Risk Assessment

Hello!

The producer of our group Chloe Hill has completed our 'Risk Assessment' for the filming of our production. I will insert her work and then explain it further:

 So, for the graph Chloe used 6 columns.
The first was hazard. This states the hazard that could cause further worry. It is important that we included this column as we need to know what the hazard is to be able to stop any risks, inuries or complications within our crew.
The next is persons who may be harmed. This states the people who could be injured by this hazard. This is important because we need to know who could be affected and ensure that we protect these members.
Next is property which may be damaged. This states any property that is at risk of being damaged or broken by the hazard. This is important because some of the property used may not be owned by the crew (for example the location), therefore it is very important we respect the property on set with us and protect it from damage.
Risk controls already in place comes next. This states any controls that have already been thought of and put to action. This is important because we need to know how we will control the hazard and also what else we need to do to improve these controls.
The rating of the hazard comes next. This states whether the hazard is a low risk, a moderate risk, a high risk or an extreme risk. This is important as we need to know how bad each hazard risk is and therefore be able to appropriately deal with them.
Lastly is further action required. This states any other controls that we need to put in place to improve the chance risk. This is important because it is vital that the risk is completely controlled and can not injure anyone or anything.

Chloe has stated 7 hazards mainly to do with the locations causing risks. We will use this assessment on the days of filming to put our controls in place when we come to the hazard and be aware of who or what needs to be protected. 
Chloe has then created a table with some important numbers in case of emergencies. It is important that we have these incase of an emergency where we need help.

See you soon

Actor Contracts

Hello again!

I have just drawn up an actors contract that our actor will have to sign and date on their first day of filming in order to ensure they will stick to our rules and regulations.

I focused on the actor's behaviour first. This is important because if one of our actors disrespects the props, locations or other crew members it will be the main crew's responsibility to sort out. We will end up have to let on of the crew members or the actors go, which will cause us a lot of stress and hassle and may cause us to lose valuable filming time.

The next thing I focused on was the actor's teamwork. It is very important that the actor understands that they must work with the crew in order to create their vision.

Next is the loyalty of the actor. It is important that the actor agrees to make sure they turn up on time to filming days that they have agreed to film on. Also, it is important that the actor stays loyal to the team in terms of the film. The actor must not give away any information that they have not been given permission to give away.

Next is the clips that the actor is featured in. It is important that the actor gives us permission to use and edit any clips that they are featured in. This is important because if we do not get permission to use and edit the clips they featured in, and the actor then sees a clip used that they do not like, we will have to remove it, which could seriously harm and affect the making of our film. 

Next I needed to make sure that the actor will agree to pay for any damage that they may cause, this is to ensure our budget and profit is not affected by their mistakes.

I will now insert a picture of the contract that will be given to the actor. 

See you soon

Medical Form

Hello!

Another contract themed post today. One of our crew members Beth Parry has completed this form in order for us to be able to know a bit about our actor's and crewmember's medical background. 

The first thing that Beth has included is some general information about the person filling out the form. This needed to be included so that we know who filled out the form and any information that a doctor or ambulance worker may need to know in a case of emergency. 
The second thing Beth included was a section for under 18s. This is because information for under 18s must be given by a parent/guardian (which I think is what Beth meant!). The reason we must know this is because if something happens to a member under 18, their parents must be notified. Therefore, we need to know how to get hold of this guardian.
The next thing included is the medication that they take . We need to know this because some medication means that filming may need to be stopped so the medication can be effectively taken, or the member may not be able to do something that we have planned for them to do if they are on medication, such as heavy lifting for example.
Next included is allergies. This is important for us to know so that we can control this allergy and ensure that the member is not put in a position where they could be affected by this. 
We then have a signature box and a little contract statement to state that the member themselves gives permission or has permission to allow them to take the medication or the crew to intervene if needs be.

I will now insert the medical form created:

I think Beth has done a very good job on the medical form. It is clear and well laid out and also has a lot of good information that we will need to know.
To improve I think she could have added a section for previous medical experiences. For example an operation that was recently taken out of a member may mean that they can not carry out tasks that have been planned for them, such as bending up and down or walking for long distances.

See you soon!

Costume Plan

Hello!

A member of our team, Ellie Bacon, has finished the costume plan for our filming! I will insert a picture now:

We will be filming very soon and are looking forward to seeing the outcome!
See you soon!

Film Theories

Hello!

We have recently done some research on people's film theories. We looked at eight different theories that people believe exist in films or are what films are. 

Here is a bit of research that I did about the eight theories:

After looking at these theories, we had to decide what theories best fit our film. I chose two theories: Vladimir Propp's and Victor Shklovsky's. Here's why:

Vladimir Propp’s -

Our film includes most of the characters in Propp’s theory. Therefore we want to follow his structure of characters. However, we will have to discard some of the theory. Because our genre is tragedy, we do not want our structure to be something that the viewers expect. We want to make them feel uncomfortable and on edge. A tragedy can’t be a tragic story if the viewers feel at ease and comfortable with what is happening in the film.

