Talking To Label One

who is "Label One" ?:

Label One is according to their website "Label1 is an independently owned and operated television production company.  We make best-in-class big-scale factual television that captivates large audiences, satisfies the most demanding broadcasters, and moves our favorite genre forwards. We’re unashamedly populist, and yet we’re not afraid to take risks in pursuit of talked–about TV.  We are the creators and producers of BBC Two’s Hospital and Channel 4’s The Job Interview."

How we came to know them:

we came to know them as they are in our school filming a documentary about our school. They took time out of their busy schedules to talk to us about their creative processes. They also gave us tips on how to look for the perfect shot and how to make the most of angles. 

The equipment:

  They showed us their cameras and their boom mic. I found this interesting as the equipment that they use is much more advanced than the SLR cameras that we use. The Camera that they use is a Sony FS7 Mark 1 with a Canon lens. This camera is worth a lot of money and is capable of shooting extremely high-quality footage. The lens that they use is the type of SLR lens that we would use on one of our SLR cameras so the class already knew their way around that. They gave us a demonstration on some of the different features which were a lot to get my head around. They allowed us to hold the camera which was fun. The camera is huge and looks heavy but it is actually extremely lightweight. The boom mic was a strange experience. The mic is extremely sensitive and can pick up sounds far away that you would not regularly hear. It was like being inside your own head.

pictures of my media partner (Mona) holding the camera: 

      

What I took from the experience:

I took a lot of tips from Label one. Some of them don't apply to music videos as they specialize in documentaries. The creative use of camera angles is something that I thought about allot. I have already put a few of the tips that they showed us into effect when I went out filming last. They suggested that we use some freehand shots rather than just tripod as they look more natural and allow the audience to feel part of the scene rather than just a viewer. They also suggested that w try to shoot shots while people are not aware that they on camera as they make great space fillers and they also look much more natural and relaxed. They also told us that a range of shots is important to keep the audience engaged. They suggested that we use a wide and then a close up of the same thing in the shot to keep audiences interested. This is something that I knew a bit about before but when they put the theory behind it, it made much more sense.