Monday, 31 March 2014

Meeting with Director

This project requires me, as the producer, to work very closely with the director to ensure that the piece we produce is of high quality. To make sure that we are well organised before shooting, we have regular meetings so that we can stay on top of all of our work and get ahead of the planning.

In todays meeting we discussed many different aspects of the planning for the film including; a schedule for meeting between the director and myself, costume ideas for the actors, a props list and a budget. Although we originally thought that we would not have a budget due to the fact that we cannot pay actors, we realised that to get actresses on board we would have to pay for their transport and food etc.
We also started to get in contact with possible actors for our film and also contacted the owners of some possible locations.

Below are the notes we made in our meeting for each of the following:

MEETING SCHEDULE
During this meeting we also came up with a schedule/agenda for our meetings that we were planning to have throughout this week.
WEDNESDAY 2ND APRIL
9am - 12pm - Meet at university,
                    - Call Asda and Tesco for possible locations,
                    - Scan in meeting notes and print out files needed for the meeting with actress tonight.
6.30pm - 8.30pm - Meet at train station and travel to Chesterfield,
                           - Meet with Jess to take us to her drama group,
                           - Watch drama group for any potential actresses,
                           - Speak with actress that Jess had suggested and also fill out any neccessary forms.

FRIDAY 4TH APRIL
12pm - Meet at university,
          - Props shopping,
          - Additional casting,
          - Search for more possible locations.

WEDNESDAY 9TH APRIL
2pm - Meet at university to discuss each members progress so far/bring up any problems they are having.


COSTUME IDEAS
The director and I went through what costumes we want each of the characters to wear in each scene. Below are scanned images of the notes we made.




PROPS LIST
We also made a list of any props we may need for the production of our film. Each of the items with a star next to them are items that we already own and therefore do not need to buy.



BUDGET
We thought it was important to set a budget so that each member knows how much they need to contribute to make it equal.

TRANSPORT (ACTORS ONLY) - max £40
CATERING (2 x SANDWICH PLATTER, CRISPS, DRINKS) - £15
PROPS - £65

Friday, 28 March 2014

Script Read-through and Possible Actor for Libby

SCRIPT READ-THROUGH
In this week's seminar we had actors come in and read through each of the groups' scripts. This was very helpful as it really helped to hear the script read aloud by actual actors. It highlighted any flaws that we had in our script and led to us making changes to the script before finishing the final draft.

POSSIBLE ACTORS
LIBBY
Talking to the actors was very helpful as well as one of the girls that joined us in the seminar had a very young-looking face, which we think we could use in our film as a back-up in case we can't find a thirteen year-old actress to play the character of Libby. We would only cast her as a last resort as we would then have to make Libby around 15/16, whereas we wanted her to be a bit younger.

However, one of the other actresses mentioned that she teaches a drama group in Chesterfield which consists of young actresses around 13/14. This is very useful as we would like the role of Libby to be played by a girl around this age and also we a re shooting in Chesterfield, therefore if we did cast one of the girls in this drama group in our film, then this would reduce the time and cost of travelling to the set for her and her guardian.

After the actors had gone through each group's script, we then had a chance to talk to each of them about possible casting. This was when the director, Tyler, then added the two female actors on Facebook so that we could stay in contact with them.

After the session Jess, the actress who taught the drama group, got in contact with Tyler and said that she had an actress that she thinks will be perfect for the role of Libby. Below is a screenshot of the message she sent;


After this conversation Tyler, the director, and I have decided to go to the class that Jess teaches to meet the actress that she has in mind and discuss the possibility of casting her. This will also give us a chance to look at the other actresses in this class, to see if we can find anyone more suitable for the role.

Wednesday, 26 March 2014

SCRIPT - First Draft

Below is a copy of the first draft of the script that was written by the director, Tyler Mason Mellins. Once he had written this first draft, we then went through it as a group and highlighted any problems that we had with it or things that we wanted to change. As the producer, I also made notes next to any highlighted sections to explain why they were highlighted and wrote any key points that needed to be changed.









