Test Shots

To get myself familiar with the type of camera I will be using and the different angles and shots I could possibly use, I decided to take some test shots. In this test shots I have not used the actor I will be using in my music video because she was unavailable at the time - however, I have used someone else just to present what these different angles and shots are and how they work. By testing out these different shots and angles I was able to practice using the camera for when it comes to me actually creating my video and this will help me become better with using the camera. Also, I will be able to find out what I know and don't know about the camera and what I may need to research about the camera if there is something I do not understand about how to use the camera. Not all of the shots I have tested are shots I will be using in my video, but I have tried a range of different shots out in the case that I may actually want to use some that I was not initially planning on using. The different shots and angles I have presented both come in the form of images and videos, but it depends on the type of shot that is being shown.

Here is the video which includes my test shots:

During my time filming and taking images I used a Canon 750D camera with a tripod, which was used to keep the camera stable at times I needed it to be. I am not very familiar with cameras because this is only my second time using this type of camera as my first time using something like this was during my AS course to take images for my music magazine, so these test shots meant I was trying out different shots, but at the same time was understanding how the camera works - because of this I was able to figure out what I was unsure about when it comes to using the camera and I would later be able to ensure that I found out about what I was unsure on by the time I start my filming for my music video. Below I have created a slideshow of images which where taken at the time of my filming to demonstrate me using the camera and also I have taken some images of the camera itself to present what the camera looked like, but also this allowed me to later look at the camera in more detail and understand what each button and control on the camera does and if I later wanted to watch some videos about how the camera works, then I can do that and then look back at these images and see how those videos relate to the camera I was using.

Here are the images I have put together:

After taking some of these shots I noticed that there was more I needed to learn about the camera and how it works - however, taking these shots did help me a lot and allowed me understand the camera more. I was accurate and confident with the majority of things I did and I knew what I was supposed to do, but the only real thing that I struggled with was how to create the depth of field effect as when I did it in my test shots I had to have the subject very close to the camera and in some shots for my music video I would like to have the subject a bit further away but for there to still be the depth of field effect. To solve this dilemma I decided to watch some YouTube videos on how to use the camera to help me understand what I was doing wrong and what I could do to improve. 

Here are some of the videos I have watched:

These are just some of the videos I watched about how a camera works and what to do to get the best outcome - these are not all of the videos I watched as I have watched quite a few because I began watching some over the summer holiday so I would at least know some things about the camera before I actually tried to use it. However, these videos have been extremely helpful and I now understand a lot more about the camera and how it works. In relation to the depth of field effect, I did know that it depended on the aperture and this is what I changed while I was doing my test shots - however, I was unsure on what the shutter speed and ISO did, but I feel as if after watching the last video I have shown, the image that is used in it allows me to understand what each of these features mean and what I need to do to get the outcome I want. After I had done the test shots, I then took some images of the cameras screen on 'AV' mode and I noticed that the aperture was set at F5.6 and the ISO was set at 400 - meaning there wasn't much noise and the camera lens was open a considerable amount, but to get a better depth of field effect I would have to open the lens more, possibly to a F1.4 and also I could set the ISO to perhaps a ISO 50. Another thing that I also learnt was that the longer the lens that is being used, then the blurrier the depth of field effect will be because you are able to create a smaller aperture. Again, watching these videos have been very useful and I will take into consideration everything I have watched and will use it what it comes to creating my music video.