Our idea was to explore the different stages in film making; Pre-production, production and post production.
Our initial idea was to make a film/documentary surrounding a band we watched whilst at the Totnes Christmas market.
Although we were quite fond of this idea, we thought it may be a bit difficult to achieve with the time frame we had and also whilst jugging the other projects too.
We still wanted to explore the stages of production, and to film a documentary type film, but weren't sure what the subject matter was going to be.
It wasn't until Kaelyn asked if Jemma and I could shoot a documentary type film about their and for their loyal fan base on YouTube. This is when we decided that this would be a perfect project for projections. We would be able to shoot a documentary like we had wanted and would be able to work together. Lucy and Kaelyn's YouTube also has over 50,000 subscribers, so it seemed a good way to get our work out there and seen by a substantial amount of people.
We wanted to shoot a full length documentary, but Kaelyn was only going to be in the UK for a short period of time. We decided we'd still shoot some footage, even though we knew we wouldn't be able to get all that we'd want and need to make the documentary possible.
Lucy mentioned that there was a documentary in the works on her twitter account and her fans reacted with immense excitement and anticipation. That's when we knew we'd have to make something of real quality so that they wouldn't be disappointed.
We decided to shoot some shots that were quite scenic and an interview session with both Kaelyn and Lucy answering the most frequent questions they get asked.
Out of the footage we got, we wanted to make a promotional type of film that acted as an advertisement for the up coming documentary we had planned.
Sunday, 28 April 2013
Pre-Production
As the documentary was going to be for Lucy, we decided that she should be in charge of the pre-production stages.
She drew up a storyboard, which was important for me as I was taking over the responsibilities of the production stages, and filled out all the necessary paperwork.
Lucy also took over the responsibility of booking out the equipment we'd need for the shoot and the cove space for the filming of the interviews.
She drew up a storyboard, which was important for me as I was taking over the responsibilities of the production stages, and filled out all the necessary paperwork.
Lucy also took over the responsibility of booking out the equipment we'd need for the shoot and the cove space for the filming of the interviews.
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| Storyboard |
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| Initial idea 'spider diagram' |
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| Swot |
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| Release form Schedule for Filming: Kaelyn lands in England - Saturday 9th March Meet as a group to discuss further ideas - Tuesday 12th March Film (10am-6pm) - Thursday 21st March Look at rushes - Saturday 30th March Begin editing - Monday 1st April Finalise and export project - Tuesday 30th April Deadline - Wednesday 1st May Sustainability: We tried to use a minimal amount of paper whilst planning out or ideas for the film |
Production
I'd had a look at the storyboard that was drawn up prior to the shoot to get an idea of what it was we were tying to achieve.
We picked up the equipment and headed to our first location (the hoe) with the purpose of getting some pretty cut-away footage. I asked the girls to act naturally and arranged some shots that I thought were visually pleasing.
We picked up the equipment and headed to our first location (the hoe) with the purpose of getting some pretty cut-away footage. I asked the girls to act naturally and arranged some shots that I thought were visually pleasing.
We walked around the hoe and Barbican area, gathering shots as we went.
When we were finished filming the cut away shots, we headed back to college for some lunch followed by the setting up and filming in the cove.
One problem we did encounter was the microphones XLR lead was faulty and there was a long queue for the ERC. Because we only had a limited time in the cove, we decided to use the built in microphones on the zoom recorder as we didn't have time to spare. This obviously meant that the sound quality was poorer than what we had hoped. Especially as the cove has many lights which create a humming sound which is picked up by the microphone.
Sustainability:
We walked to each location, as opposed to driving.
We made sure we didn't over shoot. We wanted to get enough footage for freedom for the edit, but were concious that too much footage would mean it would take more time (and electricity) to edit.
Post production
Jemma was in charge of post production.
She had a reasonable amount of footage to work with. Her biggest issue would be dealing with the sound, as the recording wasn't the best quality.
She had a good idea of what she was doing and how the final edit was going to be constructed. She showed us her progress with the edit every now and a again asking our opinions and asking us if there's anything that should be changed.
