Documentary Unit: Editing

Me and Gemma are still at the editing stage with our documentary, however we have composed an opening title sequence now which is looking good. Also today we are going to record the commentary for the documentary so that we can give the audience a clearer idea of what is going on along the way.

Documentary Unit: Editing

Well, now that we have all of our filming done, we are at the editing stage. Due to the fact that we were unable to film as much actuality as we had hoped, our documentary is going to be featuring interviews fairly heavily. However this is by no means a bad thing as the individual featured in it is a very interesting person and has a lot to say about their situation.

The first stage of the edit now is to compose a sync assembly. That is, put all our interview clips in the right order and trimmed to the right length and then play them through to ensure that they make sense. Once this is done the next stage is to work out where the commentary and actuality shots will be going in the documentary as a whole.

Documentary Unit: Filming Friday 3rd December 2012

Today me and Gemma were supposed to be filming Kathy on her journey on the bus from Maidstone to Hadlow college, however it proved a little difficult to wake her in time, so instead we filmed her at home doing some housework and so on. Once we had filmed this, we discovered there was not enough free space on the memory card, so we would have been unable to film this sequence today anyway.

Despite this minor setback, interviews that me and Gemma filmed during the week with Kathy and Orlagh and Kaylash (Kathy's flat mates) proved to be a success. During these interviews, I assisted Gemma in setting up the camera and then filled the role of camera operator while Gemma conducted the interviews. Today we are importing the footage from the camera to Final Cut Pro to give us more room on the memory card, and we have managed to book the camera for an extra day, so all being well, we will be filming the bus ride to Hadlow tomorrow morning.

Documentary Unit: Camera Booking

I have discovered a potential problem with the camera booking for me and Gemma. We are starting early on Thursday and we have the camera booked for Thursday. Hopefully we will be able to pick it up tomorrow, I will speak to Helen and see if this is possible.

Documentary Unit: Filming Permission

I am doing more amendments to the shooting script after discussing it with Helen and Gemma on Monday. It now flows more freely and tells the story in a more understandable way. I have a couple of jobs to do, namely phoning Arriva once we know the time, day, and route we will be travelling on, as when I phoned them earlier in the week they requested this information from us before giving permission. Also, I am going to phone Hadlow college again and try and get permission from them to film as again I phoned them earlier in the week but they have not yet returned my call, so I will try again today and see if I can get a more favourable response.

Narrative and Genre Unit: Essay influences

Whilst writing my essay, I discovered a film called Ocean's 11 from 1960, which has similar characteristics in it to the film I am studying for my essay, which is The Italian Job (1969). It is a heist movie, so it features a build up and getaway just like The Italian Job. If it wasn't for doing this essay, I wouldn't have known about this film but now I've found it I'm really glad I have.

Documentary Unit: Shooting script amendments

Today we showed our shooting script to Helen, she went throughout it with us and showed us bits to change to make it better and easier for the audience to understand.

Tasks I have to do include:
Phoning Hadlow college to get permission to film
Phoning Arriva to get permission to film on the bus
Continue to edit and refine the shooting script

Once these tasks are done we should then get the go ahead to film

Documentary Unit: Shooting Script

Today I have written the first draft of the shooting script for mine and Gemma's documentary. Gemma has done the shot list so the next job is to pair these two items together so that we have a detailed and thorough shot script. After this is done and approved we will then be able to start filming.

Documentary Unit: Research

For our documentary, I am working with Gemma, and we are making it about someone who suffers with MS and how her life has been affected by the disease. Here is a link to the MS society website, a valuable research tool in the production of the piece.

MS Society website

Documentary Unit: Idea Pitch

The Day that Changed my Life – Will I ever walk again?

A moving documentary about a modern day family, where both parents are wheelchair bound.

We experience first hand accounts from a husband and wife, whose lives have both been changed by events they never thought possible. Annette suffers with MS, and has witnessed the difficulties and pressures of bringing up a family when both parents consider if they will ever walk again?

