Behind The Screen - Blog Diary

Friendships aren't always made face to face. Many people can find the same amount of comfort from speaking to people over the internet, bonding across oceans and all behind a computer screen. Many dangers lurk the web – those using false identities for their own purposes are a major threat. I feel like this is majorly what the public know about; the ultimate negatives, therefore casting a shadow over the whole subject. I would like to show this subject in a more positive light, by getting the insight on those who have friendships - or even relationships - over the web, and learning the stories of those behind the screen.

Dreamer Productions

I have chose to work with both Luke and Isobel on my documentary, as they have both shown to be a great help and contribution in previous projects. I will also be helping on both of their sets.

I work on Sound Production on Isobels documentary, I cover that in Day 6.

My subject is now set in stone. Between choosing gaming and how females are represented, I thought that this subject would be more simpler to cover, without getting into too much detail. 

Day 1 - Planning

This is the first day that we can fully focus on Factual Programming. I spent today getting an idea of where and who I will be filming, and what needs to be done to get their consent. My Skype interviews will be taken from my home, so a location release form was printed out, and I have the document signed by the owner of our house. 

I think that I would like to find a nice backdrop while Skyping. My first idea was my bedroom, as I felt like it gave of a more homely and friendly vibe, and I would like the documentary to seem almost casual. Another idea was to find a nice external area (possibly a park without much public). That way I can take a laptop and be able to have slightly more flexibility, maybe I can combine both these two ideas and use both in the documentary.

Artist release forms will also need to be handed to those who are on the other end of the Skype interview (via email) although getting their signature might be difficult. 

I have six participants for the Skype interview. Each one has been informed of the subject I am basing my documentary around and what they should expect. 

There are many videos online about how to record Skype calls, and also how to export those onto premier pro, I will look over those when I am getting close to interviews.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-record-a-skype-call-on-your-pc-or-mac/ - How to Record

https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA12395/how-can-i-record-my-skype-calls - Official Skype Website

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/the-quickest-easiest-way-to-record-skype-calls-for-mac-and-windows/ - How to Record

I'll have to make sure my interviewees say something along the lines of 'I consent to this interview' before I start asking questions.

My questions need refining but I think I have a general idea of what to ask. I have two separate list of questions that I would like to be answered, one for my Skype interviews and one for the Vox-Pops that I will be filming on Stockton High Street.

About two or three weeks ago, we worked in groups to practice Vox-Pops with our setup questions. I have not yet fully looked over my footage but I felt that it was a huge step up from the first practice run. I will use generally the same questions.

Vox-Pop Questions

1. How safe do you think the internet is?
2. What do you think about friendships made online? (And why)
3. Do you know anyone who has friends online? (Children or Grandchildren)
4. If I was to say "I've met someone online, and I consider them my best friend." How would you reply to me?
5. Ever had a pen pal?

The last question was brought on by my mum. When I asked her the first four questions as a practice at home, she responded with good, thought provoking answers, which were mainly on the side of how the internet is full of people who want to harm you. The morning after, she came to me and told me about how she'd been thinking about the questions. She mentioned that she had a pen pal who lived in another country, and she didn't think twice about anything threatening. She compared this with making friendships online, changing her viewpoint slightly. This inspired me to try mention pen pals in the documentary, and see how the general public react to the forced combination of both internet and pen pals.

Internet Questions

1. What are your opinions on internet friendships?
2. Is having friendships online helped you in any way?
3. How many friends in general do you think you have made online.
4. Do you consider any of them your best friends?
5. Have you made any interesting friendships (or even relationships) that you'd like to briefly share?
6. Have you any advice on how to stay safe when making friends on the internet
7. (Or instead of the above question - What would you say as advice to someone wanting to make a friend online?)

I Would like to hear their opinions, stories, and feelings toward friendships made online, I would like to find out how it benefits them, and what makes it such a positive thing to do.

Treatment and Proposal have been finished. I am incredibly happy about my treatment and I hope that my passion to do this subject is reflected into it. For the rest of the day I need to Mind-Map my basic ideas so that I have them on paper, and also make sure to sort out all forms that need to be sent out to my contributors. I will also have to make sure I know exactly where I am filming.

Day 2 - More Planning

Today was a deeper look into all aspects of what we will be doing for assignments. I will now be including the work I do for sound production into this blog. 

As my documentary contains a large technical aspect (Skype calling) I will be doing a practice interview over the weekend to make sure that not only is it possible to record and transfer the video to Premier Pro, but that I can actually do it myself. At this time I will also be giving out the artist release forms, and make sure everyone is aware and still available. I will be taking screenshots of the practice interview, too. I will be looking over the hyperlinks mentioned in Day 1 more thoroughly. 

I have also made a small mind map of my plans, meaning that I can tick another thing off the list of things to do. I will have to write down a more detailed plan of how I expect this film to plan out, however (e.g how long the introduction to my subject will last, and what I will do next).

