Production review

Now that out prop, location and costume research is complete, it is good to create an overall update with how things are going with Laconic Productions.


How are things going so far?

At first, the team found it difficult to think of a new idea in a space of a week but luckily we thought of a original story that each member loved and from this, we successfully got commissioned.

Unfortunately halfway through research and planning, one of our production members, Tina Vidmar was unable to continue with this years media course and as she was a key asset to the team, we struggled to cope without her. Eventually, we as a group were able to catch up with the research and is now continuing to work hard and is determined to make sure our film will be produced the best or our ability.

Are we ahead of schedule?

As explained above, we struggled to cope with catching up on our posts however once we've caught up, we were able to become on time with the schedule as we've already began with the storyboard. Because of this, we believe that we can complete our research and planning on time.

Actors Release Foms

In order for our film to get published we would need to get permission from our actors/actresses so that we have the rights to use them in our short film. Life of Hermit will be published online so it is vital to get each of our actors/actresses to sign a actors release form to prevent any legal issues.

Here are the terms and conditions that each other actor will agree to when signing the actors release form:

So here are the release forms that are signed by each actor/actress:

Character - Hermit

Characters - 8 Masked Friends

Character - Emergency Actress

Now that we have all of our actors release form signed, we can finally begin to film Life of Hermit

Preparing For The Shoot

Now that all of our research and planning complete, we must prepare for shooting Life of Hermit to ensure that we know exactly what we are doing and to prevent any issues from occurring.

Booking Equipment

As there are two other production companies besides Laconic Productions that are filming in December, we must book all the filming equipment so we all get a chance to shoot our films and without any complications, we have managed to book all the equipments for every shooting schedule.

Here are the bookings for each date:

Transport

In order to actually shoot our films, we need make sure that the actors/actresses, production crew and equipment are able to transport to each location without any issues or else this will delay our shooting schedule.

Here is a list of all the scenes we will be shooting and how the actors/actresses, production crew and equipment are able to transport to each scene:

Waking Up and Bed Scene

• Actors - As we we only need two of the actors in this scene, transport will be easy as each actor is familiar of the location as they are friends with the owner.
• Production Crew - As this location is one of the production member's house, it will be clear for transport to the house.
• Equipment - As this is Robbie Gale's house, he would get the equipment the day before on Friday so can transport the equipment to his house.

Party Scene

• Actors - All of the actors/actresses are good friends with the owner, Jess Bradley so transport for them won't be difficult as they have all been there before.
• Production Crew - Just like the actors, all of us are good friends with Jess and have been to her house before so transport for would be easy.
• Equipment - I will be responsible for bringing the equipment to Jess's house and back to the school.

Stepping Stones

• Actors - The Stepping Stones is a public area that all actors have been before so transport won't be issue with this location.
• Production Crew - As all of us went location hunting for our research, the production crew knows where the stepping stones is so transport won't be a problem for us.
• Equipment - Robbie will be responsible for bring the equipment the location while I am responsible for bring the equipment back.

Cinema, Gym, Reveal, Fight and Comfort Scene

• Actors - As all but one actor goes to this school, each of them will be able to get to the location without any trouble. As for the actor who doesn't go to this school, he will be able to carpool with another actor if he doesn't know where to find the school.
• Production Crew - Each production crew member goes to this school therefore transport will also be accessible.
• Equipment - The equipment is located at the school therefore transportation is not needed for these scenes.

Responsibility

When creating a film, there is a lot of responsibility that the production crew needs to consider:

• Props
• Costume
• Giving the script to actors
• Charging the cameras
• Preparing the equipment
• Printing the risk assessments and storyboard

As Robbie Gale was in charge of the prop research, it is only beneficial for him to make sure that all the props will be at each location and will be ready for shooting

Tilly was in charge of the costume research so she will take responsibly of making sure that each actor/actresses has their costume ready for shooting, She will do this 2 days prior to the schedule so we will be able to fix the issue if one occurs.

