Transitions Unit - Critical Evaluation

I have learnt so much from this unit. I really pushed myself to focus on my role as director and strive to make something that is beyond what I have done before. I'm always looking to improve and develop my ability and skills and I feel that this unit can reflect that.

Initial Development
It all started with the initial ideas. I knew that I wanted to focus on being a director and I knew that a lot of my other work didn't have as much movement. I wanted to try this out and really go for something that's quite cinematic in an American style TV show. I began to focus on shows like American Horror Story and really wanted to do a scene from that. It was elegant and was shot really well. I then thought about doing the music video of The Yeah Yeah Yeah's called Sacrilege and making it interesting by inverting the characters genders. There was a major underlying mistake with these two things that I was not realizing, both of these ideas were already shot the way I wanted to do them and so if I was to go with these ideas I wouldn't be incorporating my own style into them. I realized what I was doing was actually building on inspiration to help get ideas for something that was not shot in this way.

After a long discussion with the group, we came to the decision that we did not have the time or budget to make the music video and we would have to go with a different scene. I suggested doing Black Mirror and the episode called White Bear. Both Drey and George were on board with the idea and I was happy as the original is quite shakey, bleak and dark. The shots didn't have the smooth American look that I wanted to go for and I could envision something completely different to how I would have done the scenes. I was glad I could finally put my own stamp on to something and make it my own.

Pre- Production
We then began the pre-production stages. Since there was no producer in our group I decided to take the lead as, being Director, I can help mold and set up the production to how I am envisioning it. Drey and George also helped out researching pieces and sourcing things like costumes and props to help towards the production. We attended locations to do recce's and I wrote a clear shot list to help me when It came to shooting. Once this was written and I knew the locations, I was able to test the ideas I had been having. Using the track and dolly, the shots were smooth and really took the shots to the next level and this was exactly what I wanted for the film. I also experimented with the drone which was another thing that I'm glad I tested as I had a go at flying it and then uploading the footage to see its quality which I was happy with.

When it came to permissions, I knew the owner of the house we would be shooting in and she was fine about us using this as the location. Some of the outside scenes would prove to be a bit more controversial with a man walking down the lane with a balaclava and a gun so I ensured all the neighbours knew prior to the shoot. I also was responsible for contacting the Kent Film Office and the police about using a fake firearm to ensure I had a permit and everything was legal when it came to shoot day. I did leave this a little bit late and got the permission a few days before filming so I realize I should have done this a little bit earlier which I will do in future.

When it came to casting, as director this is an important part of the process. I sat down and looked at people showreels and their experience before deciding who I wanted to play the role. I also had a phone call with the woman in question and I was able to offer her the role. I considered all of her past work but also her look as I wanted it to marry up with the narrative and the vision I had in my head. I believe that Claudia was the best person for the role and I am very happy with my decision.

Overall I'm really pleased with how I handled the pre-production stage. I was organized and produced work that would really help towards the production stage. My shotlist was great to help me get all the shots I would need, testing my ideas helped me to understand problems that may arise on the shoot as well as it helped me to understand the look a track and dolly would give me and also my casting I feel was the right decision.

Production
When it came to production most things went really smoothly. I arrived on time and was able to go through my shotlist so I knew what I wanted from the shoot. I had sent out call sheets before the day so everyone knew what time to be on set and what they were doing. When everyone got here I went through the schedule for the day to further enforce what we would be doing and then we started shooting the first scene. Everyone took direction really well and I ensured I was communicated with both the actress and the D.O.P to ensure we were capturing the right look for the scene. When it came to the hallway scene this is where we hit some issues. The shot I had imagined was proving very difficult to do. I assumed that since using the track on testing it would be fine but on the day for this scene, there was a lot more motion to it. We did take after take and eventually, we got the shot that I wanted. I kept everyone reassured and made sure I was being clear with the shot that I was aiming to get and everyone's perseverance with me really paid off as the shot looked fantastic. Since it was a frustrating shot I called lunch and everyone had a break and was able to have a breather. When we shot the scenes in the afternoon everyone was ready to go again. I had tested to make sure the TV would display the graphic before but when it came to the day the television was playing up and was being very difficult. I made sure I was keeping patient and that everyone was still positive so that when the difficulty was fixed we would be ready to go again.

