Post 11- Advanced Production Skills Workshop 1

When I think of lighting the first thing that comes to mind is, lighting is used to illuminate characters on screen. However In class lesson we spent time looking in detail at lighting and how it can be used throughout a film to create different styles, effects and illusions. Our teacher introduced us the Film Noir translated to ‘Black Film’, this was a 1946 film produced by Nino Frank who was a French Film Critic. The film was described as reflecting trends of American Crime and Detective films through the period of depression after World War Two. An example of this is Double Indemnity produced in 1944. The term Film Noir soon became know as a style that can be used to create mood, tone and to show point of view, all of which is done and created through lighting. There where many characteristics that was associated with Film Noir, which was Dark, Downbeat and ‘black’, looks and themes were evident.  There are many different definitions and opinion of Film Noir however, the links below are supporting the definitions I have mentions above.  

http://www.filmsite.org/filmnoir.html

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

As Film Noir become increasingly popular within film making it was important to develop an understanding of the conventions that where associated with this style. The first is themes; all films would be displaying the insecurities of the time period, as well as counter balances the optimism of Hollywood’s musicals and comedies. The second was story, generally they were cynical, hard hitting, disillusion male character who encounters a beautiful promiscuous, amoral, double dealing and seductive “female fatale.” The women would then manipulate him into being the ‘fall-guy’, which often follows a murder.  Below is a video of clips taken from Double Indemnity an example of Film Noir and how it is clearly showing the typical story line of a film of this style.

After watching the shot clip of an example of Film Noir we then looked more closely at the type of lighting that has been used and the different positions of the lights. Lighting is used as a way of highlighting and creating shadows that can be used to manipulate the space of a scene. There are two different types of shadows as these as,

• Attached shadows. These occur when lighting fails to illuminate parts of the object due to its shape and size
• Cast shadows. This is when objects block the light source and ‘cast’ a shadow.

Through the cleaver use of lighting you can show the protagonist who will have the bright source of light on them, which draws the attention of the eye for the audience. This leaves the less important characters by which darker light and will often fade into the back ground.

From this picture here we can see an example of a cast shadow. The Blinds are blocking the light source from the outside sunlight and is creating a cast shaddow onto the standing up man. The shadow is easily seen on the mans tie and trousers to the audience where there is  the pattern of the blind.

This is an example for an Attached Shadow. Looking at the left hand person, the right side of his cheack has failed to be illumined by the light due to  his hate size and shape, this in turn has created an attached shadow.

After looking at the different types of shadows we then moved onto looking at how light can have an effect on shape and texture of different objects. We were shown a short video of a lemon being filmed and how the use of manipulating the light source has a dramatic effect on what you are filming.

After watching the film it was really interesting to see how just manipulating the light source can change the texture and shape of the lemon. It was also interesting to see how long you could watch the video before you actually new what the object was. In class we were then asked to create our own lemon video using our own object. As a group we chose to use a dried sweet corn as it had a large range of different textures and colours. By changing the settings on the camera we managed to focus the camera on the sweet corn and it was much easier to see how the movement of light position changed the shape and texture from the audience point of view.  

Post 9-Individual Script Feedback

Below is the first draft of my script with additional notes. I added these notes when looking over my feedback and trying to find faults and ways to improve my script. The feedback that was given was from Becky Knapp, class peers and our teaching. We was given a lesson from Becky Knapp a few lessons before on the best way to produce and script and how to make it of good quality, now we had created our script she came back to school to read through them and tell us ways we could.

Feedback

After giving my script to the class it was interesting to see the feedback to it. It was said by many people that I needed to come up with names for my characters, as the way I had named them such as ‘character one, Character 2’ was very confused when it came to reading. Another problem that I found was the ideas that I had in my head didn’t come across in the same way. Personally I could mentally imagine what each character would look like and the environment it would be set in. however this wasn’t coming across in my script as it lacked detail and description of each character, this meant that when it came to redrafts I would have to work on explaining each character in the simplest terms. From other feedback I noticed that the language and sayings I had used didn’t reflect the personality of the character in the greatest way. Feedback from Becky Knapp and our teacher showed me that I had the correct layout for my script with a correct font however I had missed out some vital points such as scene number, page numbers and a front page, these where silly mistakes that I had made.

