Today we had a meeting with Zoe about how our project was coming along. Our group has made a lot of progress in researching and strengthening our idea but there are a few holes we need to fill. We still have not found a presenter and after I contacted several vloggers email accounts I have not had any replies from them or their management. We also need to find a bootcamp to help look at the serious ways technology is affecting our lives but these are proving hard to find and the ones we do find will not allow access due to the anonymity of their programs.
I have taken on board what Zoe has said and will work hard to continuing to find a solution and contact more firms and try to find a suitable presenter for our film.
Friday 31 March 2017
Monday 27 March 2017
Documentary Unit - Location Filming Workshop
Today we went to Chatham Dockyard to learn what its like filming on location. We first was giving a small tour of the site explaining the different areas and what they were used for. After this we got into our groups and was given a specific place where we would be working. Our group was given a boat called HMS Gannet and we would be filming General View's (GV's) as if we were shooting it for a documentary.
The first thing we did was took a walk around the boat to get our bearings. We wanted to see what the boat had to offer in terms of potential shots and content. As we were walking above and below deck we assessed the potential hazards and risks that came with filming on the boat and filled out a risk assessment form. It included low beams, uneven flooring, narrow steep stairs, low lighting below deck and fire exit points to name a few. This is important on all location filming as allows cast and crew to be safety conscious and become aware of the problems that could occur. Once this was filled out we gave our assessments back to Helen which she approved and acquired the filming equipment we needed to begin shooting.
We wanted a lot of coverage making the process of editing a lot more easier. Although we only had an hour and a half we managed to get a range of shots including exterior wide shots of the boat and on board above and below deck shooting close ups and mid shots. Most shots were done on a tripod to give a smooth ascetic and create stability. We also did some focus pulls on portholes, lanterns and the rigging ropes moving in the wind to give a sense of the boat and it's feeling.
Overall we worked together as a team and I believe we got some great footage of what we were looking to achieve. I learnt how to get varied content (for example 3 close ups to 1 wide) in order to make the editing process a joy rather than a chore.
Below is a final edit I made of the footage (view in 1080p):
The first thing we did was took a walk around the boat to get our bearings. We wanted to see what the boat had to offer in terms of potential shots and content. As we were walking above and below deck we assessed the potential hazards and risks that came with filming on the boat and filled out a risk assessment form. It included low beams, uneven flooring, narrow steep stairs, low lighting below deck and fire exit points to name a few. This is important on all location filming as allows cast and crew to be safety conscious and become aware of the problems that could occur. Once this was filled out we gave our assessments back to Helen which she approved and acquired the filming equipment we needed to begin shooting.
We wanted a lot of coverage making the process of editing a lot more easier. Although we only had an hour and a half we managed to get a range of shots including exterior wide shots of the boat and on board above and below deck shooting close ups and mid shots. Most shots were done on a tripod to give a smooth ascetic and create stability. We also did some focus pulls on portholes, lanterns and the rigging ropes moving in the wind to give a sense of the boat and it's feeling.
Overall we worked together as a team and I believe we got some great footage of what we were looking to achieve. I learnt how to get varied content (for example 3 close ups to 1 wide) in order to make the editing process a joy rather than a chore.
Below is a final edit I made of the footage (view in 1080p):
Wednesday 22 March 2017
Documentary Unit - Presentation
Today we gave a presentation to Helen and Zoe outlining the document and our ideas for our documentary.
We first told our short pitch following with a brief synopsis of what we were setting out to achieve. This gave a basic overview of the project and what the story is. We then explained why we were choosing this story showing facts and statistics, structure, characters and location. Below is a few slides:
Overall we gave a very strong and well researched presentation showing a clear direction on what we wanted to produced although there were some complications. Unfortunatly another group had an almost identical idea in terms of story and content so it was important to acknowledge if we went ahead with our idea there were going to be two pieces very similar. After feedback from Helen and Zoe about other posibilities to explore, we have decided as a group to move to a different angle and adjust our idea to make it different enough so the projects are not the same.
We first told our short pitch following with a brief synopsis of what we were setting out to achieve. This gave a basic overview of the project and what the story is. We then explained why we were choosing this story showing facts and statistics, structure, characters and location. Below is a few slides:
Monday 20 March 2017
Documentary Unit - Pitch Document
Today me and the group typed a document to go along with our pitch on Wednesday. It includes the working title, elevator pitch, synopsis, why this story, Character profiles and the treatment. As the team have elected me to lead the project I delegated sections that each member should do. Jemma did the synopsis, Andreya has done the pitch, Connor looked at the why this story section and I concentrated on the main character profiles. I also helped write the treatment with Andreya.
After a lot of work we all pulled together as a team to produce the document and this is what we came up with.
I believe the document clearly states what we are doing and what we set out to achieve. It has made us all more clearer on the project and has strengthened us moving forward.
After a lot of work we all pulled together as a team to produce the document and this is what we came up with.
I believe the document clearly states what we are doing and what we set out to achieve. It has made us all more clearer on the project and has strengthened us moving forward.
