Transition: Shot List and Script + (Risk Assessment)

Transition: Shot List and Script + (Risk Assessment)

In further preparation for our shoot, George has prepared a shooting script/shot list that we can all work from. This will not only benefit us on location benefit me during the edit as well, since I can refer to it regularly to make sure the story is in the correct order. I will also include a copy of the risk assessment I prepared for this unit.

Transition: Research - Scene Analysis

Transition Scene Analysis

In order to maximise the potential of this project and ensure our production incorporates as many underlying themes, visual/audible techniques, and storytelling skills as possible. It is important to know our chosen scene inside out and to analyse it in depth to pick out as much of the storytelling details as possible. 

Although we are only re-creating one sequence from Black Mirror, it is important to understand how the entire episode is edited together. So I will be analysing the editing and other techniques used in the Black Mirror Episode "White Bear". 

The opening is very heavy on the visual effects and creates a fast disorientating sequence designed to put the audience on edge from the start. I will play around with the positioning of this sequence in our film to see where it is most effective.

As we transition into the opening of the episode we are met with sound design right from the start. This helps to create an atmosphere before we have even seen the visuals. The first shot we see is very dimly lit and the colours appear dingy and washed out. What follows is a series of close up's that establish key details about our central character and help to set the tone for the rest of the episode. 

The following shots continue for a long time before cutting and the hand held camera keeps the audience on edge but also perhaps detract from the effectiveness of the shots. This is why I want to keep my edit mostly restricted to static/tripod shots in order to give the film a more professional image.

The angles used are kept quite slim so that the viewer's eyes are guided to see only what the director/editor want them to see. In my edit, I may scale in some shots in my edit so that the mise en scene is kept as simple and effective as possible, ensuring background details don't distract. 

I found that as the central character walks towards the TV, turns it off and makes her exit, there are a lack of close ups. I plan to insert several close up's and static shots of both the character and the items they interact with. This will enhance the emotional connection the viewer has with the character and story.

The following outside shots are arguably more effective since they include more close ups that help guide the story and we get a glimpse of other characters perspectives as they appear. In my edit I hope to make these close up's less disjointed and more like a sequence that carries the story.

The pacing of the shots picks up as the background sound is raised and becomes more intense. The chase scene that follows is accompanied by a backing track that compliments but doesn't overpower the drama of the scene.

The edit in this sequence incorporates a lot of different shots and camera angles, which work well to enhance the drama and pacing of the scene. 

As we are introduced to the next key characters we get a few tracking shots and reverse shots that work with the narrative and push the scene forward. The atmos is less present in this scene as it mostly dialogue based but the dingy colour grading that matches the interior shots helps to keep the same level of atmosphere throughout. 

The pacing for the next half of the episode is very up and down. The edit uses the gentle fade in and out of musoc to signify the entrance of key characters. We have several scene changes throughout the episode, however, there are very few establishing shots used. 

In particular, I refer to the point in the plot where the chaarcter reaches the transmission building. The room is filled with screens displaying mysterious symbols and then the building is revealed to be an event hall containing a large audience of people. But instaed of using wide angles or establishing shots to show this, these setails are revealed through a series of close up's.

As Live Production: Evaluation

As Live Production: Evaluation

As live production has probably been the biggest project I have worked on so far, both in terms of content and crew/contributors.

Going in to this project and working with Danny to come up with an effective pitch I was pretty confident.

I think we listened to each other well and did an appropriate amount of brainstorming and market research. I believe our pitch idea was well thought out and developed. 

We had it broken down and clearly visualised, with a detailed concept and well of ideas for how each part of our show could play out. I think our pitch was confident, well prepared and answered many of the questions that were being asked. However looking back although our idea was original, this was likely due to the difficult nature of getting a young target audience interested in political affairs which we didn't have as good of a solution to as we first thought.  

Even though our pitch idea didn't get chosen I was happy to work on Katy and Melissa's idea as it was something very different that I was eager to get in to. 

We only had a day to chose our production role and going in to this I knew i wanted to do something a little different and a little out of my comfort zone. Which is why I chose teh role of floor manager (which i had done a little research on before) however I still think it would have been nice to have more time to look in to the other production roles. 

In the early stages of pre-production and production, my primary role was that of a researcher. This is a role I really didn't know a lot about and had to learn and explore. Looking in to the role I found there were a variety of research roles out there with varying levels of responsibilities. 

