On Friday I did my work experience on take me out, and had a very good day!
There was a fair bit of waiting around at first, but then the day was mostly filled with being a stand-in for the girls, during the Paddy rehearsals and the Boy rehearsals. This involved pressing buttons, and answering questions the boys, or indeed Paddy gave to us! I also got a chance to sit in and watch the Girl rehearsals, which was very fun to say the least!
I also met these 2 ladies who had come down for the day, named Samantha and Noelle. They work for a production/media company in London (I did not catch the name of it) but they are directly involved with all the large entertainment programmes, such as X-Factor and Britain's got Talent, as well as Take Me Out! They were down for the day, from their base in London, to see how the filming of Take Me Out was going, and to see what they do to prepare for the evening show in the day. They did the same as me, standing in for the girls. After getting into talking with them and spending the whole day with them, they gave me an opportunity I could not turn down! They both gave me their names, and told me to add them on Linkedin. They said that I was free to get into contact with them whenever I wanted, and they can find me work experience or part-time work. They also said that once I graduate, even if I haven't been in contact with them for a couple of years, remind them who I am, and they could very likely hook me up with a permanent job! It was very exciting - I chose a very good day to do my work experience!
Ciao for now!
Sunday, 23 September 2012
Direction Unit - Revised Idea
So after the Group Crit session we had last Tuesday, I have taken my story into consideration and I have made some considerable changes to it, whilst also keeping the premise relatively the same.
I am still going for an internal fight within the female crack addict character, but removing the physical violent act of the drug dealer at the end, and focusing a lot more on the struggle with the girl. It has also given the piece a lot more depth and makes it seem like I'm telling a story rather than having a random act of violence committed at the end.
To start off, the girl walks in the park, in order to clear her head, and get away from everything as she attempts to battle her addiction. Once again, she will still be dressed the same, messy hair, no make up, bags under her eyes, with large over-sized dirty clothes. As she is walking along she picks up a wooden stick and starts mindlessly playing with it. A short ways down the path, she gets the stick caught up in the tire of the bicycle of a passing cyclist. The man on the bike falls off the bike, knocking the bike and the girl down. As they tumble, a small bag of drugs (crack) falls out of the mans hoodie's pocket. As they get up the man checks his pocket in a fluster, as if he is looking for something. As the girl stands, she picks up the bag showing it to him. He quickly takes it off her as she asks "is that...?". The man reluctantly nods, and looks at the girl, and asks her if she wants to buy some. Tempted, but trying to resist, the girl reaches for it, but shakes her head and runs over to a nearby bench. The man smiles to himself, as if he has come up with a scheme to make some money off this girl. He cycles over to her and the bench, and sits down next to her. He slides the bag of drugs to the middle of the bench, saying "If you want it... take it" implying to leave money as well, but he stands up, and cycles slightly further away, so he can not see what she does. As she looks at the bag, she does not know what to do, scared and confused, she doesn't know whether to take it or not, and is really struggling with the choice. After a short amount of time, she tells herself "one last time" and grabs it and takes some immediately. The man returns to find her on the floor, clearly having had an Over dose. He panics, see's the bag is open, and tries to find a phone on the girl. Finding one, he dials 999 before pocketing the bag and cycling off in a panic, leaving her on the floor.
It DOES seem like a lot, and like I might not be able to fit it into 3 minutes, BUT i have just got into vast amounts of detail there. In reality, not that much happens visuallywise and it can be done, I have it all planned out. I have very nearly completed my shot list and my script, ready for my shoot on Thursday, of which I am certain will run very smoothly as I know exactly what I want, know what locations I shall be using.
My crew has already been assembled as well
Myself - Director
David Anga - Camera
James Ogden - Lighting
And my cast:
Girl - Tory Stewart-Wooler
Man/Dealer - Jamie Shaw
I am very excited to shoot it, and to edit it, and if all goes to plan, the finished production should look very good!
Ciao for now!
