Single camera Pre-production

Research Portfolio

Primary research

This is a good example of primary research because it allows you to ask specific questions directed at that advert and also the data will be current compared to using a secondary source which may be a couple of years out of date.

Having these questionnaires completed allows us to understand our age range/ primary audience and all the information we need to get our advert advertising to the right people.

This is an interview we conducted for our documentary, having an interview allows us to show the audience that we have used primary research and not just secondary. Also allowing the audience to see the person who is being interviewed allows them to connect and understand where that person's point of view is coming from.

Having pre-production work and recess are a good source of primary research because they show that we have looked into where we want to shoot and we have gotten the correct databases for the filming.

Secondary Research

This is a good example of secondary research because I have used multiple different sources to inform my prezi and the research that I was doing which would be very hard for me to create myself. So using reliable sources and books to inform my research.

This document shows a good example of secondary sources because it allowed me to look up information on the advert which is a few years old and due to the advert being older there is already a lot of data on that advert allowing me to find the information and data that I was looking for to inform my research.

In the document there is good examples of secondary research because for each word we had to find the definition which we used a dictionary for which is a secondary research and then we had to research examples for those words which would be internet research which is also a secondary source.

For the advert we wanted to talk about a certain article that was published by the telegraph and due to using that article we had to find more information and conduct more secondary research so that we had the correct information.

Single Camera Technique

Single Camera Techniques

This essay is about single camera use with TV and film. I talk about how sound, lighting,editing and multi cameras are used in the single camera filming.

    There is different ways that the camera is used in a single camera production the main reason why productions use single camera is to make the audience feel apart of the film or immersed in the action. Single camera is used a lot in horror because it limits what the audience can see which creates the suspense due to it taking away one of the senses. ‘Get out’ is an example of a horror film which uses single camera. These screenshots are from a scene which uses single camera which isolates the main character from the group. It cuts between Chris Washington ( main character) and the group with each interaction but focuses on Chris’ reaction to certain things that have been said to allow the audience to understand how he is feeling towards the statements/conversation. Another example of single camera in ‘Get out’ is when Chris is trying to connect with Georgina (the cleaner), they wanted to create an intense and slightly intimidating feeling in this scene because Chris is still trying to figure out what is going on and that there is something odd about some of the people there and what they are saying/behaviour. They kept the single camera on one of the actors and had them do the whole scene so it was one long shot so instead of having to worry about continuity between each shot and also having the camera close to Gorgina’s face it would be very hard to line up different shots if they were to using multi camera due to the closeups on his expression because it’s impossible to have the exact same facial expression especially in close up shots it would be a lot more obvious to the audience that it’s been filmed in different shots.

    Lighting used in single camera production is easier to control compared to multiple cameras because they have to think about how the lighting will look in different angles whereas the single camera focuses on one direction. In single camera production the lighting creates a tone and can also be manipulated in a way to create a style like having strong contrast like  having a strong shadow cast on the actors face to make a dramatic look to them. The issue with lighting in single camera is that it’s hard to get consistent lighting from different angles due to having to hide a light box if it is being used or light reflexes. Also lighting can cause the seven and the actors to look flat and fake because there isn't any depth to the scene or actors due to not always being able to backlight the scene.

The lighting has to be thought out in single camera because I can go wrong very easily, so it has to be able to add tone and depth to the scene.

An example of a film that uses lighting to create strong contrast and uses the lighting to effect and develop the story of the movie, is “Citizen Kane” it was all in black and white. Due to the film being in black and white they are heavily relying on lighting and how the scene is lite.

   

    There are advantages and disadvantages of sound in a single camera production is that there has to be overlays during filming with it starting earlier that the shot and then for it to run a little bit longer than required. This is a slight disadvantage because it will take up more storage this way but it is required to make the edit smooth. They will also use audio from one take of the scene and use it on another if the audio fits and suits the edit. The type of audio recorder which is used within the industry is a boom mic because it produces good quality audio and it is easy to function and it always the production to get close to the actors to the the best audio it can.

The editing in single camera is that it is cheaper compared to multi-camera production because there is less footage to go through so there is less time editing it. Also in single camera production it is very common that scenes filmed in a certain locations will be filmed altogether. Shot logs are key when editing because it helps the editors understand the director's idea and vision for that scene. A disadvantage of using single camera is that it cannot create a mixed live feed like multi-camera productions can for example ‘Britain's Got Talent’ but single camera live feed for example can be used in the news when they are live and onlocation with a live feed .   An example of a shot log.

In each genre the single camera format changes slighting from the way they film each shot to the lighting and editing, for example a horror movie would tend to film in a personal perspective to immerse the viewer into the film which will create the best scares due to it feeling like the audience is there with the actor. An example of a single production horror movie is the ‘Blair Witch project’

Soap operas use single camera productions, some of the operas have to be filmed in single camera because they use old traditional housing and there is not a lot of room to manoeuvre in the buildings so it beneficial to use single camera compared to using multi-camera. Downton Abbey is an example of a single camera production due to them filming on the official Downton Abbey grounds and building so it would be nearly impossible for them to film using multiple cameras in the building.