Day 3 - Pitch Making

Kelly has assigned that we make a short pitch for tomorrow (Monday) so that we can show our progress in our folders. I am happy with the progress made and have set tasks to complete next week. (Test a Skype call being the main issue)

I have decided to search for possible locations (other than my bedroom) for the Skype calls to take place, if I find any I will take pictures and add them to my folder. Any place garden/park type without much public would seem nice, which is why as another resort I could use my back garden.

Day 4 - Pitch Complete

The pitch went well, no one saw any major problems. It will cover both Kelly and Neil's assignment briefs well enough, and I am confident in my progress. A small issue on my chance of being too subjective, I will be tackling this by making sure I show both sides of my subjects argument.

Day 5 - Interview Testing

I am currently learning more about how to record a skype video, and then how to put it into Premier Pro. There are a couple websites which explain this but all with different solutions:

1) Record your conversation with SuperTintin
2) Import the local file into Live Movie Maker
3) Export in the SD format.
4) Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the remote file
5) Import both into Premiere
6) Edit away

Supertintin will probably be the first website I choose. It's free and has clear instructions.


Record all audio and video streams including Skype voice mail and screen sharing video.

SuperTintin lets you easily save your conversations to your computer's hard drive or a portable USB drive, allowing you to re-watch your personal and business conversations as easily as watching your favourite DVD. 

It records Skype calls by capturing original media data while making sure there is no data loss. Because it is not a screen-capture recorder, video quality is not affected at all if you open, close, resize messenger windows while recording. 


There are also other free websites I could download this recording technique from, only Supertintin has explained what to do after the record, up to now.

Day 6 - Working on Sound

I worked on Isobels documentary on both Saturday and Sunday as the sound manager. Everything went smoothly. It was hard to make sure the sound was correct for Saturday, since we were filming a performance, performers used a microphone. I made sure the audio did not peak too high, the audio though the headphones was fine and balanced. We used the camera-top mic.

We had an interview set up for Sunday at Isobels house, interviewing her mum We picked up interference from a nearby phone, so we had to reshoot. We took both the boom and camera top mic, but ended up using the camera top for both shoots. Audio did not peak and was balanced, as before.

I was also able to capture a few cutaways for my documentary, though I'll still need more.

I have also found a website which makes it easier to capture Skype calls. I found it with the group. We will be doing a test call today, and if everything works out, I will then make sure my official Skype calls are done by the end of the week.

This website is called Evaer. It is recommended as one of the easier websites to record from by the Skype website.

'You can record Skype video calls with the program Evaer Skype video recorder.

Evaer supports recording Skype video calls to your hard disk with side-by-side, separate files, audio-only, local-webcam-only and remote-webcam-only mode. Up to 10 ways Skype group video recording is supported. It's very easy to use with friendly UI.'

Skype

There were problems with the website used to record calls. Once they were all finished (each took around 4 minutes to finish) the audio wasn't too great. My voice came through right speaker while the interviewees came from the left. If the interviewee spoke too loud, their voice echoed though each speaker. The video was also slower than the video, so matching them up would take too long to sort out. I decided to go with my second plan, and record the calls on the camera.

This went smoothly, the audio was good and seems visually pleasing.

I managed to produce a lot of cutaways, ranging from keyboard typing to mobile phones, these will be handy to show when I produce a voice over.

The Product

Voiceovers were made, presenting was completed. Everything I set out to put into the edit was finished. Presenting could of went better. The green screen I used cast shadows, which made it difficult to cut out during the edit. I also seem to be looking above the camera while presenting. Audio seems to echo slightly too, we would've benefited more from a clip microphone, though there is now no more time to go over this. 

Voice overs are fine, they work with the edit smoothly

The Edit

I found suitable music for my edit, everything seems to look good and the rough draft came out pretty well, I am struggling with creating the Green Screen effect but a few tutorials eventually helped me to create the effect on my own, I could not recreate the effect when any of my class helped me because I was confused by it. Now I have pieced together a nice, fitting background for my presenting, I will need to complete this fast, so there isn't time for perfection. 

The best thing about working on this was being able to add in the Skype calls. I knew that no one else would do this, and being able to add something in that helped the documentary drastically by adding style and cause really boosted the documentary in general. 

I struggled with time management, I had new ideas to try out when it was too late to try them. I would've liked to have spend more time working on my presenting, I wrote a new script but did not have time to film, capture, and edit it into the video. 

I will still have to export the film, and add the finishing green screen backgrounds, but apart from that, it should be ready to go by tomorrow. 

 

Unit 64: Motion Graphics & Compositing Video

Task 1: Blog Article

This blog article will analyse and comment on the current uses of motion graphics and compositing video in film and television production, including relevant examples and images.

