On Monday the 29th of February I am set to direct my second VT Filmed at Greenfield Community Primary School. I also had to make sure that our presenter for the piece will be good and ready when it comes to the script and actions she is prepared to do.
Our thoughts were that the teacher's pet (Tabitha) would be a spy, going tot he school and investigating the teachers who are getting prepared to participate in the show.
In order for this to work comedically, we had to film a private interviews between the children and Tabitha. The children would be giving their thoughts on their tutors. As children sometimes they can be unpredictable, so you have no idea what they could be thinking or what they could say which sometimes makes it cute and funny at the same time which some people love to see.
Coming up with a shot list was simple as the VT is only lasting for a minute and 15 seconds. Here is the draft of the shot list that I have made to show what will be happening on the day.
Shot List 1st Draft:
List of what to do on Thursday the 25th on the location report:
Get to know the 2 contestants (If found)
Get to know the kids
Pick about 5 of the kids to interview
Find a room for interviewing
Get consent forms for the tutors to give to the children's parents (Just in case)
Make sure to dress appropriately and act responsibly
Before we planned the actual shoot we made a location report on what could be done about Jess, Plamen, and Alex's place to make it look like a World War 2 Bomb Shelter/ Air Raid Shelter.
Our first practice shoot went well apart from one thing... The sound, there was absolutely no sound what so ever. As humans we learned from our mistakes and we keep moving forward and I wrote down in my notebook so I wouldn't forget, REMEMBER SOUND.
My crew set up the environment of the shoot and made this short footage:
The feel of the piece was great it felt like an air raid was about to happen and people had to find shelter and quick.
The shooting day:
The day of the shooting came and I had to make sure that I got there early as I had to make sure I was curtain of the shots I was going to use and also to make sure I was comfortable in the fully built set we arranged for the World War 2 setting.
The actresses were absolutely fantastic as their chemistry were like if they were middle aged ladies living in the war and trying to get by with old fashioned humor. Their ascents were spot on and their actions were just right.
The only thing that went wrong was some of our technical difficulties. our camera started telling us that we had low voltage and we didn't know how to fix it and what was even worse is that the camera wouldn't stop making a noise until we fixed the problem. But as it turned out, the low voltage meant that we just had to recharge the battery and so with that in mind we plugged the battery to the recharge and then plugged the recharge station into a separate slot and hey presto we were back in business and were ready to continue filming once more.
The next then was the sound, at one point it just vanished. We had the microphone in the right channel on the camera but yet there was no sound, we couldn't figure out what had happened. Then we discovered a button on the side of the camera and found out that one of us must of accidentally hit that button and then the sound turned off. But as instinks led us we press the button and re programmed the channel and suddenly the sound was back, yet another problem solved and thank goodness it was the last one.
For the VT of the World War II History section of the show, the plan was to make the basement at some of my peers/ crews house and turn it into a world war II shelter and then have two characters act a short scene.
I took an advantage to see the location earlier so that way I can suss out what needed to be done to make the scene just right. So first before shooting I took some photos around the location:
After would we started the test shoot with a short script that Jess wrote and we turned that into a short video. From that shoot I learned how to make use of the location and where to persuasion the characters when it comes to the real shoot.
When we got the footage off of the camera, I made sure to take screen shots of the video we made and took note on how to make the story boards out of the shots we had.
Refection:
What went well -
The look of the location is perfect and looked very World War 2 and already I can visualize the place being decorated right so it can look just like a shelter.
The lighting was good mainly because we only used one light source to make it look dark and somewhat candle lit.
The shots were framed very well and when the when we withdrew the footage onto the Mac I found it helpful to plan out the rest of the shots I may need in the final filming.
What didn't go so well -
The sound for one thing, we made sure to set everything up and we thought the microphone was on but it wasn't so we had no sound what so ever, a very amateur mistake on my part. So for next time, definitely remember to make sure that we have sound and that it is working.
Some of the background didn't do so well as there was two things that didn't look so right in the background. One was the window as it let in too much light and plus it made the scene not so World War 2. The plan is to cover the window with a blackout certain that way it would like it would be in an air raid.
Most of the filming was interrupted by a fire alarm as the red head light gave out to much heat when we were recording. So in order to fix this we had to put on a glove over the fire alarm to prevent it from going off.
Conclusion:
Apart from the sound not working, the shoot was a success, it will help me with the story boarding and I now the environment that I will have to deal with on the day. The team worked well to help this shoot become a success, as I director it is good to know I can work with people who understand my vision but also can help each other when something bad comes round.
Our first time being back in the studios and we got down to some training for our new show "Teach em a Lesson".
I was put on camera as I will be on the day of the live shoot, I had my first experience wearing a headset in the studio and hearing the feedback from my director and others was quite distracting but still it's something I knew it was something I had to deal with.
Unlike some of the crew wearing headsets cameramen are not aloud to talk back on the headsets as the microphones on the cameras will pick up your sound and ruin the whole show. But there is a way to communicate with the director but only when he gives instructions.
About the intercom Headset:
As a cameraman you need to pay attention and listen to instructions carefully from the director through this intercom. For example if the director needs to know if anyone is on a camera he will ask and when you are at your camera you will simply nod the camera up and down to signal yes to the director who will be watch the camera activity from the control room with the vision mixer.
The show is based round adults proving their knowledge against 10 year old school children's knowledge. The adult have to switch their brains back to the time they were children to tackle subjects that children should know when they are in school.
How to show runs:
The show first shows the kids/ students and attempt to help the adult who has to work with when answering the questions, which at the end the contestant could have the chance to win prize money up to £50,000 (UK) or $1,000,000 (US).
