Being Patient

Having new material and fresh clips to take into iMovie is great. Even though nothing is stopping me from using older clips, I feel much more in touch with my imagination when working with untouched material. Plus I sometimes struggle editing together previously used footage as I can't shake the ideas I had first time around.

Filming the Hawick Harlequins rugby team play the Welsh side Bargoed RFC was an interesting experience. I had fun and was able to capture some shots that I was planning on attempting, and even some that presented themselves for the first time on the day. 

It's a little daunting finding yourself in a situation that you knew was coming and had prepared so much for, then suddenly feeling an immense pressure to achieve the things you set out to do. 

This is how I felt the Saturday before last.

Sitting in the changing rooms with the squad felt natural. As a member of the Quins and having played and socialised weekend after weekend over 3 years with the team, there was a relaxed atmosphere as the lads were pulling their boots on and donning the strip. During bouts of recording I would ensure some players that the final work will be without sound, but this only encouraged their enthusiastically explicit language. It soon became apparent that I would need to produce a blooper reel purely for the team's appreciation!

Once we were down at the riverside and onto the pitch, I began recording movement around me. My first few clips were of our committee members pushing the touchline flags into the grass and various shots of legs leaping across the pitch step by step. 

As I looked through the viewfinder whilst recording I couldn't help but think;

"Ooh! That'll look good if I do this..."    or    "This bit will work better if I crop the..."

The editing stage was constantly on my mind and it was affecting the work! I had to focus on the moment and concentrate on capturing the best footage possible. Once the game kicked off I went into a zone of complete paranoia. 

I hope I got that bit!

Shit - was that in focus??

Where's the ball went??

How long until half time? 

I haven't got enough footage...

The first half was traumatic. For both me and the team. The second half went better and I was able to relax and get some images of the supporters on the touchline. There is once clip where I decided to focus the camera on the lower half of one player, and it just so happened he was passed the ball soon after I began filming. Little occasions like that empowered me and made me realise how important being patient was.

I have looked over most of the footage from my day of filming. Most of it is good, and I am confident that I will be able to produce a final work that is as close to my brief as possible. 

'A Man and his Dogs'

Last month I decided what I wanted to achieve through the Final Major Project unit. The idea is to produce a short film consisting of two pieces of footage, on separate screens, side by side, playing in synchronisation. Screen 1 will show a rugby team preparing, warming up and playing a game followed by their post match routine back at the clubrooms. The 2nd screen will follow the manufacturing process of a garment within a Hawick Knitwear mill.

These 2 scenarios will be shot in a very abstract fashion. I will focus on shape, colour, symmetry and juxtaposition.

In preparation for filming these events I wanted to get a feel for the camera I will be using, so I had a friend assist me in creating a small 'Mockumentary' following a reclusive man living with his 3 dogs in the country. There was no script or structure to the short film, I suggested things for Calum to talk of or things he could do, places he could go, etc. I wanted a subject to focus my camera on and see what I could come up with.

When I got home home and was preparing to edit, I found I had recorded a total of 81separate clips. This was not what I had expected and so putting together an appropriate selection of clips proved a tricky task. I spent around 3 hours figuring out what audio to use, whether or not to follow an obvious theme etc. What I considered most throughout editing was how the visuals would pair up with the audio. I wanted the theme or plot to be left open. Most of the dialogue sounds as if it should be 'off camera' or 'behind the scenes' conversation, thus hopefully feeling similar to a 'Mockumentary'.

After finalising details and watching it over and over, I noticed how quickly it moved at certain points. I didn't notice this at the beginning and Rosie, my classmate, was the one who pointed it out to me that the eyes of the viewer may struggle to follow what is on the screen. I will take this into consideration when filming for my Final Major Project.

The plan was to film the Hawick Harlequins home game against Duns at the weekend past, but the game was cancelled due to a frozen pitch. Thankfully I will have another opportunity this coming week as the Quins have another home game. As for filming in the mill, I plan to get an e-mail sent to the Managing Director this week detailing my plans and asking for permission.






Here is 'A Man and his Dogs' -