Sustainability:
Jemma worked from home, using her own laptop to edit. This meant that she was using less electricity, as the edit suites take a considerably larger amount of power to operate.
She had a reasonable amount of footage to work with. Her biggest issue would be dealing with the sound, as the recording wasn't the best quality.
She had a good idea of what she was doing and how the final edit was going to be constructed. She showed us her progress with the edit every now and a again asking our opinions and asking us if there's anything that should be changed.
Sustainability:
Jemma worked from home, using her own laptop to edit. This meant that she was using less electricity, as the edit suites take a considerably larger amount of power to operate.
Evaluation
This project was an interesting one. We had a lot of freedom in terms of ideas and ways in which we could go about shooting. We'd wanted to do a documentary type piece for a long time, so this was an ideal introductory project to ease ourselves into it. There wasn't a massive amount of pressure like there would be if we were doing something as part of a commission.
Our ideas developed over time. Our initial idea was to do a documentary surrounding a band we'd seen perform in Totnes a few weeks earlier. It was an idea we were passionate, but we knew that it would have taken a lot of planning, and we just wouldn't have the time to make it possible. Our second idea came from Lucy and Kaelyn when they said they wanted a more professional film made, explaining their relationship made especially for their dedicated fans. This idea soon became the idea to film a full length documentary. Although we were all up for this, we knew we wouldn't have the time to do so, as Kaelyn wouldn't be in the UK long enough to get it done. But we decided to shoot some of the footage and make a type of trailer for their fans, advertising the upcoming documentary.
I like the final edited product we've produced from this project, and it's a piece I am proud of. It's also good to know that it was made in a rather sustainable way and has been good practice for future sustainable projects we make.
This has been the perfect opportunity to get out work and skills seen by the online community, due to Kaelyn and Lucy's rather large fan base. Although it's only being mostly viewed by the YouTube community, it's nice to know that our work and efforts are being seen and appreciated.
I enjoyed working with Lucy and Jemma on this project. I really feel we work well as a crew and I think that's been reflected in this piece of work. We listen to each other and aren't afraid to give and receive constructive criticism which is a vital aspect of film making.
I think this experience has been very valuable, as any film making experience is.
We've exercised our abilities to make a sustainable, enjoyable piece of work of a rather professional (bar the sound complications) standard, and we had fun doing so.
The sustainability factor of film making is one of growing importance and I think with every shoot there's the possibility of discovering a new or quicker way of doing something that will have less of a negative effect on the planet, which is always a good thing.
Through this project we learnt the importance of communicating to each other as a team, whilst progressing from the pre production stages right on though to post production and the distribution of the film.
Being in charge of the production part of the film, I think I did a good job. I got enough shots for a solid edit and I think they were to the standard that Kaelyn and Lucy were hoping for. The only real thing I am displeased with was the audio and the problems it caused during post. In hindsight, we should have set aside some time to test all the equipment properly before we started shooting, so we could swap any faulty equipment. It's a process we should exercise before every shoot, but I think now we've definitely learned our lesson, as not doing so has had an impact on our film.
Although it's lowered the quality of the film, I am still proud of the end product. And we have learnt from that experience (we asked for an extra XLR when we booked equipment for our next project's shoot).
Overall I am pleased how the crew worked on this film. It was definitely a team effort and everyone pulled their weight and communicated well.
There are some things that could have been improved if we were to do it all again. I think the film could have been planned a little better and more specifically, allowing the next stages of production to go smoother. A more detailed storyboard would have benefited both Jemma and I in the production and post production stages. Also a longer slot in the cove would have been very useful, as it would have meant being able to sort out getting more functional sound equipment for the interview shoot, and also we wouldn't have been rushed either.
Also, we had initially planned our roles to be that Lucy was in charge of production, and that I'd be in charge of pre production but due to the fact that Lucy was featured in the film, obviously it meant that she couldn't really take on that responsibility, so we swapped.
It's been an enjoyable project to do, and I have learnt valuable lessons from both the negative and positive.
