Oliver Tyrrell's BTEC Media Blog: B. Assignment 1: DEPICT

For our first production, we had to create a 90 second short film, which would be entered into a highly recognised competition called Depict. If are short film happens to make the short list, then this would be a huge achievement. However this achievement would be easily matched, if not exceeded if we were to win. The prize awarded to the winner includes a cash prize of £1500 as well as the possibility of being scouted by top film companies. Also, the winner will be supported in future projects from producers to editors, who individually have years of experience in the art of film making.

For more information visit: http://www.depict.org/about

Forms Of Media

There are various forms of media that exist in the creative industry. Most of the creative industry includes both modern and older forms of media. For example Newspapers have been a common factor of people’s lives for hundreds of years. For many people the Newspaper was the only source of hearing important news of the time. As media as developed and modernised over the years, so have newspapers. The modern newspaper not only consists of news, but other topics of conversation such as sport and celebrity news. As technology has progressed so have the sources of media. The Introduction of the internet has dramatically changed the way humans communicate an share beliefs/views. Social networking sites and web pages and allowed people to connect in a way that has never been seen before. "Youtube", is a great example of a modern form of connectivity through the use of media. Other types of media such as the Television, Radio, Phones and Magazines have changed the way in which people are entertained.

BBC Radio 1
Radio 1 was established in 1967 (along with its somewhat more adult-oriented counterpart, BBC Radio 2) as a successor to the BBC Light Programme, which had broadcast popular music and other entertainment since 1945. Radio 1 was conceived as a direct response to the popularity of offshore pirate radio stations such as Radio Caroline, which had been outlawed by Act of Parliament. Radio 1 was launched at 7:00 am on Saturday 30 September 1967. Radio 1 has had a huge influence on the young generation of teens from the "Mods" of the 60's to punk era in the 70's. Radio 1 helped publicise the influential genres of music that created such iconic styles of clothing, music attitudes etc.
Finance and Sources of Funding
Filmmakers use a wide range of sources inorder to finance their type of production. Producers will source their funding from many different sources. They may seek sponsorship deals, in which an sponsor will fund a certain amount of money needed to film the movie/advert etc. Due to the reccession, producers usually found a large source of funding from Banks, however due to thge conomic reccession which has hit the media industry very harshly, gaining financial loans are harder to find. Some filmmakers may even have to partially or even fully fund their own movies, however some filmmakers are rewarded financially, if they win highly recognised competitions. filmmakers or producers may also attempt to gain financial aid from the National Lottery. The Natioanl Lottery Fund can be hugly effective in funding both large and small scale films.The BFI also help fund upcoming filmmakers using the National Lottery Funds. They have helped fund films for over 50 years. On the BFI's website they explain the Fudimentals of their funding:

"We will support filmmakers in the UK who are emerging or world-class and are capable of creating distinctive and entertaining work. We have £15 million a year to invest across the development, production and completion of feature films. Being supported by the BFI means more than just being given funding. It means that your project can be assisted at every step of the journey by our team, who can offer advice and practical help with many aspects of developing and producing your film."

Producers may also seek funding from private investors, such as High Network Individuals. These investors tend to own vast amounts of money (billions). They will personally invest large amount of money into the film hoping to gain a percentage of the earnings, however this isnt always the case.
Megan Ellison was porn in 1986 and is an American Film Producer. She founded Annapurna Pictures and has since invested large amounts of money in Films such as True Grit. She is the daughter of billionair oracle coporation CEO Larry Ellison and Barbara Boothe. Ms. Ellison has Helped Finance both successfull and unsuccessfull films. Her investment in the Coen Brothers remake of True Grit was a huge success and gained both financial and critical success when it was released in late 2010

In all productions, finance must be spread precisely and fairly in order to pay for certain requirements from Facilities to Talent (wages). Depending on the scale of the production, the budget has to be kept updated and watched carefully so that the production cost does not exceed the initial budget. Some films can cost billions to produce so certain factor of the production process need to be looked at. Personnel are one of the many factors that need to looked at. Talent, depending on their status will have to have their wages paid on time. The more sort after and acclaimed the actor, the more its going to cost to hire/pay their wages. Staff are also vitally important, they are usually free lance and must be paid in due course. An acclaimed actor such as Christoph waltz will cost more money to higher (wages) than a less renowned actor such as Richard Armitage.

Richard Armitage

Christoph Waltz

Personnel will need to be equipped with the necessary equipment in order to work at their highest potential. Although equipment can be expensive, Camera men/women will need certain equipment such as headphones and utility equipment. Resources will also have to be gathered for Talent. Talent will need living accommodation on and off set as well as needing the required services of specialized costume fitter and make-up artists. Through out the ranks of crew and talent, all members must be equipped with specific needs and services in order to work together at the most efficiunU@y6Q{perfectible rate of work.