I am still going for an internal fight within the female crack addict character, but removing the physical violent act of the drug dealer at the end, and focusing a lot more on the struggle with the girl. It has also given the piece a lot more depth and makes it seem like I'm telling a story rather than having a random act of violence committed at the end.
To start off, the girl walks in the park, in order to clear her head, and get away from everything as she attempts to battle her addiction. Once again, she will still be dressed the same, messy hair, no make up, bags under her eyes, with large over-sized dirty clothes. As she is walking along she picks up a wooden stick and starts mindlessly playing with it. A short ways down the path, she gets the stick caught up in the tire of the bicycle of a passing cyclist. The man on the bike falls off the bike, knocking the bike and the girl down. As they tumble, a small bag of drugs (crack) falls out of the mans hoodie's pocket. As they get up the man checks his pocket in a fluster, as if he is looking for something. As the girl stands, she picks up the bag showing it to him. He quickly takes it off her as she asks "is that...?". The man reluctantly nods, and looks at the girl, and asks her if she wants to buy some. Tempted, but trying to resist, the girl reaches for it, but shakes her head and runs over to a nearby bench. The man smiles to himself, as if he has come up with a scheme to make some money off this girl. He cycles over to her and the bench, and sits down next to her. He slides the bag of drugs to the middle of the bench, saying "If you want it... take it" implying to leave money as well, but he stands up, and cycles slightly further away, so he can not see what she does. As she looks at the bag, she does not know what to do, scared and confused, she doesn't know whether to take it or not, and is really struggling with the choice. After a short amount of time, she tells herself "one last time" and grabs it and takes some immediately. The man returns to find her on the floor, clearly having had an Over dose. He panics, see's the bag is open, and tries to find a phone on the girl. Finding one, he dials 999 before pocketing the bag and cycling off in a panic, leaving her on the floor.
It DOES seem like a lot, and like I might not be able to fit it into 3 minutes, BUT i have just got into vast amounts of detail there. In reality, not that much happens visuallywise and it can be done, I have it all planned out. I have very nearly completed my shot list and my script, ready for my shoot on Thursday, of which I am certain will run very smoothly as I know exactly what I want, know what locations I shall be using.
My crew has already been assembled as well
Myself - Director
David Anga - Camera
James Ogden - Lighting
And my cast:
Girl - Tory Stewart-Wooler
Man/Dealer - Jamie Shaw
I am very excited to shoot it, and to edit it, and if all goes to plan, the finished production should look very good!
Ciao for now!
Thursday, 13 September 2012
Direction Unit - Developed Idea for Park Life
For my Direction Unit I have been given the theme of 'Fight' and the prop 'Bicycle'. Getting a bicycle in my short film didn't seem like too hard an idea, it could be easily incorporated within my piece, but it took me a while before I managed to think of what I could do for a fight. I was debating with myself whether to go for a full on physical fight, or a passive-aggressive/emotional fight OR whether to portray the fight having already happened at the start of the piece. I figured with only a maximum of 20 words of dialogue, it might be rather challenging to display a verbal/emotional fight, so I decided to use the theme fight in two senses.
My story is simply about a young lady who is addicted to crack-cocaine. She looks a mess from the start; no make up on, scruffy hair, dirt on her face and clothes. She will be wearing ripped jeans, also dirty, and a slightly oversized jumper or hoodie, that looks very old and worn. She has an old rusty bicycle (yet to be obtained - still wondering where to get a bike from) and she cycles in to the park to a obviously predetermined place to meet her drug dealer. While she cycles to this bench it will cut between shots of her cycling, and a man (her drug dealer) who is just walking through the forest. As he is walking towards the meeting place, he spies a metal pole on the floor, and picks it up. As he is walking along he will be dragging it across the floor, against trees etc. before hiding it up the sleeve of his hoodie. At this point you only see him from behind. He wears track suit bottoms, a hoodie with the hood up, and a flat peak cap underneath the hood. He wears the cap in a way that you can not see his face.
