Ben Kellett ~ Director | Research

When thinking about my role as the director, I thought it would be appropriate if I did some research into directors that are in the industry and are known for working on sitcoms.
I thought I would look into a director of one of the sitcoms we have used for inspiration throughout our whole project. We have used Mrs. Brown's Boys quite a lot as inspiration, so I thought I would look into the series director, Ben Kellett.

Ben Kellett

Kellett is a director and assistant director mainly known for Mrs. Brown's Boys (2011), Hardware (2003) and Swiss Toni (2003), and has been directing since 1998 - based on his IMDB profile.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0445843/?ref_=ttfc_fc_dr1

Kellett has always wanted to be and has been involved in drama throughout university, theatre and TV. He started off as a temporary floor assistant at the BBC, and he stayed there for 13 years and ended up as a producer, director in entertainment. 

His floor assistant job was for both comedy shows and entertainment shows, but he progressed into jobs such as AFM, location manager, production manager, assistant producer, and then director.

He mentions in an interview for Bafta Guru that he is influenced from all the comedies he watched as a kid (Dad's Army, The Good Life, Keeping Up Appearances) due to working on a few of them. He says "[it] was a great way to absorb the work and how it works and who does what and how it all hangs together in studio." and by having that experience it has helped him progress throughout his career. He follows up by saying "By the time I reached the dizzy heights of director myself, I had a pretty good idea of not only the people who were around me...[but] the way things worked." By having this experience, it means he knows what other people's jobs are like in a way, and that helps him become a better communicator with them as a director. Communication is the best skill to have as a director, so this skill can improve his own skill and reputation. 

Kellett says "You can't learn unless you do it." which is good advice to hear when starting as a director or any other job role in the industry. I know I haven't had much experience at being a director, but as long as I learn from my mistakes and the research I do, I can do the job in the best way I know how. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRQSKYrEeFc

One piece of advice I will take into our own project is comedy should be fun to work on. Kellett says "If [the project] is not fun to make, it [won't] be fun to watch." If we're making a comedy, I want the environment on shoot days to be fun and relaxing for both the crew members and the cast. That way, you can see on screen the humour that was involved, and that makes for a good watch. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/badults/ben-kellett

When watching Mrs Mrs. Brown's Boys you can tell that it's a directing in a way that shows realism but also highlights and emphasises the comedy of the story. There are also certain parts of the show, like when we see the characters messing up, where you can see the directors relationship with the production team. He has chosen to leave these parts in to create an extra sense of humour, but also to give the audience the feeling that they are in the studio with the rest of the audience. This isn't necessarily something I want in our own show, but I do think it works for a show such as Mrs. Brown's Boys. The humour is very much carried through the story and the dialogue with help from the actions and the shots used. This is something our show will follow the same lines of as we want the story to be clear along with the humour. 

After hearing what Kellett's influences are, it's clear that he has adapted to the old shows styles and interpreted into shows such as Mrs. Browns Boys, and this is something that I will do. All of the shows I have been influenced by on this project will have some sort of role to play in the making of this project, much like some of Kellett's jobs.

Overall, I feel like Kellett's style is keeping the acting quite natural whilst also emphasising the humorous aspects and showing off the characters personalities quite heavily, but not in an overwhelming way. 

I will use some of Kellett's acting technique as influence to my own, but due to him directing more studio shows, I won't be heavily influenced by him.

Changing the House Exterior Image | Development

Throughout pre-production we had a few problems with how we would show the exterior of Annie & Dean's house.
We started off with the idea of using my house as the exterior, but we all agreed it wasn't realistic enough to go alongside the interior we were shooting in. We then decided to use Laura's house as both the interior and the exterior as it would be a lot more realistic, but it meant we had to edit the house in order to make it semi-detached. We were originally happy with the turn out, but Simon wasn't as pleased as we were. We then went on to look at different houses that we could use for the exterior but we weren't convinced that they would look realistic.

After the pre-production unit we kept looking, but we all decided that we were going to stick with the edited exterior of Laura's house, as we thought it was very realistic and it matched the interior.
However, Nisserin and I looked at the image once more, and looked at the footage we took during one of our test shoots. We decided to edit the footage in order to see how we would achieve the edited look in video form, and what we would need to do during editing.