So although I think I did a good job as a researcher, producing and souring valuable content. There were certainly times where I wasn't 100% sure what my exact responsibilities were and if I should be overlapping with departments like casting. 

However, believe I was very committed to the role producing a large quantity of quality research, most of which ended up being used in the show or the VT's. I compiled all my research in to the shared drive space so that everyone could view it. 

The fact that I was also able to come up with the idea of using, and also sourcing an Etsy seller was a great way to boost my communication skills early on. I think sourcing this contributor helped me improve my initiative and ability to think on my feet.

Some researchers I found also help out on set by doing tasks like briefing contributors. I tried to follow this example in my work and attended all VT shoots, however, I feel like my contribution wasn't as valuable as it could have been. 

The workshops we had in this unit were really useful and helped me to understand the responsibilities and pressures of everyone's role. Allowing us to work closer as a team, but also giving me a basic idea of what needed to be done to set up a successful studio environment, as well as what can cause issues. 

Moving in to the studio environment I took on the role of floor manager. Although I was a little nervous and out of my comfort zone to start with but I think I quickly ended up taking somewhat of a lead in the roll. 

In the early stages I had done my research on hand signals and verbal commands, but could only memorise the basics. I also would mess up counts from time to time. But this was an invaluable learning experience that gave me greater insight in to how a studio show should run. I improved in this role because I wanted to improve. 

With each passing week my confidence grew and I feel like (unintentionally) I overshadowed Sonia at some points. Looking back I should have made other crew members aware of what my signals meant sooner as I am responsible for them as well as the cast. 

I'm glad that I asked questions and had so many opportunities to learn and practice. Going in to this role I didn't quite realise how big it was and how much you need to be able to rely on your teammates e.g. lead camera, assistant floor manager etc. 

I think at the beginning and even until quite late into the production, Sonia and I didn't have the greatest team working skills and tried to act as lone wolves which just didn't work in this kind of environment. Things got better when we realised how big the role was and that it was enough to share. However, this did cause confusion among crew and we now realise it would have been better to run the decisions we made past them first since they need to know who they can turn to in a crisis. 

But I'm pleased to say after many chats with each other and with presenters; by the end of the production Sonia, Jack and I were operating as one big floor managing unit. With an even split of responsibilities that meant we weren't stepping on each other's toes.

While this was all going on I was still making myself useful by making regular contributions to production meetings. Continuing to liaise with contributors; even when I had passed their details on I made sure to give them regular production updates to keep them on board.  

The biggest thing I can take form this unit is a boosted confidence and boosted communication skills. By the end of the project, I learned to listen to my crew e.g. cameras, as well as talent, models etc. 

I learned to think on my feet to make sure issues were dealt with quickly. I also had to meet with members of the public (audience) and external crew e.g. technicians. Learning to plan and adapt plans on the spot when asked a question I hadn't really thought about (which forced me to boost my confidence). As well as learning what models and presenters wanted from me not just what I wanted from them. 

To be able to command the attention of a studio floor full of cast, crew, audience, and external contributors. As well as dealing with unforeseen issues (e.g. cameras going down, mics not working, blocking changing etc.) all while remaining calm and profecional is an invaluable skill.

Overall I am really pleased with how this unit has gone, we pulled together to work as one big flawless team to produce a perfect 30 minute As Live Production. I am happy with my development and my contribution in this project. And although I didn't really see myself doing more studio work in future, I can still take away some of the biggest skills I learned. Such as improved communication skills, being able to give clear and confident direction even to people I've just met. As well as vastly improved listening skills (which I've struggled with in the past) and an improved self-confidence. 

Transition: Idea Outline And Editors Statement (Black Mirror)

Transition: Idea Outline And Editors Statement (Black Mirror)

Following our recent idea change, I think it is important that I outline our new idea.

Now for our transition project, we are going to be re-creating the opening to an episode of Black Mirror called "White Bear". We aim to make it more Americanised, less handheld and high budget looking.

Why This Scene?- We chose this scene because creatively it is very interesting. It combines interior and exterior locations within one scene, both of which have very different lighting levels. The sound design is very prominent and creates an effective atmosphere. 

Although there is little dialogue in this scene the storytelling of the shots, props, and visual effects is both simple yet very effective. 