Victor Shklovsky -

All good films have a fabula and a syuzhet.  This is important because to make the film realistic, you have to know the background story and why the characters and what and who they are. Because our genre is tragedy, our story is very heavy and deep. Especially at the opening of our film the fabula is very important. We start from the middle of the film then flashback, therefore the viewers wont understand the story behind the actions at the beginning. We, therefore, have to make sure that we are clear on this so that we can ensure our story flows and is realistic. 

See you soon!

Story Board

Hello!

From my last blog you will know that I have been working on our groups story board and it is finally completed! For the story board I focused on the main object or subject involved in the shot and didn't focus too much on background. This is because it won't matter what the background is and we will not interfere with the natural backgrounds as our genre, tragedy, is all about real life and making the viewers able to relate to the character, setting ect. Also, I had to put two drawings for some of the shots, this is because there is a specific movement of the camera or of the action that could not be captured with just one drawing.

Unfortunately, I'm not a very good artist and therefore, I realised that although the drawings may make sense to me, the whole team and actors have to be able to read and understand this story board. Therefore I decided to add little post-it notes to add analysis on to each shot/drawing.

On these analysis, the first thing I included was the Shot number, this is mostly for the editor and camera team's use as these shot numbers will match up to labelled shots on the computer. Next I added the angle of the shot, this is also mainly for the camera crew as it is very hard to capture the angle when drawing (especially if you are not very good at it!!),. So by adding this, it is very clear for the camera crew who have to film the shot. Next I wrote the visual, this is what is seen on screen in the shot. This is important for the actors and camera crew as it is impossible to draw every single movement and visual that will be on screen. Therefore by writing what will be happening in the shot, the actors know how to act the shot and the camera crew know what they are looking to film. Next I labelled the actor(s) in each shot, this is for the whole crew and it mainly for organisational purposes. Next I included costumes for each shot, this is for the actor(s) so they know exactly what they will be wearing and also for the director of costume so that they can ensure that each actor is wearing the right thing for each shot. Next I included the time, which is how long each shot will last. This is mainly for the editor so that when they are editing the clips, they will know how long to crop each clip. Next I added the audio as this is also impossible to capture on a drawing, this is for the editors and sound crew mainly as it is their job to record and add the sound in each clip. Next is lighting, this is mainly for the camera crew and editors as they will be he ones in charge of capturing the lighting. And lastly is the props which is mainly for an organisational purpose.

The last thing we did was put a black boarder round the first and last shot and put black arrows around the board. This is so the other members of the crew looking at the board will understand how it works and where it starts and finishes. This is important because I am the one who did the story board and therefore the other members of the crew will not know straight away where each shot goes and how the sequence follows on.

I will now add pictures of the story board that was completed over two sheets of A3 paper:

WITHOUT ANALYSIS VIABLE:

WITH ANALYSIS VISIBLE:

I am currently working on the Location Plan and the Shot Plan and hope to get them up soon!

See you soon.

Production Schedule

Hello!

Over the past few days I have been planning our filming days. To do this I used exel to create a spreadsheet including the following information: Title, Date, Location, Director, Crew, Weather, Shot number, Angle, Visual, Audio, Actors, Time and Props.

I will now insert a picture of our plan for the first filming day and explain it:

As you can see our first filming day is called "Main Character Shots", this is because we will be taking all of the shots of the main character that will feature in the opening credits of our film. We will be taking 19 different shots, 10 in one location and 9 in another. The first location we will go to is the Old Railway station in Buckingham. Here we will be taking different shots of our main character in a forest type location. 

The first two shots we take are both straight shots. These are two simple shots of the character walking down the path of the forest, one from behind the character and one from in front. This will be a match on action shot as it is two shots from different of the same action, just from different angles.

The next two shots are shots of the character walking up steps. The first is a shot where the camera is looking up at the character. The camera will be at the bottom of the steps, low on the ground, whilst the character is half way up the steps, walking. The next shot is a low shot, tracking the characters feet walking up the steps, the camera will stay stable whilst tracking the feet. 

The next three shots are shots of the character on the bridge. The first shot is a shot of the character walking on to the bridge and then stopping in the middle of it to look out. This will be a straight angle. The next shot in this section will be looking out from the bridge as the character's eyes. The camera will do a view of 180 degrees wide and also look up at the trees, therefore an all angle shot. The last shot will be from above the character, however not directly. The cameraman will be on a hill, therefore looking diagonally down on the character walking off of the bridge. 

The last three shots are the character preparing to hang herself. The first shot is a low shot. It will be a shot of the character's feet stepping up on the a log. The second will be a shot of the school tie hanging on a thick branch of a tree, this will be a straight shot. The last shot will also be a straight shot, and will show the character's face looking through the loop of the tie. 

All of the shots will have an audio of birds and wind. We chose this audio because the wind will set the weather. Our film is set in winter, therefore the wind will be very high. We also want to add in the bird sounds as we feel like this is a sound of freedom, which represents our character wanting to end their life. She is scared and feels betrayed and therefore wants to be free. 

