Commission Report

Intro:

Within this report I will be demonstrating and reflecting on my experience working on a commission with a client, Verity Rae Martin, for her music video, ‘All I Ask’, an Adele cover song.  This will be showing the research and developments of my ideas for the video as well as covering my job roles involved in the development into making the video with a client. A critical evaluation outlining my performance will also be included highlighting aspects of professional practice and areas of specialised interest that will enhance my future career within creative film and television production.

About my client:

Verity Rae Martin -

Figure 1. Verity Rae Martin Website Homepage (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 as, “a powerful force on stage, offering audiences a night of pure pulse, pleasure and passion”.

The 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…

First Job Role: Music Video Director

What did my role involve?

·      Directing an actress.

·      Listening to client's song and forming an idea.

·      Organizing dates to record with my client/ actress.

·      Finding a location to film.

·      Researching the music video genre and directors.

·      Doing Storyboards and Shot lists.

What are the industry requirements to be a music video director?

Research from ‘study.com’ say that 4 steps are quite necessary when wanting to be a music video director in the media industry.

            Step 1: Earn a Bachelor's Degree

            Although not required to start a career, individuals interested in becoming music video       directors may consider earning a bachelor's degree in film. Topics and courses covered in   film school include the history of film, camera techniques and the business side of the          industry.

            Step 2: Intern For a Production Company

            Working as a production assistant on a music video is a great way for individuals to gain    hands-on experience and network.

            Step 3: Gain Additional Music Video Experience

            Prospective music video directors may be able to obtain jobs as assistant directors to gain             additional experience. Working as an assistant director will give individuals more         responsibilities on the set and help prepare them for becoming a director.

            Step 4: Develop Connections to Advance in the Field

            It can be beneficial for individuals who are interested in pursuing this career to build          connections with musicians, bands, producers and other professionals in the industry            (study.com, 2016).

Although directing actors can be a challenge, working with Verity was a pleasure as she has had much experience with acting. I could only recall one time I had to direct her in terms of acting and this was only near the end of the song when I had to explain that she had to put more feeling into it, as the song got quite emotional and strong.

            ‘The very best actors make it look easy. Their technique is invisible, they seem to “become”        the character, they seem to speak and move out of their character's impulses and needs, their feelings well up strong and apparently unbidden’ (Weston, 1996: 7).

Music Video Research:

‘Ariana Grande - Problem (Lyric Video) ft. Iggy Azalea’

Figure 2. Ariana Grande - Problem (Lyric Video) ft. Iggy Azalea. (2014)

My client wanted a black and white lyric music video so one example I researched was from ‘Ariana Grande's video Problem’. I examined the black and white and how the director Jones Crow used this method to make the video stand out. What made this video unique was the fact that it remained in one shot and this was the use of close ups of the face and nothing else. What made the black and white effects interesting was the use of lighting.

Justin Timberlake – ‘Suit and Tie’

Directed by David Fincher, who also directed ‘Fight Club’ and ‘The Social Network’. Fincher’s work is often dark, which is what I saw in this video as well, plus knowing he did the social network I can see how he got the chance to work with Justin again. What interesting aspects of the video was the fact they showed the process of how they made the music in the studio and then showed it in an ‘as live’ performance which is an interesting way of storytelling.

Figure 3. Justin Timberlake - Suit & Tie (Official) ft. JAY Z. (2013)

Avichi – Hey Brother

Figure 4. Avicii - Hey Brother (Lyric). (2013)

Although I couldn't find a director of the official lyric video there were things I got from the video I thought I could use in terms of editing. Using the text to appear creatively at certain times when the song lyric is sung was an interesting creative touch. If I was to utilize this within my commissioned video I could see it developing in a variety of ways;

1. It could be done and would look really nice and professional

2. Even though it would look nice, the amount of time to do it might be a little too much work to do

before the deadline.