However due to the large number of handheld shots, simple camera angles and built up location; there is clear room for improvement. Our Approach would be to use far less handgeld shots, using a track, and a drone to get unique angles that enhance the storytelling further. There is also a lot to work with when it comes to lighting, colour, sound design and VFX. 

Editors Statement

My Approach will be to using static shots as the editor I can have more control over what the audience sees. I will crop in some of the clips to ensure that background details aren't too distracting. 

I will let a lot of the shots be drawn out and have a lot of cuts to close up reaction shots from our central character. This will allow the audience to be more emotionally connected with the story. 

I plan to focus heavily on the sound design, incorporating more layers and elements of atmos than the original sequence in order to enhance the feel of mystery. Background noise will create an immersive environment and I will have the opportunity to include foley sound as well, for a more in depth approach.

Colour grading is also somehting I plan to implement, while the original sequence appears quite washed out, I aim to tint the scene to a warmer colour for a more mysterious high-intensity thriller feel.

Transition: Green Light Pitch

Transition: Green Light Pitch

Today we had the pitching session for our transition production idea. We had to present to Simon and the rest of the class, detailing our idea and each of us had a section to explain our role and ideas.

Overall the pitch went well, people seemed to like our idea. Simon said I just need to make sure I research my role to get the best informed piece possible.

I am looking forward to the unique challenge the narrative of this project presents me, and the different styles of editing I can incorporate. Bellow, you can view our presentation slides.

Transition: Idea Change

Transition: Idea Change

Going forward with this unit we have to carefully consider time management. We want to create the best work we can, but in order to do so we need to ensure that our idea is achievable in the short amount of time we have. Which is why after a recent group meeting we have decided it is best to change our idea.

Although "Sacrilege" is a very exciting idea and something that offered a new challenge. It is unfortunately proving to be too big of a project to achieve in the short space of time we have. This is due to the fact that we require a relatively large cast and a vast number of different locations. All of which are very difficult to get organised for the dates we need at such short notice. 

The other factors that have disengaged us from this project include the need for practical effects e.g. pyrotechnics or a burial scene, or very specific lighting requirements. All of which are hard to arrange or get permissions for. Especially since some of this would take place on privately owned land and we are having trouble tracing the land owners.

As such we have decided it is best to move away from this idea. Instead, we are going to re-create the opening to an episode of "Black Mirror". This way it is a smaller more simplified scene, but we have a lot of creative freedom with it and it offers different technical challenges in the way we shoot and edit. Using equipment and techniques we haven't used before. 

Transition: Initial Idea

Transition: Initial Idea

Our initial Idea for the transition unit is to re-create a music video by the Yeh, Yeah, Yeah's called "Sacrilege".

This is a music video that has huge storytelling elements to it. It is very interesting to look at in terms of both cinematography and editing. Since although it is set to music it does not rely on Rhythmic editing. 

The key feature of this music video is that it is shot or rather edited so that the story is told in reverse. It relies on a series of reveals that explain the story piece by piece. 

It is very creative in its use of shot types, camera angles, lighting, editing style and overall offers us a great addition opportunity. The full video can be seen above.

As Live Production: TX Day

As Live Production: TX Day

Today was the day that Steal The Style went live!!!

With all our presenters, contributors, models, technicians and a Live Studio audience in place we were ready to go. The past few months of planning, rehearsals, and workshops all had to come together. Everyone had to work as one big unit, everything had to be set and any last minute changes finalized ready to go Live.

And thankfully it was a huge success and everything went off without issue. 

The day began at 9:00AM, since the set design and lighting team spent the majority of yesterday in the studio setting up the majority of their work was done. This meant we could get on to the floor right away.

The first thing to do was to work with Sonia to get the talkback system set up, since according to authors like Utterback, having an effective communication set up is one of the biggest priorities for the floor manager. 

We made sure that all cameras had a talkback, as well as the assistant floor manager. We had a few spare units, one of which was given to Harvey, the sound assistant (since Amiee had her own talkback since she was now stationed in the gallery so had her own talkback we needed to make sure she could communicate with Harvey who was on the floor). The other talkback units were kept to the side on charge in case the runners needed one, or another unit went down.

Once we had an open line of communication the next most important step was to talk to the director to find out what they could see in the gallery and communicate this to the cameras. Fortunately today we didn't have any issues with the camera feed as they were all worked on yesterday. Although we did need to make sure that all the cameras had the same iris, aperture/exposure and white balance settings. While this was mainly the responsibility of the lead camera op I still had to monitor and report their progress to the gallery. 

