1.1 Develop your current knowledge, understanding and skills

As a Media student, I have studied a number of films, analysing the techniques and strategies used in order to create a final successful product, as well as taking a number of photos to work with different shot types.  This has also included creating a music video for our coursework,  as well as a magazine, which has allowed me to develop my filming and editing skills, and how the shots can be cut to the music effectively.  Documentary film is my main passion, and is an area of work that I would love to specialize in, which was inspired my the likes of Louis Theroux and Reggie Yates.  One of the roles I am most interested in is Production, as I am good at articulating my opinions effectively and pushing forward ideas, as well as having natural leadership skills.  Another role I would be interested in doing would be the interviewer, whether that’s in-front of the camera or off camera, as one of the most important aspects of a documentary is getting good answers out of whoever you are interviewing. I believe my relaxed nature will allow people to feel comfortable and able to talk about topics in confidence.

I hope to develop the skills that are needed in order to work in a professional film crew, as well as working collaboratively with others to share new ideas.  I think it is really important to work around others ideas as it means you can adapt to a new concept, and help others make the idea a reality.  I hope to get into Documentary film in the future so the course is a great insight into the industry, and to develop contacts that could really help with my career.  I have always thought about being on the presenting side of film, but i hope that this opportunity allows me to explore roles behind the camera, in which i have grown a lot more interested in in the last few years.

front

1.2 Take a role in the production of a short film

Pre-Production

My role within our short film is the Director/Producer, as well as the interviewer.  It is my role to make sure everything is organised and prepared, with the contributors being aware of what will happen and when, as well as sorting out the correct documentation that we need.  It is also my job to inform the crew what the plan is, to ensure they are aware of the type of shots we are setting out to get.  As the interviewer, it is important i have prepared the questions that i am going to ask, and who i am going to interview.  These need to be specific to the person being interviewed, and need to ensure that the question is repeated in the answer in order to get the content that we need.

Production

During the filming process, I need to ensure everyone is aware of their roles, whilst directing and taking a lead on what we need to do next.  Making sure everyone on set is happy will lead to a productive environment, and by being conscious of our time scale will be important, so that we can get all the shots that we need.  Being aware of potential hazards will also be needed, so that the crew are safe in the environment, as well as not letting any kit get broken.  Due to the nature of the setting, being aware of where the boxers are moving and whether we are too close will be assessed on the set, as this could potentially cause an issue.  As the interviewer, i will need to be friendly as well as gentle, whilst still getting the answers that will be beneficial to our project.  This will require being behind camera, with prepared questions so that our contributors aren’t waiting too long in their interviews.

Post-Production

Overseeing the editing process to make sure the film is following our plan will allow the group to produce a project that we intended to create, as well as analysing if the shots do work in the chosen order.  Making the films professional can occur at this stage, so by observing the process as a whole and stepping back, i will be able to view it from a consumers point of view rather than a creator.  Small suggestions at this final stage may develop it further to promote an outcome we are all proud to have worked on.

Carrying out the role

In terms of clothing, i plan to wear very plain clothes that look professional yet not intimidating to the contributors.  As a producer, it is important that i focus on our time schedule throughout the shoot, managing the team to check we are on time and working to our plan of shots.  Staying professional yet approachable is key, as we need to know exactly what we are doing and where, without coming across arrogant.  This will lead into our communication, as it is vital we are listening to what everyone has to say, whilst not wasting time discussing irrelevant topics.  This will add to the professionalism, and can allow the production to run smoothly.

Equipment and Documents

As part of production, it is important that the correct risk assessments are carried out in order to ensure the safety of our group as well as the other members who will be in the gym.  Having the scripts and storyboards close to hand will be vital in my role, so that we are aware of the shots that we have planned to get as well as to organise what we want from the contributors.  This will speed up the filming process and can guarantee we are able to get everything done in the time scale.  Having a clear shooting schedule will also aid this, and will allow our contributors to know what time they are being filmed and where they need to be.  We need to stay on-schedule and by spending the time to plan how long each section will take, the productivity of the weekend is likely to be strong.

To carry out this role, the only equipment needed will be the relevant documents as stated, as well as a way of keeping track of the time (e.g phone, watch, clock) to check we are working to our plan.  Having a notepad will also be beneficial to take note of any issues/ hurdles that may need to be worked on for day 2.

Regarding the rest of the production, there are a number of other key departments.  The sound team will need to ensure the quality of the audio is high, getting the correct balance between the background noise of the gym and the contributors interviews, with the boom operators picking up the best sound while staying out of shot.  The camera crew’s role is to get the shots that we have planned, making sure the right depth of field is used to make the picture look effective and professional.  The sharp outlines of the boxers and contributors will make the film feel more personal and will highlight to the viewer who we are focusing on.  Although post-production, the editing team will need to look at the shots being taken and think about the way in which these will look like when put together, and where cutaways will work most effectively.

We have 2 locations, which are Iestens house and the boxing gym, where the main film will take place.  We have visited the gym and have taken a number of photos in order to get a feel for the location, so that we can start planning more detailed shots.  We have contacted all of our contributors, which are Iesten and his mum, Martin, and a number of coaches and boxers who are happy to be filmed boxing.  We don’t need any props or costumes due to the nature of the film, but will need to consider our clothing and whether it is suitable and professional.

1.3 Gain feedback on how you performed your role

1.4 Review your technical skills and use of equipment

I agree with all the feedback i received, and will take all advice on-board for the future.  I believe i carried out my role well on set, and that the role of the ‘mum’ was very fitting.  The crew were impressed with my communication skills, which was something i worked hard on in order to create a productive working environment, and i wanted to be able to help all members of the team.  I agreed that these were my key strengths, as well as making sure we stuck to our shooting schedule, which i want to continue to develop.  I also agree that a wider knowledge of the sound and camera kit would benefit me, as i only knew some very basic skills in that respect.  I also think a weakness of mine was that i didn’t want to appear overly bossy and controlling, despite it needing to be done to benefit our project.  I think by carrying out the role more, i will learn the balance between being communicative and demanding.

My research into the role of a Director/ producer was very beneficial, as unlike learning the aspects of a camera, it is a very unique skills to be learned and i knew i would have to go out and do it in order to develop these skills.  This meant that my skills were all mainly developed from scratch on the filming days, as i was able to adapt in different situations and understand the importance of having someone of a directing role.  Due to helping set up camera shots, i also learnt how the depth of field can be changed to get completely different shots, and was therefore able to encourage others to experiment with this.  The academy has allowed me to build off my very basic skills and has reassured me this is something i want to pursue in the future, putting me in a practical working environment so that i get to experience my role in a real setting.  Despite not using technical equipment in my role, learning how this came into my own role and worked as a whole within the crew was very interesting.  The importance of planning and preparing the set production documents was more important than i realised, as i saw how reliant we were when on the set on things like the shooting schedule and consent forms.  When in post-production, learning how to use Adobe Premier as effectively as possible was a new skill for me, and how putting together rough timelines can make the production feel more achievable.

When reviewing footage, i was very happy about what we shot across the weekend, with a vast number of varying shots and angles from different locations in the gym that will work effectively in our final film.  Getting those working on camera to get closer to participants paid off well, with some really nice close-ups of the boxers on the bags.  I would like to widen my knowledge on all aspects of the crew, with general ability on all kit, as well as focusing on a directing role and taking this position on future projects.  I would also like to observe the workings of professional film crews as an on-looker, to that i can learn from experts in the field, which could be achieved through being a runner on a film set.