UNIT 1 ACTING FOR CAMERA

18 January 2015

ACTING FOR CAMERA

FILM IN 5 MINUTES

Filming this week was very exciting, I got the chance to experience many
different roles within the crew and I also experienced my first ever on
screen performance with Sam. I found acting in front of the camera very
challenging to begin with because everything had to be very precise
which made me feel restricted as an actor. I began to become very
conscious of everything I was doing when in fact, I should have been
consecrating on the emotions of the character and the scene itself.
This experience has shown me the difference between being on stage and
being in front of a camera. I've learnt that acting for film and TV is the
complete polar opposite to theatre because acting for camera requires you
to be realistic and natural whereas, theatre can be bigger, bolded and more
dramatic. I defiantly think you have more freedom in theatre but what I
like most about film is that its very complex and I think you can use your
body language more to your advantage because the camera never lies, it
picks up on everything. When looking back at the rushes for the first time,
I found it hard to watch myself because I am very self-critical however, I
was surprisingly pleased with my performance. I did find myself
overthinking things and trying to create this natural character but after a
few takes I began to relax and listen to sam instead of just thinking about
myself and my own lines. It was only then, I started reacting and feeling
more natural because I started to relax.
Overall, I think acting in front of camera is more difficult than looks
because there is so much going on and you have so much to think about
as an actor including; lines, character, queues, body language, facial
expressions and reactions.I think my expressions and body language are
strong but my listening and reacting still need to be improved a lot so I
would considered them to be my weaknesses at the moment. I plan on

AMBER-LILY FOXON

UNIT 1 ACTING FOR CAMERA

18 January 2015

improving these weaknesses by focusing more on understanding the

meanings behind the script and my character intentions.

I found experiencing the roles of the different members of the crew very
interesting because it changed my views on how important I though they
were towards an on screen performance. Ive realised that everyone
involved in the crew has a very specific job role that is vital when filming.
This week I got the chance to experience and learn about 3 different roles
including Costume, Hair & Makeup, 1st Assistant Director and Camera
Assistant.
Costume, Hair & Makeup was my first role. I loved this role because it
involved making sure the actors looked good on screen. I had to play
attention to detail in regard to costume and especially hair. Its important
to keep the continuity throughout each take so that visually, it all makes
sense and also for editing purposes. I noticed that actors do not look the
same on camera as they do in person therefore, I had to look at them on
screen to see if they needed any adjustments. I think this role requires you
to be observant and artistic. I think I personality excelled in this area of
expertise's because, I made quick decisions and I wasnt afraid to interact
with the actors. I wanted to make them feel comfortable because make up
AMBER-LILY FOXON

UNIT 1 ACTING FOR CAMERA

18 January 2015

is something that requires you to be in someones person space. Therefore,

I think an element of trust in required between the Costume, Hair & Make
up person and the actor.
The 1st Assistant Director which is also known the 1st AD is one of the
most important roles within a film/TV crew because they are responsible
for everyone and everything. They work closely with the Director and are
in charge of making sure everyone is ready for a take for instances they
will be in charge of announcing Stand by-we're going for a take. Taking
on the 1st AD role was probably one of the hardest roles for me because it
required quick designs making and it was very stressful. There is a lot of
pressure on you as an individual to make sure everything is running
smoothly and on schedule. However, once I understood my role I did
enjoy the responsibility because I felt very involved with the crew and the
actors. I think a 1st AD needs to be quick, confident, organised and
always one step ahead of the game because time is money in this business
and there is no room for error on set.
The Camera Assistant is responsible for helping the Camera Operator
with the white balancing, the transport of the equipment and also the
safety of the camera assistant, while they are filming. I really enjoyed my
AMBER-LILY FOXON

UNIT 1 ACTING FOR CAMERA

18 January 2015

experience of being a camera assistant operator because I got to help

make important artistic decisions. I also assisted with the white balancing,
which is where you use a white sheet of paper to help find the best
possible focus for the shot. I think a camera assistant needs to be able to
make quick decisions as well as being creative and imaginative to help
the camera operator.
I think my camera performancein Alex and Erols scene was shocking
because I didn't understand what I was doing. I couldn't find the right
focus and a lot of faces appeared cut out when looking back on the
rushes. I also felt very rushed inside this scene, which made me feel
uncomfortable which resulted in the camera being unsteady. I found the
close ups very difficult to shot with actors who were moving around a lot.
However, I do think this is a communication issues and my own fault. I
plan on vocalising any problems next time to improve on this.

