PROJECT 3

PROJECT 3

The groups roles in the Short Film

Irene Gall - Director / Cinematographer / Writer

Keshyia Rhodes - Sound mixer

Olivia Silver - Costume Designer

Georgia Loveridge - Producer / Actor (Persephone)

Liam Manning - Assistant Director / Actor (Jeanette)

Skye Putwain (me) - Actor (Dan) / Editor (of my edits)

Short Film - Escape

Script - Escape

This is the script my group and I creating our short film from. This script was written By Irene Gall, who is taking the role as the director for our short film. 

First Location Reece Sheet - Classroom

 Classroom Location -  Not Suitable 

For this task, I had to create a reece sheet to analysis whether this classroom setting was suitable for my group's script. This allowed me to visually check whether it would suit our scene and safety check whether the location was appropriate for the actors and team to work there. Overall, this location was not suitable as it was in an indoor setting that restricted the natural sunlight my group and I want for our short film. The location also lacked in vegetation which is a priority part of the setting that we need for our short film.

Photo Storyboard - First Location

For this task, I had to take photos act in photos when capturing the storyboard images. This captured the shot by shot image of the scenes in our script. The shots in the storyboard are in order of the scene.

Shot Types - STORYBOARD

These shot types establish the shots used in each frame of the storyboard. This prepares and organises our visuals of the shots before shooting/filming. 

- wide shot 

- close up 

- mid shot 

-over the shoulder 

- close up 

- mid shot 

- over the shoulder 

- wide shot 

Risk Assessment - Location Field

For this task, the producer in our team had to create a risk assessment sheet of the location (field) that we chose to shoot at. This helped prepare us for any health and safety regulations in the future, when shooting.

 N/A - Not an issue.
YES - Allowed. 

 Copyright - N/a
 Violence - N/a
 Offensive language - N/a
 Release forms - YES
 Filming permission - YES
 Royalties - N/a

Release Forms - The release forms state is a legal document that states that the actors on set and included in the film have given their permission to be filmed.

Filming Permission - The locations in which the film set is shot in are all allowed/legal. This legal document states whether the location chosen for filming is allowed to filmed in.

Violence/Offensive language - Our short film is a PG and therefore is allowed to be previewed to children. Although there are some illegal actions (stealing) in the film, we represent these actions as something to be looked down upon and not follow. This will help encourage the youth, and those watching not to steal.

Recce - Location Field

For this task, we scouted a location we wanted to film and analysed whether it would be suitable to film/shoot at. This location was suitable as it was an ideal outdoor setting for our script. And there was little risks in that location. 

Shot List - outside Location 

This task was to devise a shot list of our short film. I created this shot list to clearly break down the shot by shot of what happens in each scene. This included the character's movement, shot type, shot nagle and the day and int or ext the shot is set in. 

Costume/Prop List

Costume

Dan character - Skye

Dark hoodie, jeans and beanie.

Jeanette - Liam 

Blonde Wig

Persephone - Georgia

Casual clothes, messy edge. 

Props

Sandwich, Lanyard and Phones.

Makeup

Dan - Skye 

Dark under eyes, pale skin. 

Liam 

Eyeshadow (drag style).

Equipment - used in Short film 

Zoom mic 

Sound kit 

Tripod 

Camera 

Dolly 

Grip stabiliser 

Legal and Ethical

These two sheets describe how my group and I's short film is legal and ethical. The legal and ethical is important as it is one of the documents that shows how the film is suitable to be viewed to an audience and won't cause conflict or abuse towards anyone's race, gender, religion etc.

Location Change and Script Changes

My group and I had technical difficulties when having our location set in a field. We changed the location to a new location (classroom). The classroom setting worked as a better location because
 our equipment was not harmed by the weather or mud. The script was shortened as well due to timing towards our final edit.

Second Storyboard - New Location ( Classroom)

This second storyboard shows the shot by shot of each scene. The images are screenshots from the rough edit. The second storyboard visually shows the shot types that are used in the short film, as well as the mise-en-scene of the scenes. The second storyboard also shows the change in location that my group and I chose to re shoot our short film in, as originally it was located in a field, not a classroom.

