Studio production - Understanding of role and outline

Audio Operator (including boom) 
Role: responsible for sound throughout the entire process and working closely with all departments to ensure good sound in all parts of the project

Responsibility
- Advising on-air presenter of how to place wireless headphones or lapel and to avoid unwanted noise
- Mixing audio output of from the microphones being used on stage.
- Maintaining suitable broadcasting standard for sound
- Mixing final sound for the project
- Operating boom for general sound
- Setting up and ensuring smooth running of sound throughout performance.

Tasks within the studio project
- Sound operation and lighting on all studio and VT recordings.
- Recce for VT Locations (ensuring area is good for sound recording)
- Check lighting in VT locations
- Make plans to correct thins wrong at the recce to ensure order on the day of the actual shoot.

Locked presentation

Locked Presentation Pitch

Locked presentation (2) from Shannelle Styles

Locked - Visual Ideas & Set design

Feedback from Helen: 

• Great concept but I need to consider how I will translate these ideas in a visual sense that creates and adds to the atmosphere. 
• Must figure out how I intend to create this visual world with the limitations we face i.e. budget, crew size, studio size, etc

Logo Designs
Given that graphic design is something that also requires it's own study and practice it's inevitable that I will require someone who understands the process of creating logo's and translating the client's idea to image. However, there are several text generators online that give you workable and even quality looking texts that are good for logos. I made use of Flaming texts logo design to create these really cool logos. I chose two different colours and texts as I have two different sets in mind for the presentation. One is opting for the acceptable blue whilst the other is leaning more towards a very daring red. 

Locked logo 1 (fig 1.1)

Locked Logo 2 (fig 1.2)

Inspiration: Es Devlin

Es is an award winning international stage designer who has worked with great names and events such as the olympics Rio 2016, London's olympics closing ceremony 2012, Adele, U2, Kanye West, Take that and the renown fashion house of LouisVuitton. Her designs are always eccentric and full of colour boasting energy and an incredible vibe that allow the audience to escape the fixed dimensions of reality. Some of my favourite set/stage designs she has created have a connecting theme or aspect that kind of create a certain feel that locked needs. The darkness adopted really isolates the characters, musicians, or performers on stage. The lights are used to colour the dark in a way that urges you to feel a certain feeling. For example blue lights against darkness would create a trance like mood with a tranquil feel about it. In the case of locked, red lights would make for a more interesting approach on the show's concept to emphasise vulnerability and the feeling of danger or an evil power. 

Photo of Es Devlin (fig 2.1)

Use of lights and colour to create a mood that will evoke a reaction in the audience (fig  2.2)

Story telling visually through elaborate set designs (fig 2.3)

Visual Ideas and themes

To explore the concept of my game in a visual manner involves a great deal of visual storytelling. In order to understand what I want to put across to the audience visually, I must create or form from what is existing of this idea already a story that can be told visually to the audience through the set. So that once the audience enter they're completely taken aback and drawn into a whole new world. In addition, I created a logo that really sells a visual idea that clings close to a vulnerable and creepy vibe so hopefully my visual interpretation lives up to the expectation

Mock up drawing of Set Design (from stage view/perspective)

I created two different sets using different colour schemes as I was unsure what would work best. I felt illustrating  the sets in simple form would allow me to really
 what would work best for the idea. I intend to put both into my presentation as given that it will be judged by a panel their criticism may help me to decide which set is better suited to the program.  It is a well known fact that blue and red are popular colours and being primary colours isn't the only thing they have in common. Both colours are associated with meanings and sighs that direct us and other things. Blue and red are popular colours in marketing and advertising. It is also said that blue has a serene and tranquil calming effect on the mind and body hence it's association with feelings of hope, peace, harmony. etc. On the other, red is a colour of warning, danger, evil and signs. it is known mostly for it's use in road signs, and news channels when informing of the public of something urgent on the news. The red set was created for a more theatrical vibe as it would create room to allow me characterise the contestants and host in accordance with the background story of the game.

 The Blue set however, was created bearing in mind a less theatrical vibe and one that falls more in line with the game shows we see on television today. For example, The cube stimulates excitement through it's use of lighting and good set design. The name links directly to the concept and desin of the games which creates an understanding and liking for the game. 

Studio Production - Ideas Lab: Locked

Studio Production - Live show Ideas

Concept
The idea behind the show is to encourage fast paced decision making whilst simultaneously improving and comparing individual performance within the team. Two groups of six contestants are locked in two cages. Individually and together, they must to work well in a team, whilst answering general knowledge questions promptly to get ahead of the other team.

Round 1 

The first contestant of each team whilst blindfolded must grab three foam keys from a room with the help of their teammates who can see where they are. Through being aided by audio they must move according to the directions given to get the key. The team that collect the most keys will win this 

round. 