Nisserin edited the image on photoshop and we discussed adding in extra touches like the flower beds and different colours to the doors and so on. At this point we still haven't decided what car will be Annie & Dean's, so we might have to reshoot this scene and then reedit it, but for now we're using this when editing.
One of the comments made by Simon was that the house was too large, and it needed to be smaller and almost squashed. I reminded Nisserin of this and she minimised the size of the house, making it seem a lot smaller than the original. The angle we were at when shooting this scene was effective also, as it diminished some of the houses size.

I'm really happy with the final outcome of this scene, and I think it will work really well within the edit, it will work smoothly with the rest of the footage we will shoot, and it minimises any problems we might have with matching the interior and exterior.

The Last Dish Logo | Development

After doing the cooking show logo research, I felt confident about creating a logo for our cooking show and making it look realistic. I started by doing a few designs experimenting with the fire aspect and the simplistic theme.

The first logo I designed focused around the aspect of fire, which would seem similar to shows such as Hell's Kitchen or any Gordon Ramsay cooking show - he uses the fire theme quite a lot within his shows. Due to our chef character being a spin off of Gordon Ramsay, I thought I could use fire within the logo so that the link is clearly highlighted.
However, when editing this logo together, I found that I didn't really like the way it looked. I liked the main image of the dish being held by a hand, and the text being on top of the dish, but the fire didn't really suit the composition of the image.
So I decided to come up with some new designs.                                              
                                                                                                                                 1st Design

                                                    2nd Design                                                                      3rd Design

I wanted to keep the colours of fire involved in the logo to keep the fire theme constant, but that didn't work as well as I would've hoped. However, the second design had a good sense of simplicity which was similar to the real cooking show logos that I researched into. The third design had the same colours, but I used fire paintbrushes and kept it secluded in a circular shape. However, after finishing the design and showing it to others, it was decided that it looked too much like a pizza of some sort, which isn't what I was going for.
It decided to stick with the 2nd Design, but after listening to others opinions, I experimented with a selection of different colours.

I started off experimenting with the primary colours of red, yellow and blue.

I then tried the secondary colours of green, orange and purple.

I showed all of these options to friends, family, and the other two in the group. I got everyone's opinions and the two designs that came on top were the purple design and the orange design.
Thinking about our props and the black t-shirt that this logo will be printed onto it was decided that the orange logo would stand out more and that's the logo we prefer.
The next step is to get transfer paper & the t-shirts, and print & iron the logo onto the t-shirts. We can also think of a way to animate this logo for the advert we will be creating.

Script Table Read | Development

Recently we had our first script table read with all of the cast and most of the crew.
Laura arranged this after the break and came up with a schedule explaining what we will be doing and how the day will pan out. She sent that to the actors and then to us, so we were all aware as to what would be going on. When the group of three met together, we adjusted the schedule slightly so we were all happy with what we were planning on doing, and so we were effectively using the time we have with the actors.

We decided we would do the script read through a few times to get everyone used to the script and follow the tips that Simon gave us in an earlier lecture. We also decided to take some photos for the posters and the title sequence, meaning we will need to set up the green screen before the actors arrive. This means we won't need to arrange another day to get the actors in for pictures and we can kill two birds with one stone. Laura made sure the actors bought in some costumes for us to look at and to wear for the pictures.
At this point, Laura managed to find a make-up artist who is actually a relative to one of the actors, and we all agreed that she would be a good addition to our production.

To prepare for the day, I made a plan that I could follow on the day so we're not wasting time and we're using our time effectively.

On the day, myself and Nisserin arrived relatively early to set up the room, the green screen and the camera. However, due to having to wait to collect our equipment we only managed to set up the room; moving the chairs into a circle, bringing a table into the room for food placement, and prepping scripts and other bits of paperwork for all crew and cast.
We decided we would need to set up the green screen once the script table read was complete as we didn't have enough time to collect equipment, set it up and do lighting placement before everyone arrived.
Once crew and cast had arrived, we layed out the food on the table along with drinks and plates, etc. We also offered the cast any hot drinks before we started, so they could get comfortable and chat with one another. Having this time for actors to converse, it meant they could create their own bonds and friendships with one another, and in turn that would create good chemistry on screen. It also means, when it comes to shoot days they can get on with one another during takes and camera resets, and we won't need to worry too much about the actors being bored.

