Blog Post 9 - Production Records

Blog Post 9 - Production Records

Initial Reflections: 

From this task, I’ve learned a lot about the importance of planning, teamwork, and technical execution in film production. It wasn’t just about shooting nice visuals—it was about telling a story effectively and staying organized throughout the process. One of the biggest takeaways for me was how important it is to have a solid pre-production plan. Although we had a storyboard and shot list, we didn’t follow it closely during the shoot. This led to a large amount of unnecessary footage, much of which we didn’t end up using in the final edit. It made the editing process more time-consuming and less efficient. I realized that proper planning, and sticking to that plan, is crucial in saving time and ensuring the footage is purposeful.

We used several pieces of equipment during the shoot. The main camera we used was the Sony A7S III, which allowed us to capture high-quality footage, especially in low-light conditions. For audio, we used an external mic to improve sound clarity whenever our character was speaking. Good lighting setups were also used to match the different settings and moods of each scene, especially those shot indoors home scene where it needs lighting.

In terms of skills, I developed a deeper understanding of camera techniques and continuity editing. I learned how using different angles can impact how a scene feels—for example, over-the-shoulder shots make conversations feel more immersive, point-of-view shots help the audience connect with a character’s perspective, bird’s-eye views can show vulnerability or isolation, and close-ups can highlight emotion or important details. These techniques helped us shape the narrative visually and emotionally.

We’ve also kept close communication with our actors throughout, sharing the script, storyboard, and shot list with them to help them fully understand their characters and scenes. Discussions through our WeChat group—including costume and styling choices—made a big difference in how prepared everyone felt during the shoot.

When it came to continuity editing, I learned how important it is to keep consistency across shots—matching movements, lighting, costume, and props from one shot to the next so that the scene flows naturally. It was a challenge, especially when shooting across different days or trying out different angles, but it helped me realize how much attention to detail is needed behind the scenes to make a film feel smooth and believable.

A big challenge we faced was time management. We spent a lot of time on planning and research, which was helpful but left us rushed during filming. This resulted in a lack of focus while shooting, and we captured more footage than needed. Because we didn’t follow the storyboard closely, it also caused some confusion later in the editing process. To solve this, we discussed as a team how to streamline our approach in future projects—setting clearer priorities, assigning roles more specifically, and following our pre-production documents more closely.

Next Steps:

Now that we’ve gone through the first round of filming and editing, the next steps are to review all the footage carefully and identify what needs improvement. One of the problems we’ve noticed is the inconsistency between some shots—mainly due to lighting and camera positioning changes. Some scenes also lack strong visual storytelling or feel disconnected from the rest due to poor continuity.

We’re considering whether reshooting certain scenes is necessary. If we want a more polished final product, we may need to go back and re-film some moments, especially those that don’t align with our original vision or are technically flawed.