TV News: Green Screen Set Design

TV News: Green Screen Set Design

For this project I had to really rack my brains to come up with a decent set to put in place of our green screen. I expressed some ideas to the rest of the group and they said as lead editor I should decide. While I would have liked a little more input from the others here I was far too flattered to say so and saw it as a challenge. 

I had a look at some of the other groups work, they seemed to be using there own graphics as a backdrop, which while I was fully capable of producing I didn't feel it was the best option. I had a look through youtube and other sites, and while I found a few templates that could work, none of them were 4K so quality would have been lost. Also simply downloading something from youtube didn't feel like a challenge. I had a look at last years work and none of them had an interesting background, apart from one project (Student Yak). 

I spoke to a third year who worked on the project about how they built their set and they were quite helpful. They pointed me to the programme they used and gave a rough explanation of the process.

The programme was called "Sweet Home 3D" I downloaded it on to my laptop and began work immediately. I have used slightly similar programmes in the past but not for a very long time, and this one had some very unique features and little explanation. 

Meaning I was practically going in blind. Speaking to Gavin to get a little advice he said it took him over a week to understand the software but I was able to teach myself in about two hours. 

The software basically had you build a room, change its wall/floor colors and lighting set up. You then downloaded models of furniture to put in the room. I carefully considered the "Carology" brand here and tried to build as relevant a set as possible while still having it look vaugly like a real studio. 

I downloaded appropriate models e.g. desks, lighting, mini cars, etc. And also kept to the "carology color scheme wherever possible.

I checked in with the group regularly to see what they thought, producing multiple drafts that acted on their input. The colour scheme was the main thing that had to be adapted to be a little less vibrant so as not to distract audiences. They suggested I place images of Tesla or our logo on the wall.

I think this would be a good idea but I have yet to figure out how to do this. 

If I have any more free time i will act upon this, but being so close to the deadline there is little time for improvement. In heinsight we should have decided what we wanted as a background sooner, but overall I am very pleased that I was able to throw together a professional looking set, in a matter of hours, using a software i had never even heard of before now.  

Edit Diary: Day 4

Edit Diary: Day 4

Today I headed in to the studios to piece together the footage from the "Live" that we shot on Saturday.

Although we headed back to my house on Saturday to digitize the footage, this was my first popper chance to review what we'd shot. I was pleased with the results and was also able to critically analyse my shots. As I recalled the second take went a lot better than the first. My cut in's were nicely framed but due to the fact I was zoomed in, panning between the two people wasn't particularly smooth, so I think that would be a good point to change in to a two shot.

The tripod camera was nicely framed, and despite the wind remind steady (there was one point that the camera strap blows across the bottom of the shot but it isn't too noticeable and could probably be cut around). 

One thing Alex and I noted when looking at the footage in the edit is that the tripod camera looked a bit grainy. Some quality appears to have been lost, the most likely cause of this was that the ISO was set too high. As a result we will try not to use too much of this shot in the edit. 

At the moment I haven't cut down AJ's interview as I want to see how much time I will have to play with once the new studio stuff is in. 

We then had Sam Creamer watch our edit so far and offer some pointers. He had a few suggestions:

• The package was very strong but some of the in-car shots go on for a little too long slowing the energy of the piece a little. He suggested we cut to these shots half way through a sentence or at a natural in-point. 
• He noted that the audio levels in places could use a little work, especially in windy shots. 
• He liked the live, but recommended we use more close up shots or perhaps a cut away here and there.

Tomorrow we will record our new studio shots. I have checked with the others to make sure the script is prepared and learned and made the appropriate room and equipment bookings. Once this is filmed I can make significant progress towards finishing the edit.  

Shoot Diary: Day 7

Shoot Diary: Day 7

Today was our shoot at Brands Hatch. Although this day was organised in a rush and considering we didn't have much of a chance to plan or RECCIE it, the day went very well. 

It was just me and Alex today since Cailan and Andrew were busy,even though I was able to re range my entire life scheduled to get here for today, they still couldn't meaning I remain the only group member to attend all shoot days. This also meant Alex and myself had to do the work of two people each, which wasn't ideal but we managed. 

We arrived nice and early and used this opportunity to RECCIE teh location. We had some great access and were able to go right down to where all the drivers were setting up. This helped us work out what would make a good angle/backdrop. Where was too noisy or windy, and who would be good to interview. 

After this we sat down over a coffee break to go over the questions and discuss camera angles. We brought a Tascam and mic with us for the best on location audio. This also made us look more professional. We did a quick check to make sure the equipment was working, ran through the questions, then headed out to find an interviewee.

Ideally we would have contacted someone before shooting, but we simply didn't have the time. We walked around the paddock until we found one of the RECCIED locations we were happy with. We proceeded to look for some drivers who didn't look busy and were quite lucky to find one who was at the end of their lunch break. 

