I mentioned earlier that we were using a cheapskate greenscreen consisting of bits of bright green paper stuck onto a cardboard box.

Will it work?

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I’m really impressed by how simple-looking gadgets can have such a massive impact on the look of footage. Take the sun-shade reflectors I keep talking about. Now I have the photos to prove that they work. Methinks the look below would have been impossible without the reflectors, or artificial light.

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Being an amateur/cheapskate/dummy (delete where appropriate), I’m using ordinary household objects as substitutes for professional filmmaking gear.

Inspired by people who think like this.
Some examples:

8,000 bob collapsible reflectors? I’m using the sun-shades they use in cars to protect them from heat. 200 bob each (MPPS or Motor Boutique).

5,436 bob muslin green screen? I’m using bits of violent-green sheets of A3 paper stuck onto a refrigerator carton. Sure, it sucks and it’s fiddly, but it costs 50 bob for 2 sheets of the paper (Nakumatt). And the carton was free.

Gazillion bob wind machine? Two large sufuria (saucepan) covers, operated by enthusiastic friends taking turns on either side of the cast. Free, if you don’t count buying the friends lunch afterwards and apologizing for cheating them that making videos was glamorous.

And so on. Will it show in the final product?

I certainly hope not. Fingers crossed.

Having just finished Mena’s shoot, I can already
say I’ve learnt two things about video shoots:

1. Makeup takes forever to do.
2. Cast and crew get hungry REALLY fast.
3. Unripe plums are really sour.

Behind the scenes photos will be up tomorrow
evening.

My checklist for today’s shoot:

Camera…check.
Spare batteries…check.
Lots of Mini-DV tape…check.
Car sunshades as reflectors…check.
Lots of bright green paper as greenscreen…check.
Two huge sufuria covers as wind machine…check.
Makeup and props…check.
Cast…check.
Crew…check.

Butterflies in stomach…check.
Nagging feeling that I’ve forgotten something…double check.