As Brown says "The Floor Manager is responsible for making sure health and safety procedures are adhered to". So working with each camera assistant and referring to the floor plan and risk assessment I was given the previous day. I helped to tape down and tidy any loose cables in the appropriate places. Using the special panels in the studio to create safe walkways. 

While working on this, myself and Sonia were regularly checking in with the Gallery to find out how much time we had left until rehearsal. Then communicate this to the floor. After a quick chat with Del yesterday my confidence with this had improved significantly and I was able to command the attention of the floor so everyone was aware of timings.

The next most important thing to do for me was to introduce myself to the runners we had on set. Since this was my first time meeting them I introduced myself to them (and introduced my co-floor managers) and made sure to make a not of their names so we could communicate more effectively, and they could feel like a part of the team. I explained to them how the show was going to run and what each of there key responsibilities were. I spent the majority of the time talking to my audience runners since they had the most to do. I gave them audience cheer cards and pointed out the parts of the show they needed to be used at. I gave them blocking and direction as to where they should stand and move to in order to be seen by the audience while staying out of the way of the cameras.

My mannequin runner was next in my list, I had to introduce them to Jack and show them where the mannequin and its outfits were kept. Pointing out the places and cue's in the script where the mannequin had to be moved or changed.

In heignseight, it would have been useful if I had prepared spare copies of the script that I could give to the runners so they could make notes of when their cue's were. However I overcame this by handing them paper and pens that they could use to write down notes and cue points they could refer to. I then made sure to introduce the other runners to the presenters and gallery.

Once this had been established the next step was to talk to Jack to find out which of our contributors had arrived. The call sheet asked for all the models and contributors to be in the studio for 9AM, however, unforeseen bad traffic conditions had caused several contributors to be late. After a quick chat with the director, it was decided that since the presenters were in, and we had stand-ins prepared just in case, we would go ahead and get them framed up before starting our rehearsal at 9:30 as scheduled. 

I walked the presenters over to the set using this as an opportunity to check up on them and find out if they had any last minute concerns. As floor manager you need to make sure your guests and talent are happy, which they were. We did have minor issues with the IEM's which I informed sound of and this was able to be fixed. 



While the presenters were framed up I worked with the runners and other floor managers to double check that we had enough seating for the audience, and liaising with Jemma to check that the reserved seats were all marked out. 

Once all this was sorted we ran our first rehearsal. Overall it went quite successfully, it ran to time, and our stand in's knew what they were doing, when, and where, which helped the show run smoothly. 

Some issues we encountered were that the runner attempted to bring on the mannequin too early at some points, some camera's irisis were also slightly out. So this needed to be worked on ASAP and as floor manager I took a leading role. In the gap before the next rehearsal I spoke to the camera (camera 2) who's iris was out and helped locate Ferg/Sam to help solve the issue (the main

problem was that this camera was a slightly older model than the others so in order to get the same settings, the ops had to hunt through a series of menus). None the less I made sure they gave regular feedback tot he director. While this was being worked on I spoke to my runners. I used my judgement and let them explain their issues to me, listening rather than just ordering them about, which helped

us come up with a solution and work together more easily. 

I clarified their cue's and we agreed that where possible I would shout nice and loud to direct them when the mannequin should be moved. 

As the second rehearsal was about to start our models all arrived. I made sure to introduce myself

to them (as some of them were new) explaining who would be cueing them and when, making sure they were happy and had no issues.

The second rehearsal once again went very smoothly, there were a few delayed cues but nothing major, and my runners seemed to get they're timings a lot better. Our models acted confidently and made an effective contribution. We also had our official audience contributors brought in early so we could practice interviewing them, (pairing this with the use of the new handheld mic and audience layout). 

After the second rehearsal, my biggest concern was that the models were not wearing the outfits being described by the presenters. I spoke to Jack to make sure they were prepared and dressed for the final rehearsal to ensure they didn't need any last minute altering. I took this opportunity to also speak with the models, as well as Bonnie and Connor/Saphire (who up until now I had little dealings with). This was key as they raised a small issue with me. Some of them were confused when I was directing them to stay put and Sonia was signalling for them to move. After a quick chat with the models in Sonia this was resolved as it was agreed that since I had the most practice and notes  with this section, I would take charge of the models in the first half and Sonia would take them for the second (making sure neither of us overshadowed the other during their section).