Friday 17 March 2017
Documentary Unit - Feedback & Scripting
Today we learnt several things about how to set up your documentary reviewing the footage from the workshop. Our group had good and positive feedback as the framing was good and the sound was clear and at the right level. The only thing was the contrast on the faces was a little bit exposed but that could easily be adjusted by the zebra setting on the camera.
The main thing we learnt about was how to script for a documentary film. Its not writing it out like a play or a story, its more like a table. An example below shows what I mean.
You would lay it out so that the video is on the left side of the grid and the audio is on the right. It will also be handy to have a duration column also to see how long each section lasts. I will make sure to use this as I beleive its very important to plan and follow when on shoot.
The scripting conventions are as follows:
Seq - Sequence
Act - Actuality
C/A - Cut Away
Sync - Interview Clips
SFX - Sound Effects
Commentary is usually used in bold italics and by the final script it should have developed after multiple versions as its being updated along with the film.
The main thing we learnt about was how to script for a documentary film. Its not writing it out like a play or a story, its more like a table. An example below shows what I mean.
You would lay it out so that the video is on the left side of the grid and the audio is on the right. It will also be handy to have a duration column also to see how long each section lasts. I will make sure to use this as I beleive its very important to plan and follow when on shoot.
The scripting conventions are as follows:
Seq - Sequence
Act - Actuality
C/A - Cut Away
Sync - Interview Clips
SFX - Sound Effects
Commentary is usually used in bold italics and by the final script it should have developed after multiple versions as its being updated along with the film.
Thursday 16 March 2017
Documentary Unit - Interview Workshop
Today we had a helpful insight looking at how to interview a person for a documentary. We had an hour talk about the key points to look out for when filming an interview followed by our group having a go ourselves.
The talk was very interesting and covered aspects I had not even considered. We first talked about Vox pops and when we would use them. Vox pops, often referred to as voice of the people, are clips taken from random people interviewed on the street. It gives an overview of opinion and helps the audience relate to what the general public think of the subject matter being discussed. Its usually used in News Items and would not add much in terms of our documentary so we will not be using those.
Looking at the types of people who are interviewed, it is generally formed into three categories. These are experts, ordinary people and officials. With experts its people like doctors, scientists, lawyers and many other experts who know their specialist field very well. We interview them to give a quote like answer gaining credibility to what we are talking about. Providing an expert opinion give the audience the feeling they are receiving facts and helps the related topic feel real. In our piece we would like to interview an expert for this very reason helping our piece feel credible and realistic to the problems of social media. Ordinary people are those who are not experts but have interest in the subject being talked about. They maybe related to a person in discussion or may have been involved in something similar to the topic. Lastly there are officials. These are people like politicians or CEO's that are strong with their job fields. Although useful it can cause problems as they usually have a very bias view trying to promote themselves or their party.
When looking for an interviewee its important to get the right type of expert or ordinary person. We want someone who's interesting and engaging to make sure the audience do not get bored. If an expert interviewee was not a good talker and did not seem important then the audience would not engage back with them and may feel discredited.
There is a lot of important things to consider before carrying out an interview. Preparation is key and their are many things to organise before anything can go ahead. Firstly there is the location. Its vital to get this right as you want it to tie in with what you are talking about. An example of this would be interviewing a scientist. To make it seem official, interviewing them with a white coat in a laboratory with scientific props in the background like test tubes and computers would add impact making the interview look more interesting as well as adding credibility. The framing and lighting are another factor to think about making sure the scene is lit well and reflects the feel of the documentary whether that being clinical and hard lit or softer and more warm. We often put the person being interviewed off to the side and allow their eye line to travel across the room. If we put the subject in the middle looking into the camera it can work but its more used as a direct approch and often creates too much focus on the person. We will be putting the expert to the side of the framing in a more traditional way but with our main character when they are vlogging themselves we will make them more central to focus on what they are saying.
With sound we learnt that it is important to get good clarity. Having said this it is also important to make sure the person being interview feels comfortable. We will be asking open ended questions using clip mics as it gives good sound and it makes the person feel like they are having more of a conversation with the interviewer as if we put a boom mic over their heads it will make them very concious.
After learning all of this we then got into our groups and had a go at conducting our own interviews with eachother. First we had to decided where we was going to set up. After moving the camera around we settled for pointing it where something was more interesting. Rather then a wall or an open space, we pointed it towards where we had the talk from earlier. There was a a desk where staff were and a projector which made the background more interesting. We then put an LED light focusing on the person being interviewed and had them sitting down. Framing them so they are at the side of the camera, we had a chair where the interviewer sat down so we could get the eye line right. We experimented with different shots including close up and mid shots to give varied content. Below is a few clips I have edited together of what we did.
As you can see we have managed to accomplish this effect when cutting them together as it looks natural and feels right when watching it. We also had a 10 second gap after action and before cut as well as 5 second gaps inbetween questions and answers making it easier to cut. This also lets the interviewee collect their thoughts and give a stronger answer.
The talk was very interesting and covered aspects I had not even considered. We first talked about Vox pops and when we would use them. Vox pops, often referred to as voice of the people, are clips taken from random people interviewed on the street. It gives an overview of opinion and helps the audience relate to what the general public think of the subject matter being discussed. Its usually used in News Items and would not add much in terms of our documentary so we will not be using those.
