Evaluation of Practical Skills

In this post, I will be going through all of the practical skills I have developed throughout the course, as I showcase and evaluate the work I have done to convey how I have developed my work to a professional standard.

Contents Table

(Would Recommend Using CTRL + F to find these contents, please type the title of each section to find it, if that doesn't work they are Colour Coded)

Camera Techniques

(Breakdown of Camera Techniques and my own examples as well as those taken from film and other visual media)

Lighting Techniques

(Breakdown of Lighting Techniques/setups and my own examples and those from film and other visual media)

Health and Safety

(Breakdown of the importance of Health and Safety and examples of documentation)

Promotional Video Pre-Production

(The planning, pitch and pre-production documentation for my Promotional Video)

Music Video Pre-Production

(Planning and pre-production documentation for my Music Video)

My Projects

(Final Music Video, Short Films and other Projects and their Evaluations)

Overall Use of Practical Skills

(Evaluation/breakdown of the progress of my Practical Skills during the course)

Camera Techniques

In these posts, I go through various different camera techniques like pull focus and in-camera settings/effects that affect the visuals of a scene (Aspect Ratio, Lens, etc.) and the best use for these methods and examples from films and of my own creation. I evaluate why filmmakers/cinematographers use these techniques and my own personal skill set in achieving them throughout the course.

Pull Focus

Pull Focus Examples

Pull focus or Rack focus is used in films and other media products to pull a model (object or otherwise) into the focus of a camera lens. This is to demonstrate the realisation of a characters inner thought/realisation.

In both my personal examples this is demonstrated with certain parts of the frame being put into the focus of the camera, the hand on piano becomes the focus of the scene as it comes into focus further inforced by the matching diegetic sound of the keyboard and the bottle rolling into to focus to empathise its importance to the shot. The final breakdown of the case in the last act of the film Knives Out (2019) when the letterbox is pulled into focus to emphasise the key evidence of the blackmail letter is a perfect example of this in modern film and showcases my accuracy in duplicating the effect. I have also included a breakdown of this effect/technique by Studiobinder where they use movies like Casino Royale (2006).

Media College

In conclusion, my clips showcase clear examples of Pull Focus and by comparing them with Knives out clip demonstrate how they should be used in a sequence/film. However, I wish I could have added narrative elements to these clips to provide a more visual and engaging example for viewers.

ISO

ISO 100-200 (Outdoor)

ISO 1600 (Indoor Low Light)

and Night-Time Examples

Photography Life

International Organisation of Standardisation/ISO is what measures your camera’s sensitivity to light. To clarify the lower the ISO number, the less sensitive the sensor is to light. High ISO numbers have high light sensitivity. Studiobinder. My footage clearly outlines the intended model by using varied ISO numbers in the same environment and showcases the clear lighting difference and how these numbers of ISO could be used in certain situation to get the perfect lighting of your frame without the use of lighting equipment. The difference in filming in both day and night with the same ISO, the lack of detail surrounding the light in the night scene and the clear image of the dumpster and street in another by adjusting my other effects like aperture and shutter speed to better frame my examples of ISO.

Films use ISO in combination with Aperture and shutter speed to get the best possible exposure for a scene, a greater showcase and breakdown of this exposure triangle is by Studiobinder, as they break down examples from various films like 1917 (2019).

Overall I think my footage demonstrates the differences in ISO levels and however I wish in my videos I had broken down how to use them, like a video tutorial. An example being for daylight shoots use ISO 100 or 200 and for Indoors generally ISO 400 and so on.

Shutter Speed

Shutter Speed is the length of time when the film or digital sensor inside the camera is exposed to light, also when a camera's shutter is open when taking a photograph, in the case of the video the shutter is a plate located between the lens and the film stock/CCD (Charged Coupled Device) chip. Is measured in fractions of a second (1/50, etc.) and is altered to change exposure rate and is used artistically to show the altered state of a character's mind. No Film School

Slow Shutter Speed

1/30 Speed

Brent Mail Photography

Normal Shutter Speed

1/50 Speed

Fast Shutter Speed

1/250 Speed

Shutter Speed Showcase

Shutter Speed can be altered for many reasons, to speed up or slow down a scene both examples can be seen in this clip from Spider-Man Movie (2002) where Peter fights Flash, as the scene uses shutter speed to increase the speed of Flash to make him feel more dangerous and slows down the scene to show Peters newfound reaction speeds gained from his new powers.

Here is my personal footage example of Shutter Speed examples that clearly outlines and showcases what difference this makes to the video final product. By recreating the same action at different Shutter Speeds.

Making Peters speed seem unnatural highlights how he has now gained super agility after getting superpowers.

What is Aperture?

The aperture of a film camera is the hole in the lens that opens or closes to let more or less light into the camera used in combination with the shutter speed and ISO of the camera to determine the length of film exposure (affecting the brightness of the image).

Much like our own eyes aperture works like our pupils expanding in the dark and shrinking and closing from bright light, this is the example most commonly given and is outlined in Studiobinder's "Ultimate Guide to Camera Aperture What is Aperture & the Exposure Triangle Explained [Ep 1]". This affects how the film is lit and used by filmmakers much like colour, lighting and other filmmaking techniques to affect and change the mood of a scene by affecting how the light hits the camera lens.

Large/High Aperture

When using a higher aperture a scene can become darker as if affected by low key lighting (creating more sinister undertones). This can also be used to create a large depth of field which is good when creating establishing shots as you want everything to be in focus.

Skyfall (2012)

Establishing/Longshot creates an ominous presence of James Bonds family home and emphasises the dark backstory this represents as we see the white bright background contrasted with the dark gothic architecture of the manor.

Small/Low Aperture

Aperture can also make a scene brighter and more visible as if affected by high key lighting when the aperture is lower (creating a happy dreamlike tone/aesthetic) and is used to create a shallow depth of field keeping a singular model in focus which is most commonly used in combination with closeups to outline individual character reactions/facial expressions.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

This shallow depth of field and closeup is used to showcase Clint Eastwoods's characters calm demeanour despite the high stakes situation, showcasing that he is not afraid and is in control.

Medium/Middle Aperture

The most commonly used aperture setting is used most often in conversation/dialogue scenes when they need to keep multiple targets in focus and allows for the focus to remain on the subject while keeping the background present.

Fight Club (1999)

In this shot, Tyler and Jack remain in focus with the beauty consultant while also keeping the background in focus outlining how they are using consumerism (outlined with the heavily populated shop) to fund their own anti-consumer terrorist group. We see the disinterest of Jack as he looks off the frame and outlines how Tyler is using the beauty consultant for his own means with their engaged body language. 

Photography.Life.com

Studiobinder

Photography.Life.com

Own Aperture Example's

F2.8 Aperture (50mm Len's), F8 (Standard Lens), F16 (Standard Lens)

My footage clearly shows how aperture affects the lighting of footage as I label my aperture number in each clip from the brightest aperture setting of F2.8 to the darkest of F16.

 If I were going to do this task again, I would film the same area/model to showcase the difference aperture makes in visual media. Overall, however, in my opinion, I accurately showcased aperture by filming during the same natural lighting during the same shooting day. 

What is a Lens?

Lenses are the glass piece a camera see's through and what light from a scene whether it be key, back or fill lighting shines through glass shapes called Glass Elements which bend/are refracted onto a Focal Point on an Image Sensor creating the picture/footage.

Studiobinder

Focal Length

Each lens is made with a different focal length which uses millimetres (mm) to measure the optical centre of a lens to the image sensor rather than the actual lens size, which affects the angle of view. Which films use to achieve different effects from a technical standpoint or from a storytelling perspective as it can be used to create distance between the model and the camera making a shot feel intimate or isolated.

Studiobinder

The angle of view is "How much of the scene in front of the camera will be captured by the camera's sensor" Sony.co.uk.

The longer/bigger the focal length creates a narrower angle of view which creates a higher magnification (size an object will appear on your camera's sensor to image in real life).

The shorter/smaller focal length creates a wider angle of view and the lower the magnification. Nikonusa.com

Types of Lenses

Lenses can be either Prime or Zoom Lenses.

Prime lenses are always at a fixed focal length due to their lack of lens features when compared to a zoom lens it instead creates a sharper image good when trying to film a scene in low key lighting to their increased aperture level allowing them to take in more light. The larger aperture also creates a shallow depth of field which can be used to focus on the subject of a scene.

Zoom lenses, despite their low aperture levels they make up for it in versatility as zoom lenses can change their focal length without switching lenses, allowing them to switch between close-ups medium shot and long shots in one fluid motion. Known as the zoom in and zoom out camera technique it allows time and effort of the camera operator/cinematographer to be saved.

Prime Lens Example:

The Wolf of Wall Street (2014)

A prime lens is used in this shot of The Wolf of Wall Street (2014) to showcase the plan of the protagonist as we follow a single take (or at least made to look like a single take) tracking shot through his plan as we keep the subject of the trucking shot in focus allowing the audience to visual link the subject to the voice-over while applying a more engaging vidual to keep them interested. This also recreates the hectic fast-paced environment of the stock market/Wallstreet and makes us feel in on the plot with Leonardo DiCaprio character as we see this fantasy of success and riches in the movie due to the intimate and engaging use of camera thanks to the eye-level positioning combined with the sharply focused imagery of a prime lens.

Zoom Lens Example:

The Shinning (1980)

Zoom in effect used with a zoom lens used to showcase the madness of jack as the large room within the hotel is shrunk down into a closeup of Jack Nicholson as we see him perform a classic Kubrick stare as his facial expression doesn't change as he looks off-camera. Showing Jacks growing seduction to the evil of the hotel as it cuts to the next day, this showcases Jacks growing unhinged mind within this trapped and isolated environment inside the overlook hotel as the close up reflect the forced isolation of the family and how jack is slowly getting closer and closer to enact violence on his own family like the previous caretaker of the hotel.

av.jpn.support.panasonic.com

Studiobinder

Longer Focal Length Lenses:

Extreme Wide Angle/Fisheye Lens

18 to 24mm, can showcase landscapes by being used within an establishing shot or used for closeups. Some due to their distortion can transform an extreme into a fisheye lens creating an unnatural observed perspective making them common in films where a person mind is used as they exaggerate/distorted facial features.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

Due to the characters mental state due to the number of drugs within their system the fisheye lens is used to showcase the distortion of reality he can see while affected by these substances. As the closeup becomes uncomfortable with the lens distorts the image to make it seem like he is being pulled out of the screen. This also showcases the character as unhinged with his facial expressions becoming more exaggerated from the lens distortion making his face and head seem bigger than they should be.

Wide Angle Lens

24 to 35mm great for capturing wide shots and helps create an engaging movement like when using establishing shots at it allows the setting around them to remain in focus.

It can also be used to establish relationships between characters at a closer distance to make it feel intimate and a larger distance to make it feel emotionless/disconnected. Tighter spaces feel more open. Partially useful in a lower budget film with a limited set space as it can make your setting seem bigger while also outlining people relationships without the need for dialogue, this is especially necessary when creating characters that have a history off-screen together.

 

The Martain (2015)

Long shot using a wide-angle lens showcases characters isolation on mars as the vast landscape goes into the far distance out of sight. The cinematographer has done this to showcase the film's themes of man vs nature as he outmatched a surrounded on all sides by an inescapable desert that throughout the film will test and challenge him as well as establishing the setting of the movie.

Standard Lens

35 to 50mm for a more natural style due to it being the lens most in common with the human eye due to its focal length being most in common with our eyes perception of reality.

Commonly used in films that emphasized realism like those in the social realism sub-genre, like that in British New Wave films like Kes (1969) and documentary films interviews to keep the audience grounded in the reality of whatever topic it is exploring.

The Florida Project (2017)

Shot on 35mm using a standard lens Florida project creates a natural environment which in combination with the natural lighting of the child actors makes the events of the film feel real. In this scene where they get ice cream, this standard lens captures a common childhood memory we can all remember. The use of this naturalistic lens with the saturated colours makes the scene feel so tragic as they are unable to afford ice for all of them as their kids living out of a motel in poverty.

Telephoto Lens

70mm or above sometimes referred to as long lenses, these lenses do the opposite of the standard lens as they are used to capture a distant subject making us feel like we are spectating others in the shoot rather than making us grounded within it. They often compress space and allows the shot to isolate a character among many or highlight a character in an empty making them seem small and their efforts seem futile as they are alone in the void of the setting, a long distance away from the camera, making the distance the character has to travel to get to us feel eternal, which could be used in films to emphasise isolation or to highlight them as an individual depending on its use.

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

The protagonist in Midnight Cowboy is outlined using a telephoto lens due to his outfit in comparison to the men and women around him it is made clear he is the odd one out in the city. Showcasing his struggles to make it in the city where he thought his dreams would come true this effect isolates him as inexperienced and naive. Which throughout the film we will see how he is punished by the harsh streets of new york which change him from an old fashioned cowboy to a desensitized modern man.

Macro Lenses

Defined by its focusing ability rather than focal length like the other lenses, ass they are incredibly varied for example you could a lens that's considered a fisheye lens but has a focal length of 35mm. They are defined by capturing extreme closeups with vivid detail, meaning magnification ratio 1 to 1 meaning images gathered to represent the real scale/size of the subject. 

Other macro lenses can have bigger ratios to increase the size of their subjects but you have to consider the minimum focusing distance when using this lens as you must figure out how far or close you need to be to capture the subject and depending on whether you can get close enough to it. 

This is perfect for extreme closeup and nature documentaries allowing you to look safely at the dangerous animals from a safe distance as well as making insects more clearly visible to the naked eye.

Seven (1995)

Extreme closeup perfect example use of macro lens creates an uncomfortable atmosphere as we see the character slicing their own fingerprints off, due to its clinical look under the more lighting the macro lens makes it look like we are analysing a piece of evidence as this shot collaborated with other extreme closeups f the crime scenes allowing the audience to put the clues together.

Studiobinder

Class Lens Showcase Example:

We were put into groups and made a showcase of different lenses available in our studio here's one of the examples the class created which outlines the different lenses with varying focal lengths, using the same model in the same setting with the only variable being the changed being these lenses, showcasing how a lens changes a shot composition entirely.

Overall I have clearly indicated a deep understanding of camera lenses through my examples and definitions where I discuss why and how they are used in the clips/screenshots I have showcased. However, if I was to recreate the example showcase of lenses I would try and have a more detailed background and a 3 point lighting setup to me accurately showcase the difference between the camera lenses due to their focal lengths.

Evaluation of Camera Techniques

During this course, I have developed a better understanding and experience with aspects of cinematography and camera techniques. When best to use these during filming and the impact they have visually, for example, I have learnt how to use higher shutter speeds when making a slow-motion sequence as it allows the camera to capture more frames making the image appear smoother as when decreasing the speed of footage the more frames you have the better you can fill in the extended time of the sequence. At the beginning of this course, I knew the basics of the camera now I have more in-depth knowledge on what you need to keep in mind about your camera when shooting and when blocking/shooting scenes. My own projects have helped me develop this through practical applications like my short film, Holiday Isolation which I used varied Aspect Ratio and lower ISO to create a claustrophobic and naturalistic look to the short. Despite this, I think I could have better improved my advancement with camera techniques and better showcased my progress throughout the course by doing video essay demonstrations as there are limits to how much a reader can understand from the written word about camera techniques and despite having a multitude of visual examples I think by having myself narrate over footage from films and my own examples would have better established how these aspects changed and impacted the visuals of a scene.

Lighting Techniques

Breakdown of lighting techniques and examples from films/other mediums in combination with my own re-creations, which showcased my research and understanding of the practical elements involved in lighting and how to achieve these on location with specific lighting equipment. As I evaluate how these tasks and assignments improved my lighting/practical skill throughout the project.

Three-Point Lighting Setup's

The theory of light is the theory that a film scene is lit with key light (the primary/main light source in the scene) to illuminate the subject in combination with backlight and fill light which is used to reduce contrast/influence the key lighting and still offers the ability to keep a subject in focus.

This is showcased in Three-point lighting which is a traditional method for illuminating a subject in a scene with these three light sources from three distinct positions. 

The position of the key light, fill light and backlight is showcased in the diagram below. Biteable

Image Taken from TheFilmmakersBlog

Key Light

The Key Light is the primary light of the scene. The most intense/direct source of light within a scene, the first light to set up and used to illuminate the form of the subject or actor. Is the base foundation for the lighting of the scene and can be manipulated in multiple ways to create certain effects to change the tone of the scene, Studiobinder gives examples of methods to alter Key light.

"Methods to Manipulate a Key Light: 

Diffuse the light for softer lighting, 

Bounce the light off a wall or bounce board to create a softer light spread, 

Moving the light further from a subject will create harsh shadows,

Adjust the angle of the light to achieve different looks" 

Fill Light

Within visual media Fill Light is used to reduce the contrast of a scene to match the range of films detail that we would see with our own eyes and is considered average. This commonly gives films a cinematic aesthetic in the way it assists the scene outlines their models and settings.

Studiobinder

Backlighting

Backlighting is a type of spotlight and process of illuminating the subject from the back, this effect creates a glowing effect on the edge of the subject or person, while the other areas are darker. MediaFactory

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2015)

The use of fill light creates an outline of Jesse James in the light this is to showcase how his reputation has transcended him from a man to a mythical legend as his features of humanity are lost to the outline of a cowboy (with his hat outline) which he is now an eternal symbol for in history.

Own Example/Showcase

The video showcases the effect of each light in the 3 point setup, as we see the backlight and then fill removed from the footage and how this affects the lighting of the subject.

The three-point lighting system is great when experimenting with multiple different lighting styles during one shoot as it allows you to easily achieve a split lighting method by moving the key light to a more side on camera and turning off the fill and background lighting. However, this is just one example of the techniques you could achieve in this setup and unfortunately, this setup is not made to create epiretinal lighting methods as it heavily structured on the common lighting fixtures in photography.

Low Key Lighting

When the background is a lot darker than the face, we call it low-key lighting. This is typically used to create a sinister environment in horror films due to our innate fear of the dark and is used in film noir for a strong contrast between black and white (light and darkness). WolfCrow.com

Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Low key lighting in combination with split lighting technique showcases the fear of the character after waking up from a nightmare, however, the shadow encroaching and taking over the room and her shows how she is not safe further indicated by the cross being isolated in the darkness trapped. Saying even god can't help her now.

