Major Project Production Unit - Evaluation

Introduction

Over the course of this unit, I set out to take the pre-production package that I have worked on and fully develop this into a fully finished film. Still taking on my 3 roles as writer, producer and director, I would continue to work on all of these throughout the whole of this unit right to the end. In terms of pre-production work through this unit, I continued to develop on pieces of work that I had built up from the pre-production package. This includes refining things like the budget, costume, casting and call sheets as well as location scouting, contacting and liaising, blocking and script read-throughs whilst ensuring I incorporated research throughout to make the work as professional as I possibly could. In production, I took all of my work that I had put into place from pre-production and applied it to my days on shoot ensuring I was organised and that I was directing to the highest possible standard of my ability, paying particular attention to directing the camera and all the shot movements as well as also working with the actors on their blocking and overall performance. In post-production, I particularly focused on working closely with the editor making sure I was being constructive and getting the project to come across the way I had envisioned it. Having input in the post-production stage allowed me to have a lot of influence on how the project looked right to the end and enabled me to keep fulfilling my role through all three stages of production.


Pre-Production

Since I had already worked on the pre-production package, and myself and Andreya both decided that we wanted to bring this forward and make the project for our final major production, I already had a good strong start to where I was heading with this project. The package was a good ground to start on and had a lot of detail and vision captured into it so this put me in a really great position. I continued to work on the script having meetings with Simon to try and enhance it even more. Continuing to add to the script helped it develop until I was at a stage where I felt it was in the best position I could get it in. Although there were not huge changes, the little changes helped to refine it more and made a big difference in how it all came together in the end.

 Budgeting was something that I continued to work on. I had a rough budget spreadsheet that had worked out a lot of our costings in the pre-production package. Since this worked out well, was clear and easy to use, I continued to use this spreadsheet throughout this whole unit. I ensured that we were keeping track of costings when it came to buying costume and paying for locations, props and equipment as well as making sure we were getting the best out of all the areas whilst sticking within reason to what we set out to spend. We went out and brought a money tin and drew some of the cash out keeping it locked away. In there I kept envelopes and a sheet so that if either of us took out any money we could sign it out and know where it was spent. When something was spent I made sure we both kept receipts so that we could log it and keep track of everything.

In term of the schedule, I ensured I worked to the time table I had organised from the pre-production unit as this laid out all of our times from pre-production, production and post-production with the addition of personally set deadlines to keep us on track and to make sure the project would be handed in on time. I also carried out extra research in this unit and I managed to enhance the production schedule I had made previously making it more detailed and easier to follow with timings, colour coding and location dates added in as and when I knew them. This schedule would help myself, the crew and the cast understand what was happening on each day and kept everyone organised. It contained information like what time the cast and crew should arrive at our base, how long the actress was in hair and make up, travel time to and from the location, lunches and what scenes we were filming from the script throughout the day.

I had done a lot of work on call sheets before this unit so this was great that I had a good template to work off. Throughout this unit, locations kept changing and there was a few that had not been confirmed so I made sure it was a priority to keep up with the process adjusting them as things changed and making new ones when a location was 100% confirmed. They included the name of where we were filming, the address, what everyone's call time was and every person who was involved for that day.  These would always be sent out to the cast and crew involved in plenty of time so they could understand the day.  Schedules were also added on the end of these call sheets with a breakdown of what was happening at what time. This was done to ensure everyone knew what was expected from the day including, what scenes were being shot and where we should all be at what point in the day.

Although in the pre-production package I had detailed where we were going to film, not all locations had been confirmed and some places had dropped out. I ensured throughout the whole of pre-production on this unit that I worked really hard on securing the right locations for the film. I continued to research different places, kept in contact with boroughs, property owners and commercial business teams as well as negotiated prices and times to ensure everything worked with the budget, script visuals and shoot day lengths that had been developed. I also ensured that the locations all matched eachother, especially when it came to the properties to ensure that it all looked like one house. Another side of this part was all the paperwork side. I ensured that all the permissions had been secured including no objecting to filming permits and contracts from the business owners we used to ensure everything was done professionally and that there would be no issues when filming.

In terms of crew and casting, some things had changed from the pre-production package. One of the cast members had dropped out so I had to make sure I found another person from both a producer and directors point of view ensuring the actress would be suitable for the vision I had as well as keeping in contact and ensuring communication was constant to keep them interested and excited about doing the project. I also ensured that I communicated well with all the crew keeping them organised and knowing who would work well on our shoot. I hired outside crew of people I knew who was currently working in film production degrees to benefit having the extra help on set with set dressing and filming behind the scenes. With Claudia, I worked very closely with her throughout the whole of pre-production as she was the main actress and a key point to our film. I held regular meeting with her and did a table reading as well as costume fittings and hair and makeup trials to ensure she really looked the part and played the character well.

