Storyboard

Based on my shot list, Lauren constructed a storyboard, so all members of the crew had a visual idea of what was going to be filmed. I combined the storyboard and the shot list by adding the shot descriptions below the illustrations. 

Production document-Shot list

Shot list

Production document- Location recce

Location Recce

FILMING

Filming from Sabrina Sakhai

Including sound

"Show, don't tell" 

In discussion with Peter North, we were advised to include sound in our piece, besides the music. Our group finally decided to book out sound equipment for the filming days to record diegetic sounds such as the toast popping up, butter spreading and the kettle boiling. These sounds will be incorporated within the soundtrack. 

However, we were opposed to adding any dialogue or voice-over, and instead wanted to really focus on the actor's performance, whereby their facial expressions and gestures will hopefully communicate a message to the audience. The lack of dialogue within our film also enhances its dream like quality as the young boy is Michael's memory of himself as a child. 

Editing the shot list- making adjustments 2

When reviewing the shot list, I found there to be a few low angle shots from the boys perspective looking up to older Michael.  However, I felt that it wouldn't make as much sense as the young boy is just a memory of Michael, therefore we had to include more shots from Michael’s perspective looking at his younger self and remove those of the boy’s perspective.

Example scene- Michael opens the door and finds the young boy in the morning

Original plan: Michael would open the door and see the young boy and there would be reverse shots from over the shoulder between the two characters, reflecting each of their perspectives, much like a typical dialogue sequence.

New plan:  There would be a single long take of an over the shoulder shot from Michael’s shoulder, when he opens the door and sees the young boy, reflective of only his perspective. I realised this would give a distinct style as the audience are naturally expecting there to be a reverse shot from the boys perspective as is conventional within interaction scenes between people. However, adopting this single perspective look for our film, would make more sense when we reveal that the young boy is simply Michael’s memory. It also helps maintain our focus on Michael’s psychological state and endure on a journey with him. 

Editing the shot list- Making adjustments

After I finished the shot list, I left it to rest for a couple of days and came back to it. Firstly, I noticed that although I incorporated a variety of shot types from extreme close-ups to extreme wide-shots, I didn't really make use of different angles. The shot list contained a series of frontal angles without making use of any interesting side or ¾ angles. From reviewing my previous work, I also identified, my predominant use of frontal angles. 

 After re-watching this music video I created in 2014, I realised that if I had used various different angles particularly during the close-up shots, it would have gave the production a more dynamic feel. 

The lack of variety in angles in my CU shots. 

Therefore, I decided to include ¾ angle shots to the film, particularly to the close-up shots, which would add more depth. 

Editing the shot list- Condensing

Before filming commenced, the producer (Natalie) and I were aware that my shot list included far too many shots, which would realistically not be possible to film in the limited time period we had. 

At times, I put way too much emphasis on  scenes that were less interesting and didn't need as much coverage. For example, I noted down 10 different shot types for the scene where Michael is walking home. I found this was unnecessary and would be too time consuming, leaving us with less time to film the more vital scenes for our story. I realised Rose (Editor) wouldn't need as many shots to cut to in a scene like this and emphasising too much on Michael walking would be dull, uninteresting and provide a very amateur look to our film, which is what we all wanted to avoid. Likewise, I had included too many shots within all the other scenes. I realised that within films, there are about 3 different shots within each scene, so I began to go through each scene, selecting only 3 different camera set-ups for each one, which was more realistic and also gave Rose sufficient coverage. 

LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION!

Location scouting was an important process in the pre-production stage as it sparked ideas regarding potential shot compositions and production design. I took a few photographs within the house, as well as the outdoor areas, paying particular attention to the placement of the lighting, camera and props. This enabled me to consider what aspects would work for the film and what wouldn't. 

Few brief ideas constructed: 

Scene: Michael walks into the living room after his dinner and a long day at work.

Potential master shot:

I thought this composition would be visually striking for the audience but it also centralises Michael as he walks towards the camera onto the sofa, which would presumably build sympathy for the character. 

Potential shot within the scene:

I felt that placing the camera directly in front of Michael will draw the viewers closer to the character, whereby they gain a better insight into his unhappy state. 

