Story Synopsis: All they asked for was a good photo – should be easy enough?

·        Week 1-2: Come up with a basic concept for the video, and discuss it with at least one other person who can provide initial feedback and help with production support (which, at this stage, would involve casting suggestions and idea refinement).

·        Week 3: Refine the story to make it more plausible and engaging. Draft the script and define story structure. Look for cast members and locations. Visit those locations to assess for likely problems as well as highlights. Look for important ‘special moments’ in the story that may need working out suitable and safe methods for making them happen.

·        Week 4: Get feedback on the story, script and choice of location. Contact cast candidates, show them the story idea and discuss with them what will be involved, and what will be required of them. Find out how they feel about the story. Get free time information from cast who have committed to the project. Discuss OHS issues, and schedule filming dates. Get permission to visit any locations that may require it. Create a draft storyboard.

·        Week 5: Finalize the script and storyboard. Decide on camerawork, sound, title styles etc. Begin filming.

·        Week 6: Continue filming. Source and gather a selection of suitable music for the backing soundtrack. Save all legal information required by the music source to be included in the credits. Discuss any other information, links and logos to be added to the credits.

·        Week 7: Finish the main body of filming, and make a draft edit with soundtrack for feedback. Repeat as needed.

·        Week 8-9: Film any final material that may be required for the video. Semi-final editing, then show the video again to get final feedback. Make any final changes needed, then submit for assessment.

Part 1: Write a character-goal driven plot 

Notes on the story: 

The structure: The story follows a ‘Quest’ structure (Booker, 2006). The main character sets out on a successful, but difficult quest – facing challenges and undergoing personal change in the process. Much like the ‘Hero’s Journey” (Campbell, 1949), but simpler. 

The concept: The story’s concept is based on the main character encountering a series of both random and self-caused obstacles in pursuit of a goal. 

Characters, situations and locations: Most of the focus will be on the main character, with only one side-character slot in the story so far. This is due to having not yet organized the actors, and I am likely to have a relatively small pool of possible volunteers to call on. If more people than I plan on having come forward, there will be room in the story to write them in. 

Because I will be working with volunteer actors, I plan to keep the locations and situations simple, and local to where I live to minimize time inconvenience to them. The locations will be unaltered, with minimal use of props, and include both indoors and outdoors. 

The main character: I envisage the main character as an obliging local, living a mostly uncomplicated life, who is very involved with his/her community to the point where this sometimes impacts negatively on his/her personal goals. Much of the challenges in the story arise from the character being too willing to put his/her goals aside for others. 

At this stage, I’ve kept the main character loosely defined (even gender is not yet decided, as can be seen in the story description). As I haven’t yet arranged a main actor to play the role, again I would like to keep my options open until that’s done. 

Conflicts and contrasts in the story: The main conflict in the story is that between the main character’s goals, and his/her sense of obligation to his/her community. This conflict becomes a source of increasing frustration, until the character learns more assertiveness, self-control and compromise (to allow more time for personal goals). The main contrast is between the first ‘day’ of the story, where the character is overwhelmed and increasingly flustered, and the next day, where he/she is calmer, and more in control of the situation. 

The story: 

(setting information in italics, actions in plain text) 

Our main character, a resident of a remote town, receives a newsletter in the mail from a club he/she is a member of. The letter had been delayed in the post, so that when he/she finally can read it, he/she learns that a special photographic competition the club is running - with a desirable prize – is less than two days from its closing date.

Our character works out there is still just enough time to submit an entry. The competition rules require that the photograph must be from a choice of three subjects: a well-known landmark in a distant Interstate city, a still-life featuring a kind of flower, or a wildlife closeup of a native bird. Our character is unable to travel to the required city in time, and is allergic to the flower required for the still-life. He/she therefore decides on taking a bird photo, and sets out to achieve it. 

As he/she gets ready to leave, an urgent call comes through on our character’s mobile. His/her is urgently needed for some reason, and despite his/her protestations, our character must drop what he/she is doing and help. Later, our character is free again to take up the camera, and tries again – walking out into the bushland immediately surrounding the town. He/she lines up for a shot – and, not watching the ground - steps on a piece of broken rubbish, injuring his/her toe. 

