WORKSHOP: New Cameras!

3rd Years working with Panasonic Cameras

Yesterday we had a workshop with Ferg and Sam as an introduction to the new cameras in the store. The Uni was given a budget to buy some new equipment for the course. This was great news as the equipment can be limited during production weeks with there being more students in the other year groups. However, with the new cameras the ratio of camera to students is now 3 students to every camera which will be great for independent and small group projects. These cameras are also newer models with features that the others don't have to allow for more of an industry standard look. The new cameras are Panasonic as opposed to the Sony DSLR cameras that we have available in the store. The biggest and most exciting difference is that they are 4K. Compared with the Sony cameras, these have almost twice the amount of pixels, making the image quality far clearer and more dimensional. This will be particularly evident on a large scale during the screenings we have.
Ferg showed us a few demonstration videos telling us about the 4K aspect and some of the other features they have. After that we were able to set them cameras up and have a look at them in small groups. The set up was relatively similar, however they have improved some of the features to make them more state of the art. For example they have a plate already built in on the bottom of the camera so you don't have to fit this on when attaching it to a tripod. Other features include a much larger battery and a wireless feature so that they can connect to the gallery without a cord. These features will come in particularly useful during the studio production units for the 2nd years as it will make the cameras on tripods much more mobile across the studio floor. There is also a small earphone on the actual camera which allows the camera operator to monitor the sound through the fitted microphone.
Although, I am not intending on taking on the DoP role for any of the units throughout this year, I will be working with a DoP for the opening titles as part of my pre production package. Therefore, I will need to consider booking out one of the Panasonic cameras, depending on the look I will be aiming for with the titles. I think that the new features however may be very beneficial and create some real good results!

PRE-PRODUCTION: First Tutorial

Today I had my first tutorial with Simon regarding the Pre-Production unit. It was the first time we were able to communicate our early ideas about the project and the choices we had made up until this point. I was confident that I wanted to choose the Professional Pre-Production option for this unit and had planned with that option in mind. I have decided to choose a Drama as the genre for this project as that is the genre I am most interested in watching on Television and potentially producing myself. I also communicated that I was thinking about adapting the book 'Regeneration' and asked some questions about how I would do that. I explained how I had found the book and to what extent I wanted to adapt it, potentially changing some of the themes in the latter half, or potentially just using it as the very basis of the idea but changing the plot completely to create a more original production with a different name. Simon advised that I read the book before our next tutorial so I could assess whether I wanted to take it forward as an idea and how much of it I wanted to adapt and alter. He was happy with my choice of the Professional Pre-Production however, and agreed that that would be a good option for this unit.

In terms of my choice for the second unit which would be starting in January, I expressed that I was thinking about choosing the long form script option. I felt as if I would be more than happy to take the first project forward even further and focus on it for the whole year independently. During the Storytelling unit in the first year, I enjoyed screenwriting and got good feedback for my script from Steve Coombes, therefore I feel like this option would be suitable for me.
Another option I had been considering was to join an existing major project or form a group and do a stand alone project. However, the only role I would like to do would be Producing which limits me somewhat as there may not be a group existing which would give me that job role. I have some time to think about other options for the second unit but will discuss joining an existing group with some of the other third years and see if any of the groups would require a Producing role. I will then communicate some of my options with Simon during next weeks tutorial.

