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Today marks the final diary log submission having completed the first edit and gained feedback, the rest shall be spoken about in my evaluation. Once this has been completed I need to record and edit my talking heads video, create my leaflet and act on feedback to create the final edit. That will then be the conclusion of my project, with only adjustments to be made, should it not meet the full requirements for a distinction grade.

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Today I complete my first edit of my film. This will now allow me to receive feedback and make improvements based on opinions from adults (parents) and students. I will also gain opinions from tutors fro technical advice. One problem that i encountered whilst editing was the length of my film made it very hard to find music that was 7 minutes and suitable for my video. I feel as though the music is a very important aspect as it instantly helps to set the mood and tone of the video. This is why I spent lots of time looking into royalty free music trying to find the best match. The music I eventually found, feels suitable and doesn't overpower the video itself which I said was key from the start of my project. As the music is only 5 minutes in length I need to repeat it. I believe this was done subtly and the listener will not notice this change which if done poorly could take away attention from the video. In hindsight, I didn't properly think out the length of my film. this was always going to be a struggle because it depends on lots of things such as: the amount of relevant speech in the interviews and the amount of relevant footage gained and images that would really help make the video what i wanted it to be. i should have more carefully planned the length of each clip in my film which may have brought the length of my film down and made it more suitable for an audience of prospective students and parents who may be in a rush to look at more places and view different departments. having said that, i have ensured that each shot is not too long and think the video flows well, which I hoping will help make it successful.

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At the start of today's session I was greeted with a problem as I was not able to open my premier pro project on to the college computer. This is because the College operates a slightly earlier version of Premier Pro which means it can not open my newer version. This means that I need to complete editing at home study and have final version finished to bring in on Thursday morning as this means I can spend Thursday during the day, getting feedback and starting work on my evaluation to ensure I can meet the deadline. Although this appears to be a big set back, I new that there was other things that I could be doing. The main task I knew I could complete was an opening title which I was always planning to complete in Adobe After Effects. I knew that I could complete this efficiently and effectively because not only had I tan part in a workshop which went through the process of completing this (notes taken), I also undertook testing where I completed my own 3D title for my own personal project by using the notes I had taken from the workshop. In testing was able to overcome problems such as render time. Whilst testing on my computers home the file took almost 10 hours to export. This made me realise that for my real title I needed to complete it at College as the computers are newer and more powerful meaning render time is quicker, allowing me to be more efficient with the making of the title itself. Dam happy with the final title I have created even though the speeds not be quite correct, I can change this once I have inserted the clip into my premier pro project.

By leaning how to make the 3D moving title, I have also been able to gain other knowledge and skills such as the correct way to render and knowing how to use the camera and key framing tools effectively which I will be able to transfer into future projects.

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Today I continued to crack on with editing at home study, I feel confident with editing thanks to my testing throughout using my won personal project and most of it is second nature now. When inserting photos from students on the trip however and idea hit me that I wanted to try and implement. I wanted to create a flash effect as the image appears to add another dimension to the images as they appear on screen. This would essentially give them the effect that they have just been taken. At first I tried to find stock footage of a flash effect, download this and insert into my project. This however was unsuccessful because there wasn't any footage that I could find which was appropriate or of a high enough quality. Instead, I used key framing and the opacity tool to create a quick flash light effect by having quick frames of low opacity and high opacity. This along with a camera sound effect was very effective. With my photos I also create a small amount of zoom as the photo is shown. This helps to create a more dynamic and interesting image, helping to maintain audience interest. This is instead of still images which sit on the screen and Create a slideshow effect instead of a constantly moving documentary.

So far whilst editing, I have noticed that some clips that were planned for certain times needed to be adjusted based on the answers that the interviewees gave. This means that at some points I need to change the clip based on what is said by the interviewee and insert a clip that relates to what they are saying. This helps ensure the video flows well and the audience can gain is given a visual image of what is being said in the interviews. The storyboard however remains a great help to my production, guiding me through each scene and ensuring I stick to the shots I require and keeping me on the right track. This is because I can still follow the correct timings and shot lengths.