Looking at the types of people who are interviewed, it is generally formed into three categories. These are experts, ordinary people and officials. With experts its people like doctors, scientists, lawyers and many other experts who know their specialist field very well. We interview them to give a quote like answer gaining credibility to what we are talking about. Providing an expert opinion give the audience the feeling they are receiving facts and helps the related topic feel real. In our piece we would like to interview an expert for this very reason helping our piece feel credible and realistic to the problems of social media. Ordinary people are those who are not experts but have interest in the subject being talked about. They maybe related to a person in discussion or may have been involved in something similar to the topic. Lastly there are officials. These are people like politicians or CEO's that are strong with their job fields. Although useful it can cause problems as they usually have a very bias view trying to promote themselves or their party.
When looking for an interviewee its important to get the right type of expert or ordinary person. We want someone who's interesting and engaging to make sure the audience do not get bored. If an expert interviewee was not a good talker and did not seem important then the audience would not engage back with them and may feel discredited.
There is a lot of important things to consider before carrying out an interview. Preparation is key and their are many things to organise before anything can go ahead. Firstly there is the location. Its vital to get this right as you want it to tie in with what you are talking about. An example of this would be interviewing a scientist. To make it seem official, interviewing them with a white coat in a laboratory with scientific props in the background like test tubes and computers would add impact making the interview look more interesting as well as adding credibility. The framing and lighting are another factor to think about making sure the scene is lit well and reflects the feel of the documentary whether that being clinical and hard lit or softer and more warm. We often put the person being interviewed off to the side and allow their eye line to travel across the room. If we put the subject in the middle looking into the camera it can work but its more used as a direct approch and often creates too much focus on the person. We will be putting the expert to the side of the framing in a more traditional way but with our main character when they are vlogging themselves we will make them more central to focus on what they are saying.
With sound we learnt that it is important to get good clarity. Having said this it is also important to make sure the person being interview feels comfortable. We will be asking open ended questions using clip mics as it gives good sound and it makes the person feel like they are having more of a conversation with the interviewer as if we put a boom mic over their heads it will make them very concious.
After learning all of this we then got into our groups and had a go at conducting our own interviews with eachother. First we had to decided where we was going to set up. After moving the camera around we settled for pointing it where something was more interesting. Rather then a wall or an open space, we pointed it towards where we had the talk from earlier. There was a a desk where staff were and a projector which made the background more interesting. We then put an LED light focusing on the person being interviewed and had them sitting down. Framing them so they are at the side of the camera, we had a chair where the interviewer sat down so we could get the eye line right. We experimented with different shots including close up and mid shots to give varied content. Below is a few clips I have edited together of what we did.
As you can see we have managed to accomplish this effect when cutting them together as it looks natural and feels right when watching it. We also had a 10 second gap after action and before cut as well as 5 second gaps inbetween questions and answers making it easier to cut. This also lets the interviewee collect their thoughts and give a stronger answer.
Tuesday 14 March 2017
Documentary Unit - Researching Characters
Today me and another member from the group looked at researching the main character for our documentary. As we wanted someone who was a vlogger our first point of call was YouTube. We filtered through many potentials and this is who we thought would be appropriate.
Hannah Witton is someone who grabbed our eye. She has interest in taking breaks from the internet and has previously done a 48 hour digital detox. She has over 300,000 subscribers reaching a wide audience and is very topical.
Hannah Witton is someone who grabbed our eye. She has interest in taking breaks from the internet and has previously done a 48 hour digital detox. She has over 300,000 subscribers reaching a wide audience and is very topical.
I have personally emailed her and her management about the project and I'm awaiting a reply.
Monday 13 March 2017
Documentary Unit - Social Media Concept
After a lot of talk with the group we have decided to move forward with an idea for our documentary. We decided social media is a key environment in all of our lives and this needs to be explored further with how it could be potentially bad for us as well as good.
Our Idea is to take a person who falls in the teen bracket and strip away all the use of media from them for the course of 7 days and film them to see how they cope and adapt to modern situations without the use of technology. This includes no phones, laptops, tablets, computers or anything that can be connected to the Internet. I believe this as well as adding heightened situations where they would usually use social media would prove a very watchable and interesting experiment for our demographic as well as wider audiences.
Choosing the right person has to be key. We decided someone who is a YouTube vlogger would be a good way to approach this. They are comfortable in front of the camera but they also have a clear connection with the social media world creating the experiment more relevant. We would film them in day time hours for 7 days but also supply them with a go pro camera so if they feel we are missing something important when we are not there then they can film it themselves.
Ive done some reasearch into who uses social media and I found an interesting table.
Carried out by Pew Reseach Center in January 2014 it shows that younger women with moderate education in the lower earning bracket used social media the most.
I was also reading a study commissioned by Rebtel in 2016 which looked at the online habits of 2361 people in the United States. It explained that 68% of females chose to use social media as strong point of contact as apposed to 54% of men. This to me states that we should be looking for a YouTuber of this description to maximise our results of someone who feels deprived when their social media is taken away.
