Filming Filming Filming!

So it has been a crazy week or two of filming and I'm a bit behind on my posts, sorry!

So, did my first lot of filming with Tom and Ceri in the park plus our two chavs played by Cai and Dan.
It went really well, got all the shots I wanted and everything went really smoothly.
Next we went to the beach in Pembrokeshire. I got some really nice footage. Sadly, I was hoping for a glorious sunset so when they did their kiss they would cut out the sun but the weather stopped me as it was a bit cloudy. However, there was a good orange glow which gave the shots a nice warm happy feeling :)

My favourite shot was as they walk away, the camera is low and they hold hands and walk away. I found here that storyboarding is so useful as I knew exactly what shots I wanted and it was easy as everything was planned nicely.

I also used some depth of field with the lens when Ceri and Tom wave to each other, although, looking back at the shots I would have liked it to be longer. However, still happy with it. I also had some great long shots and establishing shots of Broad Haven beach.

We had a really good time filming and had a couple of out-takes during the "kiss" due to giggles. :)
The next day I filmed with Ceri and my flatmate Catrin, both Welsh Actors. I did the "Driving Test" scene in which Ceri's character Isla has just passed her test. That was really easy, once again due to good storyboarding.

My next lot of filming was the big night scene in which my character Isla is walking home from work. I filmed in Carmarthen town, by Debenhams back entrance to show her leaving town and then used College Road to film the walk. Gethin Stone and Julian Owen acted as my "lads" that start bantering Isla as she walks home. I started filming at dusk/sunset but it got dark very quickly so I'm hoping that the light will be ok, although I did use the mini lights that fitted to the camera to brighten up shots. I just hope they wont make it look too "Blaire Witch". I got some nice long shots and close up's and did the hand held behind the wall shots where it feels like someone is following our protagonist. I was slightly disappointed that I had no one to play the roles of the "rough" girls giving Ceri abuse. Many actors are busy with their 3rd year show so no one was available apart from friends, but most of them have already been included in the film already. It would be nice and easier if we had actors available with our films as it is really hard to find willing ones.

That night I also filmed the "girly night" scene at our flat. My flat kindly offered to be in the film for me and they basically acted casual and normal whilst I filmed them. I wanted it to be as realistic as possible so instead of giving them cues I just randomly recorded to add to the realism. I also got nice close up shots of cakes, pop corn, nail painting and shots of fairy lights. The fairy lights shot isn't in my storyboard but the warm glow and change of focus really add to the warmth of the scene.

So I've been doing alot of filming recently. Tomorrow I have planned to do the interview scene with Ceri at Trinity, hopefully it shall be ok to quickly use one of the rooms in our Dewi building for a short amount of filming. Fingers crossed! I sadly will be playing the interviewer unless I can find someone else, but most people are disappearing for Easter break, including my main protagonists actor Ceri who is leaving Friday and not back til end of April so I'm hoping to finish all her scenes tomorrow.

So far so good, although haven't started the editing process yet so will have hope that shots look the same on camera as on screen. I'm mainly concerned about the shots at night being too dark. However, it might be salvageable in post production. I have also been thinking about soundtracks for my film which will be developed in the next coming weeks.

All that will be left to film will be pick up shots.
So far so good.
Peas out.
H x