Candle Time-lapse - Risk Assessment

To add to the the filming I had already done I've decided to produce some time-lapse photography to merge into my music video. Using this technique will not only show my photographic skills but will also add to the overall effect and link with time in the song's lyrics.

I wanted to use time-lapse photography (created using a GoPro Hero 3) to make my music video more unique. However, before beginning the filming I needed to fully assess the risks involved. I have completed a risk assessment which you can see below. 

Risk: Change in lighting during time-lapse
Prevention: When creating a time-lapse piece, natural lighting can have a bad effect on the final outcome. Time-lapse photography often lasts several hours, in which time the location of the sun in the shot will change and cause different shadows at different stages of the production. Therefore, I will make sure my candle time-lapse is created in a room where no natural light will be coming in and the shot will be lit using artificial light rather than natural light.

Risk: Fire caused by lit candle
Prevention: To reduce the chance of a fire I will make sure all pieces of paper and card used for a backdrop is secured tightly to the walls so that it doesn't fall onto the flame causing a fire. I will also make sure I check the candle regularly to check everything is going okay.

Risk Assessment - Local Park and Field

 Before going to film at the local park, field and on the country road I need to consider the risks associated with the filming.

Risk: Cars on country road (low risk as road is dead end)
Prevention: To prevent any danger when filming on the road we will stand on a straight section so any cars coming down the lane can easily see us in advance. I will also ensure our bicycles, bags and camera equipment is kept off of the road when not in use so that we don't block the lane if a vehicle does need to come through.

Risk: Injury when hanging and leaning on tree
Prevention: For my album cover design, one of my ideas is to have Jordan positioned in different places on and around a leafless tree. I will want him to hang from a branch for one of the pictures and therefore to avoid injury I will make sure he can reach the floor if he needs to get down.

Risk: Cold weather and long filming sessions
Prevention: Due to the fact I intend on using time-lapse photography I will need to make sure we are warm enough when filming. It will be cold as the weather is forecast to be clear skies and 2-3 degrees. I will ensure myself and Jordan have suitable coats, gloves and headgear to stay warm while waiting for the sun to go down.

Risk Assessment - Eaton Park

When filming at Eaton Park I will need to consider various safety elements to ensure myself and Jordan are safe during the music video production. Before going to the park I have looked at the risks behind each of the different camera shots and have also looked into how I would reduce and/or prevent the risk.

Risk: Boating Lake
Prevention: When filming near the open side lake I will need to ensure there is no risk of me or Jordan falling in. To do this I will plan a walking path before filming and will ensure there are no tripping hazards around the perimeter of the water.

Risk: Cold temperatures
Prevention: Due to the fact a lot of filming at Eaton Park will be during the evening for lighting reasons, the temperatures will already be low. To prevent us becoming uncomfortably cold when filming we will wear hats, gloves and scarves when not filming and will also be as efficient as possible during filming so that we can reduce the amount of time we are exposed to the cold conditions.

These are the main two risks when filming at Eaton Park later today. Other than this there are no major risks and therefore I feel it is safe for us to film there later on without any further assessment.

Risk Assessment - Woodland Road + Forest

Before filming in any locations I will need to carry out a full risk assessment. This is so myself, Jordan (the performer in my music video) and our driver remain safe while filming.

Roads have obvious safety dangers which I will need to address. I need to make sure I get the shots I need but I must ensure myself, Jordan and the driver of the car are safe and protected during filming. Below I have included the various risks of filming on the road along with the ways in which I will prevent any danger to the people involved.

Risk: Other vehicles on road
Prevention: To avoid causing any danger to ourselves or other drivers using the road I would ensure we always stayed on the left side of the road and that if we were stopped on the side of the road our hazard lights were on and that we were safely away from the vehicle. I will also make sure there was no cars in sight when we begin recording so there is less chance of us getting in the way or causing a risk for anyone.

Risk: Surface water and debris on the road (danger to driver, and performer running)
Prevention: To make sure there is no risk of debris or surface water on the road causing an issue for the driver or Jordan I will assess the road conditions before filming. I will sweep any debris off the surface and if there are any areas of water I will test to see if they are large potholes or shallow puddles. If they are potholes we will use a different section of road as they can cause damage to the car and if Jordan were to run and place his foot in one he could seriously injure himself.

The forest environment is also somewhere that poses certain risks in the form of safety hazards. I have thought about the main risks and I've recorded them with my methods of prevention below.

Risk: Branches and plantation
Prevention: In a forest, there is going to be a lot of trees, fallen leaves and low hanging branches. When walking through the environment I will ensure myself and Jordan are cautious about any branches that could be hazardous or any thin pieces of branch that sit near eye level as they could cause serious eye damage if they were to make contact with the balls of our eyes. At the time of year we are filming in the forest there will be leaves on the floor which may be slippery and may conceal submerged holes and burrows. I will therefore make sure we both walk carefully and will set a safe path for any running scenes etc.

Risk: Slippery/Dangerous mud and grassland
Prevention: Filming in Winter, we are likely to go to the forest soon after it has rained or snowed. This means the ground is likely to be wet, muddy and potentially boggy in some places. To prevent either of us getting hurt or uncomfortably wet/cold we will avoid all soft ground and stick to firmer, drier ground.

In the forest setting I also plan to use certain props for my music video. These items could be dangerous if used abusively and therefore I have risk assessed these things before the filming day comes.

Risk: Heavy car tyre (risk to performer, myself and camera equipment)
Prevention: To keep myself and Jordan safe when filming with the car tyre we will make sure we are able to lift it comfortably and without putting stress on our backs. We will also make sure the camera is protected when we film the shot of the tyre rolling towards the camera because any mud or dirty water that gets on the camera lens would be an issue for further filming.

Risk: Cathode ray tube tv (danger of explosion)
Prevention: With cathode ray tube TV's there is a large vacuum behind the screen and in front of the CRT (cathode ray tube) which can explode if the screen or shell is smashed or even slightly fractured. To avoid this happening we will release some of the pressure by breaking the tube before smashing the screen for filming. There is also a small amount of lead and phosphorus in some CRT TV's and therefore we will need to wear dust masks for this scene so we do not inhale any dust or fumes. We will also wear eye goggles when smashing the glass screen as some pieces of glass may come towards us and it's important we are safe.