When concerntrating more on the teenage side of social media I researched a U.K. study of a 1000 teens by the IT firm Logicalis Group. It found that teens spent over an hour and a half everyday streaming online content. It also found that nearly an hour of their day was spent using messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp.
Its clear that teens are spending a large amount of their day on social media and we are setting out to see how bad a person would react in the circumstances to have this taken away. I want to see if it has a positive or negative impact, or even both.
Our Idea is to take a person who falls in the teen bracket and strip away all the use of media from them for the course of 7 days and film them to see how they cope and adapt to modern situations without the use of technology. This includes no phones, laptops, tablets, computers or anything that can be connected to the Internet. I believe this as well as adding heightened situations where they would usually use social media would prove a very watchable and interesting experiment for our demographic as well as wider audiences.
Choosing the right person has to be key. We decided someone who is a YouTube vlogger would be a good way to approach this. They are comfortable in front of the camera but they also have a clear connection with the social media world creating the experiment more relevant. We would film them in day time hours for 7 days but also supply them with a go pro camera so if they feel we are missing something important when we are not there then they can film it themselves.
Ive done some reasearch into who uses social media and I found an interesting table.
Carried out by Pew Reseach Center in January 2014 it shows that younger women with moderate education in the lower earning bracket used social media the most.
I was also reading a study commissioned by Rebtel in 2016 which looked at the online habits of 2361 people in the United States. It explained that 68% of females chose to use social media as strong point of contact as apposed to 54% of men. This to me states that we should be looking for a YouTuber of this description to maximise our results of someone who feels deprived when their social media is taken away.
When concerntrating more on the teenage side of social media I researched a U.K. study of a 1000 teens by the IT firm Logicalis Group. It found that teens spent over an hour and a half everyday streaming online content. It also found that nearly an hour of their day was spent using messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp.
Its clear that teens are spending a large amount of their day on social media and we are setting out to see how bad a person would react in the circumstances to have this taken away. I want to see if it has a positive or negative impact, or even both.
Thursday 9 March 2017
Contextual Studies - Sex and Sexuality
Today we learnt about sex and sexuality in film and TV. With sexuality its expressed in two ways, visually (pornography, eroticism) or in the form of the identity of people (LGBT).
With eroticism we think more about the aesthetic and the visual beauty of sexuality and does not always contain nudity. Pornography is more explicit with nudity and graphic sex. There is heavy media censorship moderated by external censors. Films are rated by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) ranging from U - Universal viewing for all, to 18 - No audience member under the age of 18 is legally allowed to view the film. In America its moderated by the FFC (Federal Communications Commission) which has a different system like PG-13 - Anyone under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult, to R - anyone under the age of 17 must be accompanied by an adult and X where no one under 17 is permitted to view.
There are several differnt types of sexual stereotypes. There's Libertine who is someone who is carefree about their sexual indulgences, a camp person who is generally a man who is feminine, a butch person typically a woman who acts more masculine and an a sexual person who lacks interest in sex or is someone who doesn't have a sexual orientation.
With eroticism we think more about the aesthetic and the visual beauty of sexuality and does not always contain nudity. Pornography is more explicit with nudity and graphic sex. There is heavy media censorship moderated by external censors. Films are rated by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) ranging from U - Universal viewing for all, to 18 - No audience member under the age of 18 is legally allowed to view the film. In America its moderated by the FFC (Federal Communications Commission) which has a different system like PG-13 - Anyone under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult, to R - anyone under the age of 17 must be accompanied by an adult and X where no one under 17 is permitted to view.
There are several differnt types of sexual stereotypes. There's Libertine who is someone who is carefree about their sexual indulgences, a camp person who is generally a man who is feminine, a butch person typically a woman who acts more masculine and an a sexual person who lacks interest in sex or is someone who doesn't have a sexual orientation.
Documentary Unit - Factual Programming
Today I learnt about factuality. Its the over arching term for non - fiction programming and filmmaking. With a lot of different genres and formats, although they share conventions in some ways they often each have there own.
Even though documentary is commonly classed as non fiction it is still construted to some degree. This can cause controversy as the more constructed the film seems, the more problems can be created in the way of being fake and bias.
Some Factual genres:
Current Affairs - often reporter led and deal with weighty subjects with a harder news edge. its usually less character based and more actuality not having as much weight on the story.
Educational - e.g. science or history
Reflexive Documentaries - 'fly in the ointment documentaries' that allow the reporter to be very involved in what they are doing.
Reality TV - for example big brother looking at unadulterated observation
Even though documentary is commonly classed as non fiction it is still construted to some degree. This can cause controversy as the more constructed the film seems, the more problems can be created in the way of being fake and bias.
Some Factual genres:
Current Affairs - often reporter led and deal with weighty subjects with a harder news edge. its usually less character based and more actuality not having as much weight on the story.
Educational - e.g. science or history
Reflexive Documentaries - 'fly in the ointment documentaries' that allow the reporter to be very involved in what they are doing.
Reality TV - for example big brother looking at unadulterated observation
Wednesday 8 March 2017
Documentary Unit - Ideas and how to find them
Today we had a lecture with Zoe Sale who is a freelance director/ producer for documentary and current affairs. The session particuylarly focused on the process of comming up with an idea and getting it commitioned. Below are a few points about an idea develops to eventually becoming commissioned:
- You will have to develop multiple ideas not just one.
