Shoot #2: Challenges being Cinematographer and Actor

    Being both the cinematographer and main actor in the film presented many challenges. Firstly, figuring out how to frame shots was a challenge because I'd be in them. The way we solved this is that I'd have Luise - or someone else - stand where I thought I was going to be while I fiddled with focus, camera angle, etc. This allowed me to simply press record, go where I was supposed to be and act out my scene.

    This method worked for scenes in which the camera was stationary, but if I wanted to shoot a scene with any camera movement, it would need to be a scene that I was not seen/present in. Though it did not have a major impact on our film's quality it limited the amount of diversity we had within our shots. However, I did my best to include dynamic shots where and when I could.

    For example, in the shot below I was not in it. Because of this, I was able to take a panning shot showing Gabby getting out of the car and running, as well as the ghost.

    Though being both an actor and the cinematographer presented multiple challenges, it was extremely manageable. Having others who would stand in for me while I set up the camera simplified the entire process. Overall, it was nowhere near as challenging as I believed it would be initially.