple, considering I am the actress for the female, the shots where the males face could be seen (running), I directed the shot with Harry filming. This was very difficult, but we established it by Ollie and Harry running in the position of the male and female, with me doing practise shots. I then showed this to Harry and he mimicked it.
With shots where the males face couldn't be seen (against the fence), Harry played the role of Ollie and Ollie filmed. This is because Ollie is very good at filming and good with a camera; Harry didn't have as much experience.
We finished filming outside the reservoir at about 5:00. I intend to do more shots at the reservoir, in the water. however I couldn't on this day as I hadn't received permission yet.

Filming at my house (Middleton Cheney); Living room

Once we had finished filming at the reservoir on this day, we all went back to my house to do some shots in the living room. Although I had filmed at my house previously, I had not got any shots in this room, which were shots that I wanted to show the couple being happy together; being at home, on the sofa etc. This showed the loving side to the relationship.
We began filming at about 5:30. The first shots I wanted to get were of Ollie sat on the sofa. These shots were meant to show him alone, thinking to foreshadow the end of the video. I tried this shot from an angle to begin with, but then chose to take the shot in front of him, with his head slightly out of shot.
After taking the shots of Ollie, I now wanted shots of the couple lying on the sofa. In order to get focus on these shots we continued to use a tripod. Again, I had Ollie and Harry lay in the position of the man and woman, so that I could do some practise shots, to show Harry what shots I had in mind. This, like before, made it easier for Harry to understand what I wanted.
This was a shot which I had taken from a long shot and a close up, to show the male and female in love; adoring each other. This shot was one which I intended to have at the beginning of the video to show the two happy. I also thought a flashback shot of this would be nice, as things begin to deteriorate.
Once these shots had been taken, I no longer needed Harry assistance, so he went home.
It was now about 7:00 in the evening and it was dark outside. This meant that we could get more of the dark shots in the living room. These were shots of the males hand holding pills and the female taking them out of his hand. This is the beginning of the drug introduction. I also had a shot of the couple kissing.
These shots were done by placing the camera on a tripod and angling it in the right direction. The one with the hand of pills needed the camera angling downwards and the camera focused on the hand. This made the entire background go black. I pressed play before I took the pills from Ollies hand.
With the kissing shot, the same sort of technique was used. I placed the stage light so that it was in shot, but behind us and as we kissed, it was blocked out. I then told Ollie to stand in front of the light, so that I could focus, the camera on him. The camera was still on the tripod. Then I moved into shot, as I left the camera filming. This was a difficult way to film, however it worked.