Research and Planning 18: Our Test Shoot

The test shoot was our first opportunity to set up our scene with all of our actors and costumes. As our only location for the shoot is within the school studio, it was very difficult to find a time in which school was open, the studio was free and all of our actors were available. One of our actors had a commitment, meaning they were unable to be at the test shoot, but we were able to find a replacement. Although this means that some of our footage from the test shoot will be unusable, it still allowed us to set up our lighting as if it were the real shoot.

This was the first time we had gathered all of our actors together, which meant that it was a very useful opportunity for them to familiarise themselves with their characters. We had already given each of our actors a copy of the script and an overview of the character they would be playing, their role in the sequence and a little bit of information about their background. However, this was the first time that they had rehearsed their lines in the costumes and setting of our intended scene. This gave us the chance to iron out any mistakes before the main shoot, which should give us more time to get footage in our main shoot.

Having finished our test shoot, I am very happy with the footage we were able to get. There were no issues with the framing or lighting of our shots, which means that we have a good understanding of how to set up in preparation of our main shoot.