For this assignment you’ll shoot B-roll of 1) a place and 2) a person doing something, and you will create 3) a short edited sequence out of your footage.
You might like to use this as an opportunity to do some initial shooting for your mini-documentary. But that is not a requirement; you can choose to shoot any location and subject that interests you.
The goal is simple: practice shot set up, composition, and basic editing. Think about coverage and shooting to edit along the way.
Before shooting, review Nancy Kalow’s discussion of coverage on p. 11. Think especially about using a variety of shots: wide shots, medium shots, close-ups, details, and point-of-view shots.
When you are done, you will submit three .mp4 files:
- 1) Footage Stringout: Location – 6 to 10 shots, about 60-100 seconds
- 2) Footage Stringout: Subject Doing Something – 6 to 10 shots, 60-100 seconds
- 3) Sequence: Short Edited Sequence – 6 to 10 shots? 30-60 seconds?
Before You Shoot
Choose your subject and location before you begin. Give some thought to the shots you need rather than shooting randomly.
My assumption is that most students will shoot on their smartphone. If you’d like to work with one of the College cameras, you can check out a camera from the Digital Studio at the library – or come see me to check out one of the History cameras. Note that some cameras require training before you can check them out.
You may want help, someone who can help you with the shoot. They are your crew. I’d love to see you helping each other out, crewing for each other, and I’ll give you extra credit for doing so.
Shoot 1) Location
Your goal: shoot a series of shots that can help introduce your viewer to a place.
The product: 6-10 shots – approximately 60-100 seconds total.
Think about how a filmmaker can reveal a location gradually. You might begin with a wide establishing shot and then move closer to particular details.
For example:
- Wide establishing shot
- Medium shot
- Close-up of important details
- Another close-up
- Different angle on the space
- Shot involving movement or activity
Choose your shots carefully. Hold each shot for at least 10 seconds (or until action is complete). Don’t talk while you are shooting so that you can capture ambient sound. Limit camera movement. Shoot with purpose. Shoot to edit. Cover the scene.
Shoot 2) Subject Doing Something
Your goal: shoot a series of shots of a person performing an activity. It could be almost anything: cooking, walking, sorting mail, drawing, playing music, working, exercising, making coffee, etc.
The product: 6–10 shots – approximately 60–100 seconds total.
A useful set of shots might include:
- Wide shot
- Medium shot
- POV shot
- Close-up of hands
- Close-up of face
- Detail shots
Choose your shots carefully. Hold each shot for at least 10 seconds (or until action is complete). Don’t talk while you are shooting so that you can capture ambient sound. Limit camera movement. Shoot with purpose. Shoot to edit. Cover the scene.
Import Your Footage and Edit
When you’re done shooting, import your footage to DaVinci Resolve (DVR). You should:
- Start a new project in DVR
- Important shots to bins on DVR
- Create a timeline with all of the shots from the Location Shoot
- Create a timeline with all of the shots from the Subject Shoot
No real editing is involved so far. You are simply dropping all of your shots into a timeline. This is called a “string-out” of your footage.
3) Edit a Sequence
Now, let’s make a simple edited sequence.
Create a new timeline and drop in selections from your shots to make a sequence. Select the best moments from your footage. Trim clips. Change their order. Put your shots together in a way that creates some kind of visual logic, rhythm, idea, or story – in a way that makes sense to you. Look, Mom, I’m editing! I’m making my own movie. Yes, indeed, you are.
You might use 6-10 shots chosen from your footage and edit a sequence of at least 30 seconds but no more than 60 seconds
Export and Submit Your Work
Export each of these three timelines as .mp4 files and give them appropriate names. These should include name and description, for example:
- Shaya-1Lowry.mp4
- Shaya-2Dining.mp4
- Shaya-Sequence.mp4
To submit your work, create a folder on your OneDrive for your movie exports and share this folder with gshaya@wooster.edu. Upload your movie files to your shared folder. (If you are not acquainted with OneDrive see the info from COW Technology). Copy the link to your shared folder and submit (the link, not the entire files) to the Moodle assignment.
Grading
The assignment is graded out of ten points, like most of our assignments. My rubric: 6 points: you’ve submitted the assignment, but it is missing important pieces; 7 points: you’ve submitted a more or less complete assignment on time; 8+ points: good camera and coverage – a good sequence – good work that fulfills the assignment; 9+ points: strong camera and coverage and a compelling sequence; 10 points: excellent shooting and editing.