# data[].attributes.body
1.1 Describe areas for development in your current knowledge, understanding and skills
What is your current knowledge and understanding of film?

I am currently studying acting which does involve acting for screen, I’ve learnt the basics on film such as equipment and the process of writing a script then planning scenes. I have been in a range of short films and write scripts in my spare time. I know the basic on cinematography from close to wide shots. Using a steady cam or using a handheld camera. I also understand the skills of screen acting: from being more natural to never looking into a camera and learning to do the same thing every take unless asked for.

Do you have specific areas of interest or skills in filmmaking? Include links to film work, photos, music etc.

https://youtu.be/bwHqudr-DiU - red herring
https://youtu.be/ie-Q6SgEsok - weight of the world
https://youtu.be/l3PNcZn_EWo - football till I die
https://youtu.be/r9Bi2UwgFGs?si=Q4IQ3HVCNr83gnEt - DECK the halls

What role(s) would you see yourself taking on your Academy film? What do you hope to gain from the BFI Film Academy?
I would like to see myself taking on acting roles but also improve my writing skills and learn about directing scenes. At the beginning of the course, I wanted to focus on my writing skills. Receiving tips of to write a script and what to add or remove so it flows well. I hope to gain enough knowledge to feel confidence to create my own scripts. Later on in the course I would like to take the roles of being an actor in the film and also direct a scene. From this I hope to improve my acting abilities even more and have a chance of being able to lead a scene and create my version of the story.

How would you like to improve your skills or knowledge of film? Give reasons. Do you have plans to further study and work in film?
I plan to go to uni for screen acting and then work in the industry in any capacity.  For this I would like to improve my film skills such as acting so I’m prepared for any role and be more comfortable on camera, I would also like to learn more about pre production such as writing so I have extra skills for the future

1.2 Take a role in the production of a short film

What is your production role?
Actor

What planning will you do?
Learn the script and break down character and scenes. Understand who my character is and why they do something and feel. Work with the director and note down what they want from me and scene. Block out all the action and dialogue before shooting

What will you do in pre-production, production and post-production? What specific skills do you need?

In pre production work on creating the script and the characters. Also in this time start learning the script. In production make sure I know the script and characters and be able to preform the scenes necessary

What equipment will you use?
Script, Celtx

What documents will you use and how?
We will use celtx/docs to save the script and make sure there is one available

What other resources are needed to make a film?
Include any planning and pre-production work you have been involved with.
Whilst my role in being actor I also worked on creating the script and story boards for our short film.

Camera
Boom mic and sound equipment
shot list
call sheet
risk assessment
lighting
cast
storyboard
script
props
costume
hair and make up

What other resources are needed in your film production? (For example locations, actors and anything else you will need)

We needed a range of locations for our film such as a park and a bathroom. We also needed a few extras for a scene which we discussed with our group.
created specific props (i.e. poster for anxiety support group)

1.3 Gain feedback on how you performed your role and share the feedback

Can you tell me what I did well?

Elliott is an incredibly talented actor. He committed to a lead role in each of the films that were made and carried out the roles with an impressive passion and dedication.

Elliott showed a flair for writing and directing too, always brimming with great ideas. He is both a team player and a confident leader, always willing to do whatever is required to support and inspire his peers.

What were the challenges and how did I deal with them? How did I work within my team?

Elliott had to perform under tense circumstances when the sun started to disappear on one of the shoot days. He remained calm, listened carefully and still managed to perform his role with an impressive focus.

Elliott’s group weren’t completely happy with the end of their script until quite late in the process. They continued talking and interrogating the story and its themes and central message, and Elliott and his peers remained open to thoughts and suggestions offered to them throughout the process. This led to them eventually finding a strong ending that Elliott and his teammates were happy with.

Do you have any advice or areas for my development?

Elliott has a talent and passion for acting. It would be great to see him involving himself in as many short film roles as possible. I also suggest that he uses the films created as part of the BFI Academy to create a showreel to send to production companies in the area in order to secure further acting roles.