3. If done correctly, the text needed to be visible in each shot and should have an impact.

Goo Goo Dolls - Black Balloon

Figure 5. Goo Goo Dolls - Black Balloon [Official Music Video]. (1988)

Directed by Nancy Bardwell and released in 1999. What I loved about this video apart from the effect of black and white is how it uses transitions between scenes in a very creative and artistic way. How the band is presented but also how at the same time it showed a story.  Not all music videos shows the band or the lead singer lip synching for every shot. This music video shows a story and cuts to a main character representing the music video and what it's about.

My Client's Song:

Adele’s Song: ‘All I Ask’

Since this is a recent song released by the pop artist ‘Adele’, I could find background to the song but when reading the lyrics it seems to be about having one last day with someone you love before moving on. The song in detail is more about having that last request to do the things you and loved one enjoyed doing before saying goodbye.

‘By the album’s penultimate track, it’s hard not to wonder if Adele might perhaps leave the songs about relationships in their death-throes to one side. All I Ask finds her in what she presumes to be her last night with someone, asking to be held “like I’m more than just a friend” and wondering if she’ll ever love again. You will, Adele. He’s called Simon. (Hann, 2015).

So this someone could be presumed to a really good friend to her but she just wanted to want this friend to connect with her like if she was more then a friend.

Editing for my music video:

Some skill requirements are essentially needed if you want to be a music video editor within the industry. Nearly all film, sound and special effects mixing is done digitally, which means music video editors must be competent in editing software. Having the connection with technology is paramount and can be obtained by earning an Associate of Arts in Communication and Media Arts qualification. Other options include a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Film and Digital Production or a BFA in Motion Picture Television Editing. Courses for prospective music video editors may include scripting for electronic media, video production and the art of film.

Skills Required -

            ‘A successful music video editor has a keen eye, open ear and deft hand for telling a good story. The best video editors are so adept at splicing elements together that their work is    invisible. This takes technological skill and artistic ability’ (study.com, 2016).

Challenges faced while editing -

Getting to synch most of the lyrics to the artist’s singing was a challenge because I had to make sure that not all the shots were the same.

What was also a challenge was the placement of text on the screen as most of it was hard to see when layered on he background. In a couple of shots, I had to make do with what I had. Some challenges were actually with the song itself, as there seemed to be a mix up of the lyrics. So I had to talk to Verity about it and make sure if anything could be done before hand to correct this or to do this again another time, or even if that is what she eventually wanted to say in the song anyway.

Things I done in editing:

‘In simple terms, editing is nothing more than putting shots and sounds together. In reality, it is much more than this. I t is both a technical and creative process. It is also intuitive. Anyone can string words together, but not everyone is able to write a good story or a book without a sound knowledge of language. Editing is similar’ (Young, 2013,34).

I had to make sure to make the text feel like the song, so I edited the text’s font to look like handwriting as if the song is about having that one last chance to be with someone before you move on with your life.

Figure 6. All I Ask Final Cut Pro Editing. [Screenshot] (2016)

The black and white effect on the shots worked well especially with the location we shot at. Having the historic Dockyard’s old attractions in the background suited the feel of the music video.

Reflection:

The shoot for the video went surprisingly well and the weather was on my side on the day of filming. We thought we would get some shots outside of the studio where we were filming, although finding a location was a bit tricky. I managed to find a studio named DEF Studios, which is a rehearsal studio, within Chatham's historic dockyard. I managed to book an eight hour session with a date, which I confirmed with my client before the deal for the studio was struck. The outside shots of Verity, were beautifully shot at the dockyard, as we managed to get some shots of a steam train as well as other industrial dockyard equipment.

Since the weather was so nice that day, Verity and I decided to film around the Dockyard and to get more ‘coverage’ and shots that could be edited into the finished video. Directing a music video can allow you to put your own style into it. A music video is very similar to film, the director of Justin Timberlake's music video showed how he can put his own film style into the music video.

