Unit 58: DVD menu design & authoring

DVD menus are designed to give the viewer a better experience, the viewer has the option to customise their viewing experience to there desire, this often includes subtitles in a variety of languages and options for the hard of hearing. DVD menus also contains sections for special features which can vary from basic to detailed often including behind the scenes footage and interviews with cast and crew, these allow viewers to get a more indepth look into their favourite films.

When writing to a disc it is important to remember that there are a variety of differnt discs

DVD+RW- These discs are re-writable and have a capacity of 4.7 gb, these are usefull as information can be added and removed from the disc allowing for multiple uses, this is the main advantage over the DVD+R disc.

DVD-RW- These disc are rewritable and have a capacity of 4.7 gb, this has the same advantages as the +RW but with a higher writing speed. This disc with a dual layer was approved by the DVD forum but the manufacturing didnt materialize due to cost.

DVD+R- These discs can only be written on once which is useful for a film as the film is permantly on the disc and cannot be removed, this also however means that if an error occurs while burning the disc then the disc is ruined. These discs, just like the DVD+RW, have a capacity of 4.7 gb

DVD-R- These discs are very similar to the +R in terms of capacity and writability, but where it surpasses the +R is with the production of a dual layer version, this version has a capacity of 8.5 gb making it a far superior choice.

Dual Layer

Dual Layer is an upgraded disc that can hold up to 8.5 gb of data which is almost double the normal disc, this is because the disc has 2 layers which contain different pieces of information, a problem with this is that if a film is on both layers when the film switches to the second layer a visual blip can be seen for a brief period of time.

Writing Speed

The writing speed is the speed at which information is written to a disc, for example x1 will write 11mb of data to a disc per second, most of todays discs burn at x16. Some drivers offer a higher speed of writing, these transfer data much faster but can cause the information to become damaged over time. 

Menus

This is the main way the viewer will navigate through the DVD features, these often contain screenshots from the film or things related to the film. These dvd menus can open in a variety of ways, some start with trailers and adverts related to the film   

Unit 5- Working to a brief evaluation

Upon review of our final product I can say that although we were met with a variety of problems the product does go together well and does what we set out to achieve, there are however a few improvements that need applying before the product is handed over to our client. these impvoements arent serious but are easily done. One problem I can see that will have to be fixed is a spelling mistake, the word licensing is spelt 'licencing' this can easily be fixed but if it wasn't the product would appear rushed. Although there are a few problems with the final product I am happy with the final product, it does what we aimed to do, which is inform people whilst having some entertaining elements.
The reconstructions went very well and are personally the most effective parts of the film,. The sound is good for the majority of the film aswell as the visuals, I cant say there is anything that needs changing dramatically, but if we were to do it again I would take more time to collect props and costume, aswell as getting a better more equipped cast, I would have also spent time refining and cleaning up the edit, but after some minor adjustments it will be suitable to hand over to the client.
I also like the interviews with the performing arts students and further education teachers as they explained the details of child employment and legislation, referring to their own experinces when possible. I do however feel that the interview with our client, Alice Garderner, lasted for too long and could have been removed as this film will be shown before Alice gives a talk in which she will cover what she says in the interview.
The biggest problem we had is planning and organisation, we struggled to keep in contact with all the actors and so on some days people didnt know what was happening and would either not turn up or turn up early and be waiting around for a while, if I were to do this again this again I would ensure everything was planned and organised so that everyone knows what the schedule is. Although this production was met with a variety of issues I feel that when this film is shown in schools it will successfully assit Alice's talks. 

Unit 5: Working to a brief production blog

As part of our working to a brief assignment we had to keep a up to date production blog, showing my contribution to the production and any important information/problems we encounter

25th Feb 2014

Today we had our first production meeting, our production supervisor assigned us all individual pre-production tasks, I was given the task of finding research about and relating to the factory act of 1833, this research was to be put into the production folder the following week, I collected a couple pages of research and put them into the production file.

26th Feb 2014

We had our second production meeting, Leah Sharp took the agenda and we decided that Ryan Bartle would be our team leader. Ryan then assigned us all new pre-production roles, I was told to find pictures and archive footage of the factories. We also received an e-mail from our client Alice this informed us that she would like to arrange a meeting to discuss progress and to share any ideas we have.

27th Feb 2014

We discussed the success of our meeting with Alice and had an informal meeting in which we discussed the direction we would take the production.

3rd March 2014

Today we had our meeting with the client, we discussed our ideas and how our progress was going, we also discussed a time limit for the production, Alice recommended 15 minutes, we thought this was much too long and explained that all the information could be covered in under 8 minutes, this also suited our target audience more as teenagers don't want to watch a long production that drags out parts to fit the 15 minutes. Alice gave us some leaflets and booklets that contained information which may help our production.