The first thing we did was introduce ourselves and one another to make sure we knew who everyone was & what their part of the production is. I then went through what I wanted the tone of the show to be and how I wanted their performances as characters to be like. This gave the actors a solid and clear idea as to what I wanted from them and what the tone of the show is. This will hopefully help when it comes to shoot days as they will have a clear idea as to what I want their characters to be like and what their acting technique should be.
Laura then went over what the shoot weeks will be like, and how things will work in terms of timings, lunches, travel, etc.
We then started on the script read through. The first time round, using Simon's tip, I read the actions along with the actors dialogues. This helped as the actors were able to hear the actions which would give them an idea as to how the scene will play out when it comes to shooting all the way through. However, one downside to doing this, which was mentioned after the read through, was that the reading of the actions constricted the flow of the dialogue and the actors acting. This made the read through quite stagnated and distorted in the way the actors performed with one another.

Once the first read through was over, I asked everyone in the room if they had any suggestions for adjustments in both the dialogue and the action. Throughout the read through, I made notes as to how the actors said certain lines and what words they changed, but I also asked them if there were any lines of dialogue that had the wrong syntax. They all gave their opinions, and gave good suggestions to add to the comedy of the show and the way words were worded. We went through any lines that didn't make sense, and if anyone had any questions we answered them and discussed them with everyone. By having this open discussion with all the actors, it allowed us all to understand the script and show a little more, and also help us see how the actors all work.
I really enjoyed this part of the script read through as we were able to listen to the actors opinions and make some changes in order to make the script the best it can be. I also thought it gave us some time to get to know our actors in terms of working ethics and how their dialogue would sound like within the show.

After the open discussion, we did another read through - this time without me reading the action in the script. This gave us a really good idea as to how the scenes would flow and how fast each scene would be in terms of when the actors are speaking their lines. I also mentioned, that during this read through if the actors had any concerns with the lines they were speaking we would discuss it there and then. I would also give them a hint as to how I was thinking the line could be said in terms of emphasis and other factors. We spent a good amount of time on this, just to ensure that everyone was happy with the script, and it was very effective. We then moved on to the contracts and the taking of pictures.

As Laura was getting the actors to sign contracts, myself and Nisserin put together the green screen and lights. Once it was set up we took the pictures for the title sequence, the posters and extra ones that could be used for props and potential BTS pictures. Nisserin made sure to get as many photos as possible so we wouldn't have the problem of getting actors into the studios again for extra photoshoots. When we took all of the pictures we wanted, we were done with the day and the actors, so they were able to go home whilst we cleared up and sorted out the importing of the photos.

Overall, this table read was very successful and effective when determining how the actors worked together and how they sounded reading the script. It was really rewarding to hear how the script sounded out loud and it was useful to hear the actors opinions on it. I am very happy with how it went, and I think we all bonded really well as a team. We could've been a little more prepared at the beginning with having the food already set up, etc, but it wasn't too much of a problem.

Cooking Show Logos | Research

As part of our preparation for props, there were a few that needed to be made by ourselves and couldn't be bought from the shops like most of our other props. We wrote them down, and chose the ones that each of us were happy to do. I chose the cooking show logo.

Instead of going straight ahead and designing a logo, I needed to start looking at other cooking show logos to help influence our logo for 'The Last Dish'. The plan for this logo is to use it within the advert we will be making, and to print it on the back of T-Shirts that the crew will be wearing.

To start my research, I made a note of the different cooking shows I watch and other popular shows on the TV. I then research their logo and picked out a few different elements that I could see in all of the logos together.

 Masterchef Logos

These logos are quite simple and by not having too many elements they are easy to look at, as well as being recognisable. The colour is roughly orange, supposedly linking in with the theme of fire (which can be seen in the first logo), which can be seen as a symbol to cooking, which is what the show is all about. By having the dark black background, it makes the orange stand out and creates an image that will attract the audience.

