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Before this module, I have worked on
several of my own films but with a small production crew of two to three people.
I knew how to frame a shot and how to use editors but this project put all my
knowledge to the test. Working in a group of seven with specific roles was a
good experience for me to work with a large group of people on the same
projects. Delegating work depended on key roles, which helped me focus on my
role and to get the best performance from myself, my crew and actors. This module
gave me the chance to try directing, which I found difficult. During the
middle of this production, me and phil decided that because he wrote the
script and I have more knowledge on editing that we would divide the roles of
director and editor between us when needed. Phil would brief the actors and I
would direct them on their performance, in regards to editing I would focus
my time on colour correction, colour grading, re-framing and visual effects
for titles and credits. This make workflow twice as fast and effective on set
and in post.
The first shoot on 13th April 2016 went well and we got some good shots. We edited the footage and
after we created a rough cut and got feedback from our lecture, we did not
get positive feedback so we discussed re-shooting. This disheartened the group
but also gave us the mindset to make this film to the best of our abilities.
We filmed the missing scenes on 27th April 2016 and we got some
really good shots and performances from the actors and actresses. We then
became ahead of schedule so we decided to redress the room and re-shoot the
first two scenes we shot with better set design and lighting. After we got
the footage in post, it was clear that re-shooting was the best idea we could
have done as the footage came out perfect compared to the first shoot.
The film was a challenged to edit as
we filmed the entire film and finished the basic structure and colour
correction and colour grade in less than 16 hours. After Phil finished the
final rough cut, Brody got to work on the sound design that included clean
dialogue, background noise, sound effects and music which really blend all
the elements of the film together and gave a professional feel to the film.
The film does have a few minor audio
hiccups and the colour grade doesn't fully match in places due to the camera
not being white balanced accurately in some shots, but overall the film came
out better then we expected. Everyone worked extremely well together, the
actors and actresses was amazing and done exactly what we wanted and this
created a fast and smooth workflow. As stressful as this task has been, I
have really enjoyed myself and I am extremely proud to what I would say is
our best work yet.
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Evaluation (Creative Development Project Realisation Module)
At the beginning of this module I had a basic understanding of Documentary and Drama film, but minuscule knowledge of experimental film. With Experimental film task I have learnt what a sound-scape is and the many approaches available for experimental film. I feel that the idea of mental health and the mental space of people with mental health was a very good subject to base the experimental on. I also feel that the technical approaches to my film was initially a good idea, although I feel that the execution of the technical approaches was slightly off the mark and decreased the quality of the overall product. This is also applied to the sound-scape for the film and has taught me to test ideas and research intensely before starting the main production.
In regards to the documentary task of this module, I feel I have learnt how to frame and light an interview accurately to create a well lit and composed mid shot. I also have learnt how to structure a documentary in terms of its narrative arch and how to deal with contributors on and off camera to a professional standard which will stay with me for the rest of my career. This task has also shown me the important to pay attention to sound; this is referring to the external non-synced sound and the backup of internal synced camera sound. The most important thing I have learnt from this task is to work with my group as professionally and fairly by sticking to roles and delegating the work accordingly to the roles of the crew. I have also personally learnt to take a step back and let my group grow via peer and self development on learning new skills.
For the final task, the drama, I have learnt the importance of time management. With an extremely short period of time to write, shoot and edit this production, I now know the impact team work, time management and dedication has on a production. We struggled to get actors at first but through expanding our connections to external casting agencies, we managed to find two actors that have been extremely flexible with the minimal time to shoot. This also creates further connections via word of mouth to other actors and actresses and has produced contacts for future projects. This project has been the biggest project of the module and year but the scale of the crew and sourcing external actors, alongside external locations separate to the university. I have also learnt to work with my group on a bigger scale; as my role was director, I had to co-ordinate the cast and crew through every shot and every line for the film to get the best shots and performance for the production. I found this particularly hard as I have never directed to this scale before, let alone properly. I now feel confident that I direct future projects with a wider understanding of the role and how it interacts with the other roles of the production team.
The Final Cut - The Stage [Short Drama]
The Stage [Short Drama] from Liam Atkinson on Vimeo.
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