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I decided to solely complete editing today and complete the title next week. This is because I have recently been given an extension and I feel like my priority should be to complete the main bulk of editing first and then any flashy titles and effects afterwards. I believe here I have shown good organisational skills and prioritisation.

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Started editing, problems with syncing audio. I did not use the copper board when I used and restarted the camera during the same interview . this means I need to manually sync up audio which takes time. Using  one hand is also a problem as takes more time to type and edit. I was able to use my audio testing and experiments to understand what to do when I encountered audio problems in my project.

Full diary log in audio format above

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Due to my broken wrist I am completing audio diary logs from now on as this is more efficient than typing.

Full diary log in audio format above

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Today I Carried out my final interview for my film. This was the last piece of filming before I could start editing. One problem that I encountered was trying to recreate the background scene from the last two interviews. They were done one after another so the setting remained the same. The last interview however was done in a different day so it's not exactly the same as the others e.g different light and camera angle. This means there is a lack of continuity which shows a lack of professionalism in the filming. I did however ensure that the image in the background was the same and the distance from the interviewee to the camera was very similar. I think I got a better shit on the second filming day. In future I would mark on the floor the positions of cameras and interviewees so it would be the same each time. I would also block out natural light and use artificial light so that I could get the same light levels each time aswell. I think the use of a TV is effective as it is a subtle way of creating atmosphere and interest in an interview shot. On TV interviews you will frequently see companies such as the BBC use backgrounds related to the topic which helps to put the audience there.

Another task I competed today was organising all of my clips into specific folders. This is important as it allows me to easily access any of my clips for editing because I know exactly where to find them. This also means that I can easily transport my clips on a hard drive so that I can complete more editing for home study and get my project in on my deadline.

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In Today's session (with the weather beginning to get rather nice) I completed the first two of my interviews as planned. Overall these were successful as I managed to gather all video/audio that I needed to complete my film. This didn't come however without problem. Although I knew I was going to use a lapel mic to record audio, I did not think about what I was going to do in order to actually record the audio itself. This lead to us having to improvise by downloading a mobile phone app which records sound. Unfortunately we did not realise that the app only allowed you to download recorded order for free which was under 3 minutes in length. This lead to us having to download another app which allowed for free downloads with no time restriction and re-doing the interview. although this meant that more time was taken up, the interviewees were better prepared of the questions and were able to build on their last answers. I also had problems getting the correct shot to use. This was because I wanted to use an image of Reykjavik in the background of the interview but do do this I needed to adjust the height of the TV which is controlled at the back of it. Before taking my shot (in Manuel settings) I needed to ensure that manual focus was set up in the correct way and that the white balance was also correct. This makes sure that I won't have to retake footage in the future and cause more hassle to my interviewees which is unprofessional because it would also distract my editing. Having completed the first two interviews I would would like to improve on my interviewing techniques. E.g trying to get the most out of the interviewees by asking them extra questions which relate to the main questions. This would help expand the detail of the answers which would benefit the content of my video.

Comparing my work in the industry, Something that I look up to is the Expedia vacation travel guide for Iceland. I am aiming to try and match the same level of cinematic feel only adding interviews to mine instead. I have gained inspiration from the soft and relaxing music used which I will try and replicate in my film. Some of the shots used here were unattainable during my visit as I was limited to certain locations that the trip itinerary was made up of. I would compare my interview style to a news like setup with backdrop to help engage the audience with the story and a relaxed feel with one camera angle. Usually with news interviews the interviewer is shown asking the questions however to create the relaxed feel that I want to go for, I decided that these would be simply written on the screen.