Great British Menu Logo

This logo is also quite simple, and it has key elements that would immediately be associated with cooking, which is the main theme of the show. The background is dark making the silverware and the white colouring stand out, making the image eye catching.

Hell's Kitchen Logo

This logo is simple, but the background of the second one is quite loud due to the image of fire behind the text. The orange colouring is similar to the Masterchef logo, making it stand out and catching the audiences attention. The logo is clearly presenting the theme and tone of the show through the imagery of the triton and the colours.

It's clear from all of these logos that they all have an element of simplicity and have dark background colours in order to make the colouring on the actual logo stand out. I quite like the orange colour theme seen in the majority of these logos, but I also like the fire element in the last one.

Due to our TV chef being called 'Jordan Hamsay', and the Hell's Kitchen TV chef being 'Gordan Ramsay', I'm going to experiment with fire in the logo, so there is some similarity and identification with the famous TV chef.

I also like the idea, in the 'Great British Menu' logo, of using kitchen utensils in the logo. This gives a clear picture as to what the theme of the show is, and it makes the show quick and easy to identify.

I'm going to take both of these ideas and almost combine them when starting the design of our cooking show. I'm planning on making a few different designs and then seeing what the others think of them, and then we can decide together what logo we prefer.

Doing this research really helps in making the logo realistic and seem like an actual cooking show that could be seen on the TV, outside of the show we are making. It also makes sure that the audience watching wouldn't question whether the logo identifies a cooking show or not, as I know there are other real logos similar to our fake one.

Script Table Reads | Research

One of the first things we have organised for this unit is a table read/production meeting with our actors and crew. This will give them the opportunity to meet everyone and build relationships with one another, while reading through the script and adjusting lines of dialogue and more.

Before going ahead with this table read, I have decided to do some research on them. This is so I am aware as to what usually happens during a table read, and what I need to prepare beforehand.

Table reads are when actors gather together around a table to read the script aloud, and give the producers an idea as to what the final production will sound like. Usually when the writer is writing the script, they can only hear the voices in their hands, so by having actors speaking the lines of dialogue, the writers are able to adjust the dialogue to suit the actors vocabulary. Sometimes table reads are useful in getting project 'off the ground' by inviting investors and having good actors reading the script in order to sell the material.
https://www.actinganswers.com/what-is-a-table-read/
Table reads have many advantages; getting the cast and crew together so they bond, hearing the script being read by the actors playing the roles, and helping with the script development. They can sometimes be the make or break point for the actors that have been cast - if the director or producer don't like an actor(s) and don't think they are good for the part, they can fire them, so it's quite important in the development of the show.
https://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/casting-director-note/why-table-reads-are-just-important-auditions/

Once your script has a stable structure, plot and character issues, then a table read is the next step in adjusting and developing the script.
Before the table read, there are a few things that need to be prepared in order to make it fun and effective.
Firstly, you need to establish a location for the read. You need a big enough space to fit all cast and crew into the room, but it doesn't have to be somewhere specific - this means that you can use a living room or familiar place if you want to. Some people like to have an actual table for everyone to sit around, whereas others may prefer to be more casual and have couches or arm chairs to people to sit in. Either way, you need to make sure it's comfortable and a pleasant experience for the cast and crew.
Secondly, there needs to be plenty of food and beverages. Have some water on hand, along with other options such as juices, coffee and tea, etc. In terms of food, it's not necessary to prepare a meal for everyone, but make sure there are snacks for people to pick at and take when they are hungry. Snacks such as sandwiches and pastry would be a good option, but remember to cater to everyone.
Thirdly, be prepared with paper and pens. You might want to have highlighters, a stapler and other stationary tools, but you will definitely need a pen. This is so you can make any notes on your script and sign contracts and so on. It's also useful to record the event so you can watch it over and see if you've missed any changes or ideas the cast may bring to the table read.
Lastly, make sure you send the actors the final script so they are prepared before the table read. They need enough days to read it and do any prep work of their own for their role. This means, when they read the lines at the table read they know their lines somewhat, and they can prepare emotions and personalities for their roles.
http://www.scriptmag.com/features/write-direct-repeat-hosting-a-table-read-for-your-script

After having a tutorial with Simon, and telling him about our upcoming Table Read, he gave us a few ideas and tips in order to make it effective and interesting for the cast.