The feedback that I had received from Becky Knapp was that there wasn’t enough story to my script, to overcome this problem I decided that the best way would be to take out a few characters and develop other characters more in dept so the audience will be able to relate to the characters better. She also mentions that I could add in some gossiping between a few characters, as this is realistic in an office environment. She also decided that I created a punch line to the end of my script that would make a point to my short film. However lots of people said they liked the idea of my script but just found it a bit confusing.

Ideas for second draft

After thinking about the feedback I had received I decided to create a few questions that I should answer to help develop my script. These questions where

• Where is the office?
• Who is watching them?
•  Why are they being watched
• Are the stakes high enough?

To answer these questions I did some addition research into job that I think would be associated with the importance of being watched 24/7. The ideas that I came up with could be a police office, a secrete spy office or a normal every day office that is being watched by a spy office secretly. For the question who is watched them, I come up with maybe the Boss of the company is watching them to see how much time they are wasting not working and will find a way of punishing them in some way, or as I mentions above another company or office that is watching them however they aren’t aware they are being watched. For why are they watching them, I thought that maybe to see how much time they are wasting which I mentions above or a secrete company are looking for new people to recruit so they are watching them instantly. And finally it could be the boss watching them listening out of gossip and to see if anyone knows about the affair. Finally for are the stakes high enough the audience will know they will be fired.

2nd draft of script

How I did change my script

I decided in the end to have the location and environment set in a police office, I finally decided on this idea, as you would get a wide range of people going in and out through out the day from the officers to cleaners to receptionists. This now meant I could add the location in to my script. This answers one of the questions I had though about before, to answer the other questions I decided that it would be the Boss listening in to the gossip that goes around the office and makes a record of it to use in his advantage as a way of blackmail when he is in need for something. When I was looking through my feedback I thought of another problem that hadn’t been mentioned, this was the location of the camera. The shot sizes and position of the camera would be the same throughout the film, which from an audience’s point of view would become very boring. This lead me to thinking about different ways in which I would change the positioning of the camera, first I came up with the idea that the kettle could move around the kitchen throughout the day. However I didn’t like this idea very much as I felt it would still be very limiting, this lead me to my final idea. I would film all of the short film in many different angles like you would see in any normal film but, the very last shot would come from the point of view of the kettle where a secret camera had been hidden by the boss. This would then lead onto another scene where the audience would see the boss watching at his computer all of the footage.

With the new changes to the script and the environment now chosen, I decided that some of the character could be changed. For example I wanted to change the Little Miss helpful to the cleaner lady who comes in every day to help organise and tidy up the space. After looking through the characters I felt that the others could the same however just add in the types of jobs they had for example Mr Messy could be the ‘newbe’ of the office.

 




Post 8- Decisions and Revisions

After looking in class at the many different areas where as can receive ideas on script writing, we where then asked to start coming up with our own ideas for our short film. Looking over our class notes on identifying sources, which can serve as the basis for a dramatic/ documentary project, lead me to start having two main ideas for my script. My first idea I had taken from a news story I had seen and had caught my eye. The Dominate Hegemonic message would be following a young boy that was being bullied at school from others in his year, through cyber bullying as well as face-to-face.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/news/2010/10/101005_cyber_bullying_nh_sl.shtml This story of cyber bullying it is much more server and powerful than the story line I wanted to create, so this lead me to adapting the idea of cyber bullying but in a school environment with younger students. My second idea was to use a place as the main storyline for my script rather than following a character in human form. The Dominate Hegemonic message of this short film would have been following the different relationships between people.