The Cost of Equipment can range depending on how Hi-Tech the equipment is. Special designed cameras, sometimes mounted on cars to create a very stable moving image can coast thousands of pounds each day. A majority of modern films use 3D cameras to shoot their films. These cameras can be very expensive again depending on their specifications. Props, Costume and make-up also have to be considered when financing film. Films with high intense action/fighting scenes may cost more in the make-up and costume section due to environments. War Horse is a very good example as it may have been very time consuming and expensive to hire/buy or even create the vast amounts of Army uniforms needed in the film. The cost of hiring certain facilities needs to be seriously taken into account. Special affects facilitation and editing suites can can be very expensive to hire and must be booked for the correct duration Again, depending on the type of film, then the more you may spend on hiring out Special affects facilities. Action genre films as well as animated films will spend a large amount of time in editing suites/ special affects facilities, therefore the cost of hiring these facilities must be calculated correctly. In modern Special Affects facilities, software such as Adobe Photoshop to After affects can be relatively less expensive to use. however, far more sophisticated and cutting edge software such Sapphire and Sony Vegas programs which provide the editor with numerous tools and editing features will cost the filmmakers much more.

Film clearance is the process of acquiring the required permission for all aspects of a film production. The necessary clearances can include sets, actors/extras, music, stock film, art, posters, products/brands, books, broadcasts, computer programs, dramatic works, photographs, etc. Film clearance is necessary to avoid liability, acquire E/O insurance, and avoid any general copyright/trademark issues

For My Teams 90 second short film, few requirements were needed however they were vital in producing the film. For our short film, in which we have carefully highlighted the true cost of friendship and love between a child and its teddy. In order to make our vision possible we had to attain various props such as a cake,teddy,car and numerous chairs/tables. The child's costume consisted of a simple jumpsuit which was provided by the actress. In terms of equipment, we used predominately entry level technology. The camera we used was a simple to use HD camcorder and the tripod was at a basic enough level of sophistication. Al thought we were lucky enough to be able to borrow the equipment from the college itself, the cost however of the individual technology is fairly expensive. The location used predominantly inn our 90 second short film was a public playing field. In order to notify the police or our desired use of that location we sent a clearance letter stating our purpose etc. In terms of facility hire, we generally used the college MAC computers. In post production, our main software that was used to edit together our short film was Adobe After Affects. This fantastic software allowed us to edit creatively and dynamically without having to study the software in too much depth.

My Group were unfortunately unable to finish our short film in the required 2 weeks due to certain factors which delayed the shooting of our video. Unfortunately one of our key members of the crew and the main actress were ill on occasions in which we were suppose to be filming. Weather conditions also produced an issue for my group as on several occasions we were subject to heavy downfalls of rain. Although we were faced with these issues were battled through and in my eyes created a very effective film. However it was frustrating at times and due to this frustration i'm now aware of how important it is to meet deadlines. If a certain film is not finished within a certain deadline, then first of all it can be very damaging towards the Directors reputation. For example during the production of the films Heavens Gate By Michael Cimino, the film was set back many times and was eventually finished way after the agreed deadline. Heavens Gate did not gain any critical praise or attention and resulted in a huge loss of around $40 million. Michael Ciminos reputation was almost destroyed, and he has found that very few film company's want to work with him due to lack of trust.

When we began shooting our short film, we had to attain certain equipment. this equipment was made available by the colleges equipment department From this department, we attained various pieces of equipment from a HD camcorder to a Tri-pod. this equipment was vital in the shooting of our film. using the different angles and features on the camera/tripod we were able to create some very dynamic clips. During one of the shooting of the clips, we uncounted issues in stability when crabbing. we decided to use our initiative and mount the camera onto a car, we then drove slower, crabbing next to the actress and consequently creating a very stable shot. In the Professional Industry, equipment might be attained through various sources. Specialist company's produce state of the art modified camera in order to shoot a particular clip. The Films War Horse and The Sweeney, used a very expensive piece of equipment to capture a stable shot of a car chase and a horse leaping across trenches. The cost of hiring this camera, which has been mounted on a car, costs between £5000 and £7000 and day! These state of the art technology is highly sort after by directors and are therefore only available at certain times.

The main character, a young female, played by Megan had a very difficult and emotional role to play. I believe that she played this role very well, by using emotive and dynamic facial and positional expressions, the audience are able to feel a real insight into her emotions of loosing her dearest friend. Apart from Megan, Luke played a very small role as the car driver. All three of us: Megan, Luke and myself had attempts in editing and shooting of the film, however it was predominately myself and Luke We took turns in trying to create each clip in a certain way. for example for certain clips we wanted to create a very dynamic and emotional shot but in other shots we wanted to create a more simplistic yet sharp and dynamic shot. the contrast between these shots, are what make the film so effective. When filming, much larger films, you must take into consideration certain factors that might affect the shooting of film. The availability of certain equipment and facilities, as well as the availability of specialized staff.

