HBHS Film and Television Students in Hog Heaven
Students from HBHS’ Film and Television course spent last Friday and Saturday filming footage of the annual Harley Davidson Riders’ Convention in Raglan. Their teacher, Quentin West, comments on the weekend:
How many students were involved?
We had quite a few boys involved – some were stationed around Hamilton, one went up in an plane and got aerial shots, and a couple of students operated the jib arm (a camera stand several metres high) at the top of the Raglan Deviation. In total, just under twenty boys were out and about with cameras.
Different spots were used for different durations. The plane was hired for an hour and a half, and from that we got a full minute of really useful footage. When we put together a ‘teaser’ or preview package of two and a half minutes on Saturday night for the formal fairwells, there was plenty of laughing and appreciation for the efforts of the boys. It’s clear from this that the elements we’ve gathered will combine (with particular emphasis on the aerial footage) to make something good.
There was actually a gasp from the crowd when they saw the shots from the air – it made everyone realize that although the crew are teenagers, the quality of what they produce is really impressive.
How will the footage that you’ve gathered by used?
That may change as we further analyse the footage that we’ve gathered. Essentially, we’re trying to chapter each of the events. For example, there was a Bike Games section, where we have footage of some thrills and spills that anyone watching will remember vividly. Another key section will be the Thunder Ride where several hundred bikes drove from Raglan to Hamilton, rode around Hamilton and then returned to Raglan. The different events will dictate the structure of a lot of what we do.
What will the final product look like?
All of the Harley riders had an opportunity to pay $25.00 and pre-order a commemorative DVD. We’ve got over a hundred of these pre-orders already. This isn’t a huge number, but it means that we’re going to more than break-even on the project.
The punters end up with a product that is a bit of memorabilia for them, but at the same time our video students get to have a real client, do a real job within time constraints, and they have to work as a team. This is all necessary preparation for success in the industry. I found a Unit Standard which we have used in the past, involving multi-camera type settings. It has been adapted to be applied to this event. The boys have to pre-select and list their shots, with a minimum of forty shots per event. They have to target those shots, and get experience working through the process. They get credits and have a ‘real world’ experience, which I think is most beneficial for them.
When could we see a finished product?
We’ve got approximately a month. At the moment, we’re trying to get our heads around all of the different elements of what we’ve gathered. We’ve bumped into a huge number of people and collected a huge amount of footage. I’m looking forward to seeing what the final product looks like as much as anyone else.
Back to News