Mirrors: 

When I saw the large mirror in the master bedroom, I felt that this could be used as a symbol for identity in our film. 

I used Rose (editor) as a stand in for the images below.

EXAMPLE: 

Scene:  Michael sits on his bed and looks out the window, then walks out the room.

I thought of potentially filming this scene through the mirror, and have Michael glance at himself in the mirror in a displeasing way before walking out of frame. 

Scene: Michael discovers a box of childhood items

Like the beginning, I thought I could similarly film this scene from the mirror, showing Michael inspecting the items of his youth. However, here the mirror represents him rediscovering his identity as he reconnects with his inner child. 

A) Beginning 

B) End

After viewing these photographs side by side, I thought they would work well together as shots, linking the beginning to the end and signifying a development in the plot. The first image above represents Michael in his state of isolation, as he walks past the mirror and briefly glances at himself in despair. However, image B represents Michael sitting down on the bed facing the mirror, however this time he glances happily in the mirror as he reconnects with his youth by looking through a box of his childhood memories.  Michael begins to thoroughly examine himself in the mirror, showing that he finally accepts himself as an older man. 

Location scouting: outdoor areas 

 The outdoor areas in Holmfirth were stunning and presented a great number of possibilities for shots. I have gained a few ideas for establishing shots shot compositions and camera movement for when the man and boy have adventures through nature. 

Potential location where Michael and the young boy throw stones

Potential establishing shot 

Potential establishing shot and location where Michael and boy sail boats

Potential sword fight scene

Our group realised that due to the fact that it was extremely cold and windy, we should condense our outdoor scenes and to stick to the production schedule, especially as we were working with a 

child actor. 

Coming up with an alternative ending for 'Child's Eyes'

Current ending to our film: 
Michael spends the day with a young boy (his younger self) and can't find him the next morning. He realises that the boy was a part of his imagination and puts a home video of himself as a child, reconnecting with his inner child. 

Discussion with John Edmonds: 

After our group had a discussion with John Edmonds, he made us aware that some people may perceive the young boy as the memory of Michael's deceased son. However, Lauren (director) intended to communicate the idea that the young boy was a memory of Michael's younger self.

My proposed ending: 
Michael adventures through nature with the young boy (his younger self) and when they come home they play Hide and Seek. When Michael looks for the boy, he doesn't find him but instead finds a box of childhood items hidden at the bottom of his closet. Michael sits on his bed, in front of the mirror and looks through these items. He smiles and makes silly faces towards the mirror and his reflection is of that young boy, imitating exactly the same actions, which is clearly his younger self.

Confirming the ending: 
After proposing this idea to the group, they were all happy to include this new ending, as it had more clarity than the original ending.

Steadicam tutorial

Today we had a steadicam set-up demonstration and found that it was a complex process, which took a long time to set up and was difficult to balance, even more so as we have never used it before.  Additionally, as the cinematographer, I would have to take regular breaks if I were to use the steadicam. With all these factors, we found an issue regarding practicality. Due to the amount of time it would take to set up and that I had no experience using it, our group felt that it may actual affect the quality of our film and use up much of our limited and valuable filming period. 

By not using the steadicam, I could concentrate more on learning about and practising with the camera equipment I was already familiar with. Therefore, on the day, I would feel more confident filming and the time could be used productively to film all the required scenes as opposed to spending time setting up the steadicam. 

Condensing the script

'Quality over quantity' 

As the cinematographer, I was overwhelmed by the number of scenes and shots that were included in Lauren's (director) original screenplay. I felt that we didn't have sufficient time to film all of the scenes and that filming that much content would lead to a potentially rushed production, lacking in quality.  Natalie (producer) was also wary about this as she was in charge of timekeeping and realised that it was not feasible to film the large amount of scenes in the limited amount of time we had. Therefore, our whole group, condensed the material, by reducing the number of scenes between Michael and the boy. We prioritised scenes, which were the most relevant to the storyline and visual appearance of the film and cut out unnecessary parts. 