Tuesday, 25 March 2014

Location Scouting

In our meeting we decided what type of locations we wanted for each of our sets. We decided we wanted to use a kitchen as the setting for the opening location where Libby and her mum are first introduced and also where Libby makes the potion/tea. We wanted the kitchen to reflect the fact that the family are wealthy, therefore we would need to find a quite expensive looking kitchen to use as a suitable location.

The second location we wanted to use was a large bedroom that we could dress to look like the grandma's bedroom. We would require a large room so that we have enough space for all of the equipment and so that all of the crew can move freely around the room without ruining the shot.

However, after discussing the idea, we have decided to change this location to being the grandma's room to Libby's room when she was younger. This requires us to then dress the set with a 'princess' theme using fairy lights and pink bedding etc.

The final location we will use will be a local supermarket. This will be used for the final scene when Libby is shopping with Helen and she asks for the biscuits. I think this will be the hardest location to find and film as we would need to find somewhere where the owner is happy with us using their shop to shoot.


For the kitchen and bedroom set, we had two locations in mind, the first one being my own house as I live in a student house with large bedrooms. Below are photos that I have taken of the rooms we could use:



After showing these images to the group, we all decided that this location is not exactly what we wanted, however we could make it work if we really needed it. Therefore we will keep this location as a back-up in case we can't find anything more suitable.

When we discussed the locations for shooting in our meeting, Tyler had the idea of using his Dad's house for the kitchen and bedroom locations as he has a very large, expensive looking kitchen and a number of bedrooms with a lot of space. This was ideal as it fitted exactly to what we wanted. Below are images of the location:



We've decided that we want to use this location for the bedroom and kitchen scenes as we believe that it is the most suitable location for what we want each of the scenes to look like.

Monday, 24 March 2014

Pre-Production Schedule


Above is the pre-production schedule I created so that each member of the group knows which tasks need to be completed and by when. This makes the group a lot more organised, which should help make the pre-production process move a lot more smoothly.

Sunday, 23 March 2014

Contact Sheet

As my role of producer I have created a contact list as it is very important that we stay in contact with each other, as communication is essential to a successful production. I will make sure that each member of the group has a copy of this list so that they can also contact each other if necessary.


As well as this contact sheet, we are also all communicating with each other via Facebook as this allows each member to get a notification every time anyone posts on it.

Using Facebook to communicate also allows the group to express their views and ideas with the rest of the group all at the same time, rather than sending an individual message to each member. We also frequently use the Facebook messaging service to arrange meetings so they take place at a time when everyone is available.

Also, having a group message on Facebook allows us to make decisions a lot more quickly and easily as not only does it allow us to discuss the project, we can also send files to each other, such as this contact sheet for example, so that everyone in the group can have a copy of the files that they need for their roles.

Below is a screenshot of one of the conversations that have taken place via the Facebook group about one of the locations:



Friday, 21 March 2014

Character Profile - Helen

CHARACTER NAME: Helen
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AGE: 37
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APPEARANCE: Short dark hair, tall and slim, wears pastel colours and often wears a cooking apron around the house. Very suburban looking.
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RELATION TO OTHER CHARACTERSMother to Libby, Daughter of Dorothy
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  1. WHAT IS THIS CHARACTER’S GREATEST FLAW?    She struggles to express her feelings - even positive ones - which has driven a wedge between her and her daughter. 
  2. WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS CHARACTER THAT HE WOULD NEVER ADMIT?    She still loves her husband - he cheated on her several times before their divorce.
  3. WHAT IS THIS CHARACTER’S GREATEST ASSET?    Deep down she is kind and caring, and loves Libby with all her heart.
  4. WHAT MUSIC DOES THIS CHARACTER SING TO WHEN NO ONE ELSE IS AROUND?    Robbie Williams.
  5. IN WHAT OR WHOM DOES THIS CHARACTER HAVE THE GREATEST FAITH?    Herself - "if you want something done properly, do it yourself"
  6. DOES THIS CHARACTER HAVE A FAVOURITE ARTICLE OF CLOTHING?    Her handbag.
  7. DOES THIS CHARACTER HAVE A VICE?    She lives an expensive lifestyle.
  8. NAME THIS CHARACTER’S FAVOURITE PERSON (LIVING OR DEAD).    Her father.
  9. WHAT IS THIS CHARACTER’S SECRET WISH?    She wished she had become a dancer.
  10. WHAT IS THIS CHARACTER’S PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENT?    Graduating university with a 1st class degree.
  11. DESCRIBE THIS CHARACTER’S MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT?    When she kissed her best friends boyfriend in university.
  12. WHAT IS THIS CHARACTER’S DEEPEST REGRET?    Forgiving her husband for his unfaithfulness too many times.
  13. WHAT IS THIS CHARACTER’S GREATEST FEAR?    That she will never find love again and that she will never re-establish a bond with Libby.
  14. DOES THIS CHARACTER HAVE AN OBSESSION?    Buying expensive things.
  15. WHOM DOES THIS CHARACTER MOST WISH TO PLEASE?    Libby - both characters want each others approval, not realising they already have it.
  16. DESCRIBE THIS CHARACTER’S MOTHER.    *See Dorothy’s character profile*
  17. DESCRIBE THIS CHARACTER’S FATHER.    Very attentive towards Helen as she was very much a daddy’s girl as a child.
  18. DESCRIBE THIS CHARACTER’S BEDROOM.    Lots of expensive items, large wardrobe, photos of Libby and her parents.
  19. LIST THE CHOICES THAT LED THIS CHARACTER TO HIS CURRENT PREDICAMENT.    Divorced her husband and got a large sum of money from the settlement.
  20. LIST THE CIRCUMSTANCES OVER WHICH THIS CHARACTER HAS NO CONTROL.    The death of her mother.
  21. WHO DEPENDS ON THIS CHARACTER?    Libby.
  22. HOW WOULD A DEAR FRIEND OR RELATIVE DESCRIBE THIS CHARACTER?    Tasteful, cares for her daughter, can be firm at times but very loving.

Character Profile - Dot

CHARACTER NAME: Dorothy (Dot)
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AGE: 67
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APPEARANCE: Short grey/white hair, wrinkles, short, slippers, floral dress, walking cane
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RELATION TO OTHER CHARACTERS: Mother to Helen, Grandma of Libby
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  1. WHAT IS THIS CHARACTER’S GREATEST FLAW?    Her forgetfulness.
  2. WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS CHARACTER THAT HE WOULD NEVER ADMIT?    She wanted to marry a different man to her husband, however she learnt to love him and they built a life together.
  3. WHAT IS THIS CHARACTER’S GREATEST ASSET?    She always knows what to say to make people feel better about a situation.
  4. WHAT MUSIC DOES THIS CHARACTER SING TO WHEN NO ONE ELSE IS AROUND?    Aretha Franklin.
  5. IN WHAT OR WHOM DOES THIS CHARACTER HAVE THE GREATEST FAITH?    She believes her granddaughter is destined for great things in the future.
  6. DOES THIS CHARACTER HAVE A FAVOURITE ARTICLE OF CLOTHING?    Her slippers.
  7. DOES THIS CHARACTER HAVE A VICE?    Her favourite biscuits.
  8. NAME THIS CHARACTER’S FAVOURITE PERSON (LIVING OR DEAD).    Her husband became one of her favourite people but died several years ago. Also Helen & Libby.
  9. WHAT IS THIS CHARACTER’S SECRET WISH?    To marry the man she loved when she was 16.
  10. WHAT IS THIS CHARACTER’S PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENT?    Her family.
  11. DESCRIBE THIS CHARACTER’S MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT?    When she fell off her bike in front of her husband and her dress came up, exposing her underwear.
  12. WHAT IS THIS CHARACTER’S DEEPEST REGRET?    Not having more children.
  13. WHAT IS THIS CHARACTER’S GREATEST FEAR?    Her children/grandchildren will live an unhappy life.
  14. DOES THIS CHARACTER HAVE AN OBSESSION?    Her favourite biscuits.
  15. WHOM DOES THIS CHARACTER MOST WISH TO PLEASE?    Nobody; Dot is very set in her ways.
  16. DESCRIBE THIS CHARACTER’S MOTHER.    Passed away when she was 38, very sweet.
  17. DESCRIBE THIS CHARACTER’S FATHER.    Passed away when she was 29, strict but proud.
  18. DESCRIBE THIS CHARACTER’S BEDROOM.    Very plain, floral bedding, old unfashionable curtains, wooden chair in the corner.
  19. LIST THE CHOICES THAT LED THIS CHARACTER TO HIS CURRENT PREDICAMENT.    Died of a heart attack.
  20. LIST THE CIRCUMSTANCES OVER WHICH THIS CHARACTER HAS NO CONTROL.    Character’s death.
  21. WHO DEPENDS ON THIS CHARACTER?    Libby depends on her grandmother even in death.
  22. HOW WOULD A DEAR FRIEND OR RELATIVE DESCRIBE THIS CHARACTER?    Sweet, kind lady who has gained a lot of wisdom over the years.

