Audio Task – E.T. Opening Sequence

Applied Production Skills, YEAR ONE, , ,

I thoroughly enjoyed Directing this task, it was something new and I now appreciate the amount of work that goes into good sound design. In pairs we selected one of three silent clips, and we created our own interpretation of the sound in the clip, with a mixture of our own recorded sound effects and online sourced sound effects. 

We booked a Zoom mic, because it is easy to use, and has a clear clean sound when used well, we then booked the radio room in order to get the perfect environment for sound recording without splash back. I gathered materials for the session to create sound effects, I brought  paper bags, plastic bags and fabric bags to get the sound of different nature textures, like twigs, leaves, mud ect. We had the footage on screen as we in turns rustled the bags to recreate steps in the woods. 

The room we were recording in was small and full of radio equipment, to avoid damage to the equipment or ourselves, we stood with safe distance from walls or equipment and did movements one at a time. The risk assessment was very basic due to the simple nature of the task, no heavy or large equipment, nobody but the group involved, the only thing ticked was access and egress for the small room. 

We then both sourced online soundbites that we couldn’t capture ourselves. Then edited the task together, the whole process was very pleasant partner work with Vangelis. I am very proud of the end result we have. 

Word Count: 258

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxLP1TtnYkC/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Keep Fighting – Cancer Documentary

Storytelling (Factual)

Contextualizing Statement 

This story is important to me as I know Yvonne very well, we worked together at Northern Hygiene laboratories, and it was devastating for everyone when we learned she was suffering from bowel cancer. When she announced to people that it was terminal I knew I needed to tell her story, I contacted her directly and inquired if she would be comfortable with me doing a short documentary on her, and she loved the idea. I informed her that I would be asking some hard hitting questions and I wanted to ask her daughters some questions and she was accepting of it all. 

Ethically I knew not to ask the girls any inappropriate questions that would be upsetting or confusing for them, them both being very young and going through a lot with their mother. I kept the questions on the positive side; “whats your favorite thing about your mum?”, “what do you like to do with you mum?”, and got good responses from the eldest Tia. 

I had major issues with the sound on the footage, I believe the mic was faulty, I made sure when I booked out the equipment to get a final sound tutorial one on one with a technician to make sure 100 percent I knew what to do. I wrote all the steps down, and took pictures of the wires and setting, I then mimicked this on the shoot but the sound was still faulty, much too quiet and grainy. I tried to fix this in post but there was only too much I could do before it sounded robotic and unnatural. 

My target audience age was quite general from 10 onward, because cancer can affect anyone, and then all the people around them, regardless of age. I wanted people to feel apart of Yvonne’s world for a second, to get a sense of what it is like.  

I chose a video format because I thought the audience would feel the impact of the story more if they saw the victim to the horrible affliction, and her daughters, I feel the tone wouldn’t as effectively been shown through text or audio alone. 

 

Word Count: 358

 

 

The 5 Year Old Pirate

Storytelling (Factual), , , ,

Contextualizing Statement

For my first documentary video, I wanted to create something heartfelt. To achieve this I thought about stories that were personal to me. My nephews are incredibly important to my life, so shortly after the brief was given, my sister told me about Thomas’ eye condition and that he would have to wear an eye patch, I needed to tell his story. This was the perfect story for me to start the module with because it was close to me personally, I had the resources and the motivation to try incredibly hard for my family.

The biggest issue I encountered was the camera exposure, I can admit that I am learning with the camera, and learning from mistakes. I filmed my indoor interviews, and then without adjusting the ISO or aperture, I took the camera outside for the beach shots. This proved a big mistake as the shots were too bright and over exposed, I could not redeem them in post and could not afford to travel home again to recapture shots. I used the shots as they were, and used more footage from my other locations to cover it. However I take it all as a learning curve, and in my next two projects I took more care in the camera settings when shooting.

I chose video as the media to showcase this project as I felt the visual aid of seeing the afflicted child playing and laughing would tug at the heart strings of audiences, and buy more attention. Then on a personal level I wanted this footage of my family for us all to enjoy as a family together. I knew not to ask Thomas any negative questions about the eye patch in case it upset him or put him off using it entirely, that would not have been ethical of me.

I targeted the older demographic, the parents. I filmed it more from the mothers perspective than the child’s, and captured how the situation effected her, hopefully other parents with children with issues will take comfort knowing they are not alone and there are things that can be done to help. 

 

Word count 355

 

Interview and Lighting Task – SU Elections

YEAR ONE, ,

For this  50 to 60 second interview task we were briefed by a client (the students union) to film a student candidate from the SU elections. Having a real client for the task made us want to a more professional standard. This was exciting for me so I took lead on the project. We were set a number of fixed questions to ask in the interview and one additional question of our choice. We researched the candidate early to base some questions around her course and interests. 