Round 2 

Once all three keys are collected, the second contestant of each team must answer 3 general knowledge questions of their choosing. Points are essential, whoever answers more questions correctly will be in lead at this point. When contestants do not know the answer they are given two options: either one clue from a team member or two answers from the audience from which they must choose the right answer.  

Round 3 

Each team will be put into a cage fastened with 3 padlocks. Once securely locked, they are both given a ring of 5 keys. A timer is set to 1 minute. Within the set time both teams must find the right key for each padlock. 

The team that succeeds in the most rounds will win the game overall and take home £50. 

All VT's will tell a short story that follow up together throughout the program. This will be to entertain and will also in a way show the way the next stage of the game will go.

VT Idea 1 (A background fictional story of the game)
Film a short visual piece that will briefly but concisely tell the story below:
20 years ago a boy named Andrew and his friend Anna were playing at night in a field. Suddenly, in the thick of the dark a group of thieves kidnapped the boy and girl because they were known to be children of a rich family.We see them get pushed into a cage and trapped in.

VT Idea 2 (Short Parody with the host of Next challenge between the teams)
The host will act in a parody version of the next challenge both teams must partake in. There will be three people dressed up as foam keys. The presenter will try in a funny manner to collect the keys as they move away from his reach. This will be a nice way to entertain the audience whilst simultaneously giving the teams an idea of their next task.

VT Idea 3 (Continuation of background story)
The thieves run  out and as they do one drops the key without realising and jams the door shut. Alone and afraid the pair are locked away in a desolate house. They scream for help but all their cries go unheard. Condemned to darkness they are unable to find the key and attempt an escape. Their families never found them over the years.

VT Idea 4  (Continuation of fictional story line used) 
Sort footage of the young boy and girl tying to break out of their cage, kicking and screaming in a very haunted way. 

Other aspects of the live genre I hope to explore, dramatize and make entertaining in this project:

Characterisation of Host and Contestants (Dramatisation)

Locked  is a live program that falls within the reality tv and gaming show genres. It bears similarity to shows like The Crystal Maze, Fear Factor and Release the hound in the range of activities and also in its use of characterisation of those on the show. For example in The Crystal Maze' host Richard O'brien always wore attire that fell in line with the context of and meaning behind the background story of the game. In addition, his style was very refreshing and definitive for its time. Locked will aim to grasp interest from the audience through applying such techniques to this new show. By incorporating the host into the fictional story, contestants as well, the show will be identifiable through this unique quality that other shows don't have at this current time. In addition, t will make for good entertainment and a visual break from the studio environment. 

Target Audience & Audience Participation
Most tend to think of loud laughs at the end of every supposed funny remark. In the case of locked the studio audience will be expected to do much more than just laugh. From the start of the program they will be allocated seats in line with either team e.g. red or blue. Throughout the duration of the program both sides of the audiences are expected to support their given team in challenges and quizzes. Giving the audience a role to play enables them to feel a part of all that goes on, throughout the show and also creates a natural atmosphere/vibe that will bounce between the contestants and audience unlike the obvious set up of an "as live" show.

Similarly, my programme will be targeted towards people that are aged 16 and above. Given that the safety measures are less great than that of the crystal maze, I decided to lower the age band from 18-16 for my target audience, this will allow for different kinds of people to interact and work well with one another. In addition, it is important that my target audience are considered when scheduling as it will be pointless to position the program on a day they are unable to watch. 


Scheduling
Social Classes and viewer statistics of broadcasting channels is essential to the positioning of the program. For example, the popular dating show Take Me Out is scheduled for Saturdays on ITV at 8pm. The timing is  important because it defines in it's own way the kinds of people that will watch a program. The scheduling for take me out is exceptional. According to BARB, ITV had a weekly viewing average of 3hrs+ through the months of October to December last year, and a total view share percentage of 13% through the period. The channel was right for the program as itv tend to create exciting  and sometimes controversial programs. The date and timing is good because people within the working age bracket of 18-40 will be at work or university Mon-Fri. Positioning the show on Saturday will be convenient for workers and housewives as the weekend will give them time to relax and watch a bit of telly. The aim is to ensure your target audience are able to view content at the right time. 

Locked program schedule 
Channel: ITV 1  (showing mainly entertainment and comedy material)
Why: Audience reach is broad (With people who enjoy mainstream topics, trends and tastes. Suitable for upscale and unpredictable ideas.

Date & Time: Fridays/Saturdays, 7pm/8pm
Why: To avoid days where target audience "families, teenagers, young adults and adults" will be unable to view content due to other commitments such as work etc.  In addition to avoid younger audiences from viewing material unsuitable for them. 

Image below from BARB

Location (Set Design)

The set will be red and black and have a creepy spooky theme attached to it that will link to the atmosphere of the VT inserts. The stage will be in line with or slightly below eye level of the audience.

Please view Set design post here:

The crystal maze is a popular gaming television show that dominated screens in the 90's. But as the years passed the attraction to the programme declined leading to a break that recently ceased after 6800 people backed it by donating funds to ensure the show's smooth running once again.