Finally, it would be a good idea for Elliott to reach out to extras agencies to secure extra work on local productions. He could also share an acting role with casting agencies in the North East.

1.4 Review own technical skills and use of equipment

What did you do in your role?
Do you agree with the feedback? Give reasons for your answers.

I believe I agree with my feedback, as an actor I am always looking forward to play characters and it was useful that every character I played was different in a unique way allowed my to demonstrate and improve my acting abilities on film. As a group we loved sharing all our ideas and we all collectively agreed on the ending.  Every shoot day was fun to preform, even in times when we were running out of time we all kept focus and I was happy enough with my performance.

How well do you think you carried out your role in production? What were your strengths and what were your challenges?

I believe I carried out my production role (actor) well. I’ve have plenty of experience before with acting so I was used to being given a script to learn with entirely different characters each time. I understood every character and their intentions within the story and was able to portray them well. Whilst it was mainly the director who told them what they wanted from me. I still gave them ideas and how I believe a scene should be done which. The other teams worked well with me and were always happy with my performances. It was a challenge filming outside as it can get cold fast and they is always down time and waiting for people. You also have to learn to act out multiple takes in the same way.

In what ways did your technical filmmaking skills develop over the course of film production?

My technical skills have developed greatly from the start of the course. At the beginning and knew barely anything on cameras and setting up everything needed such as lighting and sound. Now I could label parts of a camera and help set up a rig or piece of equipment without feeling too lost or stressed. I have also learnt that focusing is very important and how to focus a shot with certain types of cameras

How far has your knowledge and understanding of film production developed?

My understanding of film has created improved. Ive never worked with a crew this large before so it was interesting to see them all work together in their own sections. I’ve also learnt that filming takes up a lot of time. With a minute of screen time takes about an hour to film. You also have to make sure that everyone is on the same page and understands the script and plan so all the jobs can work at the same time. A lot of time on productions things do go exactly or to the plan and a lot of time there are shots or scenes you didn’t know you needed but we’re necessary to the film.

Give examples

How to set up a camera to a tripod, making sure the monitor has power and signal to be able to work, also linking all the wires into the battery holder rather than the battery so if the battery dies you don’t have to unplug everything. You also need to keep the camera and all equipment safe and dry as it is all expensive and rain or heavy wind could easily damage them. On shoot day you always have a roll call before shooting from sound to lighting to then getting in focus before acting. In editing one of the main things is syncing the audio with the video which is a what a clapper board is for.

# data[].attributes.body
2.1 Understand professional development opportunities within the film industry

Explain the working culture of the film industry

What is it like working in the film industry?
(Consider hours, travel, freelance, working on set and budget. What are the pressures? What are the positives and negatives?)

Controlled - Everything is planned and has an order to it.  A shoot day will be created before the day.  Nothing will be sudden or made up on the day as there is no time to do so.

Fast paced - the day can go really quick. Whilst it may take a while to film a one minute you will do the same shot many times in a short amount of time and very quickly you will be on the next shot before you know it. Everyone is constantly working and isn’t must time for break except lunch.

Open hours/Anti social hours - Depending on the film and scenes needed. You may have long hours and up filming into very late or early morning of a day.  In a film crew you will never have set hours on a job. If you only have one day to film then it will have to film all in that day, regardless of time.

Stressful - You are constantly working as there never much time to relax or take a break on the film set. It may sometimes feel like you don’t get breaks or if you are struggling with a scene you have to keep going for a scene until it is done, even if it feels impossible. There is always a sense of responsibility proving yourself on set

Time precious - daylight/shooting hours, if a scene if set in the day outside the you only have a set amount of time until it’s impossible to film.

Open to changes, different from theatre when you only have one shot to "get it right".

What qualities do you need to work in the film industry?
Give reasons for your answers.

Organised - Makes every flow well, and let’s you know what’s happening without rushing or worrying about what you need. You need to plan everything you will be on shooting days or you will fall behind schedule.

