Shot log- Physical Bullying scene

In today’s lesson we all completed a shot log from the footage that we had already filmed.
This shot log shows the footage from scene 2, which shows Lewis being pushed and kicked by the bullies, whilst they are shouting homophobic abuse towards him. 

A shot log is essential because it shows the production crews what shots we will be using, and why we will be using those shots. This shot log then helps the production crew to come up with the edit decision list which shows which shots go where in the final production, and also what transitions will be used to go from shot to shot. 
This shot log shows what scene I am going to be writing about, what take the piece of footage is, how long the shot goes on for, what the piece of footage shows, the quality of the video on a scale of 1-3, if it is usable or not, and finally why we will or will not be using the shot. When filming the physical bullying scene we filmed most shot more than one to ensure that it was up to a professional standard, therefore most of the shots that we filmed will be included in our production. Although, some shots that we had filmed were not up to a high standard as the actors had forgotten their lines, or you weren't able to hear what the actors were saying, and on occasions the camera movement wasn't very steady. As a production group we agreed that we would not have to go back and re-film any shots as we have enough shots to include in our final production, and any shots that need adjusting we will be able to do during the editing stage such as the lighting or sound levels. After completing the shot log we will then, as a production group come up with the edit decision list.

Thursday 13th February 2014- Filming scene 2

Today we filmed scene two. Scene two shows a teenage student called Lewis walking past the playground when the three bullies begin to shout homophobic abuse towards him. Lewis continues to walk past the playground when the three bullies start to follow him, pushing him to the floor and then kicking him. This scene shows the ‘physical’ side of bullying, and also bullying a person because of their sexuality. We wanted to show the side of bullying which commonly occurs in schools and amongst boys.

Whilst filming this scene Conall had taken on the role of camera person and director, and me and Tayler had taken on the role of assistant director and also sound people. This included holding the boom mic in the correct place so that we were able to pick up the best sound levels, and also so that we were able to hear clearly what the actors were saying. Also I directed both Lewis and the bullies on where they should be standing in the scene and also what they should be saying throughout. He first shot that we took was a mid-shot of Lewis walking down the alley, with the camera behind him. We began with this shot because we wanted to show the setting that we were filming in, and also we wanted to show where Lewis was walking from. We then took another shot of the same piece of action happening, but this time showing Lewis walking towards the camera. For this shot we used a long-shot as we wanted to show what Lewis was wearing, and also the way in which he presented himself as we wanted to show the audience that he was a timid character. We then went on to film a mid-shot of the bullies shouting the abuse at Lewis. We wanted to show the bullies faces so that the audience can get a clear picture of what the bullies look like, and also can see what their facial expressions whilst shouting the abuse at Lewis. This shot didn’t turn out as well as we had hoped because of the lighting, but I believe that this shot is effective as the camera is looking up towards the bullies, showing their power over the victim. We then went on to film long shots of the bullies pushing Lewis to the ground and kicking him. We used a long shot to show this because we wanted to audience to see both the bullies and the victim in the shot. We filmed a range of point of view shots, starting with the point of view from two of the bullies. We used these shots as we wanted to show the power the bully had over Lewis whilst he was being kicked on the floor. We made sure that the camera looked down over Lewis to show that he was less superior to the bullies. We also used this shot to show Lewis’s face when being kicked on the floor.  We then filmed a point of view shot from Lewis’s perspective. We did this again to show that Lewis had less power than the bullies in the situation that he was in. Finally we used a close-up shot to show Lewis’ facial expression after being kicked on the floor. This was to show the audience the pain and hurt that he was feeling.

Overall I believe that we have got enough footage to ensure that this scene looks professional and realistic. This is because we used a range of shots, showing the point of view from both the victim and the bully. Also we made sure that we filmed each shot three times so that we would have at least one shot which we could include in our final production. I believe that we all worked well as a team because we all added our input into each shot, and also all directed the actors on where they should be standing, and what they should be saying in each shot. We also all took on a role to either film, direct or hold the boom mic in the correct place so that it would pick up the best sound. To improve I believe that we should had filmed a few more shots more than once, as in some shots the lighting is darker than other shots. Also after filming each shot we should have looked over it on the camera to ensure that the camera work wasn’t shaky, and also to see if you could hear the characters clearly in the shot.