Motion Graphics are types of footage or animation which editors use to create the illusion of motion. It is unlikely to see adverts or introductions to film/TV shows which are not using motion graphics. Motion Graphics are also used to create subtitles and credits, and also for 'lower thirds' which are prominent in news broadcasts.

The use of Motion Graphics is a good way to appeal to the audience. Creating aesthetically pleasing and eye catching graphics creates a major impact.

Compositing is the use of combining visual elements from different sources, and combining them into single images. This creates the illusion that all of the elements combined are the same part of a scene. This may include overlaying of text and titles on video clips. Green Screens are a form of compositing, by using raw footage of a person behind a green screen background.

A cluster of BBC News opening titles.

DVD Interfaces 

Frequently use graphics and typography.

(Typography - the art and technique of arranging type to make written language most appealing to learning and recognition.)

My chosen example of a DVD Interface is the film The Avengers. The interface uses short clips from the film, portraying each of the main characters without giving major plot points away. This makes the viewer curious about the movie itself, and keeps them guessing, and entertained.

Idents

TV Idents are used as a means of branding their logo so that audience become aware of the channel. In terms of TV Idents, Channel 4 has a recurring Ident of the number 4, shown in different ways.



Idents within the media industry promote brand identity. Their purpose is to grab the audiences attention, and to let them know what channel/show they are watching/about to watch.

String

Usually occuring in advertisement breaks, a string a similar to an indent, though Idents are usually longer and seemingly more welcoming. Strings are used to advertise, they are short, and usually colourful and unique.

Interactive Menu

These occur just before watching a DVD. Interactive Menus give a list of things on what extras you can do before watching the movie (for instance, skip ahead to a certain part in the movie). These often play a Motion Graphic, reminding you of the Film being watched. The video used for the DVD Interface is also Interactive. The purpose of this is to make the audience excited for the film, and gives the clips they use with the interactive menu give them a sneak peak of what they are about to watch.

Technology Issues

Frame Rates:

There are three main systems for analogue television: PAL, NTSC, and SECAM.

• PAL - Phase Alternating Line, 25 fps

• NTSC - National Television System Committee, 29.97 fps

• SECAM - Sequential Color with Memory, 25 fps

The difference in frame rates is how smoothly they run. The higher the frame rate, the smoother it will run.

The Hobbit trailer, shown in both 24 fps and 48 fps.

Video Format



There are a wide range of video formats, which use different codecs to encode and compress video data. Video is almost always stored in a compressed form, to reduce file size. This generation has brought in a wide range of video formats; video streaming from a smartphone, or even game consoles.

Common video file extensions include .MPG, .MOV, .WMV, and .RM.


QuickTime (.mov or .qt) – Apple developed QuickTime it supports a wide variety of codecs.
Advanced Video Coding, High Definition (AVCHD) – AVCHD is a very common for data compressed with the H.264 it comes to us between Sony and Panasonic as a format for digital camcorders. It’s a file based format, meaning that it’s meant to be stored and played back on disks or other storage devices (such as compact flash drives or SD cards).

Codecs

Windows Media Video (.wmv) – Over the years the WMV format has defiantly grown and progressed to support high-definition 720 and 1080 video. To make things less complicated, files that end in .wmv are usually stored in an .asf container.


H.264 – The H.264 will send highly compressed low resolution video across the web and then happily encode your high definition movie at super high bitrates for delivery to a High Definition television. This is a very common codec for camcorders and digital video cameras.

Screen Ratio

The screen ratio (Aspect Ratio) of an image will describe the equal relationship between its width and height. For example, a 16:9 aspect ratio means that for a width of 16 units, the height must be 9 units. A common aspect ratio is 4:3, which is used for an average TV screen. 16:9 is a ratio used for flat screens. Movies are often filmed with a ratio of 21:9, resulting in black bars at the top and bottom of the picture. To combat this, manufacturers are producing televisions with a 21:9 format.

Aspect Ratio		Uses	TVs
4:3	1.33:1	Standard Channels	Old TVs
16:9	1.77:1	HD Channels	The majority of HDTVs
21:9	2.35:1	Most movies	Very few TVs

Resolution

The number of pixels needed to create an image. The more pixels - the better the resolution of the image. Usually termed as width x height, with the units in pixels. For example, "1024 x 768" means that the width is 1024 pixels and the height is 768. Although there are many different resolutions, there are 6 that are used commonly:

144p

The lowest resolution commonly used. This lack of pixels makes the image very blurry, so much so that text is barely visible.

240p

Still not enough pixels for the image to be clear enough to read, though the image's major details are easier to make out.

360p

A common resolution used for many default Youtube videos. 

480p

Clearer, though imperfections still remain. 

720p

The second highest common resolution. This resolution can come in HD. All details are shown and the image is very clear and brighter.

