G - AS LIVE - TEST SHOOT
When it came to the test shoots, I knew there was certain points that I needed to focus on. After we had completed the workshops and now found ourselves within the studio with the set, this was the time I really needed to focus on certain aspects to ensure I could fulfill my job role as camera operator which would be done through the test shoots.
My main aspects of the test shoot was to focus on the specific aspects below to ensure that when it came to the live production, I had sorted any mistakes that may of occurred and learnt from them.
-Focus on following direction, under pressure.
(I need to be able to focus on following direction and test using the talk back system, although we will be doing our test shoots through rehearsals, as this is a live piece there is a chance something could change, this is why I need to be on the ball and get used to the talk back and following direction from the Director)
-Staggering through my camera positions.
(This is important as I need to ensure I am in a position where I know where my next shot is, as this is a Live TV show, if I'm not on the correct shot as rehearsed, it could leave the director without an option, which isn't something that can be undone as it is live.)
-Camera Locking and flow of movement.
(This is something I do worry about, as I believe I may be nervous and I don't want the flow of the camera to cause my shots to not flow or be a fluent movement. So this is something I want to ensure I am looking at within the test shoots to see what is comfortable for me to hold.)
Muti-Cam Workshops (Rehearsals) - 19th - 21st April
Within these three days which where the rehearsals in which we got the set and also had stand ins, this was the first time I began feeling confident within my job role. Within these three days we began running through the show with help from stand ins as contestants and presenters. This gave me a great insight into where my camera (I was camera 3) would be positioned. One thing I did find however within the beginning stages of rehearsals was how hard it was to remember exactly where my camera was positioned for each shot, having to move my camera left and right meant it was easy to get confused especially as my tripod didn't have wheels and at times I only had 30 seconds to get to my position.
I wanted to look into how I could overcome this and Ferg had recommended to me that I use Markers to put my positions on the floor to allow me to see where exactly my camera was positioned. So that I could overcome this issue I was having, I looked into the purpose of markers and how they can be beneficial within a studio productions and for camera operators.
Within an article discussing the reasonings behind using coloured tape and markers, it mentioned that if 'Camera Assistants (AC's) only used one or two colour of tape, things would get pretty confusing pretty fast.' (Luzi, E, 2012). I found this really helpful as actually being amongst four other cameras, if we were all using the same tape, it would have been more confusing then not having any, especially under pressure filming Live.
Going onto the third day of rehearsals, I wanted to put this to the test, I decided to use yellow marking tape for my camera, in three positions in which I moved to during rehearsals for my singular, two shot and also any other shots I would use within the production.
Just by marking where my camera position was on the floor, allowed me to see exactly where I needed to be and when, as I was moving my camera around left to right on the studio floor amongst 4 other cameras. Having my K markers with numbers, allowed me to see which position I needed to be in and when. Before using the markers I found myself getting confused, I hadn't quite learnt all the script yet so couldn't go by the presenters or remember where my position would be next, by having my markers I was then able to save time, be on time and also ensure I was on the right shot when needed. This was a great learning curve as a Camera Operator.
The article also led on to discuss how certain colours can be used for other features within a studio production, although this wasn't relevant to being a camera operator, it did give me an insight into how else markers can be useful for other members of the crew.
For example, using red tape specifically for main actors, allows them to know that is directly for them, White for props etc to ensure that everything is labelled and crew are clear which markers are for which.
I thought this was a brilliant lesson I will be able to carry with me moving forward and also for future units and jobs.
Although, I felt we worked well within a team within the first rehearsal week, I think everyone was still finding their feet and it was extremely stop and start as we were finding our shots, dealing with technical difficulties and still completely blocking through. I think this helped me realise how dependent on each other we were and this was the first emphasis how reliant as a team we were. There were certain aspects of the day in which I didn't feel the floor was managed as well as it could have been, with certain information not being relayed properly or in a polite manor but this was something that was later dealt with, once this issue has been resolved the days felt a lot smoother and everyone stuck to their job roles.
Staggering through 26th April 2021
When it came to the stagger through, I felt we were in a good position to get it right, however this was probably the moment we realised there were a lot of other issues that were bigger then my job role. I found this hard as a lot of the time you were waiting for another department or section of the production because they were having issues, this is no fault of their own, it's just how it worked when we were staggering through.
I didn't quite understand what a stagger through was, however it 'provides a rough overview of the whole piece. It's purpose is to identify needs, constraints and problems' (New Venture, 2021)
For example, on the stagger through which is intentionally also meant to be a stop and start exercise so we can ensure every camera angle and aspect of the production is to its full potential, which I have learnt from the explanation above. If we were having issues in the gallery with graphics, it was something that meant we had to wait in the studio and were unsure on what was happening. I feel this may have been because there was unclear instruction on the floor and we were sometimes not given direction. However, from this experience I have learnt that in some situation you just have to get clarity for yourself as this then allowed me to go an explain to other camera operators so no one was standing and wondering what was going on.