The costume was something that I had mapped out really well in the pre-production package and this is something I had very clearly and visually in my head. I continued to work closely with this and went to buy the costume ensuring the budget was being thought about but also making sure the pieces worked for the film itself. From choosing a bright blue dress to the PVC mac coat, a lot of thought and research went into the costume to ensure it would look the best it could possibly be and reflect the character and story. I also done a lot of research into hair and makeup looks prior to the testing days to ensure everything looked professional and was tested thoroughly making sure it would all come together well in the final film.

Props are something else I looked a lot into although another member of the production team would organise this to dress the sets on a shoot, as a producer and director I wanted to make sure I got the right props. I wanted the film to have a strong theme of roses as through research this symbolises love and desire which I feel represents the emotions of the main character to the lifestyle she wants to have. I brought roses before most of the shoot days to incorporate them into the sets. I also brought gold cutlery, an iron, a suitcase, a wine glass and name badges.

Blocking was something that I had not really done before. I had done rough sketches but nothing to the extent that I did for this project. After researching how to do them to a professional standard, I conducted my own for every scene and every shot to help me when it came to the production process. My main focus was paying particular attention to where the camera was in each shot, the movement of the camera in each shot as well as where the actors were going to stand and move to in relation to this.

A test shoot for the camera equipment was something else I was involved with in the pre-production stages. Allowing Drey to test the camera quality was a great opportunity for me to try out some of the shot ideas I had in my shotlist. We tried different movements tracking forwards, backwards and side to side as well as trying a range of shot types like close-ups, wides and mid shots in both light and dark areas. After this was shot I was able to review all of the footage and edit together my own little test shoot film to look at the style and see if I could make them dramatic and cinematic.

What Went Well And Did Not Go So Well In Pre Production?

I feel that there were a lot of things that were successful in this project. I was able to come up with something that was really different, unique and visual and then apply all things necessary in terms of research and all the paperwork to get everything into place. I worked really hard on this project in pre-production to ensure that everything was done professionally and thoroughly to make everything come together when it came to the other two stages. I was originally a little nervous about taking on three roles but I felt I dealt with them all really well making sure I managed my time to pay focus to all the roles. Understandably I focused a lot more on the producer side in pre-production  as I felt there wasn't much to change script wise although if there were changes I ensured to keep the script up to date but when there needed to be a particular focus on something I made sure I dedicated my time to get all aspects done when I needed to. I particularly feel that I managed the location side of things well. I really wanted this film to look exactly how I imagined it when I was writing the script and I knew the locations were really important to get right. I got rejection after rejection but I persevered and kept emailing different locations as well as keeping in mind the style that I need for the film. When a property owner came back to me with more questions, I was very enthusiastic and professional in the way I spoke as well as making sure I went down to meet each person individually so they could meet me and I could double check the suitability of the location for the shoot. Once this was confirmed I kept in contact and signed all the necessary documents to ensure that I could film at the locations. I'm really happy with how I dealt with this aspect and feel it was really successful with the film.

I also felt I planned the costume really well making sure the character looked as authentic to the script as possible. This really elevated the character and made her believable to the situation she was in as well as making the story work well. Choosing a bright blue dress so she stood out in London gave the exact effect I wanted and this was all thanks to good planning and careful consideration. Also, the cleaner outfit at the end looked really good as it was authentic and she looked like the role she was supposed to be. Thanks to a lot of research in the pre-production stages I was able to choose this outfit well and it worked out well in the film.

I felt I dealt with paperwork really well. Getting everything organised, doing my research and making sure everything was in place and done professionally really helped later on. I was able to plan effectively and to a high standard which meant the production of the film was a lot easier and smoother to manage.

I felt that in pre-production the one thing that did not go as well was the budgeting. Although I started off really well and had planned everything, things costed a bit more than expected when it came to the actual production. I managed to cut costs as best as I could in a lot of areas, got a lot of locations for free or lower than the starting price and shopped cheaper for costumes but keeping their elegance. I logged everything and kept up to date with the budget sheet but there were two things that cost a lot more than expected and that was the equipment and the music. The equipment was really expensive to hire but we got it down as cheap as we possibly could but I wanted to make sure we used it as it gave the quality I needed. Also doing a reshoot bumped the price up another £200 to shoot for just one day which was unexpected but needed. Overall I feel I planned the budget to a good degree but I should have allowed a lot more for reshoots and unexpected costs.