Shot log- Cyber Bullying scene

The second shot log that I had complete was the Cyber bullying scene which shows Mitchell on his laptop when he begins to get abusive messages. He then starts to get calls from an unknown number, and the scene ends showing Mitchell looking at a bottle of vodka and pills he has on the side. This shot log shows the scene that I am going to be writing about, what take the piece of footage is, how long the shot goes on for, what the piece of footage shows, the quality of the video on a scale of 1-3, if it is usable or not, and finally notes about why we will or will not be using the shot. The majority of the footage in this shot was un-usable because of the camera angles and also the camera work. In the footage that we are going to be using the camera work was still, and there was no noise in the background. Although, in some of the scenes there was noise at the beginning and therefore we can cut this out when it gets to the editing stage. We may go back and re-film some of the scenes as we may need to include them in our production as the scene may be too short, and we will be able to do this because there was only one actor involved and we would just have to ensure that he is wearing the same clothes. We would also have to ensure that we film at the same time of day so that the lighting is the same throughout the house. After completing the shot log for this scene we will then, as a production group come up with the edit decision list.



Shot log- Subtle Bullying scene

In today’s lesson we all completed a shot log from the footage that we had already filmed. The first shot log that I had completed was the girl’s scene set in the sixth form common room where it shows Jemma meeting up with her friends. Her friends then begin to make nasty comments about her, and then they run off leaving Jemma on her own.
A shot log is essential because it shows the production crews what shots we will be using, and why we will be using those shots. This shot log then helps the production crew to come up with the edit decision list which shows which shots go where in the final production, and also what transitions will be used to go from shot to shot.
This shot log shows what scene I am going to be writing about, what take the piece of footage is, how long the shot goes on for, what the piece of footage shows, the quality of the video on a scale of 1-3, if it is usable or not, and finally notes about why we will or will not be using the shot. The majority of the footage that we had filmed for the girl’s scene was up to a professional standard and therefore we will be including it in our final production.  Other shots that we had filmed were not as professional looking, and in some of the shots you wasn’t able to hear what the actors were saying. Also we filmed some shots three times and therefore we would only be using one of the shots that had the best camera work and the audio was clear. In some of the shots the actors also forget their lines, or weren’t standing in the right places when the scene had ended and therefore we had to film these scenes again. As a production group we all agreed that we would not have to go back and film any scenes. This is because the scenes that we are going to be using can be adjusted when it comes to the editing stage, and also if we went back and filmed another day the noise levels in the common room may be different, and there wouldn’t be the same students sitting in the background. The lighting may also be different and this would affect the continuity of each scene. After completing the shot log we will then, as a production group come up with the edit decision list.

 

Wednesday 5th February 2014- Filming scene 1

Today we decided to film scene one. Scene one shows a teenage boy called Mitchell scrolling through his Facebook profile when nasty messages begin to pop up on his screen. He then closes the messages and shuts his laptop but then his phone begins to ring from an ‘unknown’ number. Mitchell doesn’t answer the phone call and at the end of the scene you see Mitchell starring at a bottle of alcohol and pills his window ledge. We wanted to use a teenage boy in this scene because typically ‘cyber bullying’ is known to affect girls, but we wanted to show that it also affects young boys and as a result can end in them trying to harm themselves.

Whist filming I had taken on the role of camera person and directing the actor in the scene alongside the rest of the production crew. These included filming a range of long shots, mid-shots and close up shots, and also filming from a range of angles to ensure that the shots looked professional. The first shot that we took was a long shot of Mitchell walking through his front door. We started with this shoot because we wanted to show him walking in from school and walking up to his bedroom. Before filming in his bedroom we firstly had to show how he got there, and therefore this included filming Mitchell walking up the stairs from both the bottom and the top of the stairs, and also him walking into his room from outside and inside the room. All of these shots were either mid or long shots as we wanted to show the whole of Mitchells body so that the audience can get a better understanding of the character by his clothing and the way he is walking/facial expressions.
We then went on to film inside Mitchell’s room. We firstly got a shot of Mitchell sitting on his bed and opening his laptop. We used a mid-shot for this as we wanted to be able to see Mitchell opening his laptop and sitting on his bed. We filmed this shot twice as in the first shot the door wasn’t closed, and when Mitchell walked into his room he had shut the door. Therefore we filmed this shot again, this time making sure the door was shut. After this we then filmed close up shots of the conversation on Facebook. Looking back at these shots they aren’t as clear as we had hoped and therefore we should have filmed three times, or checked over the footage to ensure that it was clear. As a result we may have to film this shot again if we want to include a close up shot of the conversation. We also took close up shots of the phone when it was ringing, and Mitchells face to show that he was upset about the nasty comments being said to him. Lastly we used a long shot to show Mitchell looking at the alcohol and pills in his room to show how the nasty comments have lead him to wanting to harm himself.