Another example of a genre that uses single camera is crime dramas due to them utilising the lighting to affect the mood of the scene. It is easier to get this affect via single camera productions due to the amount of control they have over the lighting. Example of crime drama is ‘CSI:’ they include a lot of flashbacks that uses a realistic route using single camera can create that immersive feel to it.

The difference between multi-camera and single camera production techniques is that multi-camera they have less reshoots because they have been able to capture different angles of the same scene so the editing team have a lot more room to use different shots. There are less continuity errors due to having different cameras all recording the same scene whereas in single camera they have to re-film the same scene but they may be slightly different for example an actors hair my be tucked behind their ear in one shot and another shot it’s untucked. In multi-camera productions have less control over lighting and it’s a lot harder to position light because they have to think about each and every angle that the lighting looks good. But in single camera production they are able to have a lot more control over the lighting of the shot. Also location have to be thought out because the production have to be mindful that they may not be able to fit all the cameras into small room/locations.

TV and film documentary notes

Citizen Kane

Loving death script

Research Dossier

Research Dossier

One UK based screenwriting competition is the Cinemagic, entry requirement:

1. Aged 25 and under
2. They allow entries from individuals or groups of friends, youth and community groups, schools and colleges  
3. The short film had to made in the last 12 months.
4. Previous submissions will not be accepted
5. The submission cannot be over 10 minutes
6. Entry to the competition is free of charge.

They are producing a series of workshops and masterclasses with renowned members of the film and TV industry.

The winner will be screened during the Cinemagic international film festival for young people.   

http://www.cinemagic.org.uk/submissions/young-filmmaker-competition

Another UK based screenwriting competition is the Bafta

Rules:

1. There is a fee to pay for entry
2. You must be 18 or over
3. All entries must be written primarily in english, translation for any parts that are written in another language.
4. You must hold a UK passport or must have be living in the UK for 5 years prior to the entry.

Prizes:

Finalists will

Industry showcase at BAFTA with professional actors and directors

One year’s access to BAFTA events and workshops

Industry introductions

Exposure to the industry; your details will be included on a hand-out that is then circulated to industry contacts at the event

Inclusion in the Rocliffe Alumni Network and the BAFTA New Talent Network

One to one advice and support

BAFTA and Rocliffe endeavour to facilitate meetings with third parties i.e. agents, development execs and production companies for the selected writers, but all subsequent negotiations with writers following those meetings are between the writer and the third party

The competition for YA & Children's Media is run in partnership with The London Book Fair. One writer is selected to join LBF as part of their delegation to MIP Junior in Cannes in October 2018 with all travel and hotel expenses paid. The recipient of this prize is selected by LBF from the shortlisted writers. LBF’s decision is final. The prize is for one writer only (the lead writer in the case of a writing team). If the selected writer is unavailable, the prize will be offered to another writer at LBF’s discretion and no substitute will be offered.

http://www.bafta.org/supporting-talent/rocliffe

An example of a UK based commissioning body that will accept unsolicited scripts is the BBC writers room. The BBC writers room is for 15-20 year olds, what they want their writers to submit:

1. One drama script of at least 30 minutes long/ pages in length for TV
2. They accept scripts from individuals or from groups up to the maximum of two people.
3. Each page must be around one minute of screentime
4. They only want to see full episode not samples or extract of script  
5. They will only take scripts longer than 30 pages/ minutes
6. They only want original ideas not adaptation of pervious films/ TV programmes
7. They only accept one script from one person at a time
8. If the screenplay is about a series they only want to see a script from one episode
9. You have to be a resident in the UK or the Republic of Ireland

https://amywebberfilmandtvblog.blogspot.com/2018/11/screenplay-layout.html

This is a link to my screenplay layout, it goes to a document with an annotated screenplay layout explaining what each different section is from the slugline to character cue.

Four different sources which you could seek inspiration from is True story for example Hidden figures which is about Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson in the 1960s who work at NASA as human computers and fighting for equality within the company for  woman and black people. Due to this being a true story it allows the audience to feel more connected to the character because they know that they are actual people and that they have lived through that period and created history. Also it informs the audience on something they may not of known about which makes it a compelling story to make into a movie because more people are going to view a movie than read a factual book, so have the information and the history shown through a movie format will educate more people than a book could.   

Inspiration can be based on a book or book series for an example of a movie based on a book is the book series, Harry Potter written by JK Rowling in 1997. This is a great source of inspiration because the whole story has been written so all the screen writers have to do is cut it down and make the book come alive. But when books are turned into movies they undergo a lot of changes because either it works for the books but it wouldn’t translate into visuals very well so they adapt or get rid of that section. For example in books they can take pages to describe a location, what a character looks like, acts like but in a movie they don’t need to worry about describing the character or location or how something moves because they can just show the audience.

