Courier - PMP Blog Diary

Two misfit teenage scavengers are challenged with the job of a courier; delivering  an important message across a dystopian grassland.

Crew:

Samantha - Script Supervisor, Boom Operator, Assistant Director

 Courier is my main PMP idea. It's a drama short film that should reach around 10 minutes. I hope to find a good location which sets a vibe of dystopia. I want to also work with cinematography to make sure each shot looks visually pleasing,

My short film idea was looked at by friends/family and I was told it related to a film called The Postman, I think that being able to look at this film and picking/sorting out differences will be valuable, plus since my piece will be a short film, i will be making sure the plot isn't too drastic or big, but still keep things interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MXp9qzewXU  - The Postman Trailer

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119925/ - IMDB (The Postman)

For me, fantasy has always been an interest. Books focused around the post apocalypse, games that push you into worlds ruined by nuclear war, and television shows and films with characters surviving disaster. These kind of things motivated Courier. Making this film was because of my love for the post-apocalyptic genre.

My origin of ideas was developed around the use of letters being sent delivered by an underground operation, the members were known as Couriers. The two main characters, Clover and Boe, had to deal with finding this organization, helping them, and in return were set up by Lisa and her corrupt organization. This idea was slowly whittled down until it became fitting for a short film. This was done by mood boards, many script drafts, and asking family and friends what their thoughts were.

During this time, I was keen to find areas to film, even before my story ideas were set in stone. The main area which I thought was fitting for Courier was in Norton, a large area used mainly by dog walkers, the area had trees, fields, and abandoned walkways, which fit Couriers ‘post-apocalyptic’ genre.

 

Character breakdowns have been made of each character, ready for actors to read and figure out who they would like to audition for. My treatment and proposal have also been completed, the pitch went well with tutors, agreeing that the visuals of Courier will be the most important thing, hopefully I can impress them.

Audience

Courier is a film that has all the attributes that I try to look for in films and TV shows that I myself watch. I feel that Couriers audience would be teens 14-18 who are interested in post-apocalyptic genres. Examples of shows that relate to Courier would be The Walking Dead which relates to the costume, setting, and atmosphere, with one major unrelated thing being zombies, and the lack of them in Courier. Courier would be classed as a Drama piece, since the plot becomes very full of mystery, violence, tragedy, ect.

I will need to carry out surveys on what people enjoy in films such as this, ect.

Auditions

A lot more than expected showed for auditions, since some of the first year acting didn't sign up for any roles, they were took into the green room to audition. Samantha and I held our auditions in the same room, since many who were interested in auditioning for Samantha's 'Father of Lies' were also interested in Courier. After around half an hour, auditions were complete. The character Lisa was already given to Emily Wynne, having worked with her previously I thought she would fit the part very well.

Clover was given to Chloe Malcolm, having the most enthusiasm about the film altogether, and showing the most ambition. Boe was originally going to be for Sam Brown, but since he was taking part in around three other student films, I decided to give him a break, and give someone else a chance to be a main part of the film. Boe was given to John Tyrer, who originally didn't audition for anything, so Kelly had him audition for both Father of Lies and Courier. His voice and personality suited the character, and he was given a chance.

Preperation

Today I have made a calendar of things I hope to achieve over the three months of this task. The calendar isnt set in stone, but this week I have chose to work on the script. Today I will also be visiting the first year actors to explain my idea, and see if any are interested in auditioning.

My timetable is complete for my first week of filming. I visited the makeup team before deciding which days to do, and they said they were available on the mornings, which was perfect for my schedule. I decided I wanted to get makeup done at college early, and then head down to Norton with everyone - cast and crew - by bus.

Although it went through some changes, this was the final result of our timetable. Next week's timetable would be decided on Friday when we figure out how many scenes we have to complete. Emily had work and rehearsals on the week I first wanted to shoot on, we had to cancel until the next week.

John had to be recast. In the week before filming, most of the communication from me to cast and crew was done by Facebook, messages sent about schedules/plans/ect were being read by John but not replied to, or sometimes not read for a day or so. We later found out by other actors that he didn't have access to Facebook at home, nor had a phone, which he didn't point out during audition.

