Technical Information

Involved in production, there are plenty technical aspects. Matthew's role is editor and cameraman, so here is his explanation behind all the technical information for the shoot.

THE CAMERA:

The camera we will be using is the Sony FX6. This is a cinema line Sony camera, and it specialises in its low-light capabilities, which are enabled due to the sensors dual-native ISO rating. This means that the camera is rated to work natively at 800 ISO and 12,800 ISO. The ISO is the camera's sensitivity to light, so being able to set it at 12,800 ISO and have it perform like it would on 800 ISO is going to be a huge help.

Another thing to consider is the exposure method on the camera. The FX6 can only utilise its incredible 12,800 ISO when its in SLog-3, which is not a problem as I have plenty of previous filmmaking experience working with LOG colour spaces. However, the biggest learning curve will be having to grasp Cine EI. Cine EI is the mode that the FX6 uses to shoot SLog-3. When the camera is in Cine EI, the ISO is locked at either of the two base ISO's (as mentioned previously, we will be locking it at 12,800 due to the low light nature of our film). As well as this, you have to set an EI value (exposure index). This value defines how the camera will look in the viewfinder. This will actually be quite helpful, as we want to shoot 2 stops over exposed to ensure we retain details in the dark parts of the image, and by utilising the cameras EI setting, we will be able to over expose by +2 stops while framing/exposing our image as we usually would to +/- 0 stops.

Aside from the exposure side of the camera, the rest will be pretty easy. We have chosen NOT to shoot anamorphic (despite having access to anamorphic glass). We will use primarily the Sony GM 24-70mm F2.8 II, and we will have a Sigma 35mm F1.4 lens (which is a Canon lens, but we have an adapter) for the outside wide establishing shot of the house.

THE SOUND:

We will be using a Deity V-Mic D3 Pro, mounted on a Boom Pole, with an 5M XLR cable and a 3.5mm to XLR adapter to convert the mic's native cable to a signal which can be run directly into the FX6. We want to really focus on clean audio for things like the tap, footsteps, breathing, and all other ambient sounds. We will record most of these sound effects separately to when we film the visuals. This allows us to spend more time getting the microphone close to the source of the sound, ensuring the sound quality and fidelity is high.

THE LIGHTING:

We will use 2 Nanlite LED tube lights. These allow us to control not only the brightness, but the colours in the scene. We plan to use these to simulate ambient lights such as lamps, ceiling lights and the light coming from the television. We will also use some basic studio lights in places if/where we need them, and we will possibly end up bouncing them off the walls as they are quite bright. Finally, I will take my smoke/haze machine to create a subtle feeling of unease and suspense.

THE EDIT:

I will edit the film in Adobe Premiere Pro, using Adobe After Effects to manage the green suit special effects shots. I am experienced with both of these softwares, so there should not be too much of a learning curve. On top of this I will use Final Cut Pro edit together/preview the footage as we go.

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(Sound planning, Pre - Production)