Major Project - Music Composer

Music Composer

Finding a music composer seemed a near impossible task initially. Most of the composers I could find came with a fee I was not willing to pay. My concerns were quickly overturned when one of our actors, Clive Woodward, emailed me about a friend of his named Tony Hepworth who was willing to compose our music without a fee. He would only expect travel payment which I was more than willing to cover.

Once I had received Tony's contact details, I called him to let him know that I was interested and informed him of what the film would be about and what music I would like for him to make for us. We both took some notes and I let him know that I would like to arrange a meeting with him so that he could see our rough cut of the film and discuss the music in person.

I sent him this email:

Hi Tony,

We spoke on the phone a few days ago about meeting to discuss music for our student short film, Condemned. I was wondering if you could possibly do Thursday next week (29th)? We will have a rough cut for you to look at as well and we’ll pay for your travel as agreed.

We can meet at the Maidstone TV Studios if that’s okay with you.

Kind regards,

Sam

Having discussed the majority of the details over the phone, it only felt necessary to write out a short and sweet email to confirm our interest.

1st meeting with our music composer

Having arranged a meeting with Tony the week previous, this screening would act as our first meeting in person as well as our first opportunity to watch the film on a bigger screen. The film was still in its early stages so the film was fairly rough round the edges with some sound still missing in places. Despite that lack of quality, the composer did mention that he was able to get a sense of tone from the film, though we explained that the film would feature more character tension in a later version.

I came with some notes to explain what kind of music I would like for the film. The film needed something ambient in order carry through the more sombre moments in the film such as the opening scenes before David meets with Nick for the first time.

Though the opening credits were not in place at this time, Troy explained to Tony what they would look like and what the tone would be like. I suggested that the music should be dark in tone with some ambience or some keys to give the music more character.

Feedback on music

Within a week of our meeting, Tony had sent us some music to work with. While I could see the approach he was taking, it did not fit the tone of our film. He had explained that this first batch would simply act as a stepping stone as to where he should go next as opposed to music intended for the final film. The music almost sounded like it could have come from a sci fi film rather than a Kitchen Sink Drama. I had explained this to him and suggested that the music took a more consistent tone.

The next batch almost seemed like more of the same but with better intentions. Tony had explained to us that this would be fairly similar in tone to last batch; only this time we could take small 1 second snippets to use for the smaller, more subtle moments in the film. While I was not particularly impressed with the music itself, I did like the concept of his idea and, with more of the same suggestions, asked if he could apply that same concept to the idea of dark ambience.

2nd Screening with music composer

This screening proved to be a particularly problematic day as the film we had exported was in full 4K and our laptop could not cope with that large a file size. With help from Ferg, we got the film playing for Tony, although it was still a very hard watch. This was frustrating as it left us with uncertainty as to whether the composer would be able to work from this film if has the same problems. Thankfully this was not to be the case.

Tony understood our situation and explained that his computer at home would be able to cope with the large file size so this was not an issue. The audio itself wasn't choppy in the viewing, however, which was important as we had included temp music to give him a sense of what we would like to hear in the film. Tony understood that the music was far more low-key than the stuff he had sent us and suggested the idea of making a track that would cover the length of the film. This was an idea that we had welcomed and made some further suggestions, such as some dark ambience.

Feedback

The music that he sent us this time around was far more to my liking and, with some minor adjustments, would work perfectly alongside our film. It was a mix of dark ambience with some drone. Some of the music was similar to the ones he had sent previously but were much darker in tone and far less random in sound composition. Overall, I am happy with the music we have received. Our films tone is clearly illustrated thanks to Tony's music. What's even better is that we go this music damn near free of charge.

Major Project - Edit Reviews and Progress

Edit Reviews and Progress

The role as editor was split between myself, Josh and Troy as the sound editor, sequence editor and the colour/grading editor respectively. Seeing as Josh and Troy live together, they were able to sit through the editing progress together while I would arrive during the week and work on the sound for a day or two.

As a producer, my role was to ensure that the edit is coming along as it should while keeping track of the progress of the edit. In the days I was not available to edit myself, I contacted Josh and Troy frequently to ask where they were at with the edit. As producer I must also organise screenings so that we can view the edit on a larger screen. I opted to leave this until we had a sufficient edit to look at and review. This did not include reviews and tutorials with Simon who we would see most weeks with our edit up until the deadline.

Early rough cuts

It had been 2 weeks since we had finished our shoot and after a short break, our first rough cut was ready to be viewed by Simon. Admittedly it was not a great start, even for a rough cut. The sequence was roughly chopped and the sound from the tascam had not been inserted by this stage. A more positive comment however was that the scenes were nicely shot and that we got a good sense of location. Without the appropriate sound however, it is difficult to give more insightful feedback.

With the next session, we showed up with a more finely chopped version of the film with the sounds in place. I had informed Simon that a music composer had been organised and that music would be added within the coming weeks. The colour grade would also be looked into in the latter stages of the editing process. This was understood. The edit itself was still fairly rough and though the sounds were in place, there were frequent moments where the characters were out of sync. Simon did offer a lot of tips on how we can cut the scenes so that they flow a lot nicer, asking us if we had certain shots that would work well. In regards to the actors performances, he was particularly impressed with Nick and Stephens characters, they were very believable and were good choices for this film. Simon was not too pleased with some of the performances offered by the main character David. Basil's overacting proved to be one of the major issues with the film as a whole and Simon advised to be particularly picky with what shots we used in order to cover up the over acting to get the most out of the actors performance.