On the second and final shoot day, everything was a little bit different. There was a major accident in the morning and everything was delayed by an hour. Once everyone got there we all got straight back to it. We started filming in the back garden and I wanted all the shots to be consistent so I continued to use movements of the track as well as static shots. I also used a range of wides and close-ups so we had a range to edit with. It was a hot day and I had brought lots of water so that everyone kept hydrated throughout the shoot. We then moved on to the drone shot outside. This was quite difficult at first. I wanted this smooth fluid motion and this was quite difficult to master. I had a go at flying it and after several takes, I managed to get the shot that you can see in the final edit. I am very pleased with how that looked and with everyone's co-operation during the takes. The last scene to shoot was the running scene and this proved the most difficult. It was hard to get the movement right with the drone as it was a very fast scene with the actress running and the drone was struggling to keep up. In the end I decided that we would have to slow the actresses running down in order to get the take which I was not happy about but it was the only way we could complete the scene with the drone. I also positioned the extras all along the road so that when it flew past they would appear which I felt was very effective.

Overall the production went really well. I felt I gave clear direction to everyone involved, kept very patient and had a good positive attitude that showed confidence and clear vision. I am very happy with the way I directed on the shoot and I loved doing it.

Post Production
In post-production, I sat with George Nicholls to make sure I was relaying my vision of how I wanted the final edit to look. I found it quite frustrating at first as I usually do the editing myself and it was difficult having someone else who was in control. I did eventually get used to it and I was able to let George edit whilst I told him how I wanted it to look. Although I feel we had some issues as there was a slight power struggle with the creative control, we put our differences to one side and we eventually got to the final result and I am very happy with how the final edit looks. It was stressful at times but with patience and determination, it was all worth it.

Overall I am really happy with the unit. I believe through all the stages my ability has been pushed another step further. I feel this unit has set me up for third year when it comes to the major production and I am very confident that I showed great directing ability all the way through. I am so pleased with what myself and the team have accomplished and I feel that as a director, I know the role to a high knowledge.

Transitions Unit - Directors Statement

Throughout this unit, I have been making clear and important decisions which have influenced the final outcome of the project. From the original scene, I have made differences in every aspect of pre-production, production and, post-production using prior knowledge and research of what a director does to make this project my own vision and to evolve it into my own piece.

In the initial stages, I watched the scene and envisioned how I would do it differently in my own head. I captured the narrative and importance of key elements so that they would not be lost and to ensure I was keeping the pieces that were needed to make it true to the original but from this, I was able to develop, heighten and recreate something that looked and felt like it was my own version.

With locations, I wanted to change this from the original. I decided that I was going to change the characters class from a lower/ working class to a more middle/ upper-class background. I did this as I felt it would add more intrigue by what was happening on screen. Charlie Brooker's episode deals with a particular crime that I feel to some extent would add more mystery if the character was from a middle-class background, whos lives are seen as more stable and less problematic. I wanted to project that people from middle class and upper-class backgrounds deal with problems that are not just about money or embezzlement, but also more serious crimes. Reflecting this, I wanted to show her class by choosing a large house that was modern to reflect her wealth. The house we used I feel was ideal and really showed this. I also wanted a location that would be good to work with blocking wise as well as to emulate the shots I had imagined. The rooms I chose to work in for the scenes were spacious allowing room for tracking shots but also had elements of narrow tight corridors and alleys that connected these larger rooms to help with tension and give a claustrophobic feel.

When looking at casting, I wanted this to be as good as it could possibly be. I wanted the protagonist to be the right age and to deliver the ability I was looking for. After looking through lots of showreels and experience, I settled on Claudia. She was the perfect age being in her early 30's as any younger may not have been as believable. I also didn't want to go too much older as this may stray too far from the original. I made sure before hiring her that her acting was going to be what we needed and I feel this paid off as she really carried the part well throughout the piece. She took direction really well and knew the process of a shoot day.

