Steal the style: Del Brown Workshops

Del Brown Workshops

February

Vision mixing

In this Workshop Del took us down to the studio gallery where we could sit at the vision mixing desk and have a go.

He told us about the different panels on the desk and how each one does a different thing, you can also set up presets on one so that you can use the other as normal.

We had to use one hand when using the desk and were not to look at our hands as in the industry you'd have to be looking at the screens in front of you.

Over all from this Workshop I gained a great appreciation for the vision mixer and what they have to do. It was a good opportunity too to have a go at something I had never done/really heard of before.

February

Camera Workshop

We were in the studio in groups of 3-4 people and each took turns on different cameras. I was with, Conor Deamer, Alex Hargood and Katie Prentis. 

We got to use the handheld camera, the Jib and normal tripod locked cameras these were either on a track or not. We had to make sure the camera's were white balanced, focused and framed right. They were connected to the plasmas in the studio so we could see what we were doing. This was also a great chance to ask a lot of questions about the camera's.

Over all I found this a lot of fun to do as I don't normally get to use the camera, I also got to work with people I don't usually work with and found this a good opportunity.

Tuesday 6th March

Studio workshop

In this workshop we each took turns doing each other's roles, this gave us a greater appreciation for just how difficult everyone's jobs were.

We mocked up an 2 on 1 interview with with course mates.

Unfortunately due to auditions being on the same day I only got to do three of the roles, as I then had to go up stairs and help.

PA:

As the PA I had to count into, out of and during the interview. I had to allow timers for VTs that would be there as well as things such as title.

This is my job on the day of TX and doing this answered a lot of questions that I had.

For future notice I have to be louder and clearer when I talk in the mic, remember to say zero when counting down and allow time before recording so I can set myself up without being stressed.

Camera:

As a camera op I had to be on talk back the entire duration of the filming. I had to make sure I was paying attention to the shots the directors wanted, ensure they were focused and if they weren't correct it quickly.

I struggled to hear over talk back as it was so crackly. This made me realise that as PA when counting I'd have to be clear so the camera crew could hear what I was saying. I was also able to quickly get used to filtering out useless information so that I was able to get the best shots for my camera.

Talent:

As the talent I quickly began to appreciate the pressure they are under to remember their lines. I also now understand how hard it is to see/understand the floor manager especially if they stand in front of lights etc.

From this workshop I was able to get comfortable in my role as PA, learn how my role impacts others. Get an appreciation for the difficulty in other people's jobs too. I also feel it helped us come together more as a team.