The show's feel is like if you were taking an exam in a school environment, and like any exam there is a great deal of pressure involved especially with the contestants.
What brings out the show most of all are the chosen kids themselves who are selected to help the adult win the jackpot prize money. These kids are selected mainly because they an act on camera as well as having a great deal of knowledge on certain subjects that the show has.
Like any game show the visuals and colours along with he bright lighting makes the show stand out more to grab your attention. The presenter(s) of the show are usually fun quirky and get along positive with children. Like Dick and Dom the comedy duo who have worked on television for a while and were each given the chance to both host the show.
Outsmarted by children... Dick and Dom (2016) [Online] At: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/392297/Dick-and-Dom-school-dunces.html (Accessed on 08/02/2016)
Here is an example of the show:
Homework:
Fairness:
I far as I know there is a legal document in America call the Fairness Doctrine and by definition it states:
The doctrine that imposes affirmative responsibilities on a broadcaster to provide coverage of issues of public importance that is adequate and fairly reflects differing viewpoints. In fulfilling its fairness doctrine obligations, a broadcaster must provide free time for the presentation of opposing views if a paid sponsor is unavailable and must initiate programming on public issues if no one else seeks to do so.
Using this legal document, the show was first aired in America on September 26th 2007 and the fairness was bought to the UK and the title was changed to are you smarter than a 10 year old and was based on the American version (are you smarter than a fifth grader). The fairness of the show is still there, it shows the same formant and is on undermining the American version.
Advertising:
Advertising by definition is the act or practice of calling public attention to one's product, service, or need. Especially by paid announcements in newspapers and magazines, over the radio or on television, to billboards and the list could go on, advertisements are everywhere you look.
This method as an end result is usually to get more customers by advertising and to use this customers to use/ buy your product or service.
Product Placement:
Firstly, what is product placement?
It's a technique used in advertising by companies to subtly promote their bands or products through a non-traditional advertising technique, usually through appearances in film e..g Wane's World, television, or other media.
Product placements are often initiated through an agreement between a product manufacturer and the media company in which the media company receives economic benefit. A company will often pay a fee to have their product used, displayed, or significantly featured in a movie or show.
For example: Coca-Cola could pay a given fee to have the title character drinking a Coke, instead of a Pepsi beverage, or Toyota might pay to have one of the characters drive their newest vehicles. Through the method of product placement, companies hope that moviegoers will take note of the products used by the main characters, and therefore think more strongly about using the products themselves.
Premium rate phone numbers:
What are Premium rate phone numbers?
The cost of calling a phone number depends on the digits it starts
with, your phone provider and whether you use a landline or mobile.
You may get free calls to some numbers as part of your call package. Check with your phone provider.
The costs below are approximate. Check with your phone provider to
find out the actual cost, particularly if you’re calling from abroad.
Calls from payphones can cost more.
Here is an example from this chart show the cost of premium numbers and landlines:
Call charges and phone numbers. (2015) [Screenshot] At: https://www.gov.uk/call-charges (Accessed on 08/02/2016).
But how does this premium Rate Service work?
Premium rate services and how they work. (2014) [Online] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yUhHTNXYDA (Accessed on 08/02/2016).
These phone numbers are often used on television for example like if you wanted to enter a game show like Are You Smarter Than A 10 Year Old. These premium rate series charge and add the cost to your phone weather you choose to text or call into the services you wish to use. A share of the revenue of the coast is then distributed to the people who are responsible to share another amount to the company who operates the service you used.
Bibliography:
Advertising. (2016) [Online] At: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/advertising(Accessed on 08/02/2016).
Fairness Doctrine. (2008) [Online] At: http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Fairness+Doctrine (Accessed on 08/02/2016).
Figure 1. Verity Rae Martin Website Homepage (2016) [Screenshot] At: http://www.verityraemartin.co.uk (Accessed on 31/01/2016).
Background:
Graduate of The BRIT school, she has been on the live music scene for as long as she can remember. Clocking up thousands of live performances over the years she has worked with many a producer to get her sound and live show to where it is today.
Her soulful voice has won her national critical acclaim from audiences all over the world, and she has performed at many prestigious events and venues. During her live shows Verity has been described by critics “as a powerful force on stage, offering audiences a night of pure pulse, pleasure and passion.”
Her debut single ‘Lost in the Song’ produced by Laurence ‘Woo’ Allen (who has worked with artists such as Big Brovaz and Craig David) was released by Triumph Music Group in January 2012. VERITY loves to pass on her knowledge and understanding of the creative arts and in September 2009 opened her first academy in Kent with Britain’s best loved comedy actress Pauline Quirke.
It proved so popular that they went onto open a further four in Kent together and you can often spot lots of the PQA students on stage and screen.
Her TV and Film credits include, The Bill ITV, Dreamteam Sky, Midsommer Murders, Little Miss Jocelyn, I Really Hate my job starring Neve Campbell, Spiceworld The Movie, Godforsaken directed by Jamil Dahlavi, commercials and modelling include Ocado, Vision Express, Max Power, MCM, and various advertising for publications to name a few…
The Commission Details:
The band she has formed is know as Soul Ensemble and they need a promotional music video. The filming will be done (probably in several locations).
Bibliography:
Martin, V (2016) Verity Rae Martin Website. At: http://www.verityraemartin.co.uk (Accessed on 31/01/2016).
PQA (2016) Hello from Verity. At: http://www.pqacademy.com/academy_locator/rochester/ (Accessed on 31/01/2016).