After looking at both ideas we then had to think about answering questions on the characters World, Character, Problem, Want, Need and an obligation. I had decided to go with my second idea and focus on looking at a place, from here I thought that a train carriage would be a really interesting place to follow during one day as it has such a diverse range of people throughout the day. Once I had answered all this questions about my script we then told our ideas to the class to hear they feedback on what we had created. The picture below show the 8 Point Guide that i had written for my short film when it was based around a train. However the feedback I received was that it would be a very hard location to film and some people might not like the idea of being filmed without knowing. My idea was also very different to the others and was more documentary based rather than fiction. After listening to the feedback it lead me to rethink my idea and make some changes, I still wanted to be based around a place and look at the relationships between different people. After talking it over with peers and our teacher I decided to move away from the documentary side and more towards the fiction stories, my short film would now be filmed coming from the perspective of a kettle in an office environment and follow different characters throughout the day by observation.

In class we was next asked to answer 8 questions about our short film ideas and come up with three different questions under each topic. The 8 different topics where Characters, Noises, Nature, Numbers, ……….. add in video link 

Now that I had answered all the questions and had a good idea and understanding of what I would like my short film to be about, I now needed to think of the different range of characters you would expect to see in an office as well at the different personality types. I decided to base my ideas of characters from the stories of the Mr Men books, knowing younger children and it being a TV programme was of great use when it came to research. Through my independent research I also found a website that showed me all of the characters they had created which was very helpful.http://www.mrmen.com/uk/. After looking into the different characters I concluded that I would use Little Miss Helpful, Little Miss Naughty, Little Miss Chatterbox Mr Scatterbrain, Mr happy, Mr Lazy, Mr Grump and Little Miss Scary. I would use these characters as a bases to create different personality types

Once I had created the different personality types and characters I now needed to think about what role they would play in my short film, thinking out what kind of actions you would expect to see from them around the kitchen/ kettle area. This lead me to creating a time line of what I would like to see throughout the 6 minuets as well as when the different characters would enter and exit the scene.

Character Porfiles

Before I could start writing my script I needed to use my independent research and create character profiles. I decided to have 8 different characters, which is shown in time line above. I now had to think about how the different Mr men that i had chosen to use would be reflected in human form and their actions on camera that would reinforce their personality.

After creating the timeline and character profiles I then we onto writing my script, I used all my independent research as well as scripts given to us in class by Becky Knapp to help me produce my script. This was long and time-consuming task as it took at lot of thought and planning. It was very helpful to use the example scripts to use as a template. I found the most time consuming element was trying to think of actions and speech the characters would be doing and saying to reflect their personalities. Another problem I had relating to this was trying to make it last for 6 minuets, However I found that my time line I had created became a great help as I had a plan to follow and try to pad out.

Plot Outline

All the camera work will be coming from the angle of the kettle to make it look like that is the point of view to the audience. The first scene in my short film will start the light being turn on and the entrance of Little Miss Caring; she brings in fresh milk and new biscuit for all the workers. We see she organising the kitchen and begin to make a round of teas. We then see the arrival of Little Miss Naughty who is always looks so trendy and young, she has come into make coffee for the boss as take job for the boss very seriously and see only herself wise enough to take on these jobs. While waiting for the kettle to boil Little Miss caring leaves while Little Miss Naughty reapplies her make up in the reflection of the kettle and then leaves. As soon as she leaves we see the appearance of Little Miss Scatterbrain, she is mumbling to herself and is rushing around forgetting why she even came in. we next see the reappearance of Little Miss Helpful who starts again in making her round of teas and is soon joined by Mrs Happy. Mrs Happy is the hippy of the office and her life revolves around her health such as eating organic foods and herbal teas, this is a big passion of hers and likes to share her views with others.

Later in the day around lunch time we see the entrance of Mr Messy he is the funny comedian in the office and has a lack of disregard for other peoples belongings which is shown when we see him eating someone else sand wedges from the fridge, and move onto boiling the kettle. Next we have the entranced of Mr Lazy, he is known as the laidback one of the group and doesn’t take his job to seriously. He comes in to look for his sand wedges but quickly realises that Mr happy has eaten them. This leads Mr Lazy to taking someone else lunch for himself. We then start to see Mr Happy true colours when he start to make a Hot chocolate entertaining others around him with his over enthusiastic approach to making a drink and as many different toppings he can add. The happy upbeat mood is soon dropped with the entrance of Little Miss Scary who is actually the male boss. This leads to the exit of Mr Lazy and Mr Happy, leaving Mr Scary alone in the kitchen. After a few moments of him being alone we see the re-entrances of Little Miss Naughty and soon realise they are having a secrete affaire behind the other workers backs. They share a quick kiss and complements and then quickly hurry back to work.

