Reflection on Filming Process

 At the start, I was not very sure of how the filming would go, and how we would do it. Even though we were briefly assigned to our roles, I still wasn't sure how it was going to work together.

I thought about my own job: cameraman. It was relatively straightforward. I had the most experience in photography, and I could apply my knowledge into cinematography. Before we arrived at each location, I tried to visualize some of the shots. Using the storyboard, and the script, I thought of the potential shots, and asked my teammates for any comments. Then we would arrive, and take a look at the area again, seeing if the shots previously thought of would work.
We had already done a reconnaissance around Hong Kong, looking for locations, and establishing potential shots. This made our job easier, but it was still somewhat brief. In the actual filming, it was different, as the camera positions and other elements affect.
However, we could agree on some shots quickly, and took them accordingly. At times, I would suddenly think of some different shots. I'd ask my teammates, and with their approval, I would film them. I wanted to try different shot, and sometimes be more creative. It would make the film seem more interesting.
I realized that if some footage was bad, we could always not use it. A lot of post-processing could be done, and we could choose which footages to use. Therefore, I thought that it was better to have more footage than less.

We tried to work efficiently as a team. Sometimes, shots required good communication, especially for the actor. However, this film did not require audio, as it was a music video, and we could shout and speak to the actor directly. Sometimes, the actor was around the corner, and there was no visual contact at all. This is when the team work was crucial for a successful shot.

Another major problem was the public. There was lots of people in different places, and it was hard to predict when and where they would walk. This caused lots of trouble for us, and we sometimes had to make 5 or 6 shots before it was satisfactory. This required patience, and it was worth the wait.
We tried to watch our for any passerby that would disrupt our shot, and we would wait for them to pass. Traffic was also an issue, some shots required the camera to be positioned very close or on the road. This again required team work for our own safety. One would watch out for any dangers around, and warn the cameraman if necessary.
The shops and stalls were also problems. Our filming may cause some disruption in their work, or even their customers. We tried to inform the shopkeepers about our work, and to apologize for any troubles we might cause.
However, some shots required us to move around, and informing all the shops would be hard. We went on with shooting, and after several trials, some of the shopkeepers started to complain. We tried to wrap up our work as quickly as possible.
These were inevitable problems, and problems that we had to cope with. At times, we looked for other locations that might serve the same purpose, and some alternatives to the shots. We also tried to time ourselves to when we would shoot. We avoided rush hours, and other buy times, where the crowd would make it impossible for us to film.
There was one time, where we woke up early in the morning just to get an ideal shot, and to avoid the crowd. We also went to retake some shots that didn't go well.

Another major problem was the weather. It was something we could not control at all. We were travelling to our location, when it started to rain cats and dogs. I tried to use the weather, and come up with some different shots that could make it interesting. However, after some discussion with the teammates, we had to give up shooting for the day.
We had to catch up for all the work that was missed, and it required a big amount of effort to do so.

This whole filming process has much improved my team work, and I realized how important it is for success. It was the key to all the shots. The teamwork has also drawn tighter the relationship within the group. Through the troubles we ran into, we were able to solve them, and film the required shots.
The process has also let me understand much more about cinematography, especially in the case of the camera. I could apply my knowledge of photography to it, and add some more to it too. I tried to keep in mind and to maintain a good composition for all shots. This would greatly add to the aesthetics of every shot.

Lastly, this filming process has been a very good experience, and I have learnt a lot from it. I hope to do more of this similar work, and the next time, I would be able to work much more efficiently.