Super 8 Cameras

This is the camera I did the first batch of film on, which is likely to come out over exposed. It is very heavy and bulky in comparison. It does not have a focus function but does have filters which you can disable.

This camera I borrowed from Laura Phillips. It is lighter with more functions like being able to take still photographs and an intervalometer (for stop frame animation). I didn't use these functions as they were not applicable to this project but if I was going to buy one it would be this.

Filton and the Flying Machine

This book is mostly picture based but is very informative about how Filton used to look and Filton's aeroplane manufacturing history up until now.

Recording Filton's Ambience

Yesterday I finished filming but I also used a zoom to make ambient recordings of all the places I filmed. This was Filton's Community Church Charity Shop, Al's Hobbies (specialising in aircraft models), Barber Shop, Caron's Salon and H.R Hobbs (chemist). I got some close miked recordings of quite intimate conversations between the barber and his customer, with the snipping of scissors in the background. An illegal immigrant who had been working in the nearby off license had been arrested and everyone appeared to be talking about it. This conversation ranged from complimenting the guy for having a cheery temperament yet working extremely long hours and the sentence of his employer. I literally could have sat and listened to them all day, it was really relaxing. 


In every shop I sat down and tried to make myself invisible. The chemist had a very busy atmosphere with lots of people coming in and out of the shop, each acknowledged with a bell. There was a lot of change in dynamics as there was a conversation behind and in front of the recorder. This atmosphere I am most satisfied with. Al's Hobbies is quite dull because they literally got on with their work and did exactly what I wanted and ignored me, not to say that everyone wasn't very pleasant and polite.


I'll make a soundcloud account and put a link up.

SENT THE FILM OFF

I have officially sent the film off to Wide Screen Centre in London, who then send it off to Germany to be processed. I will then get it on a reel and send it to Cine to DVD on Portland Square. The whole thing is likely to cost me about £146.00. But only because I've left it so late and have to get everything expressly done so if it doesn't come out as intended, I can reshoot. But I guess that's is what my loan should cover. Now it's a waiting game, and I'll get on with some writing.

Metallica Some Kind Of Monster (2004)-part 1

A more subtle type of expository film. Though the film has titles, it mostly uses observational techniques and the editing assists in telling the story.

Night Mail - Expository Documentary types

This type of documentary is expository. It uses a 'god like' voice over, more often then not the image matches to the commentary. Appears to show an objectional view point but often does the opposite. Was very popular among the first documentaries in the pre 60's due to the difficulties of producing unsynchronised visuals and sound.

Night Mail - (1936) - Part 1

Kodak Ektachrome 100D - Spectra Films

I bloody hope it looks a bit like this. But I have Filton rain not California sun.

Observational Documentary

Observational mode is a form of documentary where footage is captured as live as possible, with little directional input by the film director. This type of documentary was made possible by the invention of lightweight, easy to use technology which allowed film recordings to be made with little interaction between the documentary makers; and less intrusion for the participants in the film. As the title of the type insinuates, the viewer observes the action as a bystander leaving the most room for interpretive evaluation. 

Frederick Wiseman - Public Housing

An example of Reactive Observationalism type of documentary. The director very little intervention and the camera acts as a bystander to a particular event. This leaves the most room for the viewer to interpret the visuals in a more independent way.

DISASTER

Today couldn't have gone worse for The Filton Suburb Project. I went to get some more super 8 film (because the previous batch had gone SO well) from Bristol Cine Sales in Bedminster. The owner had the film and I asked if one of the previous films I'd shot had finished properly. Then he took great pleasure in telling me I'd been shooting on colour negative film while I should have been shooting on colour reversal film with an ISO of 100D not 500. Not only that but I would need a blue filter for colour correcting inside shots. ARGH I have to reshoot the entire film.


I'm going to send the film off to the Soho Film Lab because I might as well, I've shot it now and I might get some interesting 'artistic' results. I will also ask if there is anything they can do in the processing which can salvage any of the footage.


I was an idiot and didn't research the equipment I was using, but the man in the shop made me feel more like a moron then was needed, I wouldn't have been surprised if he did a jig when I left, he was similar to the type of people you get in music shops who are very anxious to make you feel ignorant.


I'm a twat, but I have learnt quite a lot these past few days!