13th March 2014

Today 3 of our production team members filmed some vox pops at the college asking the following questions;

• Did you have a part-time job while in school?
• If Yes. Did you enjoy the job?
• If No. Would you have liked one?
• What are the pros and cons of having a part-time job?

19th March 2014

Today I organised our production folder and began work on casting the modern reconstruction, I generated a schedule for planning and filming the modern reconstruction

25th March 2014

Today we limed the majority of the modern reconstruction, this went really well, there is only a short sequence to be filmed before the modern reconstruction is completed

29 March 2014

Today I and Dale Whyte went to preston park to film the historical reconstruction, but due to actor schedules filming didnt go ahead and we left without filming anything, this was poor planning on our behalf, we will arrange to film this next week with proper planning and organisation

2nd April 2014

Today me, Shemar Chawla and Ryan Bartle filmed part of the modern reconstruction, we used Katie Smith as our paper girl. We filmed Katie leaving for her paper round and returning after it, this went well we now need to film the rest of the modern reconstruction

5th April 2014

Today we filmed the historical reconstruction, we changed the script while on set as we had access to multiple child actors whilst before we only had one, this went much better than we had planned originally, we will change the voice over to match the new visuals we had filmed.

15th May 2014

Today I, Ryan Bartle and Leah Sharp wrote and recorded the voice over for the historical reconstruction, this went well and fits the visuals

Unit 5: Working to a brief in the media industries

Any Production will be produced around a form of brief, no matter how informal it is, this brief can be given by anyone, the person who gives the brief is called the client.

Within the media industry you may have a client who would like you to interpret and produce a production based on a given brief, a brief is given by an external client, they can come in may forms such as competitions or a brief given specifically to you, these are most likely given by a client who will want to meet your group to discuss the brief.

These briefs can be given in a range of ways;

Informal

This is when the client doesn't necessarily write down the details of the brief, instead a verbal brief can be given.

This is an effective method for the speed of the project, but as details of the brief aren't written down some misunderstanding can take place, meaning all the criteria of the brief may not be covered

Formal

This type of brief is much more professional than the previous as the client will have very clear ideas and will most likely invite the group working on the brief to a formal meeting to keep up to date with progress and suggest any improvements or alternative ideas/solutions to problems met by the group.

This type of brief is very effective, especially for the client as they get exactly what they wanted as they work closely with the production team.

Commission

This is when the client knows you are a reliable group and likes the way you make your productions, this may also be because you have a good reputation. The client will know that you can produce what is needed and will offer a commission (pay) for your efforts.

This is an advantage to the client as they will get exactly what they want with little input from the client.

Contractual

These are often given out as a contract which will explain the responsibilities that both the client and the production group have. this contract will be good for both parties as the contract will be very detailed and so misunderstandings will be less likely to occur.

The downside to using a contract is that the brief is very fixed and so very inflexible, meaning that the production group down have much space for changes and improvements.

Negotiated

Within this type of brief the two parties have different ideas for the production and both parties will have to compromise to ensure both parties are happy and the production is completed to a good standard. In this type the brief is gradually developed as the parties come to a compromise.

This type contains a lot of back and forth from both parties so its important for both parties to have a clear idea of what they aim to do before a meeting is planned.

Reading the brief

Upon receiving the brief before you begin any pre-production or research you must be able to understand what the brief requires you to do and what the client is looking for, the client should be able to provide some information  a production meeting to discuss the brief would be a benefit, after you have looked at and understand the brief you need to be sure you have the resources, knowledge, skill ,and budget to produce a production that fulfils the briefs requirements. You will also need to be sure of the target audience of the production, the last thing you want is to produce a professional looking production that doesn't appeal to your actual target audience and isn't what the client wanted, this includes gender, age, location and class. You may also want to get some information about the client, examples of previous work mat help and influence your production.

If you can identify your audience and have a good idea of what you're going to be producing and that it can actually be done the next thing is time scale, how long will it take to be done. When planning the production don't give yourself a huge job that cant be done in the given time scale, also don't produce something too simple as you still want a good looking production.

Negotiating the brief

Whilst negotiating the brief it is essential that you regularly consult with the client to keep them up to date with the production, they may also be able to suggest changes and amendments to the production. While consulting with the client assign one member of the production the role of contacting the client, this keeps all emails in one place making them easier to keep track of, this will also seem more professional as the client will be receiving emails from the same person instead of different information from different people.

Whilst working on the production you may come across constraints that could affect the production, for example in our production we are creating a child employment and legislation informational video and will be using child actors under the age of 16 which require licensing and a permission slip signed by their parents, these must be done otherwise we would be breaking the law and the production couldn't go ahead. Legal constraints will also affect the production, an example is music that is used in the production. For a production that will be shown around the country the music used must be royalty free and not licensed, you will also have to ensure the music is allowed to be used in this type of production.

