Main Task - Evaluation

As Level - Final Production Coursework

Chase Task:

Preliminary Task:

Preliminary Task Evaluation:

Main Task:

Main Task: Evaluation

Evaluation Podcast:

My Progress this year:
I feel I have progressed massively over the course of the year. I am a lot more technically knowledgeable now than I was at the beginning of the year, or even at the end of the preliminary task.
I believe I have learnt a lot of what is necessary to make media products, and to analyse them. I have learnt the components of a media production and what level of quality is required from each of these components to attain a quality media product.
I have learnt a lot about lighting in particular, as I have learnt the 3 point lighting setup and how this can be adapted to suit a range of different scenarios & to achieve a range of different effects. Specifically to school productions, I have learnt how to effectively use the lighting kits, which will also allow me to use other lighting equipment in out of school productions. I have learnt a lot about a range of technologies, which I believe will put me in good stead for the future, as I am now much more capable and fluent in the use of media-based technologies, or technologies that are fundamental to the creation of media products.
Most of all however, I believe that I have grown in confidence as both a media student, and as a creator of media products. I now have a lot more self belief in my ability to create a media product, so am therefore becoming more experimental in my production creation. This will be helpful for my future as a creator of media products as I will try bigger & better things, and will strive to achieve a higher calibre of final product.

If I decide to take media at A level, i would aim to be more imaginative with the productions. At AS level i played it quite safe and I think this has held me back from achieving a good grade. I would like to continue to develop my ability to edit, as I believe the better I get at this, the better my films will look. I would also put a lot of effort into furthering my ability to complete the technical roles such as the use of the cameras, lights & sound as i think these would improve my ability to create video productions on the whole.

Diary Entry 17 - Voiceover Problems & re-editing

I have spent the last couple of days trying to get hold of Mr. Ockenden, who we had arranged to provide our voiceover for us. Unfortunately he hasn't responded since the e-mails at the beginning of the month.
Because of this we have had to find someone else to do our voiceover.
We have asked Daniel Olaofe to provide the voiceover for us as he can do a good american accent that will match the tone & style of voice that we are after.

I have also finished editing the film (apart from the voiceover) making several changes, including the recommendations we received after people had viewed our first draft, including adding in city sound effects & replacing the original audio of the bang on the door with a more film noir stylized sound effect.

I will add the final video to the blog by tomorrow evening once we have acquired the voiceover.

Main Task - Costumes Used

During the production our Protagonist, Cole Kelso, played by Graham Hewitt wore the following costume:

• Crisp White Shirt
• Plain Black suit jacket
• Skinny black tie
• Smart Black trousers to match suit jacket
• Smart shoes

The clothing was all worn in a 'scruffy' way in order to show the character to be in a mess of a mental state, obviously not caring about what he looks like. However, the clothes also indicate that he is quite wealthy, and if he were at his best, could look quite smart, giving an impression of a slightly upper class character. The fact that the shirt is crisp & white, although scruffy, is an example of how the costume portrays 2 facets of Kelso's recent life. The portrayal of both of these is vital in assuring the audiences understanding of the character.

All costume components were slightly old in comparison to the modern style alternative of each component. We did this in order to authenticate the mise-en-scène we were trying to achieve.

My Contribution to the Production

To date, my contribution to the creation of the production 'Candi' is as follows:

Pre Production:

• Completed the RECCE
• Created &/or Acquired Props
• Co-Created the screenplay 
• Completed the scene plan
• Created the character bios
• Created the shot list
• Created the production schedule

Production:

• Directed the production

Post Production:

• Acquired the voiceover
• Edited the first draft production

I will also, from now be:

• Editing the second &/or final draft of the production
• Exporting & uploading the final production in a suitable format & onto Youtube

Candi - 1st Draft & Audience Feedback

The first draft for our production 'Candi' is shown below:

We presented the first draft to an ensemble of 9 Media students, & 2 media teachers and gained the following feedback:

Notably good points:

• Camera Shots
• Audience liked the extended takes
• Lighting

Notably Bad Points:

• Shaky camera for some shots

Potential Improvements:

• Some shots are unnecessarily long (may change opinion when voiceover is added)
• Some shots could cut straight to the action (door bang for example)

Diary Entry 16 - Editing Progress

To date, the first edit of the opening scene of 'Candi' is almost completed.
The clips have been edited in the correct sequential order, the continuity has been checked & ensured, the music has now been added, as too have the credits. I have managed to retrieve the sound for the banging of the doors & other miscellaneous sounds that are necessary to the scene that was seemingly unrecorded during the filming process. This seems to not be the case.