John's character Boe was given to Reece Durham, someone in audition who showed interest but slight unpreparedness. I met up with him in college to explain the situation, and that filming was only two days away. He understood and was happy to receive the part. The next morning I received a message from John explaining that he wanted the part badly and that he was sorry. I explained that the part was already given away, and that the best I could offer him was a dead character in one scene; Marco. He agreed to be a part of Courier.

First Filming Day

Thursday 30th was our first film day. Actors arrived at college on time, and went down to the makeup room. This was the first time we could see them in their costumes, which were all excellent. The makeup took a little longer than expected, lasting around an hour and a half. The scars and cuts applied with makeup were very large, and it wasn't what we intentionally asked for (very minor scars). These gashes contained quite a lot of blood, actors also suffered from the prosthetic's slowly falling from their faces.

We arrived by bus to Norton - crew and cast met up at my house for a short script read-through, and until the rain stopped. Once it did, we head out to our set. We completed two scenes; 9 and 4. Scene 9 was the longest scene, and therefor took up the most time. We suffered from wind, and also clouds blocking sunshine, making some shots appear different from the others. Scene 4 went much smoother, instead of being in an open field, we were sheltered in pine trees. Cast and crew were more comfortable. Once the scene was complete, we traveled together back to my house, left filming equipment there ready for tomorrow morning, and each of them set off home by bus.

Second Filming Day

The second day (Friday) was the final day of Lisa (Emily's) time filming with us. Our makeup was done at the same time at 9:30, and took slightly less time than yesterday because of the familiarity with makeup used. This was also Johns filming day, he turned up on time and enthusiastic. No makeup was applied to his character. I helped pay for the bus fair for some actors. We completed all of Emily's scenes, including Scene 1, 3 and 10.

After those scenes, we took a couple stills of Lisa posing in grass. Emily left around 1, we then completed John's scene (7) and once he left, scene 6 with Reece and Chloe.

Third Filming Day

One major problem with planning on the the third day was Makeup. On our first week the makeup team said they would be available next Thursday and Friday. Sadly they were busy for personal reasons, and no one else from the first year of makeup was interested in helping. Kelly spoke to Nina about it, they then both asked the group, and one of our original makeup team said she would be available for around an hour in the morning, which is all we needed.

Makeup finished quickly, since Emily was not needed on the third day. We arrived in Norton by taxi which I payed for. We then walked to our location and began immediately with all the other scenes. The weather was great, no rain, it wasn't too bright as to over-light shots. We finished around 3 and head back home. Sam and I want to meet back up at college next week to decide what questions to ask cast and crew about the film, which will be something to add to our DVD menus.

We had to redo scene 6, as I had a new idea for the set layout, and since scene 6 and 8 take place in the same area, we had to do both. They turned out well, and I was happy with the mise-en-scene.

We also filmed a short clip of Clover and Boe walking on a eerie looking path, I would like this to be the background of my DVD menu.

Editing

As expected, my only visable problem with editing will be the changes in light. I am enjoying editing, and being able to turn down the saturation of shots and increase the contrast to create aesthetically pleasing scenes. All the stills we took have been added to Courier's facebook page, and the makeup team were also given pictures for their portfolios.

Apart from the lighting, I believe that I have all the shots I need to edit each scene together.

I am capturing the footage of our third day of filming, around 4 and a half scenes have been completed, I will need to search for a couple atmos tracks, birds chirping, leaves and trees, ect.

I have also created a blooper reel which has had positive reviews by the people who watched. The reel lasts around 9 minutes, which could probably be cut down a little. I also have the problem with swearing, although since Courier is a 15, I think I will leave the swear words in. My choices would be either take them out completely, censor the swears, or leave them. Emily said that she would like to receive a blooper reel where she does not swear, this wont be a problem.

DVD Authoring

Today will be focused around DVD authoring. I will complete paper/outline designs, such as what I want my menu, label and sleeve to look like. On our third day, I took a shot of Clover and Boe walking down an eerie path, this will be the animated background for my DVD menu. Dark, somber music will be playing in the background, with the addition of trees rustling and wind atmosphere.

I forgot to bring my hard drive today, so I will not be able to work on producing a copyright statement which would appear when audience first watch Courier on a disk. Nor would I be able to make an animated logo, but I will watch tutorials on how to do it.