I believe that we worked well as a team because we all added our own ideas into the shots, and had an input into where we wanted to put the props and also where we were going to place the camera in each shot. We also all took in turns filming each shot so that we were all able to test our camera skills and take different shots at different angles. To improve I believe that we should have filmed every piece of action three times as we then would have been able to ensure that we would get a professional looking piece of footage, and that the shot would not be blurry or the camera wouldn’t be shaky. Also we should have checked the over the footage that we had filmed as in one shot you were able to see the camera in the reflection of the mirror. Therefore if we had checked over the footage during filming we could have re-filmed this scene. Although, we did include a range of shots and also filmed from a range of angles so that you could see what the character was doing, and also their facial expressions throughout. Next time we would ensure that we film the same piece of action three times or more and also check over each piece of footage after filming.  

Wednesday 5th February 2014- Filming scene 3

Today we decided to film scene three. This scene shows three girls sitting at a table talking and giggling when Jemma walks over. The three girls then begin to make comments towards Jemma and leave her out of conversations. Jemma then walks over to get a drink and the three girls then run off leaving Jemma on her own. Jemma then runs into the toilets and goes into a cubical where she starts to cry. The three girls then walk into the toilets and see that Jemma has been crying and then say to her that it was all only a joke. This scene is an example of ‘subtle’ bullying, which is when the nasty comments that they are making towards their ‘friend’ is bullying just the bullies and sometimes the victims don’t see it.

When filming this scene my role was to be the camera person alongside Tayler, which included filming a range of shots including establishing shots, mid shots and close ups. I also directed the actors, alongside the rest of the production crew, in the scene and told them where they should be sitting/standing and where they would enter and leave. Both I and Tayler firstly filmed the establishing shot of the sixth form common room, showing the three girls sitting on the table and also other students sitting in the common room. We filmed this shot three times to ensure that we got the best shot, and one that looked like it was at a professional standard. We also filmed the whole scene three times from different angles. The first time we filmed the scene we filmed it from the front showing the three girls faces. We then shot it from behind the three girls so that you was able to see ‘Jemma’s’ face, and lastly from the front again but at a slight angle so that you were able to see the three girls facial expressions more clearly. We also filmed close up shots of the girls and Jemma’s facial expressions when the three girls were saying something nasty to Jemma, or we wanted to show the mood of the characters in the scene. After this we then went on to film Jemma and the three girls walking out of the sixth form common room. When the three girls were walking out of the common room we wanted to use the match on action editing technique, therefore we filmed the girls walking towards the door, then a close up shot of one of the girls opening the door, and then finally them walking through from the other side. When filming Jemma walking out the door we wanted to be able to see her facial expression as we wanted the audience to see that she was upset. Therefore we used a mid-shot so that the camera was close enough to show her expression, and also to show that she was walking out of the room.
We then moved on to film inside the toilets. We used various shots to show the characters walking into the toilets, and when inside the toilets we used a close up shot of the toilet door where you are just able to hear Jemma crying. After this we then used a long shot to show the girls surrounding Jemma asking her why she is crying, and saying that it was only a joke. We then decided to use a close up shot to show Jemma’s facial expression to show the audience that she is upset, and that clearly she was hurt by the things they were saying to her. As we wanted to ensure that we got the best shots we filmed everything three times, and also filmed from a range of angles so that we will be able to allow the audience to see how the characters are feeling throughout the scene.

I believe that we worked well as a team on the filming of this scene. This is because we each added our input into how we believed the scene would look better, and the different shots that we could use to add affect and emotion. We also all took on a role and carried out that role to the best of our abilities. Both Conall and Keeley were used as extras to make it look as though there were more students sitting in the common room, but they were still able to give us there input and advise us on what shots would look best for each piece of action taking place. To improve I believe that we should have looked over the footage on the camera during filming so that we could have filmed sections again if we needed to. This is because when watching some shots back the camera was slightly slanted and also in some scenes the noise in the background was a lot louder than others, although we could not control this as students were walking in and out of the common room at different times. Also we could have used more close up shots as we had only used a couple throughout the scene, this would have then allowed the audience to get a better understanding of how the characters were feeling. Although, I believe that the shots we used worked well and effectively and when putting it all together during the editing stage we will have a wide range of shots to use. We also used the boom mic effectively as you are able to hear the actors speaking loudly instead of hearing all of the noise in the background. After filming this scene I have learnt that we should of picked a location where there wouldn’t be students walking in and out at different times as the noise level changes during some of the shots. 