Once the production is complete the production team will look through the final product and make any amendments they feel are necessary, this could be changes to the edit, a re shoot of scenes if needed, this will ensure the client receives the most polished finished product possible

Opportunity

Whilst working to a brief you have the opportunity to develop and learn new skills. Working with a client requires a certain level of communication, in previous productions (short film, music video) the goal was to create a production for ourselves and so there was no communication with a client, working to a brief allows those who would like to improve their communication skills to take on the role of client communicator. This production was also the first one that would be shown in schools and so all the different resources we found and used must have been gathered legally and that they are being used legally, this gives people the opportunity to find royalty free music or create their own if required.

This production is also the biggest we've done in terms of crew members which will require a reasonable level of managing which introduces the opportunity to take the role of Team leader, this person is in charge of organising and assigning tasks to other team members, ensuring the production is moving forward effectively. As this is a team project it is important
that every member actively works on the production ensuring that all members complete there assigned tasks to the best of their ability, this gives all members the opportunity to work effectively as a team, good communication and understanding of each other is essential for effective team work.

Whilst you work to a brief make sure you keep in contact with the client, letting them know how the production is going, also make sure you have a form of contingency plan incase the production doesnt go as planned so that a version of the production is completed for the client.

Unit 8: Understanding the television and film industries: Contracts and legal obligations

In this report I will look at the ethical, legal and contractual obligations faced in the film and television industry. The purpose of this report is to explore the different types of contracts employers offer and what restrictions they contain.

A contract is a form of agreement between two or more people, often employer and employee, and these contracts include the responsibilities and duties of the employment working pattern and payment, this includes working hours and holidays available.

Permanent Contracts

These types of contracts don't have a time limit, the only way a permanent contract is terminated is through self termination by the employee who originally signed the contract or by the employer due to poor performance by the employee, these are getting less common in the film and television industry as more people simply want to do the required job and then move to other companies.These contracts have a start date but wont have an end date as the termination of this type of contract is determined by the performance of the employee or if the employee chooses to leave. These contracts contain a probation period, these usually last 30-90 days and within this time the employer can choose to terminate the contract if for example the employee isnt up to the standard expected.

Fixed Term Contracts

These types of contracts tend to apply to jobs which have a task to complete and have a set start and end date which allows the employee to move onto other jobs easily. These contracts end when a task is completed, once the task is completed the employer can choose to either end the contract or promote the employee. These types of contracts encourage fast work as employees will receive bonus cash rewards for finishing their required job. Fixed term contracts are commonly used in specialist short term jobs, and often possible employees will be offered a fixed term contract to cover for an absent employee due to for example maternity leave or sick, this type of contract then ensures that the company can run efficiently without and complications. Employees working on a fixed term contract are protected by The Fixed Term Employees Regulation (2002), this regulation entitles fixed term contracted employees equal treatment with permanent employees in the same establishment, this covers terms and conditions of employment, including pay and pensions, as well as training and development. If employees are successful during their time on a fixed term contract they can be upgraded to a permanent contract, the employee however must have been on a fixed term contract for at least 4 years to be considered, even then the employer can refuse to upgrade the employee to a permanent contract.

Hourly Paid 

An hourly paid contract is when the employee is paid by the hour, these types of contracts are temporary and the terms and conditions must be agreed to by both the employee and employer, these terms can be hourly pay, the number of hours worked weekly and the location they will be working at. During the viewing of the terms and conditions a minimum hourly rate and hours worked a week will be agreed upon, this can change as employers can ask employees to work extra hours, this is not compulsory and can be refused if the employee s unavailable.

Shift Worker

Another type of contract is a shift work contract, these are commonly found in businesses such as grocery stores, prisons and nursing homes. Shift workers tend to work in shifts at businesses that run 24 hours a day 7 days a week, on a shift work contract it is common for employees to regularly work on Sundays and during holiday periods. These contracts entitle 4 weeks annual leave per year plus 1 years leave per year, so someone working for 6 months would be entitled to half of the entitled annual leave plus an extra half a week due to the 6 months worked meaning they would get 2.5 weeks leave.

Equality act 2010

This act legally protects people from discrimination in the work place and wider society, this act replaced previous anti-discrimination acts making the law much easier to understand, this act clears up the different ways in which a person can be discriminated against

"Before the Act came into force there were several pieces of legislation to cover discrimination, including:

• Sex Discrimination Act 1975
• Race Relations Act 1976
• Disability Discrimination Act 1995

If you were subjected to unlawful treatment (eg discrimination, harassment or victimisation) before 1 October 2010, the Equality Act won’t apply. Instead, you’ll be covered by the legislation that was in force at the time.
For example, if you experienced race discrimination on 30 September 2010 and want to make a complaint or bring legal proceedings, the Race Relations Act 1976 will apply, not the Equality Act.
This is also true of any legal proceedings. They will go ahead according to the legislation under which they were brought, even if they may have continued after 1 October 2010."

