Shoot One

This first shoot went well as I got pretty much all of the footage needed for the film. The handheld shots, and the steady shots.

Due to the day being quite cold, overcast and sometimes raining/snowing, made the narrative more believable as it really emphasises the fact that the cabin is grim to get to.

Most of the steady shots as the characters walk to the cabin, worked really well, due to the environment and weather, making the shots look really atmospheric, and realistic. Some of the handheld shots may have to be re-done, due to focusing and quality issues. These tend to be on the shots where the camera is moving, and in an environment where lighting is minimal, inside the forest.

The establishing shot of the car as it drives up the road towards the lay by was not as good as I would have liked it to be due too not having a dynamic head on the tripod. Therefore the pan of the car as it moves around the bend is not as smooth as it could be. This is one of the shots that I would like to re-do on the next shoot. In this shot I took down the aperture and ISO of the camera due to there being more lighting than the other shots in the woods. A high depth of field was set so the moving car would be easier to focus.

For most of the shots in the woods of the cabin and the forest path I set the ISO to a higher value, to let more light on the sensor of the camera. I made sure not to set the value too high to reduce a grainy image. To get maximum light from the surroundings, I also increased the aperture, to open the lens of the camera to let more light in. This then made the image much brighter and not too dark so the viewer could not clearly see what was going on. I also set the white balance of the camera so the film did not look too orange or blue, and so the colours look correct.

For this shot the two character walk up the path, due to them walking away from the camera, I set the camera to a high depth of field meaning most of the shot was in focus. Lighting was also readily available so the ISO and aperture was set to a lower value, to reduce grain in the image.
I wanted the composition of this shot so the path was in the centre of the frame. The positioning of the characters (mise-en-scene) as they walk up the hill were carefully thought about as the male character walking on the left side closer to the dark forest where as the female character on the right closer to the bright light side. The bright light connotes innocence which foreshadows what is going to happen later on in the film, as she is an innocent female that gets attacked. Whereas the dark connotes evil and also foreshadows what he is getting the female character into, due to him taking her there.

This next shot of the two characters as they walk towards the cabin shows how grim the weather and the environment is. The composition of this shot is good as it keeps both of the characters in the frame with enough spacing around them both.
The mist in the background of the shot emphasises the fact that it is a grim day, linking back to the narrative of the opening scenes. Like the other shots, the aperture, ISO, and depth of field were all similar to the other shots.

For this next shot, the two characters walk into the scene, and are shocked by the state the cabin is in. Due to the lighting being minimal again, the ISO and aperture was set to a higher value.
For the composition of the shot I wanted to leave enough space for the characters to walk into the scene, and also include the vandalised cabin within the shot. I decided to purposely not put a gap between the cabin and the edge of the frame as it would look strange, and and the composition would be incorrect. I decided to shoot from this angle, so the characters can walk into the scene showing the viewer the state of the cabin before the characters get to see it.

For this next shot of the conversation I decided to leave quite a lot of room around the characters, but also framing the female character within the smashed door frame.
For this conversation I use over the shoulder shots with the combination of shot reverse shot and switch to the different shots depending on who is talking in the scene. I used the 180 degree rule to tell to the viewer that this conversation is ongoing. Because the female character is angry with her husband at this point in the film. I purposely decided to extend the tripod, raising the camera, looking down on the husband to show who holds the power in this scene.

For the other reversed shot, the camera looks up at the female character making her look more powerful than her husband, because she is angry with him.With both of the shots composition, I decided to show other things in the scene, in the background of the shot.
The first shot shows the smashed up caravan, to emphasise the fact that she is angry. The other shot shows the dark thick forest to shows to the viewer how isolated the cabin is. The ISO and aperture were set high due to minimal lighting in the scene.

For this shot I thought that the composition and framing was good because of the angle and spacing around the characters. The characters walk through the long shot and due to the lighting being more available, the ISO and aperture were not a high as the other scenes.
I manually focused onto the characters and used a high depth of field due to them moving, so I did not have to constantly refocus as they got closer to the camera. I think the conditions in this shot look really good. Because it was misty and raining, it makes the narrative look more realistic. I purposely added the snow in the foreground to show to the viewer that it is not a nice day to walk to an abandoned cabin.

For this cutaway shot, of the vandalised caravan, I set both the aperture and ISO to higher values due to minimal lighting, in the forest. For this cutaway shot I made sure that the composition was correct, allowing space around the caravan, but also looking at the target at an angle to make the shot look better.
In my storyboard I did not plan any cutaway shots. But when shooting, I thought it would be a good idea to include one in the opening, to simulate the fact that time is passing. Due to the caravan being smashed up and spay painted connotes that the place is not looked after, creating certain ideas and feelings for the viewer.

For the handheld and moving shots I tried to set the focus so as the camera moves, most of the frame is in focus. I also used a high depth of field so the foreground and background was all in focus. I also set the aperture and ISO appropriately for the environment and available lighting in the scene.

The handheld shots were different angles and scenes of the two characters as they journey towards the cabin. The style of the shot was suppose to simulate that they were being watched, and something bad was going to happen. The shots were taken low to the ground to simulate that the stalker was hiding, behind the trees in the forest.

This shot is the last scene of the opening, just as the stalker attacks the innocent female. It is a point of view shot of the female character, as she goes to the toilet. Because the camera moves, the footage is quite shaky, which is what is intended, but it is more shaky that I would have liked it to be. This footage will do in the final cut of the film, but it would be one of the shots that I would like to re-shoot if possible.