The document provides information on various technical skills and equipment used for filmmaking, including cameras, tripods, flashguns, infrared triggers, pop-up studios, three point lighting, reflectors, gel lights, Photoshop, Wix, microphones, dead cats, boom poles, GoPro cameras, cranes, tracks, shoulder rigs, and Final Cut editing software. It describes the functions and purposes of each tool, as well as potential problems that may arise from their use, such as limited equipment availability, inability to take certain tools outside the studio, and challenges of operating some tools like cranes. The document is intended to inform on the filmmaking equipment and skills needed to create promotional materials like film trailers

1. Technical Skills

2. Camera
The function of this digital camera is to take high resolution jpeg
pictures and videos. A feature of a camera is a shutter mechanism, this
controls the length of time light can enter a camera. They also have
lens that improve the sharpness of a picture, the camera that I am
using has a variety of different lenses that will create different effects
and make my pictures look more professional and defined. With video,
it would be logical to use manual over automatic settings due to
editing effects. If the trailer is advertising a horror or action film, it is
likely that a lot of the shots would be dark as that is a convention of
those genres. Filming that through a camera when it automatic settings
would mean that the shutter speed would automatically let in the most
light, meaning that the suspense in the low-key lighting would be lost.
I will use the variety modes and settings on my camera to produce
different effects, like focus points and shutter speed this will enable me
to make my images as unique and interesting as possible. I will also
have different pieces of equipment that I will add to my camera in
Photo-shoots for the film-poster and magazine cover, such as the
infrared trigger and flashgun to further make my pictures more
professional and effective. On the other hand, equipment that can be
attached to the camera and used during filming includes the
microphone (with or without the dead cat) and can be attached to the
crane, tracks or shoulder rig.

3. Tripod
This is a tripod and it’s function is to hold a camera to eliminate the risk of a
shaky hand shot and makes it easier to get a study sharp picture or video with
no blur. It will also remain my shots in a consistent position so this will be useful
when placing my model in the correct position or filming the actors in a scene.
There are many different functions that this version of a tripod can do. It has
certain knobs that perform a variety of uses like being able to tighten and secure
the camera safely to the tripod so it can be tilted at different angles. The tripod
can vary in height and this will be useful as I can then create different shots that
will have certain effects on the model, e.g. making them look superior/inferior
or eye-level with the camera. Whilst filming, the tripod can be used for a pan or
tilt shot, along with being used for creative shots, such as changing pace from
fast to slow or vice versa.
Problems that I may have with the tripod is that there is only a limited amount
of them available at school that have to be shared out with the rest of the
media students. However, this can be solved by booking appointments to when I
can use the tripods, along with their not being many groups in year 13. Another
problem could be where the tripod is appropriate to use, it needs a lot of space
to spread the legs out and a room to small would not be able to fit the tripod,
this will mean that filming in a small spaces such as cleaning cupboards,
however we can use a monopod or shoulder rig if we would film in a place with
limited space.
The tripod can also be connected to a tripod dolly, which would be useful for
when there is movement in the scene, as it would allow the camera to run
smoothly on it.

4. Flash gun
A flashgun (or commonly known to photographers as a ‘speed light
flash’) is a piece of equipment that can be attached to the top of a
digital camera. It’s function is to give off a sharp beam of intense light
when a picture is taken and mostly used indoors when lighting is poor
that will give the image a more overall professional finish.
A flashgun has a variety of basic functions that I will use when taking
my photos for my group’s film poster and magazine. These functions
include being able to adjust the power of the flash and being able to
trigger the flash at the correct moment. A filter (gel lights) can also be
added to the flashgun and the function of this is to make the model
have a softer look, this will be useful on my film poster and magazine to
make the main-image look less intimidating if we want to portray
him/her as innocent or we can use different colours to symbolize
different emotions.
There are a few problems that will cause problems when using a flash
gun. One of these are that the bulb gets very hot from high energy of
light it gives out so it will need rests in between shots, resulting in it
taking longer to take pictures. Another problem is that it will need to be
fully charged before being used so I will have to ensure the piece of
equipment is ready to use before the session.
The flashgun will only be used for photo-shoots for the film trailer and
magazine, not the actual trailer itself.

5. Infra Red
This piece of equipment attaches to the hot shoe of the camera and makes the lights
in the studio flash simultaneously to the shutter. This will be useful when taking
pictures for our film poster and magazine due to flash’s present being important to
create the brightest pictures. This piece of equipment will not be used during in
filming.
The problems that occur with this piece of equipment is that it can only be used in
the studio as it is used with all the studio lights so I will need to plan what photos to
use them for so I can take them whilst in the studio.

