Production Schedule
Day One
04/06/2024
INTERVIEWS
Today I went on location to get some interviews from the rowing team. I used my research into three point lighting to set up my sit-down interviews. This was successful because my subjects were lit well against the background, making them the clear focus of the shot. The shadows were also not too harsh on the subjects' faces so the tone was not overly dramatic.
I wasn't able to get as many interviews as I wanted, so I had to move some things around in my schedule to make up for it. Additionally, my intended location was crowded and too loud for successful interviews, so I had to make a last minute change. Luckily, I was able to set up my equipment in time in a new, quieter location. I think that this worked out for the best, as the background was more interesting and it was easier to control the lighting. Furthermore, I wasn't able to access a boom mic, so I had to improvise my set up. I knew that my phone mic was high enough quality for quiet spaces, and I ended up with a makeshift boom pole.
Overall, the day was successful, and I got two 3-4 minute interviews. I'm happy with how they were shot, and the sound quality is high enough that it won't impact my final edit.
Makeshift boom mic (my phone taped to a pole)
Key light
My backlight was around here (out of frame)
Interviewee
Camera
Framing:
Day Two
07/06/2024
B ROLL AND TRAINING FOOTAGE
Today, I got footage for B roll and training coverage from a perspective on the river. I went on the launch with the coach as he followed the rowers and monitored their progress. This is where to risk assessment really came in handy, because I was getting much closer to the water with my equipment.
I think that this was successful because I got plenty of footage of the rowers as well as relevant B roll from a different perspective. Because I was closer to the rowers, the quality of the footage is higher and the rowing is much clearer than in some of the race footage.
I was worried about sound due to the volume of the boat's engine, however I didn't have many opportunities for Foley, so sound quality turned out not to be a major issue.
Boom mic
Tascam in zipped pocket
Camera
Life Jacket
Screenshots from footage:
Overall, I think that this went really well, and that I got lots of good footage. I also managed to get some soundbites of the coach giving instructions to the rowers. While it was difficult to keep the camera steady in a moving boat, it's not too shaky or wobbly in most of my shots.
Day Three
08/06/2024
TRAINING FOOTAGE/B ROLL
Today, I went back out to get more footage of training. I was taken to the finish line for training races, then set up my equipment on the riverbank. This meant that I was able to get footage of boats finishing the race, and capture rowing from not too far away. However, sound was difficult because there was some distance, so I didn't record any this day.
I think that this day was successful because I got some good shots of the rowers. However, I didn't get as much as I had hoped, as the boats were elsewhere the majority of the time. Additionally, I was helping time the races, so I was less able to focus on the cinematography and the finish line at the same time. Also, I had hoped to record some Foley today, but that was not possible due to distance and heavy background noise. I will do Foley recordings at a later date, but I may have less time to get B roll because of it.
Day Four
11/06/2024
CLOSE UP EQUIPMENT SHOTS
I went out again to get some close up shots of the rowing equipment without the people themselves. I think that this went well because I was able to get some focused shots of the boats and rigging. However, the only boat that wasn't out on the water as stored upside down, so it was a little difficult to get the shots I wanted.
I lay down under the boat to get the shots of the rigging and seats
Overall, I think that this day went well, as I got some good close up shots without interruption or a lot of movement. However, it feels a little cramped due to the boat's positioning, and the lighting is quite green because of the light reflecting off the grass. I'm pleased with the shots I did get in the circumstances, but I feel like it could have gone better.
Day Five
13/06/2024
RACE DAY (COLLEGE BUMPS)
Today, I went out to the Cam to get footage of races - May Bumps. I wanted to get footage of the start, as well as the cannons that signal the beginning, and some of the rowing action further down the course.
I think that this went well because I got almost everything that I wanted, and I was able to get up close to the cannons to get a good shot.
However, the Bait's Bite Lock was closed, so I could get the shot from across the river that I wanted. Additionally, the camera shot things with a blue tint, which I couldn't remove. I'm hoping to fix or minimise this in editing, but overall it doesn't affect my footage horribly.
I think that this day went well as I effectively captured the atmosphere of a race through footage and sound. Additionally, I was very pleased with my shot of the cannons, as well as my sound recording of them firing. I also got a lot of good action footage of the rowing during the event. Overall, I think this was a good day of shooting, and that I have enough footage to craft my narrative and make a rough cut.
EDITING
I used fade in and out effects, keeping the clip of the water translucent to create the intro to my documentary. I wanted to use a gothic style font to reflect the age and style of the boat clubs, and to set the tone from the start with the water.
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I experimented with different fonts, and settled on a less dramatic, intricate font, as it is easier to read while maintaining the aesthetic I wanted to acheive.
I also created a fast-paced montage in the beginning of the doc, to give the audience a 'sneak peek' into the rest of the doc. Because most of my documentary is quite calm and slow paced, I wanted something to reflect the more chaotic nature of race days and training.
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I used equalizers and the DeNoise tool to improve the sound quality of the interviews. Because I had to improvise my boom mic, the background noise was more of an issue than I would have liked. For this reason, I also used a Lowpass to cut out some of the more distracting background noise
BEFORE
AFTER
Some of the lighting was a bright bright for one of the interviewees, and i didn't have time to adjust it on the day. So, I used Lumetri colour to correct it and bring down some of the brightness. I reduced the contrast and brought down highlights, while making sure the saturation and tint of the clip stayed relatively the same.
I added black bars at the top and bottom of the screen, giving my doc a 2:1 aspect ratio, and making it look more cinematic. I felt that this fit well with the tone of my documentary, and made it look more professional
I used the warp stabilizer affect on some of my clips to get a smoother motion, especially in panning shots. I kept this to a minimum, as I wanted to retain a handheld feel for the doc as a whole, while keeping the clips watchable
Some of the audio recordings only played in one side of the headphones, or in one ear. I fixed this and centralised the sound by using the 'Fill right with left' tool.
For some of the transitions in B roll, I used a shot cross dissolve effect between the B roll and the interview. This made the change less abrupt and communicated their relation.
SEQUENCE PROGRESSION
FINAL SEQUENCE
FINAL PRODUCT