PRE-PRODUCTION: Initial Concept, Research and Planning

Still from Stranger Things

After looking at several genres of Television and types of programs to give me some inspiration for this project, I decided to plan my initial concept. I decided that I was most interested in the genre of Drama as I find fictional series' very enjoyable and gripping to watch. As I feel passionate about this genre, and some of the dramas I have watched and researched, I felt inspired to derive my own idea and brainstorm some areas of drama. Through my research I highlighted some genres and some dramas in particular, some of which I have watched and enjoyed. These included Crime, Mystery, Horror which I used as the basis for the idea. The dramas I have enjoyed in particular have quite dark themes as I feel like they create the most suspension and have the most binge-watching qualities. For example in 'Stranger Things', main characters go missing and are in potential danger whilst their friends and families must work out where and how to find them. However, the secret is kept from the audience and the characters until the second half of the series leaving you constantly guessing and using the clues along the way to try work it out. I would like to do the same thing with a drama where there are several twists and dark turns to keep the interest of the audience throughout. I think that to give a drama that binge-watching quality, it needs to have several cliff hangers and moments of suspense so that the audience wants to continue watching. I will keep this in mind when writing the synopsis and script for the drama to ensure that it makes for an interesting reading/watching experience. 

Regeneration - Novel

Regeneration by Pat Barker

During the brainstorming process, I came up with a few themes including War and Hospitalisation and paired this with further research, looking for existing stories that could give me some ideas and inspiration for a story line. I had originally intended to come up with a completely original idea that would be inspired by existing books, series' or films. As a result I found the book 'Regeneration' written and published by Pat Barker in 1991. The book is based around World War 1 veterans who became hospitalised for 'Shell Shock' and other mental traumas as a result of the War. I was particularly interested in the storyline for the time period and the use of hospitalisation as I felt like I could explore both of these areas. These themes are all very dark which attracts me as I am interested in the Thriller genre in particular and would like to look at this book in more detail to examine its themes and story line. I hadn't thought or considered an adaptation but would be potentially interested in finding out the story, to either inspire my own ideas or think about adapting it.


For the author, the book was inspired by her Grandfather's own experiences of the War. Using real life sources, she created the characters who would be present in the hospitals including poets and patients.
I was initially quite drawn to this book and interested in adapting it because of the subject matter and so looked further into its storyline and recurring themes. The impression I get without having read the book is that it centres around the progress and recuperation of the men, looking at how they fit back into society after the War. Although the subject matter is dark as it should delve into the stories of the soldiers who would have seen some horrendous things, the impression I got was that the story takes a positive turn towards the end, focussing on the progress the patients make in the hospital. Although this seems intriguing to me, I would like to look into the other themes of the book and see if there are any I can pick out or elaborate on and make more prominent if I choose to adapt it. Initially I had the idea of bringing in some darker themes and twists to the storyline if I choose to adapt it, however this may change the story completely, taking away from the adaptation and making it something totally different. Therefore I need to read the book before choosing to adapt it so that I know whether I would like to adapt it or take inspiration from it and use some themes or settings  to come up with an original production.

PRE-PRODUCTION: Research - Action/Thriller/Horror Genre of Drama

Stranger Things

I have also highlighted another area of genres I am interested in when it comes to Drama. These include Action/Thriller and Horror. I have chosen to combine them and talk about them collectively because I think a few of the series I will talk about are a combination of these genres. I think that series' that come under these genres have become incredibly popular with audiences particularly on Netflix. They seem to attract a younger audience in particular, who are attracted to the elaborate and exciting nature of them. I am interested in watching these dramas myself as I find them very engaging and thrilling to watch, keeping me on the edge of my seat as well as being at times very scary. A more horror based genre is more niche, however, several of the Netflix series have managed to encapsulate the element of horror whilst keeping the material quite mainstream and appealing to many.
In general, Dramas that fall into these genres are very intense and thrilling to watch which encourages people to talk about them, therefore increasing their popularity further. I think that I would struggle to attempt to recreate these genres if I were to choose the Major Project Pre-Production, just because they are so dynamic and often very visually stimulating. However, as I have chosen to undertake the Professional Pre-Production option for this unit, this is a potential area I would be keen to look further into.