Before the final rehearsal I made sure to check with each department to see if there were last-minute issues. The cameras commented that Saphire could be seen walking behind the set. To solve this I spoke to jack and we agreed to change the path contributors take when walking on so that it is more hidden (they would now walk behind the curtain, which we moved slightly to make sure there were no trip hazards). I made sure Harvey/Amie had met Saphire and that they were able to get her miced up without issue. I also made sure all the mic swaps went ahead without issue. 

I spoke to all other contributors who told me they were all happy and knew what they were doing. As well as the presenters and directors who asked me to keep cueing them just in case there was an issue with the IEM's.

The final rehearsal went flawlessly, Sonia and I worked together to command the floor effectively as a team while staying out of each others way. Before we wrapped for lunch I made sure that all cameras put their batteries on charge and had a spare prepared.

With less than an hour to go before transmission, my next big responsibility was to organise the preparation for the audience. I briefed my audience runners as to where they needed to be and made sure they had each had a guest list (to keep track of numbers) and a talkback (so they could inform us when audience arrive). I introduced my runners to Danny who would also be assisting them. I got Jacks attention over talkback to make sure the warm up act was ready and in position. 

One issue we had with this was that the ticket info told audience members to arrive half an hour later than originally planned. This meant that they were arriving slower than expected and gave us less time to get them seated, briefed and prepared for the show. To overcome this issue we decided to keep one runner outside longer than planned in case anyone showed up late.

I used this extra time to talk to Jemma and go over a few last minute safety points. I had prepared a list of safety points the audience needed to be briefed about, but Jemma had a few things to add. We had a small issue when the audience contributors who were supposed to be seated early, were still in the audience holding hut. Fortunately the talkback units I ran out to Danny and the Runners earlier meant we could quickly get in touch with them and get someone to run the two contributors in. 

Once all the audience had arrived and were seated it was time for me to give my Health And Safety Briefing. I used a loud and active voice to gain the audience's attention then put the communication skills I had picked up over the last few weeks to good use. I went over the fire safety procedures and explained how the Live show was going to work (going over the usual points of getting phones turned off and food/drink put away). I also used this opportunity to introduce the concept of audience runners and cheer cards to the audience, getting them to practice cheering a few times to warm them up. Overall considering I hadn't really practised this briefing it went very well and my clear and loud dictation communicated all the necessary information. 

With this out of the way it was now just a waiting game until we could go live. I used the last few minutes to check with all cameras and sound as well as my runners to make sure everyone was ready. As I began the countdown to the start of the show I made sure to be extra loud so the entire audience could hear.

The show started on time and the presenters hit their cue perfectly considering they had a lot of cheering to cut through. The first half of the show was Sonias to shout and block through, while I kept my focus on guiding the models, meaning they entered and exited the catwalk at exactly the right time. 

The model's costumes were all correct and looked great. Once their job was done I made sure Jack cleared them off of the studio floor to allow for mic changes and make room for other contributors. 

I ensured that the handheld mic es gave to the presenter at the right time and was turned on and working. Then I used my spacial awareness skills to stay out of shot in a safe place when the cameras turn to the audience. 

As the second half of the show started control over shouting and directing the presenters was handed over to me. Upon the exit of each VT I made sure to communicate to the floor which camera we would be starting on (as sometimes the director would stray from the one listed in the script) and I would stand next to this camera so the presenters knew where to look. 

I made sure to stand in a visible spot at all times so I could command the attention of the presenters. Keeping my voice raised was key and i pulled this off well. Also even though the presenters had IEM's i still used hand signals to communicate how much time was left and when they needed to wrap up, in case they were distracted by the interviews. 

At all times I remained calm and followed studio protocol when talking to people like Jack over talkback, to ensure models were in position. The second half of the show ran without any issues and overall the show was a huge success. It ran exactly to time and no one messed up at any point.

I would have liked my runners to be more enthusiastic since we had been so positive with our communication, and I did drop my script during the drag performance which may have been picked up on a mic. However, overall I don't think I could be more pleased with how the show went.

To conclude the day everyone came out on to the floor so Simon could introduce us to the audience and add some closing thoughts. After this, we had a little bit of time for photos before de-rigging and de-briefing which was done swiftly and efficiently. Talking to Simon, Del and other observers they said I was incredibly confident and effective as a floor manager, which I was so happy to hear, and showed my hard work, research and practice had paid off.