When it came to shooting I wanted to make sure I added my inspirations into the piece. The original is shakey, bleak and handheld. It has a very British feel to it. I wanted to change this and make everything smooth, static and American looking creating a flow of movement throughout. I chose to do it this way because I felt it matched the background of the person I was telling the story about but also it took the production to a completely different level. Everything looked really slick and created a sense of the slow building horror that was about to be unfolded. With production design, we used a Pistol replica gun for the outdoor scenes instead of a Riffle replica as I felt this created a more refined look and contributed more to the American tone. There was also the costume that emulated this aswell going from a tracksuit to blue jeans, a white vest top and, an oversized shirt.

With the outside scenes, I didn't want to lose the fluidity of the shots. Most of this was going to be really difficult on a track and would be very impractical like going down stairs or trying to roll a camera on gravel. I opted to use a drone as this did not use a surface to move and could still give me the type of movement I was after to marry up with the other shots I had previously got. Although it took a bit of time and practice with the new equipment, I feel it was vital to making sure the shots would continue to be smooth and fluid.

In post production I wanted to ensure that the pace was kept slow and suspensful through most of it and then fast on the chase scene at the end. I worked with George Nicholls to ensure that it was hitting all the right areas and that the sound design was really effective for heightening the atmosphere. I also advised the D.O.P of the type of tone I wanted the film to look colour wise and she took these ideas into consideration to come up with a style of her own that really brought the film its own style.

Overall Im happy with the choices I made and feel they were all key to making this production my own version of the original sequence. I have kept the narrative very similar but added elements and a complete change of style that fits my own vision for the piece.

Transitions Unit - The Edit

Once the production was done, I sat down with George Nicholls to go through the editing process with him. First of all, myself and George looked through the footage and would get all the best takes of each scene. I would then tell George how I wanted each section to be and he would edit. I sat with him through the whole process and gave direction throughout to ensure my vision was conveyed.

Within the first couple of days, we had a rough cut and this allowed us to see what the final cut was going to look like. I was very happy with how the shots turned out and the quality of the footage. Once the rough cut was done, we were able to piece it together more finely tuned and make tweaks to ensure that the film had pace and flow. We also adjusted sound and I was asking George to make tweaks with the score and the audio of the footage.

Once we had a fine cut, we showed this to Simon who was happy with what we had done. The shot he was not sure about was the drone shot at the end so we went back to the drawing board and played with the speed to try and fix the issue.

When we were happy with the edit, Drey was able to help George with colour grading and get the films cinematic look to ensure all the shots matched and were looking at their best. They would adjust scenes and then I would look and ask them to make adjustments.

Overall I'm very happy with the final edit and I am pleased with the final production as a whole. I felt I gave good direction and this shows in the final edit.

Transitions Unit - Shoot Day Two

The start of shoot day two was organised very similar to shoot day one however there was an accident on the motorway in the morning and there was a terrible amount of traffic. This meant that the shoot was delayed an hour from when we was meant to start shooting. When everyone got to the location everything was set up straight away and we went straight into filming scene four.

All the scenes today are external and we had really good weather. Although its a bit bright and sunny I decided that this would have to be dulled down in post. We started off in the back garden and got several static shots of the character coming out of the door. I was referring to my shot list to make sure we were getting every shot we needed including close ups and mid shots. We then moved to the patio and used the track to get a slow moving shot of the actress walking. I wanted to use the track over both the shoot days to keep the film looking consistent.

Once the back garden shots were done we then moved to the front of the house. Our first shot was using the drone. This proved very tricky as it was difficult to get the movements of the drone smooth and steady but once we mastered it after a couple of takes the footage looked really good. This shot I believe creates a really nice change and makes the production look a lot more expensive and well made. 

We had lunch and then set up to do the chase scenes. The gun was locked away in a case and had been under supervision as the permit stated. We also put signs up on the road to let people know we were filming the crew put their Hi-Vis jackets on. Unfortunately an actor I had lined up for this role dropped out so I had no choice but to step in. It was a short scene and I was running back and forth between each shot to make sure I was still happy with the framing and the footage we were getting. 

Once this scene was over we then moved onto the close ups. I needed people at windows who would stare out of them and record the character as she pleads for them to tell her whats going on. I made sure the windows were extreme close ups so we could cut them in seamlessly and we used the next door neighbours house as well so it would show it wasn't her house. 

We finally did the scene where all the extras were standing along the lane. She is running and no one is helping her they just film. We used a drone for this and at first it had real trouble adapting to the space around itself not flighting the way we wanted it to. Eventually we were able to get the shot and I'm very happy with it. Overall Im pleased with how well this day went as well as the one before. This for me has been a successful shoot and I'm pleased with how I directed it. 

