1.1-1.8
Identify key characteristics of relevant equipment
The camera we will be using on out project is the canon 550 D. We spent a great deal of time learning the inner workings of this camera, here are some photos of the camera it's self.
This is the main camera body, I will go into further detail describing the use of certain functions and parts that can be changed.
The component is an extension to the cameras battery holder, by default the camera takes two double A battery's. However with this additional component, the battery life can be drastically increased, by carrying 4 double A's (Or the equivalent of.)
The competent fits nicely where the battery port is, sliding the device all the way in, and firmly locking it to the base will secure the device snugly.
The lock can be twisted in place, a screw which tightens its self into the tripod holder socket (There is another below the battery extension for tripod usage.) and the device is in.
This piece slips from the battery extension, it holds 2 slots for two canon battery's, and slots directly into the battery extension holder, sealed by a twist lock.
Being gentle when inserting the battery's is advised, as being to rough could break the battery extension, or worse, the battery's them self.
Once sat nicely inside the battery extension, twisting the lock will secure the battery's safely inside, and you can use the power fully.
The battery's require a charge source to keep their power levels usable, this charger is third party, specifically made to charge two battery's at once, though sticking to manufacturer standard chargers and battery's is always preferred for professional reliability.
Once your battery's are set to charge, wait the appropriate amount of time for them to collect enough energy to perform all desired functions. When suitably charged, apply the batteries to your battery's extension device.
This is the main camera body. You'll notice it looks smaller, this is because the lens has been taken from the attachment point, this is what it looks like without the optical advantages of a lens. The camera will always come with a standard lens, which can cover a wide degree of filming/photography on its own, though there are lenses out there you can buy to add additional features to your frames/shots.
As mentioned before all cameras come with standard lenses, and this is one of them, used with the canon 550 D, this is a side profile of the lens, on it, it has the ability to zoom, increase or decrease the depth of field, it holds the key to the cameras aperture. With its ability to focus in multiple ways it's a very diverse piece, and one of the most well known pieces of a camera.
This is the lens from the front, it looks like a fairly common piece. There are many other types of lenses, including micro lens and macro lenses, as well as wide angle lenses and even telephoto lenses. Lenses are layers of glass that absorb light reflecting from surfaces to capture the image using digital pixels or imprinting the light on film. Some lenses can change shutter speed to dramatically change the way the pictures are taken, some can even automatically focus or stabilise the image.
The lens and the camera have markings that must be aligned, before the lens can be twisted and locked in. Usually lenses with white markings tend to be cheaper, more bog standard lenses, where as more expensive lenses will have red markings to indicative the alignments
These are some of the main controls and features the camera has. For instance, it can scroll throw pictures you have taken, giving the options to save or delete photos as and when you wish. It can also change through a variety of settings using the cameras optical computer, allowing it to adjust to darker environments, more light exposure, shifts in focus, and many more settings.
Once you are finished, placing the camera and equipment gently into the container/bag to be transported or stored. Making sure the container/bag you have chosen is suitable, and capable of protecting the equipment is absolutely vital to it's safety, and keeps expensive delicate equipment sturdy and safe.
Use Techniques for Testing and handling relevant equipment and materials
Transporting the equipment correctly, making sure it's held in proper protective containment is a start. The day before the planned shooting takes place, its always a good idea to gather every piece you need, and make sure that it all works in order as it should. Preparing battery's, checking the lenses, and cleaning as and where necessary. From there its always best to take a few shots, and alter a few settings to make sure the camera is prepared and adjusted as it needs to be.
The Camera will obviously need putting together.
The Camera and the lens each had a focal point, commonly a small white dot, which indicates where both components need to be aligned. White marks are usually considered to be cheaper lenses or materials, there is also a red marker which can be used to align more expensive powerful lenses
A good careful twist will secure both locks in place, and attach the lens completely
Making sure battery's have adequate charge is a necessity
Once the camera is completely set up, you are ready to shoot and film as you like, any additional equipment (tripods, rail systems, filters.) Should all be tested and stored away correctly as well.