Personal experience can inspire writers to base the screenplay on what they have been through because it maybe a good inspirational story that they feel like everybody should be able to see their story and what they have been through. This source is better than most other sources because the writer has been through it, they have lived it they know every fine detail about the story from how it started, what the event felt like, looked like, smelt. So it’s a personal story and the writer will feel passionate about the story than if they got it from another person. ‘The 15:17 to Paris’ is based on a personal experience because the victims and main characters told their side of the story and had a large input into telling the story on what actually happened. This gives the story and movie a lot more personal feel towards it and also the three main characters are the actual 3 America soldiers that were on the train in the event so they understood what happened throughout the whole movie because they actually lived it making the story a lot more personal for them and for the audience.

Overhearing dialog can also be a source of inspiration for writers because they may overhear a sentence of a conversation so then the writer has to fill in the gaps, like what happened to the person to get them where they are now or what will happen after that conversation or even what the conversation is about. This is a different way of getting inspiration because  it isn't given the writer a full story it is allowing them to have the creative room to make up a story from that small bit of dialog that they have overheard. There isn’t a lot of movies that have been based on overheard stories due to it being a very unique way of coming up with a movie idea.

Three different primary sources are interviews/ questionnaires, Diaries and books. These are primary sources that could be used to gather research to get specific information for the script writing.

Primary research which I personally used in my screenplay idea was books to give me ideas for the names of my characters for example Elan is another word for life which I wanted to play with because then the story is between life and death but I didn’t want her name to be life because it's not a name you would give to a person. But Elan sounds like a real name because there is a different way to pronounce the name such as Ellen but to make it unique it is pronounced as “E-lan”.

A lot of my primary research came from own experience and my own idea because my story isn’t based upon anything factual I didn’t need to do too much research.      

Three secondary sources is Bibliographies, Articles from magazines and history books.

I use other movies about death and depression as my secondary sources for my screenplay idea because seeing how others have represented death like ‘Collateral beauty’ which they have the character death. They show death as a lady who talks to the main character who is played by Will Smith and teaches him how to accept and forgive death because his daughter died  and him and his wife split up because they both were grieving. So throughout the movie we see death as this character who is trying to help someone who has gone through it and also help someone who is about to face death.

The advantages of using Primary sources is that the information collected for that subject area which the writer will be writing about will be accurate and relevant compared to collecting secondary data that may only contain some information on that subject. The purpose of the source is often clearer than using secondary sources which can be bias or describe an event slightly different to how they actually happened, so using primary sources will give you accurate information. I have used primary sources in my research because it allowed me to get specific data to the subject I am looking for and also I know that the data is current and not out of date. In the film and tv industry they use interviews and questionnaires as a primary source of information for example on the news rely heavily on interviews as their source of primary research. Documentary like Louis Theroux also rely on interviews as their primary research source. For my documentary I used a questionnaire as my source of my primary research:

https://amywebberfilmandtvblog.blogspot.com/2018/06/tv-advert-questionnaire.html

Disadvantages of using primary research is that some primary sources may not consider the other side of the story so it maybe bias in its information and opinions. Information from letters/documents may be misinterpreted like phrases that unfamiliar maybe miss read and translated differently to what they were meant as. Some documents may of been tamped with so they are not show what they originally showed giving inaccurate information.

 

Advantages of using secondary sources is that it’s a lot faster to collect the data compared to primary because the data has already been collected for you, you’ve got to read through it till you find what you need but with primary the data it has to be collected by the writer and documented and sorted through. The sources are easier to access because with the internet you can just search up what you are looking for and find multiple of different websites on what you have searched for. But you also have books that also contain the information but it takes slightly longer to read through. In the film and tv industry they have to get productions moving quickly so not all the time productions will have the time facilities to collect the data that they may need for that production. I used secondary sources when I needed to find an article on this specific story that happened a few years ago for my documentary: https://amywebberfilmandtvblog.blogspot.com/2018/06/secondary-research.html

Disadvantages of using secondary sources is that the source may not be concrete because you cannot see exactly what went into collecting that data so the lack of control of the data collecting process is a big disadvantage. The source data may not be accurate to what the writer is looking for, so some sources may only have a small amount of data on what the writer is looking for. Also the source may be bias and only showing one side of the story, so it’s not fully reliable.  

Information which I found useful in my script idea is prompt sentences because at the start I didn’t have an idea of what I was going to write for my screenplay so I read a lot of writing prompts but none gave me my final idea but with the mix of the writing prompts and talking with fellow classmate I came up with my final idea.  

In my screenplay writing I haven’t used much research to inform my screenplay  because my screenplay is based mainly on my own opinion so haven’t had to find and research the only thing that I have had to research is other names for life for the name of my character and coming up with an initial screenplay idea.

Within my screenplay I used primary research which was an interview with some people who suffer with depression to inform my script and that my story is close to what it’s actually like to suffer with depression. Due to it being a very personal story and a topic most people try and stay away from it was very important to the story that it is shown accurate. But with depression each person suffers differently so there is right way of showing it but with the interviews I able incorporate multiple different experiences that they have had.

References:

Advantages and disadvantages of using secondary sources:

https://xaperezsindin.com/2013/12/11/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-secondary-data-collection/

15:17: information about what the movie is based off and the backstory of the movie.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6802308/

Collateral beauty: the movie plot and detail about the characters

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4682786/

Harry Potter: general information about the series

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_(film_series)