When they meet at the bench, a brief acknowledgment of each other is given, and they sit down. The girl hands him some money, and he gets out a small bag of something (the crack cocaine) and passes it to her, before standing up and walking off. Eventually the girl gets on her old bike to go, and as she is cycling along a path, the dealer suddenly appears directly in front of her forcing her to stop the bike.
"What do you want?" she asks, which are the only words of dialogue in the whole short. A close up of the dealer's face is seen, though all is covered up by hood and cap apart from his mouth, and he smiles sinisterly. The pole drops out from in his sleeve to his hand, and he smacks the girl with it, knocking her off her bike. He proceeds to hit her a few more times, before taking back the drugs that he gave her, and jumping on her bike and cycling off, leaving the girl in a bloody mess on the floor.
The theme fight works in two ways here:
1. The actual physical fight at the end where the dealer attacks her
and
2. The internal struggle and 'fight' with herself against the drugs. Yes she submits to buying, but I will make out during her walk and the way she looks and when she's on the bench, that there is a fight within herself going on.
<<< This is the kind of bicycle I would like to try and acquire. Old and worn - obviously the girl spends her money to get her fix, which is why she does not have nice clothes or a nice bike.
<<< The look of my drug dealer...
<<< ... and his weapon of choice
My story is simply about a young lady who is addicted to crack-cocaine. She looks a mess from the start; no make up on, scruffy hair, dirt on her face and clothes. She will be wearing ripped jeans, also dirty, and a slightly oversized jumper or hoodie, that looks very old and worn. She has an old rusty bicycle (yet to be obtained - still wondering where to get a bike from) and she cycles in to the park to a obviously predetermined place to meet her drug dealer. While she cycles to this bench it will cut between shots of her cycling, and a man (her drug dealer) who is just walking through the forest. As he is walking towards the meeting place, he spies a metal pole on the floor, and picks it up. As he is walking along he will be dragging it across the floor, against trees etc. before hiding it up the sleeve of his hoodie. At this point you only see him from behind. He wears track suit bottoms, a hoodie with the hood up, and a flat peak cap underneath the hood. He wears the cap in a way that you can not see his face.
When they meet at the bench, a brief acknowledgment of each other is given, and they sit down. The girl hands him some money, and he gets out a small bag of something (the crack cocaine) and passes it to her, before standing up and walking off. Eventually the girl gets on her old bike to go, and as she is cycling along a path, the dealer suddenly appears directly in front of her forcing her to stop the bike.
"What do you want?" she asks, which are the only words of dialogue in the whole short. A close up of the dealer's face is seen, though all is covered up by hood and cap apart from his mouth, and he smiles sinisterly. The pole drops out from in his sleeve to his hand, and he smacks the girl with it, knocking her off her bike. He proceeds to hit her a few more times, before taking back the drugs that he gave her, and jumping on her bike and cycling off, leaving the girl in a bloody mess on the floor.
The theme fight works in two ways here:
1. The actual physical fight at the end where the dealer attacks her
and
2. The internal struggle and 'fight' with herself against the drugs. Yes she submits to buying, but I will make out during her walk and the way she looks and when she's on the bench, that there is a fight within herself going on.
<<< The look of my drug dealer...
Direction Unit - 1 Minute Video
We started back at Uni not too long ago, and we have started our direction unit (the unit I have been looking forward to the most!)
Last Thursday we did an exercise where we split up in to groups of 4 and were given a set of stage directions (featuring no dialogue) featuring two people, who meet and hand each other a note. In our groups of 4 we had to come up with 4 1 minute long videos with each of us taking it in terms to be the director, using the other 3 people in the group as our performers and our cameramen.
Here is my finished product:
Last Thursday we did an exercise where we split up in to groups of 4 and were given a set of stage directions (featuring no dialogue) featuring two people, who meet and hand each other a note. In our groups of 4 we had to come up with 4 1 minute long videos with each of us taking it in terms to be the director, using the other 3 people in the group as our performers and our cameramen.
