This page will contain the different aspects of planning for my A2 production. This will range from initial ideas to permissions and shot lists.
Initial Ideas
This is how I have structured my initial ideas for my Soap Opera Trailer sequence. I have included: characters, story lines, technical features, costume and props and more.
Producing three ideas has helped me realise what aspects of my soap will be the most important. The idea I intend to develop is idea 1. I think this idea is the most appropriate for my soap opera trailer as we will be able to portray a range of different characters and storylines which will make it easier for my target audience of 16-25 year olds to relate to. Additionally the locations will not be age specific and therefore our target audience will be able to relate to most if not all of the featured locations. However, I do intend to use young characters (especially as this is what our audience research suggested) similar to the concept of idea two.
Questions regarding my initial ideas
I have completed the following questions so it is clear on how I intend to portray my characters and have additionally outlined who will take responsibility for some actions required to produce our Soap Opera Trailer.
1) How will you use media language to communicate the different character archetypes that appear in your trailer?
I will use media language to communicate the different character archetypes through the use of costumes and props, technical features and setting/location. For example I could show archetypes through costume and props by selecting carefully the best way to represent the character. The use of costume and props gives the audience an impression of the character e.g. a pregnant teenager will need to look vulnerable and therefore she needs to be dressed in tight revealing clothes. Another example of this would be a drug dealer dressed in dark baggy clothes.
Technical features such as: long takes, close ups and mid shots will help me communicate different archetypes as I will be able to show the character's facial expressions and body language.
2) What exactly is going to happen in the scene with
each of the characters
Different characters and groups of characters will be displayed throughout the trailer. Our main idea will feature one person walking towards the camera possibly with an object in their hands. They will be surrounded by groups of people who either come into contact with the main character or just pass him by. This will give the audience an idea of the different groups in society being represented and additionally will allow the audience to become familiar with the featured character.
3) Have you considered all the permissions that you
will need to secure for filming? If so, who in your group is responsible for
securing them and by when?
We will need to secure permission in any location that we intend to film.. in particular locations that the general public use. Some of our suggested locations are: a school, cafe, house, shop, pub and town centre. For most of these we will need to secure permission to film.
I will be responsible for securing the permission for locations as I have had experience in securing permissions from last year's AS production and therefore have an idea of who I need to approach.
We will need to secure permission in any location that we intend to film.. in particular locations that the general public use. Some of our suggested locations are: a school, cafe, house, shop, pub and town centre. For most of these we will need to secure permission to film.
I will be responsible for securing the permission for locations as I have had experience in securing permissions from last year's AS production and therefore have an idea of who I need to approach.
4) You identified a need to experiment with techniques for your video. Who will be responsible for doing this? How do you know that they will satisfy the needs of your TA?
I think when it comes to experimenting with different techniques for our video we will all play a part in this; however Abbie will be mainly responsible for this task as she has experience in camerawork and is interested in learning new techniques. Completing some research into new techniques will appeal to our target audience as this could make our production unique and we could additionally include some techniques that we have had feedback on from our target audience thus making sure that our intended audience enjoy our Soap Trailer.
Additionally as our target audience are seen as 'explorers' new techniques will appeal to them as they are interested in change in the media and like to see products and services improve throughout time. The one experimental filming technique I intend to include in our production is a freeze frame with a 360 degree turn. This will appear to the audience as though time has frozen. This may be interesting to the audience as this isn't seen very often, it additionally allows the audience to see the facial expressions of the characters featured resulting in the audience developing 'personal relationships' with the characters.
This is evidence that we have produced a proposal for our A2 Soap Opera Trailer. We came up with the ideas for the soap together as a group and Mel has since produced this document.
We have included: genre, synopsis, theme, budget and target audience.
Conclusion
Producing the proposal has really helped me to reflect on what we need to consider when creating our production. For example thinking about a name for the text has helped inspire themes and storylines. It has additionally solidified our idea and has enabled us to develop a clear direction as to which soundtrack we intend to use. (The lyrics are relative to our production name 'Memory Lane').