I learned that sometimes making a music video or sometimes any video filming project things can often go wrong in terms of vision. At one point I had to ignore the storyboards and visualize what I needed to film on the spot. Problems encountered were often out of my control. One problem that occurred was when the band were in the middle of recording a song and then they lost their bass player. I only found this out when my client Verity told me after I gave her a phone call to get a status report. I also didn't receive the final version of the song we were going to be doing until the near end of my Easter holidays even though I planed us to have filmed by this point. Even though I did storyboards, I informed Verity about having her guitar player to join us on the shoot but unfortunately on the day of the shoot Verity had to inform us that he wasn't going to turn up. I managed to refer to my storyboards, but for the rest of the shoot I had to improvise and visualize on the spot. What made things even more awkward was that I heard in the middle of the song the lyrics had been changed and I wasn't sure if Verity had made a mistake with the song or she did it on propose, so I had to conform with her before converting the final video.

What I could improve on is establishing more boundaries with my client regarding our working relationship such as; if there is information that you need to know, always try and call them just in case you can get more insight and ideas from them. Don't feel like your bothering them just ask if it is an appropriate time to call them, if not ask when they can speak with you.

As a resolution, my client really enjoyed the finished product. She said that it was everything she hoped for and I even got offered a job because of it.

I have learned to always be prepared for the worst, when filming a commission make sure you get full details of what your client wants and what you think could work and try and collaborate, at the end of the day it's up to you making your client happy and giving them what they want.

Image List:

Figure 1. Verity Rae Martin Website Homepage (2016) [Screenshot] At: http://www.verityraemartin.co.uk (Accessed on 31/01/2016).

Figure 2. Ariana Grande - Problem (Lyric Video) ft. Iggy Azalea. (2014) [Screenshot] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoJ8s90NLc4. (Accessed: 16/04/2016).

Figure 3. Justin Timberlake - Suit & Tie (Official) ft. JAY Z. (2013) At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsUsVbTj2AY. (Accessed: 16/04/2016).

Figure 4. Avicii - Hey Brother (Lyric). (2013) [Screenshot] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxIiPLVR6NA. (Accessed on 16/04/2016).  

Figure 5. Goo Goo Dolls - Black Balloon [Official Music Video]. (1988) [Screenshot] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emguA0RIH4k. (Accessed on 16/04/2016).

Bibliography:

Glebas, Francis (2009) Directing the Story Professional Storytelling and Storyboarding Techniques for Live Action and Animation. Burlington: Focal Press.

DeKoven, Lenore Changing Direction A Piratical Approach to Directing Actors in Film and Theatre (2006) Burlington: Focal Press.

Weston, Judith. Directing Actors. (1996) Studio City: Micheael Wiesse Productions

Young, Rick. The Focal Easy Guide To Final Cut Pro X. (2013) Burlington: Focal Press.

Web Sources:

ArianaGrandeVevo. (2014). Ariana Grande - Problem (Lyric Video) ft. Iggy Azalea. (Online Video). 1 May 2014. At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoJ8s90NLc4. (Accessed on 16/04/2016).

Ariana Grande Wiki (2016) Jones Crow. At: http://arianagrande.wikia.com/wiki/Jones_Crow (Accessed on 31/01/2016).

AviciiOfficialVEVO. (2013). Avicii - Hey Brother (Lyric). [Online Video]. 1 November 2013. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxIiPLVR6NA. (Accessed on 16/04/2016).

Hann, M (2015) Adele -  what she's singing about on 25. At: http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2015/nov/19/adele-what-shes-singing-about-on-25 (Accessed on 31/01/2016).

Hardrockange. (2011) So you want to do commissions? At: http://hardrockangel.deviantart.com/journal/So-you-want-to-do-commissions-214251301 (Accessed on 31/01/2016).

Goo Goo Dolls. (1988). Goo Goo Dolls - Black Balloon [Official Music Video]. [Online Video]. 25 October 2009. At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emguA0RIH4k. (Accessed on 16/04/2016).

IMVDB. (2016) Black Ballon (1999) At: https://imvdb.com/video/goo-goo-dolls/black-balloon  (Accessed on 31/01/2016).

justintimberlakeVEVO. (2013). Justin Timberlake - Suit & Tie (Official) ft. JAY Z. (Online Video). 14 February 2013. At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsUsVbTj2AY. (Accessed on 16/04/2016).

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).

Study.com. (2016) How to Become a Music Video Director: Career Roadmap. At: http://study.com/articles/How_to_Become_a_Music_Video_Director_Career_Roadmap.html (Accessed on 31/01/2016).

Study.com (2016) Music Video Editing: Job Description & Requirements At:  http://study.com/articles/Music_Video_Editing_Job_Description_and_Requirements_for_Becoming_a_Music_Video_Editor.html (Accessed on 31/01/2016).

Commission Reflection and Research

Filming day:

On Sunday the 10th of April I book myself and my client Verity Rae Martin into a rehearsing studio known as DEF Studios, which just so happened to be located within Chatham's historic dockyard.

The space was nice and big for me and my client to work in plus it was also good knowing that we had this big room all to ourselves for 8 hours which gave us plenty enough time to shoot the whole video. The only thing that was a setback was the guitar player couldn't turn up so I had to make the music video work with just Verity. So a couple of times I could refer back to my storyboards but most of the time I knew I had to wing it in terms of what I could record with in the studio and turn that setback into my advantage.

Commission Report


What was my role?

• Director and cameraman of commission/ music video
  
• Video Editor of music video
  

What did my role involve?

• Directing an actress
  
• Listening to client's song and forming an idea
  
• Organising dates to record with my client/ actress
  
• Finding a location to film
  
• Researching the music video genre and directors
  
  

Music Video Research:


Ariana Grande - Problem (Lyric Video) ft. Iggy Azalea

I examined the black and white and how the director Jones Crow used this method to make the video stand out. What made this video unique was the fact that it remained in one shot and this was the use of close ups of the face and nothing else. What made the black and white effects interesting was the use of lighting.

Justin Timberlake – Suit and Tie

Directed by David Fincher, who also directed ‘Fight Club’ and ‘The Social Network’. Fincher’s work is often dark, which is what I saw in this video as well, plus knowing he did the social network I can see how he got the chance to work with Justin again. What interesting aspects of the video was the fact they showed the process of how they made the music in the studio and then showed it in an ‘as live’ performance which is an interesting way of storytelling.

Avichi – Hey Borther

Although I couldn't find a director of the official lyric video there were things I got from the video I thought I could use in terms of editing. Using the text to appear creatively at certain times when the song lyric is sung was an interesting creative touch. If I was to utilize this within my commissioned video I could see it developing in a variety of ways;

1. It could be done and would look really nice and professional.

2. Even though it would look nice, the amount of time to do it might be a little too much work to do    before the deadline. 

3. If done correctly, the text needed to be visible in each shot and should have an impact.

Goo Goo Dolls: Black - Balloon

Want I love about this video apart from the effect of black and white is how it transitions between scenes in a very creative and artistic way. How the band is presented but also how at the same time it showed a story.  Not all music videos shows singing for every shot, music videos show a story and cut to a main character representing the music video and what is about.



Reflection:


What went well?

• The shoot for the video went surprisingly well, the weather was on my side so we thought we would get some shots outside of the studio where we were filming.
  
• Finding a location, the studio I booked was called DEF Studios and it's a rehearsing studios which is within Chatham's historic dockyard.
  
• The outside shots of Verity outside the dockyard was beautiful also managing to get some shot of a steam train as well as other cool dockyard equipment and events.
  

What didn't go so well?

• Client's problems often getting in the way of my work, I didn't receive the final version of the song we were going to be doing until the near end of my easter holidays even though I planed us to have filmed by that point. 

• Some plans didn't go so well as the storyboards I made didn't really suit the shoot we were doing. For one thing there was many to be a guitarist to help out, but since he didn't tern up, most of the shoot was thought and done on the spot and I had to think visually.

• Finding a location before a deadline

Storyboard examples:

What I learned:

• Sometimes making a music video or sometimes any video filming project can often go wrong in terms of vision. At point I had to ignore the storyboards and visualise what to film on the spot.
  
• Don't waste an opportunity, since the weather was so nice that day, me and Verity decided to film around the Dockyard and get some outside shot which came out very well.
  

What I can do to improve myself:

• Try being more firm with clients, if there is information that you need to know, always try and call them just in case you can get more insight and ideas from them. Don't feel like your bothering them just ask if it is an appropriate time to call them, if not ask when they can speak with you.
  

Bibliography:

ArianaGrandeVevo. (2014). Ariana Grande - Problem (Lyric Video) ft. Iggy Azalea. (Online Video). 1 May 2014. At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoJ8s90NLc4. (Accessed on 16/04/2016).

AviciiOfficialVEVO. (2013). Avicii - Hey Brother (Lyric). [Online Video]. 1 November 2013. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxIiPLVR6NA. (Accessed on 16/04/2016).

Goo Goo Dolls. (1988). Goo Goo Dolls - Black Balloon [Official Music Video]. [Online Video]. 25 October 2009. At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emguA0RIH4k. (Accessed on 16/04/2016).

justintimberlakeVEVO. (2013). Justin Timberlake - Suit & Tie (Official) ft. JAY Z. (Online Video). 14 February 2013. At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsUsVbTj2AY. (Accessed on 16/04/2016).

Martin, V (2016) Verity Rae Martin Website. At: http://www.verityraemartin.co.uk (Accessed on 31/01/2016).

Studio Reflection Report

Intro:

Within this report I will be demonstrating and reflecting on my experiences working on the live student commissioned television show, ‘Teach Em A Lesson’.  This will be showing the research and developments of my original pitch idea for the brief as well as covering my job roles involved in the show. A critical evaluation outlining my performance will also be included highlighting aspects of professional practice and areas of specialized interest that will enhance my future career within television production.

My Original Idea:

This idea was a game show targeted at a particular audience that has embraced the geek side of popular culture; meaning the people who are influenced by comic books, superheroes, fantasy and Si-Fi media. This is how I came up with the title “Geek or Unique”.

Fig.1. Geek OR Unique Logo. (2016).

I got inspiration for this game show by researching other television quiz show concepts. ‘Shooting Stars’ with duo host Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer is a celebrity quiz show filled with laughs and absolute madness.

For another example the music TV game show “Never mind The Buzzcocks” has that same approach when it comes to their presenters. This is a comedy game show where the presenters and the producers are usually comedians and funny celebrities. This particular show gave me a vision of what I wanted my show to look like in terms of set design.

Fig.2. XL Supplies Video Screens For Never Mind The Buzzcocks. (2014).

From this image from the set of the show you can see that most game shows consist of lots of bright colorful and loud lighting. For this propose it’s mostly used in game shows to make them stand out and engage their audiences so they don’t become board.

Through further research this then led me to an online game show known as “I Can’t Even”. This show tackled all things that are geek related such as Sci-Fi shows, comics, video games and turns it all into a funny quiz show. With a hilarious and awkward host (Chris Kendall) aka Crabstickz on Youtube, he delivers a weird delivery that makes the studio audience engaged with the show.

Fig.3. I Can't Even. (2013).

What made this show stand out was the fact the team used their own studio and formed their set to suit the needs of the theme of the show which was geek related. Props such as wizard’s hats, action figures and comic books are used to decorate the set, along with the contestants themselves dressing up as their favorite fictional characters e.g. Doctor Who, Spiderman etc. All of which are elements which I found quite interesting, creative and above all else, unique.

The interview:

For this brief I had to pick my own job I wished to partake in the show.  Studio Director was my first choice mainly because I wanted to push myself out of comfort zone role. Once my job was chosen, an interview was to be issued to see if we were suited for our first chosen jobs. How I came to be prepared for the interview was mainly due to researching about the job.

An online search –

Sometimes it is good to learn from experts about the job your going for. BBC Studio Director Derek Livesey give out some pointers on the qualities and involvements when it come to the role of a studio director as well as giving out his personal experience.

Fig. 4 Derek Livesey, Studio Director, BBC. (2012).

From this video source he explains what the role involves  and what the requirements are needed for the job.

Generally the role involves –

·      Making Sure everyone on the crew team are doing their jobs and understanding the project, making sure that everyone is one the same page.

·      A visual idea of the show/ project and working closely with the producer.

·      Ensuring all briefs are dispatched in the studio based on individuals strengths and skills.

·      Creating a workflow structure.

·      Reviewing daily work schedules of the creative department.

·      Ensuring work is delivered on deadline.

·      Compiling studio schedules for the crew.

·      Updating studio schedules regularly to keep the team up to date on progress and changes.

·      Dispatching workload.

·      Managing annual leave of employees and finally resource management across both freelance and perm.

Requirements –

·      Not to panic – When something goes wrong the director must keep his/ her cool. If the director panics, then the whole team panics and something is likely to go wrong.

·      Communication skills

·      Professional organizational skills

·      Advanced knowledge of studio software

·      Proven leadership skills and ability to meet deadlines in a stressful environment

·      Motivate a team with a wide variety of skill sets.

·      He/she must also be able to think outside the box, have a high attention to detail and possess problem-solving skills.

Industry sources –

Using industry books and articles on your subject can teach you a lot, some of which really helped me get an idea of what directing can be like.

Show you can do the job–

Looking at my CV and making changes to help target my job role seemed effective. Showing your experience in the field of your chosen job shows how much you are confident and reliable to have the job. I made sure to put details of every directing job and experience I had so far in the industry to show how much I can do the task at hand.

Consider Appearances –

 In most job interviews you need to dress smartly, I went with a suit and tie to show professionalism and seriousness about wanting the job.

Remember Manners –

I came in to the interview with a smile on my face and shook my interviewer’s hand to indicate that I was confident. While I sat in a chair to begin the interview I remained clam and didn’t fidget, showing my interviewers that I wasn’t nervous.

Our chosen TV Show: ‘Teach ‘Em A Lesson’ produced by Wesley Denne.

Fig.4. Teach ‘Em A Lesson Logo. (2016)

The show was targeted at a younger audience and was going to be made for the Channel CBBC. In order to get the feeling of making a children’s TV show I had to research children’s television programmes and explored and examined how they are commissioned and also the style and content, as well as duration in order to include similar features within our chosen show.

Commissioning for CBBC:

The research into children’s game shows had to fit the commissioning criteria that CBBC had.

CBBC’s audience are targeted to primary school children with the age range of 6 to 12 years old.

‘CBBC's tone is funny, energetic, unpredictable, upbeat, clever and most importantly infused with laugh-yourself-smart appeal. We take our public service remit seriously and are proud that many of our most popular brands (Horrible Histories, The Dumping Ground, Operation Ouch, Dixi and My Life) have clear public service spines’ (BBC, 2016).

Children’s Television Research:

One show I looked at was the show 50/50. The children’s quiz show that pits two randomly selected teams of 11- and 12-year-old primary schoolchildren from across the country against each other. Are You Smarter Than A 10 Year Old? Was another interesting example of a children’s television show based around adults proving their knowledge against 10-year-old school children, a concept similar to our show.

Key elements within these shows are the use of bright colors, upbeat music, happy young enthusiastic and clever presenters, but most importantly for children’s game shows there are children involved.

Job Role: VT Director

Like a director, my role involved making videos for our chosen show, they are known as VTs or (Video Tapes). Research from the website Media College showed these facts about the job role of a VT Director.

            The VT (video tape) director oversees and directs VT operators. This position is only found        in larger production units which have a number of VT operators. In these situations the VT       machines are usually located in a room (or truck) separate from the control room.

            The VT director decides which sources are to be recorded on each machine and which        replays to offer the main program director. Throughout the program, the VT director is in      close contact with the director, coordinating the accurate playback of VT material.

            The VT director may operate one or more VT machines themselves, or s/he may act purely          as a director. (Media College, 2016)

The traits that a VT Director in the industry must have:

·      Highly know about the job of VT operator.

·      Understand the concept and requirements of the TV show your working on, including the aim and subject matter.

·      Be comfortable when it comes to organizing and directing cast and crew.

·      Be confident and decisive.

To compare my efforts to the VT Directors job to industry professionalism, I feel I could have done better.

In television when a show starts of live in the studio they would then eventually cut to a VT showing something related to the show.

A ‘VT’ is transmitted from the control room and is inserted into the live show. ‘Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway’ uses VT’s on stand by and ready to be cued when the director says. This use of VT on the show is done as a technic where they would play the VT but insert live coverage from the studio to see a guest’s reaction. 

Fig.6. ‪School Children Sing to Their Teacher with Ant & Dec - Saturday Night Takeaway. (2015).

• Fig 5. We see the show live in the studio with a VT standing by to show the audience the reaction shot to their guest on the sofa.

Fig.7. School Children Sing to Their Teacher with Ant & Dec - Saturday Night Takeaway. (2015).

·      Fig 6. shows the VT that was shot and edited and now is on screen for the audience. At the bottom left of the picture you can see the window of where the control room transmitted live footage from the studio into the VT.

What did my role involve in our show:

·      Being in charge of the filming process of a VT, so it is then submitted to the editor to be ready for the production to transmit that videotape onto the live show.

·      Working with the actors and getting the best out of them.

·      Working with school children and giving instructions of behaviors on camera and how to answer questions.

·      Looking at locations and doing recces with the VT Producer and some of the crew.

Second Job Role Studio Camera Operator:

Fig.8. ‪TVPlay Episode 20: Behind the scenes of Teach Em a Lesson. (2016).

What was vital to my role as camera operator was that each person assigned to a camera had to be in charge of making sure that:

1. All batteries for each camera were charging at all times. If something goes wrong in terms of one of the battery packs failing on the day, the camera op can simply swop batteries and make sure that the camera has the right amount of charge to record the whole show.
2. When on breaks the camera operator must make sure to secure his/ her camera and put the intercom system back onto it’s station for charging.

When assigned to a studio camera you are not referred to by your name, but rather the camera number you are put on. I was put on camera 2 and would remain on camera 2 until the day of the live shoot. This was one of my first experiences wearing an intercom headset in the studio. At first hearing the feedback from my director and others was quite distracting but still it's something I knew I had to get used to.

Once a camera is ready to go, the camera operator will need to locate an intercom unit in order to communicate with the control room and the rest of the production crew. (Utterback: 2013, 84)

Unlike some of the crew wearing headsets cameramen are not allowed 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.

As a cameraman you need to pay attention and listen to instructions carefully from the director through this intercom. When our director needed to know if anyone was on a camera in the studio, the response is a simple nod with the tripod and the camera up and down as if to signal yes to the director who will be watching the camera activity from the control room with the vision mixer.

The director’s knowledge of actual shot opportunities is mostly derived from what the cameras reveal and on the-shot assistants (usually called spotters). The director guides selection, adjusts shot sizes, suggests desirable shots, and chooses from the available material (Owens, Millerson: 2009, 330).