Evil Dead 2 (1987)

Low key lighting is used to great effect in this scene as it uses it to highlight how Ash cannot escape the cabin from the pitch black background of the forest and the harsh shadows inside the cabin highlight its decay and how the Deadites have taken over and corrupted this environment.

True Romance (1993)

Clarence's father is tortured by the men hunting him down, the low key lighting showcases how the father is surrounded signified by the henchmen and the darkness of the trailer while he sits alone under a natural spotlight. This shows his bravely being the only light in the darkness. However, this epic last stand is then ultimately shown to be pointless when they find the information they were looking for on his fridge after his death. 

The Green Mile (1999)

Low key lighting is used to display the characters sadness to execute this man. The lighting highlighting the facial expressions and reactions as they all come to terms with the fact that an innocent man, a good man will die and as the sparks settle from the execution chair so does the characters hope and innocence fade from the film.

Own Example:

High Key Lighting

High-key lighting is a style of lighting that aims to reduce the lighting ratio present in the scene. Originally done partly due to technological limitations of early cinema. This is now usually used to imply an upbeat mood or within dream sequences. Contrastly.Com

Harry Potter Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

High key lighting is used to signify that Harry is in the afterlife the white colour plate to invoke the description of heaven within Christianity so when he reunites with Dumbledore we understand that Harry is dead.

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Thor has a vision of his father for the last time, the natural lighting of Iceland becoming high-key as it represents the familiar lighting of Asgard which is foreshadowing for where the Asgardians are going to live in future Marvel films. This is also to represent heaven which is why Thor can contact his father from beyond the grave giving him the knowledge and hope (represented by the high key light) to defeat his sister.

500 Days of Summer (2009)

The protagonist's happy mood is manifested with the use of high key light as it invokes imagery of old Hollywood musicals in combination with the upbeat music signifies the characters honey mood period of dating summer, this scene is then repeated with the lighting reversed to lowkey to show the deterioration of his mood later in the film. However, this scene is used to perfectly showcase what the early parts of dating someone can feel like as the lines between reality and fictional fairytale blur.

Elysium (2013)

The use of high key light on the rich colony of Elysium was used to showcase how it was paradise however in this last one n d the lights of Elysium go out and then are deactivated the light urns into hope for the future citizens of Elysium that Max has sacrificed himself to allow them to come to Elysium, he in a way opens up the gates to heaven and allows the poor and unfortunate to live like the rich who have abused their power on the lower class from this paradise the whole film. This use of light signifies the new hope humanity has in its future where all can live without pain and suffering.

Own Example:

Lighting Technique and Examples

Rembrandt Lighting

Used in studio photography and cinematography, it is created by using a light and a reflector (or using two separate lights) used due to its ability to make an image seem natural and compelling with only a few pieces of equipment. Commonly used to highlight a singular subject and used in the industry for headshots of models and actors as it highlights the features in the lighting while also giving a natural look to the model's appearance giving both a more flattering image while also being accurate to the models face.

Originated due to its use in the portraits by a dutch painter called  Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rij, in his paintings which had the same light on the subjects which hold the iconic triangle under the subjects eye and due to its dynamic look is still used in photography today.

Photoblog.com

Self-Portrait with Beret and Turned-Up Collar (1659)

Rembrandts portrait showcases his technique as it highlights the features of the subject as it showcases the lines within the face while drawing the eye due to its harshness on the side of the subjects face making a dark portrait eye-catching using light rather than colour.

Adorama: "How to get Perfect Rembrandt Lighting: Take and Make Great Photography with Gavin Hoey" Jan 2, 2020

Edge/Split Lighting

Split lighting is a technique that has the key light harshly lighting one side of a subject's face, while the other side is unlit in darkness and shadow.

Evenly split in light and darkness on the technique is usually used to create symbolism, whether it be the moral decision a character must make one good one evil. This is most often used in cinema in the crime and drama genre as it is used to show the descent of a character into darkness as they make increasingly more and more decisions for self-benefit as they are seduced by crime such as The Godfather (1972) and Goodfellas (1990).

Dtcommercial.com "split-lighting-diagram" by Jodi Jones November 11, 2016

Breaking Bad (2008 - 2013)

Walter Whites morale transition from working dad to drug lord throughout the series using split lighting as we see him become corrupted by the power and control he gets over others as he sells more and more meth. This split lighting highlights the man Walter was to the man that he is slowly becoming with each act of violence and power he gains from his illegal activities.

Robert Silver Photography "PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY 101: What Is Split Lighting?"  Dec 4, 2017

Butterfly Lighting

Butterfly lighting or Paramount Lighting ( due to its origin in old Hollywood Glamour Photography) is when the key light is above a subject and centred on their face, creating a shadow under the nose giving a clear view of the model's facial features. This is also used in the industry for headshots of models and actors due to its flattering portrayal and its clean texture allowing you to clearly see the models face. Can be used in films to look back on old Hollywood like The Artist (2011) which focuses on the silent film period use butterfly lighting in static shots to reenact these photos of the film stars from the golden age of Hollywood.

Stackexchange.com "What is butterfly lighting, and when do I use it?"

ExpertPhotography.com

This defining photo of Marilyn Monroe uses butterfly lighting to capture her image and is an iconic depiction of her at the height of her career and is often reimagined in photos in modern photography to this day and is used often as a symbol for old Hollywood stars.

Fstoppers "How to Photograph a Headshot with Butterfly Lighting" Nov 22, 2015

Experimental Lighting

Experimental Lighting is a term used to describe unconventional forms of lighting in a scene or photo, this term can be used to describe anything from the use of gels to create colour tinted light in scenes to or use of large shadows with standalone use of Key Light.

 Twin Peaks (1990 - 1991)

David Lynch uses experimental lighting in his films and within the show, Twin Peaks to create a dream-like environment as it seems like a fantasy. The singers being highlighted in blue lighting shows the sad emotion she brings to the lyrics of the song as often in media the colour blue is used to symbolise sadness and expresses the sadness the characters listening to her as they all feel trapped in the town of twin peaks. Her being lit in blue while the rest of the stage is in red can also showcase the men in the audiences desire to be with her (red meaning passion) however this blue spotlight indicates how she is unattainable out of reach.

Richard Kovacs: I Will See You in My Dreams, ItsNiceThat.Com

Richard Kovac uses blue experimental lighting with the hard outline of his subjects unableness to be with each other as their features are invisible and the title of the piece emphasises the wish to see each other in their dreams, which can be symbolic of lost love or deceased loved one this image none the less it uses experimental lighting to create a sense of longing in the viewer.

Own Two Examples (shadows and using makeshift materials)

Overall I accurately showcase examples of different lighting setups, however, I think it could be more understandable and helpful to understand the difference between lighting setups by showcasing a model being lit by these different methods and evaluating the metaphoric and the technical difference in each.

despite me demonstrating experimental lighting to improve in the future I should light a subject and use them to create a deeper meaning to my image whether creating emotion with colour gels or some other method of experimental techniques.

Evaluation of Lighting Techniques

These tasks allowed me to learn about lighting theory and lighting setups/techniques, during this course I have advanced in my understanding of how to implement this knowledge for different effects on the visuals and the meaning they can inflict on a film/project. With certain lighting features being tropes in genres of films like the horror genres active use of low key lighting to create a sinister tone. While at the beginning of this course I was an amateur in creating my own lighting for projects using simple gorilla setups with my phone, however, after the making of multiple projects I have learnt how to use limited budget/resources to create impactful 3 point lighting setups by focusing on harsher Rembrandt style. I have also recreating techniques of past periods of cinema like the iconic german expressionisms use of harsh lighting to create impactful shadows and imagery in my Music Video Project. If I was to better improve this collection of practical lighting skills, I would have made short films using all these techniques. By creating a collage of physical work showcasing these techniques I think it would have been a more clear example of my progress throughout the project and would have allowed me to more accurately evaluate the pro and cons of each technique.

Health and Saftey Breakdown

Why is Health and Safety Important?

Health and safety is a key thing to keep in mind before and during filming.

Not only due to the safety of your staff and crew but to make sure that shooting goes as scheduled without safety precautions or bare minimum safety requirements delays can happen in your production due to talent needing recovery time to do the shoot or having to hire new staff/crew to replace the injured ones.

It is a requirement to understand the proper etiquette and boundaries of your environment to make sure that risks are minimised. You should always talk to the owners of your filming locations before trying anything not outlined in your contract, they might know something you don't about the environment around you, whether you shoot in a studio or out in the wild.

What is a Risk Assessment?

Before the shooting process in production, this is valuable when your site contains unpredictable variables like unpredictable weather conditions, etc.

A risk assessment concludes the risks of a shooting location and offers solutions/precautions to lessen and avoid risks to the best of your ability. There are of course fewer factors affecting an indoor environment like a studio if you have done your research before coming on-site to prepare for these factors and to already be coming up with solutions if you know you want to shoot on the roof of a building you must make sure that the roof is secure and safe for your state and crew to stand on. The more detailed a risk assessment the safer everyone will be.

Here is an example of a Risk Assessment from one of my previous shoots.

Health and Safety/Risk Assessment

Location contract:  Mark Robinson acting as site manager

Director and Location Assessor:  Rory Robinson

This assessment was to check the safety of the location and how to limit and protect from hazards during filming on location in the alleyway. 

Hazards Identified in the Assessment 

HAZARDS	CONTROL METHODS
Poor weather leading to slippery pathways and working areas.   It rained during the night before and during the filming day.	Wear strong footwear and suitable clothing  Never run and follow safety instructions given by the site manager  Stay vigilant and aware of the watery/slippery surfaces
Trip hazards  E.g. scrap from the site being used in the alleyway, such as bricks and old Funiture (ironing board)	Never run and follow safety instructions   Stay vigilant of dangerous obstacles
Climbing over the fence stunt, ending with dropping onto a brick floor	Set up suitable fall padding for the stunt performer (myself) and a hidden barrier between the actor and the dangerous hazards (scrap) in case they fell directly into it
Other control methods	Aware of the location of emergency exits and the distance from local emergency services if they are required  Jacob Robinson received first aid training allowing him to be the one to act in case of injury on site
Bystanders and onsite personnel not aware of the shoot as is near a public park	Get the site manager to block off the shooting area and to inform all those on the site of our presence  Shooting will be taken place early in the morning to avoid as many bystanders as possible interrupting or causing injuries on set

 

All risks were minimised/controlled according to Rory Robinson as the Assessor and Mark Robinson as the Site Manager. 

Name of assessor  Rory Robinson	Signature	Date: 17th March
Assessment agreed by site manager Mark Robinson	Signature	Date: 17th March

 

Health and Safety Requirements

Safety Document for Staff and Crew 

My employer is not reliable for any accident that occurs on set and I willingly consent to all aspects of the set during production and will not sue in the case of an accident/injury that occurs while filming this project and I accept that I will not receive compensation if the injury effects turning up on set. 

Safety Equipment 

Safety padding for the climbing over the fence stunt and sensible footwear and clothing to ensure we prevent slips and falls on wet surfaces. 

How to be Safe when using Camera

Use only approved attachments to my camera that are in good condition this can be the batteries as you could use a battery that doesn't fit properly into your camera as it could possibly damage its internal mechanisms.
You want your wires in good condition to avoid fires onset in case the exposed inner working of the wire start a spark. Overall I recommend avoiding large bodies of water with your delicate camera equipment and be generally be patient with the shooting process turn the camera off and with its buttons rather than taking the batteries out and watch the camera during the charging process as issues may occur if the cable is connected correctly.

How to be Safe when using Lighting Equipment

Be careful to not handle the bulbs of none LED lights with bare hands as you could suffer burns, keep in mind the heat of some key lights (spotlights, stage lights, etc.). Avoid shinning directly into the subject's eyes for too long during a shoot as it could become quite painful. Keep members safe from tripping on lighting wires by having wire covers and have warning signs. As some could fall and hurt themselves or knock over light and cause an electrical fire.

Evaluation of my Risk Assessment and Protocol Toward Safety

Overall, in my opinion, I understand the requirements and needs of my cast and crew to remain and feel safe on set. And I feel I have outlined how to conduct a safe work environment, however, I feel I could gain a better understanding of health and safety by working with larger filming groups as with each new member of the crew is another safety concern to consider.

Promotional Video Pre-Production

In the following posts, I go through the pre-production process of creating a promotional video, from my original pitch/brainstorming session with the client to a finalised shooting schedule and call sheet. As I showcase my practical skills for planning and documentation.

Brainstorming/Pitch for Promotional Video 

Length: Three Minutes​ ​

Idea 2 Growing Connections

Summary​:

I want to use a Choreographed dance with physical theatre as I want the dancers to create the image of a tree to symbolize Ancestree app and as they form this tree it creates the theme of connection as an inspirational message with the use of politicians talking about keeping hope and sticking together during the Covid 19 pandemic. Hopefully capturing this in a Birdman (2014) style single take.

Mood Board

Visual Aesthetic Example

Climax (2018) Opening Sequence

Requirements

Dance Troupe (usually between 10 to 12 people, Average wage per Dancer £14.97 minimum per hour)​

Professional Choreographer (£180.85 to £217 per dancer)​ 

Time to make Choreography will take 2 to 3 Days and same time period for 2 to 3 Days.​

Renting a Dance Studio can be between £10.85 and £36.16, averaging £25 an hour. Deda.uk.com​ 

Editor (£19.88 per hour)​ Camera Operator/Cinematographer (Hourly rate of £61.45 to £90.35) plus £2000 for equipment/insurance​ 

No cost for re-using News footage audio of politicians under the guidelines of fair use it is being used to prove your point to the audience and nothing more.

Breakdown/Budget Estimate

Length: 1 Minute and 30 Seconds​

Time to Complete: 3 to 4 Weeks​ 

Pre-Production​ Planning and setup 1 to 2 Week, casting dancers and equipment booking for Tripods, Dolly or anything else needed for a shoot. And for Choreographer to teach and then have dancers memorize Choreography.​

Production​ Depending on the complexity of footage and client feedback 3-to-4-day shoot since its mostly repeating the same sequence until I am satisfied with the result as well as my client.​

Post-Production​ Editing should take less than a week between 3 to 4 days due to the simplicity of the one-take style and only requiring the hiding of certain cuts.

Budget/Cost: £16082.92 (Conservative Budget not including all cast and equipment outside of the essentials, and for a full dance troupe which can be cut in size and scale).

Idea 3 Our Animated History

Summary:

​ We see the history of a single family through animation with Non-Diegetic voiceover we watch the story transition from period to period as the style of animation changes with each decade from the early 1800's Zoetrope spinning illusion and eventually ending in current-day digital CGI (Computer Generated Imagery).

Moodboard

Visual Aesthetic Example:

The Evolution of Animation 1833 - 1990

Requirements

According to ecmstu.com for 5-10 Seconds of Animation, it will take about a day of work (about  7 ½ Hour Workday).

So, for 1 minute of Animation, this will take 6 to 12+days. Not including days for Storyboarding, etc.​ Twine.net where you can hire various independent animators and Work Chron.com, it costs £27.73 per one hour for an Animator would recommend 2 to help with time.

Due to my need for traditional animation training, this may cost extra. £2000 for Equipment for the animation team for recreating Zoetropes, etc.​

Voice Over Artist on average cost £10.68 per hour​ Studio for Voiceover to Animate between £25 to £200 an hour, might have to rent separately if the needs aren't available in the same space.

Breakdown/Budget Estimate​

Length: 1 Minute​ 

Time to Complete: 3 to 4 Weeks​ 

Pre-Production​ Planning/Storyboarding setting up a studio for them to work in 1 to 2 Weeks with this extra week to look for specialised equipment and resources they will need for the different animation styles.​

Production​ Due to it being an animation team of two for a 1-minute sequence being 6 to 12 days I estimate due to the various different animation style it will take about 2 weeks with the simple and small voiceover requirements.​

Post-Production​ Editing should take less than a week between 3 to 4 days after the bulk of the animation and will act as them adding the finishing touches on their work to fit with the client's demands if any. 

Budget/Cost: £10278.28 (Conservative Budget not including all cast and equipment outside of the essentials, with current knowledge of the creation process).​

My Idea to Use Online Influencers

I had a marketing idea to include in these various promotional videos to have online influencers be part of the production and to boost engagement for their product.

This could be through sponsored content on their online platforms to promote the app, if we move forward with our animation idea we could use the animations of their videos and hire them to be a part of the animation team or even play an actor in the video. If we involve them in the promotional video in some way I know we can boost viewership from a target audience and further encourage increased engagement.

Examples of Influencers we could involve:

History Matters

How did Medieval Banking Work? (Short Animated Documentary)

The Great War

World News From 100 Years Ago - January 1921

The Infographics Show

How A Soldier Single-Handedly Liberated An Entire German Occupied City

Client Reaction to Ideas Pitched

My client decided to go with the 1st idea of my comedic history of a personal family tree, we expanded the idea together to better include the app being used. By having two different sequences one of the individuals looking over the app while we see their various ancestors from history going through the town and having modern-day interaction (my example was a caveman buying a sausage roll) and then finally the ancestors arrive at the user's front door in a humour scene of a collaboration of ancestors of different backgrounds and a confused looking user.  

Ending with a tagline which we decided on "Find when family is" or their slogan "a sunny future of family history", my client also wanted me to include a more comic book style editing similar to Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2010) to give it more visual appeal.

The other ideas to the client felt they were for a more established brand (like the Christmas John Lewis adverts) and since this is a promotional video to establish the product in the user's mind I need to make it more obvious for the audience, in conclusion, the meeting/pitch went well and I managed to secure funding and I can start the creation process of my first idea. And I think we can use the extra footage from this shooting day to have smaller clips for an online campaign, my client liked the idea of the caveman posting on the app and on social media to promote the app.