Shortly after, our character determinedly puts his/her shoe back on over his/her bandaged toe, and tries again - taking his/her car out to a spot further away from town, where there is less litter. Before he/she can reach the spot, an acquaintance pulls up in a (noisy) car, making any birds nearby fly away. Another drama has happened in the town, and our character’s help is needed (again). 

By the time he/she is free again, it is almost dusk. He/she takes several shots, but is not satisfied with any of them. He/she then sees a chance to take a good one, but then the batteries go flat. Our character returns home for some new batteries, but finds that the spare packet is one short. He/she needs to face yet more challenges (e.g. search/beg/borrow/ and/or negotiate with a dubious helper) to get the extra battery he/she needs, but by the time he/she succeeds, it is too dark for him/her to attempt another photo. 

Our character, by now frustrated, looks over the photos he/she did manage to take that day on his/her computer. Again, he/she isn’t satisfied, and, ruminating on the imminent deadline, and the day’s bad luck regarding his/her goal, decides to give up, screwing up the newsletter and binning it. 

The next morning, our character wakes up, refreshed, and he/she still has a few hours left, decides to make one last try. At first, it seems like more of the previous day’s run of petty setbacks has continued, but our character - using more patience, and assertiveness – finally succeeds in taking some good bird photos. 

Our character looks for the newsletter (to get the entry details), and remembers that he/she had binned it the previous night. He/she checks the bin, but it is empty; the town rubbish collection has already been through. Undaunted, our character looks up the club’s page online, and successfully submits his/her entry – mere seconds before a town blackout. 

Epilogue, about two weeks later. Our character is discussing the recent blackout with a neighbour, when he/she receives a phone call. It is a courtesy call from the club, informing him/her that he/she is one of the prize-winners. While he/she didn’t win the big prizes, he/she had earned a mystery prize, which was on its way in the post. 

Run credits and closing music, then after that the very final scene (6-8 seconds): the prize - a big, kitschy ornament (with some symbolic reference to the story, i.e. the bird that was photographed, or a damaged boot) – is proudly on display in the front yard, next to an opened box with the club’s logo on the packaging, as the noisy car drives past in the background. 

Part 2: Write a synopsis (Logline) of your story idea 

“For a chance at a prize, all that was needed was a good photo. But town business, deadlines and absurd luck all conspire to create challenges”. 

References: 

Booker, C. (2006) "The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories".Bloomsbury Academic, New York. 

Campbell, J. (1949). "The Hero with a Thousand Faces". Princeton University Press, Princetown. 

Reflection on the exercise: This time, I used the large tripod for each shot, and soon realised it’s limitations when I attempted to pan. 

 

Another thing I learnt from all the continuity exercises re’ my camera, is that because it is automatic, it will be very important – for indoor shooting especially - to manage the light sources to avoid unwanted silhouetting. For example, by using additional lights, and closing curtains, or else choosing more suitable rooms for indoor closeups.

 

Reflection on the storyboard: The first draft of the video project’s storyboard has also been posted (read below): once again I was able to shave it down a little, but it still is a very complex project (more editing and sound control practice will be needed). Though the shot list is big, there are a lot of similar scenes, which I plan to film in batches on each location, then reassemble as the story later in the edit.

 

Most of the complexity is due to the large number of very short shots that make up the bulk of the project, and I feel that may unbalance the video, and be a visually jarring & uncomfortable experience for the viewer. 

 

For this reason, I will go over the storyboard later, and do a time-count on each shot to find out how close it adds up to the required duration. Some longer shots may be needed to help with the flow of the story.

 

I will still formally consult with the owners, as outlined in the assessment instructions, and use the agreement form. I will also determine whether the exterior land I plan to film on is as public as I assume it to be, and if not, undertake the same consultation and agreement process as with the private property.

 

(1)  There will be two interior locations, and they are:

 

·        The kitchen/dining room of the private location (the same room used in the camera exercises).

·        A bedroom in the private location.

 

(2)  There will be three main exterior locations, and they are:

 

·        The front of the private residence, including the veranda, front yard and front footpath. It will be the same residence as the one used in the camera exercises.

·        A first location on public land within or near the town. 

·        A second location on public land on the edge of town, on a street. 

 

As well, an additional 4-5 street locations will be used to record drive-by shots for the time-loss sequences. The first location has been decided on, the second two from three other possibilities. Notes on all four locations, plus a panoramic image of each, will be added in the next post.

