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A mocumentary style short film following a delusional guy in university who seems very eager to get stuck in and experience the new university life, what he doesn't know is that he isn't supposed to be there.

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Inspired by the character David Brent from The Office. A bit delusional in the sense that he thinks he is well liked but everyone finds him annoying or uncomfortable.

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Someone has taken Dylans LAST beloved bourbon biscuit in the flat and he is determined to find out who took it. A flat consisting of diverse personalities it could be any one of them in his eyes. Interrogating will take place so the flatmates need to get their alibis ready or they will face his wrath.

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My Treatment Package Character Description

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My Treatment Package Character Description

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Alex- A clumsy, simple-minded air head who isn't the brightest student in university and is most likely to be the biscuit thief.

He is more than often wearing slobbish clothes that require minimal effort to throw on because he probably isn't going anywhere to look good for. He has enrolled in University for the partying, not the degree. He is well liked amongst his friends and can be known as the life of the party, even though he probably hasn't brought his own beers.

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Throughout the film we have shots of the perpetrator dressed in all black like a criminal taking the biscuit out of the cupboard but the identity is hidden. - IDEA SCRAPPED

Last shot is the camera following biscuit crumbs up to room of the mysterious, quiet flatmate who no one considered.

Dylan (the biscuit owner) progressively starts to dress more like Sherlock Holmes for comedic affect as the film goes on.

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Alex- studying comedy, he has come to university because he heard it's a good time and is easy to slack off in first year. An air-head who lacks common sense and drive. Could most likely be the biscuit thief as he frequently has the munchies.

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Camera- Josie

Director- Elliott

Lighting- Sarah

Sound- Scarlett

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Film Title- Taking The Biscuit

Filming time- Day

Location- Student flat

Description- A biscuit has been stolen in the flat and the thief is not going to get away with it.

Cast- Matt Jones, Ethan Harris, Florence Humphries, Elliott Rodgers, Sarah Gore

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The story we are telling is simple and follows a linear narrative .The comedic nature comes out through the serious take on such a minor matter. For example, in this film we try to uncover: Who stole the last biscuit?. This is matter which in everyday life is so inconsequential that it does not even get mentioned or that it is resolved quickly and peacefully, however in our short film it becomes a full-scale investigation. ​

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The genre we are aiming for is comedy, however we hope the narrative itself is compelling as well. The film is only planned to be as long as five minutes, it is quickly accessible and jumps straight to the point. ​

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The idea came about when thinking of serious topics, such as the negatives of university life, but through discussions the crew and I didn't feel  too optimistic on working on a film with such a negative atmosphere, so we flipped the idea on its head by thinking on a non-serious matter and overdramatizing it. The original film ideas were set to be quite simplistic, but now with this dramatic format the cinematography and editing can become bolder, braver and more stylized and subsequently the director can put more of his spin on the product rather than having these restrictions. ​

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The overlying theme is how the initial anger of a situation can overcome someone, making them forget about relationships and all else, but again the fact that we are basing this on such a minor matter allows us to showcase these turning points in more adventurous ways.

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Exercise 3.2 My Skills and improvements  

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Exercise 3.2 My Skills and improvements  

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Skills

-Ability to work effectively as a team

-communication

Improvements

-Take course on sound so we can work efficiently on set

-feel confident in using sound equipment

-be able to handle stress

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MONDAY February 19th 1pm-5pm

THURSDAY February 22nd 9am-12pm

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ASMR- sound recording of the biscuit being eaten needs to be clear and crisp

research on how to record ASMR

take sound course blackboard/communities/new adelphi production skills

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Comedy

Overly suspicious and serious for comedic effect

Dylan starts to become more like Sherlock Holmes as the narrative progresses

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Working in a group of 4 we are developing, writing and producing a 3-5 minute short film. I am taking on the role of sound respectively, and will make the short film collaboratively. All students will produce their own individual edit of the film.

Students are required to engage with the idea that production is a team activity and relies on effective communication, and skills, the practice of which are encompassed by the notion of professionalism.

DEADLINE March 22nd 4pm

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Your submission consists of threecomponents:

1. The short film (individually edited).

2. A completed Personal Production Log(Padlet)

3. Any paperwork or related documents(i.e. images, videos etc.) to demonstrateyour engagement with your productionrole.

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1. Written and Verbal Communication

2. Managing own learning

3. Problem Solving

4. Teamwork

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Each student will present and reflect on their conceptual and practical ideas for the responsibilities of your role in the pre-production, production, and post-production phases. Depending on your technical role, you should present the following:

Sound: should present and reflect on the planning, set up and operation of sound equipment and sourcing/editing/creating any required SFX, thinking about sound design as an integral part of the narrative.