I will be giving the script to each actor/actress a few days before the first day of shooting so each of them will understand what they would have to do. I will also print extra scripts just in case one of the actors/actresses forgets to bring their own.

Whichever production member that is responsible for the transport of equipment (see transport section above) will also be responsible for charging the camera the day before shooting, For the scenes that we are shooting at school, I will make sure they are charging the day before filming.

On the days we shoot Life of Hermit, all of the production crew members will arrive at least 30 minutes prior shooting so we can prepare all the equipment for filming such as the Crane Kit and the Tracking Dolly.

I will also be responsible for printing the risk assessments and the storyboard so the production crew have an understanding of all the risks for each location and to help give us an idea of how our shots should look like during production. 

Camera Shots Preparation

In Life of Hermit, we will be producing a wide variety of shots and by looking at our documentary task, it has shown that we have had practice on creating and perfecting these shots by using the Cannon 600D with Final Cut Pro X. However there is one shot that the production crew has never created and that is Alfred Hitchcock's famous camera technique, the vertigo shot.

Unfortunately, due to time related issues, we haven't had the time to practice this shot so in order to get a idea on how to create this shot, we looked at online tutorials on how to create and perfect this shot:

Although we weren't able to practice on this shot, we will now have a better idea of how to create and perfect the shot.


Now that we are prepared for shooting our film, all we need now is the actors release forms and then we are ready to shoot Life of Hermit.

Shooting Schedule

A shooting schedule provides information for the cast and what they need to prepare for next time they're shooting. Makes it easier for cast to prepare in terms of props, and tells them when they need to be in and what they will be doing that day at what time. 

Here are the factors that we need to consider when producing the shooting schedule:

• Are all the actors and crew members able to participate at those dates?
• Do we have permission to shoot on those dates?
• Will we be able to film all of our scenes within this time period?

Here is our official Shooting Schedule for Life of Hermit:

Shooting Schedule

Are all the actors and crew members able to participate at those dates?

We have spoken to each and every actor that is part of this film and they all stated that they are able to make it at those dates and at those locations. However as we have 9 actors/actresses in our film, there is a risk of one of the actors/actresses not being able to make it to a specific date so we decided to get a substitute actress if this scenario ever occurs. The substitute actress would be Tina Vidmar as she is my sister so I will be able to get direct contact with her if a situation happens.

Do we have permission to shoot on those dates?

We have asked permission for each location and the date we want to film it on and by looking at our location research, we have the permission to shoot at each location. Fortunately, most of the locations that we will be filming on will be either at school or at one of the crew member's house therefore getting permission wasn't difficult and can be easily changed if needed.

Will we be able to film all of our scenes within this time period?

We have spaced our schedule with a scene for each day so we will able to get a focus on detail for each shot. We believe that we are able to film all of our scenes on those dates however we have also booked equipment for the date 16/12/2014 for any emergency scenes will still have to shoot.


Now that we have our shooting schedule sorted, we are now able to prepare for the actual shooting for Life of Hermit.

Animatic

Now that the storyboard is complete, the next step is to make an animatic so we can have an idea of how our film will look like with non-diegetic and diegetic sounds as well as how long the short film could be.  

Here are the criteria s that we had to consider in order to make a successful animatic:

• It should be 5 minutes
• The story must be presented well so the audience will understand it
• It should include appropriate sounds for the short film 

Here is the official animatic for Life of Hermit:


Evaluation

Is the animatic around 5 minutes long?

The animatic for Life of Hermit is 4 minutes 32 seconds long so although this is 28 seconds away from the ideal 5 minute short film, we believe that this is acceptable as from previous experience in our AS course, the actual short film tends to be longer then the animatic. This would mean that the animatic has a respectable time length.

Is the story well presented and is it understandable?

We believe that the story is well presented as it includes a wide variety shots such as a tracking shot and the vertigo shot. I also believe that the story is understandable due to the narration of the main character, Hermit. 