Screening and meeting with our music composer

The first time we had the opportunity to view our film on a bigger screen was with our meeting with our music composer, Tony Hepworth. At this stage the edit was still fairly rough and was not graded, but it did give us a different perspective on how the film would eventually look. The clips seemed to present a more sombre tone than we had anticipated. While sombre would be a word I'd like to describe the intended finish, the film moved along far too slowly and it was difficult to gage a real sense of tone. We were hoping that the music would help pull this through.

This would act as our final screening before the rescheduled shoot with Basil the following week.

Complete Rough Cuts

Having met with our music composer and shot the last of our scenes over the 2 week break, we were able to present Simon with a rough cut that included all of the shots. The only things missing were the music (which was soon to arrive) and the colour grading. Having explained that I would not be including the music until I myself was satisfied with the result, Simon suggested that I use temporary music for the film; music that would help give the film its sense of tone. Again, it was explained that without the music, it is difficult to gage on the tone of the film in a more specific way. Music makes a huge difference. The sequencing around the newly shot scenes was still rough round the edges and there were still pieces out of sync. Not that it was noticed in the tutorial by anyone else, but I could here some rattling coming from the boom pole in the park scene. Thankfully these were easy enough to fix as it did not overlap any of the dialogue.

A couple weeks later, we had a rough cut viewing with Andrea Kapos of Dark Energy Films. By this point the rough cut was in a much better state, the sequencing was clean, the temporary music was in place and the sound, for the most part, was where it should be. There were still some syncing issues as noted by Andrea. The viewing was met with mostly positive comments, she understood the tone of the film, the pacing was never dreary and the shots were of a high standard. Rather interestingly, she actually loved Davids character.

There were still some things to work on in the film, however. Andrea suggested that there was some fat to be trimmed from the film and even suggested the idea of scrapping a whole scene as it didn't add anything to the story. Later that day, Simon also viewed the film and echoed many of the points raised by Andrea. It was just a matter of getting it done.

2nd Screening with music composer

It had been advised to watch our films on a larger screen in order to get a sense of where the film is really at. This was met with some difficulty however. We had exported a copy of the film for the composer to work from and decided to show him this film at the Studios before handing it to him. Unfortunately the film was exported in full 4K, something the laptop, which was nearly full of memory, could not handle.

With some help from Ferg, we had eventually got the film playing, albeit a bit choppy. This was frustrating as it left us with uncertainty as to whether the composer would be able to work from this film if has the same problems. Thankfully this was not to be the case.

It was difficult to actually spot any issues with the film itself visually as it was too choppy. I did, however, spot one mistake in this screening concerning the sound. In places the audio was only playing through one speaker. Between this screening and the final viewing, I would not have the time to correct these issues and instead decided on focussing on the music aspect of the film while Troy adjusted the grading. This meant that Simon could finally get to see the film with music and with grading.

Final viewing with the Class

At the beginning of deadline week, Simon organised a class viewing where everyone would have the chance to watch and comment on one another's films. While I was nervous about having the whole class watch our film, it was interesting to see what everyone had to say. It was also a chance for Simon to have his say on our music selection and the grading.

I knew going into the viewing that the sound would come out of the left speaker only in a couple of scenes so I was not phased by the criticism in that aspect. Simon was very happy with some of the grading, (though it was incomplete in some areas) and felt that the pacing and the tone of the film worked really well. He did pick out a couple of moments where the grading in the film was off and there were some slight inconsistencies. Simon also noted that there were still points towards the end of the film where the audio was out of sync.

Final Edit (for deadline)

With just days to go until the final deadline, it was decided that the majority of the focus would go on what Simon wanted to improve. Our own criticisms of the film would take a back seat for now.

The final changes I would make to the sound would be as follows:

• I went through the film analysing all of the dialogue in the film to check for any moments that were out of sync. There was one moment in the park that was not initially spotted that I had corrected and just the one moment in the final few scenes.
• What was particularly strange was the fact that while the dialogue was matched up to the correct clips, they still appeared to be out of sync on first watch. When deeply analysing the footage and the audio, it turned out that this was in fact not the case, particularly the coughing before the line "you got all that from me being a firefighter".
• I inserted and raised certain sounds that could not be heard in the previous edit such as the pot noodle pot hitting the surface.
• The phone call in that same scene was also edited to sound like it was coming from the phone.
• I made some very minor adjustments to the music but decided not to make this a focus as it was not raised in the viewing.

Major Project - Shoot Week

Shoot Week

In this post, I will detail what happened on every shoot day from 19th February through to the 23rd February. In doing so, I will provide specific focus on my role as the producer on these shoot days as well as how the script performed. As producer, it was up to me to make sure that everything was going according to plan and that everyone knew what they was doing on the day. If there was anything that needed to be clarified, I would be the person they approach.

Consistent notes

To save repeating myself, I feel I should clarify that everyone arrived to each shoot on time or earlier and was consistently satisfied with the food we had to offer.

I also made sure to remind the cast and crew of the health and safety points mentioned on the call sheet.

We managed to shoot every scene within this week as scheduled. Adjustments to the schedule were not necessary, with the exception of the shoot day in the following week.

Monday 19th February - Scenes 4-6

The first day of shooting would take place at an airbnb in Maidstone posing as Nick's house. The shoots would take place inside the kitchen, the garage as well as the road just outside. To ensure that everything was set up appropriately, we arrived a couple hours before the cast and crew and began setting up. I assisted in carrying in the equipment on this occasion as the crew would not arrive for at least another hour (as mentioned on the call sheet).

Upon arrival, I greeted the cast and crew as they arrived and showed them round the location before taking them to the first scene location. I allowed the actors to get settled in before starting any shooting. Snacks were made available throughout the day as well as breakfast.