Casting the child actor

Natalie (producer) has arranged for our group to go to the performing arts school Stage 84 in Bradford, whereby we attended 2 acting classes for children aged between 7-11. We made note of a few boys, who were confident, upbeat and dedicated to their acting. 

However, after location scouting, we found that Rose's family friend's son Fletcher, who lives in Holmfirth, would be well suited for the part. He is energetic and joyful, thus we are convinced that he will perform realistically in the role of the young boy. 

Additionally, because the boy knows Rose, he will be more confident and as he lives in Holmfirth, he will have his mum present with him whilst we are filming. Additionally, Fletcher and Tony both have blue eyes, which is useful as they will be representing the same character. 

Casting Tony

After interviewing numerous people, there was no one who drastically stood out to us. Therefore, I reviewed the applications that Natalie (producer) has emailed us and came across Tony’s profile. I immediately thought he would be well suited for the role due to his extensive acting experience and his showreel displays his realistic and emotional acting performances. The photographs on his profile shows that he has an expressive face, which would be an advantage to our silent film, whereby feelings of sorrow and happiness have to be expressed through facial expressions. Additionally, his dedication to acting is apparent through his previous acting experience in various unpaid student short films, also indicating that he would be more patient whilst we are filming. 

 After I suggested interviewing Tony to Lauren (director), she watched his showreel and arranged an interview with him.

Interviewing Tony: 

Lauren and I went to the West Yorkshire Playhouse to meet Tony for the interview. He expressed his enthusiasm and dedication for the role and displayed wide-ranging knowledge about film. He was very friendly and confident and talked to us about his previous acting experiences. Ultimately, his personality and versatility in terms of acting really impressed Lauren and I and we were keen to cast him for the part of Michael.

Casting interviews

Although casting is primarily the producer’s and director’s role, Lauren (director) wanted us all to have an input in who to cast as Michael (older man) and the memory of Michael (young boy). We all attended various interviews, in which Lauren and Natalie mainly led and after we all submitted our feedback on each interviewee based upon appearance, personality, dedication, acting ability and availability.

 1. Martin 

Pros:

• Very friendly and enthusiastic about the role
• He would be patient whilst filming
• Good availability 

Cons: 

• No evidence of previous acting. He didn't provide us with a show-reel but showed us his daughter's wedding video, which didn't prove his acting ability. 
  He showed us his dog’s ashes, which was a bit strange! 

2. Joe 

Pros: 

• He stood out to us because of his extensive professional acting experience, including being involved in a Virgin trains advert 
• He displayed a strong knowledge and passion for film 
• His acting portfolio proved that he is a versatile and talented actor, so he could definitely pull off a convincing performance for our film. 

Cons: 

• Although Andy appeared to be the perfect fit for the role, I feel that he lacks patience and we require someone who would be fully committed and dedicated to the role, that would stick around if problems arose. 

Editing and transitions

Researching about editing processes and key techniques enabled me to think about the coverage required for the editor (Rose). 

• Objective shot- the camera sees the scene from an angle not seen by a character in the scene. 
• Subjective shot- A shot taken from the perspective of a character, usually known as a point of view shot.  
• Master shot (cover shot)- usually a medium to wide angle shot of a scene that runs for the entire duration of the action.
• Establishing shot- This is typically a wide shot of a location, which is used to set the scene.

The Revenent (2016)

• Coverage- This refers to the variety of camera angles used for a particular scene aside from the master shot
• Set-up- camera moves to different set ups, requires re-positioning and relighting
• Off screen (OS)- A description of what is heard but not seen on the screen
• Reaction shot- Shows a characters reaction, usually presented as a close-up
• Cutaway- Relating to a cut made to what hasn't been seen in the master shot. 
• Jump cut- Two sequential shots, of the same subject with very little difference in camera set-up
• Match cut or match dissolve- A cut between two different objects, which are graphically and visually similar
• Reverse angle- The camera is placed in the opposite direction to the previous shot 

 How this research informed the process: 

I realised that as the cinematographer, my responsibility was to provide the editor (Rose) with sufficient and varying coverage for her to make cuts and also have the creative control to choose, which shots to use. 