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Today was the first day beginning the production of my film. The first thing I had to ensure was that I booked equipment from Dave Jameson as this means that I will definitely have access to the equipment that I need and when I need to use it. I also had to book out the motion room which I will be using to film my interviews. I plan to complete Melissa and Paige together and cameron just after on Tuesday 23rd May. One problem that I had to overcome before I began interviews was how I was going to record sound. This meant that I needed to conduct testing using sound equipment that I have access to. The first option was to use the sound that comes from my external Camera microphone. Although it would be audible, the camera will be quite far away from the interviewees so the sound may be muffled or echoey. The second option that I tested was a rode lapel mic which would create external sound. Although this would produce better quality audio, using this requires the audio and footage to be manually put together which is more time-consuming when it comes to editing. Thanks to the skills I have gained in the sound Premier pro workshop however, I am now able to successfully link up video to audio in the quickest and best way possible. All testing can be found on my testing document on Showbie.
Finally, over the weekend I have to ensure that I have prepared the questions which I will ask my interviewees and sent them to them so that they can prepare answers leading to more effective and detailed responses.

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Today was the last day of my deadline extension, so I planned on using it wisely. To help myself do as well as possible I wanted to plan ahead for Task 6. This included making plans for my 'talking heads' video which will explain in 3 minutes, my project as a whole. I also created some initial ideas for a leaflet which will help promote my video before the presentation. This will show use of professional practice by planning ahead and being able to show clear and well thought out presentation of work. One problem that I encountered with the video plan is that it is currently unclear specifically what I will be saying about my project as it is still ongoing. I overcame this by thinking hypothetically about how my production will go and what most likely will be the main points of interest that will convey my project and how it went in the best possible way. For any film company e.g. Universal. Advertising their films is key to success. Companies must decide the best mediums in which to use e.g. online, posters, displays. TV Adverts
Planning of leaflet and presentation video. Due to the budget and time of my production, a leaflet/poster is the only feasible option but it is important to understand the use of other advert types as well.

Today I also took screenshots from my home study technical testing which is based off of workshop notes taken in College. One problem with screenshots is it doesn't allow the reader to see the whole process by which the test was completed. Therefore, It was important for me to add as much detail as possible to the captions, to help the reader understand how the technique/effect was learnt and tested.

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Today was admittedly, not particularly productive. In the morning session I made improvements to some of my diary logs to ensure they reached a good standard against the specification. By ensuring that I am effectively recording an analysing my daily problems and solutions I am able to improve my professionalism and maintain a good quality of work. At this moment in time I am behind on my production schedule so I plan on doing studio tests next week before I start production. This shouldn't effect me too much because I have already completed most of my filming so Production shouldn't take too long for me.

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In Today's morning session I completed my re-submission for Task 1, which meant I no longer had to worry about past tasks and I could solely focus on what was in front of me.

In the Afternoon session I completed a Workshop in premier pro, this looked at audio syncing, editing techniques, audio mixing, cinematic styles, lens flare and exporting in the best way. As always I helped myself by taking notes which I can refer to when testing and in production of my film. The techniques that I learnt in todays workshop will be invaluable to my production. This is because, I was able to expand on what I already knew and develop more professionalism by learning advanced editing techniques which will overall help my production to be more successful. I test these techniques at home study by using them on my own project which I am currently working on. For me this is the best way to test my news skills as I can put them into a real video instead of simple small test projects which don't have any particular meaning. This will help my college project because that too has a purpose and a meaning and I will more confidently be able to use the techniques in the correct way because I have used them similarly for my own personal project. So, my testing process consists of quickly trying out what I have learnt at college by using my notes, then affirming this knowledge at home with my own personal project to really implement what I have learnt and engrain it in my head.