- when you have an idea it will evolve several times and more ideas are needed to gain volume.
- once you have a firm idea its needs detail and structure to develop it into a sellable idea for the commisioner.
- Sometimes a mini film of the idea can be made with a small budget to show the commisioner what your trying to achieve.
We looked at an idea that Zoe had which went on to being commitioned called The School that turned Chinese. We watched the mini film that she would show to the commitioners and talked about what makes it sellable. The programme had good strong characters that were likeable and good storytelling was used to name a couple of reasons we discussed.
In order to come up with a good idea yourself you need to have curiosity about the subject you are wishing to pursue. If your not interested then the idea will not be as sustainable and will not flow as well. Keeping a log of sources and contacts is wise as you may need them in the future. Keep a list in a book to refer to.
Using other media is really important to get substance behind an idea. Reading papers and looking at letters lists, including ones that not everyone reads to gain more angles and insight to a situation or event. Also getting behind the headlines and looking at all the interviews will help this develop.
Brainstorming is an effective way when trying to expand and grow an initial idea. The group can all contribute together to build upon a seed and elaborate on how to make a good idea better. Starting with a subject in the middle, lines are then drawn out with smaller headings to break down the idea to its rawest form.
Locations are important in the development process. Thinking of where to film, whether that be a field or a building, can spark inspiration and can get the ball rolling faster.
Investivation is a wide spectrum that can be explored. Advanced searching on google can help to narrow specifically what your looking for as well as using a hashtag (#) filter on twitter on facebook.
Its important that a storytelling is used throughout a documentary piece. Think about what sort of story you are trying to tell and how it's going to interest people. Also think about what the hook is. What is going to make people watch this film?
- You will have to develop multiple ideas not just one.
- when you have an idea it will evolve several times and more ideas are needed to gain volume.
- once you have a firm idea its needs detail and structure to develop it into a sellable idea for the commisioner.
- Sometimes a mini film of the idea can be made with a small budget to show the commisioner what your trying to achieve.
We looked at an idea that Zoe had which went on to being commitioned called The School that turned Chinese. We watched the mini film that she would show to the commitioners and talked about what makes it sellable. The programme had good strong characters that were likeable and good storytelling was used to name a couple of reasons we discussed.
In order to come up with a good idea yourself you need to have curiosity about the subject you are wishing to pursue. If your not interested then the idea will not be as sustainable and will not flow as well. Keeping a log of sources and contacts is wise as you may need them in the future. Keep a list in a book to refer to.
Using other media is really important to get substance behind an idea. Reading papers and looking at letters lists, including ones that not everyone reads to gain more angles and insight to a situation or event. Also getting behind the headlines and looking at all the interviews will help this develop.
Brainstorming is an effective way when trying to expand and grow an initial idea. The group can all contribute together to build upon a seed and elaborate on how to make a good idea better. Starting with a subject in the middle, lines are then drawn out with smaller headings to break down the idea to its rawest form.
Locations are important in the development process. Thinking of where to film, whether that be a field or a building, can spark inspiration and can get the ball rolling faster.
Investivation is a wide spectrum that can be explored. Advanced searching on google can help to narrow specifically what your looking for as well as using a hashtag (#) filter on twitter on facebook.
Its important that a storytelling is used throughout a documentary piece. Think about what sort of story you are trying to tell and how it's going to interest people. Also think about what the hook is. What is going to make people watch this film?
Monday 6 March 2017
Documentary Unit - Introduction and ideas
Today I had a briefing on the documentary unit for this term. After putting ourselves into a group of 4 we will together prepare, produce and complete a 10 minute documentary. The brief outlines that it must be based about teen spirit in the style of something that could be shown on the media channel BBC Three.
After a few days we have come up with several ideas. I particulary wanted to put forward an idea about the subject of mental health. I believe doing something that could look at an issue that is gainning a lot more media attention recently could be informative, effective and feel relevent to the audience. As teenagers are very much at the heart of the issue and it affects them significantly, I believe this would gain attention and would interest the target audience its aimed for.
I spoke to Zoe about this Idea and she thought it was a good avenue to explore. It would need work on what health issues were being explored and what the story would be behind it but she liked the idea of the subject matter.
After a few days we have come up with several ideas. I particulary wanted to put forward an idea about the subject of mental health. I believe doing something that could look at an issue that is gainning a lot more media attention recently could be informative, effective and feel relevent to the audience. As teenagers are very much at the heart of the issue and it affects them significantly, I believe this would gain attention and would interest the target audience its aimed for.
I spoke to Zoe about this Idea and she thought it was a good avenue to explore. It would need work on what health issues were being explored and what the story would be behind it but she liked the idea of the subject matter.
Thursday 2 March 2017
Directions Unit - Critical Evaluation
In this evaluation I will be analysing how this unit went focusing on what I thought went well and what didn't go so well. I feel I have learnt a lot from this unit and although I am happy with how most things went, there are a few things I have reflected on and would do differently in the future. As a final result I have managed to finish with a 8minute film redirected my way and a blog to show the journey making the production.