Storyboard for Promotional Video

In this storyboard I have highlighted the most important scenes to include in the promotional video, going for a comedic tone similar to that of horrible histories so I want to include juxtaposition. Having the caveman in a co-op and a Knight in full plate mail going up a train station escalator. but I also needed to include the app of Ancestree in use. So I added to my original idea in the storyboard scene cuts back and forth from these various actors in period clothing and makeup to a man using the app during their morning routine as he matches with the ancestors that appear in this seemingly normal British ton in awe and confusion to those that see them.

Overall since the video itself is aiming to be 3 minutes in length I will be adding more shots than the one's seen in this storyboard which will become clear during the scriptwriting process, but I am aiming for the shots of the man using the app to be around a minute long and the footage of the historical ancestors to be around one and a half minutes with the rest being focused on highlighting my client's taglines and other showcases of the function of the app. However, I will be using narration in my video to save on wasting screen time which I want to engage the audience with instructions that I can make comedic with the use of narration with these horrible histories type humour.

*Post-Production Notes:

During the Production this proved very useful, However, in my next production, I will take Test Footage from my location and use them to direct a more accurate blueprint for me during the filming process. If I wasn't on-site during the Location Recee re-adjusting the sequence of the final product would have been hard to adjust.

Shot List for Promotional Video

(List of Types of Shots I Will be Using in The Promotional Video, and an estimate of footage time they will be in use)

1. Medium Shot, Eye-Level, 60 seconds 
2. Medium Shot, High Angle, 25 seconds 
3. Closeup, P.O.V (Handheld), 15 seconds 
4. Closeup, Panning Shot (Vertical) into another Closeup, 10 seconds  
5. Over the Shoulder, 15 seconds
6. Longshot, 25 Seconds
7. Tracking Shot (Dolly), 10 Seconds

Test Footage for Promotional Video

Evaluation of Storyboard/Shot List

The Storyboard and Shot List are used to create a visual blueprint for the production. They showcase how a piece of visual media will be shot and what will be required for specific cinematography uses.

The storyboard was used to create a blueprint for my promotional video by showcasing how I want the final video to look and what camera movements I would like to include, it effectively provided a visual representation of how my promotional video would look. If I was going to improve it I would use a software called Storyboarder to make a story online allowing it to be more clear and to be better shared with my crew online.

Shot List gave me and my cinematographer Jack a better understating of how long these shots were going to take in the promotional video and certain equipment required to achieve it. Allowing us to get them in before filming begins and better plan ahead, but in the future, I would go more in-depth and combine it with the shot list to create a more detailed and useful document.

Test Footage allows me and my cinematographer to see how the set looks before arriving allowing us to select certain equipment for it, light deflectors for outdoor shoots, etc. If I was going to improve it I would have used myself as a model to showcase how space will light talent on location allowing them to understand the natural lighting setting even better, to decrease setup time on the day of shooting.

Overall these stages of pre-production allow me and my crew to visually see how the final product will look and allow us to plan in advance in case of certain equipment requirements, etc. However, I think I could have made these documents more clear and precise to further ensure we are prepared for shooting with a clear vision.

Brainstorming Ideas

How to accomplish the wants and needs of my client wants (Demographic, etc.) with techniques from other promotional videos such as the examples I analysed in my blog for this very reason. I must consider this in this stage of pre-production to have a clear vision throughout.

I will break down the conventions of promotional videos to better understand what I need to include to achieve the desire of my client.

Promotional Video Conventions:

Defining the Product:

The goal of a promotional video is to inform the audience of the product, so in my video, I need to showcase and display the product in use.

Applying it to the Audience:

The video needs to apply to the target audience and relate to them, for them to be engaged and it needs to show what the company/product can offer them.

Sound/Music:

Music is to establish the tone of the video and often has no words to keep the focus on the footage and to help avoid copyright risks and costs with the use of royalty/copyright free music. Promotional videos can use narration (Non-Diegetic) to better instruct the audience about the product and can help demonstrate what the product is/can do for the audience.

Interviews: 

Some promotional videos include interviews with customers or employees, and give positive feedback and work to persuade people to use the product by having someone on the side of the consumer.

Cinematography:

Usually simple and easy to understand, it is rare for promotional videos to use complex camera techniques.

Runtime/Length: 

The average time for a promotional video is usually under 6 minutes (maximum). But it completely depends on the platform you are filming for, if you are filming for tv advertising slots vs for online/social media, etc.

3 Ideas for Video:

A comedic showcase of a family through history as we watch a single actor play ancestors from caveman to the modern-day with different costumes, etc. Ending with him answering the door to discover himself (Split Screen) meeting with a family member he didn't know about. Text appears on-screen "Find out where family is"

Final Idea

My client chose the first idea for a comedic horrible histories style video looking at an actor playing their ancestors throughout history. However, they wanted to make a few changes first they wanted to have the app usage be more active in the video. So I suggested having the main actor be on the app and sighing in and finding matches in the Ancestry and then add that ancestor into the world as they begin to approach the characters home ending in a humourous shot of a large crowd of the person ancestors outside their front door and ending with the tagline "find when family is".

My client also liked in my pitch the inclusion of online influencers that are linked to history like the History Matters youtube channel, to better attached our target demographic.

Contingency Plan

If something were to go wrong with the filming my plan is to switch from a promotional video to an online marketing campaign, I can use the costume and makeup of my hired staff and crew to create an online profile presence with social media posts for the client of these ancestors. Some examples were maybe caveman reviews as we have our hired actor dress up in caveman costume and makeup make parody food reviews, etc. Using the humour of the original idea and putting it into a different medium, if problems do emerge in the production of the promotional videos this is a perfect way to use all of the gathered staff and equipment to create these parodies of people from different times in history on the social media, this can be done cheaply with our assets from the production and can be easily adapted into a covid safe format if that is the reason that shooting is halted. If we had money to spare during our production I would love to include this for my client with spare footage/shooting time, as it would allow me to continue t work or them as a part of the marketing for the Ancestree app.

Evaluation of Brainstorming/Contingency

By doing research into the conventions of promotional videos and coming up with multiple ideas for my client allowed me to give them many different options for them to pick from during my pitch allowing me to most accurately achieve my clients vision. However, if I had created a mindmap of these conventions to more easily decide what to include in my own promotional video I could have had a more polished vision for the pitch that better reflected the wants from my client brief. I also think by not making multiple ideas I could have focused on a singular idea and polished it with the time I took to create and break down/estimate the cost and needs of my other ideas.

I created my contingency plan to have a plan B in case of issues occurring during the shoot and gives both me and a client something to use, by crafting this plan means the money from the budget won't go to waste. And by having my contingency plan as a marketing campaign that can also be achieved if my client wanted to pursue more work with me, I also secure myself future employment. If I was to do this project again I would change my contingency plan to fit the wants of the beef for my client by having a backup idea for the promotional video, possible creating a shorter story that can still be shot on my chosen shooting locations using my talent/crew. Despite my contingency is a great idea to get the brand/product out there through a marketing campaign, at the end of the day my client wants a promotional video and I should do my best to achieve that.

Overall I think brainstorming ideas about my promotional video and crafting a contingency plan in case things went wrong during filming was a vital part of my promotional video production and gave me a great outline for what I wanted to achieve with my video, as well as what to do in case of unseen problems during the shoot.

Location Recce

Location 1 - House

When deciding on where to shoot interior scenes for the home of the App User in the promotional video I had to find a setting for cheap but had the requirements of a bedroom with a window and a kitchen and a filmable front entranceway, I eventually found a location owned by one of my crew members parents however it lacked a front garden for the final shot of the promotional video, so I split the shooting into another home that I had scouted.

Location 2 - Town

I was struggling to decide on where I was going to film the scenes in a public area that had the desired pedestrian crossing, playground and train station to do the public filming on a single shooting day and be within transportable distance for my talent and crew to achieve this. We decided on Kingsbury Village as it has the main Tamworth road for the crossing near a co-op allowing for easy transport between takes as well as a playground less than 15 minutes walking distance. It did lack a train station but it was too perfect to pass upon.

*Notes Post-Production

We ended up deciding to scrap the escalator shot in a train station as we couldn't find an affordable area near our desired location for the ease of talent and crew and it didn't fit with the final product.

Location 3 - CO-OP

While scouting Kingsbury Village for our exterior scenes we found a CO-OP right next to a crossing we were planning on using for the exterior scenes making it a perfect candidate to be filmed in. Having looked in the interior I had to move around the shot setups for filming in there however the manager was open to filming there but I would need to contact the local branch of the company for permission.

Conclusion

I decided on these locations to accommodate for the schedules of my talent and crew and their overall cost was under our budget cost, I then went to each location after contacting each of the sites managers and performed an evaluation of the site.

Activity	Is the location suitable for production?	Additional comments
Surveying the location and marking positions and suitability for filming equipment (Camera, Lighting, Sound, etc.).	Yes, it is suitable for my filming equipment. All locations fit with my video as the interiors were big enough to handle the capacity of my talent and crew, but the Crossing might require more time to film depending on the elements of the shooting day, as it's exposed to harsh winds, etc.	Due to the openness of the public areas, and it being on a busy area/road (especially on the main Tamworth road) where we are planning exterior footage  I might have to post letters to nearby residents telling them the filming dates and how to avoid it.
Identify the equipment necessary for this location.	No location seemed to require extra technical equipment required to shoot, but I think having a trailer car/caravan for my makeup/costume department to set up for my actors would be optimal to allow us to film at these species quickly and effectively.	Due to a high school being nearby these exterior shooting locations we should film during school times (Between 8:00am to 4:00pm). To avoid heavy foot/car traffic in our shooting locations.
Examine and identify any potential health and safety issues.	The only health risks I saw in these shooting locations was the potential to fall down the stairs during our interior shooting (as it is a tight space near the top of the staircase of the bedroom scene). I was also concerned about vehicle traffic in the pedestrian crossing area.	Need to have a staff member trained in first aid during shooting and must have medkits on hand and high visibility clothing for my crew during the shooting in these locations.
Check the position of the sun and lighting conditions.	Has suitable natural lighting but will still require light reflectors due to outside shooting locations.	Heavily depend on shooting day and may alter the order of which areas to shoot for better sun positioning as there is little to no shade in these outside shooting locations.
Look for the best camera positioning for filming	Have established the best positioning to fit with my goals for the film opening but I have heavily altered my original ideas from the storyboard.	Had to make adjust crew size to better fit in the interior settings/locations.
Confirm times and dates with technical crew/actors or anybody interviewing etc.	It is suitable and everyone has been told of the filming schedules dates and times agreed by the landowners, and they can all find transport to the set for our filming times.	I will be arriving to set before everyone else, I have hired a caravan company that will provide areas for my staff to set up for when they arrive.
Make sure everybody on set knows what is planned and how they will help in its execution through the role on set.	It is suitable and everyone knows their roles.	Everyone involved has been informed and had their expectations while on set will be personally explained by me before filming.

Evaluation of Location Recce

By doing a Location Recce it allowed me to evaluate the risks and requirements for my shooting locations, which lets me know what I need to bring to set and book in advance for the shoot. This includes safety precautions and how they will affect talent and camera equipment. The benefit to me and my crew was significant as by surveying the locations I knew what we were going to be dealing with each day of shooting, leading to minimal surprises we weren't expecting (foot traffic, etc.). However, I could have prevented doing this by shooting in a studio where I would have had full control of the setting for interior scenes and could have a lot for the cost of shooting by not needing to pay the owners outside the studio owners and could have had premade sets to have it all filmed and ready to go in a single shooting day. If I was going to shoot this production again I would have definitely used a studio for the interior shots as I could have had it made with my equipment in mind and would have allowed a better setup for me and my crew.

Overall by performing a location Recce and making detailed notes on my shooting locations help me and my crew easily start shooting by pre-planning around problems and issues before arriving on the set. But I could have better controlled my setting and not required this for interior scenes by hooting in a studio for the indoor scenes.

Health and Safety Document/Risk Assessment

Here is an example of the health and safety documentation for my shooting location for my interior and exterior shots of the house for the bedroom and kitchen scenes. 

Location Manager:  Mark Robinson acting as site manager

Director and Location Assessor:  Rory Robinson

This assessment was to check the location's safety and how to limit and protect from hazards during filming on location in the building owned by Mark Robinson.

This was also reviewed by our Gaffer/Grip who was our health and safety trained crew member present during the entirety of our shooting days, Aarna Fonner

Hazards Identified in the Assessment 

HAZARDS	CONTROL METHODS
Poor weather could cause the front pathway to turn into a slipping hazard. If it rained during the night before and during the filming day, this would be extremely important to keep in mind.	Staff should wear strong footwear and suitable clothing for the conditions. Never run and follow safety instructions given by the site manager. Stay vigilant and aware of the watery/slippery surfaces.
Trip hazards  E.g. the staircase outside of the bedroom area and the cords that will be set up to power my equipment.	Never run and follow safety instructions.   Stay vigilant of dangerous obstacles. Use cable ties to secure cords to provide better security for everyone on set.
Other control methods	Aware of the location of emergency exits and the distance from local emergency services if they are required. Aarna Fonner received first aid training allowing him to be the one to act in case of injury on site.
Bystanders and onsite personnel not aware of the shoot as is near a public park	Get the site manager to block off the shooting area and to inform all those on the site of our presence. Shooting will be taken place early in the morning to avoid as many bystanders as possible interrupting or causing injuries on set.

 

All risks were minimised/controlled according to Rory Robinson as the Assessor and Mark Robinson as the Site Manager. 

Name of assessor  Rory Robinson	Signature	Date: 3rd March
Assessment agreed by site manager Mark Robinson	Signature	Date: 3rd March

 

Health and Safety

Safety Consent Agreement for Staff and Crew:

My employer is not reliable for any accident that occurs on set and I willingly consent to all aspects of the set during production and will not sue in the case of an accident/injury that occurs while filming this project and I accept that I will not receive compensation if the injury effects turning up on set.

*Post-Production Note

This was signed in a document format for my talent and crew requiring their signature giving me and my client legal immunity to lawsuits from damages/injuries on set.

Safety Equipment List:

Cable ties, to secure the cords for my equipment to prevent a tripping hazard.

High visibility vests/clothing when filming the pedestrian crossing scene, to make sure my crew can be clearly visible by traffic on the road allowing them to avoid being hit by vehicles. This can also provide further safety if I combine this with the use of traffic cones and warning signs set up on the outskirts of the set.

Medical Kit, which includes bandages and other medical supplies for injuries that occur on set. Will near if not on the person of our health and safety trained staff member Aarna Fonner so she can provide medicate medical help to those who need it if an accident does occur on set, while we call emergency services.

Health and Safety Evaluation

My health and safety documentation successful created a shooting environment for my talent and crew to be safe during the filming of this production, as I created a Risk Assessment that evaluated and broke down the risk and potential hazards on set and how they can be avoided, allowing us to plan around them to film as effectively and safely with our shooting as humanly possible. If I was going to improve the risk assessment I would in the future I would list who onset is in charge of preventing these hazards, for example, I would have had my camera operator Jack Flanner be in charge of tieing up the cords/cable required for his camera setup as it is his equipment that will be causing the hazard.

Contracts, my contracts for staff and crew to give me and my client deniability to damages to persons during the shoot prevented both of us from being subjected to lawsuits due to unforeseen accidents or injuries on set during filming. To better improve this I would have signed in-person consent rather than the digital worksheet that I used as it is more liable in court as an individuals signature, as well as include clauses about the damage my crew/talent, might cause to my equipment by purchasing equipment insurance and including tin there, contracts that they are responsible for the treatment of equipment they ay damage unintentionally on set.

Safet Equipment List allowed me to know what we needed during the shooting day to keep me and my staff safe from harm and allowed us to feel safe on set by having these extra pieces of equipment for protection, however, it can be argued that this does waste resources on the production but the safety of all those on the set comes first. If I was going to do this project again I would make a list of those responsible for these pieces of equipment to better ensure their use effectively but also I would have gotten more general safety equipment like fire extinguishers, etc. To better protect my workers and would have another member of staff trained in health and safety in case my only trained staff member Aarna Fonner was injured during filming. Only having one person in my crew trained could mean disaster if that person is the one who has suffered an unforeseen accident.

Overall I think my health and safety precautions insured the safety and wellbeing of my talent and crew and without these pieces of equipment and documentation, I fear what could have occurred due to ignoring the hazards these methods exposed onset. Making it an integral part of any production.

Requirements for Filming

Crew List:

Camera Operator - Jack Flanner

Camera Operators are hired to operate the camera as well as a variety of other technical equipment, multiple cameras, cranes, etc.

Cinematographer - Jack Flanner

The person who directs and controls the camerawork and is in charge of those controlling the camera.

Boom Operator - Jason Smith

A boom operator/First Assistant Sound, hold the boom mc and works actively to control the quality of sound on set working with the sound mixer, etc.

Prop Designer - Oscar Roberts

The Prop Designer/Manager is in charge of obtaining and managing all props for the production as they work closely with the stage manager.

Costume Designer - Oscar Roberts

Costume designers design, hire and create costumes for the cast, work closely with directors, producers and writers to keep it accurate and to the aesthetics wanted for the production.

Gaffer/Grip - Aarna Fonner

Gaffer is the lead electrician in a crew, here job to manage to light for the scene (usually assisted by the best boy) and a grip focuses on light from a mechanical side, handling shading, filters and are generally responsible for the setup of heavy equipment (to prevents damage and it injuring others), head of this department is known as a key grip.

Director - Rory Robinson (Me)

A director controls how a production fulfils the vision of the film or the goals of production in the case of a promotional video to make it fit with the wants of the client.

Makeup Artist - Alex Mcguffey

Makeup Artist is in charge of applying makeup and prosthetics to the talent on production.

Actor - Mark L

A person who acts as a career and portray the characters in a production.

Extras - Simon M, David T, Heather R

A background actor, also known as an extra they appear in non-speaking roles within the production.

