Studio Production: Project Evaluation

The Studio Production unit has differed from any other unit we have done up to now. For many of us, including myself, this was the first experience of studio based television. Other units have tended to include location based filming which can feel quite repetitive. There is also room for error with this type of production as you can re shoot until you get the footage you like and edit from that. With live television, you do not get that opportunity. What it seen on the screen when the shots go live is the final edit. I thought that I would find the pressure of that to be very stressful, however, I surprised myself and really enjoyed this new way of working!
The unit began with ideas that we had to pitch as individuals to a panel including Del and all of the tutors. This was a very daunting process but a good learning experience to develop on my presentation skills. I decided to pitch for a film based quiz show, however the content would only feature recently released and current films. I devised four rounds including 'Plot Holes' which would involve a VT with acting out of a recent film scene and the contestants would have to buzz in with the title of the film. I got good feedback for the idea and the round break down, with Laura suggesting that the current film idea gave it a unique selling point. However, they agreed that this made the content too niche and specialist. Once we'd all pitched, the panel chose the idea they liked the most. They chose Josh Jones to be the Producer, which I was pleased about as his idea was also a film quiz.
To devise the roles of the rest of the crew, we had an interview process where we would go up for 2 or 3 roles and answer questions explaining the skills we had to offer and why we would be the best candidate for them. I obtained my first choice role which was a split role - VT Director and Camera Operator. I was attracted to these roles because one was creative and one was technical, therefore I felt I would be able expand my learning in both areas. I was particularly excited about taking on the role of a camera operator as I had been a camera assistant last year and really enjoyed working on the set floor.
As a member of the VT team, we came up with several ideas together, brainstorming and choosing what we thought would be entertaining for the audience and still fit within the demographics of the show. Initially,  I was excited to work with Cheyenne (VT Producer) and Saskia (VT Director) as I had never worked with them before. However, even in the early stages of development I found it difficult to include myself in their conversations and often my ideas were shut down. It was better in the big group meetings which included the VT editors and other camera operators as I think that a wider expanse of ideas meant that we could all pitch in and be more creative which worked well. The VT that I was able to make the most creative decisions for was the trailer for Norman. I enjoyed coming up with the concept and taking ideas from our meetings to devise the sequences for this VT.
We had a few set backs early in the process when we did a test shoot. As part of a work shop we were able to do a test shoot for the mockumentary which was going to be a one shot- home based film of the character Norman. We did the test shoot with Helen playing the character and after feedback, realised that this was far too simple and just felt like it needed something else. Josh went away and then pitched the idea of the mockumentary to us which would include the crew and feature other cameras to give some insight into who Norman was. I think in hindsight the test shoot was a really positive thing to do as it highlighted a big issue with the original idea.
The shoot days were relatively successful, however we did have to film on 2 extra days than originally planned. This was definitely necessary to achieve as much material as possible for the edits. Working with Darren was really pleasant and he was more than happy to come back for another shoot day, making it much easier for us.
In terms of the edits, I had most control over the Trailer VT. I had devised my shot list for the shoot and so was pleased with the sequences I had shot. After the first VT viewing, Helen told me she had liked the montage section therefore I wanted to expand on this and make it a key part of the trailer. When it came to the edit, I was happy with the shots. However, there were disputes with the VT Producer and other Director as they both wanted the montage to be only a few shots and very brief. They also suggested that we only saw his face at the end. I did work with Laura who was editing it to see how this would look but there were several close up shots of the face that I wanted to include and showing them at the end didn't work. In the end I decided to do what I thought would work best for this trailer as I was the main Director for it and felt like my original shot list was the most effective. I found working with Laura very easy as we agreed on ideas and had the same vision for the VT.

In terms of the camera operation during rehearsals, I found this to be really interesting. I learnt some new skills about matching the cameras up to ensure they all looked the same. It was also a really interesting experience using the talk back system and taking directions from Becca, (Director) as this added a new pressure. When you have to frame up with a time limit, you suddenly feel the pressure, especially when you've got to listen to what the Director is looking for at all times. I found this to be a really enjoyable experience and I found this way of operating a camera to be challenging but exciting! When it came to the day of the recording, we were all feeling very nervous as no one wanted to make any little mistakes as these would affect the overall edit. Cheyenne and I were the cameras for the contestants which meant that we were always alternating between a two shot and singles. This was the first time we did a run through with an audience which was another added pressure. However, I felt confident in the shots I had to do and knew them off by heart at this point, even though I had my camera cards as reminders. The recording was really successful with only very minor mistakes. I was worried about tilting up during the 'American Pie in your face' round, however, looking back at the recording, I managed to tilt at the right time and speed which I was very pleased about. Overall, I am pleased with the new skills I have learnt from this unit and really enjoyed working in a studio environment. I also thought I would dislike the 'live' element but instead found this to be very exciting and a great way to work. There were a few issues with communication amongst the VT team which was a shame and made the Directing experience for me not as easy going as I would have liked, however, I feel like I overcame this towards the end of the unit and pushed for some of my ideas which was beneficial.

