Pre-FMP Research & Planning
“Field recording Mistakes and how to avoid them” - Free to use Sounds.
What I’ve learnt:
Prep:
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Have a physical checklist of what you need for the shoot
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Get wind protection for microphones
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Double-check if the recorder can read the size of the SD card
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Have multiple backup cards that are formatted so you won’t leave space
In location:
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Record in a set format every time
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Wear clothes with no fabric sounds
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Ensure you don’t record things with copyrighted music
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Do not record conversations
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Take notes of non-atmospheric sounds (Phone ping) to delete them in post
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Politely decline conversations about what you are doing
Post:
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Organise your file names to have structure to what clips to use.
Because of the nature of animated films, many scenes require a still frame. This has formed sort of a calming style of storytelling and I thoroughly enjoy it.
“in the beauty of a slower-paced life” - Studio Ghibli
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This led me to a video about constructing cinematography like a photo which showcases more ideas that made me go forward with the idea.
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“Shooting video as if it were Photography” - NegativeFeedback
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What I’ve learnt:
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Focus on the composition of the shot like a photo
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Use a tripod
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Upon being able to obtain a loan, I first thought to see what equipment I will need for the shoot. Upon further evaluation, it seemed unjustified for me to rent the gear with the current timetable as I will have to pay around £76 per location and doing that 4 times will equate to around £300 for equipment that I would have to give back anyways, which doesn’t seem like a worthwhile investment. With that in mind, I went ahead to see if I will be able to purchase cheaper options for the gear.
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I thought to get this “secondhand gimbal” (DJI Ronin S) which I have researched around it and had pretty positive reviews from Cinematography YouTubers.
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Though I was scrolling to see if there are more options that could be cheaper, I stumbled on a glide cam which also allows for stabler footage when used correctly.
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I quickly searched for comparison videos to see if it is worth purchasing one instead of the pricier gimbal.
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“GLIDECAM vs. GIMBAL - Which is Better for Cinematic Footage?” - Moves Media
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What I’ve learnt:
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Both are similar in the smoothness of the footage
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Fine-tuning the motors of the gimbal will improve the overall smoothness of the footage
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The gimbal is more stable when shooting lower-tracking shots
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There are more features to use with the gimbal to make your film more dynamic
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There is a steeper learning curve for the Glidecam than for the gimbal for beginners
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So with that in mind I think it is a more worthwhile investment to purchase the gimble as it saves me time learning it and also gave me overall better results as a beginner
What I’ve learnt:
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Always shoot with a shutter speed double your frame rate for a more natural motion blur.
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Example - 24fps 1/50 shutter speed or 60fps 1/120 shutter speed
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Because of this using an ND filter (A piece of glass that physically darkens the image attached to the lens) is pretty necessary for shooting in brighter locations as without one will make the image heavily overexposed.
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Also if you want to shoot with a wider aperture (background blur) this will also make your video brighter so again an ND filter will be necessary for the shoot.
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“Make your PHOTOS & VIDEOS more PROFESSIONAL” - Peter Mckinnon