Equipment List:

Prop List: 

Shopping Bag for Caveman, Laptop, Cereal Bowl, Coffee Cup

Costume: 

Caveman outfit, Edwardian dress, Plate Armour (Background Actor/Extra Outfits)

Makeup: 

Caveman facial makeup

Technical: 

Camera, Tripod, Dolly, Light Deflectors, Boom Mic

 Budget Outline for Promotional Video with my Negotiated Budget of £11000

Materials	Cost per Item	Total	Final Product Cost/Notes
2 SD Card's	£10 (x2)	£20
Hire - Camera (ARRI AMIRA)	Renting ARRI AMIRA Camera for £265 Daily Rate (x3)	£795	The camera had a shoulder mount which made it perfect for our tracking/dolly shot without the need for track or wheels.
Tripod	£45	£45	My Camera Operator already owned a tripod so this did not need to be purchased for production. Saving £45
Lighting Equipment/Kit Indoor: Joker Bug 800w Outdoor: Neewer Round 5-in-1 Collapsible Multi-Disc Light Reflector 50cm with Carrying Case	Joker Bug 800w £90 Daily Rate (x1) Light Reflectors, purchased a case of 5 made of different material to adapt better for shooting days outdoors cost £17.99	£107.99	My Grip already owned light reflectors for outside shoots so did not need to be purchased in the final production. Saving £17.99
Sound Equipment Microphones	Boom Mic/Shotgun Mic £15 Daily Rate (x4)	£60	.
Crew/Cast 8 Hour Film Day Crew: Camera Operator/Cinematographer, Gaffer/Grip, Director, Boom Operator, Makeup Artist/Prop Designer, Costume Designer Cast: Extras, Actors	Camera Operator/Cinematographer £160 Daily Rate (x3) Gaffer/Grip £96 (x3) Director £222 Daily Rate (x3) Makeup Artist/Prop Designer £150 Daily Rate (x2) Costume Designer £230 Daily Rate (x2) Extras £100 (x2) Actor £250	£2322	I was able to get locals to star as extras for free for our exterior scenes, lowering the cost of our shoot significantly as I provided them with food rather than payment (as governed in our volunteer contract). Saving the production £200.
Safety Equipment	£2.70 Bag of 400 Multi-Coloured Nylon Cable Ties (Black, Blue, Red) High Visibility Jacket £1.30  per Crew Member (x8)	£13.1	Cable ties ensured the safety from tripping for my staff and high visibility made sure when there was traffic on the shooting road we were visible to all the cars.
Transport and Location Cost	£15 for public transport services (x8 per crew size). Makeup and Costume Wagon/Trailer £365 through Monday to Friday (overtime £55 per hour) Interior, £500 for our shooting day (got it cheaper as a member of my crew nows the owner)  Exterior, in public Non-Bus Road and Co-Op, costs £3500	£4485	Saved £30 for hiring locals meaning they did not need money for transport to set.
Food for Cast/Crew	£15 per person Daily Rate (x8) Dining Bus £330 (overtime £45 per hour)	£450
Props and Costume	Costume and Makeup Budget £900	£900
Post-Production
Editing Suite and Editor	Renting Suites cost £550 Daily Rate (x2) Editor £116 Daily Rate (x2) Royalty-Free Music £26	£1358	We ended up hiring an editor with a home office allowing us to save money and not hire out an editing suite, Saving £1100
Total:		£10,456	£9053
Contingency Plan:	I have left aside a contingency budget of £1000 for unseen costs of the production along with my leftover budget	£544 (Contingency Budget)	£1000 (Contingency Budget) £1936.22 (Left Over Budget)

 

Equipment Booking Form 

Date Needed	Kit	Booked out at	Signature of Consent	Staff signature	Date to be returned	Booked in at	Staff Signature	Signature of Consent
13th March	ARRI AMIRA (Camera)	07:00	Jack Flanner	Hugh Moore	18th March	2:30	Hugh Moore	Jack Flanner

Spaghetti Studio (Equipment Renting Service in Midlands)

Used this service as they had affordable options and were close to the shooting location to avoid getting charged for overtime use of my camera/equipment.

WagonWheels (Trailer Renting Service)

Used this service as they also had locations nearby but also because they allowed me to rent it for the full shoot to avoid having to bring it back at the end of each shooting day and had plenty of space for my staff/crew to have all of the there needed equipment, costumes, etc. Organised and safe and gave them a space to apply makeup to my cast and get them changed into a costume without being too far away from the shooting location while still providing them privacy.

Evaluation of Budget/Shooting Requirements

I think my breakdown of budget and my list of shooting requirements allowed me and my crew to better prepare and accurately budget our budget for our client, as we knew what we needed and how much that would cost.

Crew List allowed me to figure out who was necessary on set and how I could combine riles to save on budget, it also helped my client understand who was involved with what aspects of the shoot so if they wanted to make any changes they knew who to contact, however, if I was to do this project again I would have included this on an online document with everyone's contact information so my crew and my client cold better communicate with one another.

Equipment List was used to crafting a list of what was required for the production, this allowed me to know what equipment I need to purchase for the production to create a more accurate budget outline. I think I should have made it more detailed and specific to my production like a dolly that fits the size of my camera. If I was to improve this for a future production I would include this detail and where they will be required on the Shot List, to better sequence during the production.

Budget Outline allowed me to create an estimate for the money requirements for the production and after updating it in post-production it allowed me to showcase how I saved cost for my client. I think it was vital to the production as without it I would not have had any idea when I was going over budget or wasting money for the production but I think if I was going to improve it I would have linked the sources of my budget within the document (cost on equipment renting services, etc.) to provide evidence to my client on where their money was going. 

Equipment Booking Form, to showcase which of my staff rented the equipment for the shooting day, this was taken from the online website we used and if I was going to improve this aspect of responsibility for our equipment I would have created a log booking form which kept constant track of who had each piece of equipment throughout the day ensuring it was safe from theft and damages.

Overall my use of a budget outline and equipment list made the production effective as we knew where and what our budget was being spent on and allowed us to plan around it every day of production. However, I think further documentation could have better ensured the safety of my client's money and our equipment each day of shooting with the use of a logbook by my crew.

Legal and Ethical Considerations for Promotional Video

I must consider the legal regulations and systems of advertising on television and social media, for tv like Ofcom (The Office of Communications), The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and The BCAP Code. This is to prevent damaging or misleading messages/imagery in advertising in this case a promotional video, this includes Privacy (Rule 6 of the BCAP Code) which overlooks depictions/references to an individual without their expressed consent or Ham and Offence (Rule 4 of the BCAP Code) to avoid causing widespread offence and use of unethical shock tactics.

Legal Requests for Location 

*Sent a letter in the post to the home wanted for filming the interior scenes

The Homeowner 

4 Rutland Avenue Kingsbury Tamworth 

CV10 9QH4th 

February 2021

Dear Sir/Madam am a director from R.R Productions hoping to make a promotional video with some scenes taking place in an area similar to your residence, we have scouted your property and think It would fit perfectly with our production. We would like to visit your property to determine to confirm if it fits our requirements of filming and with your permission, we can start shooting in late March. If we see the location as suitability you will be compensated for allowing us this opportunity. It will only be a small intimate crew and we shall not get in the way of any event of your daily routine outside of the designated shooting days. I would be grateful if you could let me know if it’s possible for us to do this and to discuss payment and what day will be best for shooting please email me using the link below so we can organize a meeting within the next few weeks. I welcome any advice/concerns you may have on the safety of my cast and crew and conditions when filming.

I can be contacted by email at roryrobinson@R.R.Productions.co.uk Yours Sincerely, Rory Robinson.

 

Response:

Location Permission E-mail from Mark.R@Gmail.co.uk 25th February 2020 10:30am

Dear Rory

I would be happy to arrange for you and your crew to visit and potentially film in my home, please ring me, I will email my availability so we can set up a meeting soon.  

Best regards, Mark Robinson 

(Signature was provided to grant permission for me and my crew to shoot on their property)

Music Copyright:

To expand my budget on visual elements of the production (Cast, Camera Equipment, etc.) so I decided to purchase royalty-free music from Stock Adobe. Royalty-free music is music that no one owns the copyright to and can be purchased for use and requires no royalty payments to an artist. Great for my production as I am already editing on Adobe Premiere-Pro and will allow for an easy selection process for the editor as it easily applies to the editing software with its built-in extensions and transferring file system. However, if I have enough budget to purchase the rights for music from an artist I can work with my client for an affordable option.

Legal Contracts with Cast and Crew

Cast Contract:

I agree to work on the film for the shooting period and to be solely employed by R.R productions as a part of the filming for the promotional video for the Ancestree App and for up to a week afterwards in case of reshoot requirements. In this time of employment, you will not make any drastic change to your appearance unless the costume/makeup staff says so and will not reveal any plot details that spoil the narrative for potential audience members until after the second week of its initial release. And that you will be paid the decided amount owed and discussed with you before you signed the contract (insert pay off the designated actor) and promise to not drop out of the project unless it is required for health (mental or physical) reasons and will not press charges if you suffer any injuries on set despite our safety precautions. 

Rory Robinson

(My consent to the terms of agreement with our client)

Crew Contract:

 

I agree to work on the film for the shooting period and to be solely employed by R.R productions for the film and for up to two months afterwards in case of reshoot requirements. In this time of employment. You will be paid the decided amount owed and discussed with you before you signed the contract (insert pay off the designated crew pay) and promise to not drop out of the project unless it is required for health (mental or physical) reasons and will not press charges if you suffer any injuries on set despite our safety precautions.

Rory Robinson

(My consent to the terms of agreement with our client)

Peopleperhour

I used the site Peopleperhour to find my cast for a reasonable cost for the production, it also allowed me to easily contact them online for audition dates for the promotional video allowing us to get the best talent for the job.

Evaluation of Legal and Ethical Methods for my Promotional Video

My documentation and methods to ensure legal and ethical protections for me and my client, my consideration fro the regulations of advertisers on televisions like Ofcom allowed me to understand what I could and could not include in the video to allow it to air on television as my client intended. By breaking down these rules it allowed me to alter my ideas during the brainstorming process and my pitch to make them suitable for various platforms. However, if I was going to do this breakdown of regulations again I would include the regulations for certain social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to allow my video to be easily showcased on their respective platforms without issue.

My legal request for location, my openness with my locations managers/owners allowed me to better fit into their wants needs from my crew during production and the limitations of what we could do, without learning the conditions that our shooting locations were under I could have done something that could have made me and my client liable for a lawsuit. If I was going to do this production again I would also send a list of requirements to all of my considered shooting locations that they could fill out before shooting allowing me to save tie by asking them the particular conditions and permissions we needed to shoot on their site.

My use of copyright-free/royalty-free music through stock adobe kept me and my client from violating copyright law for the music we were using in the production but also saved us on a budget for purchasing music from an established artist, however, I should have included a pre-written permission form to send to an artist in case my client had a particular song in mind, if I was to do this project again I would have sent out a request to use music from non-lyrical artists songs/music like "I Monster".

Cast and Crew Contracts gave me and my client clear protection from legal action from my cast and crew, if I was going to improve them I would have included specific sections that included their allotted payment and liability for equipment damages. This would have been to ensure my and the client liability to equipment broken by my crew and if I included equipment insurance I could have better protected us from the unforeseen cost of the shoot (if accidents were to occur).

My use of the site Peropleperhour allowed me to vet and search for my desired talent without needing to hire a physical audition space, also due to the sites built-in system which told us the cost per hour of work for the talent we could accurately get talent for costs under our budget. However, due to it being through a site they also take a cut of the payment as introduction tax, if I was to do this production again I would include this clause and account for it during the hiring of my talent to ensure they are paid an ethical wage for the work.

Overall I think I have accounted for the ethical and legal considerations of my production and by creating these pieces of documentation I have ensured the legal safety of me and my client, if I was to improve and build on this paperwork I would do research on local unions and how hiring through them would change my requirements for employees on set.

Pre-Production Log for Promotional Video

The following is a chronological sequence of events that corresponds to the paperwork on the following pages in this document. 

Date	Action taken
25th of January	After being shown the client brief with all the wants and needs of the client, I started forming ideas for the promotional video, so I crafted 3 Ideas and a pitch for my client. I also began a budget estimate for the video.
5th of February	I had a meeting with my client where we went through my ideas, ultimately they went with my idea for a comedic, horrible histories style video using humour to engage and explain the product app. They granted the idea a budget of £1100 for me to use, I then contacted people I had worked previously on productions to form my crew (people who I know are capable), as I granted our roles on the production and set up a meeting to create a production schedule.
12th of February	Had a meeting with my crew and client, we created a production schedule to ensure we can get the most vital of tasks for this production ordered for easy and regular completion. I created a storyboard for the promotional video and a shot list, I also began researching shooting locations for the production and sorted a date for me and my grip Aarna Fonner, to do a Location Recce.
16th of February	Contacted our film locations and conducted a location Recee, we have decided on which locations best fit our budget and are easy to travel to. We inspected and assessed the filming location health and safety risks and evaluated the requirements to make it as safe as possible and sorted out preferred times for shooting with its manager. We concluded our inspection with the gathering by marking optimal camera placements for the day of shooting, with test footage. I also constructed (with the oversite of my client) legal contracts for our staff and crew to ensure their payment and protect us from lawsuits (In case of accidents during the production).
18th of February	Meeting with Client and staff to ensure we are all on schedule and can continue as scheduled for our shooting date. Set date for auditions for talent and have sorted the various arrangements for transport to the location and food cost for them. And created an equipment list from test footage (including props and costumes) for my crew to procure for the shoot.
23rd of February	We then conducted an audition for our main actor where we decided on Mark Laden and for our extras. Went through the contracts with them and payment, however, we decided to open up auditions for local volunteers who wanted to work as extras for free.
25th of February	Planned out a contingency plan in case of problems while shooting.  I also confirmed permission to use the music I intended for the scene. To protect me from copyright laws by contacting them through email, ended up purchasing royalty-free music.
1st of March	Final meeting before the shoot to go through times were expected to shoot for and insuring, we all knew when and why we were on set for our filming times. And confirming responsibility for set elements that we were individually brought to set.  Compiling all contact data of people on set, who will be required on set for each day of shooting, etc.
2nd of March	After Renting our equipment and arriving on set early to set up our trailer, we filmed as much as we could for our film however allowing us to get our interior shots of inside the store and the crossing and we were able to get extra b footage to use in post-production. We then filmed the second set of exterior shots, however, there was an issue with bystanders during our filming as they were interfering with the shoot, we managed to complete it without compromise.
3rd of March	Filmed interior shots, location during filming there was a lot of rain causing some issues with sound quality and ended up having to avoid shooting near the windows to keep continuity between the exterior and interior footage.
6th of March	Had my editor send a draft to my client in case of last-minute improvements, I also paid the royalty fee for the music within the footage, however, my client had no improvements other than missing links so we ended up using some of our B rolls to fill the requirements.
10th of March	After going through it with my editor and completing their feedback with them to the best of my ability I had him send them the final product that hopefully satisfied all their wants/needs.

 

Production Schedule  

Title: AncesTee Promotional Video  

Director: Rory Robinson 

Producer: Billy Moss (Client)

18th of February  

Action	Date Started	Date completed
Brainstorming Ideas, Reasaching Conventions and Planning Pitch	25th of January	4th of February
Pre-production meeting 1, Pitch with the client making improvements to my Idea and hiring crew	5th of February	12th of February
Pre-production meeting 2, deciding our roles and Finalising the Idea. Story Board, Shot List	12th of February	15th of February
Production Schedule, Location Recce and risk assessment Test Footage along with Filming permission and Cast/Crew Legal Documents	16th of February	18th of February
Pre-production meeting 3 Equipment List along with Prop and Costume list	18th of February	20th of February
Auditions for Cast	23rd of February	24th of February
Created a Clear Contingency Plan, and Copyright Proof the Music	25th of February	27th of February
Pre-Production meeting 4 Confirm final details & I also Gathered Contact Details, Creating Call Sheet	1st of March	15th of March
Filming Day 1 (Exterior Shots)	2nd of March	2nd of March
Filming Day 2 (Interior Shots) Contingency Shoot (If needed)	3rd of March	3rd of March
Post-Production (Editing)	6th of March	10th of March
Rough Cut	6th of March	8th of March
Final version completed	10th of March

Gantt Chart

Created an online Gantt Chart for me and my crew to tick off as we were going through the creation process, this was to keep everyone in on the process as we went through each week of production. Everyone could edit it through teams and we could keep posted as the live document was edited. Letting us know in real-time the progress we were making.

Evaluation of Pre-Production Log/Schedule and Gantt Chart

My use of documentation in organizing and breaking down how my production was created through the weeks of pre-production, production and post-production and how these documents help me and my crew keep on schedule for my client's deadline.

 My Pre-Production Log allowed me to go through each week of the production in extreme detail and how this can be looked back on by my client and crew and the progress we have made each week. Showing how we are on track for the deadline. However, if I was going to improve this I would include links to the documents and pieces of work from each of these weeks so they can be easily found.

The Production Schedule went through the order me and my crew planned to create the promotional video from pre-production to post-production as it established the time frame around the production and allowed it to be updated with each completed body of work, keeping us on track for the deadline keeping us on track with the client and under budget with sticking to are assigned shooting days and times. If I wanted to make this better I would combine it with a Gantt Chart for visual aid and better time management from my crew.

Gantt Chart was an online document that could be edited by my crew when they completed tasks and informed them of important dates/deadlines for a piece of work vital to the production, without we could have possibly lost track of when certain tasks needed to be done. I would in future production have the Gantt Chart sorted into each day of the week so it's a more accurate depiction of work completion and assign certain colours to my crew to better highlight their completed work.

Overall my use of these documentations helped my production keep on schedule and without it, the whole production could have descended into chaos by losing the order of the timelines for the client, it could be better improved via more specific and accurate changes to highlight peoples workflow however during the course of this production it kept me and my peers on track.