I started off researching about my chosen director. I chose Sam Mendes because I find his work very captivating and fascinating. I can relate to the way he directs and the final product he ends up with. Although I love the way he works I also chose him to see what I could do differently and how I can take a piece of his work and put my own spin on it trying to better certain scenes to the way I see them. I saw this unit as my own challenge to take something I love and direct it into something Id love even more by adding my style to it.
After looking at Sam Mendes work I had an incline that I was going to take a scene from the film Revolutionary Road as I felt this film had a good plot line and would be a good project to take on myself. I decided that I would watch the film several times and then write up a film review contextualising it throughout. This allowed me to pick apart at the films structure and really understand what I was going to be producing. I finally decided on my scenes and decided to go down the shock road. I chose to do a heavy argument scene followed by the wife dying from a self abortion. With these scenes I knew the drama was strong and I wanted to create an impact and produce something powerful that will leave people thinking. Although the abortion scene was great to test out my visual directing, I felt the dialogue scene before it was a bit too much and I began concentrating on that much more than I should have rather than more of the cinematography that carried through in the final scenes.
I then went on to produce a professional looking script and looked to cast actors for my main roles. This took some time but I decided to go for Alessandra who I have worked with in a previous project and I feel this was the right decision as she threw herself into the role and really delivered on performance. For the male role none of the actors who applied were suitable and I began to get stressed that I wouldn't find someone to play the role. I moved to contacting actors directly after doing a search in the local area on casting call pro. This was a good move as I was able to lock down someone who was right for the role. I feel I should have done this sooner to help broaden my options but the result was good in the end. I developed shot lists and schedules to make sure the shoot would flow well which were very handy when it came to the day. Both actors said they felt I was very professional and would gladly work with me again.
Throughout this process I had workshops with Steve Finn a Television director which helped me to understand the art of blocking. I had never really understood what that meant before the unit and I now feel I have a new skill and more knowledge that I can use in the future. I did try and block with my shoot which worked well but there were a few issues with the argument scene as we were working in such a tight space. For a first proper attempt at blocking I feel I understood what I was trying to do but feel it could have been better. I know this is something to improve on and will only get better with more practice.
I found shooting the argument scene in general was really difficult. Although I managed to keep the performances high and give good direction from what I wanted to see from the actors, the camera angles and lighting could have been better. In some sequences I jump over the 180° line quite a lot and although It can be forgivable when edited, it took a lot of work as not enough coverage was gone from one side. This is something I have learned from and will look to improve next time.
Whilst editing is always a very enjoyable part of the process for me, that particular scene did turn into a chore as it was very difficult to get it to the standard I wanted. Although I am happy with it I still feel it could be a lot cleaner and smoother in places. The second half of the film was a lot more enjoyable due to a great amount of coverage and content to choose from. Some of the colour was a little out but I did correct it the best I could. I like the higher contrast of the second half giving it a surreal feel to it and I feel it really adds to what I am trying to show.
Besides the complexity of the argument scene I very much enjoyed the process and although some things could have gone better, most of the project came out strong due to outputs from work shops and a good use of planning.
I started off researching about my chosen director. I chose Sam Mendes because I find his work very captivating and fascinating. I can relate to the way he directs and the final product he ends up with. Although I love the way he works I also chose him to see what I could do differently and how I can take a piece of his work and put my own spin on it trying to better certain scenes to the way I see them. I saw this unit as my own challenge to take something I love and direct it into something Id love even more by adding my style to it.
After looking at Sam Mendes work I had an incline that I was going to take a scene from the film Revolutionary Road as I felt this film had a good plot line and would be a good project to take on myself. I decided that I would watch the film several times and then write up a film review contextualising it throughout. This allowed me to pick apart at the films structure and really understand what I was going to be producing. I finally decided on my scenes and decided to go down the shock road. I chose to do a heavy argument scene followed by the wife dying from a self abortion. With these scenes I knew the drama was strong and I wanted to create an impact and produce something powerful that will leave people thinking. Although the abortion scene was great to test out my visual directing, I felt the dialogue scene before it was a bit too much and I began concentrating on that much more than I should have rather than more of the cinematography that carried through in the final scenes.
I then went on to produce a professional looking script and looked to cast actors for my main roles. This took some time but I decided to go for Alessandra who I have worked with in a previous project and I feel this was the right decision as she threw herself into the role and really delivered on performance. For the male role none of the actors who applied were suitable and I began to get stressed that I wouldn't find someone to play the role. I moved to contacting actors directly after doing a search in the local area on casting call pro. This was a good move as I was able to lock down someone who was right for the role. I feel I should have done this sooner to help broaden my options but the result was good in the end. I developed shot lists and schedules to make sure the shoot would flow well which were very handy when it came to the day. Both actors said they felt I was very professional and would gladly work with me again.
Throughout this process I had workshops with Steve Finn a Television director which helped me to understand the art of blocking. I had never really understood what that meant before the unit and I now feel I have a new skill and more knowledge that I can use in the future. I did try and block with my shoot which worked well but there were a few issues with the argument scene as we were working in such a tight space. For a first proper attempt at blocking I feel I understood what I was trying to do but feel it could have been better. I know this is something to improve on and will only get better with more practice.