An issue with the sound equipment was quickly resolved by Jack without assistance and a blown bulb was also acted on swiftly by Jack who was able to take it to the Ferg and get it replaced within minutes (we were only a 5 minute drive from the studios which was convenient). Having Saskia on board meant that we could continue the shoot without Jack which was ideal.

I would observe each shot and voice my own opinions where necessary.

Getting clear sound inside the garage proved to be increasingly difficult. The equipment itself was fine, but the weather was not on our side. The rain and strong wind, though temporary, could be heard quite clearly by Jack and the traffic, though limited, could be heard over the top of the dialogue. This meant that we had ran over time on the garage scene. Time was not an issue however as I had left plenty of clearance space in the schedule in case something goes wrong.

All in all, I was satisfied with how the shoot went. The actors and the crew all got along, any issues we came across were dealt with swiftly. One of my worries about my role during the production phase was that I would not be as actively involved as I liked to be. This was not the case however, as I was able to communicate my ideas freely.

Tuesday 20th February - Scenes 1 & 3

This would prove to be a very short and easy day. This was to be expected.

Everyone arrived on time at the uni house for breakfast and a briefing on where we would be going next and what the shoot would involve. As we would be shooting externally in a public space, a health and safety briefing was more than necessary to ensure that we do not get in the way of any passers by.

We set off into Maidstone and parked in a location near both the County Hall and Fremlin Walk so walking was not a major issue. I walked ahead of everyone else to meet up with the security at Fremlin Walk to let them know that we have agreed to film there and they obliged without issue. I was in and out within 5 minutes which meant I could meet back up with everyone else ready for the first scene.

While there were plenty of people at Fremlin Walk, there were no crowds of people. The fact that we had a time frame to abide by meant that we could not simply wait until later and we had to make do with what we had. Asides from that, the shoot was relaxed and our actor did not feel aggravated by any of the small inconveniences. I was again able to make use of my creative input on the bench scene meaning we got plenty of coverage.

While everyone else got set up at the County Hall, Saskia and I went to a local taxi firm, Apollo Taxis, to order a taxi that would act as Davids lift home. I had explained that we would be filming the whole scene and they were more than happy to contribute to the film. This was one of my biggest worries as should they have said no, it would meant either finding another local taxi service (which will delay the shoot) or use Josh / Jacks car as the taxi and edit it in post, so I am glad that this worked out.

There were no major inconveniences in this scene, it was just a matter of waiting for a clear shot with no people.

Wednesday 21st February - Scenes 8-10 & 13

Day 3 would prove to be the busiest day of the week as it was the only shoot day where we had EVERYONE in. All of the cast, all of the crew. This made my role all the more crucial as I had to manage each and every one of them. Thankfully all the scenes would be shot at the uni house which meant location managing was not an issue.

Despite the large number of people, it would in fact result in being the first day without ANY outstanding issues.

Prior to this day I was made aware that Harvey would arrive late to the shoot as he had to fit this in and around his own working schedule. Asides from this, everyone arrived on time, as expected, with breakfast and various other snacks laid out for them to eat. The living space would act as the green room while the kitchen (not to be used until later in the day) acted as the space where we would all talk about the day ahead.

Scene 8 (the van scene) was the first to be shot and went without issue. I made frequent sound checks as well as shot takes as we were filming externally and the conditions may affect the quality. This was not to be the case however.

Harvey arrived in time for the next scene. While the rest of the crew set up in the kitchen, I greeted Harvey and explained to him what it is we wanted from him as well as what the film would be about. It was a particularly good experience for him to see what goes on in the third year which is a nice bonus. I also used this time to speak to the actors about what they will be doing in the next scene and asked if there were any concerns. Thankfully there were no concerns.

Like with scene 8, scene 10 went without issue, as did scenes 9 and 13. Harvey was particularly busy in taking photographs of each and every one of us in our working environment as well as getting some action shots. My only regret is not hanging onto Anthony for just a few minutes longer to go back to the van scene to get some pictures there. He had informed me prior to the shoot that he would have to leave early, though he was not expected to stay after shooting scene 10.

Thursday 22nd February - Scenes 12 & 14-17

As the final scene of the day would be shot at the uni house, it was agreed that we would meet there before heading off to Mote Park for the first shoot of the day. As 4 of the 5 scenes we would shoot were external and we were still in winter, it was advised that everyone wrapped up warm for this shoot. Thankfully the costumes required for the scenes were thick winter clothing any way so there were not too many concerns.

When we arrived at Mote Park, I decided that we would allow everyone the chance to pick up a tea or coffee before we start shooting as it was a particularly cold day.

It was not too busy at the park which made shooting rather easy. We were able to wrap up the first 2 scenes a lot quicker than initially anticipated.

Scenes 12 and 16 proved to be the most frustrating, despite having the simplest shot choices as there were frequent noise interruptions from birds, cars as well as the public, all of which were clearly heard by the sound. The earlier than expected finish at the park meant that were only set back a few minutes from what the schedule had said.

The most difficult scene of all was saved until last; Scene 17. As the scene takes place in the late evening, we had to cover up the windows with black bags and play around with the lighting to give the impression of night time. This took the crew a long time to get right, but seeing as this was a big scene to shoot, it did not phase me too much as far as the scheduled finish time's concerned. I was just hoping that the actors would not get bored of waiting. I used this time to simply talk to the actors and keep them satisfied. They were very understanding of the situation and were happy to wait.

I am glad that so much time went into the lighting of that scene as it came across as a very convincing night-time setting, even to the eye. Gavin played a big role in ensuring that the lighting came across as realistic.