Studio Production: My Role as a Camera Operator

Using cameras in the studio has been a very different experience for me, in comparison to using them on location. I feel like I have learnt a lot about using them from this experience. When taking the cameras out to use for an interview or some cutaways of a location, the set up process and demands of the camera are very different. Whilst in the studio, the cameras must all look exactly the same on screen to ensure that the show cuts together seamlessly. We were taught how to do this by lining them up and using a greyscale chart. Before doing this, I would white balance a camera and then check the skin tones to ensure that it reflected the colours as they were. In learning how to line cameras up, I learnt that there are so many other things you can do to change the appearance of the camera. As a camera operator, I also had to adjust the iris on the camera which adjusts how much light is being shown into the lens.
In comparison to my role as a Director, I enjoyed camera operating a lot more. I felt like I learnt more skills, particularly studio based skills which I will hopefully use in future projects. I think that the pressure of operating a camera in a studio environment is really exciting. This was something that I was particularly anxious about as we only had one chance for the recording and any little mistakes would show when it came to the rough cut viewing. However, I think that the sense of team work was the most apparent on the day of the recording as we were all in the same boat and were feeling the pressure. The camera team in particular had some issues with the lighting as this was making the colours on some of the cameras look distorted. I found that we were well practiced in troubleshooting the cameras at this point which meant that we were able to help each other out to fix the problem as soon as possible. Overall, I really enjoyed working in the studio environment and having a high responsibility role was an exciting experience for me. I feel like I have challenged myself in taking on a technical role as I felt like my camera skills weren't at a high standard.

Studio Production: My Role as a Director

The second role I had for this unit was one of the VT Directors. The other VT Director was Saskia who I'd never worked with before. I felt excited to take on this role and work with the other members of the VT team. This process began with the idea exploration for the VTs. I think that this was relatively successful when we were in a big group as the ideas were all noted down. However, when it came to making creative decisions later on, I struggled to have my voice heard.
When it came to the shoot days, I felt prepared, having worked with the scripts and composing a shot list with all of the coverage I wanted to get. I had taken some of my research into account when it came to imagining the scenes and coming up with the sequences I wanted to film. I feel like the shoot days were relatively successful, however, we did have to re-film to get extra material and some tighter shots.
When it came to the editing stage, I would say that the overall process with Laura was successful and we managed to work well as a team. I was pleased with the outcome, however, there were a few sound issues with some of the dialogue. This was edited using audition which was relatively successful in improving the sound quality. There were a few issues with disagreements regarding the edits but Helen said that she liked the final edits and that only minor changes needed to be made. In conclusion, I feel like I didn't enjoy Directing as much as Camera operating but feel like i've learnt a lot in terms of ensuring I assert authority on future projects where I am directing to ensure that I am happy with the outcomes.

Studio Production: 'The Big Movie Quiz' - The Recording

Yesterday was a very big day, we recorded the show 'as live' in front of an audience. All of the weeks of rehearsals were leading up to the record, which meant that it needed to reflect all of our team work and progress. Given the limited time we had to rehearse, I think the final record was incredibly successful. Everyone took to their roles with a professional manner throughout which means that the final result should reflect that and I think it did.
There was a real buzz of energy on both the studio floor and the gallery as we set up for the record. Everyone was feeling very nervous as any little slip ups could pull the production value down and let the show down. However, despite a few very small imperfections, they were all recovered very quickly and professionally which I think showed how much we've learnt throughout this process.

We arrived for the rehearsals with a complete set for the first time, which was really good to see because it looked very impressive. The camera crew all arrived with plenty of set up time which meant that we were able to match them all up perfectly and ensure that all batteries were on charge.
In terms of the rehearsals, I think that each one got better as we all got into the swing of our roles and were gaining confidence. As one of the camera crew, I felt like, despite making camera cards to follow, I was able to remember my shots for each round and was confident setting up for each shot with ease. Cheyenne and I were both on the contestants, so during rehearsals it was affective to be able to see what worked best in terms of who would be shooting what and how our cameras would work together. It was interesting working with the lighting team for the first time as this had a dramatic effect on the cameras, something we hadn't had to work with before. However, this was overcome by setting the cameras to a collective setting and having the lights altered to work well with the cameras.
When it came to the final record, I was certainly feeling the pressure, however I think that the rush of adrenaline is really exciting, especially with a live audience. There was also a huge pressure to make everything perfect as we will be assessed on the final outcome, based on how it went for that take alone. I think this was a good way to assess the show, as it also assesses how well each of us coped under pressure.
After the recording, Del made a speech and took a group photo with us which was nice as it felt like a celebratory end to the show. Overall, I am very pleased with the final recording and think that all of the team work we put in throughout rehearsals and our time with Del has proven to have been a great learning curve for all of us
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Studio Production: VT Fine Cut Viewing