Good communication skills - Make sure eveyone knows what is happening  and know what everyone’s role is without wasting time waiting for people. If a change is needed or you’d like to give a idea, it is always best to talk to the other group in the crew so they can prepare before hand.

Time management - stay on track with filming and getting prepared so no time is wasted and lose time filming leading to a lesser film. Especially with outdoor scenes. If you don’t manage your time well then you will film lose filming hour which can lead to changing your film or adding extra filming days to your schedule which costs even more time and money and on other days people may be busy.

Respectful for all the team and their specialisms - everyone has their own job which creates one big circuit. If you are disrespectful to someone they might not want to work with you again which could lead to later difficulties. Let them do their job in their way as they will have more experience and so tampering with them or forcing them to do something will cause to less work and a bad word for you, leading to less trust and crew next time

What have you learned about the working culture of the industry from masterclasses and working on your own film production?

All the teams work really closely together. When you are on set, you all work as one. You also share a lot of skills within other roles and many times you will help with a role that you didnt go into the shoot for.

2.2 Describe a range of key job roles and responsibilities in the film industry

Research 5 different roles in the production department and summarise them. Explain how the roles work together.

Director - Leads the scenes, tells the actors what to do, describe what they want for the scene. Work closely with all the teams, particularly DOP, Cinematographer, actors, First AD.
Cinematographer - Work closely with camera team, decide what angles work best for each scene.
Gaffer - Set up lighting, what works best for camera. Work closely with First AD and cinematographer.
Set Designer - create set in line with directors vision.
Script Secretary - make notes of what happens in the scenes, ensuring continuity of action. Work closely with actors and first AD.

2.3 Outline the potential progression routes into the film industry and wider sector

What have you learned about potential progression routes into film and connected creative industries? Research the following routes:

NE Screen:
Connect with the NE Screen Crew Academy to develop skills and form connections.
The Crew Academy aims to support people looking to begin a career in film or TV by providing knowledge and skills to find new work.

BFI Film Academy Plus Programme:
Opportunities and initiatives with BFI Film Academy, for example DIY filmmaking challenges, funding opportunities, workshops and information sessions.

BFI Film Academy Specialist Residential Courses

Weekly BFI Academy SCENE talks on Instagram, for information and inspiration.

Film Hub North:
Funds, bursaries and talent development initiatives.
Short film funding
Filmmaker roundtables
Online resources - tips and toolkits for filmmakers

Specialist courses with Calling the Shots

Regional organisations providing training and work experience opportunities:
Candle and Bell (internships)
Freya Films
And Teesside-based organisations providing similar:
Sea and Sky Productions
Smoggie Productions
Wander Films
Blast Furnace Films

Extra/acting work:
Ne14.tv - they have a website which can be used to set up a profile and upload headshots and they post jobs via their Facebook page.

Personal Progression Plan

What areas/ specialisms in creative media would you like to work in?
Acting, writing and directing

Would you like to further study film / creative media?

I would like to study at university to further improve my film production and acting skills for the industry.

What courses interest you? Give reasons

Acting for screen - MetFilm: Improve my acting skills whilst also my production skills and be able to create my own films as part of acting studies
Film,Tv and theatre productions - The Northern School of Art: Improve my film making skills

Which local media companies would you be interested in working with? Give reasons:
NE Screen would give me opportunities in the local area to ghost a job or become a apprentice on a shoot in the north east. They pay for 50% of your wage and gives the company more crew on the set, possibly boosting productivity.

What are the options for making your own content.

Using your phone or camera to publish on YouTube or TikTok. Enter into short films into festivals and competitions. If needed you can rent camera equipment if you cant afford to buy it at once.

What would you make and how?