Transitions Unit - Contacting and Liaising

In the lead up to both shoot days, I have had to make sure I am contacting people and being very organized to make sure that when it comes to directing the shoot, all protocols will be in place and ready for us to film. Although I understand this is more of a producer/ researcher role, I am taking it under my wing as we do not have a producer in our team and I want to ensure that I can direct the scenes with all relevant permissions.

I have been liaising with Claudia over the course of the project since the new idea. I was at first emailing her on Mandy.com (Casting website) to get her on board with the project. When this was finalized I was then able to discuss future requirements about the project over email and over the phone including dates, times, call sheets and costume. There are a couple of examples below: 

In regards to sorting out permissions, all the neighbours were made aware that we would be filming on both days and although we would be using the lane on the 2nd shoot day, they would have right of access at all times. One of the hardest parts in regards to the shoot was sorting out the permission for using a fake firearm. I first contacted kent police submitting an enquiry about using a fake gun. I explained that it was a replica and would not be loaded or fired during rehearsals, takes or at any point where the gun was in our possession. I wanted a while before getting a response from the kent film office. This detailed that it would be a criminal offense for us to use a fake firearm in public until they had more details from us and until we gained the required permit. I submitted all the relevant paperwork they required and waited for further response.

We were finally granted a permit to use the fake firearm under strict conditions that we will follow on the day of the production shoot. 

Transitions Unit - Shoot Day One

I decided that in order to get all the shots I need and so that we could do them with enough time and precision, we would shoot over 2 days. Scenes one, two and three would be shot on the first day and scenes four and 5 would be shot on the second. Having my shot list ready, testing all my ideas and making sure the actress would be on time and aware of the day, I was ready to begin directing the first shoot.

I started the day arriving at the location in the early morning. Drey was organized to pick up Claudia so this gave me a chance to make sure everything was ready and in place. I put all the food for lunch in the fridge and went to the first scene to make sure all the batteries were charged and all the equipment was there and ready to go. I next made sure all of the actresses costumes were laid out and ready for her to put on when she arrived. Once everything was in order, I then went to the first scene again and dressed the set. Since this was actually a teenage girls bedroom I wanted it to be more of an adults bedroom. I took down posters and moved toys and anything that would look odd in the scene. I next laid out the pills on the floor and had the bandages ready for the actress to put on. After looking over my shot list again the actress arrived we all had a quick meeting about the schedule for the day.

When the actress was changed and ready we all moved to the first scene in the bedroom. Drey checked the camera and her settings, as well as the lighting, and George took notes to help with his editing. Once we were all ready we then began to start filming.

We started with the tracking shots as these were longer to do and after each take, I reviewed the footage to make sure it was exactly how I wanted it. I would say to Drey about the speed and movement of the camera on the track whilst telling the actress how I wanted her to look expressively and making sure she knew her blocking throughout the scene. Both took direction really well and I was very happy with the footage that we got. 

Once This was done I could then go through the static shots again telling Drey the type of framing I wanted and explaining to the actress exactly how I wanted her to move and react. Since there was going to nothing shaky throughout the shoot we used a tripod to do all of the static shots rather than handheld so that everything was perfectly still. Once these were done I then was able to do close-ups of the actress, props and the graphic George had created on the TV to ensure I had a lot of variety so that it would make the edit easier and we had a lot of choices. Once this scene was complete we then moved onto the next which was in the hallway. 

The first half of this scene was fairly straightforward with a static shot on the stairs and a close-up of the actress coming down. I was conscious that they were quite long shots but this is how I wanted it to build tension. When we got to the second half of the scene this was when the most complicated shot of the whole shoot appeared. At the bottom of the hallway, I had laid the track and wanted a 2 step glide movement. the first step was panning as the actress came down the stairs and then the camera would move backward on the track as she walked towards it down the hall. Although this sounds simple it proved to be difficult as I discovered it looked great when the pan and the backward slightly overlapped each other as one would end and one would start. We did take after take of this until eventually we achieved it perfectly and got the shot I wanted. 