The other thing that didn't go as well was planning the shoot days early in the schedule. Although everything went fine in the end and we made sure we made up for it by working to a fine cut in the edit straight away, a lot of our shoot days were later than I wanted them to be. This was mainly because of the locations I was trying to get. I was working with locations that just took a lot more time and effort to sort out but I am really glad I went for this option rather than settle for somewhere I was not as keen on.

Finally, the other thing I could have improved was my time management at Stonewall Park. This was a really tight shoot day as originally we had agreed on two days here but the owner at the last minute cut down to one day. This meant I was really restricted for time and I was very ambitious with my shooting schedule. Although most of the scenes were done and looked great, the end scene was rushed and did not look as good. Also, there were some camera issues that meant the footage was not coming out the way I wanted it to so I knew this was going to have to be re-shot to match the standard of the rest of the film. I was pleased I did a reshoot tho as it meant the whole scene was elevated and it fitted better with the film.


Production

I had done a lot of work in the pre production stages of this unit so this really helped me when it came to production and the shoot days. Having organised all the days well and doing a lot of planning to ensure the creativity was met, this really helped shoot days to flow well and I could really focus on being a director and getting the shots done to the best of my ability.

The voice over day went really well. I had put all the poetry out of the script and onto a single piece of paper which made it easier for our actress Claudia to read as well as taking the initiative to have a lesson with Fergus the technician on how all the mixer worked and to make sure I was going to record the best sound as I possibly could. I directed Claudia throughout the process getting her to do a range of accents and re-running the same lines two or three times to help with tone and pace.

Bradbourne House was a fantastic location to shoot at. We got there and all the cast and crew arrived on time. There was one issue at the start of the day where the hair and make up artist did not turn up but I thought out of the box and Claudia did a great job with her hair and makeup with my direction. Bradbourne house was a beautiful house that allowed me to get shots of big staterooms and elegant decor. I was able to follow my shot list and schedule as well as blocking to ensure I was getting all the shots I needed to get. I also made sure I got plenty of coverage to help when it came to the edit.

London was a little more difficult as we were filming in public spaces that were very crowded but with all my prior planning I was able to remain calm and keep everyone else focused on what we were doing. I lead the cast and crew really well and we ended up with fantastic shots and plenty of coverage. Being souly focused on my role really helped me to ensure Claudias acting performance was really good as well as making the shots visually beautiful and cinematic like I wanted them to.

Stonewall Park was a very tight scheduled day as we were originally meant to have two days there but the owner cut it down to one. This meant that I had to work really hard and efficiently to get everything done in time. I was put under a lot of pressure but I feel I delivered really well. I focused on all the scenes that we needed as advice from Simon was to make sure that I was getting everything I could at that location that I couldn't get anywhere else. I decided to make this my focus and worked really hard on getting the shots that would work really well for here.

The Who'd A Thought It was a reshoot and due to scheduling conflicts, we only had the afternoon to film here. I felt this went well and an afternoon was all we needed as we had gone through the motions of the scene before although I carried out more rehearsal time with the actresses as I knew this scene was really important performance wise. I worked hard on matching the shots with what we had done previously and I feel everything went really well with what I set out to do.

Bradbourne exterior was a little difficult due to Claudia not feeling well and the weather being dark and grey which was not the aesthetic I was going for but I managed to work outside of the box, stick to my blocking and go with the weather to get more dramatic and darker shots than originally planned which worked just as well. I was able to direct Claudia well as this was a little more complex as the style of it was a bit more abstract but I explained well and got the performance that I wanted. I also used a range of different shots including low angles and distant wide shots which really contrast to the types of shots I had managed to get already.

What Went Well And Did Not Go So Well In Production?

My directing when it came to the actual shoot days I feel went really well. I was able to direct with confidence and I knew exactly what I was doing thanks to all my planning. After doing some research in the pre-production stages about directing techniques I feel this really added to the way I directed a scene and it really contributed to the process as a whole. Everyone who was on set, both cast and crew said they felt supported and that I had a really clear vision of what I wanted throughout the entire process. I kept calm in stressful situations and was able to think outside the box when problems arrived which really helped to keep everyone on board and focused. It was really great to have this feedback and allowed me to keep going to a high standard. An example of this was when the Hair and Makeup woman did not arrive on the set. I was able to keep calm and come up with an alternative that really helped everything keep moving. I also felt my ability to keep on producing alongside my directing worked really well as well. I was able to keep the project moving along and really focus on the next thing whilst also managing to switch my main focus to directing when I was on set. The one thing that did not go so well in production was the time management at Stonewall park. Since I had to push everything into one day it meant we had to rush the ending and this affected the whole of the end scene making us have to plan a re shoot.