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Your presentation should include:

• Understanding of your role in relation to your project (Producer/Director/Sound/Camera/lighting) and an honest assessment of your performance. This is crucial! What did you learn throughout the process, and how might you develop in the future.

• Academic content from books, journals, or reputable online resources (see the universityLibrary website or Google scholar for example).

• Practical Examples (for example: specific shots, sequences, or other examples from the finished film, or practical research that was undertaken in preparation)

DEADLINE: FRIDAY 3RD OF MAY 4PM

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The duration of short films can range from 15 seconds to 45 minutes

Short film festivals stipulate a maximum length which is usually 15 minutes.

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"The Short Bible" Marilyn Beker (2017)

Marilyn Beker introduced the "golden rules" of making a short film, this included things like:

• Keeping it short

• Pacing

• Keeping to the three-act structure

• Focusing on visuals andatmosphere

• Quickly introducing characters

• “Minimizing” dialogue andcharacter numbers

• Excluding sub-plots

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Considering the issues the film is dealing with. Short films often focus on an obvious social, cultural, philosophical or other issue.

How it positions the audience, How are we supposed to feel and why

Analysing the films structure, most short films follow a three-act-structure

Analysing the films message. Like most featured films, short films also have an underlying message

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We have set up a group to communicate on.

personal log: I am excited to learn new production skills as i have not yet operated the camera while filming or been in charge of sound, I would like to explore these different elements of filming and get comfortable in using the equipment. I think i would rather like to be on camera or sound in this module.

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Story development is the process of taking an idea and turning it into a fully-formed screen play or pitch

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Billy Johsnon, a 21-year old male, drug addicted yet very chill guy who once attended university but it got too much for him, he's now trying to find his way through life.

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To create a strong fully formed character I need to consider and answer these things:

• What is important to them?

• Are they integral to the main plot or are they more of a supporting character?

• What is special about them?

• How do you want the reader/audience to connect and react to them?

• How do they interact with the world and what does that say about them as a person?

By considering these questions every character, whether that's a background character or a main character, will be completely through therefore the actor who plays them has quality information to then play the role that fits with the film.

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For me creating a character is easier when I have a foundation to build on and by that I mean create something similar or new off someone I have already met in my life. Most characters off Tv shows or Films have been based off real life people that the writer knows. This isn't always the case however it can be easier.

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Maximus White- An 18 year old male, goes to college, would be portrayed as awkward and quiet by people who don't know him. However, behind the scenes is a dare-devil.

Poppy Sproston- A 21 year-old girl, quite ditsy which can sometimes leads her to be easily influenced. Has a soft heart is moslty seen in summer dresses.

Cavan Davies- A 30 year-old guy wearing very casual clothing to any event. Always has a shaggy haircut and is very calm almost spineless.

Jessica Waynes- A 40-year old mother, Plain clothing because she has no time to worry about her appearance because of her two kids, can tell she runs around ragged due to her two jobs.

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• Story type

• Underlying themes

• Where the story falls commercially (genres)

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1. Overcoming themonster

2. Rags to Riches

3. The Quest

4. Voyage and Return

5. Comedy

6. Tragedy

7. Rebirth

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Types of conflicts in films include:

• Human vs. self

• Human vs. human

• Human vs. nature

• Human vs. environment

• Human vs. technology(machine)

• Human vs. supernatural

• Human vs. god

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A Beat is a moment that propels the story forward and compels the viewer to take stock of what could happen next.

1. Events.

Events offer opportunities for characters to express their views or desires, interact with secondary characters, and advance plot development.

2. Realisations.

Realisations usually occur after some buildup. Realisation beats help characters make decisions based on the information they have.

3. Resolutions.

Resolution beats tend to come early in the story, and stem from a character’s desire to change the status quo or conduct an experiment.

4. Interactions.

Throughout the course of his or her journey, a character meets allies and antagonists, characters who provide additional conflict and dimension to the story. Notable interactions are important beats that shape the plot. Conversations fall under this category as well.

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• A beat sheet is the precursor to a screen play outline: it identifies the important moments in an episode or feature film and lays out what needs to happen in each act of the story.

• The beat sheet identifies the key emotional moments in a story, while the outline expands on those moments with specific scenes, settings, and details.

