Production - Shoot Day 15 South Downs Shoot

After a very successful scout of the South Downs a few weeks back, we were ready to film the actual sequence after I had created a camera plan as well as a detailed shot list plus details picked up from the test shoot. On the two previous times we had visited the Downs we had experienced a large amount of wind and this was something we were wary of. Not only did we bring a deadcat for the microphone, we also planned our locations around the wind as I had noted certain areas that would be less prone to scene destroying wind noise.

My shot list can be seen below along with George’s call sheet. I planned to use either the University Panasonic or my DSLR “G7” as they both create the depth of field that I was after. Also, the Sony we have shot the majority of this project on struggles in scenarios like that of the South Downs. Therefore we made the logical decisions to use a camera with great manual controls. After thinking about it logistically I decided to use the G7 for this sequence as lugging the University Panasonic along with all of the kit it needs would have been a major hassle.

insert camera plan and shot list,

South Downs Shoot
MAIN CAMERA - SONY AX53
SECONDARY CAMERA - G7
DRONE
CLIP MIC

1. MAIN CAMERA M/S Alex driving low angle
2. DRONE Showing the area
3. MAIN CAMERA W/S Alex walks up hill
4. MAIN CAMERA Extreme Wide Showing scale of South Downs [ also Attempt Right
to Left Pan]
5. MAIN CAMERA M/S From side as Alex walks and talks up Hill
6. MAIN CAMERA M/S Panning around me [Like Diary Room 1 and 3 Across my
eyeline as I look right forward]
7. MAIN CAMERA MC/U From side as I speak and look into the distance
8. MAIN CAMERA M/S Alex sitting down will speaks slightly off camera [Shots before
will be used to cover first 10-15 sec of this sequence]
9. MAIN CAMERA M/S from side, Alex looking into distance [Sitting down]
10. MAIN CAMERA MC/U Directly in front of Alex, eyeline not quite looking at camera
[Sitting down]
11. MAIN CAMERA C/U Alex sitting there in anticipation

After collecting Cailan from the station we all me at the Downs and proceeded to film the drone shots that George had missed in our location scout. This meant going up and down the road leading to the car park a few times, giving George the opportunity to capture these stunning shots of the Downs which will be used either in the introductory scene or the South Downs sequence itself. I am very happy with the shots George captured and I am happy we left time in the day to capture these as they will prove powerful in whatever sequence they end up being used in.

After filming these, recharging the drone and speaking about the shoot ahead, we head up onto the Downs to shoot the sequence. I had shown Cailan exactly what I wanted from him today and we were on the same wavelength which meant we were confident about the shoot. As with a lot of our sequences, they are relatively short but all key in telling the story I wanted. This sequence was about where I come to relax and clear my mind. It will be seen just before the race and will bring home the message about my mental struggles before the race and my mindset going into it. It is only 30-45 seconds long but I think it adds a lot to the build up to the race.

We observed two of the various locations I had planned but we got very lucky with the weather as it was an overcast day which meant no shadows. We were also lucky with the wind as it was a very subtle breeze but much, much better than before which meant wind noise was not going to be an issue in this shoot. After deciding on which location I would speak, I had a quick look at what I had planned to say and then we started filming. I wanted to bring up a few points but what was said was very natural and honest and I think it is really powerful, especially when given context within the documentary.

I have about 30 seconds worth of “commentary” therefore I decided we should split the shot type into two. The first 15 seconds would be at a M/S so you could see the South Downs in the background, with the later 15 seconds being a close up as what I say gets more important and I want the viewer to feel its impact. This worked really well as it eases the viewer into the scene. Going to a close up right away may have been a little jarring so I felt what I did gives us a lot more of a lead-in to the important parts of what's said. Even though we had some good takes early on, I decided it would be best for the edit if I kept doing further takes as it would allow there to be more choice in the edit. I am always conscious of this, even when being the contributor as I want to allow George or Cailan to have exactly the clip they want when putting these sequences together.

After a really successful shoot in which we got numerous good takes, Cailan proceeded to follow my shot list and get a number of cutaways which can be used before I speak, while I am speaking and also to end the sequence. Even though they may not be needed, I thought it would be worth getting them as we have not had a chance to put this into a timeline yet and it may work better with shots like these. They are all great for sequencing, which once again means the editor will be able to try different shots to see which works best. Cailan followed my shot list and also added to it, which is exactly what is needed to ensure we capture a wide range of shots. While watching the rushes of what was filmed, I was very happy with it and with some slight colour correcting, it would be exactly what is needed.

I was very happy with the team and when we were confident we had everything we needed we head back to the car. I recorded a buzz track off the waves crashing right at the sea front which will be important when creating an atmosphere within this scene. When reviewing this footage/sound I was really happy that I decided to do this as it sounds great and really helps enhance this scenes audio. Overall it was a great day and I am once again leaving a shoot day very happy with what we have captured. All the prior planning and scouting allowed this scene to go to plan. I am really looking forward to seeing how this looks in the edit.