Identify the consequences of incorrect handling of relevant equipment and materials
Handling your kit properly is essential to any production, faulty wires, broken parts, and missing pieces can set back production not only time wise, but with a healthy cost fee as well. For example, if the equipment broken was hired out rather than private, you risk paying extra charges as well as the added hire fee, making any broken piece a costly expense. Furthering this issue, if the equipment is owned by a member of the project its self, you do risk alienating that member by handling their equipment improperly.
You must also consider that particularly warm or damp areas can also cause issues, so you must be very careful not only how you handle it, but where you handle it as well.
Describe how to store relevant equipment and materials safely and securely.
Housing your equipment properly is a big part of taking care of it. Without a proper thick padded bag, any slight knock or bump can crack a lens, or break any number of features. To stall these issues, larger bags, with thicker lining and sometimes foam on the inside, will absorb any impacts. Additionally, making sure you're not leaving the bag it's self in a position where it can be thrown around or dropped is extra safety, and piece of mind.
Transporting equipment is also something that needs considering, where you store your gear in the vehicle really matters to its security, even a thick padded case can still cause things to break when its sliding all over in the back of a car. Making sure its neatly secured in the boot, or nearer to you will fix these issues.
A lot of the equipment can be rather large, and setting it up incorrectly can be a large problem. A large extended tripod can be quite heavy, and if unbalanced, it could tip and injure somebody working on the set.
Describe procedures and products for cleaning and maintaining relevant equipment and materials
Camera cleaning fluid is a common substance used to clean the sensors of a camera, there are many different types and makes, though all are usually dabbed on some form of absorbent cloth, and wiped gently across the sensor. There are other options, some people will use blowers, which when squeezed send air across the body, knocking off dirt. There are also small brushes that allow getting into the deeper and harder to reach places. Cleaning the lens is commonly done with a glass cloth, though typically, kitchen paper can be very good, being very grease absorbent.
Typically, cleaning tripods, rail systems, light reflectors, and other common equipment can be done rather easily. Usually it takes as little as either some cleaning fluid and a good wipe down with a cloth, or a sponge, using brushes to get into any finer areas that might be for screws, or small holes for attachments, a lot of photographers/camera men use cue tips to achieve this.
Describe how to charge batteries safely
Batteries can come in many shapes and sizes, though more common than not, you will end up with the default batteries for the camera. These are preferred in most cases, though there are a number of battery extensions and spares available in the market. To charge correctly place your batteries into the default charger (Or any extensions.) And leave it for a good 4-6 hours, it is best not to over charge, as you can damage the battery and weaken the charge over time. With any third party batteries it's always best to accurately measure the capacity (There are many tools available to do this I.E CamCaddy Universal Battery measurement device) And compare to the charge given by your charger. This will allow you to see how long they will take to reach full power.
Describe how to order relevant equipment, identifying sources
Our equipment (Given to us by our peer) Is kept away in a case containing the lens and the battery charger. It is kept in a small cupboard in the music library, and only my self, two other apprentices, and our manager is aware of where it is. Since TVMS don't have their own equipment, our peer often allows us to use certain pieces and bits for the shooting of our projects, usually we will compile a shot list, then we go over what will be needed to make this possible, and ask for what we need. It is all stored in the same place, to counter act any missing equipment.
Follow manufacturers instruction for relevant equipment
This is the standard instructions model for the C550D, it covers things from aperture control, to zooming and separate functions for different environments.
2.1-2.2
Liaise with appropriate parties to confirm specific requirements for a shoot
In order to film our project, we had to verify with a number of people that we could film on the site in places that were under there management. This meant we needed location release forms to be signed. We also had a number of other participants being on screen, so we needed to also have their willing consent, and so we created forms to make sure everyone is ok with the project.