This show held key influences for my program in terms of the level of activity and set. There are certain limitations on what the show can and cannot include in our brief, such as children, animals and outrageous set design and challenges but within the means provided I intend to detailedly construct an idea that is fascinating and workable simultaneously for audience and participants. Below is the crystal maze episode that inspired my idea. 

Feedback from Helen:

• To characterise the show a bit more in terms of host and contestants (Maybe include a background story) 
• Figure out VT inserts, for the show and how they can be used to create a world outside of the studio environment. 
• Look at the studio and create a visual set that allows me to utilize the studio space in the most cost effective but creative manner. E.g used of lights to colour floor instead of paint, green screen etc.
• Cast good and interesting characters for the show. 
• Good use of VT's
• Ensure I explain in a detailed and thorough manner the game process and how it works. 

Fiction Adaptation: Pre-Production, Production & Script

Shoot plan (Location, Schedule)

Calling sheet and shooting schedule

Change in characters No longer using male character (due to no availability) and change in female lead (Better suited to the project)

Kit

Nikon D3200, Tripod, No sound equipment (not recording sound)

Script




Locations 

Savill Gardens, Virginia Water, Surrey (Landscape scenery to enhance loneliness.

56 Trotsworth Court, Christchurch Rd, Virginia Water (Bedroom Scene)

Eden Park, Catford, London

Character Development and Casting.

I always tend to lean more towards serious subject matters when writing up my pieces, and this script is no exception. I'm looking for someone that can really explore and revel in the depth's of my main character's personality and story. Having looked at several profiles on casting call pro, I decided Sophie Airdien was a decent choice for my casting. She was talented, had the look I was after (more exotic and different) and more importantly, had the experience in the type of role I was casting for.

Below is a character analysis outlining important details about my character and how I expect my cast to reflect my character's traits and story.

Emily (Main character/protagonist), 22, Female: 

Body: Slim and slender in a seductive, Bond girl kind of way. Long legs and small waist. For negligee or night slip/underwear.

Personality: A learned sophistication, educated. charming, eloquent, funny, well mannered // Polar opposite// Lazy, messy, clumsy,

Lifestyle: 70's elegance, life of the party, Travelling, In and out of hotels etc

Types of clothing I hope to use for my character Emily:

This type of set will be worn in my second scene where she sits on the edge of her bed and we see a past altercation come up as a memory on screen. I think this will work well in describing my kind of character as it boasts an ease in seduction yet a dark side to her that is more than just a cute set. It's in the way she walks talks and behaves and we will see this when she wears this piece.

Other clothing sets I had in mind all follow along with the seductive theme and adult nature of my story. This is mainly because I want to put my character in the minds of the audience as someone who wears sensuality on her shoulders in a graceful manner. This will be a good way of unraveling her character when things take a left turn with a client. We will then see that this calculated perfection doesn't come as easy as we think it does, I'm aiming for everything about her to be so perfect that it is imperfect in the way it is all so well composed and held together, Her clothing style and home interior will reflect a quintessential fashionable manner in the way she carries herself and deals with things. I will be using my friends home as it has not been refurbished since it was redone in the 70's and still holds a unique charm that is no longer found in modern homes. My inspiration to use his place came from the directions unit project and the image I used for the sound direction aspect of the project. It had a very cute and sweet feel to it, yet it was also intriguing and aged in a way that completely hindered its sweetness.

I will be adding props to my boyfriend's room to dress it up in a more feminine way - makeup, mirror, female underwear in a dresser and jewelry and accessories - and will add some cute touches to also make it better suited to the personality of my main character. I hoping that the choice of black for her clothing won't take away from the warm atmosphere of the room so in case of this.

Gianbruno, will be my vocal artist/narrator for the piece and will play the role of a previous lover in Emily's flashbacks. I chose him because he seemed suitable for my role with vast experience in student productions from other universities. In addition,his voice reel was good and gave me a clear idea of what my project would sound like. I understand that Anthony would prefer to be the vocal artisrt for his poems and have reached out to him to ask if he is okay with this.

Fiction Adaptation - Poem adaptation style and visual inspiration and reference to themes

Lana Del Rey is an american model, songwriter and singer who is known for her cinematic music style and impeccable vocal range. Her music is also praised for its religious, social and psychological references which introduce a refreshing sound and depth that has been absent in the current music industry. I was particularly inspired by her 2013 short film Tropico which makes reference to the story of creation, sin and redemption. It also loosely engages with references to pop culture and modern day society. I will be analyzing the video which will help me understand how to include references in my own visual work in a way that is metaphorical and  not literal to the eyes.