Character Profile - Libby

CHARACTER NAME: Elizabeth (Libby)
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AGE: 13
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APPEARANCE: Mid-length hair, mousy brown with soft curls, average height, clothes that are quite floaty/baggy/quirky, gold necklace.
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RELATION TO OTHER CHARACTERS: Daughter of Helen, Grandaughter of Dorothy
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  1. WHAT IS THIS CHARACTER’S GREATEST FLAW?    Her odd personality.
  2. WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS CHARACTER THAT HE WOULD NEVER ADMIT?    She wishes she was popular at school.
  3. WHAT IS THIS CHARACTER’S GREATEST ASSET?    Her intelligence.
  4. WHAT MUSIC DOES THIS CHARACTER SING TO WHEN NO ONE ELSE IS AROUND?    One Direction.
  5. IN WHAT OR WHOM DOES THIS CHARACTER HAVE THE GREATEST FAITH?    Her grandma.
  6. DOES THIS CHARACTER HAVE A FAVOURITE ARTICLE OF CLOTHING?    Necklace passed down from her grandma.
  7. DOES THIS CHARACTER HAVE A VICE?    She often sees herself as being a victim, which is not always true.
  8. NAME THIS CHARACTER’S FAVOURITE PERSON (LIVING OR DEAD).    Grandma Dot.
  9. WHAT IS THIS CHARACTER’S SECRET WISH?    That her grandma was still alive.
  10. WHAT IS THIS CHARACTER’S PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENT?    Getting top marks in her exams.
  11. DESCRIBE THIS CHARACTER’S MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT?    When some school kids called her a geek.
  12. WHAT IS THIS CHARACTER’S DEEPEST REGRET?    Not spending more time with her grandma.
  13. WHAT IS THIS CHARACTER’S GREATEST FEAR?    Never making any friends at school.
  14. DOES THIS CHARACTER HAVE AN OBSESSION?    Trying to contact her dead grandma.
  15. WHOM DOES THIS CHARACTER MOST WISH TO PLEASE?    Her mother, as she wants her to be proud of her in the same way her grandma was.
  16. DESCRIBE THIS CHARACTER’S MOTHER.    *See Helen’s character profile* Libby has been distant from her mother since her grandma died 4 months ago.
  17. DESCRIBE THIS CHARACTER’S FATHER.    Libby’s father is not around due to her parent’s divorce.
  18. DESCRIBE THIS CHARACTER’S BEDROOM.    Plain coloured walls with lots of posters of bands and popular films.
  19. LIST THE CIRCUMSTANCES OVER WHICH THIS CHARACTER HAS NO CONTROL.    Grandma died.
  20. WHO DEPENDS ON THIS CHARACTER?    No one.
  21. HOW WOULD A DEAR FRIEND OR RELATIVE DESCRIBE THIS CHARACTER?    Very quiet and slightly weird in the way she spends her spare time focused on trying to contact the dead.

Creating Character Profiles

To make sure that we plan our film effectively, as producer, myself and the director created profiles for each character. Each profile will include the character's name, age, appearance and relation to the other characters in the film.

We will also be asking and answering a series of questions about the characters. This is so that we can get a good idea of each of the character's personalities, which will help when it comes to writing the script as each of the characters has a different effect on the narrative of the story.

Using character profiles will also be very helpful when finding our actors, as it will give us an idea of what we want them to look like and how we want each of them to behave so that they can portray the characters to the best of their ability.