The Script
We have produced a script for our production so we know of any dialogue that may be needed. As the production is going to be filmed in the external environment it is important to do this as some dialogue may need to be filmed after the action in an internal and quiet environment. This will reduce unclear sound and any wind noise
Conclusion
When thinking about the overall usefulness of producing the script, I would state that it has been really useful as it has allowed me to think in detail about other aspects of the production. For example the script didn't work unless we thought about the inclusion of some necessary props. For example AMANDA arresting BEN for drugs made us realise that we need to include handcuffs and drugs in order for the script to flow and create a sense of verisimilitude. Producing this planning task has additionally helped us plan which locations we will need depending on the content and time of day.
Initial location ideas
I have come up with 9 individual location ideas that I believe are suitable and conventional for our Soap Opera Trailer to be filmed in. These locations contain both internal and external elements. The locations I have chosen are conventional as a soap tends to be set in a 'local community' and the locations I have considered would fit this description.
The locations are also local so it should be easy to access them and gain permission for filming (especially as some of these locations are residential).
In the first shot the drawing shows a road with houses along the side of the street. When thinking ahead I intend for our characters to be walking down this street especially as a lot of our production is likely to be shot as a long take. This scene would be filmed during the daytime and therefore the lighting would be natural and would create a sense of verisimilitude for the audience.
Suitability?
This location is suitable as it is close by and therefore would be easy to access regardless of time and would not need intense planning to meet here. We would need to secure permission from the local council to film on this street however not many members of the public will be affected and therefore they are likely to say give us permission.
Potential Locations?
The road near Mel's house as it has trees and there are houses along the side of the street.
2-Description?
The location of the second shot is outside a shop (Tesco). There are people begging for money either side of the front doors (this will foreshadow storylines within the soap). This scene is where we would show one of our characters walking passed the homeless people outling the differences between their lifestyles. The lighting in this scene would be dim and low key to portray the emotions of the beggars.
Suitability?
Possibly this isn't very suitable as we would have to secure permission and there would be the risk of filming members of the public who do not wish to be filmed. Additionally this would not fit with our plan of one long take as there are not shops close enough to be incorporated into one shot.
Potential Locations?
There is the potential for this scene to be filmed outside of a big supermarket such as Tesco or a more local corner shop.
3-Description?
The third picture is on the street where we intend to film once we have secured permission. The different characters will be shown on this street around the person walking along the road.
Suitability?
This is very suitable as the road is not particularly busy with cars and pedestrians and therefore it is not likely that we will offend or irritate members of the public by filming here.
As it is an external location the source of light will be natural and therefore there will be no unwanted 'yellow lighting'. We could adjust the temperature of this shot once we have filmed and started editing. We could make the shot more 'blue' which will create a cold and tense mood and atmosphere or we could edit it to make it more coloured e.g. yellow/orange. Warming the shot up would create a more positive attitude and may even foreshadow positive storylines to come.
Potential Locations?
My plan is for this to be filmed on Mel's road or a road near Mel's house.
4-Description?
This scene in the bathroom will show a teenage girl being sick over the toilet as she has just found out that she is pregnant.
Lighting- depending on how light Mel's bathroom is and the time of day that we decide to film may depend on the lighting within the room. If the bathroom holds naturally low key lighting we may have to use the overhead lights. This may create a yellowy feel to the production which may distort the colour of the objects and people in the room. However if the bathroom is light enough we will be able to use natural lighting that enters through the window.
Suitability?
This location is suitable as it is realistic and helps to portray what the character is going through without having to use dialogue. Additionally it will be easy to secure permission for this location as it's Mel's house.
The location is an actual bathroom so anything included in the footage will look natural and conventional of the product we are making.
Potential Locations? Mel's house and bathroom.
5-Description? A young girl will return to her room (possibly the young girl who has just found out that she is pregnant). She is upset, lays on her bed crying and eventually goes to sleep.