The story of creation is one that has been known by many almost since the beginning of mankind, and with various opinions on the story already Lana Del Rey's short film could have been just another interpretation or opinion like others. But what I find rather intriguing in this piece is the way in which it contradicts itself and yet still makes perfect sense pieced together. In the short film, she and Shaun can be seen dressed as Adam and Eve which implies that their characters where once innocent and unknowing of  evil in fact, her skin glows, Shaun's as well and it is almost angelic, watching them cradle each other in a setting that boasts freedom, serenity and a quintessential sense of romance in the air. But not too long after the dream like image of what could be heaven it morphs into a dark scene where she is seen embracing the charm of the serpent (Satan in the bible) and giving into temptation with a bite into an apple. The serpent is a symbol of Sin and her character's innocent mind still unknowing of the world's evils gave in to what she thought was more than the beauty of the garden she was 'trapped' in.

After biting the apple she falls to the ground unconscious and when her back hits the floor we are taken into an entirely different setting. She is in a strip club, sweaty and filthy she moves with seduction and ease like the sway of a snake whilst being covered in money.  She is now completely different to the previous image of her we were introduced to. She belongs to the world and no longer embodies the reflection of her creator. Her innocence is gone and she now craves the danger and excitement the bad side offers, she's completely taken by it and unashamed by her desire to revel in darkness. This transition is significant as it can be seen as a reference to Satan's fall from grace. In the biblical story, Satan (also known as Lucifer) was once an angel who was closest to God's heart, but after a while he pondered on the idea of being God or even greater than him and eventually he rounded up a following and rebelled against him. God retaliated by casting Satan and his followers out of the heavens, so they descended from Zion to a bottomless pit (the earth). This separation is that which created the divide between Good and Evil.

In the story of Adam and Eve, the serpent approaches eve saying: (Genesis 3: 1-5) Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'" "You will not certainly die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Knowing that it is in the nature of all those not in the position of God to lust after power when not content with their position, Satan lured Eve into eating the fruit of the forbidden tree causing her to know of all things good and bad. She gave the fruit to Adam and told him to eat of it and he did despite being told directly from God that he would surely die if he ate from it. When God realised what they had done after seeing them clothed, likewise, they too were cast away, from the Garden of Eden and condemned to a life of pain, suffering, loss and turmoil for themselves and generations following after them. 

This concept of being condemned to a lifetime of turmoil and disruption is seen in the short film when we transition to Lana in the strip club and Shaun by the till of a corner store. They have suddenly gone from paradise to perdition in the blink of an eye. It is clear from this point that they too desired to be more than what they were, but uncertain of the potential consequence of eating the fruit they both decided to anyway which is the key aspect to understanding why they were cast down to the earth. As in the bible, Eve was deceived by the serpent in  her uncertainty and momentary distrust in God's command whilst Adam gave into Eve's temptation knowing already what God had told him.

In this new world they both indulge in deadly sins that seem to push them both further down the line, but this revelation doesn't seem to frighten them. They now find themselves in a constant cycle of sinning and trying to redeem themselves. LA has now become the garden of evil. It is the Eden they turned into a seemingly divine hell. Here they do anything to satisfy the desire to be godly and iconic. For instance, as she works in the strip club, she wears red the colour of sacrifice. This is a symbol of her sacrificing her youth, beauty and innocence for money and fame. Measures that would normally cause one to be ashamed but knowing that the end result will be that she is praised highly like others idols e.g. Elvis, Marilyn, etc is more than enough for her. 

In conclusion, All these themes tie together to explore a Journey through sin and redemption to find oneself completely. From the beginning through to the end of this piece her character has gone through a number of trials which she succeeded by selling her soul to the devil for successive worldly achievement. Unraveling the essence of this story has shown me that story telling has many layers that rely on visual communication to the audience. Most of the themes unraveled in this story have been told visually and have not been mentioned through word. This can be considered a subliminal message or a vague way of allowing the audience to come up with their own opinion on the themes explored, making the piece a marvel of speculation and diverseness. In my piece I hope to explore many themes such as self worth, love, pain and emotion. I will also be addressing smaller personal and cultural issues such as prostitution, money, domination, body language and communication. I hope to tell and play on these themes visually as when adapting the poem, I will have creative to interpret the story in a way that expresses my thoughts on it. 

I really like the dark and fantasy imagery applied in her video and although my story is a short piece I do hope to make it magical in a charming but thrilling way. Other inspirations I will also look at are Rihanna's B*tch better have my money, The Black Swan, and of course the main inspiration behind my story idea The Secret Diary Of A London Call Girl. 

Sources: Anthony Mandler Interview, Genesis Chapter 3:1-5

Digital News Production ( News Package Plan Outline and Reflections)

Below I will be entailing the final conclusion to my brand, story, direction and over all plan for this news-package including it's shoot location, presenters and people that are part of the story.

Brand: Trendz Tv

 

Trendz Tv is a lifestyle news channel that will target an audience of 18+ providing them with news in Technology, Entertainment, Music, Fashion, Beauty, and interesting world affair topics. Given that lifestyle news is a vast and endless collection of categories and topics, I've had to narrow down what I'm focusing on for the news-package to avoid confusion and losing the attention of the audience. This will draw the viewer more towards my channel as they will feel it is specific to them, given that my topics are about lifestyle.