I also felt this was the time I was most confident with my positioning especially as I had now confidently placed my markers. However, there is a point in which I need to go from the middle of the stage, to stage left in a really short time space to capture a two shot of our contestants. Within the stagger through we found that this was becoming an impossible task as no cameras had enough time to get into position and it left the director with no confident shot. Once we had continued to attempt to deal with this issue, our director Reece managed to put into place a system where Camera 1 would always stay in its position and move early. Like an establishing shot, Camera 1 would always be there ready so that it could be used why everyone else moved. This made me feel so much more confident as it allowed me to move with more time, which allowed me to get set up and positioned correctly.
I have learnt from this scenario how important a stagger through is as it allows you to see exactly point to point how the production is going to work, how the cameras are going to move and how the presenters/contestants are blocked. It allowed the director and producers to be precise and meant as a camera operator I felt confident in exactly what I had to do and when as the logistics had been worked out and we were no longer winging it. If I hadn't learnt from the stagger through my positions (that were not marked) and the whole logistics of the show, this could have wasted time in the dress rehearsal as instead of a run through without stopping, I could of still been getting the camera and movement wrong. So this was a really important lesson, which means I was more confident going live.
Overall
If we hadn't of done the Test Shoots and rehearsals, I think we would of been in a lot of trouble. I personally didn't realise how much went into the production and how even minor details were so important, as well as working within our job roles but also as a team.
The camera setting were set for us and already discussed by the director as it was important that we were all on the same camera settings, this obviously because the shots being different WB or ND etc would be massively noticeable and we want this to be a smooth studio production. Any of coloring or switching between cameras that look different would of looked unprofessional and also been distracting for the viewers. Although this was an organised aspect of the test shoots, It did occur to me in the rehearsals that we hadn't began using any studio lights, so when we began using studio lights in the stagger through, some were even blocking shots, giving uneven lighting and didn't seem to be where they should have been. I have learnt from this how important it is not to believe that your job role means you cant help with anything else, in fact I should have put myself out there and ensured I had pointed this out, so that when it came to the stagger through, it wasn't an issue then. If I was to do this again, I would ensure that I would take on the responsibility of lighting and to have helped more as this would have been more time efficient and more of a team player.
Overall, I think the issues we identified were overcome by the stagger through which again has taught me how important they are. The issues that impacted me and overcame where...
-Lighting.
As I mentioned this was an issue as they were in the way of cameras and not producing even lighting. We overcame this by moving the lights and opening the barn door windows to allow the lights to give more coverage. With the marking of cameras this also allowed us to see where we could place the lights without them being in the way of our shots. It has taught me that by taking a little bit of time to stagger this through, it actually saved us a lot of the time in the long run, because we had already resolved this issue. If we hadn't of done the test shoots and resolved this issue, there would have been moments lighting equipment would have been in shot and lighting on the presenters and contestants would have been uneven. Again, this could make the viewers feel the show was unprofessional and with the studio equipment we had, it would of been such a shame not to use it to its full potentially and create a professional looking TV show.
-Camera Placing and Camera flow/movement.
The issues identified with camera placing within the test shoot, were the issues regarding the timings we had to get to our next positioning in certain segments of the show. This was resolved by the stagger through which allowed us to minuscule every camera position and work out ways in which cameras could stay to cover the movement for the rest of the cameras. Having camera 1 as an establishing shot and my camera sometimes as a end shot, allowed the other cameras to move and for us to either move last to hold the shot, or move first to establish the shot. Ig we hadn't of resolved the issue of no camera being anywhere on time, the Live production could have been awful as viewers would of seen cameras moving which is not professional and would of made the show look bad.
List Of Illustrations
Fig 1. Katie Lovell (2021) Trending Studio Set [Iphone Photo - Own Photo] (Accessed on 28/04/2021)
Fig 2. Katie Lovell (2021) My Camera Positioning 1 shot [Iphone Photo - Own Photo] (Accessed on 28/04/2021)
Fig 3. Katie Lovell (2021) Camera Set Up and Lights [Iphone Photo - Own Photo] (Accessed on 28/04/2021)
Bibliography
Luzi, E (2012) 'How to use your rainbow of camera tape effectively for marking actors' The Black and Blue. At: https://www.theblackandblue.com/2012/03/22/camera-tape-colors/ (Accessed on 21/04/2021)
New Venture (2021) 'The Rehearsal Process' At: https://www.newventure.org.uk/auditions/40-production-manual/280-the-rehearsal-process (Accessed on 27/04/2021)
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