Production Review

Having the roles of the director and the actor has really helped the production process in terms of the duration of the shoots as well as knowing what has to be done for each shot is controlled by me rather than another group member having to interpret what is being told by the director and potentially struggling. It has also helped me in the editing and general post production stage because I know as the director when I want a certain shot to cut and how I want the shots to look. I easily let the editor know what I wanted from the edit and I could rely on the editor to get it done without any trouble or any problems. The group were easy to communicate with in all team meetings and discussions and where very flexible when it came to shooting times, thus allowing more time to review footage and decide whether or not to use it. The team were well motivated and were more than happy with the jobs or tasks that they were set which ultimately made it easier when it came to time management and performance levels on and off set. 

Post-Production Sessions 1-3

Unfortunately I had gastroenteritis and was absent from the sessions last week on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, of which the days after filming was completed. This meant that the other crew members had to transfer the footage from the camera to the Mac that the Music Video is edited on and start to fuse and sync the footage with the song. I have now returned to college and started to apply filters and the certain colours that I intended to use to match the style and mood of the song to the shots. This gives me more control over the way I want the video to look despite not having the role as 'Editor'. At this present moment, some of the footage can be left where it is, but some of the footage may need to be cut out and replaced with 'filler footage' so there is not a huge emphasis on the lip-syncing process and rather just simply telling the story of the song through a variety of shots of different things.

Completion of Shooting Sessions

We have now completed the whole of the filming process and have all of the shots required ready to edit tomorrow (Wednesday). The deadline is next Friday so we still have some time remaining for editing. The completion of filming does mean that my role on-screen ends, however as director I will have to overlook the editing process and decide how I want the production to look in terms of colour, filters, effects and timing. I feel that this stage is a pivotal part in the production because you want to make the shots look the way you wanted to originally or when you first put the idea together. 

Session 6 - 8 - First Shoots for Music Video

Our group launched the first filming session on Wednesday and managed to get the visuals for near enough the first third of the song. We arrived on location at around 14.10 and used East Street in Leyland so I, as the actor and director, could start the journey in the music video and lip sync. The group were easy to work with when it came to the shoot and were satisfied when it came to space, travel time and safety which helped me as the director to get more out of the shoot in terms of shot numbers and general quality. 

We were due to visit Leyland Town Centre once again on Thursday, but we were halted due to the rain. Still, we managed to get some shots to fill in the gaps when there were no lyrics. It was my job as the director again to decide when and when not to shoot because of the weather while I also had the duty of deciding when there should be a team meeting so that we all know where we stood.

Update

Last week I received the order of t-shirts that said 'TV\FILM CREW' on them as part of our group's budget for production. These were worn during the shoot last week and are necessary because we are filming in a town centre and shoppers or visitors to that location need to know that the group are filming for an official project rather than just a casual experiment with professional camcorders. The t-shirts are worn by the camera operator and producer. A picture of the t-shirt can be found below. As the Director of the production it was also important that I talked with the group and with the Camera Operator especially about how the equipment needed to be used to maximise performance and shot quality. The Camera Stabiliser that I own is being used for the project and needs to meet the right balance in terms of the coils and weights on the bottom. From the total amount of coils and weights on the top and bottom, we decided to remove 4 coils and 1 coil respectively. We decided that the Stabiliser should be used for verses and then we should switch to handheld and tripod shots for the chorus. 

Session 5 - Weather Checks

The crew are nearing the shooting dates next week so it was important that as the director I checked how the weather is looking and make the ultimate decisions as to whether filming on certain days is feasible and safe. So far, Tuesday's weather forecast appears to be okay but there is a risk of light showers. Just to be sure, we plan to use a camera cover to prevent any equipment from being damaged. These weather statistics have been sourced from the Met Office official 5-day forecast of which is presented in a table below from the Met Office website. Met Office. (2014). 'Leyland' [Weather Forecast]. Available: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/leyland-lancashire#?tab=fiveDay&fcTime=1399935600. Last accessed 9th May 2014.

Sessions 3/4 - Continuing with Pre-Production: Call Sheets and Contingency

In these sessions, I have began to prepare call sheets for all of the shoots that will commence over the next couple of weeks for the producer ready to fill out ad distribute to anyone affected with the shoot. By getting the call sheets completed early, I and my group members can focus on getting the equipment collected and ready to shoot with very soon. I have also sent out the booking of the Sony HD HVR Series camera that we need to shoot with. Below is the call sheet for the first of our shoots on Tuesday 13th May along with the email sent to book the equipment. It is my job here to make sure that the other group members are also completing other paperwork such as the updating production schedule, health and safety, feasibility and contingency. As the director, it is important that I try my best to get the shots that I planned with the quality and effect that I intended to be shown. 

Sessions 1/2 - Planning and Pre-production

Hi, I'm Dan Rimmer. I am a BTEC Media student and I am currently creating a music video for a song as part of my course. 

The song I decided to produce a video for is called 'Wonderwall' and it is by the Manchester Britpop band 'Oasis'.

After conducting both primary and secondary research, as well as location, apparatus and risk planning while also summarising and pitching the whole idea in front of an audience, my idea is ready to move into the production stages after being chosen. I have assembled a group of myself and 3 other students in my group and we all now have assigned on-set roles.