Now according to Kissmetrics ,  there is a way colour can be used to draw in your audience, this is referred to as colour psychology - basically using the right colours to send the right message and more importantly to appeal to your target audience. Now given that my potential audience would be 18+, creative and very out-going, I must use colours that they also would like to draw them in. If I'm looking for a certain type of crowd I have to intergrate the qualities I want in my audience in my channel and website in order for them to feel a connection and liking for it. I chose to make a simple logo as I don't feel people rely on this alone to determine what makes a good news channel. According to a recent study by the university of British Colombia, Red and Blue are the two most useful colours in informative and advertisement aspects.

When you see red thoughts that come to mind tend to be danger, warnings, or maybe a violation of some sort. So Using a colour like red for a news package with an informative nature and serious topics would be ideal e.g. Sky News, BBC etc.

However, Blue is a rather more cool ,calm and collected colour. When I see blue I think about pretty clear waters in Fiji, Oceans, the sky, the sea. These are all things that evoke a certain calm in those that are receptive to the image. I chose pastel colours because they are bright, cheerful and calming and I feel these colours are relevant to my subject material for the news package.

News Package:
The news package will feature a short look at love letters in the past and their comparison to dating apps today. The whole aim of this news package is to highlight the culture and difference in communication between then (1917, First World War)  and (The new Millennium, 2015,  Today). It will also play on the introduction to communication technology i.e. The internet - emailing, Messaging, Video calling and conferencing and how it has changed people's perception of love and its communication.


Professionals being interviewed:
I sent an Email to the Imperial War Museum London that requests from their press department a curator to be interviewed for my project. However, IWM weren't open to being interviewed by a student and given that I was running out of time I had to make do without an interview section. The package will be presented by Mark Adeyeye a student on the university of Kent's Film and Drama course. His presentation of the package is ultimately what will string my piece together given that I no longer have access nor time to interview a professional from the museum.

Location: The news Package will be filmed at the Imperial War Museum as it is an essential and main part of this program .

Digital News Production (Break Down of inspiration, Ideas, and Research Materials)

Lifestyle news comprises of many things in different aspects of life that interest people. Ranging from health to entertainment, travel and interior design and much, much more. Below I have created a diagram that highlights the types and what you're likely to see/read/hear alongside them. Doing this made it easy for me to be clear and concise about my story for the news package. As I know what direction I 'm going in, who my audience is and also the style and branding too.
(Click on photo to enlarge)

After reading through our brief we decided to look at different ways we could come up with Ideas for our news package. I did some exploration online after we decided to focus in on a Technology - fused with a fun and personal aspect - story. So after thinking of ways to narrow down our scope on technology in a way that still expands on its use, we decided dating apps would be an informative yet interesting and trendy topic that could relate to a wide range of audience as technology is commonly used today for the necessary and personal. 

I continued to source research online relevant to our subject that we could use to support and create the basis of our story and stumbled across some interesting facts that might help with the direction of our news package. Evan Marckatz is a relationship expert and blogger who helps women understand the order of all things lust and love. On his website, there is a detailed section that goes deep into the dos and donts, the why's and how's of Online dating which I feel might be in relation to our news package.

Below are some of our ideas for the package. I will include details of our source material from which we drew our ideas under each potential news package idea.

• From Love Letters to Selfies and Crude Texts we look at how love communications have changed over time.

Back in the day a lot of social rules put a hinge on the way men and women communicate. For instance, a man and women would usually not speak unless formally introduced to one another by Family or people with a high social standing. However, this practice is now completely irrelevant to how men and women associate themselves with one another today. With the introduction of communication technology (Mobile phones e.g.- iPhone, Email e.g-  gmail, chatting services e.g- whatsapp and blackberry Messenger) dating has evolved in measures that allow personal feelings, and thoughts to be conveyed online. With the dating scene growing rapidly through apps and websites, it has become the norm to find partners on the internet.

Now tinder is the perfect case study if we want to talk about the change in love communication in the past century. It has a wide range of audience from 16 all the way up to 64, and of all these people only 42% of them are single. From writing love letters to swiping left or right on selfies we look at the change in demands from a relationship then and now and the effects of modern communication on dating. The news package will focus on the growth of dating from its humble beginnings where age wasn't just a number and texts didn't exist.
Sources: Wired, B.O.A

• A quick look at statistics of use and success in Big Dating websites and Apps like Tinder, Eharmony and Match.com

This would be a story that looks at the financial gain of successful dating Apps like Tinder, Match.com and Eharmony. I would focus on three key aspects of their profit e.g. audience, purchases, popularity, success stories etc. In order to get a nice tight story. I would include the audience in my story as they would be watching and it would be interesting and in a way vital for them to know more of what they're potentially a part of. Given that the age group of uTrend Tv's Audience is 18+, it is likely that they would appreciate in this interesting and informative package, as 38% of tinder users are between the ages of 16-24.