Lighting- I have previously visited Mel's bedroom and believe that the lighting in her bedroom would be ideal and she has a large window next to her bed and therefore we would not require and artificial lighting.
Suitability? very suitable- will have already secured permission as this will be in the same location as the bathroom. The bedroom is a good size so all equipment and crew members will fit. Like the bathroom this bedroom will be Mel's own bedroom and therefore everything within it will be conventional and may attract our target audience as they are likely to have similar items in their rooms e.g. straighteners, mirrors, laptops etc.
Potential Locations? Mel's house and bedroom- possibly Leah's bedroom (Mel's house).
Lighting- I have previously visited Mel's bedroom and believe that the lighting in her bedroom would be ideal and she has a large window next to her bed and therefore we would not require and artificial lighting.
Suitability? very suitable- will have already secured permission as this will be in the same location as the bathroom. The bedroom is a good size so all equipment and crew members will fit. Like the bathroom this bedroom will be Mel's own bedroom and therefore everything within it will be conventional and may attract our target audience as they are likely to have similar items in their rooms e.g. straighteners, mirrors, laptops etc.
Potential Locations? Mel's house and bedroom- possibly Leah's bedroom (Mel's house).
6-Description?
After a fade to black another character will be seen to be waking up in another house in another bed. They will feature in a completely different storyline, however this would be a good way to continue the trailer.
Lighting- my room is very light and therefore we would not need any artificial lighting. To match the rest of the trailer we may need to edit the colours on Premiere as it may be lighter than the rest of the production.
Suitability?
Easy to secure permission from my parents to use the house. It is my own bedroom and will therefore create realism. Some audience members will be able to relate to this. It will create a light mood and will represent happiness within the soap.
Potential Locations?
My house and bedroom.
After a fade to black another character will be seen to be waking up in another house in another bed. They will feature in a completely different storyline, however this would be a good way to continue the trailer.
Lighting- my room is very light and therefore we would not need any artificial lighting. To match the rest of the trailer we may need to edit the colours on Premiere as it may be lighter than the rest of the production.
Suitability?
Easy to secure permission from my parents to use the house. It is my own bedroom and will therefore create realism. Some audience members will be able to relate to this. It will create a light mood and will represent happiness within the soap.
Potential Locations?
My house and bedroom.
7-Description? Once the previous person has woken up from their sleep, they will wake up start to get ready and do things within their bedroom before walking across the landing, down the stairs and into the kitchen. Once they reach the kitchen they see their parents arguing and their father is hitting their mother (domestic abuse is conventional of soap operas).
Suitability? Room is the right shape for the 180 degree shot to work and easy to secure permissions.
Lighting- my kitchen is situated at the front of the house and therefore doesn't receive as much light as the back. This is still suitable though as the lighting is bright enough to not warrant having any artificial lighting, in particular if it is a sunny day.
Potential Locations? My house and kitchen.
8-Description? One of the characters will continue to walk down this street past houses and trees. This could be a new character that has not been featured. One potential storyline for this character could be stalking. They could be walking down the street unaware that they are being stalked by someone we never actually see. The camera could be point of view and therefore the mood would be on edge and tense.
Lighting- providing that we film this external scene in daylight the lighting should be appropriate and should fit the rest of the production.
Suitability? Suitable as it will make the production continuous however we will need to secure permission to film here which may take some time.
Potential Locations? Mel's road or my road.
9-Description? The featured character turns down another road where they carry on past houses, they may still be being stalked or passed by other characters.
At the end of this all characters will walk towards the camera in turn and then they will be edited together so the audience remember the characters before the trailer ends.
Suitability? Easy to carry out- location is not busy- will just need to contact the council in order to secure permission for filming at this location.
Potential Locations? Road near Mel's house or Road near mine.
Conclusion
This has been a really important aspect of planning as it has helped me to consider the best locations. Considering the suitability of these locations has additionally been helpful as it has helped me realise any problems we may have in each location. This has been helpful as I will now try to overcome anything that was flagged up as unsuitable e.g. busy locations and having to secure permissions.
