Test Shoots

 Test Shoots  

 

For this shoot we had limited access to the locations we would be utilising until the day of the shoot, due to this it was hard to do any test shoots in these locations. On the shoot we used other people as stand-ins which allowed us to be more prepared when the contributors arrive, with only small adjustments being made to the camera. It would have been nice to have shot some test shots before arriving at the space as it would have helped save time finding the right angles, working out seating arrangements, planning the lighting etc. However, despite the benefits that would have come from the test shoots we still managed to run the shoot smoothly and efficiently, as we planned the schedule allowing enough time to sort these issues on the day. 

 

We had previously done a workshop on how to use the green screen and the teleprompter which was helpful as ‘practice’ for the shoot. Although we did not use a green screen in our studio segment, we did use a teleprompter to aid the presenter during the PTCs. It was good to have this practice in setting it up as this saved time on the day of the shoot. However, it was also useful having the experience of using the teleprompter as it makes you aware of the challenges faced when using it, e.g., if the speed is too fast it is extremely difficult to read. This made us able to facilitate and understand the needs of the presenter by making sure they were comfortable with the speed of the teleprompter.  

 

Fortunately, the group had accessed the Hi3 studio before on a tour, this was beneficial as we knew the space for this shoot a lot better e.g. the lighting situation, how big the space was. This was all useful knowledge when planning the shoot. Although the space had changed a lot since we first saw it, as all the virtual production equipment had been set up, it was still useful having accessed the space beforehand. The Hi3 studio was part of our live news segment, we wanted to attempt a ‘walk and talk’ as we knew the space was large. In preparation for this we shot some b-roll in Studio 1 of students on a camera workshop, not only was this beneficial for b-roll but it also allowed the camera operators to plan and get used to the feel of a walk and talk interview. Unfortunately, having developed a better idea for the shoot on the day we did not use a walk and talk but the practice was important in case we did not have another alternative.