Friday, 18 May 2012
As Live - 2nd Year Production
So for the past couple of weeks, we have been going in a couple of times a week to help out the 2nd Years with there As Live studio production. I was selected as a camera operator for them, which i really enjoyed. It was very interesting seeing just how everything slowly comes together in order to make a great production that it was. I had a lot of fun being a camera man for them, and I feel it has helped me for when I come to use a camera again in the future, i have a better idea of what looks good and what doesn't look good!
Seeing everyone pull together was inspiring too, and it really did give us a taste of what is to come for when we do this project next year, which I am now very much looking forward to!
Ciao for now!
Seeing everyone pull together was inspiring too, and it really did give us a taste of what is to come for when we do this project next year, which I am now very much looking forward to!
Ciao for now!
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
Story Telling Unit - The Meeting Synopsis and Trailer
So after months of hard work, I have finally completed my first project in its entirety, and am hoping it is up to standard. I believe I have done quite a good job for it! Here is the synopsis offering a bit of insight to my short film, and the trailer that I have created for it!
And the trailer... Enjoy!
The Meeting is an action drama following the events over a
couple of days of a young man in his 20’s, Sidney Ferris, set in a small
suburban council area just outside a major city. Despite being quite physically
fit, Sidney has
nothing going for him in life. He has no job and very little money. The story
follows his unlucky meeting with an international criminal Edmund Cortell.
Cortell is in his late 50’s and is a very dark and deceitful man, showing no
remorse to the actions he takes. He is always seen with his right-hand man, a
man with no name and little personality, who is always referred to simply as
The Associate.
The story begins with Sidney and Cortell holding guns to
each other, in an old fashioned Mexican stand-off situation. We then hear a
voice over of Sidney,
as he tells the story of how he got into this out of the ordinary situation.
While out jogging one day, a car pulls up next to Sidney. A strange man gets out of the car and
places a bag over Sidney’s
head, knocking him unconscious and driving off with him in the car. When he
comes to, Sidney
is tied to a chair in a small office, and he meets the criminal Cortell.
Cortell offers Sidney
a substantial amount of money to do a job for him; robbing an old client. He is
told that if he does not perform the job, then Cortell would kill him. Sidney then proceeds with
the job and is successful. When he meets with Cortell again, it is revealed
that Cortell is not going to pay him, and instead kill him, resulting in a
tense stand off between the two central characters.
Despite being only a short, ten minute long film, The
Meeting is a dark drama filled with action, that at times, will have you
sitting on the edge of your seats.
And the trailer... Enjoy!
Sunday, 29 April 2012
Story-Telling Unit - Trailer/Storyboard and Script
So I've now finished my Story board and I feel it expresses the first 5 pages of my script rather well!
My script is completed and has been for a while, I haven't updated in a while so didn't say that I had finished it, but I feel I managed to get out of the 'Scooby Doo' phase part of it was facing, and it now works really well as a piece and I am rather proud.
As for my trailer, I have 1:30 of it done at the moment. Going to finish it off with the last 30 seconds tomorrow or tuesday with any lucky, so it should be up here and on youtube when I get it finished. I shall post it as soon as it's done. It is looking pretty good. I have experimented with different backing tracks for it, and unless i find a better one, I think I may stick with what it is currently, which is the instrumental to the song 'Mad World'!!!
My script is completed and has been for a while, I haven't updated in a while so didn't say that I had finished it, but I feel I managed to get out of the 'Scooby Doo' phase part of it was facing, and it now works really well as a piece and I am rather proud.
As for my trailer, I have 1:30 of it done at the moment. Going to finish it off with the last 30 seconds tomorrow or tuesday with any lucky, so it should be up here and on youtube when I get it finished. I shall post it as soon as it's done. It is looking pretty good. I have experimented with different backing tracks for it, and unless i find a better one, I think I may stick with what it is currently, which is the instrumental to the song 'Mad World'!!!
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