Liaise with appropriate parties to check equipment requirements for a shoot are met
It is important for people to keep in touch, and inform others of technical requirements. Since our equipment is loaned by our mentor, any requests for specific pieces of kit are sent to John, and we explain how we intend to use said pieces of equipment. The equipment we intend to use for our project is :-
-A Camera
-Camera head
-Tripod
-Rail System
-Light Deflector
-A Microphone
3.1-3.9
Interpret requirements of a call sheet prior to a shoot
Call sheets are very important documents. These hold all relative information needed for the talent of the production. It shows the time and date of the filming, what scenes will be filmed on that date, and what order. It covers emergency situations, letting others know where the nearest hospital is to the set in the case of any unforeseen accidents. It also houses what time every working member will have their break, as well as any contact information for any members of staff that are on the premises. Most professional productions use these sheets as references around the set, though since the crew and talent of our production consists mostly of just us apprentices, we decided one wasn't really needed.
(Call Sheet Example)
Test all relevant equipment prior to a shoot
One of the most important part of testing is the batteries, making sure you have enough charge to run for a good duration of time, bearing in mind most of these tests are better done the night before the shoot, as to save time on the actual day.
Audio is also a strong key, if any is to be recorded, than it is always recommended to set up the microphone, test the input and output, and check the levels.
Checking all lenses are clean, as well as functioning correctly is probably one of the least time consuming checks, making it easy to swap in and out these pieces of kit. The camera its self can also be tested easily, checking through all the settings as well as taking photographs using different methods to test its compatibility with the shots and frames you have planned.
The best way to test other pieces is to fix the kit together and, do tripod angle tests up and down, to get a good feeling of whether it can or can't support the weight or not. This is crucial, as if this is over looked, the pod could easily be blown or knocked over, and no one wants that to happen.
Assess the shooting environment at a shooting location
Being aware of any regulations and limitations to your filming on the set is always vital, for our project we went as far to make location release documents, that those in charge of our shooting areas have signed and agreed to our being there.
This is the general location form we have composed, this way we can make our intentions clear without being rude to others working situations
Organise the working layout of a camera truck
Since we don't have a camera truck (And will never have a camera truck.) We are using a car that belongs to another apprentice to escort our gear
Prepare and manage equipment bags
One of the more over looked pieces of equipment is the actual bag its self, how you transport the goods is extremely important, as any number of issues could arise from old, worn in packs, where the straps could snap, compartments may fall through and stuff could be knocked around on the inside if it's not secure enough.
Ideally the bag would be large enough to carry numerous pieces, as well as have the extra compartments for any extras you could fit in.
Every Piece should be checked a few times to make sure it is safe and secure, any lens caps and sensor caps should be fitted on to ensure they stay clean and in good condition
Establish an appropriate on set location for relevant equipment.
We have been filming across a variety of locations through the first half of the year on a number of different media projects. We have produced a series of storyboards and shot lists to help remind us of the blocking and angles relating to the script and scenes. Here are a few examples of a location we are currently spotting for another small location to film on.
This location is an abandoned farm house, and has seen a lot of wear and tear over the years, all the grass is littered with glass, and there are some deep holes to be concerned about when carrying equipment.The location is not far from our offices, so getting there is less of a task, though everyone lives else where, making organisation and time spent on site filming is critical.
Unload all relevant equipment on a set
This is one of the many locations we have set up to do our filming with our small projects, we transported the equipment safely from the car all the way to the set, and then we assembled the vital components (lens, battery, ect).
Identify key characteristics of relevant equipment
The camera we will be using on out project is the canon 550 D. We spent a great deal of time learning the inner workings of this camera, here are some photos of the camera it's self.
This is the main camera body, I will go into further detail describing the use of certain functions and parts that can be changed.
The component is an extension to the cameras battery holder, by default the camera takes two double A battery's. However with this additional component, the battery life can be drastically increased, by carrying 4 double A's (Or the equivalent of.)
The competent fits nicely where the battery port is, sliding the device all the way in, and firmly locking it to the base will secure the device snugly.
The lock can be twisted in place, a screw which tightens its self into the tripod holder socket (There is another below the battery extension for tripod usage.) and the device is in.
This piece slips from the battery extension, it holds 2 slots for two canon battery's, and slots directly into the battery extension holder, sealed by a twist lock.