I found shooting the argument scene in general was really difficult. Although I managed to keep the performances high and give good direction from what I wanted to see from the actors, the camera angles and lighting could have been better. In some sequences I jump over the 180° line quite a lot and although It can be forgivable when edited, it took a lot of work as not enough coverage was gone from one side. This is something I have learned from and will look to improve next time.
Whilst editing is always a very enjoyable part of the process for me, that particular scene did turn into a chore as it was very difficult to get it to the standard I wanted. Although I am happy with it I still feel it could be a lot cleaner and smoother in places. The second half of the film was a lot more enjoyable due to a great amount of coverage and content to choose from. Some of the colour was a little out but I did correct it the best I could. I like the higher contrast of the second half giving it a surreal feel to it and I feel it really adds to what I am trying to show.
Besides the complexity of the argument scene I very much enjoyed the process and although some things could have gone better, most of the project came out strong due to outputs from work shops and a good use of planning.
Directions Unit - Directors Statement
In this statement I will outline all of my creative decisions that I made throughout the process of my production and why I chose to do them in that way. Over the statement I will be looking in particular at my casting, the location, production/costume design, sound design, camera approach, editing and visual style.
In terms of casting I wanted to make sure the characters were believable. When I was thinking about who I wanted to cast I didn't want them to be striking and stunning as this would be a distraction and breaks the alignment bond between the audience, I didn't want them to be at an unreachable standard. I wanted my characters to translate from the script as these 2 normal people who emulate success in their life in the way they look that is achievable for the reality they could find themselves in. I cast Alessandra because I felt she was the perfect fit. She looks old enough to have had the time to make a success of her life but is also in that early stage of parenthood. She has an attractive look but she's not superficial. Oliver who plays frank is very much the same. He looks a few years older than her and is also attractive but looks like he could have a darker side to the way he acts.
In regards to location, I wanted to show the state of equilibrium the two characters hold in contrast to the irony of the situation that unfolds. They have a nice house, nice things but all that really equates to is material fabrication when the situation they are dealing with and the health issues April experiences are real. The heated row and the depression of April overshadow all of the things they thought would make them happy and thats a key part to the story.
In order to make this work I had to choose somewhere that looked aesthetically pleasing and would symbolise there success from there ocupational background. I was originally going to use a coverted barn but I felt this would be too masculine. I wanted to choose a gender neutral house to reflect to the audience that both genders who are watching the film could see themselves in the house. I settled on a house in bearsted that worked perfectly.
When looking around the house it had a great stair case to get good shots in the way of cinematography. I felt I could capture the feeling of what she has just been through walking down the stairs and make the journey longer with it having three stages. The other room that I particularly liked was the bay windows in the front living room. I could really see it working with the story of her looking out the window and shows the grandness of the room. The garden was long and green which was also another desicion to why I chose this.
In terms of production design on the I used various props to make it seem more effective. The rubber tube I ordered and looks like the one from the film. I wanted this prop to be the same to convey what she was using. I also made fake blood and took 3 attempts to get the colour looking real and the consistancy authentic. I also brought different cusion covers to make the house seem more neutral as the others were very feminine and I borrowed a white towel to add to the clincal side of things in the bathroom.
When looking at sound design I was very particular with what I wanted. when the couple are having an arguement I wanted it to be completly silent. I recorded a buzz track to play in the background but nothing else apart from their dialogue. This created impact and makes the audience feel as tho they are standing there witnessing the events taking place. For the second part I wanted to completly flip this and have no dialogue but only non diegetic audio. I did this to make it more surreel and also letting the score heighten its own emotion of the scene. I felt it made the scene more surreel and dreamy creating a sense that this is something that isn't really happening although it is. The only piece of dialogue I added was the phone call April makes to the emergency services. I recorded this in a quiet enviroment and seperatly to give clear clarity. I then put an echo effect on it to make it sound more like a phone call. Although in the film you see her walk off and make the call I felt it would be more effective to overlay it on the scene where her husband is distraught and running tieing the two scenes together.
With camera I also wanted a contrast between the argument scene and the rest as it was important to differenciate what was happening. With the arguement I decided to film it handheld. This created realism and made the film more gritty. It showed that what was happening wasn't a cinematic moment but more something that could be going on behind everyones closed doors. I felt this was very effective and worked well.
The second half as mentioned before I wanted to be more cinematic and dream like. I used smoother and more static shots. We used a smoke machine in the garden for the running scene as I wanted to add more atmosphere and highten it to more than just a man running. When April she walks down the corridor I panned back slowly following her and with the reveal scene I panned out slowly and smoothly. I wanted the sequence to look like she was trapped in her own paradise so I filmed a shot outside the window reflecting the trees to show life and realism on the outside but she is trapped behind the glass like shes dieing on the inside.
When editing it all together I wanted the first bit to have a pace but have less cuts when there was something important to be said. In the second sequence everything is much more slow and higher in contrast to reflect the dreamy and cinematic feel as well as the sense that she really is walking her last steps to her death. The phone call was edited seperatly and added in after as well to make the call stand out.
