Task 1: UNIT 1-Part A
I've decided for my Arts challenge I will explore the role of directing and the more creative side of film development.
Wednesday 5th October:
This was our first session for the BFI film academy. Each of us came up with a colour, film genre, passion, item, sound, location and character which we wrote on sticky notes and stuck to a bigger piece of paper; we then all randomly picked out one post-it note from each section and wrote a story inspired by the given briefs.
these were the notes I took inspiration from.
This was then the story that was inspired by the notes I chose randomly. Although not a fully developed story, the exercise really helped me practice my own story making skills. I really enjoyed exploring more stylistic concepts of film and stories born out of random ideas.
Saturday 8th October:
For our second session our task was to move around in groups working on each story to develop it into having a working narrative structure and plot, perhaps including plot devices and more nuanced details to the story.
When we moved onto our final story to develop the previous groups had already changed the original idea of a serial killer to a cop who turns corrupt because of his love for a mafia boss' sister. We decided to condense this idea to make it fit into a 10-minute story and used a flow chart to map it out: A corrupt cop commits his final act of severance from his previous position of glory by killing his previous police partner in a shoot-out in order to save his girlfriend.
Our flow chart
However, in the end we decided to go back to the mind map created by the other groups to re-start our story as we decided our story's plot points were already oversaturated and overused in previous already existing films. We also discarded the romantic element of the film as we felt the thriller/ crime genre was more to our liking for a story like this.
Our 'log-line' for the new story. We liked the idea of an obsessed artist (here being a psychologist) and a copy-cat killer.
Questions this week:
1. what filmmaking skills do you already have or feel confident in?
-I'm pretty confident in story making, planning out nuanced details to the plot and basic ideas of production design and their ties to the concept of the film or story.
2.What filmmaking skills do you not feel confident in or what would you like to develop/try out?
-Tying everything up together to make sure that there are no loose ends in the plot or character details.
3.Write down some ideas for possible filmmaking challenges you could set yourself throughout your time on the BFI Film Academy
- to be able to make a story with no plot holes or character inconsistencies- making sure that everything makes sense within the context of my story.
4.What things might you need to consider when setting your challenges?
- my own lack of experience will affect my journey
We typed up our treatment at the end of that week's session:
Wednesday 12th October: Film History
During this online session we learn about film history:
-Thomas Edison and his invention for the Kinescope:
and why film studios moved from New York to L.A- Edison's Lawsuit
-The Lumiere brothers:
how they were a major influence in the early Film Industry
-Eadweard Muybridge: The first film ever:
how he used a collection of still images to mimic moving subjects
-Alice Guy Blache: The first woman filmmaker- 'The cabbage fairy'
we also learned about women's early roles in the film Industry and how relied upon they were
-Hollywood studio and Star system:
how Hollywood had major control over Hollywood star's careers and public images and sometimes exploited their stars in order for good publicity.
Saturday 15th October:
During this session the story we were going to make was decided. Each group pitched their treatment, the winning story then go picked: The time travelling story got picked.
Screenplay writing:
We then watched a short clip from heartstopper and in teams we wrote the character intentions, actions, set design change, sound, lighting, dialogue and emotions from the sequence on post-it notes. We then lined them up in chronological order to create a Screenplay.
This was really helpful as it broke down the basic structure of a screenplay, which would then help us when we had to write our own screenplays for our own short film
To start our screenplay writing session as a group first we came up with an idea of what a scene actually was and came up with this:
We then worked out what relationship we wanted our characters to have:
we decided on a sibling relationship as it would link to our overarching themes of selfishness and greed which we wanted to link with ideas of capitalism and materialism
after that, we worked out all the character details and how the sibling dynamic in their relationship would work with our narrative.
after that we charted out all of our scenes and worked through them altogether
Then we broke off into pairs, each assigned one scene to write a screenplay for until the end of the session. Me and my partner got assigned scene 7 which we typed up using '[insert application name here]'
The filmmaking skill I plan to try out during the shoot will be Camerawork and sound, I haven't done either of them before and therefore plan on trying to develop those skills, I'd like to try these things out of curiosity but I'm mostly looking forward to Directing as this is one of the main things I am set on.