Shot Log

The shot log is used as a breakdown of the footage and how good its quality is. Both including audio and camera shots. This is incredibly useful when choosing the footage you want a short film. My group and I created a log shot for each page of the script, to use when editing our footage. This shot list is based upon the footage

Rough Edit - Short film Escape

For this task, my group and I had to use one of our scripts (we voted) on the script titled Escape. My group and I chose our roles in creating the short film. My role was to act as a character called Dan. We also each had to create a rough edit of the short film, this was important as we reviewed the rough edit and thought on what we could improve on for next time. As my group and I are re shooting our short film to improve the scenes that were poor in the rough edit. 

Here is the link for my rough edit of the short film.

https://youtu.be/2y4xGfuWop0

Feedback - Rough Edit

- The same shot types are repeated too much 

- Audio cuts and the wild track volume is too quiet 

- White balance was too low

- Costume change was very obvious and looked visually choppy
- Keep actors in same position as their positions change 

Consider the requirements of the project, were they clear?
The requirements for the project were quite clear, as I knew that I my group and I had to devise a short film from our chosen script. However, the requirements for the deadline were misleading as I was told the deadline was on a different day and then told again the correct date. Overall, the requirements were clear I just wish that the deadline date was clearer.

Did you hit the deadline?
Yes, I hit the deadline for my final edit. However, I believe there is some need for improvement with the short film. As it lacks in a diverse range of shot types, action and the lighting is very bland. I believe my group and I should re shoot some scenes by including some close ups and experiment with different lighting to create a more interesting visual. Re shooting our short film will also allow my group and I to add some action to the script as it is a very boring plot, by adding action it will add a more interesting structure and visual to the short film.
Did you work outside lessons at all?
Yes, I worked in the library during some breaks to hit the deadline and organise the scenes and audio for editing the short film. This helped me as I was able to hit the deadline successfully because of the extra time I put into my editing. I also worked at home, to create the title sequence for the final edit, using After Effects on Adobe. For my title sequence I included images that were related to the setting and actions that are taken place in the film. For example, the three shadow image in the title sequence, is a visual that resembles the three character's escape, in the actual film. This visual also foreshadows to the audience the actions that are about take place. Another visual in the title sequence I used that related to the film was the close up of the coke bottle. This tells the audience that the object is something of importance, as it eventually is revealed in the film that Jeanette (protagonist) has stolen it.

What process did you go through to make the film?
My process for the short film included post production, blocking, shot list, log listing and editing. My group and I firstly began the shooting process with blocking the location of the short film. Our first location was a field, however due to weather it was an unsuitable location as the mud and exterior noises interfered with shooting so we decided to change location to a classroom instead. The classroom gave a more secured location and had better lighting too. 

After blocking I devised a shot list to specify the types of shots we wanted to include, as well as the objects and actions that were included tin the shots. The planning process of our film was unorganised and lacked in communication as I felt we could have planned more shot types and detail to lighting. I also believe we could have increased action in the script. Only until after filming, we realised the script and footage were lacking in excitement and creativity. After blocking we starting filming the short film using the script to work off as it too had shot types printed upon it. However, when shooting we had issues with timing throughout. Due to the timing our shooting process became rushed as we also suffered with punctuality issues. Some actors were late to filming or not present, this slowed the shooting process as we couldn't film all our scenes that day without the actors, which delayed the production process. Another issue my group and I struggled with was direction from the Director. The Director wasn't clear on the shot types and how we as actors should approach the lines in the script. I also believe my acting could have improved as I felt I had no emotional connection to my character, this therefore meant my performance lacked in depth and expression.

Overall, when filming our five page script the duration of filming half a page would take around three hours. My group and I decided that if we were to continue shooting the five page script, we would not be able to hit the deadline. To hit the deadline, I chose to cut down the script to three pages to speed up our filming process. By doing this, it helped quicken the filming process and allowed us to finish our rough edit of the short film successfully within the deadline time frame. 

