Positives
-Lots of reliable research (primary & secondary)
-Range of research methods
-Strong conclusion
-Good interview
-Justification of conclusion
-Clearly spoken
-Good use of statistics
Negatives
-Use image/video in presentation
-Text heavy slides
-Read out quotes
-Reading off board
-Explain what analog photography is for those who may not know
Tuesday, 23 January 2018
Friday, 12 January 2018
Case Study Blog
Interview Led Documentary
Similar style Interview Led Documentary
When shooting interview led video, I found it easier to plan in terms of pre-production and production. I thought this because you're able to capture the goings on with no main intention and shooting what's best in the moment. During the edit of productions like this the video can be driven by the interview and footage can be overlayed that relates to what's being spoken about.
When watching interview led production I felt that they have a personal and intimate feel, as it feels like the individual related to the video is talking you through it and narrating it in some cases. In the YouTube documentary above used as an example, the intimacy is conveyed by the close ups of the individual, in a similar way to having a conversation with the person. For this reason the viewer may feel more connected with this style of documentary compared to presenter led styles - there's no barrier between the viewer and the subject. The editing of these is usually quite fast paced as they cut intermittently between interview and b-roll, so this is effective in keeping the viewers attention and the tempo of the story high.
Presenter Led Documentary
Similar Style Presenter Led Documentary
Presenter led video is more challenging to shoot than interview led in my opinion. When shooting the documentary on amphibians above, we had to work with the presenter to give them lines and make sure they led the story continually throughout the shoot. It also meant that when filming different scenes we had to consider the presenter and their location in the shot with things such as continuity - which also affected the edit and order of shots.
After watching my presenter led production and comparing it to a similar short from Vice on YouTube, I found that this style of documentary felt more formal and report-like. In my opinion I find this is a more forced feel and not as appealing as something interview led. It doesn't feel like as much of a story as interview led productions and isn't as immersive. Viewers may still feel drawn in by this style of video as the editing is fast paced, although there are sections of explanation from the presenter at points which can change up the pace, slowing it down.
My production approach
I've decided that for my production I'm going to work with Max to create an interview led documentary on the topic of fashion design and streetwear. I chose this style of production because I feel like it's more appropriate for the topic to have someone 'in the know' talking throughout the video rather than a presenter who wont be as informed on the subject. I also find this style more fun to edit and interesting to watch as it gives the viewer a deeper insight into the individuals on screen, similar to having a conversation with them. I chose this topic since clothing and fashion is something close to my heart which is a big part of my everyday life. Furthermore my friend Aiden is a young, up-and-coming fashion designer who designs and manufactures garments independently which is a unique subject to present - and will hopefully draw in an audience. I also plan to include an interview with someone who is a consumer of fashion (more importantly streetwear) to give some contrast to the video and give viewers an idea of what the 'scene' is like.
I want to make sure that this production is of a high standard and watches well, captivating the viewer. To do this I will need to make sure I think quickly during production to capture the best possible shots as they happen, as you can't go for another take when shooting documentaries (as learnt in previous projects!). I will also need to think skilfully during pre-production to plan out effective questions to ask for the interviews and techniques to follow in order to get the best answers. Lastly I'll need to push my editing abilities to cut everything together into a professional looking and smooth running product. During this production I'm likely to face some issues and have to find my way around them, but I know that this and all of the other points I mentioned are going to push me and help me to develop as a producer.
Similar style Interview Led Documentary
When shooting interview led video, I found it easier to plan in terms of pre-production and production. I thought this because you're able to capture the goings on with no main intention and shooting what's best in the moment. During the edit of productions like this the video can be driven by the interview and footage can be overlayed that relates to what's being spoken about.
When watching interview led production I felt that they have a personal and intimate feel, as it feels like the individual related to the video is talking you through it and narrating it in some cases. In the YouTube documentary above used as an example, the intimacy is conveyed by the close ups of the individual, in a similar way to having a conversation with the person. For this reason the viewer may feel more connected with this style of documentary compared to presenter led styles - there's no barrier between the viewer and the subject. The editing of these is usually quite fast paced as they cut intermittently between interview and b-roll, so this is effective in keeping the viewers attention and the tempo of the story high.
Presenter Led Documentary
Similar Style Presenter Led Documentary
Presenter led video is more challenging to shoot than interview led in my opinion. When shooting the documentary on amphibians above, we had to work with the presenter to give them lines and make sure they led the story continually throughout the shoot. It also meant that when filming different scenes we had to consider the presenter and their location in the shot with things such as continuity - which also affected the edit and order of shots.
After watching my presenter led production and comparing it to a similar short from Vice on YouTube, I found that this style of documentary felt more formal and report-like. In my opinion I find this is a more forced feel and not as appealing as something interview led. It doesn't feel like as much of a story as interview led productions and isn't as immersive. Viewers may still feel drawn in by this style of video as the editing is fast paced, although there are sections of explanation from the presenter at points which can change up the pace, slowing it down.
My production approach
I've decided that for my production I'm going to work with Max to create an interview led documentary on the topic of fashion design and streetwear. I chose this style of production because I feel like it's more appropriate for the topic to have someone 'in the know' talking throughout the video rather than a presenter who wont be as informed on the subject. I also find this style more fun to edit and interesting to watch as it gives the viewer a deeper insight into the individuals on screen, similar to having a conversation with them. I chose this topic since clothing and fashion is something close to my heart which is a big part of my everyday life. Furthermore my friend Aiden is a young, up-and-coming fashion designer who designs and manufactures garments independently which is a unique subject to present - and will hopefully draw in an audience. I also plan to include an interview with someone who is a consumer of fashion (more importantly streetwear) to give some contrast to the video and give viewers an idea of what the 'scene' is like.