I have completed a sketch of both DVD menu and Disk, which will be able to be put to work once I find out a few tricks on After Effects from Sam. I also took a look at some tutorials online, which helped too.

Last week of Editing

Thursday 21st is our Films deadline. Things such as DVD authoring will be handed in next month. If I am not needed to film for our Working to a Brief, I may be able to finish my edit today (there's around 3/4 left) after that, Credits will need to be made, as well as a non-animated DVD menu, since I probably wont have time to work on an animated one before the film deadline.

Monday was spent on scene 3 and 5. I had to cut parts out of scene 3 to make the edit smoother, but it works anyway.

 

Production Management

Samantha was my Assistant Director, Script Supervisor, and Boom Operator. She was a great help, working on her project 'Father of Lies' I felt that I worked very well with her. I and her share inspirations and ideas, we both have artistic goals for our films.

She kept track of our time managment and made sure the script was completed to each and every word. Sam was also a great confidence boost, kept the morale up with our team, and turned up every day on time. She had many ideas for my folder, adding research ideas, such as pinterest,  IMDB, ect.

 

Samantha was an important member of my team and Courier has benefit much with her help.

Courier could of been improved during Pre-Production. My time management was a weakness, and I did not think I worked quick enough. Problems with cast and crew members also stuggling with time was also a setback - Actors busy with lessons, makeup crew not being given enough time to prepare, ect.

 

Habit - Evaluation

As Director, it was my job to overall job to manage the film. I oversaw both Camera Man and Boom Operator in their jobs. I was also script supervisor, having wrote the script myself I thought it was the best thing to do. In pre-production, I handled making a Facebook page and communicating with our makeup team and actors to ensure everyone was up to date with plan. Since we had a mixup with our first actor, it was imperrative everyone was aware of changes. We had to decline any more help from our makeup team because of the short deadline and changed actors. I also researched all infomation about our project to add to the script, and made sure everything was truthful. During production I was the one to find the locations and choose where to shoot. I communicated with cameraman in deciding which places to put the camera.

The voice actors were excellent, it was incredibly fun to make with them, and it meant that we got to know some of the first year actors a little bit more.


Video Completion

Our video came out fantastic, I and the team were happy with our end result. Even though our actors were switched, we still managed to keep track of things and come out with a nice end result. Though continuity was shown in the editing - probably from our un-leniar filming, we pulled together to create an excellent edit. The music both Ryan and Richard found from free royalty music websites worked incredibly well with our film.


The video itself was very unique, as the point we wanted to get across was the damage smoking can do to the mind, especially with youth. Our voice overs added an eeirie effect to our film. Combined with saturation dimming and darkening shots, the film managed to portray a creepy vibe which I hope adds more impact to our films' morale.

On the editing side, technical expertise of the film is good, though slightly experimental. A few places have shots a little longer than they should be, and the voiceovers clips only produced sound in the left side, meaning altering caused them to because more quiet, but we worked with what we had.

I feel like altough I myself am not a smoker, I felt like the researched I found out while adding to the script had an impact on me, I didnt know much about the harms of smoking but I knew a lot of my friends found that they took up smoking because of stress. For instance, the substance that causes calm in nicotene is called Dopamine; which effects wear off in a short amount of time, causing the smoker to go back to their stressful habit. I feel like this film will take an impact on those who have the same ideals as my friends. The horror style helps out, making sure the film is remembered.

As for the Cut Films criteria, I think that we managed to make sure that the film ticked their boxes. Research about the subject is clearly heard from the voiceovers in the film. Storyboards and shotlists are a clear indication of our well-organised planning.

Feedback

The first thing we did was to make sure a completed version on the film was online. We added the film to youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QNBl-kPQ18

After that, a survey on SurveyMonkey was created: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6Q9FM82

The survey recieved 12 responces.

All 12 were male, aged 13-20+. 11 of the participants were non-smokers, 7/12 knew the basics of how smoking can effect a person mentally. 11/12 thought that the videos morale was shown clearly and effectively.

In Conclusion

I am incredibly happy with our results. Since we had a few mishaps along the way, I thought the film would've turned out hastily made, but I am greatful each member of the team - both crew and cast - pulled together to create an impacting anti-smoking video.