Sources: Wired

Other News Package ideas 

• A summary of the pros and cons of new technology in love communications e.g. online dating websites and apps. 
• Whether it has furthered success in finding a partner or worsened face to face communication. 
• Opinions of people younger who have used the website and older couples more used to former means of communication e.g. love letters and secret visits. 
• Advice and top ten safety tips from a renown sex, love and relationship blogger. 

After looking through my ideas, I decided it would be interesting to focus on the evolution of dating and how modern communication technology turned courting into a hook up culture. I think this subject matter will appeal to a wide audience as dating is something that everyone has done even 13 year old kids!  This subject will focus on key aspects of dating that have changed its nature and social meaning ( by this I mean a new dating culture) that only existed a while (not so long) after the millennium. With this subject I hope to inform and entertain my target audience by using fun yet informative language and also by having interesting presenters with a comedic, bubbly and light personality. 

Digitial News Production: Green Screen Workshop, Adobe Illustrator & After effects tutorial

Green Screen Workshop

The Green screen allows you to get creative with your visual pieces. It's a medium that allows you erase visual you don't need in your visual and key in new ones. For example, you might shoot an interview in a studio but you don't like the atmosphere/surrounding and want something more relevant to your topic of discussion for the interview. You can use a green screen to get rid of that backdrop and add a new one, be it an image or graphic design studio setup.

Below is a video that fully helped me understand the process as I couldn't view the workshop. Adorama are an American media technology company that specialize in Selling media products and train people in their usage to ensure good use of the product. I watched their green screen video and many others that help in fields like this.




Key things to remember when using a green screen to key in Images to your footage.

• Green is perfect for Keying particularly with a DSLR as they're more compressed in data.
• Make sure no wrinkles are visible to avoid unwanted texture and bad shadows for keying
• Never place the subject to close or far from the green screen to avoid the green reflecting on the subject and also to avoid losing the green backdrop. 
• The subject should be placed forward to allow room for a foreground and background lighting which is good for filming. 
• Tweak the lights to your advantage to eliminate shadows in the green screen and create an even background.
• Adjust camera aperture to maximize  good lighting on the subject

Source: Adorama

 I was thinking of using Adobe Illustrator CS6 but later decided it was a bit technical and far too advanced for me to use without good understanding of it for this project. I have since decided I will be using Imovie to help me successfully lay my image in place of the green screen.

Below is a screenshot of my finished design for my green screen and how it looks in my final piece.

Fiction Adaptation (Poem Background and Visual Ideas)

For You Dear 

Friend // Anthony Anaxagorou

Background

For you dear friend tells the story of a broken character going through a wave of dark emotions like Loneliness, Self Loathing and Depression, but is told by someone (Anthony) that seems to have a connection with this person in the story. 

Throughout the poem these themes are touched on in manners that evoke questions in the mind of the reader. e.g. :

• Why does this person feel these emotions? 
• Why are they so detached from the “light” and so drawn to the “darkness”?
• Who is this person? Is it someone particular? 
• Could it be anyone?

The poem features a number of juxtaposing in words. Such as:

• “I know what it's like to wash your face and still feel dirty.”
• " I know what it's like to be loved and still feel hated."

These literary devices will be of good use when trying to bring the contrasts in this poem to light visually. 

My thoughts on the poem 

My understanding is that this poem is metaphor for what we become as we grow older. As a child there is a love, nurture and freedom that is guaranteed. But unfortunately this privilege wears off when we form into adults. Love is no longer guaranteed and all the feelings someone impacted on our lives when younger, we now have the task of impacting on ourselves. We become fully aware of things we were oblivious to and in a way it creates an opposite mind and being from that in an innocent child.  We become coins and have two sides, presumably one that is dark and the other light. In the case of the person in the poem the darkness seems to have taken over trapping them in an infinity of black and instilling in them the inability to see the brighter side in anything. I feel as though this character has gained nothing in all their doings and has only lost a piece of his or her self each time.

Visual Ideas
After a lot of brain storming and wider research I decided i want to adopt a certain look for my piece. I quite liked the image of a girl in the middle of the frame, a lot of distortion and symmetry. Because the poem features juxtapositions between good and bad, light and dark etc I want to replicate this effect in my visual by using colour to contrast between scenes. One can light and nicely coloured, with brights, warm lighting, subtle camera movements etc. Whilst the other will be washed out and gloomy. not highly saturated and dark imagery to really emphasize on the contrast in the words of the poem.

I found some pieces online and others that I love to show an example of how I expect my colour grading to look. In these images you can see a clear difference, in the colours, the set, lighting and frame size etc. I really like the way they played with their visuals. They both evoke feelings that you cant get from dialogue alone. The visual pieces really compel you towards the story thanks to colours, moods etc.

