Zixuan：
Today, as planned, we went to Calton Hill to capture photos and video materials for our project. In order to make the final piece feel more rhythmic and narrative-driven, we did some initial planning before heading out, designing two simple scene-based storylines to make the “dog’s perspective” feel more natural and immersive.
We chose to shoot in the afternoon because the lighting at that time is softer and more vibrant. The scenery at Calton Hill during this time also fits well with the atmosphere we wanted to convey.
🎬 Scene One: “Distraction by Choice”
In the first scene, we set up a playful moment where a dog is chasing a ball but suddenly gets distracted by another toy. To enhance the audience’s sense of immersion, we decided to film the ball-throwing and the dog’s gaze following the ball as video, while the rest of the sequence would be presented through photographs. We believe that photos give more space for the sound design to come forward, allowing audio to take the lead in crafting an immersive experience。
🐶 Scene Two: “A Quiet Moment”
In the second scene, the dog looks around before quietly lying down in front of its favourite toy. The movement is subtle but emotionally more contained. Here, too, we chose to film the moment of the dog lying down to strengthen the feeling of presence while using photographs to complement the setting and visual composition.
📷 Shooting Method & Lens Choices
We started with the “big dog vs. small dog” group. To ensure visual consistency in composition, we kept the camera position fixed and adjusted the height of each dog model so that both appeared to be at the same eye level. This allowed for a clearer comparison of their sizes and perspectives.
We also made specific choices regarding lens focal lengths to simulate the field of view from each dog’s perspective:
The Chihuahua was shot with a 24 mm lens, which offers a narrower field of view to match its small size.
The Irish Wolfhound was captured using a 14 mm wide-angle lens, highlighting the broader perspective granted by its larger body.
– The Labrador Retriever, as the mid-sized reference, was shot with a 19mm lens, striking a balance between the two and representing a “medium perspective.”
With this setup, we hope the audience can not only observe the dog’s behaviour but also visually experience how dogs of different sizes perceive the world differently.
Overall, today’s shoot was quite compact but very productive. The whole team worked smoothly together. From choosing the right lighting and adjusting lenses to positioning the dog head models, every detail brought us one step closer to realising the final vision. Next, we’ll move into organising the materials and starting the sound design phase—we’re excited to see what comes next!
Carly:
I really enjoyed today’s shooting, it also felt a little bit “new” in a sense as we changed the medium from a camera to an iPhone, we changed from only photos to photos and videos and we also added two different dog toys (which is an excellent thing specially with my dogs back in Spain as they are gonna get a new toy).
I am delighted with the results from the images taken, not only because they look good and are going to make wonders when edited, but also because it was really amazing seeing that, with the previous organisation and communication, we took the pictures and videos we needed really fast – not rushed, but efficient. Can’t wait to edit them!