6. Pop up Studio
The studio can be a temporary or long-term, seeing as it only consists of a white sheet
and the two lights shining onto it. It is in a three point lighting set up and all the lights
go off simultaneously to the infrared trigger. The backdrop can be either white, green
or black, which cause different effects and moods and atmospheres.
The most popular colour for a backdrop is white, as this creates a brighter and more
professional picture overall. It also makes it easier to remove the background with the
magic wand tool.
The problems that occur with using the pop-up studio is that there are only two of
them at school so it will mean I will have to book a session in advance to make sure no
one else will want to use the studio at the same time

7. Three Point Lighting
Three point lighters are the three lights that surround an
object, these three lights are the: key light, fill light and
backlight. These lights are used to exile any shadows from
the model’s face and creates a purer profession outcome.
Placed on one side of the subject to banish shadow, the
key light is the strongest one out of the three and
therefore has the most influence on the look of the scene.
The fill light, placed on the other side of the subject’s face,
helps rid the shadows from the model’s face from the
ones the key light fills and is less bright and softer than
the key. The backlight is used to define and highlight the
subject’s outlines and is placed behind the model along
with help giving the photo a three-dimensional look.
I will use these lights to make my pictures look as defined
and professional as possible. By moving the fill light, I can
create different effects to the model as the further away
the fill light is, the softer and less bright the light will be
on the subject.
The problems with three point lighting is that you cannot
take them out of the studio so I will have to book sessions
in advance.

8. Reflectors
The function of a reflector is to reflect light back to the model when a photo is taken,
resulting with the subject having a warmer glow and getting rid of shadows, along
with helping create a broader light source and controlling highlights. The white
reflector helps produce a soft clean look on the model and is useful for when there is a
flash. On the other hand, the gold side yields a stronger and warmer result on the
subject and is more effective on models with darker skin tones.
I will use the different reflectors for different effects on the model, depending on how
much highlight and shadow I want the model to have and will use the appropriate side
depending on my model’s skin tone. This will depend on the genre of the film trailer
and whether or not we’ll want him/her to be in high or low-key lighting.
The problems that come with the reflectors is that there are limited ones available in
the studio and they cannot be taken out of it but I can solve this by booking sessions in
advance in the studio and using the reflectors in there.

9. Gel Lights
These are filters that change the colour of the light and are useful for creating
different moods and atmospheres in a picture. I can use these to highlight my model’s
face in different colours. These would be useful for my magazine as I can use the same
colours as my colour-scheme for my movie poster as well. As colours are symbolic of
different emotions, we can use ones that would successfully match the genre of our
film.

10. Photoshop
Photoshop is one of the most popular and iconic software
used to edit pictures in order to make them look more
professional. Some of the many functions it has includes:
manipulating, colour correcting, resizing, cropping. It is the
main tool I will be using to create my magazine cover,
contents and double page spread pages and, as it is used
by professionals, it will make my magazine have a crisp
and smoother finish.
I will use the variety of tools on Photoshop in order to
make my magazine look more interesting and impressive.
As I have never used Photoshop before, it may be difficult
to first get the hang of as there are some tools that are
more complicated to use and will be used more by the
more professional users in Photoshop. However, there are
video tutorials that are available that will help me learn
how to use the software. Another problem is that I will
only be able to use it in school as it is an expensive
software that I will be unable to get at home so I will have
to do my Photoshop required work at school.

11. Wix
Wix is the website a free and easy that I upload my
work to, acting as a ring binder in order for me to
present my coursework in a more creative and original
way. It is a very useful tool for easily presenting your
work and helps me develop further skills like how to
create and manage a website.
It has different settings like being able to have moving
pictures and transitions on your page. It is a neater
setup and it easier for me to organize my coursework.
These features make my work look more impressive to
the reader and engages them more into my coursework.
Problems with Wix are that it can only be accessed by
one person at a time otherwise there’s a risk of it
crashing and our work being lost so me and my partner
will have to organize times where we are allowed on it
and have efficient communication. If there is no
internet connection there is also a problem, seeing as
Wix is a website so can only be connected to if there’s
Wi-Fi.

