The big day is finally upon us and I was really looking forward to filming the actual show. It has been a long unit and one of my favourites on the course so far. It has been great to understand new roles as well as working together as one big team. It really has brought the group together which I think has been great for everyone!
We got in early for rehearsals and I made sure I was in for 8:30am so I could get in and on my camera ready for a first take which I thought would be around 9:15am. I got in at half past eight and then got to work on my camera checking everything was in place. Unfortunately, a lot of people got stuck in heavy traffic meaning we did not get started until later. This did not help the stress levels as a group, but it was nobody's fault about the traffic. It was one of those things we had to learn from and move on as quickly as possible!
I think our first rehearsal started around 9:30am - To be fair to the rest of the group the presenters did not make it in until after 9 as well so it was hard to set up everything with nobody there to focus upon. Our first rehearsal was shaky and actually pretty disappointing. I felt we got all of our shots in focus and on time but it just not very slick. We did realise that we needed to do better with only two more rehearsals left and Del rightly told us we need to step up after this first take.
Take two and three went really smoothly. Without the pressure and the heat of the extra lights and the audience, we probably felt a little more at ease than when we came to the actual show. As previously mentioned we had to master the switching of positions on camera 4 as on occasions the wire that transmits the footage would get in the way. By the end of our last rehearsal, we felt we had these moves to a Tee. On these two takes, everything felt that it went to plan. All shots were in focus and on time.
I did keep letting the floor managers know of any last tweaks that could be added. For example, I remember on shot 66 the shot used is an un-flattering profile shot and I suggested that we go to our camera and get a nice shot of Alfie. They took this advice on board and it was used in the final rehearsal. I also mentioned important information like the audience speakers being too quiet and the positions of the presenters on the sofa. This was all transmitted and received by the directors and they took the information on board and changed the shots accordingly. In this scenario, I just wanted to help out as much as possible and I feel I did go to a next level in helping out when it was needed. I am happy I did because these last pieces of feedback will hopefully add a little extra something to the show.
After lunch, it was time for the big, final show. The audience arrived around 1:30pm and we were all standing there patiently for the cue to get ready. We knew that we had to be at our most professional at this stage as people who we did not know were watching and probably judging us on everything we do. After a great speech from the floor managers to get the audience prepared and the cues from the directors. It was time to go live.
It hits 2pm and the title sequence rolls. Even though I am not on the camera first I am feeling the nerves. The heat in the studios had really ramped up in the minutes before we went live which made it all a little more uncomfortable. Cailan did a great job with the shots in his half of the show and I did look out to see if they had used shot 66 in the actual show but sadly they did not. I think this shot could really have been better if they had cut to us at this stage but I understand that the directors may have not wanted to risk it. Overall the first part of the show went really well from our cameras point of view - The changes were slick and the only problem Cailan said he went the wrong way with the iris but changed it back in good time.
Onto my half of the show and I was ready for what was ahead. The change over to myself on the camera was smooth while the VT was on the air. I set up and focused on my first shot and Cailan did say it got cut too a couple of times which was a close up of Alfie. This shot was very tough as I was on a very close up view of Alfie but he moves a lot when he is standing on the spot. This meant I was chasing him around the shot a little. I managed to get the shot locked down in time but this was a moment where I was a little on the edge. After the next VT, I set up for my main shot which was a two-shot of the presenters. Over every single rehearsal, I had been told to crab more and more right for every take for this shot and I think the final one for the actual show was the best it had ever been. The eyelines matched much better and the directors seemed to like the shot. One frustrating thing was suddenly at one point I was told to pan right and it had not been in any of the rehearsals so it threw me somewhat but I think when it was on the air, it was good.
The rest of the show went completely to plan and it was nice that in the final stages our camera got cut to quite a lot as we where the main camera focusing on the presenters. At exactly 2:30pm the credits finished and we had hit the thirty-minute slot bang on! I was really happy how we had come together as a team on this project and completed such a smooth project. After we had de-rigged and taken pictures there was a sigh of relief. The biggest video project of university so far was over. However, there was also a moment of thinking how much fun this project had been and how it is a shame to move on from it! Now to focus on the essay as well as our other units. I am so happy with how this project turned out and I think that stemmed from a great idea and great leadership from the producers. Throughout the process, we have all worked together efficiently to create a great piece of television!
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