Now towards the end of the day we see Little Miss Scatterbrain enter the kitchen area still stressed and rushing around but comes in a makes a strong coffee. She sits down and relaxes with a drink and biscuits. The final character to enter is Mr Grumpy he has worked at the office for many years now and doesn’t enjoy his job at all. He enters the room moaning and soon turns his moaning to Little Miss Scatterbrain. Little Miss Scatterbrain. Quickly realised and starts to panic that she dropped her biscuit into her drink and quickly needs to find a spoon. All the commotion and flapping around drives Mr Grumpy out of the room and leaves. Once Little Miss Scatterbrain has clamed herself down she to them leaves the room. The final scene will be the re-appearance of Little Miss Helpful who comes in to tidy up the area and turns of the light.

Post 10- Job Roles Research

Direction

There are many different departments under the title direction however; the most common role is director who is responsible for the creative vision and overall style of a feature film. The director has a number of supporters such as assistant director who job it is to make sure the directors artistic ambitions are achieved by providing logistical, organisational and time-management support. Most people start their careers working as a runners or junior assisting jobs, and from here they gradually process through the various directing departments roles.

•  Film director. They are the crucial link between the production, technical and creative teams. It’s their job too creatively translate the films written script into actual images and sounds on screen. The main duties include casting, script editing, shot composition, shot selection and editing. Although it’s not the director’s job to concentrate on the budget, the director must be aware of the budget and schedule. It’s down to the director to be responsible for a films artistic and commercial success or failure. 
•  First assistant director. This is the director’s right hand person; they are responsible for taking a number of important tasks so the director is free to concentrate on the creative process. During the pre-production tasks they work with the director to break down the script into a shot-by-shot storyboard, work on the shooting order and how long the film will take. When the film in is production they are in charge of making sure that every aspect if the shoot keeps to is schedule. They also have the important task of co-ordinating all production activities and supervising the cast and crew.
• The second assistant director is the first assistant director’s right hand person; it’s their job to make sure the second assistant’s orders and directions are carried out. They have two main jobs during production, which is preparing the call sheet, which documents a detailed daily filming logistics between cast and crew. They also have to over look the movements of the cast ensuring the principal actors are in make-up, wardrobe or standing by on the set at the correct times. In smaller film production there is no third assistant director and it would be down to the second assistant director to manage his or her jobs. The second assistant is also responsible for finding extras in large number shots, co-ordinating their transport and activities on and of location.
• Runners. This is the entry-level position within the film production. This is a basic on the job training, they can be asked to do anything that is required on the set or location to help the progress of the shoot. Their jobs and responsibilities vary greatly but usually involve conveying messages, organising props, looking after cast and crew, driving, delivering technical equipment and attending to directors needs.

Camera

The most important thing about camera work is creating beautiful and impressive images that will look good on screen. With the use of images it can tell us more about a character, location, dialogue and music. A lot of work goes into preparation as well as hard work in moving and operating the cameras. This department work closely together to create invisible camera moves. The department works closely together wit the Production Designer to help realise the Directors visions for the film.

•  Directors of Photography. They are head of the department on the film production and are requested by the Director, which they will work very closely with throughout production. The role of the Director of Photography is to provide a film with its unique visual identity, or look. Most Directors will work on commercials and promos as well as on feature films. They are responsible for being highly creative throughout production. They will work closely with the camera crew, lighting, production designer, costume designer and hair and make up to make sure the image on screen will be the best quality. 
•  Script Supervisors. They have the responsibility to monitor whether it is possible for each shot scene to be edited into a verbally and visually coherent sequence. During pre-production they check the script for any errors, prepare estimated running times, break down the script according to production requirements. They work closely with Directors to anticipate and solve any potential problems.
• Camera operators. They work closely wit the Director of Photography deciding where to position the camera, and what equipment they will need to use. The main responsibility of the Operators is to ensure that the camera and associated equipment are prepared for the required set-ups and must always be alert for last minute changes. They will also work closely with performers, guiding them on what can and cannot be seen by the camera.
• Camera Assistant 1. This is a very skilled job and is responsible for refocusing the camera lens as actors move within the frame of each shot. They must have a lot of experience and work using their instincts of judging focal lengths. It’s their responsibility to look after and prepare equipment such as lenses, filters and the assembling the camera as accessories for different shots.
• Camera Assistant 2. Its their responsibility to position and move the camera, loading and unloading film magazines, changing and charging camera batteries, changing lenses, operating the clapper board, filling out and filing all camera sheets. They will also work closely with Camera Assistant 1 and Camera Trainees