Stranger Things

'Stranger Things' is an Action/Horror Television drama created by the Duffer Brothers and Shawn Levy. It premiered on Netflix and follows the lives of a group of young boys and their families, living in a fictional town in Indiana. One of the boys suddenly vanishes and his friends and family must uncover the mystery involving Scientific experiments, Super-natural forces and a strange little girl called '11'. The first series created suspense by slowly unfolding what happened to Will and the journey his friends and family take to discover this, whilst also revealing to the audience who the character of '11' is, where she came from and what her capabilities are. The series ended with a resolution but with cliff hangers set for the next series which left the audience wanting to find out more. This series stood out to me as it was quite different to anything else I'd seen recently on Television. The fact that its a combination of genres makes it so interesting and so watchable because so many events occur in each episode, so it just encourages you to continue watching. I thought that the combination of Action and Horror/Thriller made it very gripping as a series, as you never know what's going to be round the corner and there's always something exciting happening.


American Horror Story

American Horror Story

Another series that I have watched religiously is 'American Horror Story', a Netflix original series. It is much more Horror/Thriller rather than Action but the themes vary throughout. It is produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk and contains several miniseries.  It is an Anthology series which means that each series is a new story with its own beginning, middle and end with new characters, settings and events. I found this Drama series so engaging because even though it is not Action based, there are so many events and twists and turns which kept me very intrigued and tense throughout. There is also a theme of Mystery, with a range of characters that all have interesting back stories which are slowly unveiled. Unlike some other Thriller/Horror series, there is an alternative vibe which gives it a unique selling point and makes it stand out amongst others. The Anthology series aspect is also unusual in that they use the same actors in each series but playing new characters. This was something that took me a while to adjust to when watching the 2nd series as I was still associating them with their previous characters from series 1. However, as I began to enjoy that series and the subsequent series after that, I began to enjoy seeing the same faces appear again as I wanted to see who they would be portraying that time round.
Another element that I think this Drama does so well is the distinct style it has in terms of its titles and theme. With a creepy and daunting title sequence for each series that is easily recognisable, I think adds to the show's USP and is so different to some of its competitors.
No matter what genre I choose to go for, I would like the themes and visuals to be unique and just as quirky and memorable as this one so that it differs to what is currently being shown on Television. I don't think I will choose to do an anthology series, just because I want to focus on one story-line if I choose to create a drama series. However, I would absolutely be interested in taking some of these themes of Horror and Thriller into consideration as I find them to be so engaging and exciting to watch. I also find that these genres have very clever and outlandish story lines which are a great selling point for any drama.

PRE-PRODUCTION: Research - Baking/Cooking Entertainment Shows

Another genre of television I am interested in looking at for the Professional Pre-Production unit is Entertainment, in particular Cooking/Baking shows. Going with what I am interested in when it comes to watching television, I wanted to explore this genre as it is something I have been unable to venture into throughout my first two years at UCA, due to safety restrictions. However, as this project will be hypothetical and can be on a large scale, I am able to look at many other genres and be completely unrestricted in my choice. 

The Great British Bake Off & Masterchef

Two shows in this genre stand out to me in particular as they are favourites of mine, ‘The Great British Bake Off’ and ‘Masterchef’. I have watched both religiously and find them very entertaining. The material is very easy to watch and lighthearted which makes for great entertainment. They are both competition based shows which means that the audience get to see members of the public compete against each other in several gruelling and stressful rounds making for great entertainment which is often very gripping and tense to watch. By the end of the series, we see a contestant crowned the winner which is the final outcome. This is a crucial element to the these shows as it allows the audience to root for their favourite and continue watching to find out the result. 

The Great British Bake Off

Baking in particular is an interest of mine and so I find the subject matter of 'Bake Off' engaging as I feel as if I may learn something. The show itself is generally very easy watching which makes for comfortable family viewing.