• Make sure to be in a good environment and have enough time for casual conversation.
• By having time for conversation it means our cast, and ourselves, will have time to get to know each other, making working with one another a lot easier and enjoyable. 
• Also the environment needs to make them feel relaxed and at ease, rather than uncomfortable and unhappy.
• We are planning on using one of our lecture rooms, and presenting some food, snacks and drinks on a table in the room, so the cast are free to eat whenever they want to. We will also layout the chairs in a circle so everyone can see one another, meaning conversation might come easier for all of us.
• The first time you read through the script, the director needs to read the actions along with the actors dialogue.
• This is so the actors know what will be happening between their lines of dialogue and also it gives the writers a good sense of what the show will look like in terms of acting and performance.
• When hearing this tip, I thought it was a really good idea so for our first read through of the script, I will be reading the action along with the actors. I think this will give us a good idea as to how the show will look, but also it will create some sort of structure to build off of.
• After the first read through, open the floor open for suggestions on dialogue or the script from the actors.
• It's important that the actors have some contribution to their own parts of dialogue, but also the actions. 
• This way they feel more involved with the project and it creates a better relationship between everyone in the cast and crew and also the script they will be performing.
• Make sure to record the table read - something the DOP will be in charge of.
• This is so we can look back through it and make notes on the script changes depending on the actors natural dialogue and syntax.
• It also makes sure we are concentrating in the moment rather than making notes and having everyone wait for me or Laura or anyone else to finish making them before carrying.

These tips are going to be really helpful, and we're going to make sure we take all of these into consideration when it comes to our own table read. I'm going to read the action parts of the script during the first read through, and then let everyone bring their own suggestions to the table about the script or characters. I think by allowing time for discussion it will bring us all closer as a team and we're able to bring more depth and development into the story and characters.

I'm looking forward to our table read, and I think it's going to be a big learning experience hearing the actors read through the lines myself and Laura have written previously. We're planning on booking out one of the lecture rooms in our base room and setting it up so there is an area of sitting and an area of food. It will be as comfortable and casual as possible, as we want everyone to feel relaxed and we want it to be enjoyable.

Production | New Unit

To start the second term of this year, we are starting the unit 'Production'.

For this unit we are to carry on with our work from the last 'Pre-Production' unit, and actual take it into production. Meaning we will be planning to shoot, shooting the script, and then editing it. Then once the video is complete, we will submit it and then watch it at a screening with the class and an audience.

Pre-Production Continuation
Carrying on with our project we are advised to continue working on the other elements of the production, until we shoot.
These elements should include the script, casting, crewing, locations and more, which can be changed and developed if needed.
The production aim should be highly produced and all the elements of the production need to e very detailed, in order to make the production effective.
The producers need to be producing and not doubling as another role. The directors must direct and focus on that rather than worry about props and doing other jobs. The DOP needs to focus on cameras and camera assistants rather than worry about other jobs that need to be done. All individual roles must be focused on and we mustn't take on other people's jobs.
The post-production period of the production must also be very detailed, and the editors must be involved prior to production, if they aren't already. The camera people also need to be involved in grading or the trailer, during post-production.

Me, Nisserin and Laura have decided to carry on with our 'Young & Famous' production and we will all focus on our own roles, rather than take on other people's jobs.
I'm very confident that our production will be fun, effective, and successful. As long as we keep the production going in the same manner as we did during the pre-production unit, I'm confident we will get through production in a positive and productive way.
We have yet to find a few crew members - such as a sound operator, make-up artist, photographer and music producer. During this production we are due to find them, along with one of the cast members that is an extra in the show.

For the submission we must have 1 complete major project production, a 2-3 minute extract of the produced video, 5 production skills and 1 production poster.
I'm excited for this unit and I know we will all have a fun time and be productive, in order to make this production effective.