Production - SHOOT DAY 1 [Medical]

Our first shoot day came around rather quickly, as George had decided the racing license (and medical to go along with it) were to be completed as soon as possible. This was because they were the least predictable and he wanted assurance that this part was complete.

This shoot was not included in the original script as an individual scene, but as it is part of the process of "becoming a racing driver", we wanted to film this day in case we needed options in the edit. I had written a montage segment into my script where sequences like today's would be included for a brief moment, to allow the viewer to understand all the little details that allowed me to enter my first ever motor race.

As the director, I tasked Cailan with capturing a variety of shots as I went about my day. I also produced a shot list of all of the key moments I wanted Cailan to capture. As this was not a vast segment in our project, I did want to allow Cailan more freedom to explore ideas and shots. I was using this day as much as a test day, understanding how he works, as I was an actual shoot day. Footage from this day may never even make the cut, but I wanted to make sure we got all the vital shots just in case.

Below is my shotlist for the motorsport medical:

1. Alex Driving into the venue W/S, EST SHOT
2. Alex getting out of car M/S
3. Alex walking in “Sign on” MW/S [Following Alex in]
4. Alex speaking to the person behind the sign on desk. W/S, C/U of Alex
5. Alex walking to medical area MW/S [Following Alex] 
6. Alex taking medical - Mix of: EC/U,C/U,M/S Showing the emotions
7. Medical forms being written C/U [Get Reaction shots as well if needed]
8. Alex walking out of the room, capture reactions M/S, C/U
9. Alex walking back to the car & getting in W/S
10.  Alex driving [Thoughts on what's to come] M/S,C/U

All of these shots were completed over the course of the day which will leave us with a lot of choice in the edit. As director/ contributor I was learning how this production would flow. I was struggling at first to allow myself to be natural as George and Cailan continually asked me if I liked certain shots. I was struggling because I wanted to give answers, but it was not allowing this sequence to be as natural as possible. Going forward I have asked the group to follow my shotlist and the storyboards Cailan has completed, along with the reference material shown, to understand if the shot captured is the right one.

I know that if this documentary is to be a success then I need to allow myself to be the contributor on shoot days and the team continually asking me these basic questions would not allow this to be the case. As I have clearly relayed this message I hope going forward the team read the material I have spent time on creating and decide accordingly on whether certain shots are correct. Realising this has allowed me to understand that I need to let go of my role as writer/director when in front of the camera, even more than I realised. As Simon has stated throughout, what makes this documentary interesting is me and if I am not natural then it will be hard for these scenes to have the same impact. 

We reviewed this footage as a team which was good practice and it allowed me to see how Cailan was tackling my ideas and crafting them into a visual form. I was mostly very impressed with the shots he created. I stressed the need to focus on the facial reactions as they allow the viewer into my feelings in each scene. While this scene had limited reactions it was great to see Cailan took my shot list and captured everything I wanted. I would have liked to have seen a little more footage, as cutting the camera continually after each segment meant important moments of thought and realisation were not being captured. 

Understanding this allowed me to raise with the team the need to keep the cameras rolling, especially ones focusing on me. The best natural shots for the edit will be the ones where I don't realise the camera is there. I said to Cailan that he should just keep filming, even if it doesn't seem relevant at the time. As this point was raised, I hope going forward that Cailan gives us as much choice in the edit, by being proactive when continually filming. 

Overall, I was happy with the shots we did capture today. I think as a team we are still learning our roles which led to moments of confusion, hence why I was being asked about certain shots. It will take a bit of time for me to also allow myself to be completely focused on being natural, rather than worrying about the camera. This was a great learning experience which also has given us more options in the edit. I would have liked more footage, showing me contemplating what's about to happen, but I am happy we realised this now rather than halfway through our shooting schedule.

It was a productive early afternoon, but we decided to make the most of the day and scout the track ready for the license shoot just a few days later. George says he has secured trackside filming for Saturday, which will allow us a closer view of the track and much better angles. Knowing this, I went around the track and took photos of the areas where I wanted cameras to be placed. These photos will be crafted into camera cards for all of the camera operators. These along with the reference material and shot list I have created will allow the team to capture a wide range of B-ROLL which can be used in the racing license sequence. I am happy that George has secured us trackside filming as it will allow us to craft some unique angles, showing off the creativity that is listed in the script. Without trackside, we would struggle to get the same angles and lose the sense of speed needed to give an impression of the sports potential danger. 

As we went around the track, I talked to the group about my experience of the track from visiting many times as a fan. This extra knowledge will allow the team to have a better picture of how the cars will be driving on the track and how best to create a sense of speed. I am now very confident in the team that they can produce an array of stunning visuals which will allow me to focus on taking (and hopefully passing) my race license on Saturday. It will be a busy weekend as George has scheduled another shoot day on the Sunday along with a location scout. I would have liked more time to plan, especially with the dissertation still to hand in, but I am creating all of the resources needed for them to film a special sequence (detailed shot lists, visual reference, annotated camera plans etc). We also tested our communication devices for this project, 6 walkie talkies which will allow the team to have a constant understanding of each other throughout the day. These worked well, but as a team we know we must improve our communication to ensure everything needed, is completed. As stated, more time and testing would have allowed these issues to be ironed out, but I am happy this happened now and not when we need everything to be perfect. We have all taken on board the issues experienced in today's shoot, and look forward to improving and filming the next two sequences over the weekend.

In future, I have suggested to the team that we have a test shoot before every single main shoot day to allow us to practice every single shot we want to create. This way any apparent issue or concern can be raised before we need to actually film. These days will also allow me to be more active as a director, as my on-screen emotions will not need to be as apparent in a test. This means I can review shots and ask for a second take, meaning that when we come to shoot the actual thing, we get the right shot when I am going through the various processes. This is something George is aware of and I have worked with him to craft a new schedule, which allows us to have a test shoot and an actual shoot for most scenes. This schedule also allows us to visit University most Tuesdays, to speak to Simon and continually ask questions and take in feedback.