• 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 

• 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)
  
  
  

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

• Do you have any advice or areas for my development?

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

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

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

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

• Give examples 

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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?

• What courses interest you? Give reasons

• 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?

• 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? 

 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.

• 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.

• 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. 
  
  
  
  

• 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. 

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.

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. 

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. 

• 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