Being gentle when inserting the battery's is advised, as being to rough could break the battery extension, or worse, the battery's them self.
Once sat nicely inside the battery extension, twisting the lock will secure the battery's safely inside, and you can use the power fully.
The battery's require a charge source to keep their power levels usable, this charger is third party, specifically made to charge two battery's at once, though sticking to manufacturer standard chargers and battery's is always preferred for professional reliability.
Once your battery's are set to charge, wait the appropriate amount of time for them to collect enough energy to perform all desired functions. When suitably charged, apply the batteries to your battery's extension device.
This is the main camera body. You'll notice it looks smaller, this is because the lens has been taken from the attachment point, this is what it looks like without the optical advantages of a lens. The camera will always come with a standard lens, which can cover a wide degree of filming/photography on its own, though there are lenses out there you can buy to add additional features to your frames/shots.
As mentioned before all cameras come with standard lenses, and this is one of them, used with the canon 550 D, this is a side profile of the lens, on it, it has the ability to zoom, increase or decrease the depth of field, it holds the key to the cameras aperture. With its ability to focus in multiple ways it's a very diverse piece, and one of the most well known pieces of a camera.
This is the lens from the front, it looks like a fairly common piece. There are many other types of lenses, including micro lens and macro lenses, as well as wide angle lenses and even telephoto lenses. Lenses are layers of glass that absorb light reflecting from surfaces to capture the image using digital pixels or imprinting the light on film. Some lenses can change shutter speed to dramatically change the way the pictures are taken, some can even automatically focus or stabilise the image.
The lens and the camera have markings that must be aligned, before the lens can be twisted and locked in. Usually lenses with white markings tend to be cheaper, more bog standard lenses, where as more expensive lenses will have red markings to indicative the alignments
These are some of the main controls and features the camera has. For instance, it can scroll throw pictures you have taken, giving the options to save or delete photos as and when you wish. It can also change through a variety of settings using the cameras optical computer, allowing it to adjust to darker environments, more light exposure, shifts in focus, and many more settings.
After all this set up and configuration/equipment inspection is complete, you are ready to take your first frames and shots, experimenting with your ideas and angles/types as you go to find the frames and shots that specifically fit your mold.
Use Techniques for Testing and handling relevant equipment and materials
Transporting the equipment correctly, making sure it's held in proper protective containment is a start. The day before the planned shooting takes place, its always a good idea to gather every piece you need, and make sure that it all works in order as it should. Preparing battery's, checking the lenses, and cleaning as and where necessary. From there its always best to take a few shots, and alter a few settings to make sure the camera is prepared and adjusted as it needs to be.
The Camera will obviously need putting together.A good careful twist will secure both locks in place, and attach the lens completely
Making sure battery's have adequate charge is a necessity
Once the camera is completely set up, you are ready to shoot and film as you like, any additional equipment (tripods, rail systems, filters.) Should all be tested and stored away correctly as well.
Identify the consequences of incorrect handling of relevant equipment and materials
Handling your kit properly is essential to any production, faulty wires, broken parts, and missing pieces can set back production not only time wise, but with a healthy cost fee as well. For example, if the equipment broken was hired out rather than private, you risk paying extra charges as well as the added hire fee, making any broken piece a costly expense. Furthering this issue, if the equipment is owned by a member of the project its self, you do risk alienating that member by handling their equipment improperly.
You must also consider that particularly warm or damp areas can also cause issues, so you must be very careful not only how you handle it, but where you handle it as well.
Describe how to store relevant equipment and materials safely and securely.
Housing your equipment properly is a big part of taking care of it. Without a proper thick padded bag, any slight knock or bump can crack a lens, or break any number of features. To stall these issues, larger bags, with thicker lining and sometimes foam on the inside, will absorb any impacts. Additionally, making sure you're not leaving the bag it's self in a position where it can be thrown around or dropped is extra safety, and piece of mind.Transporting equipment is also something that needs considering, where you store your gear in the vehicle really matters to its security, even a thick padded case can still cause things to break when its sliding all over in the back of a car. Making sure its neatly secured in the boot, or nearer to you will fix these issues.
