Storyboard

Risk Assessment

1. Its around college areas so we need to be aware of other students.
2. Make sure equipment is placed out of the way to avoid hazards.
3. Misbehaviour can lead to injury via slipping, tripping or falling over.
4. Carrying equipment without gaining strain.

Script

Amy: You're late.
Alex: Im here now thats good enough
Amy: Have you got the information?
Alex: I wouldn't have shown up at all if I didn't.
*hands over envelope*

*Amy stands begins to walk out but stops by Alex's side* 

Amy: I will contact you within the next week. 

*Amy leaves* 

Location Scouting

 This is evidence of scouting for a location for shooting our sequence. I feel this to be a good location for our sequence because it has extra security outside the door which adds to the mystery/tension of the story. The corridor outside is very long which also allows for flexibility in how we shoot our establishing shot.

 

The above picture of an envelope gives a slight teaser about the story's detail and what it might be about. More teasers and behind the scenes to follow!

The Storyline of Filming

The filming of our sequence will consist of 1 minute footage. The short film is about Character 1 played by Alex entering a room holding an envelope. Once entered he will see Character 2 played by Amy sitting down with a table in front of her whilst sitting down on a chair. Character 1 will then walk slowly and then sit down and give character 2 the envelope.

The costumes will be casual rather than professional to create a more mysterious setting to leave the audience wondering what is in the envelope.


The purpose of the whole sequence is to create tension towards the audience and there are many ways to achieve this:

• Non-diegetic low booming bass sound that will be use you show signs of the tension beginning to occur
• Very few shots/cuts but they will consist mainly of medium close ups. We have chose this camera angle because it is able to show what the characters are going through upon body language and facial expressions
• It will have eye line action between the shots to show the connection between the 2 characters.
• We intend for the lighting to be a little dark but just enough for the audience to see what is going on
• In the beginning it will be parallel cutting and closing to the end will be cross cutting

Roles

  Camera operator - Eliott
   At least two people should take responsibility for filming.- Eliott & Amy

§  Storyboard artist/s (draws storyboard to group’s plans) - Alex & Eliott

§  Location Scout/s (selects locations and organises to shoot there) - Alex

§  Prop Manager (organises props for shooting) - Amy

§  Casting Director (organises actors where needed) - Alex

§  Director of filming (calls lead in and out to start and end filming) - Amy

180' rule

The 180 degree rule of shooting and editing is when the camera is kept on one side of the action.

 

 This image illustrates the rule, in order for the audience to easily follow the conversation/action happening in the sequence the camera should stay on one side of the 180 degree line. One technique used in conversation scenes is a 'shot reverse shot' each time they are used the eyelines of the characters will match if the 180 degree rule is broken the audience could become confused and be distracted from the dialogue due to trying to figure out who is looking at who. The only time the 180 degree rule can be broken is when it is a continuous shot around a character the camera must be recording well before and after it has crossed the line.

Match on Action

When there is a cut in the middle of any action or movement in the frame, the action must be kept continous to avoid disrupting the storytelling.

The Shot/Reverse Shot

The Shot/Reverse Shot definition by Alex Barker

The Shot/Reverse Shot is a film technique where one character is shown looking at another character and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. This type of technique is mainly used in a 2 way conversation between two characters but it can be done for more characters then two in the sequence. The Shot/Reverse Shot mainly consist of medium-close camera shots of the charters going back and forth. this is because the medium close up is able to show facial expressions and body language upon what the character is going through in the sequence.

preliminary task sheet

Media Studies Foundation Portfolio Dec – Jan 2012-13

Preliminary Exercise in Continuity Editing

AS Media coursework - COURSEWORK REPRESENTS 50% OF THE AS LEVEL What When Worth Main Task Opening to thriller film Jan – April 2014 50% Prelim Task Continuity editing task Dec 2013 – Jan 2014 You have to Complete and PASS Group task Group Task The Preliminary Task. The specification states that this must be: ‘ A continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue.’ The sequence must last no longer than one minute. This task should demonstrate: Match on Action Shot/Reverse Shot The 180 degree Rule You will also have to incorporate Music, dialogue and sound effects into your film All filming and editing must take place on campus, using College equipment. You will record your learning and processes on a group blog, which you will continue into the Main Task (the opening of Thriller Film).

Deadline

You will work on this in all of your Media Studies lessons between now and Friday January 10th 2013.

The final deadline for final edited film and completed blog will be one week after on Friday January 17^th.

Stage One

You will decide upon your groups. Groups must be a maximum of four students, and a minimum of two.

Stage Two

In your groups, you will revise the continuity terms referred to above, and ensure that everyone in the group understands what you are required to demonstrate in the finished product. 

You will set up your group’s blog, and begin to make entries on it.  The first 4 posts will be :-

Post 1) The Task

Post 2) The 180 degree

Post 3) Shot/Reverse shot

Post 4) Match on Action.

Post 5) You need to allocate all members of the group to particular tasks and blog these decisions..  The tasks that need to be done:-

§  Camera operator - assign the person most skilled at this to this task.

§  At least two people should take responsibility for filming.

§  Storyboard artist/s (draws storyboard to group’s plans)

§  Location Scout/s (selects locations and organises to shoot there)

§  Prop Manager (organises props for shooting)

§  Casting Director (organises actors where needed)

§  Director of filming (calls lead in and out to start and end filming)

It is likely that most tasks will be undertaken quite collaboratively.  However, if someone has particular skills, then utilise these.  This will be your 5 th post.

 

Stage Three  - Planning the sequence. 