Unit 31: Social Action and Community Media

 

Task One

Introduction - Social Action

In general, Social Action is a creative tool which helps to increase public knowledge and awareness on a certain subject, hopefully causing the public to take action toward these problems. Usually non-profit, Social Action uses media like videos on Youtube, or adverts on TV to promote their cause, in hopes to persuade audience. Common subjects for social action are smoking, drug addiction, polotics, racism, and much more. Social Media makes their videos seem like the extremities of the topic, for instance, someone facing their death as a result of drinking too much; not all alcoholics die because of their habit, though showing the worst case scenario sparks more interest in the audience. As part of the assignment, I am directing an Anti-Smoking video, aimed at teenagers who are dealing with stress and/or anxiety.

Impact

Impact on Social Action pieces is debatable, varying on opinions of the public. For instance, Greenpeace activists were arrested in Russa, after protesting against Arctic drilling. After this incident, masses of social action films hit to YouTube, calling for the release of the protesters. After the long and difficult process, it had been announced in 2013 that these protesters would be released. It is assumed that the social action media that occured during this incident played a part in their release. [1]

Examples

One major social action subject is smoking and the many drawbacks, with one example being throat cancer. The TV ad below "Tips From Former Smokers" is a campaign which features three people who now have stomas as a result of smoking. They provide tips on how to live with this condition.

This clip provides how much impact can be made in 30 seconds. It is a hard hitting reality, a glipse into lives which have been destroyed by cigarettes.

Another Social Action movement is the WWF. Their work has evolved from saving speces and landscapres to addressing the larger global threats and forces that impact them. The WWF use petitions that the public can engage in, signing petetions to stop things.

Introduction - Community Media

Community media, however, is used inside a community, which aims at a smaller problem within a community, and to hopefully bring a local change, working within the community by making public events, ect. Radio Shows specifically for their community are an example of this. A few of non-profit radio stations have been set up with the intention of providing to their local community. Radio stations like this often participate in the production of shows, to discuss their opinions relating to the area.

Butterwick Hospice works mainly in the North of England, with three hospices which offer 'better quiality of life through pain and symptom control, soothing and beneficial therapies, helpful family support and ongoing bereavement counselling.' One such hospice is in Stockton.

"It is Butterwick Hospice's mission to care for as many people as possible of all ages who are living with a progressive life limiting illness. All of our services are provided free of charge to those diagnosed and to their loved ones. Butterwick Hospice Care is a Registered Charity No: 1044816 which relies on donations to help fund its many services."

Butterwick offers many events which the public can join. They are dependant on the communities donations. [2] Butterwick is slowly become a larger cause. Their reach to the public is huge, due to the amount of events they offer.

 

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Arctic_Sunrise
[2] http://www.butterwick.org.uk/ourhospices/butterwickhospicestockton/

Task 2

Team Name: Plan C
Production Title: Habit
Team: Ryan, Richard, and Jamie

Director: Jamie

Camera: Richard

Sound: Ryan



After discussing eachothers primary ideas, we decided to go with Habit, the story was stable and locations had already been found.

Habit focuses on the affects smoking has on the mind. We follow Maisy, a college student who has taken up smoking to due stress. Narrators will explain what effects this has on stress and anxiety, and how it does not help in the long term.

Both Richard and Ryan started by gathering primary research, and heading outside of college to ask smokers a couple questions:

• Why start smoking?
• Cause of smoking?
• How long have you smoked for?
• Ever tried to stop?

Since not many smokers were around, they decided to make a survey with the questions in, which was spread around Facebook. Almost all answers were stress related.

I started to develop my script into its third and hopefully final draft, which is now shortened and will easily fit into 2 minutes. The team was happy with the changes.

I began to work on storyboards, while Ryan and Richard printed off some secondary research about stress and smoking. When the Storyboards were complete, Richard made a shot list using them as a template. I moved on to making adverts for the Actress needed, as well as the Voice Actors.

Second Week

We have gained a makeup team, though they cannot show up to one day of filming due to work. They are currently trying to find others to take their place. I have also spoke to the first years about joining up, I have five actors who would like to join in Voice acting. Also an actress from second year who i knew from school, she is eager to work.

A facebook group has been made for Habit, which will be full of pictures of locations and actors, as well as the process that we make.