Lighting The lighting department has a missive role in all films whether it is working with natural or artificial light. There are many members in a light team that all work closely with the Camera crew trying to create the best images that are captured on screen. They set up a wide range of lighting equipment to achieve a variety of moods, atmospheres and effects in addition to helping to make the actors, performers and participants look right in their roles.

• Gaffers. They are in charge of all electrical work on production, leading a team of technicians who install the lighting equipment and arrange equipment to create the best effects. Gaffers work closely with the Director of Photography to visualise in a practical way the 'look' they are trying to achieve. One of the Gaffers' key responsibilities is Health and Safety. They conduct risk assessments and certify the electrical safety of the production. They must keep control of the lighting budget, and oversee the work.
• Best boy. This term is refered to as the best electrician in the team lead by the Gaffer. Best Boys co-ordinate the team of Lighting Technicians, and deal with all the logistics and paperwork relating to the role. Best Boys ensure that equipment is ordered, arrange its delivery, and ensure that it arrives in the right place at the right time. They are also in charge of dealing with any damaged or malfunctioning equipment. Best Boys have specific responsibility for liasing with other members of the production team, e.g., the First Assistant Director, the Special Effects Director or the Art Director. 
•  Lighting Technicians. They provide the relevant lighting and power supply for a film, either on a studio set, or on location. Lighting Technicians' responsibilities vary according to the size of the production, and the number of lighting technicians in the team. They are required to keep the equipment clean, and maintained in good working order. Some Lighting Technicians are responsible in setting up the lighting equipment before a shoot star and carrying out lighting tests

Production sound The job of the production sound department is to record all sounds on set or on location; this is done through Production Sound Mixers, Boom Operators, and Sound Assistants. They have to ensuring that the dialogue recorded during film shoots is good quality for editing.

• Production Sound Mixers. They are responsible for ensuring that dialogue recorded during filming is suitably clear Although much of the storytelling and the emotional impact of a script are conveyed through dialogue, most film sets are challenging environments for Mixers because there are often unwanted noises to deal with, or the required camera shots hamper the placing of microphones. Before production begins the Production Sound Mixers meet with the Producer and Director to discuss their creative intentions, (is the sound naturalistic or stylised, etc.), technical requirements and budgetary issues They also meet with the Costume Department and Visual Effects Supervisors to discuss the placement of microphones on or around the actors, and visit all locations to check for potential sound problems.
• Sound Assistants. Their main job is to provide general back up and support to the Production Sound Mixer and the Boom Operator. They are responsible for checking all stock, microphones and batteries and making sure that the sound department runs as smoothly as possible
•  Boom Operators. They are responsible for placing the microphone in the best position, without impeding camera operation, or hampering actors’ freedom to perform. Boom Operators assist the Production Sound Mixer and operate the boom microphone, which is either hand-held on a long arm or dolly mounted (on a moving platform. They are responsible for positioning microphones so that Sound Mixers can capture the best quality dialogue and sound effects. If this is done well, a great deal of money can be saved by not having to re-record (post-sync) the dialogue at a later stage.

