Putting Shots Together | Workshop

For this editing workshop we were given a folder of shots from a tv programme and we were told to put them together according to the audio from the footage. The audio of the clip is the same in each shot so it wasn't too difficult when putting the different shot types together. However, there were a few shots where the audio was slightly different due to the way the actor or actress was saying the line. There were a variety of shots that were given to us and we had to use what we thought was appropriate. There were close-ups, mid shots, two person shots and more. 

When starting the edit we were told to start with a particular audio clip to help us put together the rest of the shots given. We needed to match the audio with the video for some of the clips, which meant that the editing was challenging. I found that the male character said his lines differently in the majority of the different shots. For example; in some shots he said his lines quite slowly and in others he said his lines quite quickly. I found the matching of the audio and the video quite tricky for his parts as his lips didn't actually match up to the audio. 

I managed to find a way round the audio and the video not matching 100% and I think it's worked well. Also in this lesson we were told that it would be useful for us to put the shots into bins. This makes the workspace a bit more organised and also it will help us know where all of the shots are when editing. When I start to edit my own clips I will put them into separate bins so I can have an organised workspace/

180 Degree Rule | Workshop

Our last camera workshop was all about the 180 degree rule. 

We were put into groups of 3 and we were given a task to do for the workshop. Within this task we were given a script to follow and we were told to use a minimum of 5 different shot sizes, while also sticking to the 180 Degree Rule.

The 180 Degree Rule

When your filming there is an invisible line that your not allowed to go over. If you start filming on the left side of the line you aren't allowed to film on the right side, as it will distort what the audience is seeing.

I was put into a group of Lindsay and Sammi and I decided that I wanted them both to sit with each other and have a conversation, following the script. To make it a bit more interesting Lindsay had the idea that she would hide behind the chair at first and then appear once we had started filming. I wanted to start with a long shot to set the scene, and then throughout the script I used some mid shots, a 2 person shot, and multiple close-ups of both characters. 

I found this task fairly challenging as I had to think of 5 different shot sizes that would look effective in the video, but I had fun doing it and also I think the editing of this video looks good. The audio matches up with the video and it flows nicely.

Premiere Tools | Workshop

Within this editing workshop we were given some information and instructions on how to use some of the tools on Adobe Premiere Pro. We were told which tools were the most useful when editing and how to use them effectively.

 

 

We learnt about the difference between overwriting footage into the timeline and inserting footage into the timeline. Overwriting footage is when it goes on top of the footage already on the timeline and inserting footage is when it goes in between the footage already on the timeline. We were taught how to insert audio onto the timeline through the tools on the software.

 

Again, we were given a set of clips and audio, and we were given the task to put the clips together in order of the footage. It was our decision in what order all the clips go in, so we had to listen to the audio carefully and judge where all the images go, and we were told to use the tools that we had been taught previously.

We were also taught how to add text into our sequence and how to make it transition in and out of the scene. This will be useful when it comes to adding a title to my short film, and when I add credits of the actors and so on.

 

The tools we were taught about are going to be very useful when it comes to editing my video, and I will definitely be using the majority of the tools that the software has to offer.

 

Trailer | Workshop

When learning about Trailers we were given the short film 'Soft' and we were given the task to turn it into a trailer. This trailer was to sell the movie and make it look attractive and eye-catching to get the attention of an audience. This is the trailer that myself and Lindsay created:

When creating the trailer we didn't want to give away too much of the story so we decided to watch the short film and overwrite little sections of the film onto the sequence on Adobe Premiere Pro. We did this so once we had all of the clips we wanted to use in the timeline, we could place them in the order we wanted. We wanted to create some tension towards the end of the trailer, so we decided to quicken the pace of the cuts towards the end of the trailer to build it up and make it more interesting. 