Once we cut down the script and finished our rough edit, my group and I planned re shoots. To re shoot scenes for our short film we needed to plan. My group and I decided on re shooting and adding some scenes, in order to improve the film. One of the re shoots we filmed was the opening scene of Jeanette (Liam's character) running down the corridor. We also chose to experiment with a POV shot of Jeanette running, to create a more stressful and panicked visual for the audience watching. My group and I also shot four new scenes when re shooting, the scenes that we filmed were of the ending (the three character's running). Our reasoning for this was to give more of a conclusion to the plot, as its title is 'Escape' and we wanted to include more action too. The scripts dialogue is mainly dominated by the three characters discussion of an escape, we felt showing a visual of this would finalise the film and give the dialogue more purpose. To conclude, I believe the filming process was poor and my group and I lacked in communications and planning. However, once we re shot scenes and added scenes, the quality of footage improved and the creative visuals added more sophistication to the final edit of the film.

Which part has the best lighting, sound, acting?
The lighting overall was poor as my group and I did not experiment with the natural light in the scenes. However I believe there was one scene the had the 'best' lightning. This scene was the high angle of Persephone (Georgia) and Dan (myself) sharing dialogue. This scene had the best lighting because it showed good white balance and the lighting was a consistent. Although for the other scenes we changed the white balance, the lighting was still generally boring and had a yellow tinge to it. 

The sound alike the lighting had only one 'best' part in the short film. Overall the sound had technical difficulties as my group and I had to use a zoom mic instead of the sound kit that we would usually use, for most of the filming process. The zoom mic created an echoed sound with the audio, this made all the edits dialogue (audio) sound strange and have an unrealistic sound. The best sound was the dialogue shared in the close up side shot of Persephone (Georgia), this was because my group had access to a working sound kit and the audio input level was at a good level (around -6 dB). The dialogue shared in the scene was sharp and clear and therefore was the best audio/sound we captured, out of the whole film.

The best acting that was captured in our short film I believe was between Dan (played by myself) and Persephone (played by Georgia). The particular scene with the best acting as the awkward and confrontational dialogue shared between Dan and Persephone, filled the atmosphere one of the last scenes, as it captures their friendship and personalities perfectly.
Which part would you re-shoot?
I would re shoot the scenes of Dan, Persephone and Jeanette sharing dialogue as I felt we over used the same shot type of O.T.S throughout the scene. To add a more visual to the scenes I would include some close ups of the characters reactions and use different angles to reflect their dominance or lack of control in the film.For example, a high or low angled close up of mid shot. I would also re shoot the scene of Jeanette (Liam) entering the classroom, instead I would have a wide tracking shot of him running down the hallway in dis stress to give a reasoning and back story of his actions (stealing). This would also create more action in the film too.
What would you do differently next time?
Next time, I would plan the shots and location in detail. This would speed up the production process and allow my group and I to be punctual and focused on the filming process. With the planning I would make sure each person in the group knows the details of the plan, as it would allow more focus and quicken the post production process of filming. One of the ways I would improve next time would be to gather everyone's visual and creative ideas to have a more collaborative film. I would also edit the script as I believe it could be improved. To improve the script I would change some of the dialogue as I some of it felt it lacked purpose. I also believe there needed to be more action written into the script, this would give the film a more enticing and interesting plot. Next time I would make sure there was reasoning behind the character's body language and how they convey their personalities through this. This would allow the actors to become more connected to their characters, as well as show the audience the meaning behind the characters actions.