Shooting Schedule for Promotional Video

What is being shot	Start shooting	Finish shooting
Filming Mark L in the Co-Op (In caveman makeup and Costume) with a shopping bag, medium static shot as he arrives at the checkout area.	2nd of March 2021  Start time 9:00am	2nd of March 2021  Finish time 12:00am
Crossing Outside of Co-Op of Mark L and Extras in period clothing (Edwardian dress and Knight Armour) and outside of the front door Closeup and longshot.	2nd of March 2021  Start time: 1:30pm	2nd of March 2021  Finish time 3:30pm
Filming inside of the house, upstairs bedroom over the shoulder medium shots, kitchen. Front Door Closeup.	3rd of March 2021  Start time 11:40am	3rd of March 2021  Finish time2:00pm

 

Call Sheet & Contact Details 

AncessTree Promotional Video	Filming date: 2nd to 3rdMarch 2021
Director: Rory Robinson	Location Call: 9:00am
Producer: Billy Moss/Rory Robinson	Estimated Wrap Times: 12:00am, 3:30pm, 2:00pm
LOCATIONS:   Co-Op 145 Tamworth Rd, Kingsbury, Tamworth B78 2HH Household  4 Rutland Avenue Kingsbury Tamworth  CV10 9QH4th	LOCATION CONTACTS:  Jacky Thompson  07903433083 Mark Robinson 07893245123

 

PRODUCTION ARRANGEMENTS: 

The location is about 20 minutes from the local bus station and our plan is to start filming at 9:00am. So, we should arrive at about 8:30am and since it takes 25 minutes to set up before filming. (Not including 1 hour wait time for makeup, makeup artist and actor should arrive at 8:00am as it gives them time to set up).

 

Cast and Crew

Name	Role	Additional	Mobile Number	Email
Rory R	Director	Producer	07368214791	roryrobinson@R.R.Productions.co.uk
Jack F	Camera operator	Cinematographer	07488300044	jackfonner@R.R.Productions.co.uk

Alex M	Makeup Artist		07498632044	AlaxanderMc@gmail.com
Aarna F	Gaffer	Grip/Key Grip	07378214091	AarnaGrip@R.R.Productions.co.uk
Jason S	Boom Operator		07488309744	Soundkeeper67@gmail.com

Mark L	Actor		07310414791	MrMarkL@ymail.com
Oscar R	Costume Designer	Prop Designer/manager	07368214791	roryrobinsonOscarMakeup@btinternet.co.uk
Heather R, Simon M, David T	Volunteer Extras		07486580044 07438399094  07588334344	HeathertheBeetle@Yahoo.com SammyMoore@Ymail.com Davidt@Gmail.com

 

RESOURCES  

Props/Costume/Equipment	Responsible	Props/Costume/Equipment	Responsible
Costume: Caveman, Edwardian Dress and Knights Armour Props: Shopping Bag	Oscar R	Camera, Tripod	Jack F
Caveman Facial Makeup	Alex M	Lighting Deflectors, Joker Bug 800w Lights	Aarna F

High Visibility Jackets, Cable Ties, Food for Cast and Crew	Rory R	Boom Mic	Jason S

Evaluation of Shooting Schedule/Call Sheet

My use of shooting schedules and call sheets allowed my shooting days to run with ease and without worry by accounting for who and what was a need on set for that particular day.

The Shooting Schedule outlined when and where my talent and crew needed to be for individual shooting days and allowed the production to keep on schedule for the allotted time we had rented our various shooting schedules for. Allowed all of my crew to be able to figure out the necessary transportation for each day they were on set, if I was going to improve this I would include public transport that will get them there on time and parking spaces for them to use when they arrive on set.

The Call Sheet allowed me and my crew to get in contact with one another, this was to inform us of any issues such as traffic causing transport delays, etc. Giving us the notice to adapt to these issues on set as well as keeping each other in the loop of where the set is moving during lunch breaks and who will be required when and where during shooting. If I was going to improve the call sheet I would designate a certain time to contact the necessary talent/crew who are needed at exact times on set, such as our lead actor who needs to be in the makeup chair hours before shooting will actually take place.

Overall these documents accurately indicate who and what is need during each day of filming as well as multiple ways to contact each other to ensure everyone arrives ready on set. However, if I was to do this production again I would include certain text in these documents to give specific time slots for crew and talent who need time to set up before shooting.

Meeting Records: 

Meeting Record Sheet 1 

Date: 5th of February 2021 Time: 9.30 am Place: Home via digital Conference call on Microsoft Teams

Present: Rory Robinson, Billy Moss

Absences: none  

Time Recorded: Rory 

Issue discussed	Decision/Person Responsible for Action
I gave a three idea pitch to my client (Billy) and presented them through a PowerPoint presentation with mood boards and visual examples.
After discussing the necessary improvements and wants Billy wanted as a client for the idea we landed on the first idea I pitched which was a horrible history style comedy as it followed the ancestors of one man converging on him in modern-day as their juxtaposition with the setting causes humour. After discussing the budget, and looking at my budget estimate Billy granted me £11000 to get this promotional video made.	Me/Rory - Set about improving my idea and hiring my crew
Timescales for filming to be hopefully early March.  The meeting finished at 10.30am.  Date of next meeting – 12th March 2021	The production schedule for next week's meeting allowing us time to prepare to be available for the filming date.

 

Meeting Record Sheet 2 

Date: 12th March 2021 Time: 9.30 am Place: Home via digital Conference call on Microsoft Teams

Present: Rory Robinson, Jack Flanner, Jason Smith, Oscar Roberts, Aarna Fonner Alex Mcguffey

Absences: none  

Time Recorded: Rory 

Issue Discussed	Decision/Person Responsible for Action
Went through the finalised idea in the meeting and went through the shot list and storyboard talked through planning the production schedule and split responsibilities between us.
Important dates  Recce – 16th March   Filming - 2nd March    Contingency second shoot – 3rd March   I and Aarna both decided to be present for the location recess as it applied to both of our roles on set as the grip and our member of the set with medical qualifications and the director, Jack needed to see the location to decide on camera placement, etc.	Decided Roles for Production: Me/Rory - Director Oscar - Prop and Costume Designer    Aarna - Gaffer/Grip Jack -  Camera Operator/Cinematographer   Alex - Makeup Artist Jason -  Boom Operator
We then ended the meeting with an estimated budget cost for the film by compiling our equipment and costume lists, which we will be finalising for the next meeting and as we will see what is possible to procure in time for shooting.	Equipment:  Costumes, Makeup, Props, Safety and Technical, etc.
The meeting finished at 10.50am.  Date of next meeting – 18th February 2021

By the next meeting, both the equipment and necessary legal work will be signed off by all parties and ready for when we need to start filming. We have also told each other to keep in touch and to report on any issues before the shoot just in case we need to reschedule the date.

*Post Production Notes

We ended up not needing to have a meeting as we communicated with each other on the production schedule (Gantt chart) and kept aware of the equipment we all needed and would be procuring before filming. I provided them with their money to purchase their needed material while I conducted addictions on the talent. 

 

Meeting Record sheet 3 

Date: 1st March 2021 Time: 9.30 am Place: Home via digital Conference call on Microsoft Teams

Present: Rory Robinson, Jack Flanner, Jason Smith, Oscar Roberts, Aarna Fonner Alex Mcguffey, Billy Moss

Absences: none  

Time Recorded: Rory 

Issues Discussed	Decision/Person Responsible for Action
The updated plan and finalizing details for the shoot.
Final details for the location shoot day    The location is about 20 minutes from the local bus station and our plan is to start filming at 9:00am. So, we should arrive at about 8:30am and since it takes 25 minutes to set up before filming. (Not including 1 hour wait time for makeup, makeup artist and actor should arrive at 8:00am as it gives them time to set up)     I will be wearing my sensible clothing for the weather and I can change into costume on-site as they have a private bathroom we can use as a makeshift dressing room. If we end up being late as they are expecting us at 9:00am I will call them as we have exchanged contact details.    We also planned a contingency schedule/plan in case something goes wrong on the day of shooting or the day before, we communicated clearly to Billy (the client) how the production was going and what their money was going to be spent on and gave them plenty of opportunities to provide improvements if necessary.	Meet on-site at 9:00am (8:00am for Makeup and Costume) All have a list of each other’s mobile numbers.  Jack - Renting Camera for the shoot and transport them to set Oscar/Alex -  Driving makeup/costume station to set up an hour before with our talent Aarna - Renting lighting equipment and transporting it to the site Me/Rory -  Getting Cable Ties and high visibility jackets for safety precautions
The meeting finished at 10.30am.

 

 Evaluation of Meeting Records

Meeting Records are used to keep track of topics discussed and assignments given during a meeting with the crew and in this case the client. This communication ensures that we keep with the vision of the client and what they wish to achieve with this promotional video.

I would say I successfully kept track of what we discussed and by keeping notes on these discussions we improved our workflow and allowed us to continuously apply our work to the client brief. This made sure we stayed in touch with the client but if I was to improve both the meeting and the meeting records I would have recorded videos of the meeting as visual evidence and would allow us and others who may have missed the meeting to watch them and better understand what we were going through during it. I would also in future productions have these meetings be governed by the crew members in charge of the topic we are discussing/going through as they should the ones asking the questions and leading the conversations not just me as the director.

Overall these meeting records kept me and my crew constantly in line with the wants/needs of the client and without this constant communication with each other, it could have lead to work disorder as we all might have misinterpreted our roles in the production and the work we were expected to complete. To better improve it I will in my future productions allow my expert in my crew to lead the topics on their subjects and have them recorded for future work reference during the production.

Final Evaluation of Promotional Video Pre-Production

These pre-production posts for my promotional video showed how I have advanced in the preparation process of a project during the course, my detailed documentation and evaluation of my methods have allowed me to showcase the benefits and negative aspects of each of these methods that I implemented in pre-production. By having this practical knowledge of each of these aspects by creating them myself to display progress to client, it inadvertently trained me in the reality of the industry and how I would create and improve them in my future work. This promotional video project taught me the importance of client communication as I had constant talks with them and my team during the initial pitch of my idea to the multiple meetings throughout production, communication is the most important aspect of pre-production as the talks I had with my team and the documentation I collected to keep them in the loop about environmental/shooting issues proved most valuable during the project. However, if I was to better my practical skills from this project and to further my work into industry-standard I would have included more audio and video records of my meeting as well as transcripts as despite the detailed notes of the meeting and the communications between me, my team and the client. This along with the main hub site for me and my team (such as Microsoft Teams, etc.) to display our work would have better improved the transference of key information to those that needed it, by making my documentation open to my team and have them be editable such as my Gantt chart. Having this log be editable by my team as they completed tasks could have made for an easier workflow by seeing what we were all progressing towards the project as it happened.

Music Video Pre-Production

These posts go through the pre-production process of my music video as I plan out the production, as I evaluate the success of each part of the pre-production as I go through them in vivid detail with examples from films and inspirations that affected the final product and how I would improve them in future projects.

Music Video Pre-Production Log

The following is a chronological sequence of events that corresponds to the pre-production of my music video. 

Date	Action Taken
10th of April	I selected my artist and music and started brainstorming ideas with my crew as we researched other music videos conventions and genre. To figure out what I can best achieve with our small budget and resources that will fit the tone of the song.
11th of April	After choosing my music "Lust of a Vampyre" by I Monster. I began to organise a questionnaire to see what an audience would expect from a music video of this song. After forming the questions I contacted a small sample size and then created a final questionnaire with an increased sample size. Which I gathered using a random selection system via selecting random volunteers from emails I sent out and received.
13th of April	Contacted my crew and had a meeting where we formed a production schedule that can be accessed by me and my crew that was constructed to fit with their work schedules and time scale of the production. With my crew, I construct a draft storyboard. I finalised it with a 3D digital model along with the shot list for the music video, based on the ideas and inspiration gathered from the questionnaire.
16th of April	Due to time and covid restrictions I decided to do filming within my own residence. As we only needed a simple bedroom set and a room with room for my lighting Riggs and easy access for me and my crew. I gave my permission for filming and conducted with the help of my team a full location recee complete with a risk assessment on my locations health and safety risks. I evaluated the requirements to make it as safe as possible. We concluded our inspection by marking optimal camera placements for the day of shooting and collecting test footage.
17th of April	Created an equipment list from test footage (including props and costumes) and finalised responsibilities for the shoot date between my crew by making a call sheet.
19th of April	Went through legal with my crew and had them confirm their contracts for the work within the schedule and health and safety sign-offs.
22nd of April	Planned out a contingency plan in case of problems while shooting if I couldn't get the necessary footage to complete it I will create more of a location/environmental genre video, as I have enough available footage from a past project filmed in a graveyard/church and the local woodlands to create something that fits the gothic feel of the music.
23rd of April	Final meeting with my cast and crew before the shoot. We went through responsibilities for each person on set. What they need to bring with them (props, cameras, etc.) and when they are required on set via the online call sheets we created during this meeting.
26th of April	After renting the needed equipment for the shoot we began our day of shooting we filmed all of the elements requiring my actor and the main bulk of the crew, which took about 6 hours. Due to us filming on my own property I kept a small amount of our equipment and shot the remained of our footage which didn't require a large crew, such as the drawn text for the narrative and the box opening scene. Before gathering it all together for the first edit.
27th of April	Crafted the first draft edit for the focus groups, I simply ordered the scenes together and gave the beginning examples of the final editing effects for the finished product.
30th of April	Focus group feedback was gathered and we commenced reshoot to best apply to their feedback.
7th of May	Completed final edit that used the feedback from the focus groups, by adding in the reshoot footage and final visual effects.

 

Gantt Chart/Production Schedule

Title: Lust for a Vampyre Music Video

Director: Rory Robinson 

Producer: Billy Moss (Client)

13th of April

I created this Gantt Chart/Production Schedule for me and my crew to keep a steady and productive workflow during the project as it was editable by all of them (as we used Teams online software) to mark the completion of each work element, as we went through each stage of production this became a vital resource for checking the requirements we were set to complete during the weeks leading to the shoot.

Evaluation of Pre-Production Log/Schedule and Gantt Chart

Documentation and organisation are vital parts of the production process, my creation of the pre-production log and schedule/Gantt chart allowed me and my team to keep on track with the projects deadline that best fit with my limited budget/time frame.

My open pre-production log allowed for a more detailed summary of the completion of certain tasks in the project, this allowed me and my team to look back and see tasks that I set during these dates and what had already been completed. This was also to show evidence to my client what their money for our budget was being spent on. The log also allows me to look back on future projects to see what I have done in the past as they are detailed accounts of my work that could be useful in future job applications.

However, if I was to improve I would have all of my crew add to this Log other than myself as it would give a more detailed look at everyone's overall impact on the project giving them the same benefits of transparency to the client and evidence for future employers that I received form this document.

The Production Schedule combined with the Gantt Chart was a vital resource for me and my team as we used it to maintain time management and stay on schedule for the project, as it allowed me and my crew to keep each other updated with the completion of each element of work through each part of the production stages (Pre-Production, Production, Post-Production) as we updated the percentage of its completion. Keeping on this schedule and following the chart as we updated it regularly kept us prepared and sticking to these set in stone deadlines meant we wouldn't waste time and budget on extra shooting days by having everything ready for the shoot beforehand and giving us enough time to follow a pre-planned contingency if anything went wrong.

The main improvement I would make for my next production would be having a better system for communicating progress on the completion of the work as we decided on a percentage scale which while understandable in most cases felt untranslatable for certain tasks, like how do you say you are halfway done with legal issues? Perhaps next time I will use a message board system where I or a production manager can regularly at a certain time in the day ask for work to be posted into the chat, so I and my team can see what each of us has completed and ask for the progress on other works completion if not ready to be posted to the group message board. I also think I should have given colours to each member of my crew to use when marking completed work on the Gantt chart just to see the progress of individuals in the team and who may need help or is falling behind.

Overall, the use of these planning documents helped me and my crew keep a consistent and productive workflow. That kept us on track with the deadline and is vital in most productions including this one to make sure you use your budget and time wisely. Without it, I fear the production could have become too disorganised as we were unable to communicate the progress of the production. In future productions, I will continue to use these documents to make sure my projects run smoothly and effectively.

Draft Storyboard of Music Video

I created a rough outline of my music videos sequence and use of the camera with my crew during one of our meetings, despite its lack of detail it helped me and my team construct a shot list and a more polished version that we ended up following in the final production.

Final Storyboard/Shot List

Using 3D modelling using a combination of software (blender and after-effects) I constructed a more accurate storyboard that accounted for character/prop spacing and staging that we could follow better than my crude drawings. I tried to make look like the german expressionism style to give it a look resembling our wanted final product and had each image broken down in its use of camera so that it also doubled as a shot list for me and my crew to use to know what equipment we needed to best capture/recreate these shots in real life.

Shot 1

Title Text

The Title Card which was inspired by old silent films used a gothic style font to evoke that classic vampire feeling evoked by the original Bela Lugosi films.

Shot 2

Establishing Shot, Low Angle, Static Camera

The top of a forest tree line looking into the full moon in the sky, setting the scene as being set at night and hopefully matching the slow spooky tone of the beginning of the song.

Shot 3

Medium Shot, High Angle, Static Camera

Shot of the gravestone and possible others to match the scary tone at the begging of the song as well as the lyrics of "getting older" as it implies a link with age and death.

Shot 4

Closeup, Low Angle, Static Camera

Closeup of the moon to once again establish the time in which the sequence is taking place and to sink with the lyrics "In the light of the moon". Also an intertextual reference to old hammer film monster movies, which would have these shots of the moon to symbolise the film transition from day and then night.

Shot 5

Closeup, P.OV, Low Angle, Hand Held Camera

The shot of a window with branches partially blocking the view once again creates that gothic aesthetic I want to evoke from the video as well as establish the location as we then transition into the bedroom.

Shot 6

Long Shot, Low Angle, Static Camera

Introduces the protagonist of the narrative as we see them sleeping, I will also have the actor display distress as I want it to seem like they are having a bad dream.

Shot 6

Long Shot, Low Angle, Static Camera

The bed then rises up, much like the coffins in old vampire movies like nosferatu as it slowly rises.

Shot 7

Long Shot, Low Angle, Static Camera

Reveals the antagonists/the vampire who seems to be living under the bed of the man sleeping, I will have the same actor play both making this conflict feel like a battle between ego and super-ego as this vampire prevents the man from rest.

Dracula's (1931)

Shot 8

Closeup, Low Angle, Static Camera

To evoke the feel of these old silent films and most importantly the original Nosferatu (1922) I wanted to use harsh lighting to evoke these harsh shadows as this shot mimics an iconic shot from the original 1922 film.