Overall I feel the the film is powerful but also had the moods and tones that make it realistic in some ways and not as much in others. I am really pleased with my choices and feel they worked with the overall effect of the film.
In terms of casting I wanted to make sure the characters were believable. When I was thinking about who I wanted to cast I didn't want them to be striking and stunning as this would be a distraction and breaks the alignment bond between the audience, I didn't want them to be at an unreachable standard. I wanted my characters to translate from the script as these 2 normal people who emulate success in their life in the way they look that is achievable for the reality they could find themselves in. I cast Alessandra because I felt she was the perfect fit. She looks old enough to have had the time to make a success of her life but is also in that early stage of parenthood. She has an attractive look but she's not superficial. Oliver who plays frank is very much the same. He looks a few years older than her and is also attractive but looks like he could have a darker side to the way he acts.
In regards to location, I wanted to show the state of equilibrium the two characters hold in contrast to the irony of the situation that unfolds. They have a nice house, nice things but all that really equates to is material fabrication when the situation they are dealing with and the health issues April experiences are real. The heated row and the depression of April overshadow all of the things they thought would make them happy and thats a key part to the story.
In order to make this work I had to choose somewhere that looked aesthetically pleasing and would symbolise there success from there ocupational background. I was originally going to use a coverted barn but I felt this would be too masculine. I wanted to choose a gender neutral house to reflect to the audience that both genders who are watching the film could see themselves in the house. I settled on a house in bearsted that worked perfectly.
When looking around the house it had a great stair case to get good shots in the way of cinematography. I felt I could capture the feeling of what she has just been through walking down the stairs and make the journey longer with it having three stages. The other room that I particularly liked was the bay windows in the front living room. I could really see it working with the story of her looking out the window and shows the grandness of the room. The garden was long and green which was also another desicion to why I chose this.
With the costume I thought hard about how to portray the characters right. For Oliver I wanted him to wear a shirt and jeans to reflect him being a formal person but relaxed. It also shows he is more the breadwinner in the house as I wanted her to wear a nice but more casual jumper and jeans. When It came to the blood scene in the film the character wore a blouse and skirt. I wanted to reflect her going through something that is suposed to be clinical and done proffesionally like in a hospital but shes obviously doing it herself. After hours of looking online and going to high street shops I settled on this satin dress that ties with a belt. It is a dress but it could also look like a dressing gown or a hospital wrobe.
When looking at sound design I was very particular with what I wanted. when the couple are having an arguement I wanted it to be completly silent. I recorded a buzz track to play in the background but nothing else apart from their dialogue. This created impact and makes the audience feel as tho they are standing there witnessing the events taking place. For the second part I wanted to completly flip this and have no dialogue but only non diegetic audio. I did this to make it more surreel and also letting the score heighten its own emotion of the scene. I felt it made the scene more surreel and dreamy creating a sense that this is something that isn't really happening although it is. The only piece of dialogue I added was the phone call April makes to the emergency services. I recorded this in a quiet enviroment and seperatly to give clear clarity. I then put an echo effect on it to make it sound more like a phone call. Although in the film you see her walk off and make the call I felt it would be more effective to overlay it on the scene where her husband is distraught and running tieing the two scenes together.
With camera I also wanted a contrast between the argument scene and the rest as it was important to differenciate what was happening. With the arguement I decided to film it handheld. This created realism and made the film more gritty. It showed that what was happening wasn't a cinematic moment but more something that could be going on behind everyones closed doors. I felt this was very effective and worked well.
The second half as mentioned before I wanted to be more cinematic and dream like. I used smoother and more static shots. We used a smoke machine in the garden for the running scene as I wanted to add more atmosphere and highten it to more than just a man running. When April she walks down the corridor I panned back slowly following her and with the reveal scene I panned out slowly and smoothly. I wanted the sequence to look like she was trapped in her own paradise so I filmed a shot outside the window reflecting the trees to show life and realism on the outside but she is trapped behind the glass like shes dieing on the inside.
When editing it all together I wanted the first bit to have a pace but have less cuts when there was something important to be said. In the second sequence everything is much more slow and higher in contrast to reflect the dreamy and cinematic feel as well as the sense that she really is walking her last steps to her death. The phone call was edited seperatly and added in after as well to make the call stand out.
Overall I feel the the film is powerful but also had the moods and tones that make it realistic in some ways and not as much in others. I am really pleased with my choices and feel they worked with the overall effect of the film.
Wednesday 1 March 2017
Directions Unit - BVE exhibition
Although this was interesting and great fun to experience and get hands on with the equipment, the main focus point that I learned a lot from was the talks from industry professionals and directors on how they achieved there work. From directors of feature films to the cast and crew from BBC Planet Earth, It was a real eye opener and inspired me to learn more. The directors talked about the cinematography and how they get their style of work focusing on a single vision that develops and evolves as they plan more into their production. The main thing they said was that no two jobs they did were the same and they are still learning throughout their careers in how they can become better at what they do.
Over all this was a great event to attend and I feel it has contributed to an understanding of what I have to do in order to achieve the level of success they have had.
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