1080p

The highest common resolution. HD. The image is incredibly clear, and fine details can be seen. 

Compression

Compression helps lower the memory of a file, giving more space to access. Better quality videos can be made by changing the compression setting on any video editing software. Some compressors are built into the software, so compressing the footage, render, and upload it without loosing quality.



References 

http://mattrogerounit64.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.rtings.com/info/what-is-the-aspect-ratio-4-3-16-9-21-9-cinemawide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1egvwVWFaTU

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

https://www.google.com/search?q=channel+4+idents+compilation&espv=2&biw=953&bih=927&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=gLhqVNL1CM_WaqqpgMgK&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg#tbm=isch&q=channel+4+idents+collection&facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=4uybhs5ym30tZM%253A%3B5L1Kka1CZGxmAM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Ftheident.gallery%252Fc4%252F2004%252FC4-2007-ID-HAY-3.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Ftheident.gallery%252Fc4-2004.php%3B439%3B247

http://toph06.wordpress.com/wkc/unit-64-motion-graphics-compositing-video/

Behind the Scenes

The video I have chosen to show and analyse is a DVD feature of The Hunger Games, and how actors were physically trained for their role. I will describe some of the conventions of Behind the Scene videos, and more importantly why they are used.

The video starts off introducing one of the main characters of the film (Josh Hutcherson), he explains about how he had to put on muscle for his character. This interview shows both Josh talking to the interviewer about his role, and also cutaways of the training that he had to do, the cutaways are shown so that the viewer has a better understanding of what Josh is talking about. These are short (around three) cutaways which involve Josh working out. I think it would be important to show cutaways of what the interviewee is talking about, as it adds more diversity to the shots used.

The music used throughout the video is suits the style of The Hunger Games. It's smooth and not majorly loud which is important since the viewer may be too distracted by it.

Every time a new actor is shown on in the interview room, They have their real and character name appear next to them, so that the viewers are definitely sure of who they are currently looking at.

The texts font and color seems basic, but effective. The text fades in, and back out again. It could be more effective by making it animated more, just to create more of a pleasing look.

Year Two - Unit 27 - Factual Programme:Criteria One

Factual Programme Production Techniques for Television 

This blog entry will cover the issues facing producers in factual programming, and the impact it has on their work.

I will describe the main issues, and explain how I aim to recognize these issues while working on my documentary, and how I will overcome them.

Privacy

The 'Phone hacking scandal' involving News of the World

Privacy is expected to be treated fairly and accordingly for those involved with Factual Programming. Interviewees should be treated fairly, and should also be made aware of the style of format, and the purpose of your film. Interviewees' privacy should be respected.

When filming in public areas, you are only likely to need to obtain the consent from the main contributors to the film, such as interviewees, who's words are caught on camera. Generally you will not need to obtain the consent of people walking by, or in the background.

However, when filming in private areas, people expect their privacy. This goes for interviewees homes, or even hospital wards. You must obtain the consent of the legal owner of the property before continuing.  

When it comes to my own Factual, I will fully respect all interviewees equally. I will not use their thoughts and opinions against them, and when in editing, I will avoid cutting up separate interviews too much, as mixing and cutting out words may misrepresent the views of the interviewee. I must remain impartial throughout my filming experience, making sure I treat interviewees equal and fairly.

Bias

News which has been given a biased viewpoint is no longer news. It is a news story which is being told from only one point of view. The term Bias in factual programming means to take one side of a story and to represent it; ignoring all other sides. This can lead to complaints and even loss of audience. When working on a factual programme, you should try to give the each side of the argument that you are covering (If there is one). 

This convention can be a very dangerous tool in the media. It can influence parties and individuals by what they see.  

This obstacle will be tackled in my film by making sure I have all the sides of the story. Even though it is a piece which describes how my chosen subject isn't as bad as it is portrayed, I will include the views and opinions of those on the opposite side of the party.

Accuracy and Balance

As a filmmaker, your documentary should always accurately reflect reality. The film must be truthful, accurate and fair. Check all the facts that are being told in the film; evidence of their truth must be shown.

For example, if your film has a reconstruction of a factual event, you should label it as such so that viewers are not misled. Also, if anything in your film is set up or faked, it is important that viewers are told this, so as not to mislead them.

This would be important for News programs, as they must use the information they are given in the right way, so that the viewers receive the correct information they need. An example would be a report on the war, they would need to make sure the information they receive is 100% accurate.

When it comes to factual film making, balance is a good way to represent the opposing subjects to yours. Both sides of the argument must be balanced, one of the sides cant be shown as 'better' than the other.

My documentary will have a lot of facts inside, meaning I must check all of them to be sure of the truth. References will be made for all. For example, statistics I show will have to be shown with the dates that they were made on. My factual piece covers stories of those who have internet friendships, showing the positive side of the subject, so I must cover balance by having the opinions of those who feel concerned about the internet, detailing the risks and warnings, and how to avoid them best.