Masterchef

However, the content alone is not the only draw for me. I think that ‘Bake Off’ in particular have established the show in recent seasons with a distinct style and appearance which is unique to them. For example the titles, theme and rounds all add to the quirk of the show giving it a unique selling point which appears to appeal to the masses. I recently found this to be particularly evident as the show has just been re-launched on Channel 4 as opposed to BBC 1. However, the company have retained all of their recognisable themes and quirks to appeal to its audience. As soon as I see the titles and hear the theme, I know exactly what to expect from the show and am very familiar with the format and structure. I also think that the way shows like this are broken up into segments and rounds helps to keep the interest of the viewer. Rather than showing a single round where the contestants are required to make a baked good or savoury dish, this is edited to capture the most entertaining moments and make time for more content. 'Masterchef' follow a similar structure in that each episode  is generally broken up into 3 sections, 2 of which they'll be in the studios competing directly against the other contestants and the other section will be in a professional environment where often they have to work in pairs or small teams. 

Both shows share many similarities including structure, contestants and the use of judges. The judges are generally experts which offer advice to the contestants and judge their performance throughout, deciding who goes through to each round and who ultimately wins. I think that this judging format is much better than public vote as used on other entertainment shows, as the result is always based on performance rather than popularity. 

I think that choosing an Entertainment show, particularly of a cooking/baking genre could be really interesting for this unit as it will be so different to previous units.
However, it should share similarities with the Studio Production unit as I will need to ensure that if I include rounds, they all must be entertaining and sustain the interest of the audience throughout. The show would also need to be somewhat different to these shows as they already exist and there is no gap in the market for something that is too similar.

PRE-PRODUCTION: Research - Crime/Detective Genre of Drama

Narcos

True Crime and Mystery dramas have gripped the world in the past few years, with few other genres lending themselves so readily to binge watching as crime. The idea that there is a mystery to be solved and therefore a reason to continue watching and stay engrossed until the end, keeps audiences engaged for the entirety of the drama. Netflix dramas in particular have taken centre stage for this genre, often allowing the viewer to binge watch an entire series in one go, rather than waiting for the next weekly episode. I became interested in this genre myself through the likes of Netflix, with these dramas being the most talked about, which is perhaps what interested me in them. I like the element of mystery and find Crime drama engaging as it tends to keep me guessing throughout, encouraging me to continue watching. The genre can also offer rather dark story lines, with a detective to root for and a ‘baddie’ to be revealed at the end. Crime dramas can also offer a substantial amount of action as criminals are either committing crimes or being sought after by police authorities. These scenes can be rather adrenaline inducing which make them addictive and engrossing to watch. I am particularly interested in this genre for this unit as I intend on choosing a genre that interests me. Therefore, I feel more compelled to create a piece of work which should reflect and compete with some of these dramas alike. 


Narcos

A popular Netflix Crime Drama includes ‘Narcos’, which is a thrilling series, documenting the rise of the cocaine trade in Colombia and the real life story of the notorious drug kingpin Pablo Escobar between 1970 and 1992. It is told from the perspective of an American DEA agent, Steve Murphy who is working in Colombia at the time and trying to take down Escobar and his associates. He also narrates the series, introducing the audience to new characters and telling us why they are significant.This series builds suspense for the audience as it is very action heavy and depicts the events in an incredibly raw and graphic way, connecting the audience and making them feel as if they are involved. 


Broadchurch

Broadchurch

Broadchurch is another Crime and Mystery Drama series. This is one in particular that I have enjoyed very much and found to be very engaging throughout all the series that have aired so far. So much so that I chose it as the Drama to recreate during the Directions unit in my 1st Year. It is a true Detective series in that we follow 2 Detectives portrayed by David Tennant and Olivia Colman, as they uncover some terrible crimes including murders. The subject matter is again dark and includes a few graphic scenes, however, it is much more about the story and the uncovering of the criminals which carry this series. I also found when watching Broadchurch that I grew to really like the 2 main characters and not only rooted for them but grew to be quite invested in them wanted to know how their own lives would turn out. I think that creating an emotional connection with the audience is also very important even with this genre as it is a great technique in keeping the audience gripped. This series is able to build suspense and keep the audience interested as it follows the lives of all of the towns inhabitants, almost framing each one to keep you guessing, with the final outcomes being very unlikely and unsuspected so that you are shocked by the ending. Not only is this great storytelling but it lends itself to the Crime and Mystery genre so well, captivating audiences and surprising them when it needs to.