We really liked the clips in the film that have been filmed by the dangerous gang, so we made sure to involve as many of them in the trailer as possible. One of the parts of the trailer that I like is where the neighbour says to the main character "lovely day" and then the following clip is the leader of the gang punching a young boy. This creates a contrast in the trailer and makes it more interesting for the audience to view. This will attract the audience and make them intrigued which will convince them to watch the film.

We inserted a few seconds of the most dramatic scenes in the film and grouped them together to create tension and build the storyline to make the audience want to see more. The music we used within the trailer is quite dramatic and creates tension. We chose this instrumental background to help add to the tension and build up the trailer in a dramatic way. I think the music will catch the audiences attention and they'll want to watch the full short film after watching the trailer.

Overall, I enjoyed this task, but I also found it quite difficult. I found it difficult because it was challenging to find the most effective clips and to put them in the correct order to make it interesting without giving away too much of the story.

Location | Project Research

When deciding what location to use when filming my opening scene, I needed to find a woods location. I had one in mind and decided to go and take a look at it, to help me write my script with the  specific location in mind.

There are two entrances to this woods, one from the street and one from the back of Wigmore Library. There is quite a lot of trees and bushes around, but not so much that it makes the sky un see able.

The woods itself is fairly large, and there are many different areas in which I could film.  For example; there are a few logs that would be ideal if I wanted the characters to be sitting down. The woods is very spacious, while still having quite a lot of trees around. This is good as when it comes to filming the 2 minutes I won't have to worry about it looking to busy. I want to make sure my location looks quite simplistic so the audience can focus on the storyline, rather than the settings they are going to be stood in.

The woods itself is quite pretty and would work really well in my short film. The theme of the film isn't anything scary or thriller like, and I think this woods area isn't too scary either as it's quite open and bright during the day. This is one of the reasons why I liked this area and why I want to film the first 2 minutes of my short film here.

Screenwriting | Research

As some extra research I looked into the BBC Writers Room and looked over some of the tips in screenwriting.

• All ideas need to be dramatic. Usually less is more - the writer needs to know all the back stories and the backgrounds, but the audience only needs to know enough to stay hooked without being confused by it. You need to bring a new perspective to well-known tales, worlds, subjects and genres. The way the audience feels when they are experiencing it is really important. Clashing genres can work if they are handled well. The emotional response that you are looking for is just as important as well. Don't write anything you don't care about, because you don't want to lose interest in the script while writing it.

• Strong scripts know what they are and what message they are trying to tell, weak scripts drag on without being clear from the start. Form is the kind and the shape of story you are telling. Format is where it might air and who will watch it. When writing soaps, they require a huge variation of characters, families, relationships, settings and back stories.  One thing to remember about the form of a script is that they are all blueprints rather than a piece of literature. They are written to be made. The more the script looks like something formed and formatted, the more impressive and effective it will be. 

• To improve you script and your craft you can work on the structure, dialogue, formatting and scene writing, but if your characters aren't engaging enough, then the whole plot and storyline will be difficult. To be able to write characters, you need to know what the world looks like from their point of view. When you know this, then you can know how they might act and react in any situation. Good characters are usually active, not passive. They are always on some kind of journey, whether it be physical, emotional, psychological etc, and they are always trying to do or get something. Characters should always want and need something, because from this creates dilemmas and choices that they have to make. Characters need to be emotionally engaging and the audience need to spend time with them and become engaged in their life. They need to have some emotional background so the audience can sympathise with them. 

• You don't need to know all of the exact details of the ending, but you need to know what kind of ending you are trying to reach and achieve, whether it's tragic, comic, romantic, thrilling, horrifying, bittersweet or ambiguous. Knowing where you're going means you can work out the best and the most engaging place to start. Once the story has started you need to hook the audience's attention immediately. This doesn't always mean an action sequence, it means starting the story straight away by showing the characters in action. Don't start by explaining the back story, if there is something important that we need to know about the past, you should bring it into the present-tense action. You don't have to introduce every character or every theme and plot straight away, bring them in gradually to surprise the audience. But you do need to do something important in the beginning, and make sure the characters step out of their comfort zone. Plan the story before you start writing. Make sure you know what the beginning, middle and end are, and plan what happens in them. Make sure the plot isn't taking over the characters.

