POSTER DEADLINE APPROACHING!

Deadline 2 – Initial planning

Each member of group to create an initial draft for a poster design in Photoshop, with accompanying analysis of decisions made.  (Cover conventions, layout and MRANG).

Upload any photographic images that are used in your poster design on a separate post and explain any modifications that are made.

Friday November 18^th, midnight – assessment follows immediately

YOU ARE NOW IN THE FILMING PHASE

You are now working towards the tasks needed to complete the filming stage.
Details of things to remember for a successful shoot are in the Short Film Booklet on moodle, and I have made suggestions in lessons this week for filling any 'down time' in lessons or for independent and extension work. Look at Lesson 8 on moodle to remind yourself of those 'looking ahead' suggestions.
Here is the summary of what needs to be done by the next deadline, FRIDAY NOVEMBER 4TH @ 4PM:

Deadline Three: Filming

All raw footage (rushes) to be completed and logged on the Mac network as a ‘rough cut’.  Ensure that this is in the correct folder.

PLUS :  On the group blog by the deadline below:

- Allocation of roles for filming

- Evidence of filming having taken place – still or moving imagery.

- Evaluative discussions about the filming process – problems (and how overcome) , strengths, weaknesses. and improvements made on previous work.

- Particular discussions about new or complex filming techniques that have been used.

- Audience feedback on raw footage – ask for comments about shots – do they have desired effect on Spectator?  Could improvements be made? And so on.

- for the review and poster, research to be conducted and evidenced on the blog about how short films are promoted, with initial decisions about images to use being posted, with proposed images, and links to comparative real promotional material and reviews, where possible

CREATING YOUR ANIMATICS

As part of your DEADLINE FOR PLANNING ON OCTOBER 14th, you need to complete 2 ANIMATICS of your storyboard. These are basic animatics. You need to do the following:

·         STORYBOARD your plot using Post It Notes.

·         Present the Storyboard as Two Animatics.

o   1. One of all your shots in order, WITH EACH SHOT LASTING EXACTLY THE TIME IN SECONDS PLANNED

o   2. One with a commentary that will give more detail for KEY GROUPS OF SHOTS. (We expect to hear reference to camera shot size, angle, movement; lighting directions; character movement;; dialogue; foley sound; editing transitions; mise en scene)

Sophie will be giving further advice on best practice for this via her blog (see my blog list).

Here is an example from one of last year's blogs:

YOUR NEXT DEADLINE - PLANNING TASKS

Deadline Two: Ongoing Research and Pre-Production Planning (refer to pages 7-8 of booklet)

- Ongoing Research into other short films following same structure as in deadline one.

- Pre Production Planning - Use the checklist on Page 8 and the advice on Page 7 of your booklet to document all aspects of this:- Roles, ideas rejected, application of MRANG, synopsis of story, detail of plot on animatics, script, written permissions, location research, Health and safety, Costume, Hair, makeup and props for characterization, organization of actors, lighting, sound, experimentation.

-  audience feedback on story ideas, proposed characters and scenes (can be gathered and presented through social networking sites), with comments posted

- notes, images, links on initial research into short film promotion (advertising, reviews)

Friday October 14^th, midnight

A REMINDER OF THE CHECKLIST OF JOBS TO DO BY FRIDAY

Pre-Production Checklist – tick off tasks as you complete them

Have you created posts on all the following?	Done
Allocate pre-production roles in the group: location scout; prop ‘buyer’; storyboard artist/s; animatics director; sound designer; lighting designer; screenwriter; camera operator/s; costume, hair and make-up designer and ‘buyer’;
Any ideas that were rejected and why.
Group writes synopsis of short film – about 200 words posted to blog
Apply Genre to final idea – single genre? Hybrid? Or resist genre category? Will you use established film styles – eg Social Realism or ‘Noir’?  Decisions to blog with justification and links to similar real texts if possible (these may be feature length films)
Apply Representation to final idea – initial ideas about representation of social groups, places and ideas or issues covered by your story.  Make links to real texts
Apply Audience to final idea– initial ideas about your expected audience – by age, gender and social class. Link to expected viewing platforms for your film (where would it be screened ideally?).  Make links to real texts.
Apply Narrative to final idea – initial ideas about the structure of the story – linear? Non-linear? Circular? Use narrative theory here – Todorov; Levi-Strauss; Vogler etc.  Make links to real texts.
Apply Media Language to final idea – initial ideas about film techniques you’d like to use and examples or suggestions. Make links to real texts.
Script for dialogue
Storyboard Animatic One - CORRECT TIMINGS - should last 5 mins
Storyboard Animatic Two with commentary (any length necessary) - OR group film commentary on key shots or scenes, perhaps as inserts in film - again, this can be any length
Evidence of location research – rejections and final decisions with explanations.
Evidence of location permission (where required)
Health and Safety considerations – locations and roles.
Evidence of research and planning into Costume, Make up, Hair and Props
Organization of actors
Lighting decisions
Sound design – initial ideas about sound – soundtrack, foleys, ambient and dialogue. What needs to be organized and what are the likely issues in locations.
Shooting schedule – plans for the shoot
Evidence of experimenting with any new or complex techniques
Audience feedback – evidence that you have consulted on ideas and taken feedback into consideration.