Friday 23rd February - Scenes 19-24

The final shoot day of the week went without a hitch. By this point, everyone was perfectly comfortable communicating their ideas to everyone and everything came across naturally. A strong working relationship between cast and crew had been more than cemented by this point.

A strong working relationship would prove to be vital as this was among the most important days to get right (though a good working mindset would argue they are all equally as important).

While there were 6 scenes to shoot on this day, 4 of these scenes were very short and without dialogue leaving 2 longer scenes to finish off the day with.

While breakfast was provided, Basil was keen to jump straight into action as his scenes were first. Hannah would get to work on Clive's makeup in the meantime.

Unlike the day before, there were far fewer interruptions outside the house. Sounds of the knocking and the door opening all came out nicely while any external sounds blended in with the background.

These early scenes were fairly simple to shoot and therefore did not require a great deal of time. I suggested other methods of filming to make the most of the time we have as well as to get the most out of the edit.

Before moving onto the next scenes I advised that cast and crew got themselves warmed up, possibly with a cup of tea. Though sunny, it was still a fairly cold day.

Gavin had brought along some extra lighting to help with the final scenes, 21 and 23.

Though lighting did take its time in being set up, the scenes themselves went by quicker than expected which allowed for some experimentation.

Wednesday 28th February - Scenes 2, 7, 11, 18 & 25

Due to snowfall the day before, this shoot day was not able to go ahead as neither myself or Basil could make it to the location so it was decided that this shoot day would be rescheduled.

Reflection

Going into this shoot week, I was left unsure of whether my responsibilities as a producer would shine through on a day to day basis. I was worried that I may be sat around doing nothing at times. Thankfully this was not to be the case and I felt very much involved for the vast majority of the time I was there. I was able to communicate my ideas effectively and was called upon frequently by both cast and crew. I felt as though I answered any questions I could in a professional manner and received positive feedback from the cast as a result which I am particularly proud of.

Another one of my worries was that this would be a stressful environment and that either myself or my crew may underperform if we let these stresses get the better of us. This was not to be the case at any point throughout the shoot week. I thoroughly enjoyed this shoot week and a small part of me wished it had not ended and I was looking forward to the rescheduled shoot.

The sound came out nicely and the shots were well done.

There were some small issues as well as a couple of larger issues that we would later discover in our edit, however. A reflection in the microwave and a red camera light visible on a picture frame are a couple of examples, and we did not feel that Tuesdays shoot went as well as it could have in regards to final product.

Major Project - Research into Genre

Research into Genre

While the topic of genre has already been discussed, I felt now that the script and story has undergone a number of changes and the style/tone of the film has been clarified, it would be a good idea to return to the topic.

Going into the pre-production phase, it was clear that this film, just from the basic outlay, would fall under the broad genre of Drama. But what does this tell us? Not much, if anything at all. As we began to dig deeper into the story and started to unfold what the characters do and how they act and react to certain situations, the more specific sub-genre Kitchen Sink Realism. While the story itself is fairly low-key in the earlier stages of the film, the tone that we were going for did in fact hint at undertones of Thriller, though we wanted to keep this genre fairly grounded and did not want it to take over from the social reality that the characters find themselves within.

What is Kitchen Sink Realism?

The genre itself gets its name from an expressionist painting created by John Bratby. The painting itself is a representation of the struggles of the mundane lifestyle many find themselves within. It is, in a way, a criticism of the 'norm'.

The British movement was a response to the French Nouvelle Vague and began releasing films under this genre in the late 50's with films like Room at the Top and Look Back in Anger. The genre began to gain popularity in Britain in the late 60's / early 70's and has even gone on to influence more modern films and television series like I, Daniel Blake and Royle Family.

Kitchen sink realism typically focuses on the working class and the social struggles many find themselves within. Our film focuses on a former prisoner struggling to fit in with the modern world until he finds himself with a childhood friend who himself has become an outcast in society, struggling with lung cancer.

Major Project - Script Draft 8

Condemned Script Draft 8

The eighth draft would act as the final draft of the script before we begin shooting. It turned out that there were not too many changes to make with this script, at least not as many as I had expected. A number of the changes made to this draft were fairly minimal with the exception of a couple of major changes, most notably the final scene. As this script would be sent just a week before the shoot, it helps that there are not too many changes. Here are the changes made to the script.

The first of these changes was particularly small and that came in scene 5, the interview scene with Nick. I changed the lifting key to a tap reseating tool. When looking through the tools in the house I found saw the tap reseating tool and felt it was perfectly ideal for our film and would make far more sense than a lifting key. This is not a change that affects the film in any significant way, however.

The next change was also a small one and would not come until scene 13 when David visits Stephen. One thing I learned in my role as a script writer is that if any dialogue can be cut without affecting the story, do it, as film is a show not tell form of storytelling. I had removed the word bit from Stephens line "Bit like old Marvin, do you remember him?" to help the pacing and flow of the film. As small and insignificant as it may seem, every tiny change helps in some way.

Scene 15 in the park saw yet another wording change. Stephens line was changed from "prick" to "lazy sod" when describing Nick's character. The word prick had already been used and it felt necessary to change this description to keep some form of variety in dialogue.

I cut a large chunk of dialogue from scene 17 as it did not feel necessary to the story in a major way and felt too similar to the dialogue mentioned in the previous scene. This also helps speed up the pace of the film.

Dialogue cut from Scene 17 (left) and where it is missing from in the latest draft (right)

Dialogue from the phone call scene (18) was cut to speed up the pace as well as to trim the fat. Nick no longer says "you're fired" as he had already said "don't bother showing up to work tomorrow" earlier on. There is no need to repeat himself. Davids line was also cut shorter as he did not need to ask "did Stephen say?".

