First of all we needed to gather the right equipment for our needs before we started filming.
We wanted to use a HD camera to give our film a processional look. We used the Kodak ZX1. The camera worked well although there were a couple of issues. The camera gave a brilliant picture in well lit conditions although was poor in mild darkness. Also there was no manual focus on the camera but the auto focus seemed to work fairly well. We used a tripod for most of the time to create steady shots. We also used a dolly for our tracking shots which worked well after some practice and a steady hand.
We then began to film a couple of our shots. We planned to do all of the shots that didn't require any extras just within the group as we had only three hours time with them and wanted to make the most of that time.
Our first shot we filmed was of me being sick in the toilet. We needed to create an authentic looking vomit for me to use and we landed on some soup. This way the mixture was not unpleasant for me to have in my mouth while filming. The mixture worked well and looked surprisingly real.
We prepared to film and got the shot ready. While doing so we realised the camera needed as much light as possible to give it a good quality picture. We used a desk lamp to produce a bright light, this created a new crew position which was essential for our filming. Alex helped with the lighting which was carefully placed and directed by Ben to avoid inauthenticity.
Next we filmed a tracking shot of the door getting closer. This took a few takes to perfect as the dolly was hard to maneuver at first, the camera would shake at times, But we finally got a smooth shot and it looked professionally done.
Next we need to plan the time of filming for our party shots with the extras.