I think this film is another compliment of the way Jemma, Lucy and I work together. We communicated efficiently, weren't afraid to share ideas and gave our opinions openly, which is always an important ability to have. I feel we created a good piece of work and it's something I'd happily put on my professional show reel. It's not perfect, and there's room for improvement, but it's been a great jumping off point, and a great way to get our work seen by a large audience.
I'm really looking forward to continuing with this production and making the full length documentary when we can and gaining more valuable lessons which will develop my skills as a film maker along the way.
Our ideas developed over time. Our initial idea was to do a documentary surrounding a band we'd seen perform in Totnes a few weeks earlier. It was an idea we were passionate, but we knew that it would have taken a lot of planning, and we just wouldn't have the time to make it possible. Our second idea came from Lucy and Kaelyn when they said they wanted a more professional film made, explaining their relationship made especially for their dedicated fans. This idea soon became the idea to film a full length documentary. Although we were all up for this, we knew we wouldn't have the time to do so, as Kaelyn wouldn't be in the UK long enough to get it done. But we decided to shoot some of the footage and make a type of trailer for their fans, advertising the upcoming documentary.
I like the final edited product we've produced from this project, and it's a piece I am proud of. It's also good to know that it was made in a rather sustainable way and has been good practice for future sustainable projects we make.
This has been the perfect opportunity to get out work and skills seen by the online community, due to Kaelyn and Lucy's rather large fan base. Although it's only being mostly viewed by the YouTube community, it's nice to know that our work and efforts are being seen and appreciated.
I enjoyed working with Lucy and Jemma on this project. I really feel we work well as a crew and I think that's been reflected in this piece of work. We listen to each other and aren't afraid to give and receive constructive criticism which is a vital aspect of film making.
I think this experience has been very valuable, as any film making experience is.
We've exercised our abilities to make a sustainable, enjoyable piece of work of a rather professional (bar the sound complications) standard, and we had fun doing so.
The sustainability factor of film making is one of growing importance and I think with every shoot there's the possibility of discovering a new or quicker way of doing something that will have less of a negative effect on the planet, which is always a good thing.
Through this project we learnt the importance of communicating to each other as a team, whilst progressing from the pre production stages right on though to post production and the distribution of the film.
Being in charge of the production part of the film, I think I did a good job. I got enough shots for a solid edit and I think they were to the standard that Kaelyn and Lucy were hoping for. The only real thing I am displeased with was the audio and the problems it caused during post. In hindsight, we should have set aside some time to test all the equipment properly before we started shooting, so we could swap any faulty equipment. It's a process we should exercise before every shoot, but I think now we've definitely learned our lesson, as not doing so has had an impact on our film.
Although it's lowered the quality of the film, I am still proud of the end product. And we have learnt from that experience (we asked for an extra XLR when we booked equipment for our next project's shoot).
Overall I am pleased how the crew worked on this film. It was definitely a team effort and everyone pulled their weight and communicated well.
There are some things that could have been improved if we were to do it all again. I think the film could have been planned a little better and more specifically, allowing the next stages of production to go smoother. A more detailed storyboard would have benefited both Jemma and I in the production and post production stages. Also a longer slot in the cove would have been very useful, as it would have meant being able to sort out getting more functional sound equipment for the interview shoot, and also we wouldn't have been rushed either.
Also, we had initially planned our roles to be that Lucy was in charge of production, and that I'd be in charge of pre production but due to the fact that Lucy was featured in the film, obviously it meant that she couldn't really take on that responsibility, so we swapped.
It's been an enjoyable project to do, and I have learnt valuable lessons from both the negative and positive.
I think this film is another compliment of the way Jemma, Lucy and I work together. We communicated efficiently, weren't afraid to share ideas and gave our opinions openly, which is always an important ability to have. I feel we created a good piece of work and it's something I'd happily put on my professional show reel. It's not perfect, and there's room for improvement, but it's been a great jumping off point, and a great way to get our work seen by a large audience.
I'm really looking forward to continuing with this production and making the full length documentary when we can and gaining more valuable lessons which will develop my skills as a film maker along the way.
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