Video Project: Portfolio - Production Co-ordinator by

Week One - Pre Production

hvward2 — 2023-11-27 10:54:15 UTC

Monday

hvward2 — 2023-11-27 10:55:07 UTC

I outlined with Producer what the role would entail and what would be expected of us during the project in order to have a smooth running process.

Tuesday

hvward2 — 2023-11-27 10:56:38 UTC

Production Co-Ordinator Meeting.

The producer assigned each of the co-ordinators departments to watch over and mitigate back to them any problems/issues. I was designated the camera/lighting and sound departments due to my involvement in the camera segment, it would be easier for me to discuss to these departments.
We were also assigned certain actors to take care of their actors agreement and consent forms.

Wednesday

hvward2 — 2023-11-27 10:58:09 UTC

During this pre-production day we had a full crew meeting in which we split into our departments (Camera and Lighting + Production Co-ordinators). Within our team we went over the groups we had been assigned and talked to the sound and camera crew on how they were feeling about the shoot as well as any queries on the process. Both groups I had been assigned seemed raring to go.

Thursday

hvward2 — 2023-11-27 10:58:38 UTC

As we had no meetings this day, I used it to send out the actors agreement and consent forms to my assigned actors to get back to the producer before Friday's meeting.

Friday

hvward2 — 2023-11-27 10:59:49 UTC

As we had a full crew meeting this day I used it as a day to, in person, follow up on any actors who hadn't already sent back their forms to me.

hvward2 — 2023-11-27 21:33:39 UTC

Production Co-Ordinator

hvward2 — 2023-11-27 22:02:24 UTC

Over the project I kept in close contact with the producer throughout the process.

"The production coordinator is a member of the below-the-line production staff," (Foster, 2022) the bulk of a production coordinator's job happens during the film's production. A production coordinator's job includes facilitating the production schedule, budgets, equipment rentals, transportation, locations, catering, billing, and communicating with crew members.

hvward2 — 2023-11-30 15:16:29 UTC

hvward2 — 2023-11-30 15:28:15 UTC

hvward2 — 2023-11-30 15:30:49 UTC

Due to my inductions on the equipment and role within the project, I booked out the lighting equipment under my name to be collected and returned. When we collected them we also took images and noted how they were packed up to return them back the same.

Production

hvward2 — 2023-12-04 15:01:22 UTC

Equipment

hvward2 — 2023-12-04 15:02:05 UTC

hvward2 — 2023-12-04 15:07:08 UTC

Upon picking up the camera and lighting equipment, we acquired a trolley so that the transporting of equipment would be less labourous as only a few items would then have to be carried / wheeled to the set. As filming started at 2, we picked up the equipment at 1 and then took an uber straight to the first location of the shoot. Using the trolley allowed us to store the equipment neatly whilst on set, this way we were able to find pieces that we needed be effiecently whilst also creating a safe working space.

Tuesday

hvward2 — 2024-01-08 15:54:53 UTC

After the first shooting day me and another team member went to the last filming location to move the equipment to the next and final filming location. We also picked up some extra camera batteries so that we could charge and use at the same time during set as well as a new cable to charge the apertures with.

We found a suitable place to store the equipment after filming too so that the space would be useable when we weren't there as it was a house.

Transporting

hvward2 — 2024-01-08 15:56:20 UTC

Wednesday

hvward2 — 2024-01-08 16:33:15 UTC

On Wednesday we didn't have a shoot day so I took the opportunity to charge the camera batteries and appetures as i could only do one appeture at a time and two batteries. I created a queue so I would know what had been charged.

Thursday

hvward2 — 2024-01-08 16:39:41 UTC

hvward2 — 2024-01-08 16:41:21 UTC

Thusday was more of a production day as I called the slate for the outdootr scenes and would fetch the lens' for the next shot. It was nice to take a step back and view the production from the monitor and see what other shot sizes could also be fitting for the focal, point of the shot.

hvward2 — 2024-01-08 16:42:47 UTC

With Thursday evening being a short shoot, the efficent packing down helped for time so we didn't have to be outside for too long.

Weekends

hvward2 — 2024-01-10 17:51:10 UTC

Over the weekends were the ideal times to recharge all the batteries and double check the ones that we charged whilst on set too.

hvward2 — 2024-01-10 17:53:45 UTC

As the producer in our group was very on top of things and oragnised, I found him rarely needing help outside of the set when asked. When on set I would help out wherever was needed, sometimes this meant: standing in, holding or setting up another departments equipment for a short period of time. When on set I tried to go through 1st A.D, Producer and then the Director if I had a question so that the director wouldn't become over-whelemed.

Long Shoot

hvward2 — 2024-01-10 17:56:45 UTC

Long shoot days were important times to keep the prductivity going so when we found that we were waiting for around for nothing I'd ask the director if we were ready for a take etc. We also aimed for minimum takes and breaks as the sound would be interrupted if we were hungry etc.

Re-Shoots

hvward2 — 2024-01-10 18:01:01 UTC

Upon reshooting I went to meetings representing camera incse there were any queries on our settings etc due to the corrupt files upon editing. When we began to reshoot I re-booked out the minimal equipment that we needed (as some of the crew were home for the holidays) and was there for the re-shoots mainly on camera and lighting to pack up and down. I found that with our smaller crew and wanting to be finished, the shoot was efficent. It also gave us time to experiment with different shot types / perspectives as we were actors down.

Bibliography

hvward2 — 2024-01-11 17:36:18 UTC

Foster, J. (2022, September 2). Film 101: What is a production coordinator? duties and responsibilities of a production coordinator - 2024. MasterClass. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/film-101-what-is-a-production-coordinator-duties-and-responsibilities-of-a-production-coordinator

hvward2 — 2024-01-11 17:39:58 UTC

For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.

-Benjamin Franklin