 Nosferatu (1922)

Shot 9

Closeup, High Angle/Birds Eye View, Static Camera

Wanted a top-down view on the protagonist as they try and get to sleep as the harsh lighting creates a Rembrandt effect.

Shot 10

Medium Shot, Low Angle, Static Camera

As the music begins to pick up into the chorus I have the vampire hold a guitar as he starts to perform with the music. Creating hopefully a humorous juxtaposition with this performance and the old silent film style of the music video.

Shot 11

Closeup, Eye-Level, Static Camera

As the main brass and sax instrumental kicks into the song, I wanted to match it with the instrumental of the Vampire. This use of match editing will hopefully continue my humorous juxtaposition from the previous scene and be the pivotal moment in the narrative as the man can not sleep due to the music the vampire is playing while he is trying to sleep.

Shot 12

Long Shot, Low Angle, Static Camera

The vampire has started dancing over the sleeping man and taunting him as they play their instruments, the use of the performance movement with the lack of camera movement will hopefully evoke more continuous juxtaposition humour in the audience. I was also heavily inspired by the dance sequences from the music video Fear and Delight (2014)

The Correspondents - Fear & Delight (Official Video)

Shot 13

Long Shot, Low Angle, Static Camera

Continuing to follow the brass/saxophone in the song, this use of match editing will hopefully create engagement as the matching imagery links to the music.

Shot 14

Long Shot, Low Angle, Static Camera

Once again I hope to evoke humour in the audience as the sax solo borders on the overtop style of 80's music videos like Daryl Hall & John Oates song Maneater (1982).

Daryl Hall & John Oates - Maneater (1982)

Shot 15

Long Shot, Low Angle, Static Camera

The man climbs under their bed to look for the vampire, but whether it's to join it or kill it is unknown.

Shot 16

Closeup, Eye-Level, Static Camera

We follow him as he goes through a dark tunnel looking into the darkness evoking a horror film aesthetic as his only source of light is a dim low key candle.

Shot 17

Closeup, Eye-Level, Static Camera

As the shot stays on a segment of the wall as the candlelight dims we see the vampire is giving chase, creates tension, with the increased pace of the song.

Shot 18

Closeup, High Angle/Birds Eye View, Static Camera

We see the vampire's coffin has been discovered.

Shot 19

Closeup/Over the Shoulder, High Angle/Birds Eye View, Static Camera

The shot transforms into an over the shoulder as the dept of the field tricked the audience into believing the coffin was bigger than it actually was as the protagonist begins to search through it looking for clues on how to defeat the vampire.

Shot 20

Medium Shot, Over the Shoulder, Static Camera

As he searches through the small coffin the vampire appears in the doorway behind him, as it slowly approaches him without his knowledge.

Shot 21

Medium Shot, Over the Shoulder, Static Camera

He turns around but it's too late, as the scene cuts to black as we wonder if he has become the vampire or has nearly become another one of its meals.

Evaluation of the Storyboard/Shot List

The storyboard that I created with 3D modelling software visually demonstrates what I wanted to achieve in the cinematography and the editing in my music video sequence. My use of similar effects to demonstrate the dark expressionist style that I wanted in the final product made it easier to visualise on set when setting up my lighting positioning as I had already showcased in the storyboard where the shadows would be created and how each scene will be spaced for my actor's performance.

However. I think it could have been improved with the use of drawing character momentum as I think it would have helped my actor to know where they should be moving during the course of the scenes and I think I could have included more camera movements in my plan for the cinematography. But these points are quite minor, it was not that necessary for specific movement instructions for my actor as I wanted the improvisation in their performance especially for the dance/instrumental sequence as I thought that would add to the kinetic energy of the music. The lack of camera movement also in my opinion added to the style I was trying to create of a silent film as they were also very limited in eh way their camera moved during a scene.

The breakdown of visual elements helped me and my crew in crafting the cinematography for the sequences of the music video as it became obvious very quickly we were going to be using an extensive amount of low angles, so we needed a tripod for our camera that could achieve these angles which a normal tripod couldn't cover as they are often set at a default height above ground. This lead to the purchase of Gorilla Goby Pod with our budget of £24.99. Without this storyboard, we might not have noticed our need to get 300mm for the shot we wanted of the moonscape, so we ended up taking and using a longshot of the moon with our 30mm lens camera instead of a closeup but with this knowledge in mind we made a note to our editor to create a denser cloud movement around the moon to still keep it visually engaging.

Overall, I think my storyboard created a great visual map for me and my crew to follow during the shoot that allowed us to achieve the exact feeling and tone we wanted from the video. In combination with the shot list, it made the planning process of the shoot day far easier as we had every equipment element sorted before even shooting.

Final Evaluation of Music Video Pre-Production

While not as in-depth as the Pre-Production of the Promotional Video project, my posts on Music Video Pre-Production accurately showcases how I crafted my music video visually with my storyboard/shot list and it breaks down the pre-production process with my Gantt Chart and pre-production log. As I used digital software to accurately showcase what I wanted my production to shoot and what I wanted it to visually look like by recreating the harsh shadows and camera positions with examples from other pieces of media that inspired me. However, if I was going to improve this for future projects I would have gotten test footage from the set and recreated the shot list/storyboard to showcase how this would be adapted into the reality of my production rather than just a digital demonstration.

My Projects

This set of posts showcase and breakdown various practical projects and assignments I have done during the course as they display my advancement in creating audiovisual work and evaluate how I would improve them if I had to recreate them.

Montage Task

Montage Combined with Older Filming Methods

Many filmmakers use montage combined with older cinematic technology, like 8mm to create an older/nostalgic aesthetic. Making the footage feels like the past and even dreamlike. 

This has been used across many different films, one o the most notable of the last decade is Damien Chazelle La La Land (2016).

This montage uses this old cinematic style to create a dream of another life these characters could have had together and showcased their morning over the possibilities of what could have been if their lives were different. It's linked to the older musicals like 1952's Singing in The Rain as they think of a happy ending that wasn't meant to be in all of its bright colour and memories that were never made.

My Example

My montage uses this style differently by using it in combination with the social realism genre, making it feel reminiscent of old British cinema about the working class and the battle against poverty established in the British new wave. Makes the event feel authentic, this is especially due to my use of news footage and audio to outline the disorder in the government and the UK during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Giallo Video Essay

Evaluation

In my Giallo New Wave video essay, I discuss the origins of the wave from the yellow covered pulp novels originating in the 1920s and '30s that were inspired by the man who meant consider to be the creator of the new wave Mario Bava and his inspiration like Alfred Hitchcock. I broke down the wave into its building blocks how it inspired early slasher horror in 1980s America and analysed 3 films from Giallo auteur Dario Argento and how they represented Italian fears of female independence with the rise of the sexual revolution and the counter culture movement as well as the transition of Italy's economic transition from rural poverty to Urban and rich in the 1960s. This was due to the “Economic Miracle” that took place over the 1940s and 1950s as trade union restrictions were lifted after the fall of fascism within Italy and the increase in the making of consumer products. Britannica.com.

However, in my opinion, I could have better improved this video essay in multiple ways, from a technical standpoint I would have liked to individually label the footage throughout the video to better credit my sources to Harvard referencing standard but due to time constraints, I thought I would better focus on other aspects of the video like my analysis of my 3 chosen films. I would have also liked to improve my microphone audio in some segments of the video, due to lockdown I have been able to record my audio in a soundproof environment meaning I had to construct and schedule my voiceover but unfortunately not all my audio was up to my standard.

To improve my video, I would have liked to discuss in more detail about Italy in the 1970s and how this impacted Dario Argento's work from the discussion of The 1970s form the law on divorce and 1978 law on abortion, Life in Italy "Life In Italy 1970s To 1980s". But to be honest, adding these aspects to my analyse of Dario Argento's films would have been extra credit as I already discussed how the rise of women independence from men was found in his films.

Overall, in my opinion, I successfully created a video essay that showcased the origins of the wave and its context through the 60s and 70s, yes there could have been some technical improvements but I completed my goal to educate those who watch it on what Giallo is and how it still influences work today.

Peer Assessment Data Breakdown

I showcased my video essay to my class during one of our sessions, after they had watched it they provided me with comments about how to better improve my video essay and what worked well within it.

My classmates enjoyed the clear structure throughout the video essay as I outlined the troupes of the New Wave with elements of filmmaking from the use of sound (Exaggerated/Foley) and cinematography techniques (P.O.V/Handheld) commonly used in Giallo.

They thought I successfully educated them on the context and impact of the new wave, from Italy's Economic changes of the time to the sexual revolution of the '60s and seeking of female independence within Italy and the world at large. This was due to my use of editing, which clearly showcased the experience of a Giallo film while visual providing evidence to my talking points such as my examples of Early 80's slashers inspired by this movement like Black Christmas (1974) and Halloween (1978).

However, they had issues with technical elements in the video such as the slight error in the text before my breakdown of The Bird with a Crystal Plumage (1970) as well as a lack of detailed description of the two auteurs I reference in the video Mario Bava and Dario Argento, they thought I should have given them more context within the video about there influences and how that impacted the new wave and overall more in-depth origin of both of these filmmakers as artists. My classmates also had issues with the length of the video and thought it could have been shortened to a more exact length.

New Wave Film

Design Brief

In my film, I want to reflect on the isolation due to lockdown in the UK has had on people mental state

I want to repurposed news footage from the daily coronavirus infection counts to the speeches made by Boris Johnson.

This will hopefully create a social realism film aesthetic similar to the opening scene in La Haine (1995) by using montage to showcase the current state of the UK during the pandemic as we are panicking and increasingly getting frustrated with our leader for inaction and half measures.

However, unlike La Haine (1995), I want to intercut this montage with footage from someone in isolation who is losing the mind while also showcasing the events unfolding during lockdown like university students trapped inside their dorms forced to pay for classes that could have been done at home.

Will use M.I.A's song Paper Planes in the soundtrack as the lyrics which are about a grifter taking money are contrasted with the politicians like Boris Johnson as they take money from students and leave to rot in their dorm rooms as the virus claims whole sections of school like Manchester University.

I already have a lot of footage from public transport looking at the empty streets in lockdown so I will

contrast that interior shots looking out of windows indicating the UK's wish to go outside and leave this pandemic behind us and to signify the cramped space the character is locked in during lockdown. 

I would love to film this in a university dorm room however for my own safety concerns and due to current lockdown conditions that seem unlikely so I will have to make my own home feel as compact as possible by using close-ups and low key lighting making the visibility, this will make the environment/setting seem more claustrophobic.

I want to create a merge of techniques from Hong Kong New Wave and British New Wave by having the overarching onstage sequence be realistic and invoke social realism films like Kes (1969)  I want to combine that with my section of someone going made in isolation by using Hong Kongs New Wave techniques such as the work of Wong Kar-wai as he creates a dream-like atmosphere. However, unlike Wong Kar-wai, I want to use this effect such as slow-motion (slow shutter speed) and overlaying images to create a nightmare that my character desperately wants to escape.

My use of low angles and dutch angles in these shot of my character screaming will hopefully create a further sinister unhinged tone by making the audience look up at this character in a crooked position giving them an image of power but in combination with the dutch angle, it also showcases the lack of control he has over his own mental state as the madness causes them to act out and scream in there isolation.

I will use my Panasonic Camcorder with a 55mm Zoom Lens, however, to create the most natural style possible for my film for the sake of realism I will only be using the standard lens focal range of 35 to 50mm, as this is the most accurate lens type with the human eye due its focal length being the same as our eyes themselves making us feel present like we are in the scene ourselves.

My use of this camcorder for my production will create a home video quality to the footage, similar to the 40mm home films of the past which I will be mimicking with overlays and scratched effects to my footage. I will combine the footage of my camcorder to the footage gathered on my phone emphasising my inspiration for realism from British New Wave, as unlike film cameras like the "Sony Pxw-fs7 II and 18-110mm Lens" which are used in actual film production to give a sleek clean look to the footage synonymous with films while I want to have faults and grain in my footage making it seem more natural as the faults in cheaper cameras like those in iPhones make the film seem more authentic.

 and will be using mostly closeups and handheld camera. I plan to use filters and overlays in post-production to add grain and texture to my footage giving it a home video aesthetic. Much like films in the found footage genre as I will be taking some inspiration for the nightmares from found-footage horrors like The Blair Witch Project (1999) and Rec (2007). For this reason, I will be using natural lighting rather than bringing key lights this is due to my montage being of establishing shots of naturally lit environments mixed with news footage that has already been shot meaning I can't alter the lighting choices but the interior shots with my subject going mad will use low key lighting will be best to create my intended sinister atmosphere.

Due to the current lockdown, I will be shooting inside my house so there is no real need for a risk assessment. But during the shoot, I will be handling a knife so in advance, I have dulled the blade and have placed a medkit just off-camera on set on the off chance I accidentally cut myself.

New Wave Film Final Edit

Evaluation

Overall I believe my production was a success, I created a film that followed my initial idea and plans for what I wanted to make my film about the context of the current state of the UK in 2020 and showcase that through a montage and through the descent into the madness of a character isolated in lockdown. My editing to the beat of the song with the montage created an engaging film and the chaotic mix of my "nightmare" imagery made the film feel sinister. This was also achieved by having vocational glitches in the montage to make the audience feel uneasy.

The sound of a news interview and Boris Johnson's speeches clearly indicated the current panic of the UK government as cases of Covid rise, my use of sound in the nightmare periods of the montage which I purposely used a lack of sound for some of them and loud static and screams in others and perfectly showcased the desperation form both the public as I increased a shots shutter speed to make the image look more jittery and distorted and I overlayed the same image making it seem like multiple people were screaming and form the government to get things back to normal and I executed my plane to use the song Paper Planes to showcase how the public feels betrayed by johnson and how the current university students trapped in their dorms see him and the university boards as thieves. 

I accurately followed my inspirations for the film with my use of close-ups coming from Hong Kong Cinema like Fallen Angels (1995) and the use of real news footage to create an environment of social realism/British New Wave like in Kes (1969).

Overall I think my use of camera and lighting was successful in creating my intended cramped/claustrophobic feeling with my use of closeups and my shot choices that fill the frame more during the "nightmare" sequences when cutting back between the montage however I think this effect could have been improved from a small like 2.2:1 which is used in 70mm frame as by having this black bar on the sides of each shot would make these shot feel tighter and more cramped like when used in Lighthouse (2019) which uses aspect ratio to make the characters feel trapped, adding to there forced isolation on an island in the middle of a vast sea. But I successfully created my intended natural look to my film with my use 35 to 40mm focal range as it mimicked the human eye and with my use of overlays and scratches to the footage in post-production to mimic old fashioned home videos.

My lighting could have been more experimental, yes my low key lighting made the setting feel naturalistic due to my use of actual lighting fixtures in my house but if I mixed experimental lighting with my use of low key it could have added to the dream/nightmare aesthetic seen in my inspiration Hong Kong New Wave cinema, like how coloured lighting is used in The Mood for Love (2000) to create the dreams each character has for the future.

In my opinion, I achieved my goal by showcasing the state of the UK during the pandemic through my use of footage showcasing the rules of coronavirus like social distancing to further provide the context to the isolated establishing shots. But if I wanted to improve my footage I would like to find a more condensed/small environment to film my character's descent into madness as it could then more accurately recreate the state of students in universities, which was one of the main events I wanted to highlight in my montage with my use of still images.

4-Hour Film Challenge Task

Obsession Film Task

I along with my peers were assigned a theme to make a short film about. I was assigned Obsession, so I wanted to create a feeling evoked by romance and rom-com films but made sinister similar to films like Voices (2014). So I will want to use high key lighting and male gaze lingering perspective, but I will need to do this with few actors due to the small number of peers available to act within it.

Evaluation

Overall this short film succeeds to create an atmosphere/tone I wanted as I used dream sequences with high key lighting and zooms into reaction shots similar to that of the romance genre along with the love song of "I'm on Fire" by Bruce Springsteen (1984) playing in the background but corrupted it with troupes from the horror genre as I created low key lighting around the subject. Because of this, I would say I succeeded in creating a short that mimicked the feeling of obsession with the lingering hypnotizing effect of the mask and the man. To improve it, however, I would polish the edit as some of the cuts are a bit jarring and can feel disorientating especially the P.O.V from the perspective of the mask.

Id, Ego and Superego Film Task

I was given a task along with my peers to demonstrate Freud's theory of the self in a short film. I decided to use the split-screen editing technique to have the same actor portray the Id, Ego and Super-Ego that Freud stated was the three aspects of each person's humanity.

Evaluation

My use of costume and performance in combination with my use of editing with split-screen successfully demonstrated Freud's theory of the self. The sequence following how each of them would consume the apple, the Superego being hesitant and wary, the Id being filled with feral hunger and the ego acting as the neutral normal. While I think the editing is effective, it is basic and could use improvements, as unfortunately the lighting of each of the separately merging scenes created continuity error and made the effect more visible than I would have liked.

How This Will Effect My Future Work

Overall, I think this leads me to the realisation to use the conventions and tropes of the genre to enhance my work in the future as it helps define a tone and atmosphere for your work. This also taught me the importance of preparation when shooting, if I had better prepared my lighting for my Id, Ego and Superego short. The effect I used would have been more effective as I should have made sure the separate scene could have been combined/overlayed flawlessly. These two projects have taught me the importance of pre-production and post-production as a whole as despite being a 4-hour film shoot pre/post are the main bulk of your time when creating a project.

Short Film

Planning Process

Presentation/Powerpoint of the Creation of my Concept:

My Final Film Idea/Concept:

My film is linked to Lacan's Theory of Lack and our desire to fill this innate emptiness that we all have to deal with throughout our existence and Freud's Theory of the Self and how we all consist of three aspects that make up our personal persona.

Due to the current state of the world where we are all living in a time where we are more isolated and alone than, the majority of us have experienced so I decided to have my movie set during this current Covid 19 pandemic (which also allows me to film it at home and abide by health safety standards of our current lockdown) as I explore the Orders of Lacan's theory (The Real, The Imaginative, The Symbolic) as we see my character go through isolation alone during Christmas and the effect this has on there mental state and how in this loneliness he has to battle his desire for companionship represented by the Id to reunite with his family for Christmas and the rules he must follow to survive this pandemic.