Ady, Annette’s husband, was a forklift truck instructor who was involved in a serious accident in 2010 that left his life hanging in the balance. Over the course of 12 months, he had to undergo surgery and physiotherapy to give him any possibility of ever walking again. His struggle of rehabilitation and his wife’s battle with MS is a truly heart-warming tale of courage and adversity.

How can it be, that in a society of high unemployment and discrimination against the disabled that these two remarkable individuals still have the strength and willpower to carry on?

Narrative Devices

I will be presenting and introducing the documentary and it’s story and characters, and the fact that I have experienced disability from birth.

I will use interviews to create empathy with both characters, while getting to know their story.

I will include archive photographs of the characters.

I will hold discussions around support networks and discrimination towards disabled people, looking at legislation concerning them, such as the Disability Discrimination act 1995.

Direction Unit: Reflection on finished piece

Well, now that I've finished my piece for the direction unit, I can see there are a few things I would have done differently, as follows:
Make sure the lens on the camera is clean before filming.
Make sure I get lots of coverage on everything I shoot so that I have lots of shots to choose from in the edit.
Use professional actors or at least someone who has an interest in it rather than family members (however willing they are!)
Make sure that I have a clear idea in my head for the shoot day and don't have the need to rely on others to prompt me.

However, these are all negatives, here are the positives.
The weather was good, so I only had to shoot once.
My editing skills have improved while working on this piece.
I have found through doing this unit that I would not want to be a director for a job.

Overall, I have enjoyed doing this unit but I don't think directing is for me!

Direction Unit: Final submission

This is my final piece for my direction unit, below is a link to it on youtube:

Episode 5 - Separation

Direction Unit: Final version of script and shortlist

Here are links to the final version of my script and shotlist:

Final version of script

Shotlist

Direction Unit: Location Map

Here is a location map for my episode of A Park Story

Direction Unit: Script for A Park Story (Episode 5 "Separation")

Here is a link to my script for my episode of A Park Story:

Script for episode 5 of A Park Story

Direction Unit: Development

Context

·       Husband and wife separating for as yet unknown reasons, this is their final goodbye.

·       The woman arrives at the park. She gets the suitcase out of the boot, and proceeds towards the park. She is wearing a red coat with the collar up to create an air of mystery about her.)

·       Just before entering the park, the woman takes a final look at photographs of her husband’s affair. (The viewer does not see the photographs, there is only a suggestion that these photographs are going to have a considerable impact on the meeting.) She then places the photographs back into the envelope, and puts them in the side/front pocket on the suitcase. (Close up of underneath as she removes the photos from the envelope and her hands shuffling through the photos. Stay on close up as she puts the photos back into the envelope. Over the shoulder shot as she puts the photos in the pocket on the suitcase.)

·       The husband is waiting in the park for his wife, slightly nervously. He is sitting on a bench, glancing around the park. He lights up a fag to pass the time. (Medium shot of his face as he is looking around the park. Medium shot as he gets a fag out of his pocket and lights it.)

·       She arrives at the park with the suitcase, she sees her husband, she puts the suitcase down next to him, takes her wedding ring off and places it on top of the suitcase. (Medium shot of her walking with the suitcase from the front, taken whilst moving backwards in my wheelchair as she walks. Long shot of her placing the suitcase next to him as he is sitting on the bench, close up of her taking her wedding ring off and placing it on top of the suitcase.)

·       She points at the front/side pocket of the suitcase, then walks off leaving him to discover the photographs in the pocket of the suitcase. (Medium shot of the woman pointing at the pocket of the suitcase, shot from tripod of her walking away into the distance.)

·       The husband pulls the photos out of the pocket of the suitcase and looks at them. His expression tells us that he has been found out. (Close up of his hands as he pulls the photos out from the suitcase, opens the envelope and pulls them out. Close up of the photos as he shuffles through them. Close of his face as he removes the fag and his expression changes to shock and disbelief. His hands are shaking from shock and disbelief as he does this.)

·       The woman leaves with no regret, whereas the husband is left to contemplate his existence, which he now feels is rather futile. (Long shot of the husband walking away with the suitcase. Close up of the husbands feet on a wall, he is wearing red socks to match the suitcase, with the suitcase in the background. Long shot of the woman appearing at the entrance of the park with nothing on her, she walks away smiling to herself.)