Any complaint made after october 1 2010 would go under the equality act 2010 , be it sexual discrimination, racial or disability. 

The race relations act

This act protects against discrimination of employees, this includes race, nationality, ethnic and national origins in the field of work. This act was introduced alongside the commission for racial equality to ensure the acts rules were followed.

"The Race Relations Act 1976 applies to discrimination on the grounds of colour, race, nationality and ethnic and national origins. It applies in Great Britain but not in Northern Ireland. Religious discrimination is not explicitly covered in Britain but separate legislation covers this in Northern Ireland. "Ethnic origin", however, has been interpreted broadly to cover groups with a common or presumed common identity such as Jews or Sikhs. There are important exceptions to the legislation which, for example, allow discrimination on grounds of nationality to preserve immigration controls. Both direct and indirect discrimination are covered by the legislation which applies to all stages of employment: arrangements made for deciding who is offered a job; the terms on which the job is offered; opportunities for promotion, training and transfer; the benefits and services granted to employees; and in job termination or other unfavourable treatment of employees. The Act provides for a few, specific exemptions where it may be a genuine occupational qualification (GOQ) to be a member of a particular race, ethnic group, etc. The list of genuine occupational qualifications includes actors, models, personal welfare offices and certain jobs in places like restaurants where "for reasons of authenticity" a person of a particular racial group is required, for example a Chinese restaurant."

Employee liability act

This act covers current employees who are injured at work and previous employees who become ill due to working for your company, these employees may want to claim compensation and the employee liability act ensures that you have at least minimum insurance over such claims.


Health and safety act

Health and safety is the most important for of legislation in the film and tv industry. This legislation checks working conditions and makes sure that they re suitable and safe for employees to work in, the health and safety legislation also protects employees from possible accidents. As of 2011 the health and safety act is encouraged and enforced in the work place, this act also originally covered excessive emissions being released into the atmosphere but was removed and placed under a new act. The health and safety of employees is regulated by employers, this includes safety during lifting of heavy objects and the handling of dangerous substances, the health an safety act doesn't just protect those at work, it also protects those affected by work being done, for example construction work, this can be a hazard to the public and the health and safety act is there if there is an accident caused by an employee which affects a member of the public

"Securing the health, safety and welfare of persons at work;

Protecting persons, other than persons at work, against risks to health or safety arising out of or in connection with the activities of persons at work;

Controlling the keeping and use of explosive or highly flammable or otherwise dangerous substances, and generally preventing the unlawful acquisition, possession and use of such substances.

As originally enacted, there was a fourth objective:

• Controlling the emission into the atmosphere of noxious or offensive substances;

— but this provision was repealed when control of emissions was brought under a uniform scheme of legislation by the Environmental Protection Act 1990. In general, the other provisions about emissions in the original Act have subsequently been repealed."

Harrassment and discrimination

Harrassment and discrimination covers sexual and racial discrimination, employees are prtected by the Equality act of 2010, this covers recruitment, acess to training and promotionsThis act protects against discrimination of employees, this includes race, nationality, ethnic and national origins in the field of work. This act was introduced alongside the commission for racial equality to ensure the acts rules were followed

Copyright


Refrences

Equality act 2010- https://www.gov.uk/equality-act-2010-guidance
Race relations act 1979- http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/emire/UNITED%20KINGDOM/RACERELATIONSACT1976RRA-EN.htm
Health and safety act- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_and_Safety_at_Work_etc._Act_1974




    

Archies Final Project Review

I usually stay away from 'found footage' style films as I like to see nice cinamatography and good use of equipment, but I enjoyed Archies Final Project as I related alot to Archie and Sierra as charcters. I really enjoyed the use of editing done by the character during conversations especially the movie refrences. Archies Final Project is a teen comedy/drama that touches on very serious subjects, Archie is a typical lonely teen, he's not in with the popular kids so instead he spends his time playing with cameras and editing videos.

 

The cmaera work in this film is almost 100% found footage and the screen ration changes alot which sometimes pulled me out of the film, the film is very funny, mainly due to Archies imagination during serious conversations.

 

Archie goes from beinjg a no-one to being the most talked about kid in school when he announces that in his next film project he is going to kill himself, this turns his world upside down and suddenly everone wants to know him even the most beautiful girl in school, who also turns out to be the most twisted. 

 

This film takes some extremely dark turns, combined with consistant humour makes for a very enjoyable watch even for those affected by the issues raised in this film.  