Friday 31st January 2014-Atempting to film scene 2

Today we made another attempt to film scene two which is set on the playground at Manshead School. Scene 2 shows a teenage student called Lewis walking across the playground, and you then go on to see the three bullies begin to follow him. When following him across the playground they begin to shout homophobic abuse at him, and when catching up to Lewis the three bullies push him around the group and then push him to the floor. While on the floor they then kick Lewis, whilst continuously shouting homophobic abuse and nasty comments at him. This scene was used to show the physical side of bullying.
Again we weren’t able to film scene two on this day because we needed to film outside and the weather conditions were very bad. As we wanted our production to look professional we decided that it would be better to film on a day where it wasn’t raining as heavy or wasn’t as windy as we wanted to be able to hear the actors speaking, and not just the rain and wind in the background. Also we didn’t want to ruin any of the equipment by getting it wet, and also the school uniform that we were borrowing from the school would have got dirty as the actor playing Lewis would have had to lie on the floor. As we didn’t film on this day none of the production crew took on any roles, although when it comes to filming this scene I will be taking on the role of camera person, and also helping to assist the director on telling the actors where to stand in the scene. We then went on to decide on another day where we will be filming scene two where all the actors will be available, and also a day where the production crew would also be available for filming.

Thursday 30th January 2014-Atempting to film scene 2

Today we attempted to film Scene 2 where it shows a teenage student called Lewis walking across the playground with three bullies following behind. When following him across the playground they begin to shout homophobic abuse at him, and when catching up to Lewis the three bullies push him around the group and then push him to the floor. While on the floor they then kick Lewis, whilst continuously shouting homophobic abuse and nasty comments at him. This scene was used to show the physical side of bullying.
We didn’t end up filming the ‘physical’ bullying scene on this day because of the bad weather conditions. As it was raining quite heavily we thought that you would only be able to hear the noise of the rain and the wind in the background, and therefore you wouldn’t be able to hear the actors speaking. Also we didn’t want any of the equipment to get wet, or the scene to look unprofessional as the camera lens may get wet and you would not be able to see the action going on. Although, if we did film scene two on this day I would have taken on the role of the camera person, and also directing the actors in the scene on what to do. 

Codes and regulations

I decided to take on the role to complete the codes and regulations sheet. The codes and regulations sheet includes information on each regulation that any media related production company would have to follow when creating their own production. This includes things such as; location permissions which you give out to the owners/person in charge of that area to ask for permission to film in that certain location. This is essential because if you film there and you do not have permission you may not be able to show your production in any place that the public can view it. I then went on to talk about contributor/actor release forms. These forms are given out to any actors that are going to be shown in the production, and also to anybody who will just be standing in the background. The forms will then say whether they have agreed to be in the production, and if they agree with it being shown to the public. I then spoke about copyright, and that you are not able to use a piece of audio or any pictures found online without getting permission from the artist first. This then ensures that no copyright laws are breached. Health and safty is another important factor which needs to be considered as health and safty rules would need to be put in place to ensure that nobody gets injured. Finally I then spoke about OFCOM and PACT which are two regulatory bodies which have rules and regulations put in place to ensure that members of the public are not offend when watching any type of media production. After writing about these things i then went on to say about how we would be applying these things to our production, and how we will ensure that we do not breach both OFCOM's and PACT's rules and regulations.

 

 

Equipment

Conall took on the task of completing the equipment list for our production. In this list he has included all the filming equipment that we are going to be using such as a camera, tripod, boom mic etc. and then went on to talk about the costume and props that we were going to be using. Saying what equipment we are going to be using is essential because we then know whether the production crew will have to provide anything, and also how much the production will cost us. After doing this conall then said how much each piece of equipment, and the props and costumes would cost us, but as we are producing a school production we will be borrowing the filming equipment from the school and providing the costumes and props ourselves. After completing this I then went on to complete the facilities list which talks about what locations we are going to be filming in, and also what facilities we are going to be using in the post-production stage.