I was tasked with introducing us and our project since I'm apparently the best talker. i politely explained our university project to them and asked if we could borrow them for a quick interview to which they agreed. 

Alex walked them through our idea and the interview process, while I set up the equipment. We had one camera on a tripod for a wide two shot, and me on a handheld set up for punch in's (which we had previously discussed with Helen and she agreed was a good idea). 

I made sure the framing was even and Alex came to check and make a few adjustments since he knew how he would move. Once set up we went straight in to the interview using the questions we had prepared. 

Although it was meant to be "Live" it still took a take or two for Alex to warm up as a presenter. But he has developed so much in this project that it didn't take long for him to be on good form. 

The interview went well, I tried to move around a little to get closer but I think I could have done a better Job. I though about offering directing advice since Alex had to present and check framing at the same time. but I remember from last time that Alex found this ineffective so i thought it best to leave it to his natural judgement. 

Overall this interview went ok, I could have got some better camera angles, and the interviewee didn't give particularly great/gripping answers but that couldn't be helped.

So we politely thanked them for their time, then went to find someone else to interview.

Fortunately we found another driver quite quickly. I once again introduced us and the project and I could already tell they were far more interested in the idea and the interview than the last driver. 

Once again Alex ran them through the process while I set up the equipment. The wind started to pick up here so I used my bag as a makeshift sand bag to weigh down the tripod which seemed to work.

The "dead cat" on the tascam mic did a great job of eliminating wind noise, this was also helped by the fact we were slightly sheltered by tarpooling. 

We went straight on to the interview once set up and after a tiny stumble on the first take, we got a successfully wrapped interview on our second take. 

This interview worked much better. The driver was far more engaging than the last one, and Alex was on top form as a Presenter. The two bounced off of each other well and we managed to just about keep to our time limit.

I also felt my shots were more effective this time round, since I got more punch ins and close up's first of both, but then mainly of the Driver which will look good in the edit. 

We thanked the driver for there time and decided that interview would work really well so we could stop there (we also stopped since it started to rain). we headed back to there car to review the footage which we were pleased with. 

The rest of the day was dedicated to getting B-Roll of the drivers out on track that we could overlay later. Alex got a variety of shots while I took photos which I was happy to do, (its been a while since i've done photography and was happy to re-sharpen my skills). Alex also let me play around with the camera's manual settings, so I could adjust to the changing weather for the most effective shots.

Overall today was one of the most productive and enjoyable shoot days we have had in my opinion, despite being two crew members down.

Posatives

• We were able to RECCIE the location on the day.
• We got two successful interviews.
• The audio and framing were on point.
• Alex's presenting was also on point.
• We did the work of 4 people well.
• We got plenty of additional footage to overlay in post.
• We worked well as a team with no arguments.

Difficulties

• We were two crew members short which didn't make life easy.
• The weather wasn't always on our side and we had to adapt to changing conditions. 

Shoot Diary: Day 6

Shoot Diary: Day 6

Today was an additional shoot day used for collecting a few pick up shots. 

Myself and Alex arrived at the studios early to set in pace necessary preparations for the day. We watched the edit to see the gaps and put together a short list of shots we needed.

Since Cailan and Andrew weren't arriving til later we set in place plans for them as well. We messaged Andrew to bring in all music he had made so we could see what would fit. And we set up a mac and transferred all project files on to it, ready for Cailan to start work on our channel trailer. 

Alex and myself then went out to get the shots we were missing. Most of these shots were from inside Alex's car to use in the package. I sat in the back of the car with ALex's camera and fig-rig thing. I made sure to follow all safety precautions staying seat belted and in my seat. I used the zoom to focus on things like gear changes, indicators, steering etc. as Alex drove along.

Along the journey Alex would warn me of what he was about to do so that I could position the camera accordingly, he would also provide suggestions on what to focus on next. 

When we stopped we also got a few more shots of Alex driving away/driving past which Andrew came to help with. This helps to make some transitions easier, especially since i shot Alex pulling on teh handbrake and door handle to help symbolize stopping/getting out of the car, meaning we don't have to jump cut.

This all worked quite well I think. We then headed back to the studios where I put the shots in tot he gaps in the package. I showed this to the group to get there feedback and they helped refine it by showing which shots were unnecessary and could be cut to save time, which was helpful.

Meanwhile Cailan made a good start on the Channel Trailer. he just needs to record a bit of voice over and a few more shots. 

Tomorrow we will head to Brands hatch to film our new "Live".

Critical Perspectives: My Idea

My idea for critical perspectives is as follows:

Rough Cut Viewing-Action Points

Rough Cut Viewing-Action Points

Today we made a few adjustments to the edit, I was able to implement all the shots I wanted in to our "Live" segment. I mostly stick to the single shot that Alex suggested but felt it best to break in to a two shot whenever there was interaction between Alex and AJ, with the occasional reverse reaction shot of Alex, but not often since he's not the focus.