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Today for home study I wanted to complete as much of the pre-production documentation as possible so that I could use college time for testing and experimenting after the workshops. As I am already slightly behind the production schedule I felt today it would really benefit me to be as productive as possible. One theoretical problem that I encountered whilst completing the risk assessment was the potential risks that I had already encountered whilst filming and photographing in Iceland. Although I did complete some location planning before I left Professional film companies such as Warner Bros would need to plan heavily and complete a detailed risk assessment before travelling to the filming location. For me however, because my idea to record in Iceland for my video was quite spontaneous, I did not have time to plan as well as a professional organisation would. In Iceland, one risk that was encountered was a path to a lighthouse which was only passable at certain times due to the tide. We were unaware of this at the time and could have been trapped if the tide had come in whilst we were at the lighthouse photographing. In future I need to ensure that wherever I film or photograph, I am aware of the dangers involved and i have planned out how and what I am going to do fully. The storyboard was relatively straightforward to complete but I couldn't help but think about the problem that it may change a lot once I begin editing and seeing things on screen. This is why experimenting is key as it allows me to visually see if I think something will work or not. This is why I plan to continue experimentation into next week before I film my interviews and begin to put my film together. Once the storyboard had been completed though, I  was going to write the script however I decided that I didn't want that much narration in my video and i'm not particularly sure at this time what i am going to say because I feel as though I need to see the footage edited and on the screen. I then decide it would be better to write this once I have a rough edit in place as it will allow me to see how much time I have to say things and how much I need to talk about. Essentially, the interviews themselves will act as the commentary over the footage and images which will help to guide the audience through the video. Back to the storyboard, it is vital for helping me in both production and post-production as they allow me to see exactly which camera angles I chose and how long each clip should be so I know when editing how to put it together, doing so efficiently and saving time. Finally the budget was simple to complete but it is only really hypothetical as I already have free access to most of what I need for filming and editing. Hypothetically however it is very important as production companies need to make money in order to keep business going and a budget allows filmmakers to work out how much they will spend to then work out how much they will need to make in order to generate a profit from the film.

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In Todays session, and already slightly behind on time, I completed my production schedule which is a vital part to ensuring I remain organised throughout the pre-production, production and post-production stages of my project. One problem that I still had was that I had yet to re-submit my Task 1. As part of task 1 however I had to create a timetable plan of production. This is very similar to what my production schedule would consist of. Therefore, as long as I ensured my production schedule was very detailed and included resources required and locations, then I would be able implement this into Task 1 to help improve it for re-submission. This will help me effectively and efficiently complete tasks on time as I am essentially multi-tasking.

Going back to the production schedule, if I am unable to complete a task by the date that I stated, then I will note this down and explain the reason why I made the changes that I did. This will help me to stay on track for future tasks and meet deadlines that I have set. Major film production companies such as Warner Bros, would need to create production schedules to meet important deadlines such as ensuring pre-production is completed before the set filming date because they may only have a certain location leased for a short time and missing this could cost the company more time and money.

In the afternoon session I took part in an Adobe After Effects workshop with Dave Jameson. For me personally I learn best by taking notes with some visual images. This helps the information to stick better and means I can refer to the notes when it comes to experimentation and
trying out what I have learnt. The biggest problem that I had whilst testing what I had learnt (3D text effect) was that it takes an extremely long time to export the effect into usable footage that can be used in Premier pro. This means that I will use up a lot of time exporting. I solved this problem by saving the the file on a memory stick and exporting it during home study over night. This saved time which i could be using to complete other tasks in college. This test helped me to plan ahead when it comes to production and now I am aware of the time it takes to export Adobe After Effects projects so I will ensure that my production time is split up in a way that takes this into account.

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Today I began pre-production for my video. At first I was muddled with the task in hand . This was because I was unwell over the weekend so was not as prepared as I should have been e.g analysing brief and planning how I would complete the tasks. When I returned to College I was able to ask for guidance which helped give me more focus and understand what I need to do next. I wanted to complete my re-submission for task 1 before I started any pre-production documents. This was a problem because it meant that I would potentially be losing out on time to complete pre-production and therefore lacking organisation and professionalism in my work. firstly I was required to create a job profile setting out what I am doing and the documentation that I need to complete in order to prepare myself for production. This is important for my production as it allows me to state my individual roles which I must stick to and complete in order to achieve a successful video. By ensuring that I stick to these roles and complete the necessary production documents, I can be sure that my production will continue to meet professional standards throughout as this will ensure i am organised an carefully thinking about my next step.

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Today I finished my research summary and appendix to complete Task 2. I ensured that my appendix included evidence of all of my research sources which could be easily linked to my research document itself. I also made sure that I Harvard referenced all go my sources correctly which is key to ensuring legitimacy of findings and would be essential for any company who are undertaking research.