Unit 31: Social Action & Comminity Media Production Task 1

In this blog I will look at social action and community media production and the effects is has on its target audience. I will look at the purpose and impact of these campaigns looking at specific examples and looking at how relevant social action and community media is in today's society.

 

Social action looks at the reactions of an individual, social action related films are designed to evoke a response, anti-smoking videos for example are designed to stop people from smoking. Social action and community media productions can affect three different areas, locally, nationally and globally 

 

Purpose

 

Social action and community media is designed to change peoples perspectives and thoughts about a specific issue, these range from child abuse to anti-drug campaigns. These are often hard hitting and difficult to watch particularly to those involved in the issues. The intended purpose of the production depends on the issue present. An anti-smoking campaigns purpose is to stop people from smoking who already smoke and those who may be thinking of starting. Anti-smoking videos for example are aimed at people who are likely to smoke and those who already smoke depending on the advert types, those aimed at people already addicted tend to show the long term effects smoking causes. Anti-smoking videos can have a varied level of impact, from local to global depending on their effectiveness.

 

 

This anti-smoking video is aimed at people who already smoke as it shows the long term damage caused by smoking, this type of ad wouldn't work for young smokers as young smokers don't care about whats going to happen to them in 30+ years time, they care about the effects that are going to affect them in the near future such as hair loss, stained fingers etc. This anti-smoking videos purpose is to stop people who don't smoke from starting and to persuade those who do smoke to quit. This anti-smoking video is one of a collection of 'tips from former smokers' which features former smokers which have been affected by smoking, this is a very dark and hard hitting anti-smoking ad 

 .

 

Do anti-smoking videos work?

 

According to research there are more smokers now than there were 30 years ago, however a lower percent of the population are now smokers, this is due to an increase in population over the years. Surveys for smoking began in 1948 and these surveys found that 82% of men smoked compared to 21% in 2010, the most dramatic reduction in the percent of smokers was between 1970 and the mid 1990s, the first anti-smoking ad was released in 1976 there is a clear relationship between the release of the anti-smoking campaign and the reduction in the number of smokers. The huge reduction in smoker numbers may also be due to the lack of knowledge of the effects of smoking and so it wasn't seen as being a bad thing.

 

Impact

 

To see the impact of social action films we just need to look at the changes brought on with these films/campaigns. There has been a dramatic change in the number of smokers since 1970 to the mid 1990s, this however isn't as rel event today, anti-smoking videos are seen almost everyday on the TV and people have become de-sensitised and aren't affected as much by them even though there is more information available.

 

Social action films have had a huge impact on the smoking population but have become irrelevant in the last few years, the public are exposed to horrific images of lung cancer, heart disease etc everyday which has caused people to become de-sensitised. In order to continue with the positive influence on smokers social action films will have to be changed to be effective once again.

 

My thoughts

 

I believe that anti-smoking videos have had a very positive effect on the smoking population but if this is to continue film makers are going to have to think outside of the box, being shown the long term effects of smoking doesn't affect anyone anymore as we see it everyday, especially those who smoke as they see the pictures on the cigarette box. In order for social action films to be effective again film makers are going to have to focus on other effects of smoking other than damage to the smoker themselves.  

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unit 31: Social Action & Community Media Production-Production Blog

Monday 27th January 2014

Today we received our Social action assignment, our task is to produce an anti-smoking video along with full pre-production paper work and an active production blog. I also produced some research that will assist In the production of my idea which is in development.

Thursday 30th January 2014

Today we pitched our anti-smoking video ideas, two of these ideas will go on to be made into a short film. Once everyone had pitched their idea Neil and Kelly decided that three films would be made instead of two. The three ideas to be chose were Ryans, Isaaks and mine

Monday 3rd February 2014

Today we had a short production meeting, we made the decision to have attempted some form of filming by Friday the 7th of February and that if not filming would commence Monday the 10th of February. We also chose our cast, this was based upon whether people smoked, their appearance and whther they fit the character profile. We decided on 2 actors, Sam Hitchcliff and Jacob Hanson

Tuesday 4th February 2014

Today I produced a shot list for my short film which is set to be filmed on the 7th of February. As well as the shot list i also produced a make-up ideas page for my make-up artist(s)

Wednesday 5th February 2014

Today me and my production partner, Dale Whyte, performed a location recce and risk assessment as well as gaining permission to film at our chosen location, the Dubliners pub, after this we had a short informal meeting with the actors, discuccing our plans for filming

Thursday 6th February 2014

Today was our planned filming day, we went to the dubliners and began filming, we had planned to film from half nine to twelve which turned out to be too long as all the necessary footage had been filmed by twenty past 11. After filming I captured the footage and began putting the footage together, after assesment of the footage I decided a reshoot was in order for 3 of the shots as there was some poor framing and acting that I feel could be improved

Tuesday 11th February 2014

Today was our planned reshoot day, we arrived at our location, the dubliners, at half nine and began filming at twenty to ten, we filmed all the shots we needed and were done just after ten o clock. We returned to college and captured the footage.