One thing that is missing from the first edit is the voice over. Without the voice over, the scene makes very little sense to the audience as they gain no information into who the person is, what the storyline is, what he is doing, why he seems so distressed etc. The reason the voice over hasn't been added is that we're still awaiting the digital recording from Mr. Ockenden, which we should receive at any point over the next couple of days.

There has been little trouble thus far in the editing process, other than the fact that as a group we are a little unhappy with the quality of some of the shots, but unfortunately that is all we have to work with now.

Diary Entry 15 - Voiceover progress

Today I e-mailed the script to Mr Ockenden so that he can record the voice-over for the opening scene of 'Candi'. I slightly adapted the final script, adding in directions for him when recording the voice-over. They were mainly just pauses in certain places throughout the script so that we can cut & rearrange the clips so that they fit in with what is being shown in the scene & do so seamlessly.
The e-mail i sent is shown below:

Main Task - Research - Credits

In order to get an authentic Film Noir opening, there has to be a strong attention to detail. This includes the often overlooked fundamentals such as the credits.
Before adding in the credits during the editing process it's vital to know what style the credits should take. This includes the font style, size, placement, colour/tone and also the length of time that the credits actually stay on the screen for. This includes the production company logo that we plan to merge as part of the credits (like in many Film Noir movies).

Examples:

Sunset Boulevard

Double Indemnity

  The Third Man

This Gun For Hire

 After reviewing the credits of many Film Noir films, in particular, these four clearly defined the conventions of Film Noir credits.

Noticable similarities:

• Cross-fading text or text fading from nothing,then back to show just the backdrop shot one after another
• Bold, simple fonts
• White fonts
• Embossed letters (especially on titles)
• Recurring use of '.....' to separate the person from their role in the film
• simple backdrops with little notable action (road, zither strings, book, silhouette)
• Use of logo (whether it be a part of the credits or separate like the paramount pictures logo that has the same backdrop in several films)
• Text is regimented (either centrally/staggered/left-to-right)(never scattered)
• Relatively simple fonts used

Noticable Differences:

• Film title isn't always a part of the credits, but is part of the shot instead (e.g. sunset boulevard)
• Placement of text (some centred, some staggered etc.)
• Text size
• Style of text (dependent on the type of film & what suits the film generally
• Credits aren't always at the beginning of the film

On this basis, it is clear that in order for us to achieve an authentic 40's & 50's Film Noir look about the credits in our film we need to adhere to the majority of the similarities noted above, and think carefully about what differences we can &/or need to have within the credits of our film, in comparison to the original Film Noir blockbusters.

Diary Entry 16 - Editing Progress

After finding out that the computer would take longer than the weekend to fix, and is still not fixed, i had to move the raw files onto another computer, then start the editing process again from scratch.

I have now got up to the same point I was at on Thursday afternoon, with just a basic layout of the film, with the continuity ensured throughout.
I am yet to add the credits, but will do this tomorrow or later today. I have also e-mailed Mr. Ockenden the voice-over script & will add the voice-over as soon as I get this from him.
The progress of the editing is shown below:

Diary Entry 14 - Editing Problems

Just before finishing the first phase of the editing process, Premiere Pro crashed & will now not open to any file, including the project(s) from which I was editing our film.As the raw footage, the project & the encoded files are on seperate drives, I am limited to that computer, so it isn't possible to continue with the editing on a different computer.
I will now have to wait until tomorrow (friday) to complete the editing process.

If this problem takes longer than the course of the weekend to resolve, it will put the group substantially behind schedule. If the problem is unresolvable it will put us even further behind as i will have to start the editing process again.

Voiceover Acquisition

After some research & asking around past media students & Mr Sheppard for someone to contact about getting a good quality american accented voiceover. I was told to speak to Simon Ockenden. He had past experience providing voiceovers for short Film Noir movies like ours and was highly regarded by the team for which he provided the voiceover & Mr Sheppard.
After taking a look at last years students' video, and hearing his voiceover, i decided he would be perfect.

I got his contact information from Mr Sheppard at school then sent him an e-mail outlining what we would like him to do.
The e-mail & the reply is shown below:

Diary Entry 13 - Editing Phase 1 & plan

Today I began editing the clips we filmed last thursday. Today is the first day I have had free to do this, which has put us slightly behind on the editing front, as I expected to had atleast made some progress on the editing by now.
I have got a base from which to edit from, with the clips basically edited together, trying to gain some continuity between the shots.
Once i have finished compiling the shots & sorting the audio I will send the voiceover script to Mr. Ockenden so that he can record the voiceover which can then be added in with the footage at some point next week.
Between now & then I will start to think about what sort of credits would be best to use in the scene, and create a production team logo to incorporate into the credits.
I will begin to look for some Film Noir-esque music to add in also.