Post Production

Going from the production phase, I was able to assist a lot as my role of director in the final editing process. I worked closely with the editor drey to make sure she was understanding my vision of how I want it to be shown as well as suggesting shot changes and trimming clips to help all of the process flow well. As this is not a straight forward format for a film, sometimes my vision could be a little complicated in how I wanted certain scenes to be told so sitting with the editor throughout the whole process really benefitted us both in getting the end result. I also chose a lot of the music as I felt this I could really help and contribute to the edit. I would do a lot of research into all the different music tracks making sure they all complimented each other as well as the scenes they would be put with. Once I had worked out what pieces worked well I passed them on to the editor where she was able to put them with the scenes. I would be reviewing a lot of the work that was done and suggesting changes to improve certain scenes which I feel added a lot to the final outcome of the film. Overall I am really happy with the way I approached the post-production process and I am pleased I was able to work well through all three stages of production.

What Worked Well And What Didn't Work So Well In Post Production?

Post Production was a really nice process for me. Working so closely with the editor really helped me to express my vision and create something that still related to what I had envisioned but was still able to let the editor do their job also. I felt I approached the situation really well and was still very much involved in the post-production process but I don't feel I took away from Andrea's role and she was very much the editor. I also feel I choose really good music for the film. It fitted the piece really well and it all flowed together as well as complimenting what was being shown. Each scene has its own track but they all sound like they could be from the same composer. I also felt they matched the moods right like the dreamy sounds against the darker moods. What did not go so well in this stage was realising how much of a perfectionist I am. The edit became very time consuming and I would notice the littlest mistakes and wanted them changed. Although I did this very professionally and was polite about the changes, I still was getting fustrated at myself as it was not hitting the mark of where I wanted it to be but with time and perseverance as well as remaining calm paid off in the end and I could see the film getting to the standard I wanted it to be at.

Overall I am really proud of the way I have acted throughout this whole unit. I feel from start to finish I have created a piece that is unique and different but at the same time beautiful and intriguing. It tells a great story that really keeps the viewer interested and on edge towards the end. I feel this film shows my skills to a high level from pre-production planning right through to directing on set and then helping achieve the final film. I am so pleased that I have managed to apply myself over three roles to get this final result and I have learnt more than I could have ever imagined over the course of this project.

Major Project Production Unit - Assisting The Colour Grade

We had a masterclass with Nathan Caws who is a colour grader from Ignition creative. He was telling us about the work he had done as well as how he thinks about certain shots and what he does to achieve the final look. This was really interesting and although Andreya is doing most of the colour grading I still wanted to take an interesting in how the transformation works. I also felt that if I wanted a few things changed with the colour grade I would have more of an insight to how its done. One really interesting point that he made was that a colour grade is not just ot make a film look nice, it has got to suit what the content is. For example a film set in space would be graded differently to a period drama and this would be graded differently to a horror. They all have individual looks and its generally followed by most genres. I originally thought that films chose a colour scheme that they liked and felt looked nice but actually its about making sure the film looks right for the type of film it is.

After the master class each group had a meeting with Nathan to see what suggestions he could make about improving the films. When we went in he watched through our film and made notes. He then went through a couple of scenes and explaned a few things that could be improved by using Davinci Colour Resolve software. On one scene the windows were a little bit over exposed and he walked through with us about keying around the window and adjusting the light behind it. He also showed us how to track a subject and then draw a vignette around them. This enabled the subject to be highlighted away from the background and then adjusted to make them stand out more. All of this feedback was really insightful and I learnt a lot about colour grading works.

Over the next few weeks, Drey worked really hard on colour grading each scene. After each scene she would then let me have a watch and I would then tell her what I felt could do with bringing down or up a bit as well as checking to see if skin tones matched. Drey would continue to work on each scene and right at the end I did an overall look of the whole film. She made a few adjustments to little things I noticed but overall the colour grading went really well. I made sure I was present when it came to giving feedback but also ensured Drey had most of the creative control when colour grading. Im really happy with how it all looks and feel its elevated the film even further.