Today we had a fine cut viewing of the VTs with Helen. Laura and I just had a few sound design changes to make to the trailer before showing it but we were finished before lunch ready for the viewing. We had a lot more positive feedback for the viewing and Helen seemed pleased with what we had achieved. In terms of the extra footage we shot on the 3rd and 4th shoot days, this was useful as it allowed us to have more edit points and more varying shots. We tightened up the mockumentary, shortening it to 2 1/2 mins. With the edit changes, this made the VT sustain that length effectively without it being too long or feeling dragged out like it had before. In terms of the trailer, Helen was pleased with it but suggested we have a voice over. I asked Josh to do the voice over for me as I thought his voice would be suitable. In an ideal world we would have had Darren do the voice over as  it was supposed to be a Norman-made trailer. However, the final result was effective and added to the production value of the VT. In terms of the final edit for the Trivia VT, the editors used some after effects including some animations and transitioning effects to tie the shots together which I think worked really well. Overall, I am pleased with the feedback we received for the final edits and think that the decision to re-shoot some of the footage was the right thing to do. The quality of the VTs could have been improved in areas such as the sound quality as there are elements where it is too quiet or there is some echo. However, I think after some adjustments on audition, this has been improved and brought to the best possible standard.

Studio Production: Camera Operation - Research

I have been researching the role of a studio camera operator which is the studio role I will be taking on for the production. It is the camera operators job to follow the Directors' shot list, based on a studio script and frame up the camera. The cameras used for a studio production will be of high quality and complexity. In the working environment, there would be another person to operate the iris of the camera. However, as a camera operator on this production, all of the operators will be managing every element of the camera for the show.

Other responsibilities of a camera operator include:

• Ensuring the cameras and associated equipment is rigged and ready for the required set up. 
• Using talk back, camera operators must be able to multitask to carry out several technical tasks,  listening to directions from the Director. 
• Assisting and supervising the Camera Assistant to move the cameras and carry out fault fixtures.
• They must also work with the contributors, giving them constructive advice, and giving feedback to the Director in order to achieve the required picture composition needed. 
• Working quickly and efficiently to a professional standard to provide the appropriate shots. 

I have found out that most camera operators start out by having training, as an apprentice. This means that they would learn most of their practical skills through hands on experience on the job. Throughout this production we have been rehearsing and having hands on experience with the cameras in a studio environment. I feel like this is the best way to learn about the many settings on the cameras and have as much practice and rehearsal time as possible. Being a technical role, it is essential that we learn through doing and exploring the features of the camera, as well as learning to troubleshoot to solve any problems on the day. 

Continual professional development is very important for this role, especially as technology is changing so rapidly. I found that some useful ways of obtaining information about this role in practice includes attending exhibitions, studying trade journals and joining industry forums. Basic photography skills, which help to develop visual and composition skills, provides a camera trainee with a useful starting point. I have an interest in photography and think that my attention to shot composition has helped me understand the basis of this. 

Studio Production: Editing Norman's Trailer

Today we were editing the VTs for the fine cut viewing. I was focussing predominately on the trailer as I was the lead Director for this VT. I worked with Laura who was the main editor for this VT so I could make some decisions regarding how I wanted the final edit to look and sound.
In terms of the montage section, I wasn't able to edit with Laura for the rough cut viewing and so had lots of changes to make for this sequence. I had imagined it to be snappy and fast paced to reflect the super hero theme and to account for the limited time frame. We went through the clips and chose the ones that would work best. As I had filmed several close ups of Norman's face for the mask and glasses etc, I wanted to use these throughout. There were some disputes with the Producer and other Director about whether to have the reveal of his face at the end. However, I had intended for the last shot to be a slow reveal which tilts up to show his final form. Therefore it made sense to use the close ups throughout rather than just at the end of the VT before the reveal. We then found sound effects to work with the actions to make the montage more dynamic and even snappier.
In terms of the other sequences, I decided to cut these down to only a few shots for each sequence so that Norman would be rushing around, delivering his DVDs in true super hero style. There were some issues with sound for the sequence with Saskia as she wasn't clip mic'd. Although, we managed to edit these in premiere to make them sound clearer.
Overall, I am relatively pleased with the trailer, however, the issues with the sound levels have brought the quality down slightly. However, I enjoyed editing with Laura as I felt like we agreed on the decisions and worked well as a team.