Fiction Adaptation (Rules of adaptation)

Adapting Novels and Poems to screen & Visual and Narrative Ideas

 For an adaptation to be successful, it needs to include all the elements necessary to make it connect in a manner that tells the story in your own way yet still retaining parts of its original form. e.g. storytelling. According to Michael Hauge the foundation of story telling is simply character, desire and conflict. That the underlying system of all stories is this: emotionally involving characters must overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles in order to achieve their compelling desires.

In other words, the character must have a personal conflict - something they need but don't have that only tackling the obstacle will give them e.g. validation, love, revenge, wealth etc. However these inner desires and motivations don't mean much without an objective that is the way they go about attaining these things for example - in beauty and the beast Belle is the beauty who thinks there is so much more to the average life they all live in her small town and more to marriage than mere advantages and she indulges in mystical books to escape the ordinary. But this desire wouldn't mean anything without the problem which was her father getting caught by the beast and thus leading to her imprisonment in exchange for her father's freedom. Without this Belle wouldn't have come about the mystical castle and the Beast. She wouldn't have been exposed to an opportunity to have a different life if those inner motivations weren't attached to a problem.

Rules of Adaptation

So with this in mind, the best way to make a successful adaptation is to: 

• Ensure your story has a well defined concept - The goal of the protagonist must be outlined visibly and the audience must be able to know what represents success for the main character. 
• Avoid too many scenarios/obstacles - Storytelling is more concise when there is one clear goal, problem and solution. It gives the audience something to root for. e.g In the book about John Nash he faces a number of trials and tribulations but these aren't in the film adaptation a beautiful mind. The film focuses tightly on his and his wife's battle with schizophrenia. His Inner motivation - His love with her, Problem - His disease, constant barrier in their marriage. Solution - Accepting that his friend Charlie wasn't real and reconnecting with those that weren't and also his devotion to a number of works. 
• Your interest must lean more towards your adaption and not the original piece - The goal is to get emotion from the audience, not to impress readers of the original work. Adapting novels, poems, passages etc is all about your understanding and interest of the piece but also creating something fluid, a piece that works well as a story and not just all your favourite parts. It's like making a story within a story still the same - in a way -  just more brief. 

(Digital News) Pre-Production: News Package and Live OB ideas

We want our news topics to be broad and concise, fun but still informative and something relevant to everyone. Hence why we've chosen some exciting topics to look out for our news program. Below is a list of content for our news program highlighting what exactly we're talking about and what we hope to include in the program in regards to sources and experts.



Studio - Introduction, and coming ups, packages and Live news.

The Intro would be a short but nice graphic video illustrating what our brand name.
Then we'd do an oral list of things coming up: Dating Locations, Rugby World Cup, LFW Aftermath and The Segway Craze (Live)
Online dating (News Package)
Segway Event (Live)

For the News package we decided to go with dating as the overall topic and visit a view subtopics within it's vast scope.

News Package: Dating (Evolution of dating) 

This package will include the following:

• From Love Letters to Selfies and Crude Texts we look at how love communications have changed over time.
• A quick look at statistics of use and success in Big Dating websites and Apps like Tinder, Eharmony and Match.com
• A summary of the pros and cons of new technology in love communications e.g. online dating websites and apps. 
• Whether it has furthered success in finding a partner or worsened face to face communication. 
• Opinions of people younger who have used the website and older couples more used to former means of communication e.g. love letters and secret visits. 
• Advice and top ten safety tips from a renown sex, love and relationship blogger. 

Live OB package "Segway Craze":

For our Live OB package we decided to cover the new Segway Craze taking the world by storm. It has appeared across numerous social media sites like Vine, Twitter and Facebook. In fact, it's so popular that there are events being hosted to bring together users of this phenomenon and first time users also.

In this live OB we will look at the following:

• A correspondent at a Segway event - Interview people at the site asking about the use, what they think of its popularity etc. 
• An interview with the organizer of the event
• Back to the future - hinting this would happen much earlier on? (suggested by helen)

(Digital News)Pre-Production:Ideas Lab

 Finding our Niche

Having decided my group we began immediately finding ideas about the kind of brand we wanted to be. Eventually we decided to form a lifestyle news program - after looking around the room for inspiration - as most of our interests fell under this category. I looked at other brands online Like TMZ, PerezHilton, and E!news All of which had some aspects we wanted to integrate into our brand such as fashion, music, film , love nd relationships, fitness and health,trending topics online and all other things lifestyle. We figured that given we were a lifestyle brand we wanted to deliver our news differently. Sites like Enews and TMZ tend to converse with the audience as opposed to a formal script write up like BBC and Sky News. I feel our Niche will be our You decide feature in which case the audience decide the topic for the  next program. Also our brand image and our method of delivery for news.

Once we knew what we wanted for our brand we looked at the aspects we needed to cover such as:our logo and colour scheme, topics for News Package and Live OB, Mock up stories etc.

