Production Diary

 
Day 1:

I have decided to record the whole project in 60fps. The footage that I will be recording of myself does not contain much motion. Therefore the motion blur issues with high frame rates will not be a significant issue. The high fps means I have more freedom in post production to slow down clips if it would add to the story. In conclusion the flexibility in post production outweighs the lack of natural motion blur. 

On the first day, I started by getting the clips for the introduction. The idea behind the record player is to bring in music clean and effectively.  In total the shots took 45 minutes to take and were recorded near sunset in order for the lighting to be softer.  The shots were easy to collect and there were no issues with recording.

Day 2:

Due to 44 Taylor Grove being close to "Ext. woods" I went there the Day after.

For my speech to camera, this was my setup, the camera was set up on the tripod and had the 50mm lens on in order to give good compression and shallow depth of field. A shallow depth of field means that the focus is more on the character and less on the background. This should make the audience feel alone with the character and help reinforce the empathy we feel for him.

In this scene my character is talking about his breakaway from social media and how it has helped him become a better person. Therefore by letting him fill the frame and be well lit, he seems confident and relaxed in himself, rather than being closed off and anxious. I used my phone to record the audio and synced it up later in post production.

I also went round and recorded footage of the trees and leaves in order to have some nature footage to play while I was talking to the camera. This will help break up the clips of bailey talking and help with the reinforcement of how nature improves his mood.

Day 3:

On day 3 I went to 68 lesbury avenue in order to get my "ext. Garden" scene shots. I decided to go with the initial framing that I chose. However, due to the sun I could not see and decided to change my angle of sitting. In order to give a natural image and keep the audience focused on me, i decided to use a 50mm lens. The lens give a natural compression and also allows me to take the f-stop to 1.8 for a concentrated, shallow depth of field.

I decided to sit on the right hand chair. The sun was then not directly in my eyes and it also gave a unique framing. Due to the shadow that the wall casted, I was given a natural leading lines towards where I was sitting. This means that the audiences eye will be naturally drawn to where I am sitting. I framed myself on the right third of the frame. 

The aim of having myself on the right hand side is in order to give my character a sense of new beginning. The left hand side of the frame is black and I am bright. The contrast between these frame sides is to hope that it makes the audience see that my character is very anxious. Although my character is talking about the negatives of social media, he is hiding on one side of the frame and barely looks at the camera. But the lighting shows how he is starting to become better and quit social media. Later on in the documentary, he will be well lit and taking up most of the frame in order to show the confidence and comfortability in himself. (This is what was recorded yesterday in the woods)

For audio I decided to use my phone and place it on the table in order to get a clearer, crisper voice than my camera which was a few feet away.

Day 4:

Again in 68 lesbury avenue I was recording the "Int. Baileys room 2" scene. For this I was again using the 50mm lens as this time it forced the audience to look at the character.

I also lowered the blinds in order for the lighting to be thin and give a darker look. While this is playing I will be doing a voiceover about how being online destroyed my life. The dark look will emphasize the emotions and add to the overall story.

Day 5:

For this part of filming I recorded myself skating on a static tripod on multiple angles in order to get footage for when I do my voiceover. The aim of this footage is to show how you can do something without social media. The focus is going to be on what i'm saying, not the footage. Therefore the footage is not special in any way.

Also in order to show that I am going somewhere I will need footage. These clips will be coming after footage of riots. To cut from riots to skating, is a massive contrast. therefore, by showing me walking to the place, there is a gradual change in subject, giving a seamless edit.