Thursday, 20 March 2014

Research For My Role - Responsibilities of a Producer

This is my first time producing a film of any sort. Therefore I thought it would be a good idea for me to research what the role of producer entails, so that I can fulfill the role to the best of my ability.

THE ROLE
The producer is responsible for making sure that a high quality movie is made on-time and within the budget set for the production. As we do not have a budget for this film, I do not need to worry about this aspect of my role, however I will still ensure that the film is high-quality and fits to the brief set by our tutors.

The producer is an important part of the crew throughout the whole production process, most of the time the producer will be the first member of the crew to be chosen as they are involved in every part of the film.

PRE-PRODUCTION
I have found a lot of duties that the producer is responsible for in the pre-production process, however as this is a non-profit student film without a budget, some of these are not relevant to my role. However, the duties I will have include;
  • Cast the actors (the director will also be involved in this),
  • Find locations for shooting,
  • Develop a schedule for pre-production and a shooting schedule,
  • Plan for production,
  • Get permission for locations and consent from actors.

PRODUCTION
  • Give the director suggestions whilst on set,
  • Handle any issues that come up with either the cast/crew/locations/props etc.,
  • Make sure that everyone sticks to the schedule to ensure a smooth day of shooting,
  • Review the footage at the end of each day.

POST-PRODUCTION
  • Create a schedule for post-production,
  • Go through the order and selection of scenes (with the director),
  • Review the fine cut after the film has been edited.

SKILLS
The key skills required for a producer are;
  • Good communication skills,
  • Needs to be able to work well under pressure,
  • Ensure compliance with regulations and codes of practice,
  • Good organisational skills,
  • Responsible for preparing health and safety for cast and crew.

After conducting some research, I am confident that I will be able to fulfill this role, therefore this will hopefully result in a better production.

Pitch Feedback

After presenting our idea to our tutors and peers, the feedback was mainly positive as the group seemed to like our idea and thought that if we made a few minor changes then the film could be made even better.

These changes included:

          POTION - Swapping the sigil on the ground for her just mixing a potion in the kitchen, then when she pours the potion into a mug, it turns                         into a cup of tea, which she then dunks the biscuit in and eats it. This then makes the biscuits seem more relevant to the story.

          BISCUITS - Another idea was to have Libby cook the biscuits using her Grandma's "famous cookies" recipe, as oppose to just buying some                            branded biscuits.

          DIALOGUE - Instead of using dialogue to explain the storyline, we will arrange the scene to set up the story without having to have the                               characters physically tell the audience what is happening. Examples of this will include Libby looking at 'seances' and ways to                               contact the dead on her computer, to show that she is not over her Grandmother's death, also her appearance and the way                                   she behaves will show her personality, rather than her mother using dialogue to show that she is slightly weird and unpopular.

          LIBBY'S AGE - Originally we pictured Libby as around sixteen years-old, however after having a meeting with our tutor, we have decided that                       the character's story would fit better with the plot of the film is she was around thirteen. This is because she will be old enough to                       be a 'stroppy teenager' who is distant from her parents, but also young enough to still believe in magic.

Monday, 17 March 2014

Treatment for 'Biscuits' Idea

This week we had a meeting with the whole group for us to discuss what ideas we had for this project. We decided to use an idea that our director, Tyler, had come up with called 'Biscuits'. 

This idea fits all the criteria for a drama but also has elements of fantasy in it. Once we decided on this idea, Tyler wrote up a treatment so that we could present it to our tutors and peers. Below is the treatment that the director wrote.


BISCUITS by Tyler Mason Mellins

Libby is unhappy. She is bullied at school, has an overprotective mother and is mourning her recently deceased grandmother. After being sent shopping by her mum, Libby returns home with the goods. Her mother pesters her about school - "Did you make any friends yet?", "Are they still mean to you?" etc - as she begins to unpack the shopping her daughter collected. She soon realises that all of the items are wrong and scolds Libby, who insists she bought the right items and that she has not seen these ones before. Her mother is cross at Libby and says she must have picked up somebody else's bags by mistake. Libby tries to defend herself but her mother storms out of the house to do the shopping herself.

