Documentary Unit - Location Filming Workshop

Today we went to Chatham Dockyard to learn what its like filming on location. We first was giving a small tour of the site explaining the different areas and what they were used for. After this we got into our groups and was given a specific place where we would be working. Our group was given a boat called HMS Gannet and we would be filming General View's (GV's) as if we were shooting it for a documentary.

The first thing we did was took a walk around the boat to get our bearings. We wanted to see what the boat had to offer in terms of potential shots and content. As we were walking above and below deck we assessed the potential hazards and risks that came with filming on the boat and filled out a risk assessment form. It included low beams, uneven flooring, narrow steep stairs, low lighting below deck and fire exit points to name a few. This is important on all location filming as allows cast and crew to be safety conscious and become aware of the problems that could occur. Once this was filled out we gave our assessments back to Helen which she approved and acquired the filming equipment we needed to begin shooting.

We wanted a lot of coverage making the process of editing a lot more easier. Although we only had an hour and a half we managed to get a range of shots including exterior wide shots of the boat and on board above and below deck shooting close ups and mid shots. Most shots were done on a tripod to give a smooth ascetic and create stability. We also did some focus pulls on portholes, lanterns and the rigging ropes moving in the wind to give a sense of the boat and it's feeling.

Overall we worked together as a team and I believe we got some great footage of what we were looking to achieve. I learnt how to get varied content (for example 3 close ups to 1 wide) in order to make the editing process a joy rather than a chore.

Below is a final edit I made of the footage (view in 1080p):