Critical Reflection:

On reflection I can now appreciate and understand other crewmembers roles involved with making a TV show, from keeping your audience happy and excited by hiring warm – up acts to working efficiently as a team. I have worked out more about the Sony EX camera and feel more confident about putting it on my CV when it comes to looking for a job in the industry. Pitching an idea is so important, and its vital to make sure that it is to the point and interesting and engaging to the panel of people you are showing your vision to.

My contribution to the team helped with the further development of the project and I also demonstrated communication and teamwork skills by helping a crewmember with editing difficulties. When directing I kept a cool head and concentrated on the task at hand when it came to filming at the school and for the World War II VT. Completing Risk Assessments was something I was already familiar with however, looking at new locations for each shoot I had to be prepared to assess for what might happen if something goes wrong.

The biggest challenge I encountered on the live show was that I kept shaking the camera due to being too nervous and hoping that I wouldn’t mess up the production.

When recording the school children for my 2^nd VT, I wished I had used more shot types such as, Close ups and mid shots of the children and getting some more reaction shots.

In the world war II VT I wished I had a better vision and better way to shoot the beginning shot transitioning into introducing the two characters.

Ways in which I can improve and develop for the future are by focusing more with the technical aspects of the industry standard cameras used on our show and I most importantly I need to remain clam when it comes to a live show. By being more confident with my decisions when it comes to directing and listening to feedback from my colleagues I will enable myself to improve my any role I decide to embark on within television and film. 

Image List:

Fig.1. Geek OR Unique Logo. (2016) [Screenshot] At: http://lawrencematthewsedgwick.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/research-and-development-journal_25.html (Accessed on 13/04/2016)

Fig.2. XL Supplies Video Screens For Never Mind The Buzzcocks. (2014) [Online image] At: http://livedesignonline.com/xl-supplies-video-screens-never-mind-buzzcocks (Accessed on 13/04/2016).

Fig.3. I Can't Even (2013). [Online Image] At: https://twitter.com/chris_kendall_/status/359728683398864898 (Accessed on 12/01/2015).

Fig. 4 Derek Livesey, Studio Director, BBC. (2012) [Screenshot] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0qIB_phKHM (Accessed on 20/14/2016)

Fig.5. Teach ‘Em A Lesson Logo. (2016) [Online Image] At: http://lawrencematthewsedgwick.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/research-and-development-journal_9.html (Accessed on 15/04/2016)

Fig.6. ‪School Children Sing to Their Teacher with Ant & Dec - Saturday Night Takeaway. (2015). At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr2d--1ekwM (Accessed on 15/04/2016).

Fig.7. ‪School Children Sing to Their Teacher with Ant & Dec - Saturday Night Takeaway. (2015). At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr2d--1ekwM (Accessed on 15/04/2016).

Fig.8. ‪ TVPlay Episode 20: Behind the scenes of Teach Em a Lesson. (2016) [Screenshot] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXM9ktTG9u8 (Accessed on 15/04/2016)

Bibliography:

‪

Douglas, Pamela (2015) The Future Of Television. Studio City: Michael Wiese Productions.

Owens, J and Millerson, G. (2013) TELEVISION PRODUCTION 15^TH Ed. Burlngton: Focal Press.

Perebinossoff, Philippe (2008) REAL-WORLD MEDIA ETHICS Inside the Broadcast and Entertainment Industries. Burlngton: Focal Press.

Utterback, Andrew (2013) Studio television production and directing. Burlngton: Focal Press.

Web Sources:

Shooting Stars Season 7 Episode 1. [Online] Youtube. (2015) 29 mins 10 secs At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqf4hGf3aPo (Accessed on 12/01/2015).

I Can't Even: Geek week Special! [Online] Youtube. (2013) 20 mins 25 secs At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQy-834HY3M (Accessed on 12/01/2015).

Derek Livesey, Studio Director, BBC (2012) [Online] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0qIB_phKHM (Accessed on 21/01/2016).

BBC. (2016) The CBBC Channel. At: http://www.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/tv/articles/cbbc-channel (Accessed on 19/04/2016).