While I have talked about speeding up the pace and trimming the fat a few times already. However, in scene 21, I decided to swap out one word of dialogue. Stephen initially describes David as being ignorant, but it felt more heartfelt for him to just straight up call him a cunt. In full the line now reads "What you said to me yesterday about not remembering anything showed me just how much of a cunt you still are!"

The final change, and easily the biggest, was the change made to the end of the film in scene 25. This had been one aspect of the film I had struggled to get right in the script, but after a discussion of ideas with Simon, it was decided that I would give the film a more sinister twist ending. Instead of having flashbacks of the past event, David instead observes a photograph of Stephen and Susan (his wife) together, implying that he had known all along about their affair.

Major Project - Crew

Crew

An essential part of the role as producer is to ensure that the production has a crew working under it. While the production already has itself a producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and director, it still needs more crew to help manage with the sound as well as to allow Josh, Troy and I to focus on our own roles. I asked around the first and second year students if anyone would be interested while Josh and Troy continued to work on the shot list and compositions.

With the small budget that we will be working from, look for contributors externally was not an option I wanted to consider unless I wanted to expand on the budget. Having worked on third year student productions twice, I understand that it is encouraged for third year productions to introduce other student to the major project.

Before making a decision on who I would contact, I had to make considerations for our budget. How much would we be willing to pay and how many people would we require? Here are the positions we wanted to fill for our production:

• Sound
• Camera Assistant
• Production Assistant
• Make Up
• Photographer

As for payment, it felt sufficient that, as this was to be an experience for them, only travel costs would be covered.

Crew Roles

Camera Assistant - Gavin Roberts

Gavin was always an early contender for any one of these roles as he had shown interest in our film in the first term. While we had not settled on a role for him at that point, we did ask if he would consider working with us on our production to which he obliged.

We had initially decided that he should take up the role as our location sound but changed our decision and made him Troys camera assistant. The two had worked together on the studio production and worked well. Gavin was also happy to oblige in supplying us with a couple pieces of lighting equipment that he owned as well as a clapper.

Sound - Jack Whitely

I have spoken to Jack a few times in the past and felt he would have a good working chemistry with myself and the rest of the crew. Like Gavin, Jack had also shown some interest about our film so it only felt right to ask his availability. Obviously the sound plays a huge part in the film as it's half of the audiences experience so it was important Jack knew how to use the equipment, which he did.

Production Assistant - Saskia Tatt

Saskia is currently living with Josh and Troy which meant it only depended on whether she was available for the shoots as travel would not be an issue here. Thankfully Saskia was available as her shoot was a couple weeks after our own. As she has her own production to work on, I do not wish for her to feel as though she has to abandon her own work to help out on ours. Luckily this is not a major issue as 3 of the shoot days were at the house any way.

Make-Up - Hannah Quinn (and Saskia Tatt)

As make-up and photography were not a part of our course, I realised I may have to look externally if I am to find anyone to fill these roles. I had worked with Hannah before on the Double Exposure shoot where she was a make-up artist and decided to give her a message on Facebook asking if she was available that week. Thankfully she agreed to take part and I would only have to pay travel expenses, however she was unavailable for one of those days, the Tuesday. Saskia agreed to fill in for that day. The make-up was fairly simple with some touch ups throughout the day to keep it consistent.

Photographer - Harvey Flux

This was the hardest role to fill. I had contacted the photography course without success and nobody I knew was available to help out on our shoot. I didn't want to pay any major fees to bring in somebody externally but it looked like the only available option. We had considered allowing Troy to take some pictures as he had done photography as a hobby in the past but this would only distract him from his own role and therefore slow down the shoot.

Our course leader Simon had suggested that we use first year student Harvey for our film, informing us that he has a keen interest in photography. I had contacted Harvey and he had no issue in helping us out on our film.

Major Project - Production Meeting and Paperwork

Production Meeting

Last term I decided on securing a production meeting with the actors and use it as a chance to discuss any outlying issues or concerns they or we might have. It was also an opportunity for the actors to meet one another for the first time (although Basil and Clive had in fact met previously on another shoot). This would be a crucial point in the unit for myself as it would confirm everything we needed to know going into the shoot week and it is vital that everyone knows where they stand the moment they step onto the set of our film.

Having attended a production meeting with the Double Exposure crew last year, I used that as a potential reference point for our own production meeting as well as conducting research of my own as to how a production meeting and rehearsal should go down.

The production meeting was held on the 30th January 2018. Below is the email I sent out the day before to remind them of what we will be covering.

Hi All,

Hope everyone has had a nice weekend and is looking forward to tomorrows meeting! In this email, I will shed some light as to what will be discussed in tomorrows meeting and where it will take us leading to the shoot.

The meeting will begin at 10:15 but if everyone can arrive just before 10 that would be great! Reception will have your names and will call me to let me know that you have arrived, alternatively you can call me (07580551487) and I will come down and collect you.

From 10:15 to 12:00 we will be going through;

• The script
• The characters
• The tone and style of the film
• Location details
• Budgeting
• Shooting schedule

As well as giving you the opportunity to ask any questions and voice any opinions you may have about the film and/or script.

We will then have a lunch break until 12:45. You can bring your own food if you’d like, however there is a cafeteria at the studios and we are more than happy to pay for your lunch as agreed.

Finally, from 12:45 to 14:30 we will rehearse some of the scenes together to get a look at your chemistry together as well as with Josh, the director. This will also give me an idea of what the dialogue sounds like in action as opposed to on paper. This will allow for a much more detailed edit for the script as the last draft had some very minor changes.

I have left an hours clearance at the end in case we run over the guide times but I can’t see that happening. Hopefully it shouldn’t drag on and should instead be fairly relaxed.