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Personal Log- The beat sheet is quite confusing, I gave it a good attempt however feel like I did it wrong, I think as I make more films later on in university it will come to me. However, I understand better how to develop a story and the layers it consists of and how to create new, interesting characters.

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Dynamic Composition- frame is diagonal to show something is off, unsettling.

Static Composition- majority of shots are vertical or horizontal, expressing normality.

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Key Light- Illuminates subject

Fill Light- Lights subject from side angle

Back Light- Lights subject from behind, creating a rim of light behind the subject, Making them stand out from the background.

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• Communicating a creative vision

• Marking up scripts /storyboarding

• Working with actors rehearsals

• Be on set

deciding on the actors at auditions

To me a director takes charge to put a vision to life. They make sure everyone is doing their roles and make sure everything is clear and prepared before shooting e.g. shot takes

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A producer is primarily responsible for:

• Organising work flow

• Resourcing (securing locations, release forms, health and safety checks, financing, equipment, etc.)

• Budgeting

• Scheduling

I'm less sure on the role of a producer but from my research they seem to be the decision makers behind the film e.g. writing the script and hiring writers, creating the budgets and handling finances for the film and overseeing the stages of the production process.

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Difference between director and producer

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Difference between director and producer

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The Director is more concerned with the creative aspects of the filmmaking whereas the producer handles more of the business side of things.

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"Directorial vision is a difficult thing to pin down in words. It is difficult to define and almost impossible to teach. It is the aspect of the film-making process that might be defined as the 'X' factor"- Robert Edgar Hunt 'Directing fiction' (2010 p.30)

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EVERYTHING THAT APPEARS IN THE FRAME

the arrangement of the scenery, props, etc. on the stage of a theatrical production or on the set of a film.

the setting or surroundings of an event

Therefore we need to make notes of this while filming:

•Actors/characters involved

•Costume

•Props

•Setting/staging

•Lighting (hard, soft, natural,symbolic)

•Camera (framing, movement, focus)

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Before shooting we need a marked up script of shot types/angles and establish a mise en scene. This makes shooting the film much easier on the day and it is more time efficient as you have a plan of what needs to be done rather than winging it.

Also a storyboard of each scene to visualise and help the whole production team see the vision and make it come to life.

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Things to consider:

•Equipment- camera, lighting, sound, clapperboard

•Travel- student flat in university so not far

•Food/drink- bourban biscuits for a prop

•Any location costs etc.

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The idea "Taking The Biscuit" is finalised.

Set- University accommodation

Props- Biscuits, Mugshot Paper, Evidence Board (with photographs)

Costume- sweatbands, gym wear, Sherlock Holmes costume

Actors- Matt Jones, Florrie Humphries, Ethan Harris, Sarah Gore, Elliott Rodgers

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This class we learned about the roles and details of the Producer and Director. I've never really been sure on what a producer does on a film set but now i'm clear on what they both do and why they're equally as important as they help the film be created in creative and financial aspects. Elliott Rodgers is the director of our group and Sarah Gore is the producer of our group. Our script is being made and touched up on small details, the actors have been decided and the location also has.

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The purpose of a short film could be

To send across a message on an important subject

Creative purposes- to play around with film-making if you're new to the industry

Practising skills

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When browsing for a film to watch i am often drawn to comedy's, action or anything from the 80's.

For our short film i know that we will have a small budget for costume, actors and set. Personally would like it to be a comedy so it's lighthearted for the short time it'll last.

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Films come in a three-act structure

Beginning

Middle

End

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1. Billy 20 year old guy in a loving relationship with his girlfriend he has known for years. He then decides to move away to University and starts to question what he wants.

2. He breaks up with his girlfriend, Lizzy, as he moves hours away and doesn't think the distance will work. He starts getting involved with drugs and heavy drinking with his new friends.

3. He sees Lizzy moves away to University spontaneously and has heard rumours she has got a new boyfriend. He starts reminiscing about their good times and feels regret. He starts to lose interest in hook-up culture and tries to get in touch with Lizzy.

4. Lizzy refuses to speak to Billy and he falls deeper into his drug and alcohol addiction, which leads him to skipping classes and feel stuck in life. He then tries to find out who he really is.

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a treatment package is a document that presents your story idea before writing the script or filming

It is used to pitch ideas to financiers, studios and talent

they highlight the most important features of your film e.g. the title, logline, synopsis (the story summary), statement of intent and characters (with descriptions)

A logline is a brief, so about 1 or 2 sentences of what the film is about

in class we were given a handout of loglines from popular films for us to guess what film it was. This really improved my understanding of what a logline would sound like as i've never heard of one before.

