Production diary 4 - go to lesson and during the class and the image for poster

Today we filmed our character going to lesson and study during the class. Also, we took the picture for our poster.

This is when Cynthia is going to a lesson that we just following her and film it. 

These are some pictures that Cynthia is having the lesson.

Those are the pictures that we took for poster, but also for website as we are trying to create a 'brand' for our production. The reason that we choose to film in this location where the statue is because it is a sign of our school. And we let our character wear uniform to give the code of narrative that it is about school life.

Production diary 3 - Prep time

On Tuesday, we filmed Cynthia when she was working on her prep in the prep time as we need to get some daily life footages of students study in a foreign country school.
Here are the shots that we chose for filming.

This is a mid-shot but could be seen as an establishing shot that it shows the mise-en-scene: the background is Cynthia's room to show that we study in our room, and it also shows the character which the audience would be clear that who is working on the prep.

This is a close-up, which focus more on the prep. But actually, as the light is too bright, it doesn't really show what the prep is. However, I still think when we show the prep time in the film, get some close-up like this could also be great as it makes the scene not be so dull.

This acturally is just a testing photo that is not really for the filming, but it is a good photo to show our prep and what we are learning, so we might use it in our documentary as well.

Production Diary 2 - Chinese new year activity

Today is the day before Chinese New Year, which is also important to us. As during this day, people will gather together and have a big dinner and people will watch the show on Television until mid-night that people are waiting for New Year's coming (usually people will not sleep on this day or they will keep waking until 12 o'clock is coming, which is the start of the New Year).

Today, although Chinese students like me cannot go home and celebrate the Chinese New Year with family, we have a small celebration with friends and teachers in the afternoon that we made dumplings and did some calligraphy work.

During the event, Melissa and I have also filmed some videos and took some photos. Also, we have filmed some interviews in two different angles.

Here are some photos that I took during the event. We used to decide to use two cameras (Melissa's own camera and the school one's), but because Melissa only got one SD card that we could only use one camera, I used phone instead.

Also, as some of them are videos, and I just get some screenshot of the video, you might see some irrelevant stuff.

This is the shot when Chinese students were discussing what should they make by using the rest of the dough (as we ran out of the fillings, but still have so much dough left, they start thinking about what should they make), during the scene, one of the Chinese student brought his phone and played some very Chinese New Year style song, which just fit the genre. They used to think about making noodles, but as none of us know how to made noodle strips, at the end we did not make the noodles.

This is the shot when students were making dumplings, one of the guy(in the middle of the scene) was kneading dough which is used for making dumplilngs.

Not only Chinese students came for this activity, but also some local students and other country's students came as well. They came for eating the dumplings. But one quite interesting thing but I fogot to film is that some of the students they don't know how to use the chopsticks and use them strangly and quite funny. 

This is the teacher who held this event, and she was the one who cooked the dumplings for us, and here is the shot that she was cooking the dumplings.

This is a close-up (a little bit not clear is because it is a video and when I got the screenshot it is not quite well) that students picked up the dumplings. In fact, here are some naughty boys who are copying how other country's students who do not know how to use the chopsticks do when they try to picked up the dumplings.

And here are those naughty boys

Here is the interview shot that this is the angle that I chose to interview. But problem is, as I was using phones for interview, and the music in that room is too loud, the person who was talking in my video might not be so clear. Luckly, I heard from Melissa that she said in her video (that she filmed by camera with microphone), the sound is fine that it is better than what she heard during the event. 

This is another student and another interview, in this interview, at the start, this student was looking towards to me, but after a while, as Melissa started asking question, she turned to her sight. And one quite annoying thing is that, when I was filmming, Cynthia was distracting me! So in this interview, mine might not be so well.

This is the shot that my Chinese teacher asked me to took for her.

A close-up to dumplings

When I just randomly filmed, these students looked here and I just took it

This is the photo that I caught up when he is eating the dumplings (well, I think I might get trouble......as it is quite funny)

this is when students were practising their calligraphy on the sheets which by using water and the writing brush(as the words students written would disappear after a while and others could rewrite again)

Someone drew a pig as this year the animal is pig (quite cute!)

Another shot of people practising. One sad thing is that as there were so many students writing on the sheets, it is hard for me to get a good point of view shot of how they write a complete word (but I saw Melissa have filmed herself of writing the word, so it may not be a problem)

In conclusion, even though I couldn't celebrate Chinese new year largely like I have done in China, I still had a great fun in that afternoon and also I have got some good photos and videos as well!

Production diary 1 - the Chinese new year trip in Birmingham

Today I went on the trip to Birmingham which is held by school. The trip is to celebrate Chinese New Year as on the 5th Feburary is Chinese Luna New Year, which is a big festival to Chinese people.

On the day, I went with one of our actor, Cynthia, to film what she did in this trip. Here are some photos.

This is one of the establishing shot, or it could say the location shot that I could add the subtitle and to show the audience where we are. 

Another location shot in Birmingham

This is Cynthia that I filmed her at the first time. Since I use phone to film, it seems to be quite small

This is another angle shot of Cynthia that I filmed her by standing next to her. But same, during that day, when I filmed, I put the phone veritical which made the it looks quite small

This is the resturant where we had the lunch which is a Korean resturant

After the lunch, Cynthia and I and her friend decided to go to a museum, we used to decide to go to the jewery museum, but when we walked to that museum, we saw this museum and Cynthia and her friend changed their mind. This is a establishing shot that I want to show where we were

And here is a long shot that I showed where we are and also I keep focusing on my character

Similar to the top one, but here I made the camera slightly tilt up to show the whole look of the Victoria Square Museum

Here acturally is a tilt up shot that I tilt up to show the point of view of Cynthia and her friend (as they look up)

And this is the shot of them that they are looking up and discuss about the design of the building

This is a shot in museum

This is thhe ceiling of the museum, the reason that I took this shot is because I think it could be a good transition

I only filmed half day of the trip, this is because after we went to the museum, Cynthia had lots of things that she want to buy and we have separated for a long time. During that time, I was carrying stuff and I couldn't film anything. During the dinner, which I chose hot pot, since we were all eating that I fogot to film it.

I used to work more on editing than filming when I was doing my coursework as I think my filming skills are not well which Melissa, my teammate is much better than me. So this could be the first time that I film for my product, and I think sometimes I was struggled to film that I do not know what should I film. Also, since I only told Cynthia that I would film her but she could just do what she want and I just film, sometimes when I put down the phone, some good image or things that I could take and I have lost the opportunity to film. For example, when we first met Cynthia's friend, they huged each other and I just put down my phone! When I wanted to film it, they already finished the hug and I have lost it. It is quite disappointed to me that many good things and images that I could take but I just lost the opportunities.

But overall, as our product's main focus is school life, and this trip we may just put some of the footages in, I think I still got enough footages of the trip. And honestly, it is quite a good experience to me as I have never filmed anything for the product before.