During the scenes we filmed in the bar, we had to create a wild track
sound becausethe air-conditioning was making a very loud and
inconstant background noise. Recording the sound is to help with
AMBER-LILY FOXON

UNIT 1 ACTING FOR CAMERA

18 January 2015

continuity throughout all scenes that is what I discovered from creating

this wild track.
I learnt from Erol and Connors scene what crossing the line means
within filming. Crossing the line is the illusion of both actors looking
and talking in the same direction.
These are the notes I took whiles watching the rushesback from the first
scene Hard Times.
I also asked myself these questions?
-Do you believe it?
-Do you believe a moment in it?
-Does it appear different on screen?
-What would you change if you was the operator ?
Notes:
-Harriets voice appeared soft and believable
-Levis smilewas visible
-I thought Levi maintained good focus on his close up
-I liked Harriets eyes on Levi in her close up
-Lewis was believable at times
-Camera zoomwas to fast on Lewis and Charleys scene
-Good eyes and focus from charley
-Charley had too much blinking which created weakness
-Camera blurry
-Julia close up looking down slowly/Good camera close up shoot
-Daniella showed innocencethrough body language
The Character workshop with Innesthis week was really beneficial for
me. Although Ill be honest, I wasn't looking forward to this workshop
because I can't sing so I thought it would be a waste of time. Thankfully it
wasn't, I found the session actually very interesting because we covered
various different warm up vocal technics. I learnt so much about my
vocals during this session including my breath control and finding my
diaphragm, which are both weaknesses of mine. Therefore, I'm really glad
AMBER-LILY FOXON

UNIT 1 ACTING FOR CAMERA

18 January 2015

I got the chance to work on these basic skills with Innes before, I
performed my character song. I enjoyed the character workshop because I
made lots of new discoveries about my character from taking everything
out of context and creating different scenarios really helped me look at it
from a different perspective. I feeling more confident about singing now
and Im pleased its about characterisation rather than showing off your
vocals.
This week I also presented my two contrasting scenes that I chose from
Girl Interrupted' and Man on Fire.

This is one of my favourite scenes from Girl Interrupted, which is a film

based on a true story. I think this is an incredible on screen performance
because its the moment where Lisa a dangerous girl who is mental ill,
pushes her friend to commit suicide and then acts like it nothing
happened.What I love most about this performance is that its dangerous,
complex and it has no boundaries. I truly admire the risks Angelina Jolie
took in this performance, I think she is an inspiration.

AMBER-LILY FOXON

UNIT 1 ACTING FOR CAMERA

18 January 2015

This scene in particular is my favourite moment in the film Man on Fire

because again it is based on a true story and I found it very emotional and
moving which, is extremely rare for me. I consider this to be an amazing
on screen performance because bothDenzel Washington and Dakota
Fanning wereso naturalistic and believable in their actions and reactions.
I think therelationshipthey created between themselves had a huge
impact on their performance as they cared foreach other likeFather and
daughter. This relationship is whatmakes this scenerelatable for me . I
also love thespecialeffects and the soundtrackthroughoutthis scene. I
think they both have a huge influence on the performance and it certainly
enforced the way I feel aboutthe characters.

I personally believe a good on screen performance is something that you

can relate to as an audience member. I also think it should make you feel
a certain type of way. I dont expect anyone to agree with me or have the
same views because it should be based on your personal opinion. Both of
my scenes contain incredible performances because they embody the
characters and the emotion comes across so raw and honest.
AMBER-LILY FOXON