Brand and Designing

We decided after numerous attempts to go with NewsTrends. Given that our top choice was taken we had other names such as TrendTV TrendzTV, PushTV, Newztrend, Newstrend, and Newstrends. (A lot of variations of one word!). We are a funky and lively lifestyle brand and want our image to reflect our personality. So after a bit of mood board research online we decided on pastel and bright colours. I did a little mock up of what might work for our brand name using these colours.

In addition, we looked at the types of sets we desired for our brand. A set design would include things like the desk a news presenter sits at and the background behind. But this is for more formal news programs. Given that we our a lifestyle brand we were leaning more towards a comfy environment with colorful cushions and artistic back grounds etc.

 BBC NEWS Set Design

Rachael and Wendy Williams ( Lifestyle shows) Set Design

(Digital News) Pre Production: TrendTv Presentation (Now Newstrends)

A presentation of our ideas from the idea lab.

Includes new updates on Ideas like the target audience and our brand statement.
"Making it our duty to pull you out from under the rock."

Digital News Production: Unit Introduction and Understanding of the project tasks.

Introduction 

The Digital News unit will focus on the key origins of news programming, and the methods used to create an outreach to all people of the world. Throughout this unit we will learn the importance of News within its genre and also how things have evolved since its inception.


Project Brief 

One of our main challenges in this unit will be to use the knowledge and experience gained to produce the following in a group:

* To design our own digital online news brand/channel via a website or video channel service e.g. Youtube. 

 - an original title sequence/branded strapline/GFX that fits our channel identity
 - a promotional package/ a presenter led teaser that gives an idea what our programme is about. 
 - an appropriate branding/banner at the top of the screen.

* One News Package per group - 2'00-3'00 duration

* One live OB report with a news reporter on sight/location (recorde as live but may include pre-shot material)

* Films must be published alongside a website with lots of written material about the stories,  our video channel and other relevant updates concerning the news brand. 

Individual Project challenges/Tasks are as follows: 

* Regular updates on my research and development Journal (20% of overall mark)

* A 1500-2000 word report (A critical reflection on the project with a less personal undertone and more formal.

Skills I will acquire throughout the duration of this project: 

-Storytelling (Creating good narrative)

-Sourcing Contributions

-Sourcing Locations

-SWEFF

-Self criticism of work 

-Planning theoretical work 

-Script-writing for news

-Sequencing and actuality

-Ensuring Good coverage for post production

-Factual Accuaracy 

-Interpreting information and finding good news stories

-Team work

-Time and Project management 

The meeting reflections

After every Unit, it's a good Idea to reflect on all the work that's been done as it helps to see where you've gone wrong and what you can improve and also it's a representation of the quality of your work.

I'm going to assess myself in stages so that my reflection can be detailed for my understanding.

Idea Development: 

This stage of the process has always been the easiest part for me given that I'm creative and love coming up with new stories and ideas. However, being too creative is also my fault. I feel I didn't think about actuality and whether or not it would be possible to put my film idea on screen as a student - and this is where a budget comes in. When making a film on a budget, it means there are less elements to keep your film going for the audience so it has to be a well written story and well written characters. When coming up with the idea of my characters I was particularly drawn to Maryanne as I felt I could empathise with her character having experienced a few deaths in my family, so in that sense it was an easy start to making up her character. But, at times i felt a bit stuck with the direction she was going in I felt controlled by her character rather than me making the words that would control her. For instance, she has a poetic and victorian nature about her, but other times she had a modern youthfulness to her character which didn't add up with the style of the script. But overall, I feel Maryanne's character is more complete than Jeremy's. Jeremy and Dr.Whittaker didn't have much character to them and were practically there to do my job which was to tell the audience maryanne's awful fate and at the same time show promise towards the end of her life through a relationship with Jeremy in which she would learn to love living despite her own complications. I could have included Jeremy's back story some more in the script to give the audience and myself a better understanding of his character. But there is always room for improvement and I intend to revisit this script and give his character more depth and personality so that his character is believable. This also applies to Dr. Whittaker whose character has the same faults as Jeremy's.

Scriptwriting: 

Having been taught the way Final draft works, and doing some research on my own, I was comfortable writing in final draft and following my tutorial with Steve it was apparent that writing is probably my best skill set on this course.  Writing my script was good seeing as i had planned it beforehand, all I had to do was follow my plan sheet. Although I made several changes to the story and style of the script.

Production Process:  

Production was the hardest part of the film process for me. I didn't enjoy the process because I was working alone without much help and the weather was completely against me. In addition, i couldn't use the camera I know how to use best as it was fully booked so I had to rely on my mediocre knowledge of the sony cameras. We had previously done workshops on the sony cameras but I just couldn't get my head around it. So not knowing how to make the most out of the camera really limited my work. In addition I experienced a lot of last minute problems. my initial cast made themselves unavailable after committing to my shoot date so I then had to get my sister and her friend to play the role and seeing as they;re not professionals they could only do so much. The editing process I mentioned in a seperate post in more detail so check it out there.