Direction Unit: Prop

After thinking about my theme and prop together, I have decided to use the colour red throughout the piece to give it some continuity. Here is a photo of the suitcase I have decided to use:

 

Direction Unit: Practise Film

This is a practise film that I directed for our direction unit, entitled The Mystery Message.

Direction Unit: Separation Idea Final version

A Park Story

Crew

Director: Scott Fisher

Camera: Sam Wilder?

Actors: Steve and Angela Fisher

Context

Husband and wife separating, this is their final goodbye. The only thing that is exchanged is a suitcase containing his worldly possessions. The woman leaves with no regret, whereas the husband is left to contemplate his existence, which he now feels is rather futile.

Shots

Close ups, long shots, medium shots, shots from below the person

Costume

Both actors wearing something red to match the red suitcase, woman wearing red coat, man wearing red socks, man wearing white polo shirt and blue jeans, black shoes, and grey fleece. Woman wearing jeans and t shirt, trainers.

Sound

Mainly diegetic sound, possibly some non-diegetic but suitable sound to be added on.

Lighting

Natural lighting, morning, hopefully grey clouds in the sky.

Schedule

Week beginning 17^th September – planning

Week beginning 24^th September – shooting

Week beginning 1^st – 9^th October – editing

Title sequence and end credits – group task

10^th October – submission and screening!!

Direction Unit: Initial Ideas

Well, I've been doing a lot of thinking about my ideas for this unit, and I've now thought of something that I think will fit in with my theme of Separation and my prop of Suitcase. My episode is number 5 in the series of 19. My idea is this: A woman arrives at the park in a car, she gets a suitcase out of the boot and proceeds into the park to meet a man. This is a prearranged meeting. The woman hands the suitcase over to the man and then leaves, leaving him there with it wondering what is inside it, as the woman has given him no indication as to what it could be. The idea obviously needs some refinement and filling to fit into the 3 minute time slot, but I have decided where I am going to be shooting the majority of my scenes and what is going to happen in them. As the idea progresses I will finalise more details so I end up with a detailed synopsis and shot list for the episode, but I feel the foundations have now been laid. Here are some photos of the areas I plan to shoot in:

Sound Design Unit: Final Submission

I have now completed The Journey, and it is ready to hand in on Friday. I have enjoyed undertaking this project as it has allowed me to experiment with sounds and put an unusual twist on an otherwise quite normal scenario. I also can't believe it's the end of our first semester - where has the time gone?! I have thoroughly enjoyed it though and I can't wait until September!

Sound Design Unit: Editing

I have all photos for The Journey taken, I am now in the process of sorting the photos into sequence and matching sounds to photos to bring my idea to life :)

Sound Design Unit: Ideas

I have been thinking about ideas for the sound unit since we were briefed on it on Monday. I now have one which hopefully will be ok. I plan to capture the journey of a woman as she travels from here (Maidstone) to London for a job interview. This will not only be a physical journey, but also a career journey. I feel I can make this work and tell the story by getting across the way the woman feels in the sounds I use.

Story Telling Unit: Plans for over easter

Well, over the two weeks we have off for easter, as I am unable to have the camera until after them, I am going to spend them redrafting my script, doing the storyboards for the script, and writing my essay for the media strategies unit. After discussing my script with my tutor, it is evident that there is far too much dialogue in it and even the dialogue left when redrafting is complete will need to be re-written to allow it to flow more effectively. Given that I have two weeks to complete all this work to a high standard I feel I should succeed!

Scott

Media Strategies - Representative Organisations

BBC – Representation

Values

To inform, educate and entertain

• Trust is the foundation of the BBC: we are independent, impartial and honest.
• Audiences are at the heart of everything we do.
• We take pride in delivering quality and value for money.
• Creativity is the lifeblood of our organisation.
• We respect each other and celebrate our diversity so that everyone can give their best.
• We are one BBC: great things happen when we work together.

Representation

All employees of the BBC will be represented fairly and honestly whenever the need arises.

