If you build it, they will come.

So, what are my ideas for my role in the Master Shot Sequence? Well I have been assigned as Cinematographer for this assignment and I would like to experiment with camera movement. I have been given a shooting script from the Director (Chic Scaparo) and there seems to be a lot of tracking shots. I don’t think the FST 201 class has access to a doorway dolly, or one of those tripod dollies that looks like a giant T or the other one in the form of a triangle, so odds are that I will need to get my hands on a wheelchair. 

I think the wheelchair would be the smoothest option, as opposed to a shopping cart, and I may need to break out a saw and build a contraption to stabilize the camera around the armrest portions of the chair. Imagine a rolling high school desk with an old fluid head mounted to it. Needless to say, I am very excited to finally build something again with my hands, while being creative for film purposes. 

Reflections

Taking part on this shoot helped me realize a few things about capturing sound while out in the field. First off, had Jacob, our producer, not provided his own personal equipment the sound quality would not have been as good. For our Vox-Pops we used a Rode directional microphone that was in a blimp, and over that was some fuzzy cover which we labelled the “polar bear,” due to its arctic appearance. These filters where very useful in eliminating the most unwanted noises on the day of our shoot, which was wind. Although there was sound of other pedestrians walking by, and cars rolling by; those noises where part of downtown and only add a layer of realism. But because on this particular day it was windy, it was extremely helpful that Jacob allowed us to use his personal stockpile. Another thing that was unavoidable was this sound of humming while doing our expert interview. I don’t know if the humming was a noise created by the lights or perhaps the fridge in the other room, but hopefully we will be able to make it less noticeable by the final edit. One last thing I would like to state is that I went in feeling that I would have most audio control during the expert interview since we shot indoors, than the Vox-Pops held outdoor; but as it turned out I feel that the audio recording outdoors came out cleaner because there is no white noise, instead that is substituted with the sound of the city, rather than humming, which is not something we would are accustomed to hearing in the background.

Schedule

Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday
Continue Editing B Roll footage	Shoot A roll and possibly more B roll Get Vox-Pops Video Editing	More A roll Expert Interview Start matching sound with picture	Video Editing	*Video Editing Finalizing	*Video Editing Finalizing

Documentary Interview Plan

So for our documentary project our group will be taking an approach of “Film=Jobs” in the area of Wilmington.

I believe our vox-pops will take place around film landmark locations in downtown Wilmington. One location is on 5^th and Market, which can be seen in the film Blue Velvet.

I guess in order to break the ice, we will ask them what films or TV shows they can think of that are filmed in Wilmington.

1. Do you watch the shows or movies that are shot here, and if so which ones?
2. Do you recognize this location? (depending on the landmark we are by)
3. Do you feel the film industry is Wilmington is beneficial to the economy, and how or how not?

My questions focus more on whether the bystander is able to recognize the location they are at, and how they feel about the film industry economically.

I don’t know who our expert witness is yet, but Jacob (our producer), does know him. From what I have heard he is one of the view filmmakers who is deciding to stay here and try develop a feature length film. He has worked on some local filmed shows and I believe he is currently on Under the Dome. I think the tone we would like to set for the interview is informative.

Questions we may ask expert might include:

1. What made you pursue a career in film?
2. Are you local resident or came to Wilmington because of the industry here, if so why?
3. Do you think people of Wilmington realize how constant the filming is done here?
4. What sort of education or prior knowledge did you need to have in order to get where you are at now
5. Was it difficult to get film work in Wilmington?
6. Have you ever gone outside of Wilmington to get work? If so, why?
7. Do you know any people who have come from other places to work in film, here in Wilmington?
8. Do you know any people who have left Wilmington to seek film work, if so where and why?
9. How vital is it for Wilmington to produce local talent? 
10. Any advice you can give to local students now who are interested in working in the Wilmington film industry?