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A Synopsis should include a clear start, middle and end.

It should also include a theme, something that creates the structure of the film or a theme that emerges from the storys resolution.

Our Short Film Synopsis

Needs to be 100-250 words because it's 5 minutes

Introduce each character and their unique qualities so the audience know exactly who is who when watching, should be versatile

Give away your ending, don't keep secrets in synopisis.

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In short films every scene needs a point to it because you have so little time. Every scene should count and cut out the unnecessary stuff that doesn't add anything to the film.

"writers often spend too much time writing scenes that are unnecessary, redundant, or repetitive" (Beker, 2007)

This quote is useful for short films as it is a reminder that we have little time for a start, middle and end and it also needs to be interesting therefore no time for scrap dialogue.

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I have come up with a character four our short film after us finally deciding on theme and narrative. Our group have decided that we will be filming a light hearted comedy of something as a ridiculous as taking a biscuit. Because it's so silly yet taken seriously by the main character it gives it the light-hearted effect. I understand more about the importance of necessity when it comes to films but more specifically short films because if most of the film is useless dialogue that doesn't add to the plot then it could be rather boring or confusing.

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Producing and providing visual information to tell a story

Aesthetic strategy- the "look" or "feel" to a film.

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"The director looks for visual motifs that best compliment the material. An execellent way to begin this process is to pore over paintings, photographs and even magazine advertisements to look for images that express a visual style similar to the one ou want to capture"

(Irving and Rea (2013:57). Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video)

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Dutch Angle (slanted)- created disorientation

Birds Eye View- creates sense of scale and movement

High Angle- makes subject appear vulnerable

Low Angle- Makes subject appear superior

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Good sound recording is "invisible, like editing. Bad sound recording draws attention which disrupts the the audience from the film, it needs to be smooth and seamless.

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Shooting conditions

weather (wind, rain etc.)

external noise from the set e.g. nearby busy roads, pass byers, construction work.

Internal noise from set e.g. if it is being recorded in a room with a fridge you may be able to hear it humming, or white noise etc.

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So far the only sound i need to record seperately from a normal take is a voice-over for a flashback and the crunch of a biscuit in ASMR style to accentuate the sound, also it is being filmed in a flat so i will also have to record the white noise as student accomodation flats are noisy.

I may use music over the mug shot pictures at the start of the film however I will import that rather than recording it.

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"Until you get it to the right length, it's like a woman who's on a diet who wants to get into a dress for an event. She keeps losing weight and losing weight, and finally the dress fits perfectly."- Thelma Schoonmaker

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Ellipsis

An apparent break in time in the narrative world

These are usually signified by a dissolve, transition, fade into black.

Sound

Diegetic sound that occurs within the narrative world while action is being viewed. Reminding us that narrative time is ongoing.

Non-diegetic that occurs outside the narrative world, This can help convey narrative time is questionable cuts.

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I have learned some useful tips for editing and what bad sound is. I know that transitions and cuts need to be smooth when editing as sharp cuts make bad editing. So far i don't know how to use sound equipment therefore not confident with it however, i will take the sound course so i'm able to book it out and get to grips with how to use it so we don't run into any problems because of me on the days of filming.

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Preparing, planning and organising our shoot.

Pre-production tasks include:

casing and rehearing with cast (could be table read)

deciding on cameras and lights to book out

location

risk assessments

props and costumes

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meet with director and go through sound requirements for the film for each scene and the overall sound design for film

I spoke to our director Elliott and his only requirement was that we get good quality voice over for Matts flashback dialogue and a clear crunch of the biscuit for the end.

floor plans for where the sound equipment will be for each shot

For most shots the sound equipment will be behind/close to the camera as we want to be able to hear the actors very clearly without getting the boom pole in shot.

shot list- create a shot list from the marked up script that details sound requirements for each scene

There are only few sound requirements for our film, which is that it sounds as clear as possible.

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My POA is to get my sound induction done so i can get comfortable with using the equipment

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I need to do my sound induction and personal research on how to do ASMR. i am excited to learn a new production skill and feel comfortable with it.

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Today we learned more about camera angles, types of shots, what they mean and when they'd be used in a film. It's broadened my understanding for when i watch films i can understand why they've done that and how the character is feeling. It will also help if i ever direct or operate the camera so i can mark up the script and put the shot type on it.