I want to make sure that this production is of a high standard and watches well, captivating the viewer. To do this I will need to make sure I think quickly during production to capture the best possible shots as they happen, as you can't go for another take when shooting documentaries (as learnt in previous projects!). I will also need to think skilfully during pre-production to plan out effective questions to ask for the interviews and techniques to follow in order to get the best answers. Lastly I'll need to push my editing abilities to cut everything together into a professional looking and smooth running product. During this production I'm likely to face some issues and have to find my way around them, but I know that this and all of the other points I mentioned are going to push me and help me to develop as a producer.
Wednesday, 10 January 2018
Test Shoots Reflection
For this project we performed some test shoots (both photo and video) in potential set locations. This was to get an understanding of the light in these areas and the space we had to work with.
Test shooting in the plane cabin made us aware that it's quite tight for space, meaning we need to be decisive with what kit we use in there and how we shoot it. We have lots of creative control lighting the scene as external light can be blocked out although we need to make sure we're effective with how many lights we bring in and use. A plus-side of the small space is that through the lens it's easy to make the cabin look busy and therefore more realistic. This also means we don't have to try and fill up the whole area with actors and on the day of the shoot it should be simple to organise them. On the flipside it can also be made to look larger than the area actually is - with these two effects we can play around with them to give a dream-like atmosphere.
With the cabin mock-up some creative and unusual shots can be achieved which have the possibility to confuse and disorientate the audience, which is perfect for our dream sequence. The perspective inside is quite unusual and theres lots of straight lines and shapes which give it a geometric feel.
Click this link to see a short cut of some shots we got in the cabin.
Another area we investigated was the salon in Bath College. We figured the reception here could be repurposed into a dentists reception for the short film. As shown by the photos it's a very large space and looks dull and bleak due to the empty walls. We wanted the location to be boring and mirror the character so this is perfect for the reception location. The empty walls also mean we can add relevant posters if needed.
The location looks industry standard for a reception and having this level of realism will be effective in making the short film look professional. One issue that we face however is the branding on the wall. This could either be removed in post production (which isn't ideal as ideally we'd like as little work as possible during post) or we could try to get shots which avoid showing this. Lastly, the wide space is successful in making the character look alone and isolated (as shown in the photo on the right). This helps to convey underlying feelings the character may be experiencing and atmospheres to the audience.
Test shooting in the plane cabin made us aware that it's quite tight for space, meaning we need to be decisive with what kit we use in there and how we shoot it. We have lots of creative control lighting the scene as external light can be blocked out although we need to make sure we're effective with how many lights we bring in and use. A plus-side of the small space is that through the lens it's easy to make the cabin look busy and therefore more realistic. This also means we don't have to try and fill up the whole area with actors and on the day of the shoot it should be simple to organise them. On the flipside it can also be made to look larger than the area actually is - with these two effects we can play around with them to give a dream-like atmosphere.
Click this link to see a short cut of some shots we got in the cabin.
Another area we investigated was the salon in Bath College. We figured the reception here could be repurposed into a dentists reception for the short film. As shown by the photos it's a very large space and looks dull and bleak due to the empty walls. We wanted the location to be boring and mirror the character so this is perfect for the reception location. The empty walls also mean we can add relevant posters if needed.
The location looks industry standard for a reception and having this level of realism will be effective in making the short film look professional. One issue that we face however is the branding on the wall. This could either be removed in post production (which isn't ideal as ideally we'd like as little work as possible during post) or we could try to get shots which avoid showing this. Lastly, the wide space is successful in making the character look alone and isolated (as shown in the photo on the right). This helps to convey underlying feelings the character may be experiencing and atmospheres to the audience.
Tuesday, 9 January 2018
Concept Art Reflection
In my sketchbook I have created a rough sketch of the main characters of the film, to get a feel for how they'll look and more importantly explore their costumes. For our protagonist we chose to show that he's an average young adult, who's not rich but not poor. Because of this he's wearing jeans and a grey t shirt. We chose the colour grey as sweat is easily visible on this colour of fabric, and at times in the production we would like to show that he's feeling anxious and nervous, so this is one straight forward way to do so.
Storyboard Reflection
As shown in the storyboards, the short film will mainly be focused on the main character - Luke, and the majority of shots will be fixed on him. The first few opening shots are wide to show the vast space Luke is waiting in and will connote the dull atmosphere to the audience. The intermittent close ups of the clock will convey Luke's distractions and nervousness, while at the same time showing time passing and giving intensity to this. When he enters the dreamscape the shots become closer to Luke to give the feeling of intimacy and connection to the character. Some unusual shot types will be used here too such as different angles and camera movements, to further display the dream 'world' and give a slight sense of unnaturalness. The final shots will replicate the first shots to show we're back in the real world and the same setting we started off in.
Hopefully by linking settings through shot types and conveying atmospheres through angles and camera movements, the film will be effective in engaging an audience and helping them to relate to the film.
Script Reflection
Dreamscape Project Script
The script for our group's short film is fairly concise as most of the film will rely on visuals. The short is made up of an eerie dream montage/sequence set in an airplane cabin, with scenes in a dentist reception before and after to give context. We made the decision to put emphasis on the dream sequence because this is what the project's main focus is. The points where we have chosen to use dialogue help to link the character (and audience) between the real world and the dream world through the airplane tannoy and the dentist receptionist whose voices are the same. We also link the real world to the dreamscape by using the same character for the dentist receptionist and the air hostess. Leading up to the shoot I hope to annotate this script and refine some aspects of it as I feel theres still improvements to be made.
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