Regional Identity: Production Diary

 What is a production diary?

A production diary is a chronological log of events going along the production process. A production diary is useful in making sure all parameters of the production process have been met, as well as providing context for any decisions made during the creative process. In a production diary one should demonstrate the shot types used, equipment used, shooting location, participants, and shooting set up. 

What format can a production diary take?

• A written diary​
• ‘Dailies’ (evidence of your footage) with some discussion of the worth of the shots​
• Photography stills capturing the production ​
• A ‘behind the scenes’ documentary ​
• An audio commentary 

Questions to consider when recording the production process:

• What frame rate/resolution are you shooting at?​
• What shot size and composition are you using at various points?​
• What focal length are you shooting at?​
• What additional equipment are you using?

Common Production Mistakes to Avoid:

• Not arriving to production prepared (e.g. charged batteries)​
• Not arriving to production with suitable equipment ​
• Not checking camera is in focus before shooting​
• Not making use of correct equipment or varied equipment​
• Not checking shots to ensure they are high quality before moving on

 

12/01/22: Production Outline 

Now that I have satisfied my criteria for pre-production - with a complete draft of a script, though could be subject to change, a location scouting form complete, a risk assessment form complete, an equipment list, a personnel list, and relevant storyboards to base my shot types on going forward in to production. I have created consent forms for all participants going forward in production. It is professional practice to inform all participants that the footage they are partaking in is being distributed as well the means in which it will be distributed. Gaining prior consent helps the production process run much more smoothly, and having it documented also prevents any problems with distribution further down the post production process.

I have similarly scouted the locations that I would like to shoot at. Sunderland City Centre and Bede Campus I have been to prior to have a generally sufficient knowledge of in terms of potential risks. Understanding the location in which one will shoot helps the filmmaking better understand the layout and composition of the potential shots available when storyboarding - I have kept the 

 

 18/01/22: Early Production

 

Today I completed location shooting, capturing still photography around Sunderland City Centre. I used a Canon DSL 400. In terms of technical figures,

ISO 400   

2048 x 15363 Megapixel

 

When shooting, I kept the subject matter of my documentary in mind. I tried to capture the working class drawbacks of Sunderland's city centre, as this is is a pivotal talking point in my documentary.

1/02/22: Interview Shooting:

Today I shot three interviews for my Regional Identity project, with Leon, Kyle and Marcel. I had Luke Wilson, a fellow student, capturing behind the scenes footage and Lucas Rutherford, also a fellow student, operate a microphone as to better capture audio. I operated the camera. I discussed the subject matter with all three participants, as so they could develop their answers prior to shooting. Discussing the interview with interviewees is crucial to making the interviewee feeling accommodated for. As I learnt from my interview experimentation, making a subject feel comfortable results in a better interview. In a means to make my subject more comfortable, I would open with "hello", and ask "How are you?". While this footage will not make the final cut, as the question is not necessarily relevant to the subject matter, asking this question opens the interviewee up to questioning, ergo their further answers will have a more open and natural delivery.

In terms of equipment, we used a Canon DSL 400 with an attached microphone to capture sound. We also used a tripod to hold the camera and keep it steady, thus the frame will be consistent throughout the shot.

In terms of shot type and framing, I used a medium-close up. A medium close-up shot, which can be abbreviated to MCU, is a shot that frames the subject from just above their head down to about midway on their torso. Conceptually the idea of a medium close-up shot is that one can still easily register the subject's emotions and facial expressions while also retaining some of the background. This type of shot can be used to show off detail or to create the feeling of intimacy between the viewer and what they are looking at. Similarly, in the context of an interview, medium-close ups can be used for portraying sensitive topics; as the subject's facial expressions and delivery are so focal to the shot it helps convey this.

The definition of a medium close-up shot is an image taken with the camera positioned at about 2 feet from its subject. As can be seen by this behind-the-scenes, abbreviated to BTS, shot, Marcel (the subject) is positioned about two feet away from the camera.

In terms of framing - I used the same shot for each of the participants. Therefore when I transition between each cut, each subject is in the same spatial vicinity of the frame thus making the transition appear smoother. I used the rule of thirds in each shot for the interview process.

Rode Microphone, equipment

2/02/22: Sunderland City Centre Shoot: Blog Link

on the 2/02/22, I captured miscellaneous footage for my documentary in Sunderland City Centre. I had several shot types in mind for this shoot. In my pre-production, I gathered archival footage that I would use in my documentary. This included a collection of archival footage of Sunderland. In watching this footage, I considered transitioning between this footage and my own footage through use of a graphic match. 

A graphic match is a transition used in filmmaking that keeps a subject that is identical or near identical on screen between two different shots, thus creating the illusion that this subject has transcending spatial boundaries. 

5/02/22: Bede Campus cafe shoot:

I used a Canon DSL 400 to shoot in the Bede Campus cafe. This is an integral shooting area as it is directly linked to the subject matter I am discussing in my documentary, free school meals.