Darren took to the role well and knew his lines prior to filming which meant that the takes ran pretty smoothly and we were able to get through the script within good time. We decided to go through the script in the order it was written as it made sense for continuity and this would ensure that everything was covered. In reflection, it took us some time to get into the swing of filming, as we were all finding our feet with our roles and how the Director wanted it to be carried out. In terms of the directing, Saskia was in charge of this VT and was making the executive decisions. However, we tried a few different approaches and did a few extra shots to get the best coverage overall. It had been scripted as a one take style which means that the mockumentary won't have any cutaways and will just be what is shot then and there. This was decided to give the film a more raw quality and to reflect the real and every day life of Norman. It was difficult to film in the space that we had because we were predominately just in one room, which meant that space for camera equipment was very limited. However, we overcame this by clearing everything that wasn't needed for the shoot out into the kitchen and placing the majority of the shrine type objects and whiteboard in the corner space of the room, as shown above. This worked as it meant that it wasn't in the way of the character but still added a good backdrop for the scene. As well as assisting Saskia throughout the shoot for this VT, I also operated the sound when Sammi needed to be in the shot. Sammi played the role of Norman's mum in the mockumentary which meant that her role as sound needed to be covered for this section. I think it's good that we all had opportunities to do other roles when it was needed as it gave me a more varied experience and made it more diverse.
After lunch we filmed the trailer for Norman's film. This features in the show as a round set up so provides something for the audience whilst this is taking place. As the main director of this VT, I wanted it to be quite short and snappy, therefore I filmed plenty of options for the montage section so that it would look fast paced but still look dynamic. It was difficult to approach the trailer because it had to be shot as if Norman was making it which I found challenging. I decided to just keep the sequences quite simple with only a few shots for each one so it didn't over complicate it, especially with a limited time frame. I imagine the montage to be very fast paced to keep the tempo up throughout and maintain an energy to it. In terms of the other sections, we had the crew cameo for the rest of the cast. This was relatively successful as we all knew each other which meant that the interactions came across as natural. However, the crew not being actors meant that the process wasn't as smooth as it had been in the morning shoot. I followed my shot list carefully, ensuring I had covered all of the shots I'd intended for, whilst taking ideas from Cheyenne and Saskia as part of a team to ensure we had the best coverage possible. For Norman to be able to travel to each of the other characters, we filmed him running up the street, both with a static camera and a tracking shot to give the editors some options. I think that this section will be a good opportunity to emphasise on the low budget, home made quality that I was after for this VT.
Overall, I would say that the day was relatively successful and we managed to get plenty of coverage within the time frame we had for it. Darren made the process very simple as he was prepared, he was also very easy to direct which made the day run smoothly. I would say that some areas for improvement would be with communication and team work as there were elements that could've been handled more professionally.
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