We made a timetable which we feel confident in carrying out. Thursday will be for the classroom scene. Ryan is off that day, so Richard and me will be filming. We will be filming in the morning.

Friday is voiceover day. All the actors are confident that they can turn up at the right time (10:00am) and are familiar with the script.

Monday will hopefully be used for the filming of outdoor scenes in Norton, if the weather doesnt stop us. Chloe has been told and is in agreement with the times.

Tuesday is the filming day for internal shots (Bedroom) which will be in my house. This day can also be a pickup for Monday, if we haven't shot all the externals yet. These filming days will be short, as the scenes are, too.

Ryan is currently booking a room for Thursday so we can use it for filming. I have yet to find out which makeup artists will be helping us on Thursday, but I am confident we will find out by the end of today.

First Film Day

Our actress turned up and we managed to get our classroom scene complete. It took much longer than expected due to the team messing around. Chloe did well and is eager to work on the next shoots. Friday was more difficult, as we wanted to make voice overs in the Green Room at 10 but the only person who has the key was in college at 11. I met up with the actors and went through their lines until we were all comfortable. It was good to know that they we're considerate of our time problems, and that all of them were still interested and friendly.

The voice overs had to be recorded onto a camera, as Ryan couldn't figure out how to fix the voice over equipment. Once they were finished, they were placed onto my hard drive. It seems that they were also only recorded on the left side of the earphone, which was not said at the time by the sound operator. This can be fixed while editing, but it will be another setback to our film.

We will begin filming the bedroom and outdoor scene all in one day - Tuesday. These scenes are short, and if the crew doesn't mess around, we should be able to get all scenes complete within three hours.

Filming complete

Changes were made to Habit. Because of Chloe's unpredictable nature, she once again has not shown up for a days filming because of a hospital appointment. Because of this, and the short deadline we have, I asked Leo, a member of the first year acting team, to fill in for her. We completed the classroom scene again, then headed to Norton and completed both the External shots and Internal shots in the bedroom all in one day. Makeup was not needed, though for the final product I will still be giving a copy of our production to the makeup girls who participated.

 

 

Editing went well, I took charge in piecing it together, Ryan gave me a rough first draft of the edit, and I managed to produce the final product. We got feedback and everything was fine.

Today is the last handin date. I am busy with Task 1, and I will need to head home to pick up our research folder. After that, we will put Habit up onto youtube, and give a copy to the film crew, Leo, and the makeup team. Possibly the voice actors too.

Developing Technologies in the Television and Film Industries

Unit 4

This blog will explore the development of the technology in media; how it has changed over time, and also investigate the effect these technologies had on both the audience and the producers who made them.

Development in media technology has majorly evolved since its beginning and it is dictating the society we live in. It is evident that media technology has the ability to influence both society and culture. Print media - such as books, and magazines - began in the 19th century. This was the beginning to modern media. It was from there that print media and their contents can be mass produced, not only accessible to entire groups of readers, but to millions of people.

Some major advances made in the industry have involved satellite, cable, analogue, digital, film based technologies, interacive, the internet, HD television, content streaming, and on-demand viewing. Such technologies have changed the ways in which audiences view media content, and also how produces select media content within the industry.

Satellite Television

One development in the television industry has been the Satellite Television: a system of supplying television programming by using broadcast signals, which are relayed from communication satellites. these signals are recieved by an antenna referred to as a satellite dish. They provide a wide range of channels and services, especially to geographic areas without terrestrial television or cable.

Satellite offers many solutions to broadcast and cable problems. Though satellite television technology is still evolving, it has already become a popular choice for many television viewers.

Satellite has influenced the ways producers select media content, making it easier for them to be able to upload their programmed without satellite signal difficulties or interference, making it easier for viewers to view content. It provides more produces more audience rating around the world, due to its good signal. One negative side effect would be natural interference; if the weather is bad, connection can be lost, and signal may not be as strong as usual, meaning the audience will not be able to watch their programmes.

Cable Television

As well as this, Cable Television was another advancement in television development. It was another way for audience to recieve signal on television through a cable. Cable television runs underground to individual homes and provides them with signal to watch television. Cabel television provides a range of television channels which producers can now upload with their programmes without any delay.