AJ brought up a lot of good points, because of this our "Live segment does over run. I considered cutting it down, but I'm not sure if this is possible since it's supposed to be "Live". However there is still some cut away shots of his electric car that I would like to add in. 

This was Cailan and Andrew's first proper viewing of the full edit so it was great to get their input and opinions. They were mostly positive, but did remind me to add in a few graphics. I did want to get there opinion on what they felt would make a good green screen background, but they didn't have any suggestions. 

Since yesterday I had worked on the VFX transition from the studio to the Live, which Alex wasn't keen on at first, but after getting other opinions we came to a successful compromise. 

Rough Cut Viewing And Helen's Feedback

Then it was time for Helen to watch our project and give her feedback. 

She gave mixed feedback, mostly positive, some negative, but all useful, she raised the following points:

1. Alex felt like a good natural presenter and really helped boos the already strong package. 

2. There needs to be some more voice over in the package. 

3. The studio stuff is decent but Cailan could work a little more about presenting more naturally. 

4. The project is cut well, the VFX work well so far but there is room for more.

5. The interview with AJ is nicely shot and he brings up some interesting points. 

6. The big point she raised was with our "Live". Although nicely shot the result of this is it looks too much like a package. The location and length of the interview mean it is not interesting enough to be a "Live" piece. She suggested it be cut down and put in our package, and that we should shoot a new "Live". She said we need an interesting location that fits the story, e.g. a busy road side or a service station and we should interview someone there.

What We Are Going To Action

I will continue to work on the edit to fill in the gaps.

We will record more voice over to use as OOV.

I will cut AJ down and work out where he can fit in the package. 

The big point we need to action is re-shooting our "Live". We met as a group briefly after the meeting to discuss this. We paced around for a short while trying to rack our brains for a new idea. But we didn't get far since Cailan and Andrew both left early. 

Alex and I met via Skype that evening after taking some time to think. We brainstormed about potential interviewees and locations. The difficulty is trying to find someone to interview and obtain relevant permissions with 4 days until our deadline. 

We considered AJ but thought that another interview with him would be a waste of resources when we could simply use his important points in the package. 

We thought about re-contacting some of the mechanics we spoke to but I couldn't find there contact details despite extensively searching. 

We phoned up Nissan, Renault and Smart to ask about a potential interview there. They said they'd get back to us but didn't say when. This is not ideal with the deadline fast approaching. 

This is when Alex had a brainwave. earlier in the project we considered Brands Hatch as a potential filming location. There were a few events happening over the week that we had briefly looked in to but ended up changing our idea. 

After some thought we decided this would be our best option for a New "Live". It fits Helen's request, its an exciting location, we have a reason to be Live, we have interesting people to talk to, and we can keep it short. 

We arranged a rough Schedule for the day and prepared the following questions for any driver we might be able to interview. 

1. How much do you spend on petrol on a race weekend?

2. How long have you been racing?

3. Has the cost of racing risen over the years?   

4. With the rise of electric cars on the road, do you see that transitioning to Motorsport, and how would you feel about it?

Hopefully this new shoot day will prove fruitful, its just a stressful time right now.

Professional Practice: Introduction

Professional Practice: Introduction

This unit is designed to promote work environment based learning.

Skills to take forward: Time management, Research and development, Journal research, focus on chosen specialism.

New Skills: Report writing/analysis, self directed scheduled, freelance work, develop industry relevant skills, experienced prolonged and intensive placement. 

Unit Breakdown:

Lead by Laura/Helen

20 hrs scheduled

100 hrs independant activity

80 hrs placement 

You will be required to sign a learning agreement stating the nature of your placement and your hours of commitment. 

Commission Option: Students will undertake a simulated professional project for an external commissioner. 

Although freelance, you will still sign a learning agreement. 

Workshops and lectures include:

• CV workshop
• Report writing workshops
• Additional tutorials

This unit will be comprised of two components:

1. 50%written report 1500-2000 words.

2. 50% Online Journal, that leaves a clear trail of your journey.

This unit will require you to reflect on your experience and own development. 

Placement/Commission options 

Rochester museum

Maidstone Studios 

Renegade 

Sound Credit TV

Ignition

Foley Foots And Moves

My Thoughts

After listening to the lecture and hearing from students who had previously experienced placement/commission, I am very interested in this unit.

The stories I heard from students who had done placements before were really interesting and inspiring. I quite like some of the companies that were presented to us and if I can secure a placement that vaguely follows post production this would be a great establishment to make. 

I will also admit that the commissions presented seemed quite interesting and the creative freedom that is granted is a positive. I will likely consider this as a second choice. 

I think a placement could work out well for me. I feel I have the confidence to assert myself in a work environment and hopefully adapt to different roles. From hearing from other students I believe that listing my skills early on could benefit me in the experience and allow me to taylor the experience to be as useful as possible to me.

I intend to look in to both Renegade and Ignition, to start with, but I will also try to learn as much about the available placements as possible to see which might be most beneficial.