 

I will attach a photographic copy of the signed location release form for the main residence/interior location, using the one provided in the resources, and include it with the assignment submission.

 

Equipment: I will be using my digital camera and tripods (the same that were reviewed in exercise 1.2), as well as my computer and Adobe Premier Pro for the editing. For titling & credits I will create .png images using Windows paint. There is a possibility some additional equipment (cameras or tripods) may be borrowed.

 

Props: The two actors required to drive (main character and neighbour) will use their own vehicles as required. The actor playing the main character will use his/her own mobile phone, rubbish bin, coffee cup, wastebasket, camera, computer etc. If that actor doesn’t have any of these, or doesn’t wish to use the ones he/she has, then I will lend my own to be the props.

 

The fake newsletter, fake web page and fake email I will make myself, as I know basic html and some Javascript (as well as simple brochure design). I will use an empty shoe for the injury shot.

 

The prize statuette will be purchased (and ‘post-wrapped’) by me, with used postage stamps.

 

Wardrobe: The characters will be wearing their usual day-to-day clothing of their choice. I will keep a note of what the main characters are wearing, in case a same-day scene needs to be shot over more than one day. If I am able to shoot what I need in one day, I will ask the actor playing the main character to change clothes for the next-day scene. 

 

Set Design: Apart from the addition of any special props (such as the wastebasket), the sets will generally be kept as they normally are. Some objects may be temporarily removed if they are too obstructive, embarrassing or distracting.

 

I will make a copy of this list using the resource template provided, and include it with the assignment submission.

 

Except for the main character actor (and any filming crew), the shoot is unlikely to take up very much of anyone’s time.

 

The schedule will be a tentative draft where I will detail the shooting times, but not the dates (though I intend to schedule the shoot any time between weeks 7-8, i.e. any suitable day between the 14^th to the 28^th May 2018. This is because I will need to fit the shoot in at the convenience of the actors (and any crew) I recruit, as well as according to the weather. 

 

The shooting schedule is based on two assumed free days, with consistent favourable weather, that the actor/s are free and willing to spare, occurring sometime between the two dates mentioned.

 

I will make a copy of the shooting schedule using the resource template provided, and include it with the assignment submission.

 

Character 1 (Main Character)

 

It’ll be desirable for the character who plays Bryan to have a clear speaking voice, and be familiar with using a camera. He will need to be able to drive, and have access to a reliable car.

 

Character 2 (Neighbour)

 

 

It’ll be desirable for the character who plays Lawrie to have a clear speaking voice, be able to drive, and have access to a reliable works vehicle.

 

 

One area of the film’s planning I haven’t yet covered adequately is the presence and use of the animals that will appear in the film. These including wild animals (the birds), and domestic (the dogs in the neighbour’s/Lawrie’s truck). It will be important, legally and ethically, that the welfare of all animals involved be protected on location, and during the filming in general. 

 

The dogs in the truck will be restrained in the back of the vehicle according to current South Australian road laws (see links). Scenes involving them will not be shot during inclement weather, and I may redraft the shooting schedule so that those scenes will be shot as a batch (in the morning or midday, for continuity) to minimise their filming time. Provisions (like water) to be provided as needed for their comfort. I may pre-record their normal barking for a background dub if needed.

 

The wild birds will be (and currently are being) shot separately, from a distance, with minimal or no interference with them (apart from my presence). There are many native bird flocks in the town that are accustomed to human presence, including magpies, honeyeaters, and topknot pigeons (as the most approachable). Cockatoos, emus and crows tend to be warier, but with the help of my mini-tripod and a nearby solid surface, I should be able to use the camera’s zoom to get some usable shots.

 

Resource links used re’ using animals in film:

 

(accessed 13/5/2018)

 

(accessed 13/5/2018)

 

https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/animals-and-livestock/animal-welfare/general/codes-of-practice/film-theatre/safety-guide 

(accessed 13/5/2018)

 

http://kb.rspca.org.au/is-it-legal-to-have-unrestrained-dogs-on-ute-trays-or-trucks_501.html  
(accessed 13/5/2018)

 

http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/agriculture/animal-health-and-welfare/animal-welfare/animal-welfare-legislation/victorian-codes-of-practice-for-animal-welfare/code-of-practice-for-the-welfare-of-film-animals 
(accessed 13/5/2018)

Julia Lock