Rockschool music qualifications are tailor-made for the contemporary musician.
Filming Guidance
Introduction
RSL has worked closely with BAFTA Award winning cinematographer Jack Burton, to create a detailed guide to filming your videos and achieving the correct camera shots required by the PAA Screen Acting syllabus.
The guidance below reflects the contents of the demonstration video, so should be read in conjunction.
note that the video will guide you through the process when using a smartphone, which we consider to be the most suitable device to achieve the required shots straightforwardly. If another device is used, e.g. a digital camera, candidates and teachers may adapt the guidance accordingly.
Remember, the applicant is responsible for ensuring that the correct shot is used as required by the syllabus specification, and that the candidates(s) are clearly visible within the frame.
Simplicity is key:
Your aim is to showcase your screen acting abilities to the examiner. Simplicity is key to this. The simpler everything else is in your video the more you and your skills will stand out.
Pick your outfit. note that costume is not permitted, although long skirts may be worn for period scenes if required. Choose something that is comfortable and practical for your performance. Some jewellery, man-made fabrics and shoes can make loud noises when you move a lot so avoid these items if you notice their sounds. Please wear simple colours.
Only one camera/smart phone must be used. Use the standard built-in camera in your smart phone. no third-party camera apps please.
All videos should be framed landscape not portrait. This means turning the phone on its side and filming a rectangular frame with the longest
sides on the top and the bottom of the frame. Just like the shape of a standard TV screen.
All videos should be filmed in colour and not black and white. The video must be filmed in standard mode with no filters.
All videos should be filmed indoors and have the simplest background you are able to achieve. Preferably the entire background should be one solid colour. Avoid patterned wallpaper if possible; stick to muted, soft colours. White is always a safe bet but also soft greys, blues and cream work well, amongst many others. You want to be the centre of attention, not the background colour. Your videos should not have items in the foreground either (e.g. furniture and plants). Another option would be to enquire about an interior space away from home such as your school or college.
Music and/or sound effects must not be played in the videos.
Try not to have any contrasting light in your frame as this might cause your phone to alter the intended exposure. Aim to achieve a frame that doesn’t have any shadows. If filming your video on a very bright sunny day that is casting shadows, you could control the light coming through the window by hanging a white sheet – this way light can still pass through the sheet without it being too harsh and contrasting to the rest of the frame.
In summary:
- Simplicity is key
- Simple plain clothes (no costume)
- Videos to be filmed:
- – On one camera/phone
- – Landscape frame (like a TV screen)
- – Standard phone camera (no third-party apps)
- – no filters
- – Colour mode
- Filmed indoors:
- – A simple plain background
- – Soft coloured backdrop. White is always good
- – Avoid TVs, picture frames, patterned wallpaper
- – Consider using a large bedsheet
- – Consider a location other than your home
- No foreground objects in frame
- No sound effects or music
- Avoid high contrasting light in your video:
- – No bright light from windows in the background
- – Possibly diffuse the light with a white sheet
Camera Shots
The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the correct shot is used as required by the syllabus specification, and that the candidates(s) are clearly visible within the frame.
There are three different shot sizes required. Candidates and teachers/applicants are advised to watch the video demonstration for further clarification.
1. Wide Shot
This is a full body shot and should be wide enough to not cut out any part of the body. Ensure you set the camera to take in the whole scene, along with any movement. Consider moving around, stretching your arms and legs to reach the parameters of the space you are intending on using. For exams with two candidates, both of you should do this. If any part of either of either candidate cuts out of the frame, position the camera further away until this doesn’t happen.
2. Mid-Shot
This shot is achieved by moving the camera nearer to you than the wide shot. Position the camera at a distance from you that shows you from approximately the waist up. note this is approximate, it is recognised that your scene/scenario may include small movements and physicality, which might result in a slight deviation, but, generally ‘waist-up’ is what is expected.
The mid shot is more-or-less representative of how you might see a person if you were having a conversation with them. It allows for a little movement, whilst retaining the main focus on your face.
3. Close-Up
This is a shot of your face and is achieved by moving the camera in further to you than the mid-shot. We want to see your whole head so be careful to not cut off the top of your head or the bottom of your chin. A good guideline is to leave the very tops of your shoulders inside the frame as well as a small gap above you within frame. This way you can ensure you do not cut anything out of frame that is required.
NB. For guidance on acting for close-up, please see the Definitions section, found later in this guide.
For solo candidates:
In your close-up task, if you are directing your speech to another, imagined character, do not look directly at the camera, but slightly beyond the side edge of the camera, focussing on the imagined other character.
For candidates entering in twos:
If your close-up task requires performing an extract from a duologue scene, the extract must be filmed twice, with the camera focused on each candidate in turn, framed in close-up.
If you’re the other actor in someone else’s close-up scene, get as close to the camera as possible without it catching you (unless it’s an over- the-shoulder shot – see below) so the main actor is captured clearly in the frame.
It is suggested (but not mandatory) that you also have the edge of the other person in frame as well as yourself. This is known as an over-the- shoulder shot, and is a common way of filming dialogue between two people. It is important to maintain eye contact with your acting partner for this shot. Remember not to look directly at the camera.
4. Framing an Over-the-Shoulder Close-up:
This shot is achieved by moving the camera closer to you, just as if you were performing by yourself but then rotating yourself and your partners body around so that you both remain within the backdrop and frame. As you are intending to have the edge of your performing partner’s face as well as your own in shot you most likely will not need to move the camera in quite as close as if you were performing by yourself.
Now that you have done the close-up shot for yourself you just need to repeat this shot so that your partner is the main focus and only the edge of yourself is seen.
The simplest way to achieve this is by adjusting positions with each other and not altering the frame of the camera, whilst also swapping the shoulder you are filming over. For example, if you filmed over the right shoulder of the first person, film over the left shoulder of the second person.
It is worth checking this before recording and maybe making slight adjustments, but in most cases, you will not have to move the camera.
How to position your camera / smartphone:
The Screen Acting syllabus has been created for static camera shots. A static shot is a shot that is devoid of camera movement. This is why planning your shot first is useful.
If another person is going to be holding the camera phone, they should keep the footage as steady as possible. If you can use a tripod or some other kind of camera mount, that would be ideal. If the camera phone is handheld, please ensure you keep the video as stable as possible, and stick to the same guidelines below. Zooming in or out is not permitted.
If you do not have a tripod, you need to hold the camera phone in place by other means. Hardback books, paper weights, place mats, whatever you find that works for you.
Find something that can hold your phone when recording at different heights.
- For the wide shot you will need the phone to be fairly low, around the height of a standard chair or stool.
- For the mid-shot and close-up shots you will need the phone to be positioned higher so that the camera is set to eye level without looking up or down on you.