Frustrations ran high doing that shot but everyone kept calm and perseverance paid off. I decided to call lunch so we could dock the footage, review it and take a break. Once lunch was finished we moved into the third and final scene. This consisted of shooting in the kitchen/ living room area. We started off on tripod as I wanted to do a static panning shot of the actress walking over to the sink. When she sees the glass of water she rushes to the sink and quickly has a glass of water due to thirst. All of the over shots before have been slow so I wanted to make this a little bit different and off guard. The pan starts slow as the character enters the kitchen and then speeds up as she rushes over to the sink. This worked really well and added a different shot to what we have already got so far. I also wanted a close up to cut into this so we went through the window so we could get a face on approach. 

Finally, we had a shot with the track again and we did a different kind of movement. The character walks towards the camera as its slides slowly left and then pans to follow her as she walks away from it. This created a really nice effect and after a few take's I was very happy with it. Overall I'm very happy with how the shoot went and I feel I directed everyone really well in terms of camera and blocking. The footage looks really good and I'm excited to do the next day of shooting. 

Transitions Unit - Call Sheets

In order to make sure the cast and crew knew what was happening on the day, I created a call sheet for both shoots that were sent out to everyone. You can see one below:

I had the name of the production at the top along with the date. The next column included the job roles of the crew and their names along side it so that everyone knew who was what role. I then added the call time for everyone to arrive and what time lunch would be provided. Next contained the location of the shoot and the numbers of the crew incase anyone needed to contact people. I then added a weather section and what time the sun rises and sets. Following this I added a message that all crew were to be in black, I felt it was more professional for us all to be in one colour and it would be less distracting for the actress than wearing bright colours. 

The box underneath displayed the scenes that we would be shooting and where these scenes were on the pages of the script. This is finally followed by a timed break down of the day. I feel the call sheets are very informative and lets cast and crew know exactly what will happen on the day helping to keep organised. 

Transitions Unit - Testing Ideas

Since we had visited the location already and I have a shot list in place, I wanted to get the equipment we had booked out and test out the visions I was having for the scenes to make sure that they worked practically. We all went to the location and started off in the first scene. This was the most important to me as I knew technically it would be quite difficult. I set up the track and Drey set the camera up to the settings we needed. I then experimented asking George N to step in as the actor and directed Drey by going through the motions of the more complicated shots. She was also to move the lighting around and light the scene to how we needed it.

Overall I loved how the footage was looking and felt the track and lighting really added to what I was trying to achieve. 

George Nicholls had made a graphic to use as the scene involves the woman walking around her house and finding her televisions on with a strange symbol on it. After he uploaded it to YouTube I was able to test these out making sure they worked on the TV's we were using. 

For the outside scenes I wanted some of them shot on a drone. George Nicholls said it wouldn't be a problem to use his and brought it over so we could test out its capturing capabilities to see if it would look right for the shoot. We tested it in my garden to see how it would look and this is the footage: 

I love how smooth the footage looks as it was tested on a really windy day and the picture quality was great. I think the aerial views could really add to the project and take it a step further as the drone is capable of shooting in HD at 60fps so this could add a nice, high end and smooth shot from above.  

Overall Im glad we tested all of these things as it puts me in an even better position for when it comes to the shoot. I feel I am in a really good position to direct this shoot and get the best I can out of it. 

Transitions Unit - Shotlist

As Director I wanted to make sure I had a good shot list as this would enable to guide me through the shoot days making sure I have every shot and what type of shot I am aiming for. You can see the shot list I produced below:

As you can see I made 5 columns that were clear and easy to read. I started with the scene number on the left hand side so when I looked at it I could quickly jump to the scene I was on. I then had a list of shot numbers for the same principle of the scene number allowing me to quickly explain what shot we are going to be shooting. This is followed by the location. It was important to have this so I can see at a glance where the scene was being filmed. 

I included a shot type/ direction column as this allowed me to visualise how I wanted the shot framed i.e. E.C.U. and M.S. I also gave direction in this column as I am going to be switching from the track and dolly, tripod and drone so its handy for me to explain what movement I need. I lastly added a comments section that explained what was happening in the scene. This also will allow me to visualise exactly what is happening in terms of the acting and the type of build around the shot. 

Overall I'm very happy with this shot list and it will become very handy when it comes to shooting.