Live Show Horror News

Thursday 25th October, we got together into our groups and we had one hour to set up our set to see what lighting were appropriate for our 'Horror News' for our group we had a green filter and red filter light upon the presenters face. In the hour I played the part of doing the auto cue I copied the script on to the auto cue and checked for spelling mistakes and made sure it made sense. I put down which camera the presenter needed to be looked at and when and it was going to cued in for the VT items and when it were. I then put my text into a appropriate font and size so the presenter could read the auto cue perfectly and felt comfortable. As playing the part of the auto cue I had to run the auto cue at a speed which were comfortable for the presenter but at some times I messed up and made it jump a few times because it was hard to catch up the presenter when he would change when he were speaking slowly then to a faster speed. We did quite a few takes of our video and it were nice to play a different crew part and may want to take part on it again in future.

To begin with I started helping out with a crew member in Group 2, I got choose to be part of PA which I were so confident with doing at first but I am glad I did take it on board and do the role because I really enjoyed it and would like to take part in that role. In the role I worked with the director to work out when each VT item were being cued and then talk over a headset to say a countdown from how long was left so the floor manage could cue in the presenter to be back on live show. From this I learned to gain more coomunicating skills, time management skills and organisation.

Overall, I really enjoyed the whole task of today's live 'Horror News' show and would like to pursue one of these roles again in a future project to see how I feel about it and to see if I grow more confidence and would like to carry it on. I would also like to play a few other parts to see how I like them and I am really looking forward to doing it again in the future.

Evaluation

In relation to my storyboards my final VT item is really similar but a few extra shots were added in place to make it have more of an interesting story and give more impact on the characters face so it makes the audience intimidated by the character this adds effect to Halloween theme. I decided to change the fuzzy screen to a different effect with the lighting mixer to change the colour from a moonlight to a orange light then pan the camera from one side to the other end of their body. 

I was happy with my camera work I feel they were quite a few different types of shots that I used to give impact on different kinds of feelings of the character and their emotions it was quite powerful as a closer up shot we could see he was scared. I feel that my camera movements within the VT item are quite good and give a great feeling within the video. I have seen since editing that my VT breaks the 180 degree as it passes the line of where it should be. 

I think my editing within my shots were good and very basically tightened together. I decided not to have any transitions in the video because I thought the plot of the story wouldn't fit with many transitions as they would be inappropriate. It took me a few hours too edit my video as I kept tightening my video and put in different sound effects and music to fit the theme of the video. I started with a horror theme music with the spookiness and thought to add the happiness effect on the video I would put a happier and more up beat song. I also had a jump cut within my video  and if I could change it I would like to grow on my editing and make it perfect.

I am happy that I used the studio to film my VT item because the lightening I used was very effective and fit with the theme of the video. Especially with moonlight and orange which is a complementary colour of Halloween. In the studio I set up many different lights with blue filters for the moonlight and orange for the happiness and warm feeling. If I could do another I would like to maybe film elsewhere to give more of a feeling of proper house.

To improve my video next time I would like to develop my skills in editing and make sure I can make it as good as possible as I can and use the appropriate transitions and audio when it is needed. I would also like to make sure I don't break any media rules and stick to them as much as possible and do it to the best of my ability. 

Overall, I am please with my VT item and achieved a good product that fits with the theme of Halloween and gives the audience a bit of spook but funniness as well. I feel I bought appropriate props for my video  with the costumes and fits the Halloween costumes quite well and used suitable music and feels happy with it. 

Post-production

Monday 22nd October, I captured my footage onto the Final Cut Pro after we shown how to use the new Final Cut programme so we knew the basics on how to edit with the new software. I began by cutting down my clips and slotting them into the order I would like them to be shown in and then I used to blade tool to cut   pieces where I felt the footage were not appropriate.

Due to learning about the software on the previous lesson we did not have time to edit all our VT item so I finished off from where I left from the previous lesson. I really tried tightening some clips and try get it picture perfect without any continuity errors which I can now see they may be a few errors in my editing and filming. Such as when Chad is in a different position in one shot to the other. I decided not to put any transitions into my VT item accept from the end to finish it off because I thought it felt more unrealistic so I decided to stay with just the basic footage tightened up. I then slotted in some sound effects that I thought would go with the basic theme of the story and have a overall background noise of the whole entire VT item up in till Chad the character turns into a pumpkin.

I finished my VT item about an hour or so before the deadline so I was in plenty of time to re edit and make it better if I wanted too. I feel happy with my final outcome of my VT item I felt that it gave the message what I was expecting came across correctly because I wanted a scary storyline but to have a humorous outcome in the end and I feel that I have met that target. If I knew more about the program I would of liked to have got them picture perfect and no continuity errors and if I had time to of gone and re shot the sequences again. I added a few extra shots in when I was filming because I felt they were quite relevant when I was there. Overall, I would say I am please with my final VT item and that it final outcome came out how I intended. I thought that the lighting in my project worked really well and I am really pleased with that aspect and thought the filters worked well.