However as we created the animatic, our opinion can be seen as biased towards the animatic so in order to make sure our animatic is presented well and understandable, we conducted primary research by usingSurvey Monkey. We asked 5 teenagers aged 17 - 19 year olds to watch the animatic and answer a questionnaire about it.

Here are the questions and their responses:

This shows that the animatic is both well presented and understandable.

Are the sounds appropriate for a short film?

We believe that the music sets the tone for each scene. An example of this is that in the party scene, the music was uplifting as all the characters would be having a good time and in the next scene, the music changes to a more dark atmosphere to show the seriousness of the next scene. Furthermore, although we didn't include all the foley sounds, the sound effects that we used, created a more realistic tone in the animatic so this would help us visualise our short film more clearly. By looking at the survey we conducted, the voice over narration helped the audience understand the story more so we believe it appropriate to use this for our short film.


Now that our animatic is completed, we can now focus on the shooting schedule for Life of Hermit.

Location Research

Location Research
There are a numerous amount of scenes in our film and although they are simple, we have to look at factors such as:

• Can the Actors get to the location?
• Can the Actors fit in the location along with the equipment?
• Is the environment good enough to film there?
• Do we have permission to film in the location?
• When are we allowed to film in the location?
• How long does it take to get there? Do we need a car for equipment? How can we get there?
• What restrictions does the location hold such as are we only allowed to film in a particular spot? Do we have to make minimal noise? Are we not allowed to use certain props that might make a mess?
• How long can we film there?

Scene 1 - 'Hermit getting ready'

This is the scene to the opening of the film. We see Hermit getting ready to go and play the scene next which is Catch the Flag. Throughout this scene we see bits of his room with photo frames with him and his emotions.

Where: Robbie Gale's bedroom
Permission: Yes - Robbie Gale is one of the production team members 
Days: We would most likely film on weekends as we will film other scenes during the weekdays.
Time: We are most likely to film in the afternoon at this location
Pictures: Here are the pictures we took when we went location hunting:

Real media Example- Amelie:

Evaluation of Location

Scene 6 - 'Cinemas'

The cinema scene shows how they are all socialising again and we want this to be show obviously in a Cinema type setting and we will have them having fun.

Where: Great Wyrley High School Lecture Theatre

Permission: Yes - We asked Mr Leach, the head teacher, whether it is possible to film there on site and also Mr Hood whether we could film in the lecture theatre in regards to any meetings. We also asked the Drama Department whether or not their is something that might be happening as well.

Days: We know that we can do every day after school apart from Wednesdays as the teachers have their staff briefing from 3.30pm - 5pm

Time: We know again that everyday is free apart from Wednesdays. The times are 3.30pm - 6pm

Pictures: Here are the pictures we took for the research:



Comparison to Real Media Products

Cheaper By The Dozen- 

Evaluation of Location

Equipment - The theatre at the front has a really spacial area where we could have the equipment and also the stage is free for all of the equipment to go on there.

Actors and Crew - Again as it is in school a lot of the actors are already here so all it would take would be a change in the toilets and your there. It shouldn't be a problem and again they can arrange lifts to get home.

Mise En Scene - As you have seen we want this to portray the look of a cinema and yet we are filming in a  theatre. Well we were hoping to make the lights dark ad only film the front section of the theatre. We would have the projector on so we can see the reflection of whatever is on screen on the actors faces to make it seem more real. Also with the added props we feel as though it would genuinely look like a cinema and the conventions that come with it.

Scene 3 - 'Basketball game'

This is showing the peace with his emotions in a friendlier competition with them. The scene shows them in a Gym with Hermit scoring the winning point. This in contrast to the last scene shows a more brighter setting.

Where: Great Wyrley High School Gym

Permission: Yes - First we asked the Head Teacher for permission to film on the school site and he said 

Then we asked the Head of P.E. to see if the Gym would be available to use and what days we could use it, he said

Days: Mon - Fri

Time: Most days we can have access to it from 3.30pm to 6pm so this gives us enough time to set up etc.