TASK 2: Unit 1 part B
Wednesday 19th October: Film history session 2:
We looked at the differences of film in the 1930's, 40's, 50's and 90's. we looked at the development of films throughout the decades and how things like the hays code affected films; as films are a product of thier time we learned about the different influences and topics typical of each era of film.
Saturday 22nd October: Directing
To develop our story further we went around in groups working on different aspect of the film for 15 at a time before we swapped to the next thing, we looked at; sound and music, costume design, cinematography, casting and set/location. Each group imputed different ideas which helped make the film more authentic and inclusive to everyone's ideas.
Directing:
Two actors, came into our directing session, who then performed a basic 7-line scene. The script had no stage directions or directions regarding performance- this was to engage a creative approach to the scene which different people in the room had a go at doing. we learnt about 'result direction' and how it's not as effective or helpful for the actors on the part of directors as it can limit the performance as guiding actors through the emotion of the scene and intent and thought of the character can achieve a better result than telling your actor what it is you want the scene to look like in the end-result. We were taught that it's better to give your actors a 1) Motive, and phrase this as "'X' wants to..."
Monday 24th - Wednesday 26th: Shoot week
Monday 24th October: Equipment training
Sound:
We went through the sound and camera safety practices in our two groups which we'd be in for the different shoot days. First my group went through sound, we learnt how to record and how to put on/rig the equipment, we also went through their names and which ones are used for different occasions and how to handle each piece of equipment when using it. We then each rotated or roles to record a short dialogue to each have a turn doing different things as a part of the sound team.
Camera: after we went through safety practices of handling camera equipment, we learned the technical practices regarding iris settings and how to set up the camera when shooting. we learned about things such as black balancing and white balancing and exposure. Then in pairs we took turns resetting the camera and framing a shot whilst on the tripod so we could put these new learned techniques into practice such as: white balancing, focusing/focus pulling and exposure.
Tuesday 25th October: 1st shoot day
During the first part of the shooting session I was co-director, during scene 1.1. We had to look at cinematography in correspondence to the meaning we wanted to give to the scene, we decided on a master shot of Anna sitting down- to establish geographical location and create a sense of disconnect to human emotion as she sits in a dull, lifeless room. We then decided to have mid shots between Anna and Ivy to show that they are linked in some sort of relationship (sisterly) but the absence of closeups shows an emotional distance between them, complimenting the dialogue and directed performance. We also liked the idea of having over the shoulder shots over Anna to show how her perspective is very one sided in the situation. We then moved to handheld shots for the argument scene to create more of a sense of chaos and movement. Later in the day I then worked as a sciptee or continuity managemer when shooting scene 1.2. I then worked as the gaffer/grip, for scene 5, on the camera team- which I really enjoyed. As for this scene the directors and DoP decided on a static shot, using the tripod, I was on lighting, due to us shooting later in the evening. I used gels and diffusion on LED lights to motivate on-set lighting as directed by the cinematographer, Lucy, on set to help us.
Wednesday 26th Ocotber: 2nd (and final) shoot day
During the morning we shot scene 3.1, with me as DoP. After talking to the directors, we decided on a wide master shot with the camera on the tripod, then panning shot, a high angle over the shoulder shot, followed by close ups and finish on a low angle shot. During this I learned how to handhold the camera, rig it onto the tripod, changing camera lenses and spacial relationships between the camera and the subjects.
I then worked on sound for scene 3.2, I carried the sound mixer on a harness around the room, it was my job to record the sound and sort the sound files into the correctly named ones.
After this I then worked as gaffer/grip again, for scene 4. as we were in a completely dark bedroom I set up the lighting needed for the scene, I again used an LED with an orange gel to motivate the Lamp already in the corner. We also set up a key light on the other side of the room with diffusion over the white LED shine.
Unit 1 Part B Conclusion
Regarding the end of my arts challenging, I believe to have successfully carried it out and explored it fully as much as I could. I learned how to successfully light a scene, How to successfully shoots a sequence, especially one that requires such a variety of shots and techniques. I also learned how to successfully direct a scene. I mostly enjoyed working on the camera crew, which was something I didn't expect as it was something I hadn't thought I'd be interested in.
To achieve this the cinematographer, Lucy, who came in to help us for a few sessions, helped me a lot to achieve this as she helped everyone on camera crew.