I want to use the composition of my cinematography to showcase my characters Isolation and fear of The Real which will both represent the fear of returning to a primal state of being like in Lacan's expression of lack like so many have done during the pandemic and the Id of Freud as his desire to be consumed by it which will be represented by my use of lighting having the darkness in my image contrasted with the natural goldern lighting and maybe even high Key-lighting of the interior.

Equipment List:

Tripod

For the majority of shots in this film, I plan to use static shots with centred composition is much like the work of Wes Anderson so I need full stability on my camera rather than handheld. Also, it comes with a panning function allowing me to use camera movement vertically for better efficiency.

Camera

I will be using my own Panasonic Hc-V380EB-KA Camcorder for this film, this has a 50x Zoom Lens and will allow me to use zoom ins and zoom outs for my camera movement and will allow me to capture my constant longshots to visualise my characters isolation.

It also has multiple setting that I can alter to better suit the environment as it has ISO and Shutter Speed setting for nighttime footage and since my film will be shot during night time it will help to keep my frame in focus and visible. 

Lighting

Will be using the natural lighting of my setting (my home) for the film to make it seem more natural almost social realism style. However, I will try and use harsh spotlight techniques with my use of an industrial stage lamp in my living room giving me the higher contrast between high and low key lighting to demonstrate the relationship between The Real outside the house and the safe interior of the home.

Holiday Isolation (Final Edit)

Evaluation

My Plan Vs The Final Product:

In my opinion, I successfully used the following film techniques to showcase Lacan's Psychotherapy Theory on Lack and Freud's Theory of the Self; Mise en Scene (lighting, setting, performance, etc.) and Cinematography (Camera Angles, etc.) as well as Editing. and overall achieved my goal to explore these theories in the film as I combined my influences of The End of the F***ing World (2017-2019) with its aesthetic/tone and lighting methods and the work of Wes Anderson specifically The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) with its use of the Symmetrical Composition.

My film still follows a man as he deals with being isolated from friends and family during Christmas and how he deals with this Isolation.

Mise en Scene:

My use of Lighting created and showcased The Real Order from Lacan's Theory of Lack in psychotherapy, this was due to my use of Natural Lighting in my setting contrasting against the Low-Key Lighting of the outdoors which were often shrouded in darkness. This represented The Real due to Lacan's definition of The Real as are the most natural state which is before birth before existence and is associated with darkness and the void as we often associate darkness with death which Lacan explains is the beginning and end of our lives. By using the Natural Goldern Coloured Lighting with this void, I am stating the inside as the Symbolic order an illusion we utilize to communicate/function in society (Gold is linked to religious ideals of innocence specifically Catholsim linking to my Setting of Christmas) as this frames the conflict of my narrative whether The Man stays inside protected from the dangers of the pandemic by The Symbolic or leaves into the void to return to his family for Christmas and return to the natural state which is also a metaphor for a time before Covid 19 (which we unfortunately at this time cannot return too).

This can also be easily linked to Freud's Theory of the Self with the Low-Key Lighting representing the Id (Desire) and The Natural Lighting to the Super-Ego (Rules of Society) which is further infused with my use of Sound in my film as I use Non-Diegetic whispers as the character looks into the Darkness outside his home to showcase Freuds Theory as they reveal the characters true thoughts and the ever-increasing fake news surrounding this virus as he must make a decision Performing as an Ego (Balance between the Id and Super-Ego) through my characters uses of Gestures and Movements as he presses himself against the window to the Darkness/Low-Key Light (id) but retreats into the safety of the natural light (Super-Ego) as the ego must make a decision between these two forces which is the conflict of my narrative.

My use of Costume also represented my character's decision between The Real/Id and The Symbolic/Super-Ego as my character throughout the film wears Brown and Yellow jumpers and long-sleeved shirts which showcases his comfort inside (as they are non-flashy lounging wear) and the Colours of his outfits represent The Symbolic/Super-Ego this was to showcase my characters mind in isolation as he is complacent in the safety of his Plato Cave situation where he lives in safety and fear of the outside world, this foreshadows his decision to stay at the end of the film, however, I also show the falter in his beliefs as he answers the door when he receives his gifts during the lockdown in a Light Blue (typically representing sadness in Colour Theory) Jumper showcasing his spiral into depression which he ultimately suppresses with the consumption of the baked goods (Props) gifted to him.

My use of the Song Please Stop the Cavalry by Jona Lewie released in 1978 about a man fighting in a war and wanting to go home for Christmas, I choose this Non-Diegetic Music to play throughout my film as I thought it was a good representation of what my character and the world is going through. Fighting a war against Covid 19 as we are unable to see the ones we care about for the Holidays we usually cherish. This also links to the theory of the lack as my character lacks the companionship he needs to fill the hole that has grown present in his isolation, this is also assisted by my use of The Dog in its Performance using my own dog who is old and lacks a haircut (due to the pandemic) much like my character in the film there matching shaggy Costume/Makeup embodies the returning to the primal state of existence of The Real and succumbing to our Id's Desires to sit around and consume (which is further enforced by my montage of eating in the film). While my film could be an allegory of the outside world being The Real and The Id it can also be argued that the self-gratification of the character inside their home is a state of Regression (when a person regains traits from their past) as explained by Freud my character doesn't want to try and challenge the world and change it for the better but remain a self-pleasuring prisoner. I wanted my film to have multiple ways for it to be analyzed with these theories and I think I succeed in achieving this with my use of Mise en Scene.

However, due to my film taking on this many theories and because I wanted to create multiple ways for this film to be analysed I fear I have made the message of my final work unclear and have failed to create a clear image in my film for the Lacan and Freud's Theories and if I was to do this piece of work again in the future I would have multiple characters personify The Order (Imaginary, Symbolic and Real) and The Aspects of the Self (Id, Ego and Super-Ego) but due to the safety regulations of the current lockdown this was filmed during it was simply not possible. I would have also liked to include a more cleat example of the Imaginary Order (Illusion of what an object of desire looks like to the individual) within this film possibly by having it more obvious that it was the Prop of the Ginger Bread Christmas tree as its what inspires him to attempt his escape however this illusionary fantasy is then realized and abandoned showcased in the eating of the baked good before the end credits. To improve the metaphor I should've used more obvious High-Key Lighting techniques and use of dramatic Non-Diegetic Music when he discovers it similar to a rom-com like Sleepless in Seattle (1993) when the characters meet for the first time in person. 

Editing:

In my film, I use Editing Techniques to showcase my explored Theories of Lacan and Freud. For example, I displayed The Mirror Stage from Lacan's Psychotherapy Theory of Lack which is one of the stages of development according to Freud where we as humans recognize ourselves in mirrors or more accurately the outside image the world sees. I demonstrated this stage by having the character staring into the mirror Prop/Decor) during one of the scenes, I then used Split Image and by using Cropping Tools on my editing software (Premiere Pro) I overlapped two pieces of footage to make it look like his reflection was an independent character in the scene from himself. This was to represent him losing his sense of self in lockdown as the image walks out of the mirror leaving The Man without a reflection, signifying how because of being inside for so long he has forgotten what his image to others looks like and expresses his found realization of his lack that cant is filled according to Lacan.

I also demonstrated the Oral Phase, which is the stage of early adolescence birth to 1-year-old where the Id is generated as the child learns to yield satisfaction and survival from putting things in its mouth according to Freud's Theory of the Self, by using Montage Sequence Editing in my film.

I demonstrated The Man regressing into the Oral Stage as I cut between the basket full of baked goods that the character receives and Closeups on his mouth as he consumes them I also Speed Up the footage in Post-Production to make the motion and time period seem more fast-paced and animalistic as it represents my character embracing the Id through his pleasure in consumption and by Zooming In on my characters mouth it evokes the image of a baby eating linking back to the adolescent of which this stage takes place and showcases my character at his lowest point in the film. Also, the contrast of the Shot of the orderly basket and the Cut to the chaotic unpleasant imagery of my characters chewing mouth showcases a battle between the characters inner self The Super-Ego represented by the orderly Basket of Baked goods and the characters maw symbolising the Id.

Overall I think my use of Editing successfully created the stages of development believed in Lacan and Freud's theories as I created accurate displays of self-reflection with the Mirror Stage and the Characters dive into regression into self-indulgence of the Id/Oral phase. however, I think I could have been more creative in my Transitions between scenes and if I was going to do this project again I would use more of an Edit to the Beat Style in combination with the Non-Diegetic Music to make it feel more Rhythmic and sequenced making the film seem more like a daily routine similar to prison to add to my characters feeling of isolation and living under the thumb of the orderly Super-Ego.

Camera:

I used Cinematography/Camera to showcase the Expression of Lack through the theories Psychotherapy of Lacan and the Freudian theory of the Self, for example, I used Composition in my film to display fears of The Real and the Relationship between the Id and Super-Ego.

Taking inspiration from the use of Composition in The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) I used cardboard cut-outs of frame shapes and Edited in frames around my footage to mimic the Aspect Ratio of my Camera changing with this I created a Symmetrically Flat Composition to make my character closed in by the darkness of outside the frame meant to represent The Real Order and how he is trapped with this Setting (home) via this outside darkness of the edges of the frame.

This becomes especially apparent in the Opening Shot of the front door as we see it encompassed by this outer frame as we see the door represent the Symbolic Order and Super Ego with its symmetrical circle of the Christmas Wreath encompassed by the Id/The Real on its outskirts. This also symbolises the environment of the home surrounded by the void.

I enforced my character's relationship with the lack as I used Long Shots to make him seem encompassed by the Setting around him Isolating him and making him positioned in the door frames and archways within the Setting as well allowing the Camera to make the image feel hollow as he is unable to fill it much like Lacan explains how it cannot be filled in real life and it is a necessity to understand how we will always be misunderstood.

My use of different Camera Shots during the film showcases the conflict of the self in Freud's Theory as we see a battle between them throughout my film as we see from  The Man's introduction Shot we see him framed in both a Long Shot (representing the Super-Ego) and a Closeup (Representing the Id) which continues throughout my film as we see this shots constantly contrast and follow each other. This is further proven in my last shot of The Man as we see a Long Shot film his decision to remain indoors as he exits and returns to his home during a Long Take. My use of Static Camera (by using a Tripod) with these Shots enforce the feeling of the Super-Ego as an oppressing force as the camera is stuck with the character which is why in contrast all my Camera Movement takes place outside like my Whip Pans when The Man answers the door for the basket and the Panning Shot of the Moon to reveal the shot of him in the window.

In conclusion, I used Camera techniques to convey the Freudian Theory of the Self with it displaying the conflict with the Super-Ego and Id as well as The Real and The Symbolic relationship that Lacan breakdown with the contrast of Longshots and Closeups and Camera Movement/Static. However, I feel I could have made this more obvious with this composition combined with Split Lighting to symbolise these opposing theories and I think I could have gotten more equipment (like a Dolly) to make my Vertical and Horizontal Pans more fluid and professional, however, since I was working with the equipment I had at home I think it makes the film feel more grounded much like a social realism film making it more impactful to the audience as it feels like it was filmed by someone in the pandemic right now.

Final Conclusion of Holiday Isolation

In my opinion, I achieved my goal to create a film that showcased the Theories of Lacan and Freud using Cinematic Techniques of Mise en Scene, Editing and Camerawork, however after completing this piece work I feel I have come around to new ideas that film can represent and knowing what I know now there are multiple technical improvements I would make.

But if I was to do this again I would include The Male Gaze Theory of Mulvey in this film to better showcase my characters obsession to leave his home during the pandemic with Fragmentation Techniques used on female characters to highlight my Setting rather than a character in its Cinematography I think this could have created an interesting experimental style.

Final Edit of Music Video

Evaluation

My final music video edit demonstrates a clear use of cinematic techniques that created an engaging music video that applied the conventions of the medium, along with my use of organisation and planning in the production phase that leads me to create an entertaining video for my audience.

Evaluating Cinematic Techniques

Mise en Scene:

Lighting/Colour

My use of the german expressionism lighting method, with my use of a single key light rather than the traditional 3 point lighting setup created engaging imagery by mimicking the same methods used in early cinematic history, which is why I filmed in black and white which enhanced my harsh use of shadows so I could better mimic films like "The Cabinet of Dr Caligari" (1920) and my main inspiration which was given to me by my questionnaire sample "Nosferatu" (1922) where the majority of my influence is taken. These influences clearly show my use of music video conventions by using these intertextual references in my lighting style. Referencing other media sources such as film in music videos has been used throughout music video history with examples from artists across the music industry like the use of Romeo and Juliet in Taylor Swifts "Love Story" (2009) as the setting and costume displays clear recreation of the famous play. 

My use of Rembrandt low key lighting style to display my actor also created the intended tone for my music video by grounding it in the horror genre, overall while my lighting clearly displayed a creative and engaging use of german expressionism I think could have benefitted from my lighting setup in the later part of my music video as I believe it becomes difficult to see when they open us the box. Also, while original and engaging I fear many of my younger viewers and those not familiar with early cinema will fail to see the intertextual lightning reference to early silent films like Nosferatu (1922) due to the age of the reference and its absence in popular culture of today. If I was to improve my lighting in future productions I would have an actual lighting supervisor on my crew who could use the technique more effectively without costing visibility in some of my scenes which lacked detail due to the use of low key lighting.

Nosferatu (1922)

Costume

My use of costume was simple and cost-effective, I needed to make my actor look like a vampire on a small budget that also distinguished himself enough from the man in the music video who was played by the same person. I ended up using a pair of sunglasses and a wool coat over the top of a black turtleneck while the man had an orange shirt and basic casual attire. I think my use of costume effectively engaged the audience and allowed them to easily conclude what was going on with the characters as vampires have been seen in popular media wearing traditionally dark clothes and sunglasses. With examples like Johnny Depp in "Dark Shadows" (2012) and Jim Carrey in "Once Bitten" (1984), from which I took the most inspiration for my vampire's costume.

The costume is an important part of the music video, whether they be for the use fragmentation via the male gaze, I feel it clearly sets the tone and the narrative of my video by matching the low key lighting with the use of darker clothing, I could have better used my costumes to create a clear brand synergy with star iconography similar to its use in Lady Gaga's music videos (Where use of bizarre costumes is one of the main selling points of her brand), overall I feel my costuming was as effective as it could be for my low budget as it defined my characters clearly for the audience to understand.

Editing

My use of editing created an engaging video for my audience, this is because I used editing conventions common in music videos to boost engagement. For example, I used a match editing style to achieve a relationship between the visuals and the music of my video, by synching up certain lyrics like "In the light of the moon" with the image of the moon. I also tried my best to match the beat/rhythm of the song with the visuals, this is why at the beginning of the video when the song is at a slower pace I used less imagery and longer takes. Compared with the later parts of the video when the main chorus increased the pace of the music, so I used more quick cuts and more imagery to display this change to display this match editing style.

I also experimented with different editing techniques like the split-screen editing method. This was helpful as it allowed me to use the same actor in both roles as the vampire and the man, saving on both budgets and created a subnarrative of an inner conflict (Freud) as one represented the Id as they desired immortality and the other was the Super-ego who just wanted to sleep. I achieved this by creating mask layers and overlapping the footage on each other before cropping them into the same frame. This was achieved by mitigating continuity errors by having the lighting and camera positioning of each shot duplicated to the best of my ability on set, by marked setups for my equipment and shooting each shot on the same day. This allowed my footage to overlap without it looking like both of the characters were in separate locations, despite my best efforts one of my shots did not look convincing so I used the mask tool and feathered the outline of my image until it blended into my final shot.

I also altered the colour of my footage to change it into the black and white colour pallet to better replicate the silent film style. This was achieved by using the tint effect on my footage which automatically took the colour from my footage, and gave me a scale to cause it to brighten up for certain scenes and darken down for others, to best fit the scene and the low key lighting style.

I also used a silent film effects pack which included the faults and scratches common in the older film stock which I didn't use (because I used a digital camera). This made the video feel more authentic and more visually similar to my silent film inspirations creating a more engaging video by having a unique visual style.

I also used the burn effects pack that I applied throughout the video by overlapping it with my footage, this created an experimental style to my footage as it mimicked the burning of real film reel but also allowed me to establish the setting as it mimicked the sun setting as the footage transitioned into the darkness with the film reel burning away the light. This also enhanced the aesthetic of the video by further creating the silent film style, without the need to use and spend the actual film stock required to do the effect practically. This was also because I intended the videos narrative to be a lost silent film much like nosferatu but unfortunately, I did not have time to implement my planned idea of inserting clips with "missing footage" on the scene. to make the video further seem like archive footage.

Overall, my use of editing in my music video created an engaging video by using a match editing style that established a relationship to the visuals and the music which is one of the bedrock conventions of music videos that continues to keep audiences attention, as it follows the tone and pace of the music which creates a pattern that is entertaining for a viewer to consume. It also allowed me to achieve my wanted visual similarities to the silent films that inspired the video creating an intertextual link with my use of overlapping editing and my use of effect packs that replicated silent films scratches and burning effects.

However, I think I could have better followed the rhythm of the song by planning out my storyboard around the music with each imagery fulfilling the lyrics out visually, fora example "I'm getting older while you stay young" lyrics could have been visually matched with someone rapidly ageing compared to someone you and youthful. Creating a video similar to Vance Joys "Riptide" (2013) which has each shot planned with the lyrics, I feel in the future this is what I will try and achieve.

Camera/Cinematography

My use of cinematography created an engaging music video as I used a 4:1 aspect ratio to achieve the frame within a frame effect common in a lot of music videos as it made each image look like it was in a frame due to the harsh borders at the sides of the screen. This was also to achieve the same visual appearance as my inspirations from silent films that used the same aspect ratio. My precise use of cinematography allowed me to use split-screen editing as the positioning was often static in place with the conditions duplicated constantly for each take.

However, despite my use of engaging imagery the video lacks camera movement as the majority of my shots use static camera positions and often repeat camera positioning in the same location. This was once again to achieve the feel of my silent film inspirations but it meant I had to sacrifice engaging and extreme use of camera choices music videos are known for, as they rarely don't go to extremes.