Pre-Production - Lighting Certification

In order to use the lighting kits provided by the school, which we knew we definitely needed for our production, one member of our team had to gain a lighting certification which proves that they have all the knowledge & training in how to use the lighting safely & competently.
Due to the fact that William wanted to be in charge of the lighting when it came to filming the production, he was the one who got the certification. The certificate is shown below:

Pre-Production - Production Schedule

The production schedule that was dispersed to the cast & crew on 28th February is shown below:Candi Production Schedule

Diary Entry 12 - Filming

On Thursday 1st  March the team collectively filmed all the scenes necessary for our production; the opening scene of 'Candi'.
We got all the shots we required & are satisfied with the outcome of all the shots. We are now ready for the editing stage of the production.

I will follow up this post with a separate in-depth post about the filming process & the rest of the pre-production material that is not currently on this blog will be posted in the next couple of hours.

Pre-Production - Storyboard

The storyboard for the production 'Candi' is shown below.
The storyboard was drawn & annotated by Christopher Howard, based on the finalised script (created by Christopher Howard & Michael Raucci) & the final plan - Candi (opening scene), (created by Michael Raucci)

Pre-Production - Risk Assesment

The risk assessment for the filming of the production 'Candi' are shown below.
The risk assessments were carried out on Tuesday 28th February 2012 by William Hewitt, then overlooked & checked by myself on thursday 1st March.

Document 1 -
General risk assessment for all aspects of the filming phase

Document 2 - Risk breakdown for all aspects of the filming phase

 Document 3 - General risk assessment for the lighting during the filming phase

 Document 4 - Risk breakdown for the lighting during the filming phase

Pre-Production - Screenplay Analysis

The screenplay Chris & I have written between us contains many typical film noir elements as we decided that we would stick to the conventional style of film noir movie.

The most noticably Film Noir-esque section of the screenplay is the voiceover dialogue. This follows the typical 'cool, calm & collected' style that is used in many of the blockbuster Film Noir movies. It contains many elements of social depression, such as the fact that the character the voice over is talking about (infact himself) is 'washed up' & 'drowning his sorrows','hiding from the world'. In conjunction with this, references are made to things such as the 'New York Police Department' & the fact that 'New York City isn't the glitz & glam it's cracked up to be' establishing the fact that New York City is the setting. Setting the scene through the voiceover rather than what is being shown on screen is very typically used in Film Noir, as well as the use of urban settings - like New York City.
The fact that Cole Kelso (typical 50's style american name) is a reporter (with detective abilities that far exceed the NYPD) follows the trend of the use of conventional character types such as reporters, detectives etc. as well as the fact that during the voiceover it establishes that Kelso frames 'mobsters' - a typical type of character used particularly in Film Noir. Usually a villainous type of character.
The main characters in the screenplay also follow the conventional Film Noir style:
Male protagonist (Cole Kelso) epitomises the 'anti hero convention that is often used in Film Noir movies.
Femme Fatale (Candi) is the reason for the downfall of Kelso. She is beautiful, yet cunning & manipulative
Main Villain (John Bekowski) fits the typical villain stereotype portrayed in many Film Noir movies.

Overall, I believe the screenplay Chris & I have ultimately achieved follows many of the conventions of Film Noir movies. This was done deliberately in the hope that the audience interprets the 'common ground' between this opening scene & other Film Noir movies, giving it an authentic & realistic feel, so that they enjoy it in the same way they would enjoy any other Film Noir movie.

Main Task - Production - Lighting II

3 point lighting is a basic setup used regularly in film & photography to light subjects & scenes. The three point lighting setup allows the user to create a range of different lighting styles, giving different effects for each, and also allowing a large margin for customisation, meaning the lighting can be easily manipulated to fit the set, subject and intended effect.
The 3 point lighting setup uses, as the name suggests, 3 lights. They can be used simultaneously, as pairs, or singly, depending on what effect you are trying to create.
A typical 3 point lighting setup is shown below:

Key Light - 

In each of these instances, the key light has been used to illuminate one side of the actor's face, leaving a shadow to the other side of his face. This gives the audience enough information to interpret who the person is, but leaving a sense of darkness & mystery.

Fill Light - 

In this picture, the fill light has been used on its own to gain the effect of having one side of the actor's face dimmed/showed.