I’m sure you all have the address for the studios already but just in case: Vinters Park/New Cut Rd, Maidstone ME14 5NZ

If have any questions about tomorrow, please let me know.

Look forward to seeing you all again tomorrow!

Sam

The meeting with our actors went according to plan and I managed to get plenty of details out of them in regards to availability, food, the script, etc. Here's how it all went down (times may not be entirely accurate):

10:00 - I had asked the actors if they could arrive just before 10:00 to ensure that nobody is late, while Josh, Troy and I arrived about an hour earlier to ensure that we could get everything we needed to get sorted organised, such as paper work. Once everyone had arrived, we just sat and spoke for a few minutes just to get everybody acquainted. Fortunately, we had met all the cast in person once before so we were fairly relaxed in speaking to them, and, as mentioned previously, Basil and Clive had met once before on a previous shoot they did together. This made getting everybody acquainted that much easier.

10:15 - Before beginning the meeting, I wanted to let everybody know why we were here, what we will be doing throughout the day, what we want to know and if there might be anything they would like from us. Having made my introduction, we decided to have a read through of the script without the acting. This included the action lines. While I have read the script to myself, I wanted to hear everything coming from the actors themselves, all together. This session was particularly useful as it allowed myself to get to grips with what the script really sounds like and meant that I could make a great deal of changes ready for the shoot. Josh and I would conduct this part of the meeting with some input from Troy.

11:00 - The next point of conversation was the tone of the film. While the actors would not be involved in the cinematography or the editing for the film, it was important that they could get to grips with what kind of setting the characters will be placed in and where their possible inspirations may come from. Troy conducted this segment with some input from myself and Josh.

11:30 - Before heading off to lunch, I wanted to collect some information from the actors in regards to payment plans, what food they would like, travel as well as general availability in case of a rescheduled shoot or a reshoot. It was also an opportunity for the actors to ask us some questions. Again, this would be in regards to payment as well as availability for the most part.

12:00 - Lunch would be paid for by Josh, Troy and I and would be supplied by the Maidstone TV Studios cafeteria. This does not just act as a break from the meeting, but also acts as an opportunity to get to know one another even further and if need be to ask more questions about the film or even the rest of the day.

12:45 - While the script read through helped out with understanding the way the script reads, the rehearsal went even further in presenting how well the script actually performed. This would add to the necessary changes for the final draft of the script as well as give us a sense of the actors chemistry. It was also an opportunity for Josh to gain some experience working with the actors before the first day of the shoot.

15:00 - I had initially planned on having the actors sign any necessary paperwork just before lunch, however I felt it made more sense to do this after we had completed everything else as by then, all of the information we/they needed would become clear.

The production meeting went very well with some very positive feedback from the cast, all of which said that they had never done a production meeting for a short film and felt that it really helped in their understanding of the film. It was also a pleasant touch for everyone to have the chance of meeting one another and everybody got along perfectly.

Paperwork

I decided using the UCA templates for most of the paperwork as it enabled me to spend more time working on other aspects of the film and made gathering information so much easier. Much of these forms required the UCA logo anyway, especially the Risk Assessment. However, I did opt on creating my own template for the Call Sheet. The one I created, I feel, is easier to follow than the call sheet template presented on MyUCA. Below are examples of the forms used in our production.

Artist Contract and Contributor Consent Form - The artist contract would be signed on the day of the production meeting by the actors while the consent forms would be signed by the locations and/or contributors where necessary. This allows me to keep track of my permissions and allows for proof of consent where necessary.

Call sheets - As mentioned, I opted on using my own call sheet for this production. It means I will always know where everything is (as call sheets can often be cluttered) and allows for ease of use. I have included all the necessary details, such as:

• The call times for both cast and crew
• Weather
• Contact details
• What scenes will be covered
• Production requirements (costumes, makeup, etc.)
• Health and Safety
• Location details (with map)

Risk Assessments - As for the risk assessments, the UCA template is a necessity if we want our risk assessment signed and approved.

Major Project - Script Draft 7

Condemned Script Draft 7

The seventh draft follows up to the final draft of the previous unit and will act as a starting point in my assessment of the Major Project unit. This draft will also act a template for the eighth draft, the final draft before shoot week. As mentioned in a post from the last unit, changes will be kept fairly minimal, I had planned on making the major changes (if necessary) after our production meeting involving our actors in the final draft. This way the cast and crew will be fully aware of what big changes will be made.

The first of these changes was a small detail in scene 5 where I have decided to have David's character sat down and Nick's character standing over him. This decision made sense as I wanted to convey a power struggle between the two characters which would be difficult to do if both characters were standing as Basil (playing David) is taller than Anthony (Nick). To keep the power on Nicks side, I removed the detail about him pulling a chair into the space to sit and decided to keep him standing. The wording was also changed in areas to keep the script tight and easy to follow.

Only a couple of small changes were made to scene 6; minimal pay was changed to minimal wage and don't let me down was changed to don't be fucking late. The changing of words in the latter of the two changes was to further enable Nicks character. It makes more sense to curse at David as opposed to keeping his calm with everything. I wanted to convey the sense that Nick doesn't really like David and that David cannot trust Nick.

The next change comes in scene 8, another small change. sink and boiler was changed to hot water. A more vague description made more sense to both Nick and Stephens characters.

Scene 10 saw a handful of changes. "Boiler needs replacing" felt far too formal for Nicks character. I instead opted to change this to "Boiler's fucked". Nick would be far more blunt about the situation and would much rather David figure the issue out himself rather than informing him of the situation. The wording was changed in Stephens line to maintain a better tempo in the film and Nicks line about the tea see's him dismiss David's cup as opposed to asking him. These changes also affected other areas of the scene which required some shuffling about. For instance David now asks for tea AFTER Nick leaves the room.