BBC accused of taking striking oil refinery worker’s words ‘out of context’

The BBC had to apologise after it aired a news item edited in such a way that it made the person concerned appear racist. The man involved was quoted as saying he could not work alongside Portuguese and Italian people who were working at the Lindsey oil refinery in Lincolnshire. This is a clear example of the BBC incorrectly representing a single individual as obviously racist, when in fact there was no such intent behind the comments at all. However, due to the way that the BBC edited the footage for it’s 10 o’clock news programme, it appeared that the man was being openly racist. This is a good example of representation to use as it clearly shows that the people who put together the piece were in a hurry to do so and did not care about how it would be perceived by the audience. The BBC received a lot of complaints over this issue and issued a public apology, saying they did not intend for the individual’s comments to be edited in this way. The real meaning and intention behind the comments was clear when they were shown in an unedited form on the Newsnight programme, where it in fact transpired that the individual concerned had said he could not work alongside people from different nationalities as they had been segregated by different companies and for different reasons.

Bibliography

http://westudymedia.wordpress.com/2009/02/06/representation-racism-values-and-ideology-and-the-bbc/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/insidethebbc/whoweare/mission_and_values/

Story Telling Unit: Trailer Planning

Hi All,
Need to find out who is free and when so I can use a couple of you for my trailer if that's ok :)
I am still in the planning stages of my trailer at the moment, but once I've decided on all the shots etc I will put it all up on here for you to see. This weekend is going to be a weekend of planning and storyboarding, to bring me bang up to speed :)

Regards
Scott

Story Telling Unit: The Meeting - Final Idea!!

Hi all,
I had a long think today about my idea for the meeting, and here it is now:

Working title

Pitch: A guy is in the army. He is injured by an IED. He is now confined to a wheelchair. Is it the end? Or just the beginning?

Synopsis

The idea I have is of a guy (Dan, 19) who is in the army and is currently serving on the frontline in Afghanistan. However, one day his life will be changed forever: he is hit by an IED (Improvised explosive device). He suffers serious injuries to his legs and is destined to spend the rest of his life confined to a wheelchair after having both legs amputated. Obviously this has a serious psychological effect on him, and he is unable to see how he can possibly continue to live a relatively normal life after he has been the victim of such a terrible event. However, once he returns home from this ordeal, and is continuing to wonder how on earth he can ever be “normal” again, he discovers a group for injured ex-army servicemen. He decides to go along to one of the meetings and see what the group is like. He meets another guy (Tony, 30) who was in a similar scenario to him ten years ago, and has been confined to a wheelchair ever since. However, he has managed to use artificial legs as a means of getting around at home to maintain his independence. Dan asks Tony a few questions to find out exactly how to go about getting the independence that comes with false limbs. He is truly inspired by Tony because despite what has happened to him, he is determined to live his life as normally as possible. He openly accepts that he is at a slight disadvantage to most people, but he will not let that stop him living his life. Dan is in total admiration of this outlook, and after months of feeling down and depressed after his incident, he decides to pick up the pieces and make some enquires about false limbs. Once he has made the enquires, he is very pleased that he did, as he was unaware of how many different options were available. He decides to go for a pair of artificial legs and after having them a while he is amazed how much independence he is able to maintain. Having gained this new found independence, he goes to see Tony and thanks him for his help and advice on the situation and Tony was only too pleased to help. Dan uses the independence to live a normal life and ends up getting a successful, well paid job in a big company. So despite this massive upheaval in his life, he has managed to resume a normal life and is now happy and confident again.

Genre

Action, drama

Theme

Recovery, overcoming a huge upheaval/tragedy in life.

Characters

Dan (19),  6ft1”, blonde hair, bright green eyes, stocky and muscular, an army serviceman who is injured whilst in active service, and now in a wheelchair. His main hobbies before his injury included working on his car and playing rugby.

Tony (30), 6ft3’, dark brown hair, blue eyes, slim, another army serviceman who was injured in service, and is also now in a wheelchair. His hobbies included playing football, and going to watch formula 1 racing.

Obviously this is all a little bit rough round the edges at present, and I think it needs a bit of refining. However, I feel it is an excellent basis from which to start.

Scott