Wednesday 2nd November: Film Ratings
During this session a ratings official from the bbfc talked to us about the process post-production teams have to go through to get the right ratings they want for their film. We learned that the bbfc works with many corporations such as Netflix to provide correct and just ratings for different films in order to be able to supply equally fair ratings for the viewer and the studio. Audience/public feedback is just as important as studio feedback as parents' opinions on content rating allows for a better viewing experience as it assures that the right audience is being accessed.
Saturday 5th November- Editing
During this session we learned about film editing and how the composition and syncing between sound and visuals is arguably one of the most important things when putting a film together and the importance of post production for a film. We edited on an app called daVinci which was very beginner-friendly. First we went through a step-by-step process of how to sync audio and visuals, then labelling and the organization of files and then the composition of a sequence. we learned about continuity editing or editing according to emotion. We did a small session of pure sound editing as the different sound files from different mics also need to be edited according to continuity in dialogue heavy scenes. Each of us then attempted to edit a small section of the film according to our own particular ideas.
Exercise 3: Unit 1 Part C
•Exercise 3: Unit 1 Part C - reviewing an arts event
•I went to see Living (2022, Oliver Hermanus) in the Vue cinema. The art form involved is obviously film and film production; I found the film was really well put together and thought out. It was really emotional which I found was because the cinematography was really well aligned to the emotional tone that the director wanted to create in each scene. I feel all aspects of film form worked cohesively together to bring emotion, sincerity and authenticity to the film, which I feel is a big achievement as the film is actually based off of the Akira Kurosawa film 'Ikiru' (1952). I also really enjoyed how the director, Oliver Hermanus, used a 4:3 academy aspect ratio as that was the aspect ratio used during the 50's; the usage of authentic urban footage from the 50's also added to the genuine atmosphere he wanted to create. Furthermore, the mixed usage of high key and low-key lighting adds subtle drama and echoes the dramatic performance and cinematic styles from the 1950's.
Unit 1: Part D- Industry day
We met six different industry professionals who came in to talk to us about their career and their personal experience into the industry, their pathway and their advice for young people looking to get into the industry. First we met: Andrew Oldbury; a senior development executive at Red production company, Luke Davies; a creative producer and founder of Polari and Jorja Lawrence Levy; a casting researcher working for studio lambert north. We then met three more professionals: Charelene Jones; a writer/director, Jack Benjamin Hill; a writer and director, Lissi Simpson; who is a tv freelancer and Indie filmmaker.
We discussed all the various ways of getting into the industry, through temp jobs such as being a runner on set, Jorja told us about her personal experience of looking for a job in the industry for over a year and how once she got one, many doors opened for her and things got much easier once getting at least one way in. I learned that further education isn't necessary to work in the industry but is a good way to make connections and benefit from the overall experience. Luke discussed the compromises you have to make when pursuing filmmaking with professional production companies as deadlines, budgets and audiences come into mind and start being a priority during production.
1) Research task: Describe the different types of people or careers involved in filmmaking
-Director: works with everyone on set, taking on their ideas and what they have to offer for the project and deciding what skill is most useful and fits the best with his and everyone else's creative vision.
-Continuity supervisor: works using the script and the director, making sure that what was in the previous shot is exactly how it was for the next shot to ensure a continuous sequence when editing in post production, making this a crucial job on set. they also work closely with the actor making sure they are also prioritising continuity when working.
-Actor: works in conjunction with the director, listening to what it is the director wants to portray in this scene and how it is they want to do that, a role relying a lot on communication and patience as the actor also needs to put their own ideas, and boundaries forward.
- Costume designer: works closely with the director and camera team as the director is finalising all the decisions made making sure they all work cohesively; they work closely with camera as both are very visual and therefore both ideas need to work well together when portraying the director's creative vision as colours, lighting and shape all need to look well together swell as the production design as well.
- Editor: works with the post production team, relies a lot on the footage and sound collected during production as if they aren't clean or cohesive it makes it very hard to edit a continuous sequence.
2) What future education, career pathways and opportunities are available to help you become a filmmaker?
There are many university courses around the country such as: film history and film production, there are also courses available to apply for such as BFI, NFTS and others. there are also many apprenticeships and internships that could lead you into the industry. Another way is also starting your own independent short film projects and entering them into film festivals, etc.
