Filming Session #1: Exterior Shots

Yesterday was my first filming session of the shot film entitled "Before". The scenes that we shot today were fundamental to the film's narrative in the sense that this is the point at which the protagonist is about to murder his ex-wife. It's a scene that bookends the beginning and end of the film; consequently, it was really important to capture these shots in a manner that I would deem to be of a quality standard.

Shooting Location

Filming on my road,  I knew I had to anticipate the annoyances that come with filming in a public place. Cars driving down the road and people walking into the frame were things that could disrupt the film's continuity. Therefore, it was challenging to have to move to the side of the road and then set-up the shot once more.

Emily and Will

Technically, I felt at home using my Canon camera; it's one of the few pieces of tech I really understand and I felt this camera had the capability to capture the shots I had envisioned. For instance, I wanted the background in some of the shots to be in soft focus, and so using the focus tool on the camera helped me to capture the desired shot.

"It's behind you!"

It was an interesting experience directing my "actors" for the first time. Part of the role of being a director, I've found, is to cajole and motivate your actors into getting into role, in order to bring out the best in them and, therefore, the character. I felt that I was able to do this, and it's a testament to Liam and Emily that they brought the psychotic and loved-up emotions of each of their respective characters.

Over-the-Shoulder Shot

The other job of a director is to show that you know what you're doing and to be focused. Before filming even began, I had sat down with the actors (over a cup of tea, naturally), and I talked over my storyboard with them, showing them specifically the shots I aimed to get filmed that day. This really helped from the off to give our short film a sense of focus and concentration so that myself and the actors knew what they had to do.

Creepy Rocking Horse...

Overall, I found this filming experience to be really insightful. Although yesterday was only really starting filming in earnest (most of the shots in the film are interior-based), this helped me to gauge what things I did well as well as what needed working on. Therefore, I'm looking forward to continuing filming and shooting the rest of the film. 

Liam #1

Liam #2