Libby takes a look at the shopping for herself to investigate. In one of the bags, she finds a letter addressed to her. Inside are some instructions for a spell that can be made using all of the items in the bags. Called the 'Elixir of Journeying", the note claims that drinking it would allow her to visit anyone, anywhere at anytime. Desperate to see her grandmother and already having the ingredients, Libby decides to try her luck.

The spell involves drawing a sigil on the ground using salt and placing candles at its points. She then mixes several of the ingredients in various bottles and flasks as instructed on the note. Finally, she combines the liquid into one bottle which is placed in the centre of the sigil and adds a crumbled up biscuit, her grandma's favourite. Instantly, the candles go out. Libby then drinks the gross-looking green liquid and quickly falls unconscious.

She is awoken by her grandmother and finds herself tucked in bed. Her grandma has brought her a cup of tea and wishes her a good morning, telling Libby that she thinks the two of them need to have a chat. Libby tells her grandmother about her troubles in school and at home, as well as how much she misses her. Her grandmother gives her advice about making friends and ignoring the bullies and tells her that her mother is only strict because she loves her. She says that Libby needn't miss her because she is always with her in her heart. Libby yawns and her grandma suggests that she should go back to sleep to get some rest. Libby asks if that will return her to the 'real world' and her grandma says that it will, but not to worry as she can visit her any time she likes, jokingly adding that she is only allowed back if she brings more biscuits. Libby laughs and lays back down, telling her grandma that she loves her. Her grandma says that she loves her too, and Libby falls asleep.

Sometime later, though it is not specified how long, we see Libby and her mother doing the shopping together. Libby is happy and she and her mum laugh and joke with each other as they shop for groceries. Libby also mentions that she will be sleeping at her friends house the following night and so her mum will not need to cook for her. Libby picks up a packet of biscuits and begs her mother to buy them. Her mother laughs and allows her to put them in the trolley, commenting that Libby is addicted to the biscuits as she always asks for them. She remarks that they were her grandma's favourite, and Libby says "I know" and smiles. The pair walk off deeper into the store together and the film ends. 

Friday, 14 March 2014

Analysis of Short Dramas

In this weeks seminar we watched a number of short dramas. We also learnt about the narrative structure used in a drama and how it was made up of four different componenets; the INCITING INCIDENT, any OBSTACLES they might come across along the way, the climatic moment or CLIMAX and then the DENOUEMENT when everything returns to normal.

Below I will analyse a few of the films we watched in the seminar and I will identify how each of these four components are represented in the film.


Sign Language - Oscar Sharp - 2010 - 5 mins

INCITING INCIDENT - The character's last day on the job, holding a sign on Oxford Street, before he starts his new job the next day.

OBSTACLES - All of his co-workers don't seem bothered that it is his last day and they don't really seem to pay much attention to him.

CLIMAX - At the end of his last day at work, all of his colleagues then surprise him by saying that they'll miss him via the signs they are holding. They also tell him to ask out the girl he fancies.

DENOUEMENT - He gets the girl and starts his new job as a pilot.

OTHER COMMENTS
This film was very different to other dramas that I have seen as this piece was filmed in a documentary style by using a lot of handheld shots. The sound was also interesting in this film as there was a lot of diagetic sound and also Sharp included a voiceover, to add to the documentary-esque style.


Pudding Bowl - Vanessa Caswill - 2009 - 7 mins

INCITING INCIDENT - Boy is grounded and his friends are banging on the window to try to get him to come outside. The boy then puts glue on his sister's hair so she gets in trouble with their mum.

OBSTACLES - The mum cuts all of her daughter's hair off by using a pudding bowl as a guideline.

CLIMAX - The young girl then dresses up and steals her brother's bike, causing him and his friends to chase her down the street.

DENOUEMENT - She rides off down the road as she visualizes herself as a tall woman with long hair biking down the road and having men chasing her, suggests that they are lusting after her.

OTHER COMMENTS
The sound in this film is very interesting as specific diagetic sounds, like the scissors cutting the paper, were very distinct. Also when the girl is imaging herself as a woman on the bike, the image seems slightly dreamlike because of the way it was edited and how it plays in slow motion.


About a Girl - Brian Percival - 2001 - 6 mins

INCITING INCIDENT - In this film there isn't really an inciting incident as most of the film she is talking about her life, however it can be seen that the inciting incident is her talking about how she wants to live with her dad but he won't let her.