The Digital Age

Part of the reason why I had chosen the camera role is because of the feedback I have received for the documentary ‘The Digital Age’, knowing I could drastically improve. 

Feedback: 

CAMERA

'Some shots are out of focus, in particular the interview with Judith. Some evidence of colour balance inconsistency. However a good creative use of sequences and use of timelapse.'

Based on these points, I decided to pay attention to achieving sharper focus and more consistent lighting for our film 'Child Eyes'. 

Focussing: 

I realised that the lack of focus in some of my shots were due to not making use of the focus function on the Black Magic Cinema Camera. I learnt that by pressing the focus button, the areas that are in focus appear in bright green on the camera screen, allowing you to adjust what you want to focus accordingly on the focus wheel at the front. A reliable indicator that a person is in focus is if their eyes are marked in green. 

Lighting:  

The lighting was also inconsistent in the documentary as we were in a room, whereby the lights kept getting dimmer on its own. In 'Child Eyes', Dedolights will be used instead, with a fairly consistent lighting arrangement and style throughout film. 

Colour balance: 

Concerning the colour balance, I will manually set the colour temperature settings according to the chart, in order for the colours to be represented accurately. 

Lower colour temperatures (up to 3000K) are called warm white colours and range from red to yellowish-white in tone. The higher the colour temperature, the bluer the image becomes. 

The golden hour (magic hour)

After reading the script, I immediately noted that the first scene where Michael comes home from work is set in the evening and I thought about how to achieve the best possible light. I came across the term golden hour, which refers to the short period of time directly before sunrise and after sunset, whereby the sky is still colourful, but the sun isn't visible. It would be beneficial to film the scenes of Michael at night during this golden hour, just after sunset, which would approximately be at 4pm during the November period. This is because there would be enough ambient light to shed definition on Michael, emphasising his tired, worn out expression but there is also a sense that it is approaching evening.  

Aspect ratio

Aspect ratio isn't a matter I particularly considered in past projects. However, after recently watching films, I paid special attention to the aspect ratios used, realising its association with a particular time period and influences on the general framing and feel of the film. 

The first number refers to the width of the screen, and the second to its height. 

1. 1.33:1- Silent film standard and the primary original aspect ratio 

Miracle on 34th street (1947) 

1.37: 1- The Academy Ratio- This has become the standard in the 1930 and is only slightly wider than the aspect ratio 1.37:1.

1.85:1- The most common aspects for television screens

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

2.35:1- anamorphic/widescreen format 

The Imitation Game (2014)

Mixing and matching aspect ratios:

This technique is typically adopted by Wes Anderson and seen in his film The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), whereby he adopts three different aspect ratios: 1.37:1, 1.85:1 and 2.35:1. Each of the different aspect ratios are appropriately and creatively used to represent a different cinematic period, in which the film depicts.

My research illustrated that aspect ratios have to be used for a specific purpose to convey certain themes and ideas. 

How this research impacted our work:

Based on my analysis, I think the most pertinent choice in aspect ratio would be 2.35:1 (widescreen format), which creates the cinematic look that the director and our group desire. Most importantly, the use of this aspect ratio is essential in the way it conveys a story and represents key themes within our film ‘Child Eyes’. To start with our film is capturing an isolated man, detached from the world. Therefore, the wide frame format would be significant in showing the man at the edge of the frame in relation to his wider surroundings to accentuate his loneliness. Alternatively, the aspect ratio would still work well to illustrate the scenes where the man reconnects with his inner child. For instance, in the scenes where Michael and the younger version of himself are playing, it is appropriate that we see them in relation to their surroundings,suggesting that although the world remained the same, Michael’s reality has changed. Finally, because we have the intention of entering our film to independent short film festivals, we believe that using a widescreen format would be appropriate for viewing on a wider screen.

Although mixing aspect ratios creates a unique and interesting look in The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) and I was tempted to use this technique, it would not be appropriate to use for our film. Due to our film being approximately 5 minutes, it would be disorientating for the viewer to jump through different formats and perhaps disconnect them from the journey we encourage them to endure on with the character Michael.