 

 

Email

In today’s lesson I sent an email to the actors in scene 3 which includes the three girls and Jemma. In the email I attached both the call sheet and the script so that they were able to go over the script before filming. Also, I sent them the call sheet as it included the locations contact details and also the times that we were going to begin filming, and what we would be doing throughout the hour that we have to film in. By allowing them to look over the call sheets they now know what time we will be meeting, and what time the filming will finish. Also in the call sheet I wrote about the clothing that they should be wearing, and also how they should have their makeup and if they need to bring any props with them.   

 

Floor plans

 In today’s lesson I completed the floor plans. These plans are essential because they enable the production crew to see where they will be placing the camera in the location, and it also shows where the actors will be stood in the scene and any furniture that is in the location. This allows the production crew to also see whether any furniture will be in the way during the shot, and if we will have to move anything to make room for the camera and actors. I also included a key at the top which tells you which symbol is for the door, furniture, actor, camera and camera position. When completing the floor plans I created one for each location as we will then be able to see the amount of room that we have to film in each location. These locations include the girls sixth form toilets, sixth form common room, keeley’s house and finally the school playground. When designing these floor plans I had to look back at pictures, and re-visit some of the locations so that I was able to see where the furniture and doors were in these locations, and also where the camera and actors would be placed in the scene so that we would be able to get the shots needed. After completing these floor plans we are now able to know what angle we will be filming from in the location, and if we need to move any furniture around so that we can get the most effective shots for our production. 

 

Conall also went on to complete the floor plans for the scene which shows Lewis getting followed and beaten up by the bullies, and also the scene which shows the three girls sitting in the sixth form common room making subtle comments towards Jemma. These floor plans show where the actors will be standing in the scene, where the camera will be placed and any furniture which is in the room, such as tables and where the doors are in the room.



Audio

Tayla took on the rule to find out the audio that we are going to be using for our production. Audio is an important factor in a production as it can help to add emotion, or sound effects can be used to add impact. Although, in order to use any type of audio in our production we will need to ask for permission from the producer or owner of that piece of audio, and failure to do this could result in the breach of the copyright laws. This is important as we will be also sharing our production on social networking sites and also on our blogs which can be viewed by the public. Tayla then began researching over a range of websites to find any audio that will suit our production. She firstly found a website called ‘Sound Bible’ which includes a range of soundtracks. She found a soundtrack called ‘small crowd’which we would be using for the scenes where we want it to seem like there is a lot of people in the background. Tayla also found a clip called ‘footsteps on cement’ which would be effective to use when somebody is walking.

 

 

 

Tayla then went onto YouTube to look for soundtracks to use in our production. She came across an artist who uploads piano covers of songs. She found a cover of ‘London Grammar’s’ track ‘strong’ and Rudimentals’s track ‘Not giving in’. Both of these tracks would be good to use as they are both slow, and would then fit the mood that we want to give off when showing our production which is sad/upsetting. Tayla then messaged both of the artists to see if we would be able to include our tracks in our production, as this means that we are not violating any copyright laws. Tayla is still waiting for a reply, and when we do get an answer we will then be able to decide as a group which track is better suited for our production.

A few days later Tayla recieved an email back from the artist allowing us to use his covers of the songs 'London Grammar' and 'Not giving in'. When we get to the post-production stage we will then decide what song is best suited to our production, and we will then be crediting the artist during the production.

Facilities list

In today’s lesson I was also able to complete the facilities list. This list is essential because it shows all the facilities that we are going to be using during the production, and also during the post production stage. In this facilities list I have included the locations that we are going to be using for our production. These locations include the girl’s sixth form toilets, the sixth form common room (Social area), Keeley’s house and finally the school playground. I then wrote about what we were using these locations for in our production, and what was happening in each location. For example when writing about the sixth form common room I said that we were going to be using it to show Jemma and the three girls having a conversation. After writing this I then included the picture of the location. After writing about the facilities that we were going to be using in the production stage, I then went on to write about the facilities that we were going to be using in the post-production stage. For the post-production we are going to be using the media studio. This is because in this room we are able to edit our production and review the footage using the editing software premiere, and also we are able to hear any sound that we have included in our production out loud on the speakers. In this room we will then be able to put together and complete our anti-bullying advertising campaign. After completing the facilities list another member of the production crew will then have to complete the equipment list which states what equipment we will be using during the production and post-production stages.