Digital as Opposed to film - Magazine article recalling events of a test shoot.

On the 6^th of March 2003 a few members of a film crew came along to Nescot College a focus puller, cameraman and producer. Doug O’Neans was a part of this group. His previous work including cameraman for Bad Boys and an involvement in Deep Rising, as well as many other projects on television and cinema. Also in the ensemble is a crewmember from the recent War series Band of Brothers. They are here to obtain some test shots for an new horror film to be filmed in Mexico, in an attempt to convince the financers and director to shoot the film digitally, much in the same vein as 28 Days Later.

As I walk onto the set for the afternoon I am greeted by Doug who is sitting having a cup of tea and overlooking the actions of his two colleagues both of which are setting up the cameras. There are two large DV Cams and a smaller camera all being focused and adjusted to produce the optimum look for the shots. There are two cameras from two leading producers of the type of camera, Sony and Canon. Again this allows the cameramen to choose the best camera and lenses for the job.

The Classroom slowly fills up with confused and excited, not forgetting bored students who are to play the extras in the scene. Our star was already there and was being given brief direction from Doug, and was a little anxious.  

I take my place out of shot and observed Doug positioning the students into the desired places along the desks. As the final checks on the cameras go ahead everyone slowly settles and the action begins.

Previously in the day shots were filmed outside and around the college the events of the morning had proved how difficult directing a large number of inexperienced students into doing the simplest of things. When the call of action sounds and nothing happens what can you do! As about 15-20 students do absolutely nothing after being instructed to run out of the college on their say so. But ever the professionals they make do with what they’ve got and strive through the problems.

Back in the classroom a more awake and alert group of students await the call of action to commence their bit parts in the development of the film. I sit poised, pen in one hand and miniDV camera in the other.

The crew are happy and shooting continues with the classroom scene. The scene is to last only a minute or so but is to contain several shots from various angles. The filming starts and although the acting leaves a lot to be desired the scene comes together in the way you would expect. The first shot being primarily on the classroom then moving onto the main character. Unlike the mornings shoot everything goes fantastically well and the cameras are rotated around the classroom to acquire a variety of different shots for the scene.

Everything goes smoothly and within about an hour or so the scene is finished.

Our next scene is a little more complicated and involves the recording studio.

Trying to fit several people into a small room which already boasts a large amount of electrical equipment including a mixing desk. The short scene is a challenge and involves a dark room. Having experience using the DV Cam I know how difficult it can be to achieve a good picture in a dimly lit room. After several attempts to balance the light, by redirecting lamps and blocking out windows the scene was ready to shoot. The cosy shoot went well with all non-essential crewmembers being ejected from set.

Lights twinkling on the mixing desk as the doors were closed to us to create the right isolated atmosphere.

Along with this scene came another scene that involved a new character singing in a nightclub, a bright light to create a halo type effect and an attempt to add smoke was halted when the ultra sensitive fire alarm was pointed out. Fire engines were not required for shooting!!!

The end effect was a short piece of video reminiscent of Top of the Pops to the rather strained sound of a karaoke version of a Lionel Ritchie song being murdered in public.

After several cups of tea, we embarked on another scene. A nervous receptionist a waited her fifteen minutes of fame, which would later be cut to about ten seconds! Again the strains of shooting with amateurs (and probably professionals) were showing and were not helped by endless phone calls to the college most of which go through our poor, attractive young receptionist. Eventually the phones fall silent and the cameras were ready to roll. A bit of a complicated scene that required timing and the use of two characters interacting, both of whom must be scene and heard for the scene to go well.

In the end a marker had to be placed for our main character to stop at as not too confuse what had already been shot. 

After the completion of this scene I left, the crew continued to film, risking arrest in Ewell high street and killing a young lady in the car park (why the risk of arrest thing wasn’t the other way round, I don’t know!)

From this experience I have seen what is required to create a scene and the effort that goes in. Both things that I knew about and also had experience with. I have also seen that you need to have a couple of people to do the job of only one person (focus puller with a DV Cam!!!). I have also realised that I don’t take enough tea breaks or drink enough coffee!!!!

By Dan Conquest

Photos by Dan Conquest