Thursday 13th february 2014

Today I finished off my edit, replacing poor shots with the re-shoot shots and tidying up clips that were on screen for too long and replacing poor audio.

Unit 27: Factual Production Diary

4/11/13

Today we received our assignment brief, to get the assignment under-way I began by creating a schedule of when I would finish each criteria, I used this so I could manage my time well, giving me plenty of time to work on the actual production of my programme

11/11/13

We gave a rough basic idea of what we could possibly base our factuals on, I decided on a factual based on the bikers and skaters who congregate in stockton town, I wanted to find out peoples opinions on them and whether something should be put in place so they can practice in a safe environment

04/12/13

Me, Ryan and  Shemar went out to interview the people of stockton for our docs, while out my idea changed from being about bikers to re-discover stockton, this was due to an interview we did which ended up being a rant by a local. After this my question changed from "is there a problem with bikers in stockton" to "what are your views on the re-discover stockton project", this produced much better interviews and would make an all round better doc.

11/12/14

I began putting my documentary together, this included creaating a title sequence in after effects and putting my interviews into a timeline

13/01/14

As part of my assignment I had to produce a soundtrack and a voice over, my soundtrack was completed but the recording equipment was faulty and so I couldnt record my voice over

14/01/14

Today i was able to record my voice over, after putting this into my doc Kelly my lecturer recommended I record a concluding voice over to close off my doc, so that is what I did, after doing this and putting it intoi my doc I was ready to export and burn my documentary to a disc

  

Unit 64-Motion graphics and compositing video Task 1

Motion graphics is the use of virtual images which are added to a production during post production, these can range from simple titles to advanced complex special effects. In this blog I will look at current uses of motion graphics and analyse a range of film and television programmes which use these motion graphics.

Tv Idents

The first BBC ident

The most recent BBC ident

In television programmes there is a form of motion graphics called Tv idents, these are short motion sequences that inform the viewer of what channel they are watching, these started out as very simple black and white images but with recent developments in technology Tv idents are sophisticated pieces of film.

 The BBC have used Tv idents since the early 1950's and were very simple compared to the ones we see today. As the BBC began creating more channels there Tv idents changed to accommodate these different channels, after the launch of BBC 2 the original BBC channel was named BBC 1, this was reflected through the new BBC 1 ident.

 
The BBC Tv idents are distinctly different depending on which BBC channel is being viewed, the ident gives an indication of what types of programs are going to be shown, this is most noticeable in BBC 3 as the Tv ident contains the characteristics of a humorous channel, this ident prepares the audience for the types of programmes included in the BBC 3 channel.


Unlike the BBC ITV used colour to differentiate between their programs, each ITV channel such as ITV 2 had their own coloured ident, this was until the 1990's when ITV chose to unify its identity and created the idents we know today, these TV idents however are not as complex as the BBC's but instead are simple yet effective, they often contain smooth camera sweeps of an area or for example a building being worked on.



These idents are automatically recognised and always contain the program name fading in and then fading out at the end. These idents appear before and after the program and always contain music


Another form of motion graphics is title sequences and in programme motion graphics, these are commonly found in music programmes such as Kerrang! Tv. Kerrang! Tv uses a very simple title sequence, although very simple it is dramatically different to any other title sequence, this title sequence always features a yellow ninja giving the viewer an idea of the nature of the show, the ninja is often shooting a futuristic gun at a giant purple rabbit, this shows that the show is going to be casual and not serious which is true for the programme.


Kerrang! Tv also contains a range of in programme graphics including a graphic appearing in the bottom corner which tells the viewer the name of the song and where it appears in the countdown (eg number 4). Another form of in programme graphics featured on Kerrang! Tv are small graphics in the top right, these tell the viewer what they are watching such as top 100 anthems of the decade, this simply lets the viewers know what songs are going the be featured in the programme, Kerrang! Tv will also often have special guests on who will show there top 10 songs or something similar, when these are talking there is often graphics on screen such as a border which makes it look like the guests are on an olden style television.


News programmes are often filled with motion graphics ranging from small graphics such as the time to completely virtual studios. BBC news relies heavily on motion graphics during the programme and in the title sequence, in the title sequence for BBC news (which can be seen on the left) motion graphics have been implicated, most notable is the red signal flying through various areas, this is a recurring effect throughout the sequence, although it looks simple the movement involved would be quite complex to create, making it look like its actually happening in the environment. Also included in the title sequence is a countdown and the BBC news logo, the logo would have been created in photoshop and then imported into the title sequence. This title sequence includes different known locations, showing what regions and  are going to be covered in the programme.