Art department The Art Department is responsible for creating the visual world or setting for a film. The look of sets or locations transports audiences into the world of the story, and is an essential element in making films convincing and evocative. A great deal of work and imagination goes into constructing appropriate backdrops to any story. The Art Department usually employs the largest number of people on any film crew. Months before the beginning of each film shoot, the Production Designer works with the Director to decide upon the visual identity of the film, and draws up sketches which provide the inspiration for the subsequent work of the entire department. Since the work of the Art Department usually accounts for the biggest spend on films, the Production Designer also works closely

• Production Designers. They are the heads of department on film crews, and are responsible for the entire Art Department. They play a crucial role in helping Directors to achieve the film's visual requirements. Directors of Photography and Production Designers are largely responsible for informing and realising the Director's vision. Production Designers begin work at the very early stages of pre-production and are requested by the Director and/or Producer. After preparing a careful breakdown of the script, they meet with the Director to discuss how best to shoot the film, e.g. to decide: whether to use sets and /or locations; what should be built and what should be adapted. Production Designers must calculate the budgets, and decide how the money and effort will be spent. These discussions are followed by an intense period of research during which Production Designers and their Specialist Researchers source ideas from books, photographs, paintings, the internet, etc. Production Designers deliver their design sketches (detailing mood, atmosphere, lighting, composition, colour and texture) to Art Directors who oversee the production of technical drawings and models, which are used by the Construction Department to build the sets and to adapt locations
• Art Directors. They are responsible for the Art Department budget and schedule of work, and help the Production Designer to maximise the money allocated to the department. Art Directors are usually requested by the Production Designer, and are responsible for the Assistant Art Director. They have an important job to analyse the script to identify all props or special items that may require longer lead times. As the shooting date approaches, Art Directors liase closely with the Location Manager to negotiate when locations can be prepared and dressed. During filming, Art Directors continue to oversee the construction, dressing and striking (dismantling) of the remaining sets.
• Storyboard Artists. Their job is to translate screenplays, or sequences from screenplays, into a series of illustrations in comic book form. They are used to help Directors clarify exactly what they want to achieve, and to illustrate to all other Heads of Department exactly what is required, e.g., prosthetics for Make-up, Computer Generated Images and Effects, props for the Art Department. Storyboards are mainly required on films containing large amounts of action for example a complex chase scene where it needs to be carefully visualised and planned. It is used as a sensible way of avoiding overshooting and going over budget.

How we will use these roles when producing our own short filmsI think that we will use of these departments when producing our short film I don’t think we will have the same skills level or experience as some of the roles in the departments but we can assign the roles to members of our group. For example

• Direction. Within our group we will have one director whose script we will be producing. They will be the head of the team and will be in charge of all of the departments making sure tasks are being completed correctly and the overall product will be to the standard they expected. As a group we can break down the script into a story board and work on the shooting order and this is a to bigger task for one person to complete on their own. There could be a second director within the group to make sure when we are producing everything is running smoothly and we are staying on track. Within this department they would be responsible for casting actors that would portray the character realistically.
• Camera. Within our group we can’t focus on all of the different roles within this department however, I do think it’s important that we have a Camera Operator. There main job would be deciding where to position the cameras and what equipment we will need when we are doing different shots and scenes. I also think that we could have a Director of Photography who can work with the Camera operator to try and make the film look unique and visual.
• Lighting. Within our group I think the only role in this department that we will need is a Gaffer, they can be in charge of the lighting we decide to use and whether we can use natural light of will need artificial lighting. They can work together with the Director of Photography in a way that will make the actor and location look a good quality when it’s on screen.
• Production Sound. I think that we will need two roles for this department these are the Production Sound Mixer who make sure the dialogue recorded is clear and suitable for filming. They have to also make sure that in the location we film there is no unwanted background noise that will take away from the dialogue. We also need to think about the Boom Operators who’s job it will to make sure there will be microphones on our actors so we will be able to capture the dialogue and any other sound effects clearly and of the best quality.
• Art Department. I think the most important role from this department is the Production Designer, they will have to think about the best location to film is, as well as we will need and props for different scenes. We could also have an Art Director who would be responsible for overlooking the construction, dressing and marinating sets.

As we will be having small groups of 3 to 4 this means that we wont have enough people to take all of these roles. This means that each person will have the responsibility for one department, they will have to complete all the jobs and roles within that department. However as this is a large role to take on we can use other members from our group for their opinions and share ideas to make sure it will be completed to the best quality.