For our filming practice we were assigned the task of story boarding a 2-3 minute eastenders clip so that we could reinact all the shots our selves with a camera and then import all the recordings to make a final version. Firstly, while watching the clip we analysed each shot that was used and drawed them with basic sketches and dialogue, this was needed to be as accurate as possible for when we would record the reinactment. After this we recieved all the necessary equipment from the libary we searched for a room with appropriate lighting and space to conduct all the various and different shots.
The chosen scene was very typical of TV soaps because of the basic shot involved which were mid-angle and used very little movement or zoom, however very simple yet effective techniques were used such as the transition between one side of a room to the other but still maintining the same details of the scene. Furthermore the scene was an opening to the soap so typical of all soaps the characters used in the last episode were used in the opening so the previous story can be carried on-this meant there was very little dialogue involved and the clip was establishing the next story.
The usual camera shots used are mid angled to fit most the scene in, but occationally uses of zoom and closeups appear to draw the audiences attention to an important factor of the scene. For instance when two characters are having a shocking conversation a closeup of one of the characters face will be deployed to show the emotion the character is experiencing. Another example is when an important prop is being used which would normally fit into the background and is then zoomed into to show the audience. This occured in our remake of the eastenders scene in which at the end a zoom is used to show a ring one fo the characters is holding.
Within the clip we were shown, over 25 different shots were used so to be as accurate as possible we story boarded the shots that lasted the longest and subsequently had a smaller 12 shots to film and then set out to film those. Although this method was effective in appearing accurate we didn't story board the angle of the shots and had to rely on our memory of the clip to position the camera correctly, also without being able to write all of the dialogue down we made mistakes with names and missed out large sections of some scenes. Overall our representation was quite accurate and our use of props and sound effects made most shots look realistic.
From completeing this task i have learnt about the importance of mise en scene for every filming conducted. Mise en scene is everything in a scene for instance: while finding a place to film we discussed areas that have ideal lighting and investigated the use of props, we also checked for any distracting features of the place we were filming to keep the audience focused on what we were filming. All this relates back to the many aspects of mise en scene. Throughout filming we discussed the importance of getting the setting right for certain shots we storyboarded, like when filming the opening shot we chose an ideal door to reinact the shot and give the best representation of it.
The particular clip we were given used extensive use of lighting, because of the time that the clip was filmed lighting was used to project the setting of morning. To get a similar effect we filmed these shots near a window with blinds and appropriately allowed shades of lighting in to give the same appearence. Also lighting was used in the clip to show emotion and the mood of a particlar character (at the end of the clip), to do this the lighting was limited to only the character which made the rest of the room shaded and dark and therefore projecting the solem mood.
For this project we also learnt the importance of keeping the same setting and changing nothing about character's appearence or the lighting of the room unless a change was scripted. This is because although we filmed in pieces the final clip appeared to be a continuous reality, so to properly give this appearence we checked that every character had kept the same costume and when changing the lighting we kept the same areas lighted. If correct continuity isn't used then the result can be quite confusing for the audience.
Ultimately it was our filming of the many shots that diddn't give an acurate representation the eastenders clip, although we could put this down to lack of time our story board wasn't detailed enough, meaning too many shots were positioned incorrectly and minor mistakes of lighting made a big effect on the end result. However while editing we made full use of the transitions, text, effects and sound bites to add the detail to the shots that we were lacking in, this meant that the end product was still a good enough copy of the original. Also with the edition of extra sound effects we added a humerous edge to the film with background laughter, although this wasn't a core device used in the original it only added to the ease of watching the finished clip.
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