In this picture, both the key & the fill light have been used. This lights the whole face of the subject, but leaving the back of the subject darkened. This makes the lighting look unnatural, urging to the audience that the focal point of the shot is the front of the subject that is lit. Could be put to good use when the facial expressions of the subject are are important.

Back Light - 

Lighting the back of the subject gives a strong sense of mystery to the shot, especially if shooting from face on to the subject. In this shot, the back light has been used at a slight angle in order to partially illuminate one side of the subject's face. This will give an even stronger sense of mystery, as few of the subject's facial features will be illuminated, but at the same time ensuring there is enough light to give contrasting shadows and outline the subject's face.

All 3 lights (key, fill & back) - 

Using all 3 lights simultaneously gives the shot strong enough lighting for all aspects of the subject to be seen clearly. The 3 lights, together, give an effect of natural lighting, even if there is no natural light present. 

Lighting combinations/other effects - 

In some instances, one light can be used to achieve two of the three point lighting effects. For example in this situation, the actor on the left has the key light directed on him, lighting one side of his face, giving the typical effect. However, this same light is also lighting the back of the actor on the rights' head, giving the effect you would achieve from a back light, but slightly to the side. This is useful when the light is wanted to look artificial. Depending on where you film from, many different effects can be obtained from using 1 light on 2 subjects.

Safety Considerations:

• Work at height
• Don't shake the redhead
• Power lead must hang down
• Make sure the barn door is level with one of the legs of the stand
• Don't use outside (unless occupied at all times in good weather)
• Always use a surge protector
• Never use an everyday extension lead
• Make sure the light is at least 1m away from any roof
• Wear gloves when in a close proximity of the light (when it has been on a while)
• Use your common sense

Do's & Dont's 

• Man the light at all times when outdoors
• Always switch the lights off when not in use
• Make sure the lights are facing parallel with one of the legs of the stand
• Use the gloves when the light is hot
• Never look directly into the light
• Warn others when the lights are being turned on (urge them not to look - twice)
• Always work with the light at low level, then extend it afterwards
• Always use the surge protector
• Never try and replace a bulb
• Include the lights in the risk assessment

Main Task - Props used

The use of props in our film will improve the authenticity, making it seem more realistic & 'of the time'  therefore improving the likelihood of a professional look and feel to the film.

The props we intend to use are items that are typical of either a writer, a smoker, or a general citizen of that era. They are:

• 50's style typewriter
• 50's style radio
• Old (expensive looking) scotch glass
• Genuine newspapers/newspaper extracts
• Non genuine newspaper articles that follow the plot of the film (to push the narrative)
• Although we had originally planned to use a picture of Cole Kelso in one of these newspaper clippings we were unable to due to time restraints, but instead used an archived picture of a New York crime scene.
• Old style ash tray
• Cigarettes
• Old style, reasonably expensive looking writer's desk
• Dark Old style wooden chair (with leather upholstery)

Shoot Pictures/Information

Yesterday (March 1st) we filmed our production. Overall, I believe it went well, we got all the shots we needed to, without having to re-shoot the shots too many times.

One thing we didn't anticipate was the amount of time it took for the shoot. We originally allocated from 18:00 to 20:00 for the entirety of the shoot, but it took us a lot longer than that due to the fact we had to empty the entire office, moving a large amount of furniture & removing all of the 'modern' items in the room, then reversing the procedure after we had filmed in order to get the room back to how it was when we arrived.

Due to restricted transport we had to arrive at around 16:30, which meant a lot of waiting around, before we could start filming, as we had to wait until it was dark in order to get the right lighting arrangements. We arrived on location at 16:30 & left the location at 21:30.

We set up the lights behind some frosted glass, that Graham sat in front, then the desk was placed accordingly. This gave a less harsh light, but still gave a Film Noir-esque look about the scene, especially the first shot of the desk, and the direct shots of 'Kelso's' face, as the back light is slightly smothered by the frosting of the glass, giving a soft shadow to the front of his face, while still lighting the room enough, adding mystery & lighting the scene at the same time.

Graham did very well in terms of acting, he improvised very well and acted the scene exactly how we wanted him to. We were a little restricted with the filming itself, as Chris was struggling to get a smooth movement on a few of the shots, leading to them being slightly shaky, but a slight shakiness is to be expected due to the fact we didn't have equipment such as a dolly for shots like the arc around the desk, so had to do a handheld alternative. Hopefully we can overcome any shakiness during the editing process.

A few pictures I took during the shoot are shown below: