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.