Author: daniel.carter

Amber Warren – Video Interview

For my video interview I was tasked with a minute long interview, put into groups of three or four we had to book a person of interest or a specialist in a field, for our artefact we chose the solo artist Amber Warren.

Booking an interview room out in the university with pre-planned questions we set up our room with a three point lighting rig, as outlined in (Nick Bamford: Directing Television). Equipment used included a Canon 70D with zoom lens, to give a narrow but appropriate filming composition, a TASCAM DR100 and DR60 setup for superior and omni-directional sound recording, to reduce noise and undesirable interruptions to recording. Opting to sacrifice the backlight for a coloured wall light made the production seem more light hearted and added colour to the scene, using a pink filter on our dedo lighting rig helped us to achieve this. Natural light began to interfere half way through our original take so we decided to use a collapsible multi-disc to block the window and therefore darken the room to allow artificial light to brighten up the scene.

Working with a team of four allowed us to set up the equipment very quickly and our interviewee arrived at the shoot without having to wait for setup as it was all ready and waiting early, this is crucial to the flow of the interview as it ensures that none of the subject’s time is wasted. Having a performer helped with the post-production as her performance was used to give the interview a soundtrack to help fill in long pauses or any points in the interview where low level external background noise may become a problem.

My graphics were made on Adobe after effects, post production and further boost the quality of my product, following the conventions of an interview and ensuring context is given in a short space of time, saving valuable editing seconds for the artefact. Having a subject who heavily fidgeted came as a problem when editing, as a static chair was used as a precautionary measure but didn’t stop the person from moving around, making the edit much more challenging.

Health and safety for this project was at a minimal risk as it was carried out inside and in a controlled environment, although possible risks that were highlighted included the temperature of the lighting rig and the cable trails/cramping and freedom of space. This was tackled pre-production as a risk assessment was carried out and suitable changes were made to the environment. Opting for only two crew members to be inside to free up more space and also helped the interviewee feel more comfortable,  personal protection equipment in the form of gloves were used when handling the hot dedo rigs as outlined in our risk assessment.

Trump Rallies – Video Vox Pop

Video Vox Pop: “Trump Rallies” from Daniel Carter on Vimeo.

For this production I had chosen the topic of American politics, more specifically the recent trump election and the rallies that followed in England. For this I took to the streets of York to ask members of the public what they thought of the recent York rally.

Using a Canon 70D DSLR with a zoom lens for my cutaway shots and also for the flexibility of framing, I also had my subjects stand to a side and talk across the camera, switching sides for each new interviewee to keep the shot style varied and therefore more interesting to watch (BBC Academy Online). For audio capture I had used a TASCAM DR100 with a DR60D mixer recorder to better control the Decibel (dB) level and to keep the level at around -15dB which is optimal for speech, a few problems occurred when trying to abide by this rule as heavy background noise, from buskers to the general public, interfered because the area was quite busy and as a result quite noisy. This was a result of our original location (shambles market) not being busy enough to get the amount of responses we wanted therefore the decision was made to relocate to our secondary location in the main square of York. A risk assessment was carried out for all the possible locations we may have taken the camera, one for the shambles, one for the main square and another for the minster. Risk that are deemed legally important by (HSE England) are outlined and prepared for before any equipment can be loaned out.

In terms of editing I had decided on including graphics in my post production accompanied by a short royalty free piece of music from Bensound to achieve a more professional quality product. Unfortunately I had come across some technical difficulties when recording these interviews as the sound recording equipment would cut out halfway through, to tackle this next time I will have to check regularly on the condition of the recording equipment and prepare back up batteries for use when necessary. Not wanting to waste the footage I had gathered, I decided to use the silent recordings as part of my introductory sequence. Being partnered with another crew member made it smoother to film as one could control audio gain on the sound equipment and maintain framing and focus on the subject, whilst the other could ask the questions and maintain eye contact and control the interviewee’s position. The fact that we were in a pair instead of a self-shoot meant that more footage would likely be gathered as the crew appears more ready and looks more enticing to the general public, many of our interviews were on people who were too happy to answer our questions.

The Thinner Tempo

An insight into Hull’s subtle music scene and the rich culture behind modern indie music

And now, without further ado… A musician you’ve never heard of… playing something you’ll never recognise. But it’s brilliant. For a very long time the coastal city has had extensive musical roots, as well as being home to the “patty” and the “tenfoot”, it also birthed the famous Adelphi and FRÜIT clubs; the ever popular annual Humber Street Sesh and Freedom Festival; and generations of talented musicians. But my focus lies on the unsung, songbirds of our generation, playing happily for small crowds in local pubs and even smaller venues, my focus lies on one local artist in particular:

Sam Wood: One of my best friends, dockworker by day and part-time whiskey drinking acoustic artist by night. I interview him following a performance at The Crooked Billet Pub in East Hull, humbly warm and welcoming with a small working class populous, the perfect audience for a local man.

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Not Bothered By The Venue, just as long as he can play, Sam revels in showcasing his original music. All of his close friends attend the open mic night which he plays every Wednesday, truly relishing in being able to express himself musically.

It is to be noted that James Wood, the older brother, has toured New Zealand with his music and has picked up a lot of traction with larger gigs. Contrasting to Sam’s position although never competitive as they play sets regularly together as the older of the two is a full time musician.

A five piece funk band from the city of culture, 4/5 of the members being named Jack makes for an interesting story.  Describing their sound as “an intergalactic array of sounds that caress the eardrums. Offering fresh & funky rhythms with a smooth and creamy texture, ready to cleanse the mind and take hold of your soul.” More surprising is their inclusion on BBC introducing in 2016, which has propelled them into the limelight, especially in Hull.