These shots will all last 5 seconds and will each have a different credit on each.

The second location we will go to is Chandos Park, also in Buckingham. Here we will take different shots of the characters at many different types of location. 

The first three shots will be focused around a river. These shots are in a shot, reverse, shot structure. The first shot will have an angle of looking up. This shot will be a shot of the character, towering over the camera. In this shot, the camera will be acting as the river. The audio we will use for this is water rippling, so it feels like the camera is in the river/is the river. The second shot will be looking down at the river, where the characters face will show in the reflection. For this we will use wind and river ripples for the audio, so that we still hear the river however can hear the wind to as we are out of the river. The third shot will go back to the first to finish off the shot, reverse, shot. However, this time the character will close her eyes and then walk away. In this section, the first two shots will be 3 seconds and the third will be 5 seconds, this is because in the third shot, the character needs time to do exactly as they did in the first shot, and then walk away.

The next two shots use a swing as a prop. The first is a straight shot from the side of the character who is sat on a swing gently swinging, this shot will last 3 seconds. The second shot will also be straight, however it will be behind the character, showing two swings. The character will be on the right swing, this time swinging more, but still low. This shot will last 5 seconds as the character is actually swing and so needs time to go up and down. Both of these shots will have audio of the swing creaking, as this sound is very daunting and will help to build tension. 

The next three shots will be filmed at a near by bridge, just outside of Chandos. The first will be a shot looking up at the character who is stood on top of a tall bridge, looking forward. This shot will have a wind audio as the camera will be able to see no cars on the road under the bridge. The next shot will be a straight shot where the cameraman is on the bridge, looking at the character from a side profile. This will show the character either sat on the edge of the bridge or looking over the bridge, hanging their head over the edge, however this will depend on the weather as either could be dangerous. This shot will have the audio as wind and cars. These first two shots will last 3 seconds. The this shot will be high up and will shot the town from the character's eyes, the camera will do a 180 degree turn to show the view that the character was seeing from the top of the bridge. Because of the action, this shot will be 5 seconds and will have the same audio as the second. 

The last shot will be a shot of the side of the character's face. The character will have a single tear running down her face and there will be fog from the character's cold breath. This shot has the aim to show emotion and setting (weather).

All shots from this day will have the actor Ellie Bacon featured.

Here is a picture of our plan for the second day of filming with explanation:

This day of filming is called "House Shots". This is because it will be shots from the house location in Maids Moreton, Buckingham.

The first shot will be a tracking shot, although the camera will stay stable. The cameraman will be on the floor so the angle will be low. The shot will shot the character run out of the front door and the front door slam. Although the camera will only show the character's feet and the bottom of the door. The camera will then turn left and watch the feet run down the path. For this shot, it will be 3 seconds and the audio will be the steps of the character. The actor will be Ellie Bacon.

The second shot will be a shot of the other two characters in our film opening. The angle will be straight and will show the character's sat at the table. The camera will show their side profiles and they will both have their elbows on the table with their face in their hands. On the table will be various police letters and pictures. This shot will last 3 seconds and the actors will be Louise Parry and Phil Smith. The audio will be a sobbing noise from the female. 

The third shot will be a high shot. The camera will be above the table that will have the police letters and pictures on it. The camera will slowly zoom in on the items that will be on the table. This shot will be for 5 seconds and will have the same audio as the shot before. A bit of the character's arms and heads may show, therefore the actors have to be named: Louise Parry and Phil Smith.

The next shot will be a straight shot and will be the same shot as the second shot, however the male character will be supporting the female character with his arm round her. Their faces will still be in their hands and the audio will still be sobbing. This shot will last 3 seconds. 

The next 4 shots will focus on the stairs. For the first shot, the cameraman will be on the floor and therefore the angle will be low. The shot will show the female character getting up and walking out of the kitchen door toward the stairs. This will last 3 seconds and the only audio will be the chair moving. 

The next shot will be a behind shoulder shot, the camera will be a shot from behind the female character's shoulder and will be looking up the stairs. The audio will be the character shouting "Annie", this will last 3 seconds. The next shot will be from up the stairs, looking down on the character, again shouting "Annie", this time a little louder. The last shot will be a straight shot and it will be from just inside the kitchen door. It will show the female character suddenly turning her head to the right, looking  directly down the camera with a shocked face. This will also last 3 seconds. All of these shots will remain to feature the character's Louise Parry and Phil Smith.

The shots will not be featured in this order, however you can see the order of the shots in our opening's story board that I hope to get up after christmas. Unfortunately, our main actor has a lot of time on at work and therefore we have not been able to decide upon days to film yet, however we hope to decide this in the near future.

You will also be able to see all of our shots analysed in more detail and information such as why we chose these shots and their locations, also the angles and timing in our shot list that will be uploaded in the next week or so. Also our locations analysed in more detail in our location plan that will also be uploaded in the next week or so.

See you soon!