I would like make short films from a range of genres from sci fi, comedy and mystery. I constantly have scripts ideas and if I could I would have to use my phone to record and use a simple software to edit onto TikTok or YouTube. Later on in the future when I have more budget and bigger crew I would love to work on adapting my favourite games into movies or TV as discussions online always say “do it yourself” when completing about how something is made and I’d love to make it myself not only as a media creator but also a fan where I’m proud of the adaptation. My main goal is adapting the Devil May Cry series into a movie franchise.

What are the options for funding and distribution? What networks will you join?
Film Hub North is network which helps funds if needed. NE screen also helps  with funding for short films but also bursary for travel and lodging if needed.  You have to be over 18 and live in the north east in order to apply.

What do you hope to gain from these networks? Are there other opportunities you are interested in? What are your next steps?

I hope to gain even more opportunities from these network and get my name out there so people may recommend me for other opportunities. I hope to show off my skills and prove that I can work in the industry and be able to work with all these networks.

# data[].attributes.body
3.1 Be able to develop effective working relationships with film production team members

What are the different teams in your production?

First Ad

Set designer

Director

Make Up artist

Gaffer

Supporting artists

How do they work together? For example, how did your team work together to prepare for the shoot? Also, during production and post-production?

I believe we all worked well together, we all knew and understood our script so there was no confusion and conflict on what we wanted.  Our 1st AD gave us enough time for each scene and made sure we didn’t run late. I worked well and close with the director. The ideas and notes given were nice and informative. During post production we still worked close with the editors, giving ideas of what we would like and making sure we are all on the same page.

Why is it important that production teams work well together?

Is it important to work well together as it will make everything organised and flow well. If everyone knows what is happening and work together, then it gets rid of wasted time and is able to go straight into filming without waiting for other teams,

Give an example of when your production team/s worked well together.

The best scene where we worked together was the bathroom scene. We worked with the gaffer to create better lighting in the bathroom and the cinematographer who made sure that nothing could been seen in the mirror (ie camera and mic). Our director was able to plan it as one take from the door all the way from the mirror.

What can happen if there isn’t good teamwork?

If there isn’t good teamwork then it can create a lot of wasted time and lack of organisation on set.

Was there an example of when teamwork could have been better on your film production? How did this affect the production process?

When we were filming outside our teamwork could had improved. We filmed outside last so we didn’t have much time due to sunlight. Many of the scenes felt rushed and our cinematography didn’t have much time to check the scenes and allow us to take multiple takes.

3.2 Identify the qualities needed to work well with others

What are the most important qualities for working well as part of a film production team?

How did you show the following, give examples:

Good timekeeping - Our team had a brilliant 1st AC which meant we had a schedule that we always stay on. We never felt rushed or late for any shoots. We were comfortable and happy what with we had and never stressed about time.

Being reliable - We were all prepared for our shooting day which meant that everyone knew what they were doing. No one felt lost and were happy to help out, even if it wasn't their production role such as helping with sorting the lighting in the bathroom. Everyone was super useful and we wouldn't have our final shoot without the help of people.

Sharing ideas - Throughout the pre production, we constantly shared idea when creating the story. No one person took control and everyone had their part in the story. We all agreed on the theme and basics of the story which lead to people adding small ideas to the story. We also worked on the ending together as we were struggling it but we worked together until we were happy with it.

Good communication - Our communication was really great. Straightaway we created professional group chat so that we could communicate outside of our time together. Any change or decision was always said before so nothing happened without us knowing. We al listened to each other and always happy to note down any ideas people had.

Safe working - We all knew how important health and safety and so prioritised creating our risk assignment. We made sure that we weren't doing anything too dangerous (such as running near a pool of water with no barrier) and found ways to stay healthy and safe during any outdoor scenes by giving our crew coats for warmth and an umbrella if it started to rain.

3.3 Describe how you worked with others collaboratively on your film production

How did you work with others in the crew?
Give an example of when you worked well with your team.

I believe we worked good as a team. We worked close together and was alway at the same pace. A good time for team work was the bathroom scene as the room was quite small but we all worked together to make sure we were comfortable. The cinematography worked with us to make sure no one was in shot or in the mirror, with the sound team finding the perfect angles to make sure they were hidden but could still here the actors.