• The most difficult part to write in many scripts and stories is the middle. The middle takes up most of the story so it's the most significant part of the story. Once you've worked out where to begin and where to end, you have to work out the best way for your characters to get from one to the other. If it's an action story there should be some tension, if it's a detective story there should twists and clues, if it's a love story you should write about a blossoming relationship. The characters need to get lost in the story. You need to manipulate the characters, events, actions and consequences. You need to make things difficult for the characters while keeping the pace of the story for the audience. 

• Endings should follow on from everything has happened before. They must not be predictable, there should be a surprise at the end. Great ending satisfy the audience. To do this you need to follow through with your story, and bring the characters to a point of understanding and realisation about themselves.

• A scene is the mixture of time, place and setting you use to frame and show a significant moment or event in the story. It's what we need to see for the story to move forward and it's the moment of drama and comedy. Something significant must happen in a scene whether it's a big thing or a small thing. Scenes show the conflicts, tensions, dilemmas, decisions, actions and reactions of the characters running the story. Juxtaposition is crucial in scenes. Each scene needs to be specific and unique. 

• Dialogue isn't just about what the characters say, it's about what they express. Good characters have identifiable voices due to their tone, grammar and the ways they express themselves. If your character has an accent or uses slang you need to write it in. When we are first introduced to the character, show their accent but don't excessively write the accent all the way through as it will be difficult to read. Find dramatic ways of making the information important in the moment and story. If you want the audience to realise a secret about a character, make the revelation it quite difficult with consequences in the story.

This information will be very useful when it comes to writing screenplays and also it help make my work more effective.

Idea In Detail | Development

Idea 3 Development

 

Possible Names

• Misguided Perception
• Mistaken Wisdom

Characters:

Male -

Steven

Age: 18

DOB: October

Appearance:

• Brown hair
• Brown eyes
• Baggy clothes
• Scruffy jeans
• Baggy t-shirt
• Big hoodie
• Black worn out converses

Personality:

• Known as the 'Loser'.
• Quiet
• Reserved
• Insecure
• Unmotivated

Back-Story:

• He used to be hardworking, and involved within his school competing in multiple competitions.
• Now due to home struggles, he sits in class and doesn't bother listening to what is being said or doing any work.
• His parents got divorced during his time at secondary school.
• He thought he coped with it fairly well, but in reality it messed with his head, and he changed a lot.
• He used to be quite outgoing and talkative, but after the divorce he's quiet and doesn't have many friends.
• He has a bad relationship with his parents.
• He lives with his mother, but she's always working so he never gets to see her.
• He never talks to his father.
• His father asked his mother for a divorce and just left, never telling Steven why he left, or where he was going.
• His mother has a new boyfriend who she always spends time when she isn't working.
• Steven doesn't like his mother's boyfriend, but neither does he.
• They disagree on a lot of things, and it's usually the boyfriend that gets his way.
• Due to his mother basically ignoring him and his father forgetting about him, he started to find a way to help resolve his problems and keep them a side for the time being.
• He started to take drugs.
• His friend said his brother is a drug dealer, and Steven became interested in buying them.

 

Female -

Clare
Age: 17
DOB: January

Appearance:

• Blonde hair
• Brown eyes
• Girly clothes
• Skinny jeans
• Light pastel coloured t-shirt
• Brown boots

Personality:

• Known as the 'Popular' Girl.
• Friendly
• Nice
• Passionate
• Hardworking

Back-Story:

• She comes from a wealthy background.
• Her parents both earn a lot of money and are quite snobby.
• Due to her parents being busy within their job, they don't have much time to spend with Clare and her younger brother.
• Clare very rarely sees her parents as they are always away on business meetings/trips, but when she does see them she doesn't get time to have a proper conversation with them.
• As a result of this, she doesn't have a very good relationship with her parents.
• She feels that she can only rely on her friends.
• At school she has a lot of friends that hang around with her.
• Most of these 'friends' are people trying to use her for their own popularity or for her money.
• She doesn't have many loyal friends.
• She tries very hard at school and makes sure to keep on top of her work because she wants to make a living.
• She aims to go to university to get a degree.
• She doesn't want to live off of her families income, and wants to experience life from her own eyes and not her parents.