A layout change was made to scene 13 with little change to the dialogue itself. Just makes for a better read and again, adds tempo to the story.

The scene in the park (14) saw a couple of changes to the dialogue but the scene itself remains the same. David instead asks when Stephen was diagnosed as opposed to "How long you had it?" The question makes more sense as Stephen can't possibly know when he actually got cancer, only when he was diagnosed. The wording in Stephens next line also changes slightly for better pacing. 

No major changes were made to the bench scene (15) but there were some slight wording changes as it reads more naturally. The pacing is more or less the same.

The word bar was dropped from Stephens line in scene 17 about a fight that happened years ago as it reads a lot better. Only a couple of wording and spelling errors were changed from this scene.

The dialogue in scene 18 was fairly minimal anyway but there was one change that I wanted to make from this scene. In the last draft, David says his line after Nick finishes speaking on the phone. I have opted to have David say this while Nick is speaking. This is presented in two separate dialogue columns side-by-side.

Scene 21 saw a few changes in dialogue. The first of which was the wording of Davids opening line. "My boss" was changed to "Nick" being one, and the other being "Did you tell him?" This line is far more to the point than "Do you know anything about this?" which feels to formal for a confrontation. Stephens next line saw some wording changes for a better read.

The final scene, while only one change was made, it was a significant one as it decides what we will be leaving the audience with. I initially had the ending as a deja vu of the opening scene but have now changed it to leaving him lying on the bed as flashing images of the past begin to haunt him. The ending was easily the most difficult to land and has seen a couple of changes since my first few drafts.

Major Project - Research into Budget

Research into Budget

The budget for this film was discussed well in advance of this term as it was something that we were all looking to contributing to. It's important to factor in that this budget will be supplied by ourselves and not the course so discussing how much we were willing to put in was absolutely essential that we knew how much we were each willing to pay. In order to secure some of the locations, the fee had to be paid last term. We all agreed on a rough number of £500 each as a starting point and worked from there.

Now that I had a rough figure to work from (£1500 total thus far), I decided to look into how much we would need to spend as well as what we would need to spend it on. There are a number of ways to go about working out a budget, these are the ways in which I went about it:

Reading the script - Reading through the script and taking notes is one way I went about gathering items and locations. Having written the script myself, I knew where to look and what to look for, but even still, it helps to look through again and again to make sure I have everything I need. Josh and Troy also read through the script and made their own notes as to what we may need. We collaborated our lists and looked into how much everything will cost. This covers the costs of all the listed costumes, props and locations.

Cost of contributors - Payment of actors had already been agreed at £60 per actor per day as well as a small percentage of their travel costs. Having arranged how much I will pay each of them for travel, I could get a solid grasp of how much we will have spent over the course of the shoot. Any other contributors, such as production assistants, will be paid in travel costs alone. Again, the locations have already been covered.

Feedback - One thing we greatly overlooked when discussing our spendings and budget with Simon, our course leader, was food. In order to keep our contributors and actors happy, we must supply them with good quality, hot food. Snacks such as crisps and sandwiches will not be sufficient over the span of a day, let alone a week if we want to keep everyone happy. Fast food will not be sufficient either. While we could get away with doing it on one occasion, it is best to avoid it entirely and stick to home cooked or well prepared dishes. To ensure that neither of us are distracted from our responsibilities, the food must be prepared either by someone externally or a production assistant/runner. THIS SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED!!!

While set design had been considered (see reading the script for details), it had been advised that we do not underproduce our set design. Simple things that are not listed in the script, such as a newspaper, or a pot of tea bags, are easy to overlook but can make the biggest difference in the appearance of our film.

Prior experience - Having worked on two third year projects beforehand (Grit in my first year, Double Exposure in my second), I had an idea on what to expect. The food, while simple, was to a good standard and there was plenty of thought as to what the actors might like/not like to eat. Everyone was considered. Weeks in advance of the shoot, I was asked by Wesley, the producer for Double Exposure, what food I like, if I have any allergies, etc.

One very costly, yet unexpected expense was the cost of batteries. Wesley had explained that he had some money put by in case something went wrong or required more thought on the day of shooting. This was clever as there was no way we could have predicted how many batteries the sound would use alone. So many packs were bought over the course of the week. This was something I wanted to look out for.

Major Project - My Role: Producer and Screenwriter

My Role

As discussed in a previous post, we have all decided to continue with our chosen roles. Mine of which being the producer and the screenwriter for the film.

My Role as Producer

For the earlier stages of the term, I will be continuing with my duties in ensuring that everything I have planned for the film goes ahead. This will involve, but is not limited to:

• Communicating with the actors regularly
• Talking with the locations, ensuring everything is still okay
• Organising production meetings with cast and crew
• Ensuring that crew are up to speed on what their duties are

To ensure that each of these tasks are carried out appropriately, there are a number of skills and traits I must use or indeed learn:

• A creative vision
• Problem solving
• Communication skills
• Organisation skills
• Self-motivating as well as motivating others
• Negotiation skills

These are all skills that apply to the pre-production phase alone, and though some may bleed over into the production as well as post-production phase, I must ensure that I am able to appropriately use these skills to help carry forward the production.

It's easy to think that the producers take a back seat during the filming stage of the production, this is indeed not the case. While it will be the director that takes the drivers seat on set, it will be up to me as the producer to ensure that everyone is satisfied and that the cast and crew are making the most out of what they have. I will be there every day to ensure that the production is going smoothly and offer creative suggestions where possible.