In many Tv shows a virtual background will be used, most commonly found in news type programmes especially the weather. During a news programme at some point there will be a section on the weather, these take place in front of a green screen with a presenter, a green screen is used to allow complex graphics to appear behind the presenter without the need for any complex masking, this also allows the presenter to walk around freely. These weather sections are edited before the weather section is shown and are played on a screen off camera so the weather reporter can see where he/she should be pointing and when to speak. These weather sections rely heavily on motion graphics and composting video to  create the graphic the viewers will see, these graphics are almost always 2-D layers but will consist of many layers used together.

Moving to more complex virtual backgrounds, some news studios are completely virtual, combining 3-d and 2-d layers to create a realistic looking studio with the ability to have presenters interact with graphics, this is done very much the same way as the weather but at a much more complex scale, graphs and bar charts showing statistics are added after in post or live on the fly. These studios are able to display graphics anywhere allowing for interesting viewing. These virtual studios are much cheaper and easier to maintain as everything is done through editing, this also allows any type of studio to be created, meaning expensive looking studios can be produced simply through editing.

A common use of motion graphics is film titles, these tend to set the tone for film and give some information about the film including actors, director etc, these can range from very simple to extremely complex, often using 3-D editing programs paired with programs like After Effects, the title on the left is for The Thing, the title uses similar music to that which is used in the film, the inclusion of the earth in the background gives the impression of an alien type movie, the way the title comes in implies that this is a horror film, and the inclusion of John Carpenters name at the top anchors the thought that it is a horror film. The way the title seems to burn in is a major part of the film, the inclusion of this wont mean anything to the audience unless they've seen or know what happens in it.

One of the most complex ways motion graphics and compositing video are used is through special effects, this is done by combining live action with graphics and other video, for example to create the effect of a gun shooting you need to use many layers to give a convincing effect, you need a muzzle flash layer, a smoke layer, a layer of light cast on anything that would be affected by the flash and possibly a cartridge being ejected, this is a simple effect compared to what can be achieved with After Effects, the ability to create these special effects in post means that effects can be done for free and as many times as needed, this also creates a much safer environment for actors and crew.

All these motion graphics sequences will have been made with different editing software, from basic programs that most home PCs will have such as windows movie maker which can import pictures and text into video, very simple and basic, lacking the tools available in more complex programs. For complicated advanced motion graphics sequences a range of programs will be used, if the graphics used are 2-D then Adobe After Effects would be ideal as it has the tools to create almost anything you can think of if you take the time and effort, but if any 3-D layers are needed programs such as element 3-D and cinema 4-D could be used, Element 3-D works in direct link with Adobe After Effects and allows 3-D graphics to be exported from element 3-D and into After Effects. Although these programs have much more editing power and capabilities there is a much higher price tag and some people simply cant afford these programs, meaning they cant produce the effects they require.

Unit 38-Production diary-Multi-camera 'Cinderella' live show

27/11/13

We had our first production meeting, deciding on job roles, I took on the role of  the vision mixer, every member of the group had to operate a camera aswell, vision mixing involes putting footage from multiple cameras into one sequence synced together.

To become more familiar with the 'vision mixer' role I researched the role on the skillset website, i found alot of information which can be found below. A lot of the information found here is irrelevant as we don't actually have a vision mixer, instead the production will be vision mixed in post.

11/12/13

We went to the theatre to perform a location recce, this involved a risk assessment and a camera plan so we knew where the cameras were going. While filling out the risk assessment we pointed out a number of risks that would apply to the crew, audience and cast of the production. These included trailing wires which had the potential to trip up participants and audience members, to avoid this we decided it would be appropriate to tape the wires down minimising the risk.

17/12/13

Today we went to a rehearsal of the show, this allowed us to prepare for set changes and charcter positions. We were also able to identify any problems we would find with the camera positions and get a general idea of the running time. We found that our selected camera positions were suitable and that our plans could go ahead. 

 

18/12/13

 

Today we filmed the cinderella production, we stuck to our previous camera plan which gave us sufficient coverage of action, half-way through the production we all swapped cameras so we were filming from a new angle

 

09/01/14

 

We began capturing the footage, we only had 4 tapes so the rest of the tapes would have to be captured another day

 

13/01/14

 

We captured 3 more tapes today, leaving only 1 tape to be captured at a later date

 

14/01/14

 

we captured the last tape today, aswell as editing the entire show, to ensure we all got assessed for the edit we did a quarter of the edit each, we also exported the production

 

15/01/14

 

Today we buint the production to disc, this is the way the the production is assessed.