Narrative

My music video is not a narrative genre, I instead focused on creating an experimental performance. While there is a narrative between the man and the vampire it is up for interpretation rather than straight answers as I focused on engaging imagery rather than a clear and concise story. As I used the conventions of the genre by disregarding the rule of continuity which is common in music videos in exchange for creating a pace/rhythm orientated video with my use of match editing and experimental storytelling based on dream logic rather than reality as a bed becomes a coffin and the man is haunted by a vampire that looks like him.

Overall, I think I used the troupes of the medium to create a video based on feeling rather than a story. However, I think this could have focused more on the performance aspect of my video as it was the segment that my sample size from my focus group focused on the most, regardless of the narrative.

Evaluating the Production as a Whole

I successfully created a music video that displayed a variety of cinematic techniques that engaged the audience. This was due to my organisation and planning in the production phase, my crafting of a questionnaire during the brainstorming/idea phase allowed me to gather data that inspired the idea for a video based on old silent films from the 1920s with the main film being Nosferartu (1922) from my questionnaire due to the unsettling opening segments of the song combined with the lyrics and title of the song being based on Vampires. However, if I was going to conduct the questionnaire again I would have more closed questions as having mostly open questions meant gathering data for me to examine was more time consuming than it had to be. While the data was valuable I think the time I spent would have been better served on the production in other ways.

By crafting a production schedule it allowed me to better communicate with my crew about important tasks that needed doing and the time frame for their completion during the project production by having it on an editable online document we could all easily see when a task had been complete. Keeping us on our time frame/deadline for the music video, with consist proactive workflow system. But in the future when crafting the production schedule I'm also going to have it on a live message board where the work can be published when complete so that each person on my team can find it without needing to contact multiple people.

The storyboard allowed me to construct exactly what I wanted cinematically in the music video as by using 3D modelling software I could easily showcase to my team lighting positioning and composition/framing and what equipment would be needed to achieve it. When crafting these storyboards in the future however I will likely stick to draft sketches when on a tight time schedule as 3D modelling each shot is far too time-consuming for fast-paced productions.

Conducting a Location Recee helped us plan camera movement and positioning for the shooting day as well as allowing us to conduct a risk assessment and gather test footage allowing us to plan out equipment and safety needs in advance, but in the case of this production which took place on my property, it felt likely an un-necessary waste of production time as I was familiar with all the issues surrounding my own property and could have simply emailed my team after conducting these steps myself rather than other members of crew wasting a day investigating my property. But I have to keep in mind the regulations and safety of my crew and treat my property like I would any other filming location.

Call Sheets are one of the most valuable pieces of documentation during filming as they allowed us to keep track of who was on set at what times and their responsibilities while on set. Having everyone's contact information allowed us all to be in constant communication leading to no mix-ups or confusion during the shoot. However, due to the small size of my crew, it didn't seem necessary for its use as we had only about 4 people on set at a time and once again feel this time taken to create call sheets could have been better used elsewhere in the production. But without this call sheet, there is a possibility of unnecessary scheduling mixups, etc.

The legal requirements (employment contracts, etc.) of production are always necessary to ensure the physical and financial safety of everyone on set. Their use in this production meant I could guarantee the payment of my crew if any issues were to arise and due to the coronavirus pandemic having insurance that they will be compensated if restrictions changed really encouraged them to feel safe onset. But I feel I could have secured better equipment insurance in case of damages as there was a lot of rain during the shoot and having them protected would have made me less stressed about damages during outside shooting.

Crafting a contingency plan for the production was a vital aspect of the project, this was because the uncertainty of covid restrictions during the leadup to our shoot day could have meant that our planned schedule would have to be scrapped, by creating a plan to create a more environmental/location-based music video. Based on our individual homes surrounding woodlands would have allowed us to still produce a product for our client if push came to shove. However, I think the plan should have been better prepared with premade call sheets and other production elements that would have made the contingency easier to film if we had to move forward with that plan.

The shooting days were effective due to our pre-planning we got all the necessary footage quickly and effectively, which allowed us to film extra footage which made the editing process easier. This was only possible due to the easily comprehensible storyboard and our location recce where we pre-planned all equipment placement. I feel that the amount of pre-planning, however, unfortunately, caused us to have less of an opportunity to film improvised moments, which ended up being the parts our audience in the focus group were most attracted to, like certain instrumental performance segments and if we had gone more of the plan we could have further improved our audience engagement.

Focus Group proved that the techniques we prioritised were engaging to the audience as they found it engaging and entertaining allowing us to improve the video by adding the extra editing techniques. But mostly it let us know that we were on the right track and had produced something the client would enjoy. I think I should have had multiple focus groups for the project because having more opinions could have had a stronger impact on the final edit as a larger audience would have given a more broad response that would have been more accurate to the average person rather than just the small focus group and their niche opinions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I created an engaging music video that used a variety of techniques due to my concise planning/production process. I think I could have better improved this video if I had displayed it to larger sample size and crafted more data orientated questions (closed questions) for my focus groups and questionnaires so they can be better analysed than the dense open question answers constructed during this project. In future productions, I will focus on making the most of my time by acting instead of planning like I did many times throughout this production despite it not being necessary for a lot of the aspects of the music video due to our small budget and crew size.

Final Evaluation of My Projects

This set of posts go through some of the practical projects I completed during the course that showcase how I have developed in my cinematic techniques and methods to create different types of video work that I could be creating for future clients. The varied goals of each project allowed me to achieve this with my Giallo video Essay for example is how I could best showcase the advancement of the Giallo wave of horror films as I broke down past film examples and the similarities/tropes that link them together as I tried my best to create an engaging video for my audience to engage with by matching the visuals with my constant narration. While my short film/music video projects taught me how best to use cinematic techniques to create narratives that engage the audience as I displayed tropes of different genres of both film and music videos as I created work for the purpose of entertainment. By evaluating these pieces works I have also learnt what I should avoid in future work and what I should continue to implement. Despite how helpful these projects and their evaluations have been in increasing the quality of my work I think that if I was to do this course again I would put more emphasis on peer assessment of my own projects. I feel that having my peers and other people also evaluate my work would have created a more neutral/accurate evaluation without any knowledge of its creation or bias opinions, this would have created more useful and possibly more accurate evaluations of the final projects cinematic techniques (mise en scene, editing, etc.) and if they successfully completed their goals.

Overall Use of My Practical Skills

My practical skills have greatly improved during this course, in the beginning, I was mostly inexperienced with the production process (pre-production, production, post-production) but during this course, I have developed and advanced my work to a more industry standard. I have learnt about the research and planning that goes into pre-production from the consistent communication there needs to be with your client and crew with the use of production schedules and Gantt charts as well as the construction of a scene/project before shooting with storyboards and shot lists to have a visual map to follow and equipment lists to indicate what is needed to construct these visuals. This has improved from the start of the project as I have been forced to showcase consistent and thorough research and display of the evidence of these tasks compared to my previous work at A-levels that focused on the final product rather than how I got there. 

I have also displayed clear application practical skill by showcasing my own use of camera and lighting by creating my own example to common techniques like Rembrandt lighting and pull focus camera movement, which was then put into the application via my assigned projects where I broke down their success and unsuccessful use.

However, while I have learnt about the necessary research and construction of visual media from pre to post-production I feel I could have greatly improved the practical skills that I learnt in this course by having more visual evidence behind the scenes process of my projects by displaying how I set up my lighting, camera positioning, etc. Overall I believe that my evaluations and breakdowns of the practical skill of this course showcase my progress as a student of visual media production as well as the improvement in my work that is clearly due to my own pratical skill advancement as they have become better shot, better lit and better edited with the application of my new knowledge gained during the course.

Reference List:

Knives Out (2019) Directed by Rian Johnson

Studiobinder, Nov 19, 2018, "The Rack Focus: How to Guide Viewers Eyes with a Shot List (Casino Royale)" (Online) Available at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb8QmEZjcto&ab_channel=StudioBinder

Media College, "The Focus Pull" (Online) Available at:

https://www.mediacollege.com/video/camera/focus/pull.html

Mansurov N, Last Updated on August 14, 2019, "What is ISO? The Complete Guide for Beginners" (Online) Available at:

https://photographylife.com/what-is-iso-in-photography

Maio A, Oct 18, 2020 "What is ISO? And How Does it Work with Aperture and Shutter Speed" (Online) Available at:

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-iso/

NoFilmSchool.com, Renée V May 16, 2018, "5 Ways to Creatively Use Shutter Speed in Your Film" (Online) Available at:

https://nofilmschool.com/2018/05/5-ways-creatively-use-shutter-speed-your-film

Cinecom.net, May 15, 2018, "5 SHUTTER SPEED TIPS for VIDEO" (Online) Available at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0lMMiF-r18&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=Cinecom.net

BrentMailPhotography.com, Last Updated Oct 28, 2020, "Shutter Speed in Photography" by Brentmail (Online) Available at:

https://brentmailphotography.com/essentials/shutter-speed-in-photography-examples.html

Spider-Man (2002) Directed by Sam Raimi (Spiderman Fight Scene)

Aperture Section:

Skyfall (2012) Directed by Sam Mendes

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) Directed by Sergio Leone

Fight Club (1999) Directed by David Fincher

Mansurov N, Last Updated on April 6, 2020, "Understanding Aperture in Photography" (Online) Available at:

https://photographylife.com/what-is-aperture-in-photography

Maio A, August 23, 2020, "What is Aperture - Ultimate Guide to the Camera Aperture and Depth of Field" (Online) Available at:

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-aperture/

ExpertPhotograhy.com, "How to Understand Aperture in Photography" (Online) Available at:

https://expertphotography.com/how-to-understand-aperture-5-simple-steps/

Lenses Section:

Studiobinder "Ultimate Guide to Camera Lenses — Every Type of Camera Lens Explained [Shot List Ep. 7]" (Online) Nov 16, 2020, Available at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSsIqR3DuK8&feature=emb_title&ab_channel=StudioBinder

Lannom SC "The Different Types of Camera Lenses for Video and Photography" Nov 15, 2020 (Online) Available at:

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/different-types-camera-lenses-explained/

av.jpn.support.panasonic.com "How Focal Length Affects Viewing Angle" (Online) Available at:

https://av.jpn.support.panasonic.com/support/global/cs/dsc/knowhow/knowhow12.html

The Wolf of Wall Street (2014) Directed by Martin Scorsese

The Shinning (1980) Directed by Stanley Kubrick

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) Directed by Terry Gilliam

The Martain (2015) Directed by Ridley Scott

 

The Florida Project (2017) Directed by Sean Baker

Midnight Cowboy (1969) Directed by John Schlesinger

Seven (1995)

Biteable, "The Best Video Lighting Kits to Make Your Videos Look Pro" (Online) Available at:

https://biteable.com/blog/best-video-lighting-kits/

TheFilmmakersBlog, 2012, "Lighting Tip #1 Three Point Lighting" (Online) Available at:

http://thefilmmakersblog.blogspot.com/2012/11/lighting-tip-1-three-point-lighting.html

Deguzman, K, July 20, 2020 "Key Light Definition" (Online) Available at:

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-key-light-definition/

Studiobinder, Mar 9, 2020, "Video Lighting Techniques - Nailing that Cinematic Look (with a Fill Light)", (Online) Available at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1EKLvdUSac&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=StudioBinder

Koudounis A, May 13, 2015 "Back Lighting" (Online) Available at:

http://www.mediafactory.org.au/aria-koudounis/2015/05/13/back-lighting/#:~:text=Backlighting%20is%20a%20type%20of,the%20other%20areas%20are%20darker

Back Lighting Example,

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2015) Directed by Andrew Dominik

WolfCrow.com, "What is Low-Key Lighting?, What is low-key lighting, and how do you apply it in cinematography?" (Online) Available at:

https://wolfcrow.com/what-is-low-key-lighting/#:~:text=Another%20great%20example%20of%20a,the%20crime%20fiction%20that%20emerged

Low Key Lighting Examples:

Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) Directed by Wes Craven, Evil Dead 2 (1987) Directed by Sam Raimi, True Romance (1993) Directed by Tony Scott, The Green Mile (1999) Directed by Frank Darabont

Gabriel M, "Understanding The Basics of High Key vs Low Key Lighting" (Online) Available at:

https://contrastly.com/understanding-the-basics-of-high-key-vs-low-key-lighting/#:~:text=When%20you%20say%20high%20key,mid%2Drange%20tones%20become%20white.

High Key Lighting Examples:

Harry Potter Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) Directed by David Yates, Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Directed by Taika Waititi, 500 Days of Summer (2009) Directed by Marc Webb, Elysium (2013) Directed by Neill Blomkamp

Rembrandt Portrait, Self-Portrait with Beret and Turned-Up Collar (1659)

Split Lighting Example,

Breaking Bad (2008 - 2013) Showrunner Vince Gilligan

Butterfly Lighting Example, 

ExpertPhotography.com "10 Best Portrait Lighting Patterns (Using Just One Light!)" by Hillary Grigonis (Online) Available at:

https://expertphotography.com/one-light-portrait-lighting/

Experimental Lighting Examples:

Twin Peaks (1990 - 1991) Showrunner David Lynch

Boddington R, 31 July 2018, "Richard Kovacs: I Will See You in My Dreams" (Online) Available at:

https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/richard-kovacs-i-will-see-you-in-my-dreams-photography-310718

La La Land (2016) Directed by Damien Chazelle, Another Ending Clip

Peer Assessment Data Collected from the Following Participants: Katerina Angelides, Cameron Butler, Alexander Wyness, Kateisha Thandy (HNC Students)

Life in Italy "Life In Italy 1970s To 1980s" Published by Ancos, Jan 16, 2017, Available (Online) at:

https://www.lifeinitaly.com/history/life-italy-1970s-1980s/

Britannica.com "The Economic Miracle Industrial Growth" Available (Online) At:

https://www.britannica.com/place/Italy/The-economic-miracle

Black Christmas (1974) Directed by Bob Clark

Halloween (1978) Directed by John Carpenter

Crystal Plumage (1970) Directed by Dario Argento

La Haine (1995) Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz

Kes (1969) Directed by Ken Loach

Fallen Angles (1995) Directed by Wong Kar-wai

The Blair Witch Project (1999) Directed by Eduardo Sánchez and Daniel Myrick

Rec (2007) Directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaz

Paper Planes (2007) by M.IA

The Lighthouse (2019) by Robert Eggers

The Mood for Love (2000) Directed by Wong Kar-wai

Voices (2014) Directed by Marjane Satrapi

I'm on Fire (1984) by Bruce Springsteen

The End of the F***ing World (2017-2019) Created by Charles S. Forsman

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) Directed by Wes Anderson

The Simpsons Created by Matt Groening

Climax Directed by Gaspar Noé

The Solomon Society "The Evolution of Animation 1833 - 1990" 2 Mar 2017 (Online), Available at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4oWpD9vbN0&ab_channel=TheSolomonSociety

History Matters "How did Medieval Banking Work? (Short Animated Documentary)" 16 Sept 2020 (Online), Available at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE7nd36EpRU&ab_channel=HistoryMatters

The Great War "World News From 100 Years Ago - January 1921" 26 Jan 2021 (Online), Available at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXcq3k_a_bk&t=1s&ab_channel=TheGreatWar

The Infographics Show "How A Soldier Single-Handedly Liberated An Entire German Occupied City" 14 Nov 2019 (Online), Available at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLk4F1thAp0&t=487s&ab_channel=TheInfographicsShow

Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2010) Directed by Edgar Wright

shenikaprincess.wordpress.com "Codes and Conventions of Corporate Promotional Video" (Online), Available at:

https://shenikaprincess.wordpress.com/final-major-project-fmp/codes-and-conventions-or-promotional-corporate-videos/

prezi.com "Codes & Conventions of Corporate & Promotional Videos" by Beth Sigsworth (Online), Available at:

https://prezi.com/9fg3mma-2xb_/codes-conventions-of-corporate-promotional-videos/

Horrible Histories (2009-2014) Created by Terry Deary and Peter Hepplewhite

https://www.spaghetti.studio/hire/camera_hire

https://www.wagonwheels.tv/make-up-truck-hire/

www.asa.org.uk "Broadcast Code" (Online) Available at:

https://www.asa.org.uk/codes-and-rulings/advertising-codes/broadcast-code.html

www.livingwage.org.uk "REAL LIVING WAGE INCREASES TO £9.50 IN UK AND £10.85 IN LONDON AS COST OF LIVING RISES" (Online) Available at:

https://www.livingwage.org.uk/news/real-living-wage-increases-%C2%A3950-uk-and-%C2%A31085-london-cost-living-rises%C2%A0%C2%A0#:~:text=Search%20this%20site-,REAL%20LIVING%20WAGE%20INCREASES%20TO%20%C2%A39.50%20IN%20UK%20AND,set%20for%20a%20pay%20boost

www.gov.uk "National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates" (Online) Available at:

https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates

stock.adobe.com "Discover royalty-free music from top artists" (Online) Available at:

https://stock.adobe.com/uk/audio?mv=search&as_channel=sem&as_campclass=nonbrand&as_campaign=UK%7CCPRO%7CStock%7CAWAR%7CAudio_Exact%7CGG%7C%7CmCPCexp&as_source=google&as_camptype=acquisition&sdid=P3KMQYXC&ef_id=Cj0KCQiA-aGCBhCwARIsAHDl5x84-1XSBrhyDfdLRQrwDineC0vORyauJw-BVnrywTXzhAeF1c-AqOoaAheIEALw_wcB:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!3085!3!451593228438!e!!g!!royalty%20free%20music!10653884335!104803017746&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-aGCBhCwARIsAHDl5x84-1XSBrhyDfdLRQrwDineC0vORyauJw-BVnrywTXzhAeF1c-AqOoaAheIEALw_wcB

www.peopleperhour.com "Hire a freelancer for freelance actors" (Online) Available at:

https://www.peopleperhour.com/hire-freelancers/freelance+actors

Maneater (1982) by Daryl Hall & John Oates, Available (Online) at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRYFKcMa_Ek

Fear & Delight (2014) by The Correspondents, Available (Online) at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABS-mlep5rY

Nosferatu (1922) Directed by F. W. Murnau

Dracula's (1931) Directed by Tod Browning, Karl Freund