Selected locations for filming
We have decided on a selection of locations. They are in the nearby area and are mainly based at Mel's house. For example we intend to use:
- Mel's bedroom
- Mel's bathroom
- Mel's road
- Mel's house
- Jamie's Kitchen (Mine)
Location Recce and Risk Assessments
In order for it to be quicker and easier for us as group when it comes to filming the production, we have all taken part in conducting recces of the locations we need and have additionally produced a risk assessment fo each of our chosen locations.
Who is responsible for each task:
- Mel- Location Recce and Risk Assessment 1-6
- Lexi- Location Recce 7 and 8
- Abbie- Risk Assessment 7 and 8
Conclusion
Completing the location recce was a useful planning task as we now know of any difficulties we may experience when we arrive at our filming destinations. Any hazards can now be minimised as we have considered possible ways of avoiding them. Completing the risk assessment and location recce has allowed us to consider lighting and sound conditions. This will help us when it comes to planning the shooting schedule as we will need to film at the right time of day in order for the lighting to look professional and natural.
Completing the location recce was a useful planning task as we now know of any difficulties we may experience when we arrive at our filming destinations. Any hazards can now be minimised as we have considered possible ways of avoiding them. Completing the risk assessment and location recce has allowed us to consider lighting and sound conditions. This will help us when it comes to planning the shooting schedule as we will need to film at the right time of day in order for the lighting to look professional and natural.
Shot List
We have produced a shot list so when we arrange to film we will not waste any time and will have a document to follow.
Conclusion
Producing the shot will make our time filming very efficient as we will be able to follow an already established structure. We won't need to consider which shots to use when we are filming and therefore will be able to focus on the quality of our production and shots e.g. lighting and mise en scene. Using the different colours on the shot list was additionally very helpful as this allows us to see clearly who we need (characters = red), which shot is required (blue) and any props needed (green). This should be easy to organise and arrange pre-production and during production.
Permissions
We have researched into the permissions associated with location and other aspects such as: audio, soundtrack and actors. Additionally we have provided evidence that we have secured permission as not to breach copyright infringement laws.
We split the permission tasks between the three of us and these were our personal contributions:
Mel- Sound effects and Logo
Me- Contributor Release forms and Location Permissions
Abbie- Soundtrack Permissions
Securing permissions has required has not been straight forward. For example when I was securing permission to film around Dunstable I had to contact a lot of different people and I had to provide a lot of details about our production in our for them to feel confident that we were not going to film anything inappropriate and that we wouldn't cause any danger or offence to any member of the public. In order for us not to break any rules we must make sure we secure total permission from everywhere necessary including channel logo and sound effects.
Storyboard
The storyboard that we have created below outlines the storylines and scenes that we will include in our actual soap opera trailer.
(Storyboard starts from man's shoes).
The storyboard will be essential when it comes to filming our production as we will need to follow this in order for our production to make sense. As our soap opera trailer is going to be filmed in one long shot it is really important that we do follow this storyboard as it will allow the long take to look realistic and with develop tension and suspense in this way.
Technical Diagrams
Mel has produced this task so that when it comes to filming we do not need to spend time on discussing where to position the camera for each shot. She has produced this document for every shot and every location that we intend to use in our production.
Conclusion
Producing this document will save us a great deal of time when it comes to filming as we will not need to discuss these aspects. Having already planned this will ensure that no time is wasted so that we can get straight to filming the production. Depending on the weather and the time of the day that we film this will be very useful and we should therefore be able to get the best out of our time shooting. This task has additionally allowed me to think about the lighting provided in each location. This has made me plan ahead and think about how the variation of different light sources will look once edited together as we want our production to look as realistic and continuous as we can.