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This was our first filming day, It took me a couple minutes to remember how to put the equipment together and work the zoom but i gathered it quite quickly. Despite it being my first time using the equipment it went well because it's quite straightforward, i understand that if there's any unfamiliar background noise or bumps on the mic we have to re-shoot because it's very obvious. It took us a while to start filming as the director didn't make a shot list therefore there was no clear vision of what camera angles and shots we needed for each scene. I don't think we used our time very efficiently as we didn't get a lot filmed, this was due to lack of communication between us and lack of preparation from the director as they're supposed to be in charge of the creative aspects.

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This was our second shoot, where we continued to film pages 1-4. Today took a while to get going as we had an issue with SD cards not formatting in the camera so had to purchase a smaller one. This was just a technical issue which was resolved thankfully. We had a couple of reshoots to film from the first shoot therefore couldn't get much done again today as we only have limited time where our actors and crew are free. We have been doing 3 hours of filming on each shoot which isn't too tiring for anyone. Sound has been going well and i feel confident in the job i'm doing, we haven't had to retake any dialogue so it's going quite smoothly. We didn't have a shot list again therefore each shot takes longer than it should because the angles are undecided therefore are filmed multiple times in multiple different ways, because of this i feel like we are wasting a lot more than we should and are falling behind. For sound i recorded a voice-over which sounded very clear and crisp, for that i just let the actor speak directly into the mic so his voice was concentrated and no background noise could be heard. My positioning on the floor majority of the time is behind the camera so the boom pole isn't seen, this ensures that the actors are heard and i'm not in the way with my equipment.

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I wasn't needed for this shoot as it was a flashback which required no sound as it was for the voiceover.

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Today was our last day of filming which was pages 4-6. Everything ran smoothly and it felt like a relief to get it all filmed to start the editing process. I recorded the biscuit crunch which was almost like ASMR as it was right in the mic, this is to enhance the sound when it comes to editing as it'll be quiet on the internal mic. I also recorded white noise to fill in any gaps we have in audio. I am now comfortable with using sound equipment and could use it without any help as i know how to operate it and where to be to record the best sounding audio. I've realised the imporatance of using the professional mic instead of internal mic as it makes the actors sound a lot clearer.

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After reviewing out footage, watching and listening to everything back we come to the conclusion as a group to restart. Looking back on footage the lighting is very poor, a lot of shots are out of focus, the blue light tint effect wasn't good and there are a few shots where lighting equipment is in the background. This was a realisation for us to communicate more, communication is key when it comes to filming and needs more than one opinion and eyes. To start again we know that we need a shot list so our filming time is used efficiently, multiple people look at the camera to ensure white balance has been used properly and it's in focus and that nothing is in the background of shots e.g. items that weren't there before for continuity reasons or equipment. Apart from having to reshoot the sound footage was good and had no issues which gave me some relief that i was doing an alright job. For our first reshoot we came more prepared with a shot list. This made a massive difference to our filming and made us feel more at ease as we knew exactly what we was doing, we also got a dolly which i've never seen before for more complex shots instead of being handheld, this made shots look more professional and smooth. Overall filming today felt much easier than the other times.

reshot used dolly for complex shots

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This was our second reshoot, again things felt like they were running a lot smoother which makes the process less stressful for everyone. Sound went good with no issues, we are now at the same place as we was before before the reshoots on the script. I know the sound effects i will use will be recorded seperate e.g. biscuit crunch. The other sound effects i plan on using will be imported from the computer because it'll be music. During the reshoots i have learned the importance of being prepared for filming because the director having a shot list makes everyone's job a lot easier especially the camera operator and it also means we get more filmed.

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After filming i now need to edit my film, I've only edited once before for the pervious scream filming project so I'm not that comfortable with the software however after learning how to cut clips properly and editing colour i feel okay to edit. I know that theres many tutorials online if i need help.

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After locating and putting all my clips together i have started to trim them to make the transition from each cut smooth because good editing shouldn't be noticed, i'm finding it quite difficult to make it look seamless because of the colouring. On some clips the colouring is green and sometimes it's a warmer tone, I know how to fix it by going on colour editing however i'm still struggling to make the whole film look the same. I have added an adjustment layer to try make most the clips be the same though. I have also decided to not use all of my sound recordings because I'm really struggling to sync them as i started cutting clips before syncing sound, the internal mics sound recording isn't bad quality however i know how much better my film would be if i used the sound i recorded.

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As i edit i feel a lot more confident than i ever have as i'm now inputting music which i've never done. I also learned how to do a type writing effect by watching a tutorial on youtube. My short film is coming along good. For next time i need to learn how to properly use the correct audio instead of the internal mic as i feel like my efforts have gone to waste and my film could be a lot better quality.