What makes my role as the producer particularly vital is the fact that I am there every step of the journey, supervising and ensuring everything is working as it should be, from pre-production through to post-production.

During the final stages of the production, it will be my job to overlook the edit, organise edit screenings, find a music composer (if not done already) and, if necessary, organise reshoots.

My Role as Screenwriter

Having produced 6 drafts of the script already, I felt as though I was in a comfortable position leading into the production phase. Leading up to shoot week, it is important that I frequently update my scripts based on the feedback and suggestions offered by our course leader as well as the cast and crew. My role as the producer will assist me in doing so as I will be able to organise feedback sessions with the crew. By doing this, I can get a better gage as to what the script will sound like and how it will play out. This allows me to write the best possible script for the film.

A relatively small role in comparison to producing, cinematography or directing, my role as the screenwriter will certainly take a bit of a backseat in the latter stages of the production. This does not mean, however, that it ends once filming begins. As a screenwriter, I feel that I have a right to express my creative suggestions with reference to the script should my ideas conflict with the directors. I should also understand that while I am entitled to my own opinion and can express this to the director, I must also allow the director to express his own vision as he sees it.

Major Project - Introduction to the Unit

Introduction to the Unit

Having spent the last few months working on the pre-production unit, I have decided to continue work on the 'Condemned' short film production. The developments made in the first term (as well as the Christmas break), I feel, have been sufficient enough to continue working on this production. The actors we brought in were still more than satisfied with playing their roles in the film and the locations we had arranged with were still available for shooting.

For this unit, my roles as screenwriter and producer will not change, though my role as screenwriter will take a bit of a backseat in the latter stages of this unit. My role as the sound editor on the other hand will be prioritised more heavily in these latter stages and my role as producer will shift focus as we enter the production and post-production phases.

It was agreed by myself, Josh and Troy that we would continue to work on the film heading into the new term as we felt we had progressed far enough to create the film without any major concerns, as aforementioned. Their roles as Director and Director of Photography respectively will not change.

Understanding our roles

In order to do my job, I must also gain an understanding of the roles of those I am working with as this will enable myself to better prepare for what is to come over the course of this production. Below are the people I will be working alongside, with a description of what their role involves going into the production phase:

Josh Bayly - Director (and sequence editor)

As I mentioned earlier, our group has not changed since the first term. Going into this term, however, our agreed roles will take on different challenges. For Josh, this will be putting his vision of my screenplay into action. During the shoot week, Josh will see himself in the drivers seat and the creative force of the production and will be challenged with putting all his preparation into action.

As a director, his role does not finish at the production stage. As we will all play our own part in the editing stage, it made sense that it would be the director that takes control of the sequence editing. While a director in the industry is unlikely to take on editing as well as their own role, it is expected of them to contribute to applying their vision to edit and ensuring it is carried out appropriately.

Using creative skillset as a guide, I explored the different ways in which a director can be responsible for the films final outcome:

"Directors are responsible for creatively translating the film's written script into actual images and sounds on the screen."

This point is relatively straight forward and is something that I already knew going into my research into the role. However, it is vital that Josh understands the importance of creativity when expressing his vision through film.

"During pre-production, Directors make crucial decisions, such as selecting the right cast, crew and locations for the film. They then direct rehearsals and the performances of the actors once the film is in production."

Having already served the first point in securing our cast, it is vital that Josh is able to direct a rehearsal before as well as during the shoot. The first rehearsal will be used to gain an understanding of the actors chemistry together as well as being able to read facial expressions and emotions.

"During post production, Directors work closely with Editors through the many technical processes of editing, to reach the final cut or version of the film."

I mentioned this point earlier about how directors carry their role forward into the post-production phase. As Josh will also carry the role as sequence editor, this should not be an issue.

"At all stages, Directors are responsible for motivating the team to produce the best possible results. Directors must also always be aware of the constraints of the film's budget and schedule and manage the expectations of the film's financiers."

To ensure that this happens, Josh will be working very closely with both myself and Troy to ensure that we are all just as passionate about his vision as he is. I will be on hand to ensure that he does not ask too much of the film in terms of budget. As we will be budgeting the film ourselves, however, this should not be a major issue.

Troy Smith - Director of Photography (and colour/grading editor)

With a clear understanding on how to use a camera to a high standard of finish, Troy has stuck with his chosen role as our Director of Photography (I will refer to the role as DoP from here onwards). Weeks of shot composition planning, colouring and test shoots will finally be taken into action this term for Troy; another thing he will be able to work on is his efficiency in setting up and taking down equipment. While it is Josh's vision that Troy will be working from, it will be his lighting, shot choice and decision making (in regards to camera) that will play a vital role in what the audience will see in the final film.

Again, his role does not finish at the production phase, partly due to the fact that he will also be playing a role in the edit itself. Using the creative skillset website once again, I researched into the key roles of being a DoP:

"During post production, DoPs attend the digital grading of the film."

This is the point I was just making. A DoP must ensure that their camera work is being utilised to the best of its ability and this carries forward into the grading. It is for this reason that we felt it was up to Troy to grade and colour the edit as a part of his role. This isn't uncommon on smaller productions such as ours.

"On smaller films, DoPs often also operate the camera during the shoot. At the end of each shooting day, DoPs prepare for the following day's work and check that all special requirements (cranes, Steadicams, remote heads, long or wide lenses, etc.) have been ordered. They also usually view the rushes (raw footage) with the Director."

For our production, Troys role as the DoP coincides with the role as camera operator. Troy will be working closely with myself (as well as the director) in ensuring that he has all of the equipment he will require on this shoot.

http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/758_director
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/759_director_of_photography