A lot of the equipment can be rather large, and setting it up incorrectly can be a large problem. A large extended tripod can be quite heavy, and if unbalanced, it could tip and injure somebody working on the set.
Describe procedures and products for cleaning and maintaining relevant equipment and materials
Camera cleaning fluid is a common substance used to clean the sensors of a camera, there are many different types and makes, though all are usually dabbed on some form of absorbent cloth, and wiped gently across the sensor. There are other options, some people will use blowers, which when squeezed send air across the body, knocking off dirt. There are also small brushes that allow getting into the deeper and harder to reach places. Cleaning the lens is commonly done with a glass cloth, though typically, kitchen paper can be very good, being very grease absorbent.
Typically, cleaning tripods, rail systems, light reflectors, and other common equipment can be done rather easily. Usually it takes as little as either some cleaning fluid and a good wipe down with a cloth, or a sponge, using brushes to get into any finer areas that might be for screws, or small holes for attachments, a lot of photographers/camera men use cue tips to achieve this.
Describe how to charge batteries safely
Batteries can come in many shapes and sizes, though more common than not, you will end up with the default batteries for the camera. These are preferred in most cases, though there are a number of battery extensions and spares available in the market. To charge correctly place your batteries into the default charger (Or any extensions.) And leave it for a good 4-6 hours, it is best not to over charge, as you can damage the battery and weaken the charge over time. With any third party batteries it's always best to accurately measure the capacity (There are many tools available to do this I.E CamCaddy Universal Battery measurement device) And compare to the charge given by your charger. This will allow you to see how long they will take to reach full power.
Describe how to order relevant equipment, identifying sources
Our equipment (Given to us by our peer) Is kept away in a case containing the lens and the battery charger. It is kept in a small cupboard in the music library, and only my self, two other apprentices, and our manager is aware of where it is. Since TVMS don't have their own equipment, our peer often allows us to use certain pieces and bits for the shooting of our projects, usually we will compile a shot list, then we go over what will be needed to make this possible, and ask for what we need. It is all stored in the same place, to counter act any missing equipment.
Follow manufacturers instruction for relevant equipment
This is the standard instructions model for the C550D, it covers things from aperture control, to zooming and separate functions for different environments.
2.1-2.2
Liaise with appropriate parties to confirm specific requirements for a shoot
In order to film our project, we had to verify with a number of people that we could film on the site in places that were under there management. This meant we needed location release forms to be signed. We also had a number of other participants being on screen, so we needed to also have their willing consent, and so we created forms to make sure everyone is ok with the project.
Liaise with appropriate parties to check equipment requirements for a shoot are met
It is important for people to keep in touch, and inform others of technical requirements. Since our equipment is loaned by our mentor, any requests for specific pieces of kit are sent to John, and we explain how we intend to use said pieces of equipment. The equipment we intend to use for our project is :-
-A Camera
-Camera head
-Tripod
-Rail System
-Light Deflector
-A Microphone
3.1-3.9
Interpret requirements of a call sheet prior to a shoot
Call sheets are very important documents. These hold all relative information needed for the talent of the production. It shows the time and date of the filming, what scenes will be filmed on that date, and what order. It covers emergency situations, letting others know where the nearest hospital is to the set in the case of any unforeseen accidents. It also houses what time every working member will have their break, as well as any contact information for any members of staff that are on the premises. Most professional productions use these sheets as references around the set, though since the crew and talent of our production consists mostly of just us apprentices, we decided one wasn't really needed.
(Call Sheet Example)
Test all relevant equipment prior to a shoot
One of the most important part of testing is the batteries, making sure you have enough charge to run for a good duration of time, bearing in mind most of these tests are better done the night before the shoot, as to save time on the actual day.
Audio is also a strong key, if any is to be recorded, than it is always recommended to set up the microphone, test the input and output, and check the levels.