Production

Thursday 18th October, I got my pre-production paperwork signed off so I could get ready and go film.  I brought in my props and costumes that were needed for my video such as face paint, fake blood, vampire cloak, pumpkin head and inflatable pumpkin. I decided in pre-production to film in the studio but to start with one of my group members for Horror News were filming in their so I helped out filming with their project to begin with. It took a few hours to film my VT item because I had to decide what lighting I was using and set them all up in place and choose what filters I were using and when they were going to applicable.

As my idea developed in filming I decided to put filters over the outside lights of the studio to make it look more of a moonlight in a apartment of the corridor. I also used a blue filter in the studio as my only light so it looked as if the moonlight were shining through a window in a haunted apartment to add to the spook and idea of halloween. In my last shots my character playing Chad who gets attacked turns into a pumpkin in the end and it was to dancy funny music so I put a orange filter on one of the lights so it looked more happily and jolly. The orange also symbolises halloween. I used a light fader from when being bit and laid on the floor to fade from the moonlight to orange.

I started filming the studio inside scene to begin with the door they were quite a few takes and practicing as I wanted to get it perfect. I took quite a few different angles and camera positions of the the opening the door and seeing the expression on my characters face. Also my character kept smiling and laughing within filming which took a few more takes. Then moved onto when Dracula attacks the person it took a few takes to do right as to make it look quite believable and not to have Dracula in the picture. I then moved onto film outside the studio that is being the apartment from before he goes into the house.

I feel filming went really well and I was really pleased with what footage I have caught and was excited to edit and put all the footage together and to see the final outcome.

Pre-production

The storyboard sheets for this project

On 14th October, I started doing paperwork for my final idea of each shot of the VT item it took me about half an hour to hour today whilst I decided each shot was going to be. Also, for adding in the shot, angle, size and transitions for when I will be filming and editing it would make it easier. I then used my storyboard as a guidance for my shot list and also added the storyboard number, the dialogue and audio for the shot in the actual VT item. I created a breakdown sheet only one as I were in one location and then wrote the cast that I needed and the crew members, costumes and everything I needed for production.

I then make a floor plan of my chosen location for filming my video whilst I did that I did a camera plan and risk assessments to see if the place is safe. I then put the camera plan into a shooting order and put in storyboard number and camera the locations.

Pitch

Thursday 11th October, we got into our groups and discussed the ideas we finally developed on and made a treatment for our VT item. One of our group members were not here the lesson before so we all got him up to date and shared our ideas for inspiration. We then choose who we thought to be our main presenter of 'Horror News' who give off a great impression of a scary and spooky feeling you expect to here.

As a group we got up and individually presented our own VT item, I feel it went okay but could of gone better and could of been a bit more confident in myself. I think people understood my idea and thought it was quite funny but next time I feel I might have to speak a little slower and not rushing.

I now need to decide on who my cast are going to be and get on with my pre-production work over the weekend.

Treatment

TREATMENT(Horror News)

Name:- Attacked by Dracula

Synopsis:-

From the news storyline we see CCTV footage of a person who is walking along then chased and bitten by Dracula they then drop to the floor in the background will be very tensing music while the camera goes all fuzzy and the person is then turned into a pumpkin and starts dancing.

Duration: - 30 seconds

                                                                

Requirements (Props):-

Fake Blood

Dracula Costume- Fake Teeth, Cloak

Pumpkin Costume

Requirements: (Cast):-

Dracula

Person/Pumpkin

Idea

On the 9th October, we had 40 minutes to think of various ideas to make a VT item that we were individually scripting, storyboarding, filming and editing a 30 second to 2 minute Halloween clip for Horror News.

We did a mind map of all the characters, objects and things to do on Halloween this were to help us on our ideas and be able to expand on these and create a short story. 

I didn't come up with many ideas at the beginning but I had a rough idea of a flash mob of people dressed in Halloween costumes such as Witches, Vampires etc dancing to thriller.

For another idea I got some inspiration from basing it round the idea of York Maze and with characters like clowns with chainsaws but I didn't feel I could develop this idea. 

Another idea were about a drunk witch that I thought would be funny but it could be rather complicated to make the story to how I pictured it.

We then got into our groups and discussed our ideas with each other but I didn't have a good enough idea that I felt I wanted to work further with. so I went home and came up with the idea of a person that were bit by dracula then turned into some other Halloween character or object I thought I would be able to make this easy and that it would have a comedy element to it.

My VT item will fit into one of these stories and my other group members will slot into the others.

1)    Studio- Hello and welcome to a very special Halloween edition of Horror News. My name is……

2)   Studio -Our first story of the night is……

3)   Studio - Response to first story and intro second

4)   Studio - Response to second story and intro third

5)   Studio - Response to third story and intro to fourth

6)   Studio - Response to fourth story and intro to fifth

7)   Studio -….and now for the Sports news with our correspondent (insert their name)

8)   Weather – (Group VT or live in the studio )…and finally let’s take a look at the weather with (insert their name)

9)   Studio - Well that’s it for tonight – thanks for watching……..

Production Diaries

I am going to be adding my production diaries on a series of different projects to this blog so they can all be accessed from the same blog.