Costume and Props
Individually I have produced this document on costume and props for each character we intend to feature in our trailer. This planning document will help make sure we are organised on the day and can therefore start shooting as soon as we arrive. Planning the costume and props needed additionally will help us to make the trailer look professional and conventional. Producing this document will save us a great deal of time when it comes to filming as we will not need to discuss these aspects. Having already planned this will ensure that no time is wasted so that we can get straight to filming the production. Depending on the weather and the time of the day that we film this will be very useful and we should therefore be able to get the best out of our time shooting. This task has additionally allowed me to think about the lighting provided in each location. This has made me plan ahead and think about how the variation of different light sources will look once edited together as we want our production to look as realistic and continuous as we can.
Costume and Props
Casting and Character Profiles
We have produced this planning task for us and our audience to fully understand our characters and why we picked each actor/actress to play each of these roles.
Mel produced this document and I helped to come up with the 'context' of each character and additionally aided with the descriptions of the actors/actresses.
Conclusion
This has been a really useful task as it has allowed us to look into each actor's strengths and weaknesses in order for us to evaluate them correctly and assign them to the right character. It was important that we had to do this because we needed to understand the characteristics and appearance of the actors/actresses in order for us to make sure we're portraying the characters in an appropriate and conventional way.
Abbie has produced a moodboard to outline the mise en scene e.g. locations, facial expressions and actions that we will include in our Soap Opera Trailer. Abbie has included the settings we will use e.g. my kitchen and bedroom, the costumes we will be using e.g. police costume and tracksuits. She has included the props we require for the production to look realistic which will therefore create verisimilitude for instance the police badge. The type of font we will use for our titles (bold letters in capitals- THE DARK KNIGHT) and the colours we will use throughout the production e.g. high key lighting with some shots in low key lighting.
Conclusion
The moodboard has been a nice way to bring our ideas together. Seeing the intended 'action' with the locations we are going to use has helped give me more of an idea as to how our production is going to look. As it is a summary of our ideas there is the chance for us to expand on this; however I believe that the collection of images we have in our moodboard are conventional and would appeal to our target audience. Producing this document will additionally help us remember the essential colours, props and costumes we will need in our production and has also has allowed us to see that the ideas we have had are suitable and conventional of a soap opera and trailer. Lastly it has allowed us as a group to see the overall mise en scene of our production. This has made us more aware of what we can/cannot show within our soap opera trailer.
Shooting Schedule
I have produced a shooting schedule including the date, time, location, shot description, contributors and the equipment that is needed. Mel has followed up this document with 'restrictions we may face during filming'.
Conclusion
Producing the shooting schedule has helped me to feel organised and confident that our production will go well. Setting the date and time has meant that we will have to complete the required filming in this time frame. Additionally thinking equipment was useful as we had to make sure we could get the equipment out for the days we needed it. This was particularly useful as we are filming in the holidays and needed to be prepared beforehand.
Production Schedule
Additionally I have produced a production schedule for the group. I have included pre-production, production and post production for Memory Lane and have also included the deadline dates for each section.
Conclusion
Including dates in the production schedule was a really good idea as it has allowed me to follow deadlines. This was particularly helpful in pre-production as it meant that each task was complete at an appropriate time by the right person. Since producing this document every member of the production team is aware of what they need to do and therefore all tasks needed are being completed.
The call sheet below has enhanced my confidence as it outlines who needs to be contacted regarding problems, how we will arrive at the designated locations and who has which role in the production group.
I completed the preliminary schedule and the sets
Mel completed the: cast, production requirements, health and safety and travel
Abbie completed: the 'call time' part at the top including the weather and contact details.
We produced this document to help guide us when it comes to filming. Having everybody's contact numbers in one place will be very helpful in case of an emergency and additionally knowing the weather will help us prepare for what we will need in terms of clothing e.g. when not filming coats and gloves.
Conclusion
Completing the call sheets in detail was really important as we need to be organised on the day of shooting. We have planned everything now and have broken down the meet times further which will ensure that we do not waste any time. We each have contact numbers in case any changes apply and we have researched the weather so we therefore know that the weather should be dry (on the whole throughout the day)- to film but should be over cast thus creating the right atmosphere and mood for our production to be conventional.
No comments:
Post a Comment