A one-sided, opinion heavy
documentary example.

Opinion

An opinion is a view or judgement about something. In factual programming, opinions are very useful if you want to get the views of a wide group of people. Opinions should be used as fact in your documentary.


Opinions will be used greatly for my factual piece. Both sides of my subject will contain the opinion of those who have internet friendships and those who are concerned and distrustful of them.

Impartiality

Being impartial means to treat all contributors equally. A film should be fair, and not only to the people who appear in the film (interviewees) but also anyone that is referred to. It would also mean not to take favoritism to one subject, meaning not taking any sides, and to try have a mutual standoff. To show impartiality, the filmmaker would need to try and not show his views on the subject. And to show the interviewees with their own perspective on the topic.

I will show all contributors of my film in the same light. Even if I cover one side of the story more, I will not darken the other side by making them seem wrong on the subject. I should make sure they have a good amount of time on screen, and many opinions shown about their side.

This small video example shows the BBC, and how their partiality over Gaza.

Objectivity and Subjectivity

Subjective information based on personal opinions and points of view. It is often considered as badly suited for scenarios like Factual Programming. Objective information is fact based, measurable and observable.

If unbalanced opinions are presented as facts, they act as propaganda or persuasion. For example, a documentary idea might be about how teens are the prime cause of trouble in the --- area. This is presented as an objective fact though clearly a subjective opinion. The news avoid being subjective in order to avoid controversy. Being subjective would be to put across a one sided view.

Being objective means being able to put an argument across via documentary and present it without being biased or partial, though it should give the audience a chance to make up their own minds on the subject being discussed.

For my factual to be Objective based, I must include facts about my subject, such as statistics, and make sure I don't fully display my personal opinion onto the film.

Representation

In general, representation is the way a subject is being portrayed. In factual programming, this can be the interviewee, and how they are shown in the filming (and also editing) process. 

It would be quite easy to sway the audience into having a view on an interviewee simply by how they are represented in the documentary. For example, if a documentary was about a man in prison, and the producer mainly showed the man in a sympathetic attitude, possibly including his thoughts and how he is a 'victim' the audience would be swayed feel sorry for him. Negative representation is also shown in documentaries: victimizing individuals or groups, possibly by stereotyping. 

Unit 54, Task 4 - Review

Planning

In my head, the Poster/CD Cover ect would have the backdrop of the Victorian Village, so I took a couple stills of the chimneys surrounding the area, which I used for the actual poster. I had pre planned for the poster to show Tobias in the foreground and Miss Stone somewhere behind, both facial expressions will be mysterious; Tobias would be more agitated and Miss Stone would seem confident and suspicious.

(Poster is too large to be placed into this blog post)

Time

Photoshop is not my strong point. Producing the Poster, DVD sleeve and CD cover took alot of attempts, as I did not understand alot of the tools of Photoshop. Luke helped me greatly through alot of things and I managed to get it done because of him. I was happy with my final product, even though I could of done alot better if I knew more about the tools of photoshop. Tutorials on tools helped also.

This was my first time using Photoshop, therfor I had no experience beforehand. My end product seems basic, and standard, but my skill is developing. I would not say I have mastered photoshop yet.

Problem Solving

Sizes of the images needed was a struggle for me, as well as other things. Luke helped me understand which sizes to use for what, but I still dont completely understand. I used basic tools that seemed easy enough to use, although one tool - used to crop out unnessicary background from strands of hair - took a while to complete, and was very time consuming. There was probably a better and faster way around this method, but I followed the tutorial and was happy with the object it produced.

Appropriate for the Audience?

Anaesthetic's BBFC was labelled 15, as it contained the use and mention of drugs. This wouldnt be too acceptable for those as young as 12. 15 rated works are not suitable for those under that age, at 15; drug taking may be shown, but the film must not promote or encourage the drugs being used (e.g misuse).

Product Management

We worked hard to create the poster that fitted the era, I changed my design quite a few times but I ended up picking a design I and the rest of the team liked.

Areas of Improvement

Better knowlage of photoshop. I need to look over more tutorials so I get a better understanding of the tools, both basic and difficult.

Technical Competencies

The sizes/resolution for images confused me, I would need a much better understanding of these before I create more

Technical Qualities

I have learned quite a few things, and even improved on some tools that I used. How to use layers, and how they work. Colour Correction of images, to make them seem vintage and set in the right time period, and how to create text and layer it over images efficiantly.

 

Production Editing - Task 1

This blog will cover how the group prepared for the editing of our video production 'Anaesthetic', covering the points such as striping and labelling the tapes, how the footage was captured and assessed, and how we organised our edit project to make the edit process easier.

Striping and Labelling a tape

For scanning to work, DV tapes should always be striped.

Striping (also known as blacking or formatting) makes sure correct times codes are placed when DV tools scan DV tapes. Striping will also cause DV tools to 'see' an empty frame between each seperate video recording. This allows for better recognition of individual clips or 'shots' in the capture gallery.

To stipe a tape, a new one must be placed into a camera. Disable audio recording and place the lens cap on the camera, and set the camera in record mode, recording the entire length of the tape. Once completed, the tape has been striped and ready for recording. If tapes are not striped, the 'Scan DV Tape' function in DV tools may not work correctly.

Setting up an Edit Project

Using the Adobe tools, we are able to set up our edit projects.

Adobe's editing software is Adobe Premier Pro CS6. We began by starting up the programme and clicking 'New Project'.

Video

Display Format: Timecode

 

Audio

Display Format: Audio Sample there is a drop down box "Milliseconds"

 

Capture

Capture Format: Selecting DV or a HDV (The project should be set on HDV)

 

Capturing Footage

It is possible to capture digital video from a live camera or from a tape: you record it from the source to the hard disk. Premier Pro captures video through a digital port, such as FireWire or SDI, installed on the computer. Premier Pro saves captured footage to the disk as files, and imports the files into projects as clips.

 

A. Status area B. Preview C. Tabs D. Panel menu E. Transport controls 

 

Specify Capture Settings

1. With a project open, choose file > Capture and select the Settings tab.
2. In the Capture Settings pane, click Edit.
3. In the Capture Settings dialog box, select an option from the Capture Format menu
4. Click OK

 

Set Capture Preferences

 

1. Choose Edit > Preferences > Capture (Windows)
2. Specify whether you want to cancel capture on dropped frames, report dropped frames, or generate a batch log file. This is an important step, as this can help with errors and blips in the project, and attempt to fix them.
3. Specify whether to use device control timecode. If a device controlled is installled, Premier Pro can record the timecode supplied by the controlled instead of recording any timecode written to the source tape.

 

Select tracks for capture

 

1. Open the Capture panel, select File > Capture.
2. In the Capture panel, click the panel menu.
3. Select Record Video, Record Audio, or Record Audio and Video, depending on the option desired. (The short film project needed both Audio and Video.)

 

Edit Decision List

An Edit Desicion List (EDL) is used in the post-production process of film editing and video editing. The list contains an ordered list of teel and timecode date representing where each video clip can be obtained in order to match the final cut.

 

My offline edit became a problem, since I had another version of Premier Pro at home, which meant that I couldnt open my offline edit at college. It was exported to a rough draft but with the lack of title and credits. It was watchable; the whole group struggled with the audio problems but using certain ambience we were able to fix most of it.

 

How footage was assessed

A few faults cropped up with Anaesthetic. For example, the Boom Pole managed to get into many frames, but we were able to place a cinemascope over this, which overall gave the edit a better look.

 

The audio was also out of place, sometimes the Boom Mic was too far away. Tampering with the audio levels in Premier and Audition meaned that we were able to save alot of it.

 

Colour Correction was also used to sort out issues of external shots. Some seemed too bright and unusable, but they were fixed.

 

Organising the Edit Project

Once the footage was captured, I placed the footage into folders designated for each scene. The only problem was that the clips were not labelled straight away, meaning it was slightly hard to find out which ones were which, we were able to label them later on.

 

A website with free downloadable sound helped alot with our project, we found sound effects and music. By placing these effects into seperate folders on the edit project, it made it much easier for us to find the right sound for clips.

 

http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/es/FAQ/es217691?retURL=%2Farticles%2Fes%2FFAQ%2Fes217691&popup=true

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edit_decision_list

 

Music Video Blog

This blog will cover our production on Your Body is a Wonderland.


Jamie - Director
Isobel - Production Designer
Tack - Production Manager
Liam - Sound Supervisor + Script Supervisor
Ryan - Director of Photography

Our first major task was to create a gripping pitch, on our ideas for the Music Video. We were given the option to create a music video for Kerrianne Covell, and  Elle Wood. We had meetings with both signers beforehand, to determine what they wanted from the Music Video. Of course, the video's purpose overall was supposed to promote their image, since they have not been given one yet. Both I and Isobel worked on Kerrianne's video, while Tack, Liam and Ryan worked on Elles. Kerrianne told us she was inspired by many singers from previous era's, and that she had an interest in the 50's era. Isobel and I both had the same idea of producing a video that was set in the 50's, using quirky outfits, and locations of interest.

 
"The idea is to have Kerrianne play herself; in a 50’s style era, visiting diners, beaches with friends. She slowly gains the attention of a boy, who seems to be following and keeping an eye on her.

Kerrianne however couldn't really care for the boy, and is much preferring to party with friends. The boy advances his attempts to get her attention throughout the video, and the more she teases and pushes him away, the more enthralled he becomes.

The video will switch between the key areas, like the diner and beach, we’ll add more places as/when we find them."

The pitch was completed, and showed in a meeting to Kelly, Kerrianne, and Nina (Head of makeup, who attended for both herself and Elle who was busy).

I think our idea gave alot of description, and a unique style, which was unlike others. It had a lot of versitility when it came to makeup and costume, something Nina was interested in, and it showed Kerrianne in a whole new light, which seemed to interest her greatly.

Kerrianne told us that she loved the idea, and overall, this one was picked to shoot.

Next was to think about costume more, Nina wanted to know what her students would be working on.

"Nothing has been set in stone, although ideas have been made. We can experiment with the makeup, hair and costume, depending on the ideas that we find on things such as Pinterest, Tumblr, and Facebook.

Depending on the location, the costume ideas can change to suit the vibe."

We had locations set out planned. The Diner, Kerrianne would portray a more 'bad girl' punk-type character. The beach would show Kerrianne as a girly, pastel colored teen that ate ice cream and held balloons. The garden/field would have her in a bright dress, having a picnic in the sun. Her friends would have the same costume throughout, to save time and money. The makeup would match the costume.

"Using something as unique as a different time period in a Music Video, I think that we will be able to create something that will be both aesthetically pleasing and easy to plan out.

Experimenting with these visuals will be everything. We have the chance to go wild with makeup, hair and costume that is influenced by the 50’s.

We want the video to be different, but not too over the top ‘artsy’. For instance, the official music video for Your Body is a Wonderland is focused on a stereotypical modern relationship of a boy who loves his girlfriend."

While working on this, Isobel planned on contacting our Diner. We wanted to see if we could film while it was closed, so we had more time and versitility to shoot. I planned a recce check for the field, which turned out badly since the grass was majorly high.

A Facebook Page was created for the group so we could easily contact others if we needed them.

The week of shooting was almost here. We said that we wouldnt be filming on our week off since we still had a few locations we needed to work out. Kerrianne's timetable for work was precise, and we're going to have to work around it carefully. We also need to sort out our actors, it seems easy to borrow some from Sonya's Drama group.

One the break, Isobel worked hard on contacting Kerrianne throughout the week. On the day we came back, the group focused on making sure all paperwork was done, Kerrianne informed us that Friday was the only day she can have off, her work would not let her swap shifts with other days.

Isobel informed us that the diner we were going to use would let us shoot our project on the Sunday, meaning we would not be able to shoot there. We began searching for other options for Diners. Tack focused on completing paperwork, I worked on matching the visuals we were thinking of, to the lyrics, (Storyboards, Shotlists, ect) as well as checking with the group for their input.

We tried around 3 different Diners, none could let us shoot on the Friday. We all agreed that it would be best to leave the Diner out, if we happened to find one last minute, we could just use smaller shots, just to get more of a 50's vibe.

We recruited Jack Harrison and Helen Wilson as actors. Jack playing the 'love interest' and Helen playing her friend.

Filming began on Friday, we agreed that the beach scene would be best shot at Saltburn. There, we can also get to Valley Gardens easily, and use those as the field scenes. We will not have time for the Modern scene we planned, nor the Diner. We had a last minute idea of using the Diner for a couple shots, but we wouldn't have time to use it.

Neil took us in the mini bus to Saltburn beach we arrived later than planned, since the minibus held the other group, who were to be taken to their destination first.I met my Dad, who previously agreed to meet me there to blow up some balloons with helium for us. While I did this, Isobel started walking to the Valley Gardens, to get a basic idea of where we were going to shoot.

While this happened, I assumed the rest of the group would go down and shoot establishing shots on the beach. Once I finished getting the balloons, I met up with Isobel to head down to the beach. Isobel found many great places to shoot. When we arrived, the Actors were told by the rest of the group to have a break, and the rest of the group told me they were waiting for me to start shooting. We began shooting once everyone was back, which took only a couple minutes.

Once started, the shots seemed to go very fast, and we managed to get a lot done. Tack and Liam filled in the diary reports while Isobel planned the next shots to do, Ryan held the camera and I instructed what I wanted the actors to be doing. Tack also helped pick out which parts of the storyboard we should do next, and Isobel had some great improvisation suggestions that we could shoot. The balloons flew away accidentally quite early on in the day, meaning we wouldn't of been able to film with them how we planned, but we managed to use it to our advantage by planning out other shots we could use instead of that. Ryan injured his leg by tripping on a rock at the beach half way through shooting, so I offered to take his place as cameraman, it gave the benefit of being more eye-level with Kerrianne since Ryan was taller.

We finished up on the beach at around 2. Both Jack and Helen needed to head home due to work, so the minibus came back to pick them up. We arrived had break and arrived at Valley Gardens at half two, where we began to shoot clips of Kerrianne singing.

Kerrianne loved the whole concept of the day, and she had no complaints about anything. She brightened up the set incredibly and it was great to work with her.

We finished at around 4/4:30, and my Dad was able to drop me, Kerrianne and Isobel off at our houses, while the rest of the group managed to get the train back safety.

I think we managed to capture enough footage to create something great, even if there were setbacks such as lack of location, and a fast paced schedule, we pulled together great and had a fun time doing it.

Editing came together perfectly. Everyone had a say in the edit and were pleased with the finished result.

Films, Producers & Audiences - Task 4: Me and My Movies

Me and My Movies

Films can impact peoples lives. Audiences respond to films and give their reactions in multiple ways.The audience can greatly affect the film, too. Increasing its longevity of its popularity and status in our culture.

Genre - Action

As one of the main genres for Film and TV, the action genre is usually a big-budgeted production, featuring chases, battles, fights, and adventurous, often two-dimensional 'good-guy' heroes (or recently, heroines) battling 'bad guys' - all designed for pure audience escapism. They include the James Bond spy/espionage series, and some superhero films. One sub-genre to this is the disaster film.

Action is personally one of my favorite genres. It can span into a wide variety of ideas, and - if these ideas work - can produce incredible films.

Active Spectatorship

Active Spectatorship is the theory that each viewer is different. These active spectators are less susceptible to marketing, and will question and react to the film; such as the genre, narrative and camera work.

Passive Spectatorship

Passive spectatorship is the theory that all audience is the same, and they do not effect the reception of the film.

Some film makers try to turn their audience into passive viewers: filling their films with obvious and ambiguous preferred readings, by encoding meaning using music, lighting and any other film techniques, to try get as much agreement into the audience, so that they can only think one thing.

Other film makers encourage active spectatorship, by making their films more open to interpretation.

Why Watch Films?

Films are watched for pleasure. The Uses and Gratifications theory suggests that there are main pleasures that audiences gain from films.

Diversion

Audiences watch a film to be diverted from their own life. This is the most common reason to watch films. Films watched under this influence usually have an easy to understand story line, in which 'good' has a tenancy to triumph over evil.

This type of pleasure provides audience with emotions they may not feel in their usual lives. (E.g fantasy - Narnia, Harry Potter, ect.)

Personal Relationships

Audiences may watch a film as a substitute for a personal relationship. For instance viewers might choose to see a Rom-Com because they are single.

Films that are about groups of friends may help audience feel like they are part of that group.

This type of pleasure may also apply to TV shows more than Films. Soap operas being one example.

Surveylance

Audience can watch a film for its useful information. Factual Film making and Documentaries being their major watch.

They may also watch 'world cinema' to receive insight on different cultures of the world.

This could also be considered as escapism/diversion.

Frameworks of Interpretation

We we all made up of our past experiences, birthrights and current standings. Things such as age, class, ethnicity and education all make us individuals. This is considered as our Frameworks of Interpretation.  

For example, I could be a young white British man who has been through higher education and is middle class. All these factors such as my age, my class, my ethnicity, my education and even my past experiences will all have some bearing on the way I read and interpret a film. Though I might agree with many other people, there could also be differences. For example my interpretation of a film might be very different to that of an older generation, or someone of different culture.

The individual above may have just seen Avatar, and walk away from it, thinking that the basis of Avatar was all about a so-called ‘primitive’ species of aliens that taught a human that he should be more respectful of his surroundings and nature and the environment. Others may criticize it for portraying the aliens as savages, and for the use of African-American and Native American actors in the roles of the aliens could be seen as highly racist. 

Media Literacy

If an individual has been educated about the media, and are highly aware of how media texts are constructed, then they are likely to suffer an impact to their enjoyment and interpretation of films.

A viewer who is more media literate will likely be aware of what the film is aiming to display, and therefore be less suggestive to its attempts.

For example, some viewers will not enjoy fantasy films as much as others, as they are overly aware of how certain special effects are made, thus ruining part of the films natural vibe.

Intertextuality

Intertextuality is the use of referencing one piece of media into another. Parodies and Spoofs of other films - like Scary Movie - deliberately place references into their films, like Scream or The Ring.

This is also often the case with genre films and the use of stars. This is less deliberate and sometimes unavoidable.

Fandom

Although films can have an effect on their audience, the audience can have a great impact on their chosen films.

Fans display their love for the film in many ways. Conventions like attending Comic Con, an event that lets fans of many different Fandoms dress up and socialize. Writing Fan-Fiction, fans may have their own story they want to tell, featuring their favorite characters from films.

Making/Buying and wearing Cosplay, clothes that match the same as characters in films. Also producing other merchandise, too.

Making websites for their films, too, or creating a blog dedicated to their chosen film.