Pictures: When we went location hunting we took a few pictures for evidence and to share with the rest of the crew members

KOJGO;RHRSITUGRTUOG:

Comparison to Real Media Products

Grown Ups - 2012 - Comedy

I think that this location shows the gym type feel we want and even though it was set back in time a bit, it still portrays the Basketball vibe. What we saw from this is we could even make a few signs to put up in the gym, however we still want to show the audience that this is a British school and I think that American schools are the ones to most likely use signs.



John Tucker Must Die - 200  - Comedy

With this film, it particularly focuses on the teenage high school and is modern day. It shows the gym as we like it and also the basketball. The colours are bright and again the setting is inside and on light floor.



The cable guy- 200  - Comedy
Again just another film showing the same basketball location of a gym.



 

Evaluation of Location

Equipment - For the equipment we can see that it has a real big amount of space to film so this will be great for butting the equipment down. It also has changing rooms for the people to get changed also if needed and If we have the keys. There is an also an outside part to the gym so we can store the equipment here if we want to do a big shot of the whole Gym.

Actors and crew - Getting here is no problem as all it means is getting changed in the toilets and we are here. We go to school through the day anyway so the actors would only have to travel to the Gym. The equipment is located in school so taking it there and back won't be much hassle and it isn't at a great risk of getting robbed. The actors and Crew also live locally meaning that lifts are easily arranged.

Mise En Scene - Looking at the Gym it has a bright colour to it, and in comparison to the dark scene prior it represents his peace with his emotions. It also looks like a place you would play Basketball with the court and the hoops. The connotations associated with a Gym are all present as we actually are shooting a a Gym where sports are played regularly.

Overall when looking at this for a place to film it's great, you really get the vibes of a Gym and we are quite lucky to have the facilities to shoot in a place that we wanted in our film.

Scene 4 & 5 - 'Party' and 'Spin the Bottle'

Both of these scenes are going to be shown in the same place. The party scene is showing how Hermit is now enjoying to socialise with his emotions, enjoying his emotions company. This will be with 8 of his masked friends.

The next scene with 7 of his masked friends will be the Spin the bottle scene where he is having love for his emotions. The scene shows two of the masks kissing showing how all of the emotions can be connected.

Where: Jess Bradley's House

Permission: Yes - We asked Jess, who then asked her mum if it would be okay to film at their house for our film and they said yes.

Days: When we come near the filming time she can give us an answer but we would prefer on the weekend

Time: Again when we come nearer the time she will give us an answer

Pictures: After going location hunting we took a few pictures as evidence



Comparison to Real Media Products:Mean Girls - 200  - Comedy

The film shows teenagers socialising and it also shows a party scene too. From what we gathered was it was in a house, and all they did was add decorations and props such as party cups so we are following the conventions.

Evaluation of Location

Equipment - There is a lot of room in her house and for the equipment we want to use it is great. Also from working on 'Fool's Paradise' (Our AS film opening), on this location we have experience in this environment and the idea that it was good.
Actors and Crew - Getting there shouldn't be a problem as the majority of the actors are friends of Jess's and they know where her house is located. If not it is still a few minutes away from Great Wyrley so it shouldn't be too hard. 

Mise En Scene - We wanted to show a modern day party with Hermit and his friends. We took inspiration from our own experiences and have it set in a house as that's where most teenage parties are set. We would also decorate it with the props and darken the lighting in Post Production and usually at parties it is quite dark. This all conforms to the stereotypical teenage party.

Overall I feel as this would be a great place to film the only worry is the idea of getting a lot of crowded people in the house and how much mess it would cause. But I am confident that it will be okay as they are all friends.

 

Scene 8 - 'Fight'

This seen will be Hermit and 4 of his masked friends having a fight showing how you can have conflict with your emotions and we wanted to do this in a school setting where it can happen. 