 

Unit 8: Understanding the Television and Film industries Task 2

During the production of a film or television programme, be it during pre-production, production or post-production, a number of different departments must be filled in order for a successful production, within these departments are many different roles, these roles are needed in order to complete production.

Creative

The creative roles are the most practical hands on roles in production, these are the roles involved in actually creating a story and putting a film or tv show together, this begins with script writing and ends with the edit, creative roles are required through all parts of production

Director

The director is possibly one of the most if not the most important role in production, the director is present through all of production, the director decides how the actors say their lines and how a scene plays out to make it as believable as possible, the director also works with the camera crew, ensuring the camera angles are correct and properly lit, if the scene isnt properly lit the director works with the lighting crew ensuring the lighting is set up to match the feel of the scene and to make sure the light is distributed evenly and looks natural. The director works closely with everyone in production this helps the directors vision to be put across on the screen, the director should have a vision of what the finished production will look like and be able to explain this in a way that translates to all members of production. The director must work to keep the actors happy and not have them waiting around all day, the actors must also be praised and rewarded in some way for successful takes, this can be as simple as a verbal reward.

Script writer

The start of any production starts with a script, this is where the script writer comes in, its the script writers job to research an idea, write the dialogue and create a narrative storyline  which has the potential to be made into either a film or television episode, the script writer however doesn't just write one script, many drafts will be written until one is made that can be used. The script writer also views and decides on alterations to be made to the script, script writers often actively find producers who may be willing to help turn their script into a film or tv episode.

Management

Management roles are much less practical and hands on than creative and technical, instead supervision and keeping on track is the main focus of the management department, responsible for ensuring the production stays on track and that the production doesn't go over budget

Producer

The producer has the final say on all aspects of production they bring together the production team creating an environment where the whole team can feel comfortable and work to the best of their abilities. During pre-production the producer may come up with the premise for the film or television show or pick a screenplay from a range of possible choices, the producer then creates a production team, develops the finance for the production and then supervises the production, making sure everything is working and on track. The producer works closely with the executive producer, assisting with the development of finance, the producers also approve important choices such as the final shooting script, locations, the production schedule and budget. During production the producer is in direct communication with the director creating a smooth operation with little to no complications, as scripts are altered the producer remains as the final word on script modifications, all production changes must go through the producer first ensuring money isn't being wasted or used in-efficiently. The producer is also responsible for distribution and marketing of the finished product. The producer doesn't take on all these tasks alone, key personal work along side the producer assisting in areas the producer is less experienced in. Producers require a specific set of skills which make them a efficient producer, as a producers main role is to supervise production and step in if alterations are made, a producer needs excellent communication skills, this will help them put their ideas across to other members of the production team. Due to the importance of the role, producers are required to work efficiently under pressure and to motivate other members of the production team allowing the production to progress.

Executive Producer

The executive producer works closely with the producer, the executive producer may be responsible for legal issues such as copyright making them an important role. Depending on what type of production is being created the executive producer can have different roles, in television the executive producer supervises the creative content and may be in charge of the financial aspects of the production. There can be many different executive producers but one tends to outrank the rest and is then known as the show runner. If a executive producer establishes a successful tv show they will be credited for the show even after they have retired.

Location Manager

The location manager is responsible for locating and securing locations for filming obtaining all the required permits to enable filming to go ahead, looking into the logistics and cost of locations that could possibly be used as a film location. The location manager often oversees many location scouts and assistant managers during production, the location manager works closely with the director. Location managers are responsible for informing the owners of a location how long filming will take and what will have to be altered in the location and what is allowed and not allowed.  

Technical

The technical department covers sections such as camera wok, lighting and sound, making it a important part of production

Camera operator

The camera operator does just what it sounds like, they operate the camera, making sure all the camera equipment is rigged and working correctly, they must also be prepared to work quickly on their feet whilst carrying out complex tasks, they may work with assistants when moving the camera and checking for camera faults. The camera operator works closely with performers giving them constructive advice in order to get the desired composition. Camera operators require professional skills, great technical skills and a working knowledge of how the camera works. The camera operator is in charge of keeping all camera equipment in working condition. Whilst working on a multi-camera shoot the ability to work effectively as a team is important to ensure production goes smoothly and efficiently.

Editor

An editor is in charge of putting the captured footage together in a sequence to tell the story, an editor needs very good technical ability as the editing job uses advanced technology which is always changing and so the editor must be able to efficiently use different types of software in order to successfully put the film together. Editors select the best takes of a scene to put into the sequence, the editors work very closely to the director and producer, this allows the vision of the director to tranfer into the final edit, also making sure all footage is present and being edited to its highest standard, the editor only puts the film together in sequence to tell a story, visual effects and titles are added by other post production roles.