Were there any problems you needed to overcome? Give examples: How could you improve your ability to work with others? One problem was the lighting in the bathroom as it was too bright. We thought of the idea of using gaffer tape to dim the lights which worked perfectly and allowed us to film in better lighting conditions.

# data[].attributes.body
4.1 Understand film industry working practices and legislation

Demonstrate good health and safety practice when working on film productions

Why is health and safety important when working on film productions? What are some of the key safety issues relating to film production?

Health is safety is always important so that no one is injured or any equipment is broken during filming, the main causes may be tripping over wires, knocking equipment over or hurt yourself on the equipment. Also to make sure that your cast and crew are well and warm as if they are outside they may catch an illness and won’t be able to work in the cold. Our main risk was the weather outside as majority of our film is set outdoors so we need to make sure that our crew will be warm enough for a long distance of time.

How did you apply good health and safety practice when making your film? Include your risk assessment and explain why this is important.

The risk assessment is important as it tells us all the potential safety hazard and gives up time and idea of what we should look out for so no one is hurt. For our outdoor scenes, we made our crew and actors wear coats if they weren't filming so they stayed warm and wouldn't get ill from the cold whilst  filming. For the bathroom scene, as we had a large crew and small set. We only allowed a few select people who had to be in there (actors, sound, camera operator) as there were a lot of equipment that could be broken if a lot of people were in the room.

4.2 Explain why copyright is important in the film industry

Copyright is a law that protect all of your existing work from being stolen or used without your permission in someone else’s work. All licensed work as such music or written media will be protected unless it is older than 50 years old. You may get fined or ask to remove your work. You would had to edit your work so that you don’t use the stolen work in your final piece. You can look for alternatives or ask/pay for permission. I don’t believe copyright affected our work greatly. The only part which we had to be careful about was finding a suitable song which was copyright free.  We also had to make sure we had no branding in our film for any props, set or costume.

# data[].attributes.body
Be able to review film productions

5.1 Review and critique at least one short film production

My Friend Michael Sniff, Tom Marshall,  England, 2008
Film Title, Director, Country, Year.

The film is about a boy with a imaginary friend called Michael Sniff. The boy talks about how annoying his friend is until something unexpected happens. The theme is about kids imagination and how powerful it is,  to child Michael has always been an friend, whilst it is an imaginary friend he still makes him feel like a real friend, arguing with him and saying the things he doesn’t like about him.  It begins as a comedy, making the main joke being that the kid hates his imaginary friend but as the plot progresses into a more serious end with an impactful ending.  It’s in the style of a documentary, as if the kid is being interviewed about his daily life with Michael but gets rid of the style near the end. The camera is  a mixture or stable and hand held. Most of the film is handheld, making it feel like you are following the kid in real life, documenting him. Until the near end the camera becomes more stable, focusing on the kid rather than his walks with his friend. The shots are long and slow, it’s editing to show the passages of time as the kid walks through the area.  As the film progresses the shots become a lot more quick and short, especially in one scene which blew me away with its story telling. The setting is all outside, a wooden area near an industrial area. It feels homely and  nostalgic for someone who may have went out on adventures as a kid.  The film may be aimed for a ranged of people. Children who may also have imaginary friends who want to feel like they aren’t weird for having them. Or someone who has kids that may not have many friends. The movie sends you on a roller coaster of emotions. At first joy and laughter, having fun with the idea of hating an imaginary friend, to tension and shock to then finally the emotion and sadness hitting you through the ending. It plays off well and feels part of the story and new chapter for the child. A total recommendation for a quick impactful story.

# data[].attributes.body
Write or film your SHOOT DIARY for your portfolios.

Please include production photos, any behind the scenes footage, scripts, storyboards and other key production documents and a link to the finished film.

What was your role in pre-production and what did you do?

During pre-production I helped work on writing the script, I gave ideas to the group and also wrote the final scene of the 1st draft.