What five edits do you need to do next? 
My group and I need to edit the ending of our short film next, as there is no visual conclusion to the film/plot. In order to do this we must shoot a scene of Liam's character (Jeanette) my character (Dan) and Georgia's character (Persephone) running from the school/classroom (location in the film) as it will finalise the story and the action links to the dialogue the three characters shared throughout the film. Two other edits my group and I have to do is add an establishing shot to our introduction (of the film) and add a high angled mid shot of my the characters Persephone and Dan talking, as it will give a more artistic look to the visuals as well as set the location for the film. One of the other edits I have to is add music to give dramatic effect, in order to do this I am using GarageBand to create a song for the film. The final fifth edit I have to do next is create a title sequence for the opening of the film, my reasoning for this is to have a sharper and a more create visual for my final edited film. I also wanted to create a title sequence to establish the style and characters in the short film too. The title sequence will allow those who are watching to have a snippet of the plot before watching the film.
What emotion are you trying to convey?
When performing as my character Dan, I struggled to convey different emotions as my only direction was that he is quite depressed and has a low monotone voice. I felt I conveyed my character's sadness poorly as I had no other emotion to draw from, or give reason as to why he felt depressed. Overall, the emotion i was trying to convey was sadness and isolation, but I felt I could have been given more direction and personally expanded on Dan's personality. The film overall is trying to convey a comedic and dramatic emotion, through the characters divided personalities and their mischievous actions. In order to portray this successfully, my group and I need to be true to our character's emotional tone and exterior self (body language / expression), as well as be specific with our shot types e.g (high angle reflects character's feelings of being belittled and inner isolation).

What five sounds that would help? 
A sound that might add a more emotional and depressive atmosphere to the film would be a heavy piano bass, to do this I would use Garage band and draw influence from similar sounds online to convey the emotion realistically. My reasoning for a depressive sound is for the audience to not only have a visual of my character's sad body language and expression, but also hear a similar tone to give a more atmospheric scene. Another sound I would use would be a synthesised pulsating wave. My reasoning for this is to create a heavy and fast heart beat effect. This is because our short film has  two action running scenes, and a heart like pulse beat would add tension and drama to the scene. The two other sounds I would use is a door slamming and a voice over of the teacher character saying 'oi' as it would give a more realistic yet subtle sound to the scenes.


Schedule your week of editing and re-shoots
For the next four lesson my group and I have to re shoot our short film, we are planning to film a action scene (running wide tracking shot) of Jocelyn (Liam's character). To give back story to the plot, as well as shoot some angled close ups with the dialogue scenes, to make a more interesting visual for the audience, as well as express the character's emotions and dominance with the different angles. My group and I are also adding an escape scene (three protagonists running from location) to the end part of the film, this is to give a finalised action scene to the film and plot.


Practical - get to final edit by the deadline (Monday 9th December 2019 - 14:35pm)

Second Rough- Short Film Escape

Here is the Youtube link to my Rough edit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew-2rOcEJOc&feature=youtu.be

Final Edit

Here is the Youtube link to my Final edit.

https://youtu.be/VfByP9QPZA8

Evaluation

What was your favourite shot? Why was it so good?

My favourite shot out of the whole film was the high angled mid shot of Persephone (Georgia) and Dan (myself). This is because I felt the angle captured the emotions of my character, as he felt hopeless and unmotivated, it was as if the audience were looking down upon him physically.

What aspects of the visuals could be better and how would you have achieved this?

One of the shot I would have improved on is the tracking shot of the three character's exiting the classroom. I felt it looked messy and was visually disorentating to watch. To improve this shot I would have had a wide shot of each character leaving the room one by one, this is because it would capture/represent the characters emotions (for example I would have my character Dan leave last as he felt unmotivated). This would give relevance to the plot and characters. Another visual I would improve on is the POV Shot of Liam's character (Jeanette) running as I felt it looked messy and blurry. To improve this I would have a wide shot of Liam running towards the camera, to make the audience feel tension, intimidated as this add dramatic effect.

Do you think the sound design was up to a professional standard?

I believe part of the audio was up to a professional standard. For example, in the opening dialogue scenes, we had to use a zoom mic which created an echoed audio, this sounded unprofessional. However, later on in the film, the audio improved because we used a sound kit that captured better audio and sounded more professional.

What could you have you done differently when working with the group which would have had an impact on the final production?

I believe I could have improved on my script learning skills as I struggled to remember all my lines, this delayed the group work during filming, which impacted the production negatively due to timing issues.