Production

          Before we set off, we made sure that we had all of the correct equipment by looking at a checklist we previously wrote out. We had all of the appropriate equipment to film so we did not need to borrow anything from another source (e.g. signing out a camera or tripod from school). We used a Nikon P500 to film our advertisement with it filming in 1080p HD. I made sure that this camera was fully charged before setting off, with a second battery also fully charged at hand incase the first battery drained of charge. A standard tripod was also used with this camera, resulting in very steady shots. We did not have an external microphone as the camera does not support this accessory. We did, however, use the internal microphone which worked well as we didn't have much speech within the advertisement. Also, we had our costumes with us which we previously bought from an online store. We had our recording equipment and costumes in a bag so that we could easily set up when we arrived at our designated spot for the advertisement.

                      We left at 11am to record in the forest as it allowed us to record all day without it getting dark half way through recording; the sun was out throughout recording and the lighting, in the final edit of the advertisement, looks very consistent. When we arrived at the location, we set up in a spot that was out of the way, although still in the sun, so that passers by did not interfere with shooting and so that the shots weren't too dark. To make sure that the lighting was correct I took some test shots and adjusted the camera accordingly. We then put on our costumes and put our bags in a place that we could see at all times for safety, although they could not be seen in the frame of the camera. When we felt we were ready to begin recording, we run through what we were going to do and tried to stick to this plan. We had our story board with us at the filming so that we could refer back to it when we needed to. As we were recording with a digital camera instead of an analogue camera, we were able to watch back clips at points when we felt we needed to which ensured the best outcome for our advertisement.

           Before each shot we walked through what we were going to do so that we could get it right first time. When I was behind the camera, I had to make sure I positioned actors in a space so that they did not walk out of the frame; this is a hard task as they cannot see what is on screen so you have to try your best to explain the perimeters of the area in which they can stand. Also, I made sure not to brake the 180 degree rule whilst behind the camera and made sure that the characters stayed on the correct side of the frame, as it would be confusing for the audience. At one point in the advertisement I decided to pull the focus on the camera whilst an actor walked past in the background; this was a hard task as we had to time it well so that the actor walked past as the foreground blurred and the background come into focus. I feel that the actors were very easy to instruct and the advertisement looks very well performed in the final edit.
           

          As for health and safety, we tried to reduce the risk of anyone getting injured throughout the recording process by changing various factors; as one of the actors was going to be running through the forest, we made sure that the path on the ground that he was going to take was free from branches (and other dangerous materials e.g. glass, cans, metal etc.). The actor could then run through this area without being hurt in the process. Also, we made sure that the arrows being fired had a blunt end and everyone was behind the actor when firing any arrows. We recorded in a way that gave the illusion that the actor was firing the arrow at a second actor, although no one was in any real danger. Finally, we made sure not to leave any materials (metal, plastic etc.) in the sun as they would become very hot and would cause pain to anyone that touches them. No one was harmed throughout shooting so I feel we took out the task of organising health and safety very well.