Production Blog: Let's Talk Filming

Continuing where we left off last time, I will talk about what I accomplished in terms of filming over the break. It would be a lie if I said that I wasn't a bit down when it was time to film. I was disappointed that I would no longer be filming on a professional camera. I was excited to utilize the camera for this project since I got permission to use it. So when that plan came crashing down, it was like a slap to the face. But regardless of how unhappy I was, I did not let this deter me from getting some filming done. As it neared closer to my designated date to film I began to think about the scenes I would get done. I thought about this heavily since I was only recording for one day and wanted to make the most of it. In the end, I decided to film the opening of my movie. It only made sense to do so because my actors and I had planned to meet up in the afternoon. Although I was now subject to utilizing my phone and a tripod, the amazing weather on that day put me in a better mood. It was a beautiful day outside and since I filmed the scenes where Jayden is riding the bike it made for some nice shots. I was nervous about filming the scene where Jayden and Alexsia would bump into one another and fall to the ground. My actors were also nervous about it as well. So we decided to not visually show them bumping into each other since it is quite dangerous if someone falls the wrong way. So my safety team and I went to work thinking of solutions to this possibility. We came to the conclusion that it will be safest to imply, through my editing, that they crashed into one another. Everyone was happy with this decision and we were able to finish the scene with ease. But as I expected, I did experience some difficulty capturing all the right angles. This caused a lot of refilming to take place until I was content with how the scenes look. Due to my persistence with the camera movements and angles, the filming day was extended beyond what I had intended. My actors and I agreed on a two-and-a-half-hour time slot to get as much done as we could. We ended up spending close to four hours filming because of all the retaking and perfecting. The reasoning behind my determination to get the most ideal shots came from the realization of the lack of days I would have to refilm them if  I chose to just keep move forward. The process did become a bit tedious as I cracked down on every error that was being made. I am really thankful that my actors were troopers throughout this process. Without their high energy and great acting, we wouldn't have been able to accomplish as much as we did. We filmed about a minute and a half of unedited footage and covered the majority of the beginning of the movie. I am glad that we were able to achieve as much as we did. Since there is no school on Friday, due to the holiday, I hope to film more and continue on into the weekend. I can't wait to see where we will go from here!