Where: Great Wyrley High School Year 9 Area

Permission: Yes - We asked permission from Mr Leach.

Days: We know the school is open from Mon - Fri after school

Time: It is open from 3.30pm to 6pm most days

Pictures: Here are a few pictures for the research:

 Real Media Example- Drillbit Taylor- 2008

Evaluation of Location

Equipment - Again great use of space here for the equipment and we are still in school meaning the equipment can easily be accessed and put back.

Actors and Crew - Again as we are in school so it would be easy for the cast to locate the location.

Mise En Scene - In the year 9 area their are lockers and tables and a hallway which all conform to the connotations of a school. Usually you would see a fight happening at school in teenage years which is how we want to portray this scene where they are fighting. The area we are filming in looks like a school so this conforms to the picture that want to paint.

Overall I feel as though its a good place to have the scene done.

Scene 7 - 'Hermit reveals mask'

This is the scene where all is revealed that Hermit is in the mask. This is a shocker for the audience.

Where: The drama studio at Great Wyrley High School
Permission: Yes - we're allowed to film here apart from Mondays.
Days: We can film in the weekdays apart from Monday.
Time: Just like the other scenes at school, we can film at this location between 3.30pm - 6:00pm
Pictures: Here is the picture we took on location:

Comparison to real media products

Oblivion - 2013 - Action/Science FictionIn this film, there is a lot of mystery of what happens, especially in the location below as there is a important plot point in this scene. This helped us find the location for the reveal scene as both locations are dark and includes a lot of dead space.

Evaluation of Location

Eqiupment - All the equipment is stored next door to the drama studio so the access will be very easy.
Actors and Crew - Again as we are in school so it would be easy for the cast to go to this location.
Mise En Scene - We want this scene to be completely focused on Hermit and the masked friend as the big reveal will occur in the scene so as this location includes a lot of dead space the characters will defiantly be focused when viewers are watching.

Scene 8 - 'Stepping Stones'
In this scene, Hermit will be sitting on a bench, at a park. He watches normal citizens walking past and can see there emotions following them.

Where: Great Wyrley Stepping Stones
Permission: As this is a public area, we are allowed to film in this area as long as we don't film any citizens or vandalise the park.
Days: We would film on weekends as we need daylight so we can't film in the weekdays because we're at school for most of the day.
Time: We will film between 9:00am - 3:00pm so we have as much daylight as possible.
Pictures: Here are the pictures we took at the location:

Comparison to real media products

Forrest Gump - 1994 - Comedy/Drama
We used this film as in the park scene, Forrest Gump narrates the story of his life which is exactly what Hermit is doing in our short film. Both characters also include a very unique personality.

Evaluation of Location
Eqiupment -  As the location will be closest to Robbie's house, he will bring the equipment to this location.
Actors and Crew - This is a well known area that all of our actors and crew are familiar of so it will be easy for all of them to find.
Mise En Scene - Parks include connotations of peace and joy as birds are whistling which usually shows to be a relaxing noise and parks are normally filled with people relaxing in the sun. We want create this tone as Hermit has finally accepted who he is and what emotion he is which is happy.



Now that the location research is completed, we can now create the risk assessments when shooting Life of Hermit.

Script

With the treatment complete, our focus is now moved towards the script. Basically without a script there is no movie as the idea of creating the script is so that both the Actors and Filming Crew know what is going on where, and what they have to do at what time. 

Here is Life of Hermit's official script:

Life of Hermit Script

 Now that the script is finished, we can now focus on our research for location, prop and costume as well as the risk assessments for Life of Hermit.

Film Treatment

Now that we found our target audience, Laconic Productions in now able to write the actual film plot to Life Of Hermit in a film treatment.

A film treatment is used to communicate your story as quickly as possible without revealing the best parts and without making it too plain.

Here is the official film treatment for Life of Hermit:

Official Film Treatment

Now that we have the film treatment completed, the production team can now work on completing the script.