St. Paul's Tower Shoot

  Before filming St. Paul's Tower from two different angles, I created a storyboard for each in order to make it easier to create the shot I wanted. I filmed using a Canon 550d DSLR and used a tripod as light conditions were poor. The day of filming was very foggy which also altered the original intended shots. However, I think that this gave a nice effect, especially in the first film. I chose to keep them simple and therefore chose to cut out the sound so I could focus purely on the picture:

1.

Because of the poor quality of the video when uploaded, here is a screen shot:

I shot this piece of footage from a set of steps behind the train station. This provided me with a nice view of sheffield skyline and presented a lovely image of the contrasting buildings in the city. It demonstrates both old and new architecture and I like the way in which the moving traffic in the foreground gives the shot depth despite the camera remaining still. As I have already stated, the lighting conditions were poor, however I have worked with the camera to the best of my ability to portray a nice image. I used a shutter speed of 00'05" and an aperture of f.7.1 when filming this shot.

2.

Because of the poor quality of the video when uploaded, here is a screen shot:

For this shot, I wanted to film the tower from an interesting angle. In one aspect, I think I have succeeded, as the movement of people in the foreground of the left third of the shot create an interesting film. However, on the other hand, I feel that the bushes and railing in front of the building distract from St. Paul's Tower itself. I think an interesting element within this footage is the hooded figure that walks to the left of the shot. This could work in a film showing his journey. The original shot was fairly dark and I think that I could have set the aperture a bit wider to allow more light, however I have altered this a little in post. I used an aperture of f.6.3. Overall, I think that too many elements of this shot distract from the intended subject, and maybe a better shot would have been from directly beneath the building, looking directly up. A downside of this would be that it could appear silhouetted if the sky is too bright behind it.

I did film a panning version of the first shot displayed, however I think it seemed too shaky when viewing it back. I need to practice these kind of shots as I think they can work well in film, especially in an element such as a long take.