One advantage of Cable is that it provides a range of programmes and channels for many different types of audience. A disadvantage may be cable not having a reputation of good quality pictures, and for not being as reliable.

Analogue to Digital

Before the digital switchover in 2012, the most common way of viewing television was analogue. Since Analogue (Signals sent on a wave analogous to the source signal) does not function anymore, Digital (A transmission of audio and video by digitally processed and multiplexed signal) is now its successor - with many advances, making it an important technological development.

Having an Analogue television meant having to purchase a new one, which would have been already digitized, or they bought a set-top-box.

Digital offers better quality picture and sound, as well as more channels, digital has many other advantages over its analogue predecessor. As well as the basic advances, Digital viewers could pause, rewind, and fast forward their programmes which have been downloaded - viewers would rarely miss a program. Producers benefit from the digital crossover because of the great benefits digital had to offer its customers.

Interactive Television

Interactive Television (ITV or iTV) is a 'two way' cable system which enables viewers to issue commands and give feedback information through a device called a setup box. Viewers are able to select programmes which they would like to watch, at what time, and can also place orders in response to commercials. Newer setup boxers offer access to email, granted they have internet access.

Viewers become more involved, and in control of what they are watching.



Film Based

The film industry has also been impacted by technological advances. This film based technology includes CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) which is the application of computer graphics which create or contribute to the visuals. The benefits of this in film meant that CGI software allowed individual artists and smaller companies to make professional-grade film.


This technology is a great way for producers to earn a major profit in 3D. It is also a way for adiences to enjoy their film watching experience. Many films have even been remade using CGI works. For instance, the film Titanic (1997) was released in 2012 in 3D - attracting audiences who had seen the first film.







Bibliography

• King Kong: Picture: https://neofilm.wordpress.com/2011/03/11/king-kong-2005/
• CGI Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-generated_imagery
• Analogue picture: http://www.circlestudios.co.uk/blog/analogue-v-digital-where-did-it-all-begin-part-1-many
• Set top box: https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1CHMO_enGB574GB574&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=set%20top%20box
• Interactive Media: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/interactive-television-ITV.html
• Digital v Analogue: http://www.independent.co.uk/money/broadband/what-is-digital-tv-8205780.html
•  Digital Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_television
• Analogue: http://www.ehow.com/about_5382804_analog-tv.html
• Read more : http://www.ehow.com/about_5382804_analog-tv.html
•  Cabel: http://www.outofstepper.com/watching-television-without-cable/
• Satellite wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_television
• Satellite Picture: http://www.ebay.co.uk/gds/How-to-Buy-a-Viewing-Card-to-Improve-Satellite-TV-on-eBay-/10000000177317836/g.html
• Media Psychology Research: http://mprcenter.org/
• Development in media Blog: http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/2836.html

Understanding the Film and TV industry

Making it in the Film Industry

Scriptwriting

The job I have chosen to reach is Scriptwriting, I will research how to obtain this specific job role.

The skills of your creative work you develop while working for your qualification are greatly benificial. The higher quality of the creative work you generate, the higher your job chances are. A qualification from a respected university is seen as a good indication of ability, making a development exec, producer or agent more inclined to consider your submission.

The basics of scriptwriting can be learned through self study, and books from the library. A screenwriting course is also something which can help with developing weaknesses in your work and critical thinking. Most writers also benifit in trusted readers which are capable in giving constructive feedback.

Sending Scripts

Begin to send your scripts out, Though don't expect to hear anything back the first couple times. For example, BBC writersroom is one place which welcomes scripts and gives feedback on promising work.

Managing rejection is a big part of this process, though perseverance pays off.

Extra Jobs

Getting your foot into the film industry by taking a backroom job isnt necessary, but make sure you have a good script at the ready. Almost all starting writers needs a second job to pay the bills. Runners, film producers assistants are all steps into the media.

• It is greatly benificial to spend atleast one day on a film set.
• Be mobile, and don't wait for opportunities to come to you.
• Try to get work experience as much as you can afford.
• Don't be afraid of messing things up, use it as research.
• Get a little close to actors and directors to see how they work with the script.
• Travel around, it can free you to write from your own experience.
• Try to write every day, or atleast know that there are competitors in the writing business who do.
• Read some screenplays.

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/