Luther

Luther

I have also looked at Luther which aired on BBC1 in the UK, but is also available on the Netflix platform. It is a British Drama Crime series, starring Idris Elba as the title character of Detective Chief Inspector John Luther who works for the Serious Crime Unit. The series creator Neil Cross has said that Luther is influenced by Sherlock Holmes in particular, with his intellect and its application to unveiling crimes is comparable to Holmes. His involvement in cases allow audiences to see a dedicated police officer who often gets caught up in violent and difficult situations, making it almost impossible to watch just one episode. As a series, it is very action heavy with crime just being a theme throughout, however it manages to captivate audiences by putting Luther in dangerous and difficult  situations that make the audience want to see him succeed.  As the hero character, we are able to root for Luther and feel engaged in his story, keeping the audience engrossed as we want to see what will happen to him next. Similarly to Broadchurch, he is a character that we follow throughout the series and someone who the audience should feel invested in. 

PRE-PRODUCTION: Unit Overview and Initial Ideas

I am now entering my 3rd and final year at UCA and am excited to get back into a Uni routine! The year will be starting with a unit entitled 'Pre Production'. This unit is broken into 2 categories, of which we choose from, and will be the practical unit we will be undertaking until Christmas.

"This unit challenges students to focus their individual practice through a sustained engagement in the critical phase of pre-production."

I will be keeping the aims and learning outcomes of this unit in mind throughout to ensure I am engaging myself and working to a high standard towards a degree at the end. I have chosen to work alone rather than in a small group as I have found throughout my 1st and 2nd years that working in a group can be much more stressful and in some ways more challenging than working alone. This will also allow me to set myself a timetable and working schedule that I will be able to make work for myself so that I can structure my time effectively. The unit is 100% Portfolio which means that it is all coursework and will require a great depth of beneficial research, and written work throughout.

The 2 options are Professional Pre-Production which is high concept and entails producing a detailed Pre-Production package for an original production which will stay at this stage rather than going forward into production. The reason for this is that we are able to work to an industry sized scale and not be restricted to a student budget. Therefore the end result must be competitive to what is currently being aired on Television. It can be of any genre - Drama, Documentary, News, Entertainment etc. This option must be presented clearly and to a very high standard, either as a book or online platform and should include the idea/pitch, script, casting, production design, trailer and camera tests as a minimum. The other option is the Major Project Pre-Production which will entail developing a Pre-Production for a project which will then be taken forward into production after Christmas for the Major Project unit. The requirements for this option are nearly exactly the same, however, there are restrictions in terms of budget, casting, locations etc as it will be a student capable piece of work and so the planning must reflect these elements.

Initial Ideas
I have decided to choose the Professional Pre-Production option for this unit. I decided to choose this option out of the 2 because it is so different to what I have been able to do within my first couple of years at Uni. Every other unit so far has included a practical element, meaning that I have been restricted in terms of budget largely. This is because as a student we are restricted in terms of casting and location, among other things which means the outcomes may not necessarily be competitive with an Industry piece of work.  However, the idea of planning a hypothetical piece of work which should compete with what is on Television right now is very appealing to me, as it will allow me to think outside of the box and not have to narrow down my decisions. It also doesn't restrict me in my choice of show as there will be restrictions for the Major Project Pre-Production. For example, a cooking show would have too many health and safety risks and so could not be put into production. I have made a spider diagram to document my initial ideas. These are some areas of Television I am interested in and that I enjoy watching the most. I have also thought about some of the shows that come under each category, as these are either shows that I have enjoyed or are of interest to me in terms of research so I can see what other people have done and the styles they have used to fit the genre.

Initial Ideas Exploration