OBSTACLES - There aren't many obstacles present in this film as until the end, the film is very slow and seems as if it doesn't have a point.

CLIMAX - Climatic moment in this film is when we realise what has been in the bag she is carrying as it is revealed via her dumping the contents into the river. The contents of the bag is revealed to be her dead baby, which she had hidden the pregnancy for, given birth to it and killed it, then dumps the baby in the river to get rid of the evidence.

DENOUEMENT - The film returns to normality as after she has dumped the bag into the river, she walks off and gets an ice cream.

OTHER COMMENTS
In a similar way to 'Sign Language' this film is filmed mainly with a handheld camera, which follows the girl as she is talking straight to the lens. This is also different to other films in this genre as nothing really dramatic happens in this film until the last 30 seconds.


Rite - Michael Pearce - 2010 - 16 mins

INCITING INCIDENT - Son's birthday so he picks him up from his mum's house, obviously divorced parents.

OBSTACLES - Dad is very distant from his son, he doesn't know anything about him and they have absolutely nothing in common.

CLIMAX - The father gets violent with a security guard at the doors to the football game he wanted to take his son to.

DENOUEMENT - Father finds out that his son is gay and invites the two of them to do something together that his son wants to do.

OTHER COMMENTS
This film is interesting as it sets up the ending as if the dad was going to react violently to finding out about his son's sexuality, but surprisingly he was very calm and didn't react the way that the audience expected.

Drama Project

We have now started a new project for our Creative Media Practice Project module, which involves us getting into groups of six members and creating a 5 minute short drama piece.

In my group, the members are as follows:

DIRECTOR - TYLER MASON
PRODUCER - LAUREN GRIGGS
CINEMATOGRAPHER - ABI LUNNEY
EDITOR - RYAN WROE
SOUND RECORDIST - JAKE THOMPSON
SOUND EDITOR - RABIA KHAN

We are planning on having a meeting on Monday to discuss our ideas for this project.

Thursday, 6 March 2014

Tuesday, 4 March 2014

Filming Extra Cutaways

Today we went out to film more cutaways as, after viewing the first draft, we felt that we needed some more positive shots to feature at the end of our documentary. To do this we decided to go to a local park as we had looked at the weather previously and seen that it was going to be a sunny day.

The shots we filmed to use for the cutaways are:
          - Flowers
          - Clouds/blue sky
          - Fountains
          - Sun shining through the leaves
          - Monument
          - Birds


Below is the Camera Shot Log for the footage we filmed.


Camera Operator
File No.
Shot Description
Shot Type
To Be Used (Y/N)
Lauren
6425
Fountain
Close up
N
Lauren
6426
“     “
“     “
Y
Lauren
6427
“     “
Wide
N
Lauren
6428
Clouds
Wide
Y
Lauren
6430
Flowers
Pan across group of flowers
N
Lauren
6431
Monument
Pan up from path to monument
N
Lauren
6432
“     “
Pan up from monument to sky
N
Lauren
6433
Clouds and trees
Wide
N
Lauren
6434
Purple flowers
Close up
Y
Lauren
6435
“     “
Medium shot
N
Lauren
6437
Group of flowers
Medium shot
Y
Lauren
6438
“     “
Wide
N
Lauren
6440
Flowers at base of tree
Wide
N
Lauren
6441
“     “ (with tripod)
Wide – pan up
Y
Lauren
6442
“     “
Close up
N
Lauren
6443
Sun shining through leaves
Medium – pan up
N
Lauren
6444
“     “
Medium
N
Lauren
6445
“     “
“     “
N
Lauren
6446
“     “
Close up
N
Lauren
6447
“     “ (light on the right side of frame)
Close up
N
Lauren
6448
Sun shining through leaves and leaf moving infront
Close up
Y
Lauren
6449
“     “
“     “
N
Lauren
6450
“     “
“     “
N
Lauren
6451
“     “
Close up – pan across
N
Lauren
6452
Airplane trail, trees and bird flying across frame
Wide, medium
Y
Lauren
6453
Clouds and birds on house
Medium, close up – pan up
N
Lauren
6454
Clouds
Close up
N