12. Microphone
The function of a microphone is to catch dialogue and convert
the sound waves into electrical energy which then makes it
easier to separate the speech from other noises such as wind or
background noises. The most noise that will be recorded will be
from the tip of the microphone.
This is useful when filming as our location (school) will have
many contributing noises to it, along with dialogue, such as the
movement and conversations of other students when in school
or the noise of the cleaners after school. The microphone is
therefore useful as it’ll help make the dialogue sound very clear
when filming in busy areas.
The microphone is connected to the top of a camera with a short
cable, the length not being too long otherwise if it moves or
bangs against the side of the camera, the noise of it will affect
the sound on the microphone. There is also audio tracker that
shows up on the camera whilst plugged in which must be closely
watched as if the person is speaking to close to the camera, it’ll
affect the sound.
I will be using a shotgun Rode microphone, seeing as it is high
quality and can directly connect to the camera, making it useful
for filming.

13. This piece of equipment is a fury object, which gets its
nickname from looking like a ‘dead cat’, is designed to
help microphones. When filming outside, the wind
levels can be unpredictable and if the environment is
windy, it will distort and ruin the audio. The dead cat is
designed to have artificial fur which will trap the wind
and minimalize the wind noise and remain acoustically
transparent.
This will be useful whilst filming as autumn and winter
are usually very windy seasons, therefore meaning we
may rely on it for when recording scenes outside.
Boom:
The boom is a microphone that is hand held and is attached
to a long pole. The boom is used to get a microphone closer
to the actor speaking without entering the camera frame. The
boom only records in mono but this can be edited on Final
Cut in order to make it stereo.
Problems that arise when using the boom is that the person
holding it will have to have good concentration, along with a
steady hand as to not let the boom be seen in the camera
frame.
Dead Cat

14. Go Pro Camera
This small camera can be attached to the chest of a person and is
used typically for action shots, as a person could do physical
activities whilst wearing the camera. Although this may not be good
for sound, it’s extremely useful for creative shots. For example, this
camera is now waterproof so if someone in our trailer was
drowning, the camera could show their perspective from of the
bottom of the water. This would overall make a more interesting
shot than one where is was just a close-up of the person struggling
underwater.
As it can also be attached to a person, we can use this to our
advantage by creating the sense of a characters POV, giving more
insight to their personality and revealing more about the mood/
atmosphere trailer overall.
However, because the noise would catch the breathing and
movement of the actor when using it, it is probable that we will
record the audio separately or not use it in the clip.

15. Crane:
The crane (or jib) is used for getting camera shots from higher
positions. This piece of equipment supports the camera on two long
metal poles, supported on a tripod by a pencil-sized pin. The pole
lengths can be extended, decided on how high the shot needs to be.
However, this could increase setting up time by as much as half an
hour, meaning it has to be absolutely necessary in order to mean
that we’re not just waiting valuable time. The camera can also be
tilted, once secured on the metal plank at the end of the crane, and
can be controlled with a remote control. This means that we can
create pan and tilt shots from higher angles, creating more
interesting scenes in the trailer altogether.
There are weights at the end of the crane, in order to equal out the
weight, meaning that the crane is like a seesaw, balancing the mass.
But there is still a risk of the crane falling and damaging the camera.
As to avoid this, there must be two people controlling the crane,
one at the top and is the one who will actually control the jib and
the other in the middle, holding the top with their finger tips to
help guide the piece of equipment. Along with this, the two poles
must not bend otherwise it may cause the pencil-pin in the middle
to snap if it’s bent at an odd angle.
Overall, the crane can be used to produced a wide variety of
interesting and creative shots. It is useful for getting a long-distance
shot from different angles with a smooth tilt or pan.

16. Tracks:
Tracks are used to let the tripod dolly run smoothly down a ‘track’
and can be used in a variety of ways. The track we will be using will
be made up of two plastic pipes, which will allow the wheels of the
dolly to run down in a straight line and the camera will be placed on
top of the tripod, with a bungee tied for security.
The tracks are useful when movement is happening and the camera
can follow smoothly along side. For example, if our characters were
walking down the school corridor and the camera wanted to get a
side-shot, it could roll down the track along with them.
A problem with the tracks is that there’s a limited length, meaning
the camera will have to go at a slow pace or the scene would have to
be short. They can also only go in a straight line, meaning that we
cannot turn corners. The tripod must be carefully watched as it may
fall off and damage the camera if they reach the end without anyone
securing it.

17. Shoulder Rig:
The shoulder rig is designed to prevent shaky camera movement. It helps deliver
balanced shots and comfort to the holder when filming, due to the weight being given
to the shoulders.
This will be an effective piece of equipment to use whilst filming as it is hard to hold a
camera with a steady hand, even more so when you lack experience. The shoulder rig
will therefore help me and my group deliver shots that look professional, balanced
and still whilst filming.

18. Final Cut
Final cut is an piece of profession software which is used to edit film and develop
them.
Will talk more of skills later…