The larger the scale of the production, the more amount of staff and talent are going to be required. Hiring very talented and highly sort after Actors/Actresses the more expensive it will be to pay their wages. Equally, highly skilled and experienced staff/crew will be very expensive to hire, as their skills as editing and shooting are highly sort after. Certain company's may provide a certain service such as 3D design and editing. Hiring these company's can also be very expensive. Filmmakers only want the best to create their film, therefore they will go through various stages in order to make sure that they hire the most skillful and experienced talent/crew. Filmmakers will read thousands of CV's and recommendations in order to hand pick the certain crew needed to produce their film. When searching for Talent such as the main character, they may look at past work, interviews etc in order to pick the correct actor/actress for that main character. For example, if a main character is needed to play a violent and prototypical "gangster" then the likes of Robert De Niro are going to be highly sort after due to their past work as gritty, violent mobsters. However the cost of hiring such high profile actors will not be cheap.

In order to secure the availability of personnel such as the crew and talent, the film company's will have to have contracts draw up in order to secure that person. As well as contracts, Talent Release Forms will also be created. Both of these documents bind the personnel to the arranged times and places so that the filmmakers are 100% sure that they will be able to shoot an those specific dates.

The cost of TV advertising is calculated and most often charged based on the number of viewers delivered. A deal CPT (costs per thousand) is negotiated and the campaign parameters agreed, such as days of weeks and times of day. The cost of advertising on TV will vary time of the day (peak time costs 30% more per viewer than daytime?) and depends on the length of the advert. (The standard length is 30 seconds) most prices will be quoted based on a standard 30 second TV advert.

TV channels optimise their airtime by selling the most efficient audience categories to advertisers, for example e4 will sell advertisers an audience of adults 16-34 whereas sky news will look to sell advertisers an audience of Adults aged 34-60. Terrestrial channels such as channel 5 and ITV 1 will often sell advertisers an audience of all adults, as the majority of their viewers do not fall into the desirable audience demographics.

The cost per thousand will therefore vary significantly depending on your buying audience. If you were buying an audience of all adults you might pay around £4/1000, whereas if you were buying a more targeted audience such as adults 16-34, you could expect to pay £20/1000.

The cost of hiring a film/TV studio can vary depending on the scale and standards of the studio. The cost of hiring an upmarket giant such as the Warner Brothers studio will be far greater than hiring a less renowned studio such the galleon studio in Manchester. The biggest differences between the two studios will be scale of the studio and the equipment that they offer. Warner Brothers own state of the art cameras that can shoot in IMAX and 3D; whereas the galleon studios may only shoot in 1080p (full HD). The cost of equipment at the galleon studios is £325 plus VAT per day. This is relatively cheap in comparison to some studios where hiring equipment and facilities can cost hundreds of thousands.

Galleon Studios: http://www.studiohiremanchester.co.uk/

There are certain facilities that are needed in production in order to edit and complete the post production stages of the film. In our production we certain equipment was required such as the HD camera, tri-pod, editing software and internet access for music soundtracks/pictures. For the post production stages of our film, we had use certain editing software which were capable of using as we had little experience as a whole. Filmmakers usually use privately owned facilities such as film studios. These studios house state of the art equipment and editing facilities, as well as large sets. The facilities need by filmmakers are usually rented out at an available date. Filmmakers may also Out Source certain people and create a contract with that person so that may full fill a specified role in the production of the film. These employees are based with other company's and the filmmakers are simply employing their specialized skills. When securing facilities, certain considerations must be evaluated, such as the actual cost of hiring the facility and its suitability. Filmmakers must also make sure that the facility is available to use when its is required.

In order to choose our location, we firstly thought about the sort of environment that we we wanted to use and how certain aspects might improve or hinder its appearance such as graffiti. In order to scout for potential locations, we decided to create a location recce. A location recce allowed us to search for suitable playing fields that would be used in our film. We looked at various locations and took pictures of its appearance We eventually found a playing field that was most suitable for our film. After choosing our eventual location, we decided to draw up a location release, which would give us legal permission to film in that certain location (playing field). We had to gain consent from the land owner and must follow any rules that had been put in place, such as not littering. We contacted the local authority's and explained when and the purpose behind us shooting in that area. We also performed a risk assessment to make sure that any possible accidents had been looked at before we began shooting on sight. To remedy the problems that we may face, we wore brightly colored "CREW" t-shirts and had a mobile phone on each person at all time in case of an emergence.

A location recce, is the assessing of potential locations, in order to evaluate its potential. The filmmaker will create the recce so that certain issues that might arise can be accessed. These possible issues can range from lighting to facilitation hindrances. A Risk Assessment consists of evaluating, estimating and identifying possible risks involved in a situation. The Assessment will allow the assessor to compare the benchmarks and standards set by certain organisations such the Health and Safety organisation run by the government.

Link: http://www.hse.gov.uk/

We encountered few hazards when assessing locations, facilities etc. These hazards included the travel too and from college. We were aware of the possibility of intense traffic and too the correct precautions of sticking to pathways and only crossing at double yellow lines. The possibilities of accidents and injuries on set is far larger than most would expect. We also had to asses certain situations of filming in events of poor weather, carrying equipment, animals and wildlife, residents, Wires and other technical requirements. We discussed these issues as a group and subsequently addressed the issues. We wore the CREW t-shirts in order to notify residents of our intentions when filming. We bagged any wires or equipment to reduce the chances of injury of breaking the equipment.