What is recording actually like?

         Recording is pretty enjoyable, except when it isn't. Making sure a scene comes out the way you intend it is extremely tedious, as there is always something you can fix or do better. One issue I have to constantly deal with in my home is lighting. Some areas are fairly well-lit, and don't need much editing, while others NEED external lighting to look good. While editing can sort some of these problems out, it is better to make sure your raw footage comes out as best as possible.

        Working around the house means working with different lighting environments, primarily natural and artificial lights. 

        Natural lighting is anything that cannot really be altered, such as windows, reflections, and anything that interacts with the sun. It's considered natural because it is just that. While tricky to work with, it is not impossible. Golden hour is a prime example of how anything can look good with minimal effort. 

        To undergo the process of mimicking golden hour entirely digitally is hellish, and I would not wish it upon anyone. Natural lighting does not work with you. You should be working with it. This is why schedules are usually tight when filming with the sun. Because it never stops. 

        Artificial lighting is a bit easier to work with. Keep in mind I said a BIT. Depending on your set, you might have to deal with reflections or bright spots due to glossy material. But if you can't change your material you'll have to change your lights, and to find that sweet spot where it isn't over or under exposed is hard.

        While the picture looks balanced, keep in mind it was shot using my phone, so it was automatically leveled out. On the left you can see my light kit, and on the right is my camera. To end up on this exact setup I had to try out every other setup that did not look like this. First I chose a specific light level to work with, one that wouldn't create too harsh of white spots on the counter or too many shadows, but at the same time I needed to light it up significantly. 

        Once that was set up, I had to find an angle that would keep shadows to a minimum. I tried left, right, up, down, north, west, south, east, northeast, south-north, and everything in between. Thankfully I had a tripod and once I found the right angle it stayed there. Lighting up the other scenes were not as hard, thanks to windows or just more direct lighting.

Sound design

         Sound design can sometimes go unnoticed in productions; but other media, primarily video games, revel in creating the appropriate atmosphere using as many senses as possible. Horror is a genre closely entwined to audio, or the absence of it. Creating a harrowing environment just from audio, or releasing tension with a stinger can be considered a simple idea, but unless it is done properly it will come off as weird.

        One technique I was interested in using was audio mixing. While the word means nothing more than putting different audio tracks together, to me it means putting tracks together so as to complement a scene or idea. This comes into play during my dream scene, as one idea I had was to mix "real" and dream sounds. Similarly to how noise affects our dreams, I planned on having some sounds bleed into the dream in a distorted way. Not only does this distortion set up the right atmosphere of familiar yet distressing, but it also foreshadows it all being a dream. But how does one go about this? By taking small steps at a time.

        Going around and recording foley with a mic is essential, as getting any unintended audio can be hard to fix, if its fixable at all. Two mics are exceptional at handling this problem, shotgun mics and lavalier mics. Without getting too technical, shotgun mics gather audio in a specific area in front of themselves, while lavs are much smaller, gathering audio close to itself if the levels are set up properly. 

Both lavaliers (lavs) and shotgun mics have similar pickup patterns, focusing on the area directly in front of them, which keeps unnecessary audio from being noticed.

        Another piece of equipment that helps but isn't necessary is an audio box. While nothing is stopping me from directly recording and getting rid of the visual aspect of the file, directly importing audio files from a separate unit makes everything much more manageable. 

        The box itself allows for much audio managing, from input to output. It also allows me to access XLR audio cables (the big circle with three smaller ones), which would be impossible to use with my camera. Were it not for the audio box, I would be very limited equipment-wise. If needed, I can even connect it directly to the camera. This is beneficial as if it works properly I already have both the audio and video linked, without me needing to do anything. But if I do want to edit audio manually, the audio box saves a copy of the file, meaning I can safely edit it, knowing I'll always have a backup.

        I am not too proficient with extensive music theory, but I do understand the basic concept and application of many terms, both from music theory classes I took as well as Scruffy's YouTube channel. Be sure to check him out, as he does an amazing job describing the audio techniques I plan on using and many more.

Color and composition

         Now that I am fully ready to move on to live-action recording, I can start thinking of how the rest of my scenes will look. There are many theories about color, movement, and composition; and they all play major parts in any composition. I will be talking about a few, but focus primarily on the ones I plan to incorporate.

        The rule of thirds is a majorly used composition technique. The idea of it is simple, and many people recognize it even without being film excerpts. All it really does is split up your screen into a 3x3 grid so as to help you align your subjects or horizons, like so. 

This picture was taken from Christian Hoiberg's article on the rule of thirds, which can be found here.

        While not the most complex, this composition technique is often seen in films because of how easy it is for audiences to follow and for filmmakers to set up. 

Ratatouille by Pixar

The Joker by DC Films

BBC's take on Sherlock

    

        Incorporating this technique to my film opening will also be rather easy, considering how most things will be recorded on a tripod. Once the shot is set up, it is up to me to align everything to the correct third, and if I do end up making a mistake, cropping the video will allow for a quick fix.

        Going back to the film scenes; even with their wildly different genres, settings, and colors, we still know exactly what to focus on. However, composition isn't everything. While each scene does utilize the rule of thirds, costume design, color theory, blurring, and other techniques help the subject stand out in the scene. This all takes me to my next point: costume design.

        In each of the above scenes, one thing that helps the character stand out is color. From the Joker's vibrant suit to Sherlock's darker jacket, every character has clothing that at least kind of sets them apart from the background. I decided to incorporate something similar in my film, where the clothing does not directly line up with the background.

        Seeing as how most of my house has white walls, almost any clothing would work to set myself apart. So I took to my closet and chose the least white pajama I had. The sharp contrast between a red/black pajama and pure white walls immediately gives the audience a subject to follow. Most of my scenes will have white walls, with the exception of the kitchen, which will not directly have me as a subject.