Checking all lenses are clean, as well as functioning correctly is probably one of the least time consuming checks, making it easy to swap in and out these pieces of kit. The camera its self can also be tested easily, checking through all the settings as well as taking photographs using different methods to test its compatibility with the shots and frames you have planned.
The best way to test other pieces is to fix the kit together and, do tripod angle tests up and down, to get a good feeling of whether it can or can't support the weight or not. This is crucial, as if this is over looked, the pod could easily be blown or knocked over, and no one wants that to happen.
Assess the shooting environment at a shooting location
Being aware of any regulations and limitations to your filming on the set is always vital, for our project we went as far to make location release documents, that those in charge of our shooting areas have signed and agreed to our being there.
This is the general location form we have composed, this way we can make our intentions clear without being rude to others working situations
Organise the working layout of a camera truck
Since we don't have a camera truck (And will never have a camera truck.) We are using a car that belongs to another apprentice to escort our gearPrepare and manage equipment bags
One of the more over looked pieces of equipment is the actual bag its self, how you transport the goods is extremely important, as any number of issues could arise from old, worn in packs, where the straps could snap, compartments may fall through and stuff could be knocked around on the inside if it's not secure enough.
Ideally the bag would be large enough to carry numerous pieces, as well as have the extra compartments for any extras you could fit in.Every Piece should be checked a few times to make sure it is safe and secure, any lens caps and sensor caps should be fitted on to ensure they stay clean and in good condition
Establish an appropriate on set location for relevant equipment.
We have been filming across a variety of locations through the first half of the year on a number of different media projects. We have produced a series of storyboards and shot lists to help remind us of the blocking and angles relating to the script and scenes. Here are a few examples of a location we are currently spotting for another small location to film on.
This location is an abandoned farm house, and has seen a lot of wear and tear over the years, all the grass is littered with glass, and there are some deep holes to be concerned about when carrying equipment.The location is not far from our offices, so getting there is less of a task, though everyone lives else where, making organisation and time spent on site filming is critical.
Transport all relevant equipment to a set.
We will use Lewis's car to transport any and all equipment that we will likely be using, to make it easier all of our equipment is already within its own protective bag, and the set we are travelling to is hardly far away, making it less time to drive there.
We carefully placed the equipment into the back of the car, surrounded by enough light materials that would support it and stop it from moving around.
We carefully placed the equipment into the back of the car, surrounded by enough light materials that would support it and stop it from moving around.
Unload all relevant equipment on a set
This is one of the many locations we have set up to do our filming with our small projects, we transported the equipment safely from the car all the way to the set, and then we assembled the vital components (lens, battery, ect).
Select and acclimatize relevant glassware.
When filming on the abandoned farm house, we had issues with the weather, immediately as we arrived it started to rain, which worked well for our scenario, so we decided to film in the rain. We let the lens adjust to the drops of rain, and filmed in an area that was best for the camera without getting to wet. As it eventually died down we had a small issue with the lens fogging slightly, so we took the time to let it balance before we continued.
These pictures show the camera exposed to temperatures and climates that rapidly changed. On the left is one of the camera lens slightly cold, as you can see the condensation across the glass. On the right, you can see the opposite, warming up after being slightly moist
4.1-4.2
Identify key health and safety issues and procedures.
When filming on the farm lands, we encountered a few health and safety concerns, which we carefully documented and created a risk assessment for. Some of the risks included deep holes, pieces of sharp debris, and loose abandoned building areas.
Identify any special requirements to ensure the safety and security of relevant equipment when unattended
Equipment on this set would be better off with some form of water proof layer to protect from weather. The building is old and some bricks are loose, to avoid having anything fall and hurt/damage anyone or any equipment, we've avoided getting to close to the buildings. The greenery is rather prominent, and can cause many tripping hazards.
PARTY TIME.
This unit looks great. Very comprehensive. All I would suggest here is annotating the pictures and linking them to the criteria. But no question here Unit 17 DONE. Well done.
ReplyDeletePlease respond to this comment.
Do you mean being more specific about what picture answers what question? thank
ReplyDelete