Equipment

The Canon X1H1a is the camera we will be using to shoot our thriller, and this is certainly a new experience for me because I am used to using my DSLR, the Canon 550D which is a much newer camera. Despite its age, this camcorder can still record in a native 1080i, which is high quality. The reason this camera works well for our film is that it creates a nice film grain which will give our thriller a more authentic feel as opposed to a digital camera which produces a clearer image. In order to achieve this look I have been testing out the settings of the camera, but unfortunately can not upload the footage until the final film because I can not capture the recordings. 

The Sachter dolly is another new piece of equipment to me and one that I will certainly hope to utilise in our thriller. A dolly shot is an effective type of shot because it gives movement to the on the screen action and can be used to create a certain type of emotion depending on how it is used. For our film, I think it would be appropriate to use it at the end because it can create dramatic effect as it slowly moves from the scene of action. 

In the video you also see the Ianiro redhead light which I was testing out. It's extremely powerful so it would be very useful as a key light or even a fill if it is aimed upwards at a ceiling. For our thriller this light will probably be used in the final scene in the storage facility to create some harsh lights on our characters for dramatic effect.  

We are also using a Manfrotto Fig-Rig and this will be an integral piece of equipment used in many of our shots for our film because as a group we feel that particularly for the thriller genre, camera movement is essential because it helps immerse the audience in the action by getting up close with the characters. Using this fig-rig helps to absorb a lot of the camera shake, particularly with the Canon because it is quite heavy and gives us a professional, steadicam look which I really wanted to achieve.