Looking at my research as a whole, I am pleased with the overall variety and spread of findings that I came out with. In hindsight however it may have been a good idea to complete research on interview techniques as this would have helped me during production more. Essentially, I cannot redo the footage that I have already taken in Iceland so with that it is now just a case of editing that the best possible way which explains why I looked closely and specific editing techniques to help me make a more professional product. With the interviews however they are not already completed so I could have looked closer at how best to set up an interview situation with 1/2 people and the best way to able the camera and lighting etc. This would have helped because it would mean that when it comes to testing I would already have an idea of how to setup. However now, going into testing I will have to do a lot of experimenting myself, trying to find the best camera angles and lighting myself. This may be more time-consuming and so I will have to use my time efficiently.

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Today I completed more of my primary and secondary research tasks which included interviews and focus groups with students and parents as well as Icelandic travel guide research and specific filmmaking help which was gathered from the 'filmmaking for dummies' book. Although research, in the most part, did go smoothly, one main problem that I encountered was ensuring that my focus group was fully aware of what my aims for the video were and what I was trying to find out by asking them questions based on a film. At first they were confused as to what exactly they had to answer and what direction I wanted the focus group to go. For example: when showing them the video, at first they thought they were supposed to be commenting on the what the video was trying to say or the message of it. To solve this problem I restarted the focus group but explained prior to them watching the video that I wanted them to think about the technical side of it and the ways in which it is edited and filmed. This made my findings much more relevant because I received answers that directly related to what I wanted to find out. This will help me because I will be able to use this information to produce a more professional overall product. when film companies such as Pixar are looking to make a new film, they will carry out focus groups to help them understand better the requiremnts their target audience has. Before hand, they will be briefed about what exactly is they have to look in the focus group at and the questions that will be asked of them. This is similar to mine except, I did not fully plan mine out which would have helped to speed up the focus group itself. A better planned brief would also help me produce more detailed and better answers from my focus group.

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Today I carried out primary research in the form of an online questionnaire. I used survey monkey to deign and send out my survey to people on social media. The problem with this is that the people answering the questionnaire are people that I know so they are more likely to give answers that I would like to hear instead of being more critical. However, the questionnaire was anonaymous so I am unaware of who gave particular answers which meant people's identity and what they wrote would be unknown to me. This leads to more honest and reliable data. My questionnaire was also answered mostly by people from my target audeince which is a success because these are the people that I mostly ant to hear opinions from so I am more likely to have helpful date which best helps to answer the questions that I have posed. I am hoping that the answers from this questionnaire will help me to decide what can be asked for the rest of my primary research. For example, I can expand on particular features that were extremely popular e.g. camera angles and cinematics.

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Today I updated my diary logs to ensure that they met the requirements for detail. Diary logs are vital as they will help keep a record of my progress throughout the project. It is important that I complete this on a daily basis and explain why I chose to do what I did, as this will make it easier for me to reflect on my project.

I also began research For Task 2 based on the plan that I had written out. The plan was vital into starting successful research because I knew exactly what I wanted to find out, it was just a case of sourcing and finding the information from various mediums. In this unit I want to ensure that I use a variety of mediums and not just website links as this shows I can source information from different places which is a very helpful for gaining lots of different information.

NOTE: I have not been in college for the past two days as I have been ill

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Today I completed a plan for Task 2 research. This included what i want to find out and the research technique that i am going to use in order to find this out. I plan on using a wide range of techniques including books and more interviews as well as online links. In previous units, I have not completed a sufficient amount of research from a range of sources which has lead me to being marked down in my work. I will ensure that this unit I know exactly what I want to find out and the best way to do this is by planning it in detail first.

Before they begin pre-production, any big film company such as the BBC would need to complete lots of thorough research in order to begin work on a successful production. Both Primary and secondary date ensures that the production team are creating something that will gain not only a positive response from the target audience but is also factually correct and fresh.

In my production I will aim to use a variety of techniques to gain information that will help me improve the quality of my production.

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Today I completed Task 1a from the assignment brief which was a report around a subject related to my project idea. Having already planned out what I was going to discuss, this made it much easier and I was quickly able to gather information based on the sources that I had previously noted down. e.g. "Wish You Were Here", "Thomas Cook" and "TripAdviser". I was successfully able to analyse each source and explain what I can take from each one to help me when I create my own film. As an improvement, I should add pictures to my work with captions to help visually aid the reader of my work, further helping to explain my points.

I also finished off Task 1b which was my Project Proposal. Here I had to explain exactly what i wanted to do and how I was going to do it. I was able to give specific details about the methods I would use and the ways in which I will evaluate my project throughout so that I always stay on course and stick to my plan. My Proposal however does need  improvements. I need to include more details about home study and what i will be doing on my days when i am not at college e.g. Studio Visit to Kim Hardy Photography, research interviews and focus groups

I also attended a sound workshop by Dave Jameson which discussed the types of sound and how sound should be captured on set. I made notes in the work shop which I will use as research data. Sound is a key aspect in film production and it can determine the tone and tension in a scene. This is why real life production companies such as Warner Bros have to carefully chose the sounds they put where and ensure they are at appropriate volumes. They will use foley to create all kinds of sound effects and noises throughout the film which adds life to each scene. In my film however I need to focus on capturing sound from people during interviews and narration to go along with the footage in the video.

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Today I attended a workshop by Dave Jameson about the photography basics using a DSLR camera. This was very helpful to me as I plan to take lots of pictures in Iceland which would go into the video and make it more dynamic as well as helping to slow it down in places with still shots. By knowing the basics, e.g. aperture, ISO and shutter speed and how to change them, I will quickly and efficiently be able to adapt my camera settings to any particular environment which will allow me to take the best possible photos, creating a bigger and better impact in the final production. Professional Photographers such as Kim Hardy will always be adapting their settings after each shot, to help create an even better outcome.

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Today I started off by creating an organised folder where I will store any paper work that I complete for my FMP. This will ensure that I can keep up to date throughout the project which will in turn show more professional practice helping to create a better final outcome.

In the afternoon session I started to look at the Task 1 question: what inspires us to travel? I made a small plan of the things that I would need to include in order to cover the question comprehensively. These included TV Programmes, Online Reviews, Vlogging and Ease of Travel. For each topic I need to ensure that I gather sufficient evidence from a variety of sources and explain this using critical evaluation. If I do this, I will gain sufficient knowledge in the subject field and be able to create a professional project.

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In the First session for our Final Major Project (FMP) I created a word association mind map of the term "Illumination". This was to help me get to grips with the term illumination itself and try and find a pathway in which I could head towards.  At first I struggled because although I was thinking of relevant and suitable words, I was unable to use these to come up with an initial idea which I could develop further. I then thought about the Iceland trip which I was attending in the upcoming week, and to me, many aspects of Iceland and Reykjavik to be precise, really link to the idea of illumination. This lead me to come up with the idea of creating a promotional video for the Iceland trip which would be seen by prospective parents and students at open evenings at Harlow College. I thought this could be a successful idea because it has a real life purpose, and it creates added motivation when the final product could be used in a real life situation.

In the next session I created another mind map which looked more closely at the locations that I would be visiting in Iceland. Although the itinerary isn't particularly detailed, I was able to find areas where I would be able to film. This will help me to gain an understanding of what particular shots I may be able to get from each location and how they could be used in my final film. There is also hope that I may be able to witness and photograph Iceland's famous Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis), which in my opinion is the complete definition and symbolisation of illumination.

Big production companies such as the BBC will have many people working on the initial idea, looking into not only locations but camera angles, shot types, facts and figures etc to help it grow and develop as fast as possible, however I can only do one thing at a time and locations was the most important to look at for me.

Despite only having the brief for a short amount of time I was happy with the way I quickly managed to come up with an idea and then develop this by looking into more specific details about locations which I plan to be visiting. This shows professional early research skills and will really benefit my filming and photography.