What was your role on the shoot?

Actor

Director

Briefly explain what happened each day of shoot.

What equipment and skills did you need to apply to your role?

For our day of shooting, i was in every scene. I’d memorised the script, knowing what happened in scene and helped explain what was the object in each scene. I also helped direct on of the scenes, giving more of my thought as I knew the most for that scene and understood what I wanted.

How well prepared do you feel we were for the shoot?

I feel like we were prepared but still spend time sorting out paper work such as a call sheet and risk assessment. We were also given a make up artist so we weren’t stressing about the how the demon would look.  We always worked out our extras quite well as it was only a short notice from when we planned to have the extra scene with people needed.

Explain. What changes had to be made and why?

One of the outdoor scenes had to change location as we were running out of sunlight and didn’t have enough time to move locations.  We also cut down the walk sequence from the plans from the shot list as we felt it dragged on for too long

Did you have any feedback or advice from tutors / others on set? In what ways did you improve your own knowledge and skills?

I was told by a few that they were happy with my acting and glad I did the same thing every take.

Who did you work with on set? How do you feel you worked with others on set? As an actor I worked mainly with the director and cinematographer as the director would tell me what we wanted in the scene and the cinematographer would explain where I’d need to go in order to look good on camera.

What did you learn about how a film crew work together on a shoot?

Everyone works closely together. Whilst we all have different jobs it all comes together as one unit and couldn’t do a scene unless we were all ready from sound team to lighting.

Briefly explain how you followed good working practices for filmmaking? (Time management, health and safety, being reliable and coping with on set demands.) For most of filming we had good time management just in the last hour we ran out of time.  Our sets were brilliant. The production team did a good job creating our needed therapy good and we were able to find a way to dim the lights in the bathroom by covering them with tape.

Overall – How do you feel the shoot went? What went well/ didn’t go well? What would you improve on? Overall I think the shoot went well. We understood what we needed and were able to get through scenes quickly. It was only near the end where I felt we rushed and would had liked to redo the last scene we shot of the day.

# data[].attributes.body
Edits the scenes in post production to create the drafts of the full production. He studied film and TV in school but decided to go straight into the industry rather than going to university.

He first few jobs were with music videos.  He also worked on his own videos to practice his editing skills. He has also worked with BBC to help edit short films as pilots for future TV shows. A huge part of his career was being able to shoot and edit a behind the scenes look of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. He also taught film for 2 years. I’ve learnt that an editor may have different interpretations from the director so scenes may be different from what the director wanted. Multiple drafts are always created and sometimes less editing may be more useful than more.

# data[].attributes.body
Production Designer - create set, props or anything necessary for the production

He went to the university of Sunderland to study design and production.

In 2005,  he worked as a production designer on Batman Begins where he worked mainly on the set.  He has also worked on a range of shorter production such as the lost girl where he created a small construction site and a police car. He also worked as the prop designer and make sure no props were lost in water.  Another production he has

What have you learnt about working in film/media? There is a range of Jobs available and even if it’s not the job you went into the industry for, you can use the skills you have to be able to do a different job

What opportunities for your own progression have you found out about?
John himself is a teacher at the The Northern School so and he is way of me progressing my skills  more through education

# data[].attributes.body
Laura is a writer/Director which means she writes scripts for films or TV, creates the camera and shot plans and makes sure that all teams communicate with each other. She will also lead the scenes, telling the actors what she wants. She started work in film by being a runner at Kudos Film and TV to then becoming a script reporter. She then became a freelance worker, one job being a script reader for the BBC, a development executive at RS productions. She then went off to be an independent writer and director with funding to create short films which were submitted into film festivals. From Laura I have learnt that you have to keep in touch with people and take every opportunity, even if it isnt the job you wanted. There are tons of resources and opportunities available which you should look out for.

# data[].attributes.body
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LE-_G02jHFpS6VV_k65n1lHIUw_hsJgR/view?usp=drivesdk