Unit 2: Part A + B- Leadership project
Part A: Plan a project in a leading role
In the group of three I was in, we collectively came up with ideas of what qualities and skills make a good leader.
A list of attributes that a good leader should have and a bad leader would have
For this project I'd like to work on my communicative leadership skills as well as my confidence when leading. Throughout the day I will lead an interview at the end of one of the workshops, and then in the next workshop I will lead a documentary style collection of footage of the other groups working and documenting the process the participants will be working through. Undertaking these roles will help me develop communicative skills, especially the interview task, and the documentary style filming will help me develop decisiveness, patience and flexibility with improvisation. this will also build my teamwork skills as I will have to work with the two other people in my group to carry out the given tasks: to upload three stories onto the HOME young creative Instagram account and to interview one participant of the event; I will be leading the interview and assisting my team mates to carry out their task.
Part B: Plan the practical issues
we decided that for the first 15 minutes we'd participate in the event to be able to blend into the background when taking candid photos, so they're as authentic and observational as possible. We'll use one phone and one camera with a microphone mounted. we decided to spend 10-15 minutes maximum on each task as it was the optimum time to make sure everything got done and gave us extra time to adjust if anything changed or and challenges were met. We decided to do the create the 1 'glimpse' video at the beginning, to take the three photos every 5-7 minutes to be able to capture as much of what happened during the session, and to do the interview at the end of the event. To choose who was going to do the interview we decided to look for someone who was very enthusiastic and engaging with the event. To ensure we got all the tasks done in time we set timers to keep us on track (set on vibrate as to not disturb the event).
Unit 2: Part C + D: Photos collected on the day
One of the interviews that took place at the second event. Interviewee sat on the left and interviewer sat center frame and Filmer sat right frame.
our group collecting the photos taken and organising the social media post, editing the last few details.
This was before the event started: working with the camera, practicing the techniques needed to film a successful documentary style shooting (such as pulling focus, microphone usage, recording and taking pictures and framing), double checking all the technical elements as it was different and new equipment I hadn't worked with before. This required patience as it was quite tricky to get used to using unfamiliar equipment, I also used communicative skills to help my teammates when asking for help or helping them myself.
Noman, was assigned to take still photos of the groups working together and what they were doing. Here he was also double checking he knew all of the technicalities when using the camera.
The link to the glimpses my group made on the day of the event: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck3gpXWtuj5/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=
Part: D - Feedback
At the end of the session we collected personal feedback from each other on how we did throughout the day. The feedback I got from my peers after the events were that I was patient throughout, especially when dealing with the equipment, as unforeseen technical difficulties arose. I was also good leading and managing the group though the tight schedule that needed to be kept in order to stay on track.
I think I did well handling the documentary style filming part of the project as improvisation is a big element of documentary filming as it's all in the moment. I think I was good adapting and adjusting g myself to what was happening.
Unit 2: Part E- leadership project review
1. What happened on the project?
Feedback
summary: the feedback I got from the rest of my group was that I worked well with everyone and I handled the obstacles that came up well; I was patient when looking for a solution with the technical difficulties with the camera and I was good leading the social situations such as the interviews.
I agree with this feedback as I think it's an accurate reflection of the event.
I think what went well during the event was teamwork between my group and good communication to make sure that we got everything done when we needed to.
What didn't work as well was timing with each other, I think we should've stuck more closely to the original plan and prepared more for our roles before commencing the event.
If I had another chance to do it again I would plan more carefully before going into the event and during the first 15 minutes of the event I'd participate more.
Evaluation task:
1. One thing you learned about film:
Out of the many things that I learnt I think the most important thing was how to work effectively with a larger crew of people when working on a filmmaking project.
2. One thing you've learnt about yourself:
I've learnt that I enjoy camera work and the creative process that goes into stylized filmmaking.
3. Two sessions you've enjoyed the most:
I really enjoyed the second shoot day as I got to do lots of camera work, and I also really enjoyed the film history sessions as I learned lots of interesting things about the industry and film theory.
4. Two sessions you enjoyed the least:
although still enjoyable I would say I liked the industry professionals day and the scriptwriting day the least as they were less creative than the other sessions which is something I enjoy lots.