Goal:
Clare is at the point of a breakdown and after finding her boyfriend cheating on her she needs to leave and actually figure out what she wants in life. Does she want a partner, live in a big house, and live off her wealthy parents? Or does she want to work and create a name for herself, rather then being known as 'Brad's daughter' all the time? Or does she really just long for a healthy, loving relationship with her parents?
Steven realizes that his life is a mess, after his parents divorcing and failing in every exam he has taken, but he needs something to get his mind off of all of that, otherwise he'll hit rock bottom. Is taking drugs the best solution? Or does he just need to have a sit down with his mother, and talk to her about his struggles? What will bring back the old Steven?

Conflict:
Clare - She has to choose whether she cares more about doing well in life, or having a better relationship with her parents. Her parents don't have enough time in their daily lives to talk to and hang out with Clare. She doesn't trust her friends because she knows they gossip a lot. She doesn't really have anyone that she can talk to, and being at the time of her life where she has to decide what she wants to do after school, she has to think about what her priorities are going to be.
Steven - He doesn't speak to his father after the divorce, and he barely sees his mother even though she lives with her. Feeling neglected and hurt by his parents he tries to find a way to help him get back on track. After finding out that his 'friends' brother is a drug dealer of some sorts, he has to make the decision whether he actually wants to take the drugs, or whether he wants to solve his problems through talking to someone.

Change:
Both of the characters used to judge each other by their looks, some of their personality traits, and their family. They didn't know much about their family life outside of school, they only knew what they had heard. Clare saw Steven as a quiet, irritated, rude guy who always slacked in school and never cared whether he was failing or not. However he isn't any of that, he's just emotionally and mentally lost, confused and hurt. Steven saw Clare as the annoying girl that every in school wants to be just like, with a few others who clearly dislike her and her popularity. She was the one who always did her work, sucked up to the teachers, and lived off of her parents money creating a spoilt characteristic. But she isn't spoilt, or a suck up, she just wants to do well in life. She's only talkative to everyone at school, including the teachers, because she barely gets any interaction with her family members back at home. Neither of them knew what one another was like outside of school, and they didn't know what one another's family life was like. Now they understand that they shouldn't judge a book by it's cover because who knows what struggles everyone is going through in their personal life. Instead of being complete opposites, they find out that their lives are quite similar, and they have something in common, bringing them together and creating some sort of friendship.

Starting with Final Draft | Workshop

The software we are using to write scripts is called 'Final Draft' and in order to learn how to use it in the correct way, we were given a workshop in how to use it. Before we learnt how to use the software itself, we had to learn how to actually write a script in the correct way.

The 6 main points we learnt about when writing a script are:

• Title Page
• Scene Headings
• Action
• Characters
• Dialogue
• Layout

Title Page

In the middle of the page you have to state what the name of the script is, who wrote it and the date it was drafted. The Font must be 'Courier' and it must be size 12. In the bottom left of the page it must state the contact name, the contact address and the contact number.

Scene Headings
These must be written in capitals and it must state whether it's inside or outside, where it is located and what time of the day it is. The location must be brief and kept to the point, and the time of the day must be standard and basic (For Example; DAY or NIGHT). Every time there is a change of location or time, a new scene must be created. Also when the character walks into a new room, a new scene must be created.

Action
This states where we are, what we are looking at, who is there and what they are doing. When a character appears in the script for the first time, they must be written in CAPITALS. If they are in the script again they can be written normally in lowercase. You also should really avoid camera directions, and just stick to the storyline and what we can see. When you describe dramatic moments, they should be seen in CAPITALS to add some emphasis to them.
Characters

The characters name is always written below the action, one line down the centre of the page, and in CAPITALS. If the scene has a voice-over it should be shown as (V/O) and it should be placed next to the name. If the character is off screen but still has dialogue it should be shown as (OS). 

Dialogue
This appears below the characters name. If you want emphasis on the way a word is spoken you have to underline it. Also if you want to show how the person is saying the line it should be written in brackets just above the dialogue, for example; (laughing).

Layout
You shouldn't have huge blocks of text as it makes it un-interesting and busy You can spread the description out on the page to space it out and make the script look less messy and busy.

After learning about the main points of how to write a script and how to use Final Draft, we were given the task to write a three page script about our journey to uni on that day. I worked with Nisserin on this task and we decided to include both of ours journeys into the script. We added a bit more drama in the script to make it more interesting and to create tension. We split between my story and her story and made both of us meet up at the end.

When getting feedback from this script, Simon said he liked it but we needed to make sure that we only included what we could SEE in the action. He also suggested that we added more description on the locations we were using and the characters to give the reader more of a visual image when reading.

Sequences | Workshop

Within one of our camera workshops we were taught about the aperture of the camera and the white balance. This gives the footage a more natural colour and gives the footage a better focus, which will help me when it comes to filming the first 2 minutes of my short film as all the footage will look natural. We also learnt about the zoom, the expanded zoom and the different ways in which you can make sure whether the camera is in focus and whether the colours are all correct. For example; using the 'Zebra' tool helps when seeing how much shine is on the person that is being filmed.

We were put into a group of three to set up the camera and the tripod and try out the white balance and the focus. When being in the group we took turns in changing the settings on the camera and sitting on the chair in front of the camera. This was done so everyone had a chance to work on the camera. I found this helpful as I could find the settings myself which helped me develop my skill in the camera.

After this, we were put into pairs, and we were given the task to film multiple sequences in different shot types to create a small video of someone walking over to a chair. I worked with Lindsay on this task and we decided that I would film and Lindsay would be in the video. However, we both decided what different shots we wanted to film before actually filming, so we both had a say in what we were filming.

We decided that Lindsay would do a little spin between the starting position and the ending position, which is on the chair. We did this to make the task a little more exciting and also to challenge ourselves to see if we could place the clips in the correct places to make it flow.

I found this task quite challenging but also fun as I was able to try and make the video flow through the different shots and the editing creating the sequence. I'm really happy with the outcome of this task and I think the sequence we have created flows nicely.

Starting With Editing | Workshop

On our first editing workshop we learnt how to put together a sequence, and we also learnt some of the shortcuts that we could use when editing  on Adobe Premiere.

The first thing we learnt was how to set up the keyboard and mouse settings which enables us to use Premiere effectively and make it easier for us to use through the shortcuts we had learnt. I found the workshop very useful as I have never used Adobe Premiere before. I have grasped the basics of the software and I now know how to edit using different shortcuts. We were given a folder full of different shots filmed at a bookstore, and we were instructed to put together the shots in whatever order we felt was correct, and create a small story using the clips. I'm happy with the shots that I put together, and I'm happy with how I edited it.

Starting With Cameras | Workshop

Camera Workshop

To introduce us to the cameras in a way in which we could get involved with them and get used to them, we got given a couple of tasks to complete. These tasks helped us experiment with different focus techniques and different camera shots.

Before we started the practical work, we were given a run through of the basics of the cameras and the tripods that we were going to use. We were also taught about the aperture and the shutter to help us when focusing the camera, and to help us when choosing the settings and which ones are more appropriate for certain lightings and locations.

The first couple of tasks we were given were to try and complete different type of focusing techniques that may sound easy but are actually quite difficult. The first task was to have two different focal points and switch the focus between each point. The second task was to have someone walk towards the camera and keep them in a medium shot while also keeping them in focus. This task was quite challenging as you had to constantly change the focus and change the zoom of the camera to make the shot look effective.

The main task we were given was to film a few different shots to create a story based on a bag. We were placed into groups and given time to discuss, and film our video. We decided to keep the focus on the bag and made sure that we kept our faces out of the video so the bag will clearly be the most significant item in the video. We chose a mixture of medium shots, close-ups and long shots to create the sense of loneliness and keep the story flowing smoothly.

 

 

Call The Midwife | Review

'Call The Midwife' is a BBC period drama series. It's about a group of midwives working in the East End of London in the 1950s and the 1960s. Some of the cast members include Jessica Raine, Miranda  Hart, Helen George and many more. The series was created by Heidi Thomas and was originally based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, but it has been expanded to include new, historically sourced material.

The first series aired in 2012, the second series aired in 2013, the third series aired in 2014, the four series aired in 2015 and series 6 will be aired in 2016. The plot follows a newly qualified midwife called Jenny Lee, and the work of the midwives, the nuns in a nursing convene and part of an Anglican religious order. They are seen having to cope with the medical problems in the desperately poor East End in the 1950s.

Because the series is set in the 1950s, the whole look of the series needs to look old, and to do this it needs to have a sepia sort of effect on it, or at least the colour needs to be distorted and changed. The clothing the characters wear are quite dull and not too harsh. Also their main mode of transport is a bike, which is accurate in that time period. The series is usually filmed in historic places to add to the time period that it was set in. All in all the mise-en-scene in this TV series is accurate to the period and helps create an old effect.

The executive producers of the show are Pippa Harris, Heidi Thomas, the producer is Hugh Warren and the head of cinematography is Chris Seager. Due to the high popularity rate of this series, there has been several Christmas special episodes as well as comic relief and children in need episodes to help promote the given message but also, in a way, promote the show further.

This show interested me because I felt the writing of the script suited the time period very well, and they way that they showed it when filming was very good and realistic. The writing of the series won't necessarily help me when it comes to writing my short film, but it may help me when writing the flashback scenes. Due to the flashbacks being seen in past tense, and this series being set in the past, it will help me create some good links between some of the moments in my script.

Pitch | Development

The Meeting

Contemporary drama about two contrasting teenagers meeting in the woods unexpectedly. They share shocking truths and harsh realities, drastically changing their views on each other.

The genre of this short film is Drama.

The two main characters will be a teenage boy and a teenage girl (Steven and Claire).

• The girl is known as a 'popular' girl who is friendly to everyone, thinks everyone likes her (which some don't) and everyone thinks her life is perfect.
• The boy is known as the 'quiet' boy who no one really acknowledges (except for his few mates), and no one really knows anything about him.
• They both attend the same school, both are in sixth form (higher education).
• He knows who she is, but she doesn't really know who he is (she recognises him slightly). 

The main location will be in a woods.

• It will be set during the day, so the woods would look less scary.
• Due to the tone of the short film being quite sad, the woods will have to be quite messy with loose branches and twigs scattered on the ground to represent their messy and scattered mindset at the time of the meeting.

The teenage girl enters the woods crying and confused after finding her boyfriend cheat on her. When she found him she needed to get as far away from him as possible, which led her to running into the woods. The teenage boy enters the woods looking for his friend who will be selling him drugs. He hears someone talking to themselves, the girl, and moves closer to the noise. Instead of seeing his friend he sees the girl from his school crying. They engage in slight conversation, which lead them to find out about how her life isn't as perfect as it seems, and how his problems in his life has led him to taking drugs. Through multiple flashbacks of previous moments in both his and her lives, we see the true reality of their lives and how they are far from the stereotypical characters everyone assumes they are. They end up walking out of the woods together, walking away from their problems and changing the way that they judge people at first glance.