Match the brief to a simple storyline – a lover’s tiff, teacher and pupil, job interview etc or you can do it in a thriller format.    

Location – Where will you film? Is it available? Photograph it for the blog.

Costume – be ambitious and dress characters appropriately

Props – again be ambitious.

Lighting – do you want to create a particular atmosphere?

Then start to storyboard the 1 minute sequence.  You will need to consider shot distance, angle and movement, transitions, and ensure that you cover the 3 continuity techniques mentioned. 

Your storyboard must use the correct format, and include all of the information shown on page 25 of your booklet on Moving Image Language. It should also include timing in seconds for each shot, and exact lines of dialogue, sound effects and or music alongside the shot/s that it would be heard. 

All this needs to be uploaded to your Blog – divide the posts up between the group.

Stage Four – before your film

Organise a time to do your filming.  Remember that everything has to “come together” – props, locations, costumes, make up. 

Make sure you have organised your all equipment (camera, lighting, tripod)

Remind yourselves of  – WHITE BALANCE, FRAMING OF SUBJECT, MAKING A SANDWICH,

Conduct a Health and Safety check – do a risk assessment for your shoot and record this on your blog.

 

Stage Five -  Start filming - You will be given only THREE lessons to film.

Shoot each shot several times, as well as from a variety of positions. Make absolutely certain that you have sufficient footage to edit successfully – a shortage of footage usually results in poor productions!!

Make sure that you allow plenty of recorded time BEFORE AND AFTER the part of the shot you intend to use.  Create a “Sandwich”.

Make sure the ‘rushes’ are on the mac network and saved in the appropriate file.  Check with Ollie or Sophie before saving your work!!  You have to Log and save footage immediately after filming – cameras memories will be wiped on return to the technician.

Record EVIDENCE of your filming process on the Blog – this is to prove that you made your film and that all members of the group were present!

Stage Six – edit your sequence. On completion, place your finished product in the “Completed Work” directory for your particular AS block

MEDIA STUDIES PRELIMINARY EXERCISE DEADLINES

EVERY MEMBER OF THE GROUP TAKES RESPONSIBILITY TO MEET THE DEADLINES SET. FAILURE TO MEET THESE DEADLINES BY THE GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL WILL BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY, AND MAY RESULT IN A STUDENT BEING ASKED TO LEAVE THE COURSE.

DEADLINE ONE: By the end of your second lesson. Posts 1 – 5 completed on Blog Storyboard Uploaded to blog – explanations provided Risk assessments completed All planning processes blogged – Props, Locations, Make up, Hair, Costume, Actors, Lighting, Filming Schedule. “Key things to remember about filming” - Post on your blog (WB, Sandwich, Framing)

DEADLINE TWO:  By the end of term Finish filming ‘rushes’ AND log these to the mac network, saving material in the correct folder. Evidence of the filming process on your blog. An evaluation of your filming – what went well, what didn’t and why?

DEADLINE THREE: By the end of the first week back after Christmas Holidays Friday 10thJan. Image and Sound editing should be completed. Blog evidence of your editing decisions and discussions. This will be your last lesson allocated to editing. Any further editing will need to be completed in your own time and completed by the final deadline below at the very latest.

FINAL DEADLINE – FRIDAY 17th January.  FINISHED PRODUCT MUST BE SAVED TO THE COMPLETED WORK FOLDER – AS Prelim 2013-14/AS BLOCK ?/ Your full names. GROUP BLOG MUST BE COMPLETE TO FINAL STAGES

NB AS THIS IS AN EXAMINATION REQUIREMENT, ALL STUDENTS MUST COMPLETE AND PASS THE PRELIMINARY EXERCISE BEFORE BEING ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO THE MAIN TASK FOR THE FOUNDATION PORTFOLIO. THEREFORE, ANY STUDENT NOT ABLE TO TAKE PART IN THE ABOVE PROCESS TO A SATISFACTORY DEGREE WILL BE ASKED TO INDIVIDUALLY COMPLETE OR SEPARATELY UNDERTAKE THE TASK AS A MATTER OF PRIORITY ON THEIR RETURN TO COLLEGE.

Key things to remember

• Always reset your white balance when repositioning your camera
• Consider the framing
• Give yourself time to capture and log footage before returning camera.  Follow the tutorials saved to the desk tops of the i-Macs.  Camera memories are wiped immediately on return to a technician.
• To log onto network – CONTROL K, Media AS as both username and password
• Never take out equipment without booking out
• Always return equipment to a technician.
• Always create a film sandwich “Camera Rolling”: “Speed”: “Action”: “Cut”: leave running for few seconds.
• Record each shot several times
• Label each shot with whiteboard (“Take one , take two” etc)
• Once you have logged and captured footage, SAVE into appropriate file – AS Preliminary Task 2013/Block ?/Your Names.
• Each time you edit your work, SAVE AS a new version, thus “Version two”.  That way you build up a record of the process that you undergone and you have a backup of your work should a file become corrupted.
• Save work every 5 minutes
• Use your Tripod unless you have reason not to.
• You need a £10 deposit for equipment

Health and safety – don’t put yourself or others at risk:  No Hoodie’s or stalkers:  No weapons.  If using lighting, follow necessary precautions.  Don’t leave the campus.  Please be mindful that other students will be in lessons.  Leave any settings that you use, as you found them.

Your Blog – blogs have a particular format.  Rather than walls of text, you should adopt a multi media approach.  Use lots of embedded video, import images, hyperlinks, write text as bullet points, use sub titles, etc.  Be creative!