Research

Primary research - this is when you go out and find the news yourself. This could be interviewing members of the public about a news story asking your own questions to find out information without relying on other people. This could also be questionnaires.

Secondary research - this is when you use other peoples research (using the internet, books etc). This is a lot easier but the research may be bias or incorrect.

SHORT film..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE26lB5DLSw

Conventions -

• sounds of waves hitting the water - sense of realism. 
• old man shot - its like a horror film where we are looking to the side of him 
• wooden stick in the water - we know what happens even though we don't see the shark eat the dog. - then we see the sharks pov
• music of the shark - conventional - reminds me of super hero films or the film physco 
• editing - conventional because i think there is nothing i didn't expect. 

format - 

• feature film - single camera 

narrative structure 

• lots of tension with shark 
• i think the film isn't dragged out but it doesn't happen too soon. 
• I feel it happened in good time

mise en scene - 

• costume - every on the beach is wearing yellow, the barrels are yellow. everything seems to be yellow when something bad happens. This shows yellow is the colour of danger in jaws.
• natural lighting, either lighting made to look realistic, not too sure

SAVING PRIVATE RYAN 

• opening shot - as he gets closer, the aucestric music gets louder. 
• as the starts to cry, the sound of the waves begin. he starts to remember making him cry more making the waves get louder. then it cuts to the beach scene. 

QUANTUM OF SOLACE OPENING SCENE -

• music gets louder 
• reaches a high note, then cuts to a roaring engine of the aston martin, builds lots of tension 
• cuts shot every second, extremely quick making it exciting for he audience
• the sound would of been recorded after. 
• the car is made to look majestic 

BOTH FILMS

• all sound would of been filmed separately 

•   11

Soundtrack - Worksheet 1

There are many different ways of listening to a soundtrack. Listening on a phone is extremely different to a 5.1 surround sound system. Listening on a phone is a much lower quality, this means you won't hear some subtle sounds as clearly as you would on a surround sound. Earphones are generally a low quality of sound. Earphones are used to hear the sound but as a much lower quality, things such as dialogue will be fine. Its action scenes that require a high quality sound for all the little sound effects and sounds that have been edited. 5.1 Surround Sound is a system that has 6 speakers. They will be placed around the room (behind, in front, left, right, and diagonals) to make it sound like you're in the film. 5.1 is used in theatres and cinemas.

I watched the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan.

Most of the sound in this scene is non-digetic. I think the only sounds recorded on the day may have been the dialogue, everything else would have been added

Devising and Planning a Soundtrack

When considering sound, i think it would be necessary to consider the director, editor, sound manager, producer. They will tell the sound recorder what they want and how they want it to sound. This way the sound recorder has a high knowledge of what they should be recording. Once the sound has been recorded, the director will decide if thats what he was looking for. Once a the film is locked, the sound will be added to the film then they'll work from there seeing if it works & what they need to change etc.

Spotting - is where you mark the points in a rough cut of the film where you want your chosen soundtracks

Picture lock - is where the film is locked so the soundtracks can be added and synced.

I am using natural sound from the wheels of the skateboard and general background noise to make it calming and realistic. If the sounds don't sound right or there is something wrong i plan on downloading someones soundtrack.

I originally planned on adding soundtracks to the natural sounds but once i watched the footage back i realised that the sound was at a really good quality and there was no reason to film it separate.

Preparing for my single camera drama i considered recording my sound in the studio. I did a soundcheck using a boom mic and realised the sound in this room wasn't good at all. This is because the room is rather large. This means the sound has to travel further causing the sound to be week at a poor quality. I could try to prevent this by using the curtain as a wall, this will increase the quality. Outside the studio is the college main centre which is very loud and echoey. I tried a boom mic and a clip mic, the boom mic was a little bit better depending where you directed the microphone. I had trouble using the clip mic, the mic was very faulty as it didn't really pick up sound particularly well. Even when speaking into the mic it would barely pic it up. After realising this, i stuck with using a boom mic and a blimp. (I used headphones to listen back to the audio).

Evaluation

I am disappointed with my final project. I didn't manage my time properly not allowing me to spend time getting the footage i wanted. This made me rush things. It didn't help that all of my actors have days off of work/college when i have college, it made it very hard to find the time to film. Even when he booked the day off of work there was a film in our locations we wanted. The stormy weather was spread across my local town not allowing me to film anywhere else causing a massive problem. I considered changing my actor to someone else but my storyline was to do with a skateboard meaning he'd have to ride it. I tried contacting other people i know that can skateboard but we was in the same situations as before, they wasn't available. We finally found time to film but that was only 2 hours before he headed to work early in the morning. 

   As you can tell, i didn't stick to my schedule plan with my filming. I did my pre-production on time but i had to change it to fit my film. I had a script which i didn't use because i didn't film all i wanted. Once editing the clips i had, i realised i had no dialogue, i didn't have time to film anything else because i was low on time and my actor wasn't available. This made me have to record a voiceover to fit my edited clips. I re-edited my footage to fit my voiceover making a running of 1:50. 

I am extremely disappointed with this project and i will learn from this and its made me think about my planning and sticking to that plan. Although i messed things up pretty badly, i still managed to change my film and hand something in. At some points i didn't think i would even have edited because i was running out of time. 

Script

Rob: When i wake up, i don't feel right. its almost as if I'm not myself anymore. Sometimes i think why do i even bother. Its got bad, real bad. I lost my friends, family. No one even bothers with me. The only thing i have left, is my skateboard. When i ride my skateboard, no one can control me, I'm myself. I can go where ever i want, i'll just keep rolling. Its become my best friend, maybe my only friend. i don't know . 

I can always skate, its what i do. But people don't get that, i get told to grow up, but if I'm having fun, i dont want to grow up, cos life without my skateboard, just sounds wack 

Im just known as a kid with a skateboard, just because i dont have a job, doesn't make me a bad person, does it? 

I spend most of my time outside now, its becoming my home, sometimes i just stay out until midnight, sitting there thinking, i want to be happy, i want to change, but i like the way i am, so should i? i dont really know what i want anymore if I'm honest. I just want to be happy being me 

most people have become my enemies, i dont even know most of them, its like I'm beginning to hate the human race, i just need to be accepted, i think the world is disgusting. people are hating me, threatening me, making my life hell when there is someone out there who has got it a lot worse, i have food, I'm surviving, and thats what keeps me going. I want to help other people, people who are living on the bread line, but when i try, i get told to help myself first. 

The people telling me, are the ones that have never helped me, maybe the worlds just becoming a lot more selfish, maybe if more people were to help other people, the world would be a better place. 

But, you know what they say, "what goes around, comes around" 

Sam tech

Year 1 -  The media department only have one should support rigs. We currently have one should rig and it works rather well and is currently on sale from £199.99 to £59.99. Getting them now will be an advantage because its currently on sale saving £140. As we also have a lot of equipment which would work on this rigs. Buying 5 of these will come to £299.95. I think this is a good product for the price. We have 10 DSLR's so having 6 rigs will be a good amount for the camera we have.

Year 2 - We currently have 3 Go Pro camera's. We have the mounts but once you attach them to something you can't take them off. So i think having head traps we will very efficient and it will allow people to use to their advantage and film extreme sports or even if its just for someones POV. I only cost £8.99. Considering we have 3 Go Pros, having 3 head straps will be the right amount. This will cost a total of £26.97. I believe this is very cheep considering the amount of stuff you can achieve with this product. 

Year 3 - 

Soundtrack

Audience -

There are many different ways of listening to a soundtrack. Listening on a phone is extremely different to a 5.1 surround sound system. Listening on a phone is a much lower quality, this means you won't hear some subtle sounds as clearly as you would on a surround sound. Earphones are generally a low quality of sound. Earphones are used to hear the sound but as a much lower quality, things such as dialogue will be fine. Its action scenes that require a high quality sound for all the little sound effects and sounds that have been edited. 5.1 Surround Sound is a system that has 6 speakers. They will be placed around the room (behind, in front, left, right, and diagonals) to make it sound like you're in the film. 5.1 is used in theatres and cinemas. 

Preparing for my single camera drama i considered recording my sound in the studio. I did a soundcheck using a boom mic and realised the sound in this room wasn't good at all. This is because the room is rather large. This means the sound has to travel further causing the sound to be week at a poor quality. I could try to prevent this by using the curtain as a wall, this will increase the quality. Outside the studio is the college main centre which is very loud and echoey. I tried a boom mic and a clip mic, the boom mic was a little bit better depending where you directed the microphone. I had trouble using the clip mic, the mic was very faulty as it didn't really pick up sound particularly well. Even when speaking into the mic it would barely pic it up. After realising this, i stuck with using a boom mic and a blimp. (I used headphones to listen back to the audio).  

In my short film, i will be using soundtracks. At the begin i will use relaxing music, then it will drop to a much more aggressive piece of music. This will show anger within the main character. At the beginning of the film the main character will be skating through his neighbour hood over dialogue. There will be subtle music in the background. I am considering having it behind the dialogue, but I'm not sure if thats what i want. I'll either have it fade out over dialogue and then fade back in once the dialogue has finished.  

Actor contract

ACTORS CONTRACT

Robert Cooper

29 Crescent Avenue

Grays Essex

RM17 6JR

Randall Productions

12a High View Avenue

Grays Essex

RM17 6RU

Date 21/05/14

Dear Robert,

This letter confirms agreement that you will take the part of "Rob" in the film "Skate Home". This is the working title and the final name of the film may change. As you know, this is a low budget production and we are keen to ensure that everyone understands the basis upon which the Film is being made. If there is anything about this letter that you do not understand or you wish us to clarify, please do not hesitate to contact us.

1)You agree to be available to work during the filming period (“the Shoot”)

from 10am to 3pm 10/11/13  

2) You agree that the filming will take place in the following locations

Southend.

3) You agree to give over any rights you may have in the finished film "Hidden happiness".  This will allow us to distribute the film in any and every way we can.

4)  We will pay a fee of £0 a day for your performance in this Film.  The fee is payable within 28 days after the performance was given.

5) We will aim to ensure that working days are not longer than 10 hours.

6) We will do our best to ensure your health, safety and welfare during the Shoot.

7) We will have public liability insurance to cover you during the Shoot.

8) We will provide you with food and refreshments throughout the Shoot.  We will liase with you over your travel arrangements to and from the Shoot and either provide transport or pay travel expenses which we need to agree in advance.

9) We will be provide you with a VHS of the finished Film within 3 months of the completion of all post production.

signed by the actor signed on behalf of the company

date date

Shooting People Good Enough Contracts

These contracts are designed to be  ‘good enough’ for low budget filmmaking.  If you have a commission from a TV station or are making a fully funded feature film, you should seek to use the PACT contracts (Producers Association for Cinema and Television – www.pact.co.uk) which are based on full Equity fees and contain a great deal more details about exclusivity, overtime and repeat fees and copyright clearances.

These contracts are designed to be as clear as possible – no fancy legal language just plain English.  They have been drawn up in consultation with a professional media lawyer, Mark Lloyd.

The contract should be printed out on company letterhead.

2 copies signed by the producer should be sent out – one for the actor to keep and one for them to sign and return.

WHAT ARE THESE CONTRACTS FOR?

A contract is there to protect - to protect the producer and to protect the actor.

A contract makes sure there is as much clarity as possible between both partners so both know what to expect from the other.

You should always use a contract with your actors no matter how informal the shoot.  It will save you from the consequences of any misunderstandings or disagreements further down the line.

The Shooting People Actors Contract contains things that the actor promises to do – such as turn up.  These are covered in the first 3 clauses which start ‘you agree’

And things the producer promises to do – such as provide insurance.  These are covered in the last 6 clauses which start ‘we will’.

AT THE VERY LEAST

Shooting People members expect that at bare minimum, a producer will pay for travel and food expenses, provide a copy of the finished film and provide Public Liability Insurance to cover the crew and cast for any accidents during the production.

We strongly urge you to retain these elements to the contract, even if you amend or remove other clauses.

RIGHTS AND PAYMENT

Creative people such as directors, writers, composers and actors automatically own the rights to their own creative contribution to a film.  In order to sell or show a film the producer needs to control all the rights to the film.

On a fully funded production, the producer pays the actor money in exchange for which the actor assigns all (or some) of the rights in their work to the producer.

On low budget films the producer is often paying the actor a minimum fee or even no fee at all.  Yet they must still obtain the rights they need to distribute the film even if they simply wish to show it online for free.

Ideally actors will agree to assign all rights in a short film or low budget feature when they sign the contract.  Largely speaking these films do not make much, if any, return on their original budgets and those involved are doing so in order to progress their careers so asking for all rights to be assigned is a reasonable request.   However you may be forced to be specific about the distribution rights you want to clear with the contract – they are primarily cinema, TV, film festivals, internet, video and DVD.   

The draft contract is filled in with the Equity Film School rate - £36 a day - this does not legitimise your shoot in the eyes of Equity, these rates are intended only for film school productions, separate rates apply to low budget productions.  See the ‘Paying Actors’ FAQ for more detail on actors rates.  If your film is very low budget and your actors have agreed to waive their fee, simply remove this clause.

DEFERED PAYMENT CONTRACTS

Both producers and actors are aware that every low budget feature is a potential Blair Witch even though the odds are very low indeed.   It may be that you have an actor who you consider to be essential to the production whose agent is not prepared to sign away all rights for no fee or for only the Equity film school fee. In this case you may want to consider an additional deferred payment contract which promises to pay the actor more money if and when the film is a commercial success.  [see Deferred Payment Contract]

Reece Checklist

Recce Checklist

Name of location: My house ........................................................................................................................................

Things to take:	Complete	Notes
Camera	/
Mobile phone	/
Notebook, pen, PDA	/
Programme risk assessment form	/
Maps/directions	/
Student ID card	/
Brief	/
Checklist	/
Talking to people:	Complete	Notes
Confirm ownership	/
Exchange details	/
Explain intentions	/
Discuss fees/contract	/
Editorial policy	/
Are passes required?	/
Availability and timings	/
Local events	/
Dress code	/
Copyright issues	/
Children’s details	/
Transport/access:	Complete	Notes
Landmarks for directions	/
Neighbour disturbance	/
Risk of trespass	/
Internal access	/
Vehicle access	/
Toilets	/
Traffic control needed?	/
Shelter	/
Safety for hazardous environments	/
Tidal waters	/
Boats/safety	/
Camera/lighting:	Complete	Notes
Position of the sun	/
Window direction	/
Power supply	/
Size of location	/
Strobing	/
TV/computer screens	/
Is floor level?	/
Secure place for kit	/
Cables	/
Smoke alarms/sprinklers	/
Sound:	Complete	Notes
Listen	/
Traffic/roadworks	/
Aircraft	/
Electrical hazards	/
Schools	/
Weather	/
Background music/PA system	/
Air conditional/fridges	/
Wooden floors	/
Things for director:	Complete	Notes
Take photos
GVs/top shots	/
Cutaways	/
Backgrounds	/
Events	/
Additional contributors	/
Food/accommodation:	Complete	Notes
Eating	/
Hotels	/

Check to make sure you've covered all you need and write more notes if necessary