I made sure to make Hannah comfortable with the environment and group to ensure we got a relaxed and natural response, I introduced her to the questions prior so she could structure good responses. I appreciated learning about and using 3 – point lighting, and experimenting, and understanding the health and safety protocols, of notifying people on set when the house lights are going off, to avoid trips, and notifying people when the set lights are coming on, to avoid hurting or damaging eyes. I tried to preemptively set up the lights before the client arrived to make the job efficient and swift,  by having a group member sit down in front of the camera and we got the lights the way we wanted. However, I did not anticipate the height difference when the real candidate arrived, this meant we had to readjust the lighting. This is a lesson I will remember for future experiences. 

Word Count : 242

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxI4H8jH6iX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Photography Task – 6 Pictures

Uncategorized, ,

This photography task was a new challenge for me, although I feel confident filming shots with a camera, my confidence fades with photography.

We were briefed to get our own individual photographs that each showcased a different photography technique, such as; silhouette, reflection, long exposure, frame within a frame, forced perspective and shallow depth of field. I followed the subject of ‘nature’ because York has some good locations that were easy to access, with great greenery I could use. 

My struggle for the project was the Long Exposure photograph, my camera knowledge wasn’t enough, I had never tried long exposure before, so I updated my knowledge on the internet at ‘Digital Photography school’, and went out still (unknowingly) unprepared. I wanted a shot of the river flowing in motion while the surroundings remained crisp. However when I arrived to shoot at midday, the sun was bright and the over exposure of the shot was too much, ruining the pictures, to fix this I collected the rest of my photos until the sky was dark enough to get a decent picture. This was a learning experience, and although frustrating I did get my desired photo. 

The frame within a frame photo I enjoyed, walking I noticed an interesting curl in a tree, at the right angle you could see castle ruins wrapped in the tree branch as a frame. I emphasized this in ‘Photoshop’ by making the center of the frame much brighter and the surroundings darker. 

I am grateful for this task because it has forced me to learn more about these camera techniques, and I appreciate the importance of these skills for this course and my future film career. 

Word count 280

Long Exposure Photography: A Step-By-Step Guide (+ Tips)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxI5MOcHd_J/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Podcast Audio – Maria Lee Metheringham

Uncategorized, YEAR ONE, , , ,

 A short podcast with myself George Walker as the presenter, and actor, writer, producer and director, Maria Lee Metheringham, with her opinion on the role social media plays in her career and how ‘Generation Z’s’ should approach using it to their benefit.

Contextualizing Statement 

When I knew I was going to work on a podcast, I wanted to get a guest that was well spoken and accumulates interest with my course and the question being asked. Being a solo worker in this project my list was short of people,  however I did have one perfect contact that I am proud to have on this podcast. Maria Lee Metheringham is an inspiration for women actors and filmmakers, I had worked with her on previous projects, having built a friendly relationship I contacted her in the hope for her help. She was accommodating and happy to work with me. I knew a guest with such lived film industry knowledge would make an interesting podcast. I pondered the idea of bringing in a outside host however, I have the history with her,  it made more sense that I hosted it.

A problem I faced was not being fully prepared enough, I wanted soundbites from Maria, saying or shouting key director phrases like ‘Cut!’ or ‘Rolling and action’ to be able to edit an audio trailer of Maria, showcasing her abilities. However this idea remained in thought only as I forgot to record these phrases due to lack of written planning. I now make bold concise schedules and plans before every shoot.

The audience I am aiming for is ‘Generation Z’s’, they are the topic of discussion in regards to social media and its importance today. Also filmmakers or film enthusiasts, as she is an official actress that guest stars at horror movie conventions, and we discuss the importance of social media in regards to the modern day film industry. 

I chose this audio podcast for my platform because this conversational piece wouldn’t be aided from the use of visuals. I feel I gave an effective sense of surroundings from the audio journey from my house to hers. I thought it would be a unique way to start the podcast without the use or need of visuals. 

 

word count : 329

Shooting For Mobile Devises Task

YEAR ONE, , , , , , , , ,

Creating an Instagram video for photographer Curtis Padley

For this task we were placed into groups to create a 60 to 80 second video made for social media ‘stories’ modes, out of the themes of healthy living, social networking apps, and hobbies and interests. Social media we felt would be a difficult theme to film, and we had a good story for hobbies and interests. 

Our chosen story being about Curtis Padley and his Photography interest, we knew this was an opportunity to get lots of unique locations for shots. We planned a time scheduled route through the city and outskirts of York to get a variation of locations and shots to reflect the places his interest will take him. Knowing this was a Instagram stories video, we knew to film the footage with the camera on its side for a portrait frame designed for a phone.

Collectively we got an abundance of interesting shots to choose from, along with showcasing Curtis’ genuine work among the video. We all worked together on decisions, but being the director for the task I took the lead in planning and directing the shots captured, and made sure everything was conducted in a safe way, we followed of risk assessment strictly, 

Reflecting on the project I would have added more animations for the Instagram tag and animations to his social media so people could more directly follow him from watching the video. But for the Instagram ‘Stories’ feature I believe this to be a very effective video around Curtis’ hobby and interest.

Word count: 250

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxI3zIpHxKc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link