Multi-camera and Single camera

Floor Manager and 1st AD

This was an amazing project where I got to use my professional practices learned so far, and apply them to two new exciting projects. [11,816 Words]

AC1

Our brief for single cam was to recreate a scene from one of the shows given, which had to be shot using a single camera. In the end we chose this country; here we were given one interior scene and one exterior scene. The brief for this project was relatively easy to stick to and complete, we just had to create the scene with accuracy and make sure we were using a single camera to shoot the entire thing. I felt quite happy when we were given this brief, as I had always had an interest in the role of the 1st AD and, this then allowed me to put what I had previously learnt (writing documents, scheduling, organizing, assigning and communicating) into practice. We also were given a lot of responsibility for this project, therefore if it were to all come crashing, it would be our fault. I enjoyed this pressure, as I feel a little bit of pressure personally motivates me a little. So, I feel this allowed me to reach my full potential during my role. The brief was also quite simplified; therefore, it gave us a huge amount of creative freedom, which was nice but also, I did feel a few, including myself, still went to sir to ask for advice, but I suppose we are still learning.

Target audience was pretty much the same demographic as the original show, which was around Genz/ millennial interest but of course this doesn’t limit our audience reach. I personally have watchedthiscountry and it is so hilariouslybrilliant that it wouldbe hard to recreate with the same feel. Due to this we had to find a way to create this with our own twist, but also still advertise the brilliant and simplistic elements of the script. Having. A target audience helped us shape this vision and gave us guidance on locations and costumes. We ensured we stuck to this by keeping in the relevant humor, and by keeping the same aesthetics and dynamics that were featured in the original this country. We managed tobut this into practice through elements such as handheld shots, naturalistic colour grading and set, uncut pull ins (e.g., using zooms without cutting clips to differentiate the angles, the camera would move depending on the angle or where the dialogue or action was happening). As stated, we wanted to keep the same feel to our version, but Harrison did of course have his amazing creativeinput which altered a few aspects,butI think itworked so well.

Our brief for multi-cam was to create our own unique vision of our very own magazine show. This had to be more than 15min long and contain 3 VT’s and be filmed using a multi-cam style shoot. Multi-cam is where something is filmed using multiple live cameras, and you have a gallery where a vision mixer sits, where they will change between live cameras to alter the shots live. This is often used for live tv where you may have a teleprompt and a very stressed floor manager running up and down set to make sure everything is going smoothly. In the end we chose to do a show called discombobulated, which was a variety game show. In this show we brought on different guests to do different activities, and we also had contracting VTsto break up segments and add depth. So, although it was primarily filmed using multi-cam, we did use elements from past projects when it came to filming our single cam VT’s. I was originally quite excited by this brief, as it was something completely new, creative and relevant to what I fancied doing in the future. Due to again this brief being quite flexible, it gave us creative freedom but also responsibility, so even though we made sure all our ideas and plans met the specifications, by checking them all up against the requirements and raising them to the attention of everyone in the group for clarification, we then just needed to make sure we stuck to them as the development process move through to production.

Target audience was aimed at 16–18-year-olds due to our proposal of it had to be suitable for boa live. Boa live at is a platform which boa submitscontent to on a live broadcasted channel on freeview. After watching the final edit of this piece, I feel it does math this as I couldn’t see anyone above 25 tuning in each day to watch this. It is very teenage aimed and containshumor and topics that would only really be enjoyed by likeminded and aged students. It was hard to aim it to this specific area of demographics, as teens at this specificage have incredibly different interests and social cultures, therefore making it broad by nature but also relevant and engaging on a personal level was very hard. It also helped us when creating content, scripts and just general things surrounding production, as we could make decisions based off our own thoughts and opinions at the relevant time. We ensured we stuck to this demographic and target audience, by just constantly evaluating things as we went, and adapting and changing things as and when we noticed a problem. Wejust had to give each other helpful feedback along the way and go off our own judgement, so all we could do really was do our best topredict what our audience would enjoy. We also did research to support our decisions and compared our ideas to relevant boa live content, so, this way we could guarantee that it would engage an audience of that genre.

Our main challenge was sound. None of us had extensive experience in sound, therefore helping each other and experimenting on the lead up to filming was crucial. Gaddu took on sound as their primal role, but we all helped as much as we could. On the day of shoot we soon realized we didn’t have the correct SD for our sound equipment, this led to a huge problem getting started, and me and Harrisoncame up with the conclusion that we would just have to voice over and dub our scenes. Once we got on set, we saw Cormac our amazing tech guru, so me and Martha my 2nd AD chased him to see if he had any, and with luck he did. We then ran back to the location and sorted our sound equipment. Once this was resolved we could move extremely quickly. Due to this small mishap in the plan, we were behind by 55minuets on schedule, but by keeping a fast pace and drilling through the shot list, we managed to finish with 35 minutes to spare! We then had time to do the interviews in our script and time to review our shotsbeforeclosing for lunch.

Another issue was absence and communication. Due to this being our first major self-led project, some people didn’t have that push to get stuff done. Unfortunately, this was due to stuff not being completed ontime, others waiting for documents from other departments, which slowed things down and created a real catch-upfeeling throughout the entire process. I do feel this alsodemonstratedunprofessionalism and lack of passion for the project which did bring down the mood a lot. Due to people not pulling their weight all the time, it now leaves us in an end position of uncompleted pre-production and a messy rush and panic for people not having complete documents. One example being from my end, I did not have a slid shot list from anyone at any point leading up the production date, I had asked multiple times but did not receive one. Due to a false promise of ‘I would have it by the morning of the shoot’ I ended up waiting until the morning of production, to create two 4-page schedules on the way to college with no creative back up or accuracy, apart from a script and a visual shot list of 4 shots. This left me estimating the time scale for thewhole day, for us to end up finish and leave on time. I still do not have a schedule 2 weeks after shoot day, but unfortunately that is out of my control which was very frustrating that I couldn’thavestepped in and done it myself.

During filming we also had an issue with cars coming up and down the road we were suing to film. we even had one guy pull up and park on the path in his van right Infront of the camera and decided to block the vision to theother side of the road. We at one point had to stand in the middle of the road until shots were completed where we would shout road clear before shots. In the end we couldn’t stop life from going on around filming to although it was frustrating at times, we just had to take It lightheartedly and laugh about it.I have also had a huge problem with downloading files from OneDrive, therefore it has delayedmy chance to edit my version. I solved this by just uploading them to another file one by one, to be able to eventually transfer them onto premier pro. This again was unavoidable it was just a long process that didn’t give me the extra benefit of more time, but everyone seemed to have the same issue.

The product purpose for this project was to purely entertain, it was a mockumentary exhaduratingand taking the mick out of average council estate country life. It was a comedic piece designed to make people laugh and educate people about life in the country. I feel we communicated this indefinitely in our final piece. The purpose was also to educate me, and everyone else in myteam, about teamwork, independent projects and about responsibility. A1 was all about giving us the skills to create a good standard of work, but this project gave us the opportunity to practice these in a realistic environment. It taught me how hard it is to create something without a professional's input on the development of each process, and specificallyit taught me about the long and tiring process of delivering something so short and simple. We learnt about all these skills that add up together to create a result, but we haven't yet been able to use themaltogether at one time. So, I think this was one of the best projects for developing my skills in the creative media industry. I guess you'llJust have to watch it and decide for yourself...

Our target audience for this country is again Genz/ millennial based, but it not restricted in any means, it completely depends on people s humor. It is silly/ lighthearted comedy but there are comments that some may find offensive. There is also strong language and some references that will not be suitable for a younger audience (13 under). There are also no restrictions surrounding gender, there are protagonists of both sexes so that shouldn’t split it into a stereotyped audience genre. However, this country does reference a lot to the lower/ working class, which may not be aimed at the higher class, but you never know, it completely depends on their outlook on curtain societal topics etc. There is a very strongYorkshire accent throughout which may also gather an audience from the northern end of England, people may watch it due to the familiarizedhumor and almost find it an easy to watch/ comforting vibe.

For discombobulated our Target audience was aimed at 16–18-year-olds due to our proposal of it had to be suitable for boa live. Boa live at is a platform which boa submits content to on a live broadcasted channel on freeview. After watching the final edit of this piece, I feel it does math this as I couldn’t see anyone above 25 tuning in each day to watch this. It is very teenage aimed and contains humor and topics that would only really be enjoyed by likeminded and aged students. It was hard to aim it to this specific area of demographics, as teens at this specific age have incredibly different interests and social cultures, therefore making it broad by nature but also relevant and engaging on a personal level was very hard. It also helped us when creating content, scripts and just general things surrounding production, as we could make decisions based off our own thoughts and opinions at the relevant time. We ensured we stuck to this demographic and target audience, by just constantly evaluating things as we went, and adapting and changing things as and when we noticed a problem. We just had to give each other helpful feedback along the way and go off our own judgement, so all we could do really was do our best to predict what our audience would enjoy. We also did research to support our decisions and compared our ideas to relevant boa live content, so, this way we could guarantee that it would engage an audience of that genre.

Regarding age, I feel it is suitable for those 16+. It is stated that our target audience is 16–18-year-olds, however, I wouldn’t say it should be lower than 16 due to the nature of some of the segments. One segment was minuet maker, where tori and jack would make a craft in a minuet, but the nature of the theming situated throughout may be very target specific of a Genz and late teens approach. Gender is also a factor as our presenter panel is male dominated, however there is female presence throughout, so I don’t think this has an impact of whetherit's more suitable to one gender than the other, I think it is genuinely personal preference. I would say however, it’s aimed at students and those with an interest in that kind of YouTube feel video. I feel these points do match the demographics of 16–18-year-olds as there nothing that should cancel them out as ‘ideal’ audience candidates.

AC1

Camera movement is also generically used to create a sense of depth and emotion. It can be used to draw the attention of the audience to specific elements within frame or to establish a sense of a location or atmosphere. Camera movementis useful when trying to do this by using things like establishing shots. Establishing shots are used to draw attention to the location of the scene. However, things like a slow pan across a city can set the tone for anurban drama or a sweeping shot of an elaboratemansion,maybe the scene for a murder mystery. Emotion and mood can also impact the camera movement, for example a close handheld shot that follows someone's speed at eye level, this could be of someone walking and gradually ending in a run, can create tension. But also, you can use camera movement to show someone's point of view. For example, a Pov of the protagonist walking into a busy room, would create that immersive and inclusive feel from an audience's perspective, therefore engaging, involving, and heightening their emotions. One shot was filmed from across the road and zoomed in from far at one of the characters during our exterior scene. This was to show and exhadurate the distance between them. In the scene Mandy is hearing Kerry talk rubbish about her, but Mandy is across the road at quite a distance and still hears her comments. This shot proves the distance to add humor. This could also involve the audience in the humorousdiscussion to make it seem like they're in on the gossip too, therefore also making the audienceautomatically on side with Kerryand kirtan, therefore making them even funnier even though they'rein theory nasty comments.

Dirty framing is a technique used in filmmaking where the shot is framed in a way that includes elements that are not traditionally considered part of the shot, such as objects or people partially cut off or out of focus. This technique can be used to create a sense of intimacy, urgency, or unease in the audience. In a single cam projectspecifically, dirty framing can be used to add a visual interest and uniqueness to the shot by creating a sense of depth and layering. An example being to create tension, this is done by including elements in the frame that are notusually there, this can add unease and tension due to the audience questioning the object with unusual focus. For example, in a hoor film, dirty framing is used to create a sense of dread by including things in the frame that suggest something is hiding or creeping. Another being just to add visual interest, such as adding foreground and background elements into shot, this just sometimes make the image more complex and dynamic for the audience eye. Dirty framing being used to convey emotion is also very common as for example, if a character is feeling trapped, the shot could be framed with things that create a sense of claustrophobia or restriction. We used dirty faming by changing the focus onto different people during a single shot. So, we would start with dialogue between Kerry and Kurtin, burring other assets around, then when Mandy would speak across the road, the focus would switch onto her, then blurring Kerry and kurtain. We also often used it on establishing shots with a coke can and a fence on the estate

Sound scaping is the process of creating an audio landscape that enhances the visual concept of a project. for example,in a single cam project, sound scaping can be used to create a sense of depth and involvement for the viewer. It is all about creating that immersive experience for our audience. Establishing a location is a great way to use this to create purpose, as it can help set the scene with ambient noise that matches the location. An example of this being sirens, cars, people beeping noises at a hospital to make it feel more realistic. Another way being adding music or sound effects to fit the mood of a. scene to enhance the emotion in the scene. It can help an audience member connect more to a moment, for example when Mufasa dies in lion king they play really sad music which makes everyone cry. Despite all the creative ways to use it with purpose, you can also use it to help keep continuity in the project, as by using similar sound sit can resonate to locations or people, for example, it can keep things like motifs, or a recurring theme linked. We used this in this country through ambience of the life around, as the road sounds and background chatter, really added to the estate feel.

This morning is amagazine show that’s main conceptis to educate and entertain people using game shows, panel guests and VT's. The main idea behind it is thatit's a bit of lighthearted entertainment to start your day off. It is filled with familiar faces, guests and interesting topics and stories to engage their audiences. I would say their target is not limited to an age or gender, as it is a family friendly show with no strong gender attachment, however, it is a morning breakfast show, which may only reach the audience that is available to watch during that time frame. Most people are working weekdays each morning, which may decrease their demographic to stay at home parents, work from home colleagues or even retired personnel. Despite that, I do know people who watch thedaily episode on catch up later that day, this just proves the loyal fan base for this show, and its mass engagement, there is certainly everything on this show, cooking, games, call ins, cash prizes, guest speakers, performances and much more! This would most definitely appeal to that said audience of stay-at-home parents, work from home colleagues or even retired personnel, as previously mentioned there is something for everyone, and even if one person doesn’t have a certain interested in the current segment, they're only short segments, therefore there will be something new on every 8-9minuets.

Multi-camera setup is used this morning due to it being a live broadcast show with multiple cameras. In my opinion this is used as there would be no time to prerecord and edit this show each day, it is aired 5 days a week every week, it would be impossible to do this each episode. It is also a large set that requires multiple angles in each segment, with this said, it means that thismulti-camera set up will work better than a single cam, prerecorded shoot. For example, during cooking shows, it switches between the chef in the kitchen on the left but also the presenters on the sofa or bench, during that whole take, we need wide shots of both, close ups of both and focus on the food being cooked, there is also only one time to do this and record this, therefore this couldn't be achieved with one camera and one take.

AC2

Our group discussion during multi-cam was heavily relied on during the whole process of our production. This had significant importance due to it allowing all members of the team to have an input on the development of the production. We needed this to make sure everyone had and part in decisions and creative choices. In theory we all wanted to be happy with our final product, so this meant everyone's opinions needed to be valid in the discussions we had as a group.

An example being our initial discussion. During this initial meeting our goal was to create an idea and rough practical plan to kickstart this project. During this we discussed firstly what roles everyone desired, which lead to assigning roles. This was pretty tough due to people wanting similar roles. We originally decided on Taylor as director and then me and missy and floor managers before starting to even out roles to those who hadn't decided. We then got to a point where there were very few roles left and people didn’t want the left-over roles, unfortunately this left us in a conclusion of having two directors to split responsibility between gallery and floor. Essentially this meant that we had more people in a job than necessary, but this would hopefully mean the job could have been completed to an incredibly high standard.

We then moved on to the discussion of our concept, name and content. We started by creating a huge mind map with ideas we already had surrounding a magazine show. We collaborated on the knowledge we already had and combined it into a rough contents schedule. Then we began to try and put a name together, but this ended up being pushed aside and created later down the line. We then began to all split the contents of the rough schedule with people, who would take responsibility for the creation of it.For example, me, Missy and Sam took responsibility for the VT segment which was discombobulated blue planet. I liked the idea of assigning people content, as it shared the responsibility and workload out to people. I feel it also benefited me from a learning and developing point ofview also, as by us three just doing this process it encouraged me to be more hands on with filming, which I probably wouldn’t get the opportunity too in a larger group, so I definitely took advantage of this time to improve my technical skills and independence with the camera and gimble.I'll talk more about this at relevant points in the learning journal. After this we then all went off and did our ideas.

We then also started a group Chat with the whole team, this made discussions more accessible at any time, which gave us so much freedom when creating quick content and decisions. This was also used to discuss the progress of the group and times for meetings, rehearsals or shoots.

Our multi-camera project discombobulated was shaped by feedback. We got feedback from so many different people during the development of the show, did people always take and act on the feedback, no, but did it also benefit some crucial parts in places, yes. When editing our discombobulated blue planet, we asked people for feedback every week, these include family, friends, peers and teachers. One piece of feedback that changed the whole piece for the better was advice from a teacher to add graphics and visible text in some parts. I think this added so much depth and dynamic to the video and helped with engagement.

During the ideas and development stage of the production, a few ideas were very unrealistic and out there, one being Harrison's public macarena. Although this sounds harmless, the original idea of forcing people to join in and running round topless in the bullring was not going to work or get greenlighted. So, one point I wanted to make was that feedback helped our ideas shape with practicality. For example, this public macarena was still the same concept, however, it had filming permissions, risk assessments, boundaries, and no topless students running through the city center on a Friday morning. The practicality advice of course was suggested and helped by our teachers, and by others in the group, suggesting alternatives for out-the-box ideas. I mean you could say that the audience feedback shaped our ideas too, as when we did our initial pitch, we had feedback off miss Hurdiss and our peers. They had mentioned comments such as how these ideas were going to be executed. How are you going to create this? Do you have plans for post and production etc. This then made us think about the answers to these questions, and if we didn’t know the answer, then maybe we should find out the answer. So, this helped shape our ideas into a solid schedule and plan. This was a great learning process as I think pitching teaches you questions you didn’t know you needed, and notices flaws you weren't aware of. I love this as it just makes your idea even more solid and more likely to be successful! Feedback is so important when developing my skills!

During single cam, I unfortunatelywasn’t really involved with the camera to an extent where I could have experimented a great deal with it. As first AD I did assist with the equipment and help where needed, but this wasn't my priority. I did, however, learn from observing verity and Harrison on the camera, and took a great deal of skills from Harrison's creative outlook on his desired shots and camera work. We did as a team experiment with dirty framing and camera movement during our test shots. These can be found on our pre-production portfolio.This was a cool opportunity because it made us aware of how important test shots really are to the production process, as for example we have a plan to shoot the actor walking through the door to the sofa, but when we went to shoot this, we realized that this couldn’t be possible due to the nature of the room we were given. We thenhad to find a way to capture the walk in froma different angle, but in a way that wouldn’t give off the atmosphere of the ‘desired house look’. This was supposed to be set in a house in a living room, but we had the location of a minimalistic school with visible structuring assets. This required so much experimentation to get it right. We ended up splitting the shot by doing as Ots as the door opened, then stitched to a walking mid close up following the actor to his seat. This allowed us to keep the focus on the actor and keep the intimacy of the room.

Regarding experimentation with the editing, I again didn’t complete an edit for this project,but I have however learnt so much from previous attempts over the whole of A1. When this course started, I had never touched premier pro EVER, then now in March 2023 I can confidently say I could edit anything on there! It has taken a lot of extra studying on YouTubethanexperimenting with home videos, but I'vemade amazing progress so far. I can confidently create graphics, cut and copy, file, import and export, also transition, edit audio with effective transitions, and also even use fancy effects like warp stabilizer. I would say if I did manage to edit this, I would have been able to do it with confidence and to a high standard using the above skills. I would also guarantee a strong attention to continuity anddedication to the emotion of the scene.

Sounds was also again not my role during this; however, it was the first time I helped to get this working. Sound was a huge issue during the beginning of the single cam shoot. As gaddudidn’t have an assistant, and it was my job to fix problems fast, I stepped in to get this problem fixed with the most efficiency as physically possible. Due to it being my job to fix the problem, I then had to learn fast about the whole technical need for sound! It was clear we needed a micro SD for the sound reader, so we could record sound. However, this is what we were missing. I spent the first hour searching for this, then the secondfitting it and helping the sound set up, so we could get it up as fast aspossible. I had never even touched sound until this day. From knowing nothing, to setting up a boom pole and recorder off verbal support from gaddu and YouTube, I DID IT. So, I guess it was something I didn’tsign up for, but in the end gave me skills I never thought I would have had the chance to learn, and gave me the confidence in myself, that maybe I can be technical if I wanted. This benefited production and made it more interesting as now our footage actually had sound to it.

AC2

I feel our scene achieved our intended goal through camera, as it was filmed using a single camera and was prerecorded and edited, which was our main brief given. However, regarding the intended purpose, this was to entertain and make our audience laugh, an di feel we did achieve this. Not long did our peers and teachers laugh when they watched the scene back, it made me laugh. The camera work definitely enhanced this as for example by using cleaver camera movement to enthesis the handheld/ sitcom feels, it gave it that naturalistic feel when there were moments of awkwardness in the dialogue. The movement of the camera of the close mid following Mandy down the road worked perfectly to create the calm element of walking, but then the calm was disrupted by a whip pan to Kerry and kurtain chatting about Mandy. This added to the purpose of comedic intensions and Entertaiment due to the transitions keeping the audience engaged with what's going on, on screen, for example that constant movement, ethicizing again that constant movement through the story.

We achieved purpose again through sound, as without sound we couldn’t have heard the comedic dialogue. The main goal for sound was to be able to hear everyone on each shot, and to not be interrupted by natural sound to an extent where the dialogue can't be heard. We did achieve this with the audio we actually got. Due to issues with sound preparation, we unfortunately didn’t record any sound for the first 1hour of filming, which means most of our exterior shots had no sound. For the coverage we did have sound for this worked well. Our main improvement for this would be to make sure we have a micro-SD prepared well in advance of the morning of shooting.

Coverage was relevantly good, I do think however, after looking through shots we would have benefited from redoing a few takes rather than bulking the SD up with different angles of the same dirty frame 24x, but I guess that was completely up to the director and camera Opp, and what they wanted and need, and I'm more than happy for them to take control on that decision. However, the coverage we do have looks great and looks even better edited together. I do again feel confident that is achieves the purpose of creative shots and it's most importantly funny and entertaining. I don’t think I would change anything regarding the coverage we had.

I can't really comment on the purpose achieved through editing, but I can talk about how I would have done this if I had. Well, the main purpose was to produce a clean and easy to follow edit with clear narrative, that communicated the themes and emotions in each scene. Let's pick it apart. I would produce a clean edit by cutting and placing my clips at the right frames, to make shots start and end aesthetically. I would then look at my continuity in depth and scan the timeline to make sure it is all matching. This would also make it easy to follow and add to the easy to follow narrative. To keep the narrative strong, I would stick to the order of the script and follow directions noted on the script lining. I would attempt to communicate themes through subtle music during certain elements of high emotion, or colour correct the clips to create the right mood and atmosphere of the screen. If I were focusing on colour correction I would probably go for a naturalistic approach but with darker and more bland tones, to add to the depressing feeling of how boring this small country town really is. Due to it being a mockumentary, it is also important to keep it naturalistic, as although it is fictional, it is also based off real life, therefore this seems like the best atmosphere to set. Emotion also following beautifully onto this, as I would try and use clips with different angles to entheses emotion, for example with that awkward feeling, I like the idea of a really wide shot of Mandy across the road, during her dialogue responding to the backlash she's getting, it kind of makes us feel sorry for her as she is far away minding her own business, but also is quite comedic that they're having the conversation/ argument so far away from each other, which then give sus that awkward sense of us as an audience have walked in on something were not meant to be listening in to.

This country The BBC show This Country is a mockumentary-style sitcom that follows the lives of young people living in a small rural village in the Cotswolds in England. The show has gained a large following on socials and was aired in 2017 and has been praised for its unique blend of humorand British culture. One way that "This Country" has inspired our product is by using local talent and settings to create authentic and relatable stories. The show was created by two siblings Daisy May Cooper and Charlie Cooper, who grew up in the Cotswolds and wanted to share their own experiences to create the characters and situations portrayed in the show. This approach has relatedto audiences who appreciate seeing their own lives in another light, and communities reflected on screen.Another way that This Country has inspired me is by demonstrating the value of using humor to address serious social issues. The show tackles topics such as poverty, mental health, and social inequality with sensitivity, while still managing to be hilarious. This approach has influenced other comedies and mockumentarieslike ours, to take on more challenging subject matters while still maintainingits comedic style.Finally, This Country has inspired our production by proving that you don't need a big budget or fancy special effecter driven emotion and storytelling. It proves that a strong script and talented actors can carry a show at the same level as fancy production aspects, like sets and visual effects, can do to create engaging and exciting tv. Theshow has a simple production value yet focuses on character.

AC3

In a single camera production, you need the following content of shot lists, visual shot lists, kit lists, camera equipment knowledge, practice shots, practice set ups. Now let’s dissect them into more depth. Once we have the basic brief and scripts, we then can begin to create a shot list. This iscrucial for camera pre-production as this will make production so much easier when you already know the coverage you want to get. It also helps other aspects of production such as schedules and call sheets, as once we know the desired coverage, we can then transform that into a time frame and schedule. Visual shot list also kind of link to this, as they are just a visual representation of the description of your desired shots. The visual shot list may be easier for the camera operator and director to have on set, but the written one is crucial for the 1st and 2nd AD’s. kit lists were also used in our camera pre-production, where we took the time to take note of the equipment needed and to also book it out for the day of filming. This also made us feel more prepared and organized. While doing the equipment list, it was crucial that those responsibly learnt about the tech they were using and feel confident in each bit of equipment, if someone wasn’t sure on something this would require some pre-production research. After shot lists were completed, it wasadvisedthat we test our shots out before filming, this was a great idea, as this made us even more prepared and allowed us to smash through filming. Finally, I would also say we did also practice setting up the equipment before the day of filming, this I would hope would class as pre-production research and preparation.

Sound also had quite a bit of pre-production, such as sound kit list, sound list, sound report and of course audio test shots. a sound kit list is again very similar to the camera one I have just talked about; however, this kit list is regarding all the sound equipment. This again lets the group know what equipment were using and also to prepare for an organized day. The sound list is basically the host list again but for sound, I feel there’s not much point reexplaining these in depth, as they are for the same purpose as mentioned above. Sound report is something really to be done after production, however, it belongs in the pre-production portfolio as it is an important document to help us all with the development. Audio test shots are something we will do before filming, this will usually be done a few days in advance to test the quality of the sound in different locations, this avoids messing about and wasting time on the day.

Editing techniques play an important role in pre-production for a single camera show like this country. In pre-production, the editor works closely with the director to develop a plan for how the show will be shot and edited. This includes deciding on the style, pacing, and tone of the show, as well as deciding the best way to tell the story visually. Storyboarding is an essential pre-production technique that involves creating a visual idea of each shot in the show. This helps to plan out the order of shots, determine camera angles and movements, and ensure that the story flows smoothly and makes sense. Shot lists are another important pre-production technique as mentioned before, this again involves creating a detailed list of all the shots that will be needed for each scene in the show. This helps to ensure that all necessary shots are captured during filming, and that there is enough footage to work with during editing. Pre-visualization is a technique that I learned about recently that involves creating a rough version of the final show using visual effects. This allows the director and editor to experiment with different camera angles, lighting, and other visual elements before filming begins.

Multi-camera shows are genuinely used in television productions such as sitcoms, talk shows, and live events. The purpose of a multi-camera show is to capture multiple angles and perspectives simultaneously, allowing a more dynamic and engaging experience for an audience. Creative camera techniques can be used to achieve the intentions and purpose of a multi-camera show by adding visual interest, enhanced storytelling, and emphasised emotion.The structure of each shot plays a very important role in projectingthe intended message. For example, using close-up shots can help to emphasize emotions, while wide shots can provide context and establish the location.For example during soda show down we often switched angles and camera positions to capture the emotion conveyed on set. Camera movement can also add interest and excitement to a scene.Techniques such as panning, tilting, and even tracking shots can be used to follow characters or objects as they move around the set. Lighting is seen as an essential part of any production, and it can be used creatively to show the mood and atmosphere. For example, using lowlighting can create a sense of tension or drama, while high lighting can create a bright and cheerful mood. In the multi-cam shoot we used a low pink light above the set, this was to wash out any pale colours, but also add a playful and light-hearted atmosphere. Special effects such as slow-motion shots or time-lapse footage can be used to add visual interest and enhance storytelling. We demonstrated this in the blue planet segment, where we used it to enhance the narrative and flow, and the emotion captured through marine wildlife.Split-screen is a technique I learned in this project where multiple shots are shown on a screen simultaneously. This technique can be used to show different perspectives or actions happening at the same time. We did this again in blue planet where we had four panels with four different clips shown.

Similarly, creative camera techniques can again be used to achieve the intentions/purpose of a single camera show. This is done by enhancing the storytelling and viewer outlook of the show. These techniques include camera movement, framing, lighting, and angles. Camera movement is an amazing and powerful tool that can be used to create a sense of motion and energy in a scene. Techniques like panning and tilting can be used to follow characters or events on screen. This can help to create a sense of dynamic and speed in our version of this country. Framing generically refers to how the camera is positioned in relation to the action being filmed. Different framing techniques can be used to create different effects and atmospheres. For example, close-ups can be used to create intimacy with characters, while wide shots can be used to establish location, emotional distance and sometimes context. Dirty framing is also a good example of manipulation of camera movement, we did this is our single cam shoot during a few of our exterior scene to show off the surrounding location. Lighting is again another important factor in creating mood and atmosphere in a single cam, just as much as multi-cam. Different lighting techniques can be used to create different effects as explained before. During this country, we didn’t use any other lighting, other than the natural light provided. Finally, camera angles are another important asset in creating interest in a scene. Low angles for example can be used to make characters appear powerful or intimidating, while high angles can be used to make them appear vulnerable or small. We demonstrated this with the wide shots outside as previously mentioned earlier in the learning journal.

Sound and audio techniques are really important to achieving the intentions and purpose within a multi-camera show. The sound and audio techniques used in such shows genuinely aim to provide the audience with an immersive experience that captures the purpose of the story at the same time.

 One of the most critical aspects of capturing sound in a multi-camera show is microphone placement. To ensure that every sound is captured, microphones must be placed strategically around the set. This includes placing microphones near the guests, on musical instruments, the audience and on stage with the presenters. The placement of microphones should also be done in such a way that they do not interfere with the camera angles or be noticed by others. However, we used lapel mics to achieve a greater and more accurate effect. Mixing is another essential aspect of sound and audio. The sound engineer is responsible for blending all the different sounds captured by the microphones into a mix that sounds great to the audience. This includes adjusting levels, panning, and equalization. This was done in post editing for us, as our show wasn’t live, which definitely made it easier for our sound engineer. Sound effects are also usually used in multi-camera shows to enhance the overall experience for the audience. These can include ambient sounds, crowd noise, and other effects that help to create a sense of immersion for the viewer. Specifically, we used clapping and audience cheers.

Sound and audio techniques can be used in a single camera show to enhance the storytelling, create mood and atmosphere, and provide clarity to its dialogue. Sound design is the process of creating the sound effects, ambiance, and music for the show. It involves selecting and manipulating sounds to create a specific mood or atmosphere that supports the story. For example, if a scene takes place in a busy city street, the sound designer may add the sounds of some car horns, sirens, and people talking to create a sense of chaos and urgency. In this country we used sound effects of cars and traffic, to mimic the surrounding life. In most camera projects, dialogue is often recorded separately from the visuals. This allows for greater control over the quality of the audio and ensures that every word is crisp and easy to understand. The sound engineer can then adjust the levels of each actor's voice to ensure that they are all balanced and that no one is too loud or too quiet. We ended up doing this for the first half of our exteriorscenes, this was due to issues with sound, but we then moved over to using the boom to capture live sound to suit the video clips.Foley is the process of creating sound effects that are recorded to suit sounds in the scene. These can include footsteps, clothing rustling, or any other sounds that were not captured during filming. We didn’t use foley in our single cam, as we manage to capture footprint son the recordings with the boom, so there was no need to do this.

The way footage is edited can massively impact the tone, pacing, and message of the final product. As mentioned, before I didn’t do an edit of this project, however, these are the techniques I would of applied if I were to complete an edit. Establishing the tone Is an extremely important factor, as the tone of a show can be createdusing editing techniques such as cuts, transitions, and music. For example, quick cuts and fast-paced music can create an energetic and exciting tone, while slow fades and soft music can create a more dismal or reflective tone. The pacing of a show can also be controlled through editing techniques. For example, jump cuts can create a chaotic pace, while long takes can slow down the action and create a more thoughtfuland intense mood.

Editing techniques can also be used to create meaning in a show like this country. For example, juxtaposing two shots can create a comparison or contrast between them, while using close-ups can emphasize certain details or emotions.

AC4

During the muti-cam shoot my role was floor manager.The floor manager is an essential part of any multi-cam show production team. The standard responsibilities of the floor manager is to ensure that the production runs smoothly and efficiently. The floor manager serves as the communicatorbetween the director, camera operators, lighting crew, audio engineer, and even the talent to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

As the floor manager it is essential for me to have excellent communication skills to organise all members of the production team. I personally must be capable of clearly communicating the director's vision and instructions to the camera operators, lighting crew, audio engineers, and talent.The floor manager is also responsible for coordinating blocking with the director and talent. They must ensure that all movements are smooth and efficient while staying within camera angles and lighting requirements. I put this into to practice through the entire process of rehearsals and production. It was so important that I kept track of time during rehearsals and the live production. This was to ensure that all segments of the show stay on schedule and that there is enough time for costume changes, set changes, and other necessary transitions. This helped me improve the process, as it made everyone so much less stressed as we were always on time and were worried about running over etc. I was also responsible for ensuring that all safety protocols werefollowed, and that all equipment was properly secured, and that talent and crew members were safe at all times.The floor manager must be able to think on their feet and solve problems quickly, but they must also be able to adapt to changes in the production schedule or unexpected issues that may arise.I feel Iembodied this role when we came across issues with sound and the teleprompt. As we began rehearsals, our presenters were struggling to remember their line without a handheld script. The only quick solution for this was to get a teleprompt set up. This was my thought and my responsibility to get set up. This improved the production and also made our presenters happier and more confident in their performance.

The First Assistant Director is a crucial member of the production team. In a single-camera show like our remake of this country, the 1st AD has a range of responsibilities that are vital to the success of the production.

The 1st AD is responsible for creating and maintaining the shooting schedule for the production. This involves working closely with the director, producer, and other key members of the production team to ensure that all scenes are shot in the most efficient and effective way possible.This was one of my favourite responsibilities as a 1st AD, and I think I’m one of the very few that enjoys writing schedules and call sheets. The schedules which I had made the morning of shooting were very brief, due to issue I have previously explained, however, they did massively help with time keeping throughout the day. Due to having these documents on side, it resulted in us finished early for lunch and on time to go home.I was then responsible for coordinating certain aspects of the production, including cast and crew schedules, location scouting, equipment rentals, and more. This involved working closely with other members of the production team to ensure that everything ran smoothly. To obey by this, I completed all location reeces and permission documents, this meant doing things like a location scout and applying for a film Birmingham permit.

one of my main duty’s was to make sure that all safety protocols were followed during filming. This includes overseeing things like stunts and special effects, ensuring that all equipment is properly maintained and used safely, and making sure that all cast and crew members are aware of any potential hazards. I did this by creating two very detailed risk assessments that was sent to all cast and crew ahead of filming. This also meant on the actual day of filming, I had to be on guard and prepared for anything, my job was all about removing the hazard before it affected anyone else or even anyone at all.

The 1st AD is effectively also responsible for communicating with all members of the production team to ensure that everyone is on the same wavelength. This includes communicating with the director to ensure that their vision is being executed well on screen, as well as communicating with cast and crew members to ensure that they understand their roles and responsibilities. This was another part I enjoyed, as I feel I can sometimes be a bit of a people pleaser, so making sure everyone’s needs are being met, was genuinely satisfying for me. It also made the production a nicer environment to be in if everyone was happy. I was also in charge of managing our time on set, ensuring that everything stays on schedule and that each scene is shot within its agreed time frame.

We applied the correct lingo when filming bothprojects such as rolling/ quiet on set/ another take/ reset/ standby/ we need to keep moving/ speed up/ camera * live/ going live in 321 etc. This allowed everyone to know what you were on about or what even was about to happen, so people could prepare. I acted professional by keeping respectful, open to opinions, kind, and a good team player. This helped the process run smoothly and limited issues along the way.

What I’m about to say applies to both projects. When the process tarted back at development, we started with a checklist where certain requirements were allocated out, and every time something was completed, we would check it off and write our names next to it. This made sure we knew who had completed their share of documents and if not, what needed to be done. With the assets we had completed we then added it to a shared google docs, so everyone had access to everything in their own space and they could edit it with notes depending on their role. We would always put a deadline 2 days before, if possible, for when we needed it, e.g., casting documents, scripts, call sheets, printing etc. This made sure we kept it on time and would be done by when we needed it to be. This helped with the process because it was easier to plan everything and keep a record of stuff. Pre prod also gives structure from the development process through to post and allows us to develop and move forward with everything. Having one big pack also helped as everything we needed was also in one place if and when we needed it.

However, with that said I have really struggled with the balanced team effort from both projects this term. My submitted single camera document with our production management components has huge gaps. Fortunately for me, I had completed all my pre-production long before shooting, therefore all I had to do in the build-up to submission is add them to the shared doc. So, although this as huge gaps of missing information, after trying so hard to chase all evidence up and having no reply, there’s nothing else for me to do.

A similar situation happened for discombobulated. As floor manager I had more pre prod than most, however, I did not have the duty of completing it all! I think it was disgusting how our group behaved towards the wrap up of this show. It was unprofessional and disrespectful. After asking multiple times a week for access to a shared document of pre prod and getting ignored, to then creating my own document, but this time just asking for peoples assigned tasks to be completed and added; but then again, no response. But after then discussing this with a few fellow team members who felt the same, that their voices weren’t getting heard about getting this process and document completed, we decided to just allocate tasks (that weren’t our responsibility to complete) and just complete them ourselves and create our own document. Despite us now being prepared and organised after mopping up other peopleslack of input, there was then a message on our supposably ‘professional’ group chat3 days before final submission of the whole unit saying, “has anyone done the pre prod”, then following messages and a discussion from the other remaining team members saying “I didn’t do anything for that” “I haven’t done it yet” and one surprising point from some of “what pre prod?”. I hope you can see the frustration from the three of us as we opened those messages. Now, we could of shared this hard earned work with them, which we were about to do, until another Messager from our director came through following a requirement of the document listsaying,“it’s your job as floor managers to have this completed for us, it’s not my job, this is your fault”, to which missy (co-floor manager with me)replied “me and jess have had our part of pre-production done for 4 weeks, where we have repeatedly asked for all your contributions, however, me, jess and Sam have all been ignored. It is not just our responsibility it’s the whole teams”.Unfortunately, this is a representation of how one of our directors’attitudeshave been towards me and missy this whole production. However, I understand everyone is stressed and some were apparently oblivious to this whole aspect of the submission of pre-production, but there is a level of respect for your whole team and with our decision to not share this document to them,I think it is a valid representation of us keeping our self-value.

For both productions my role was similar therefore, I had done our risk assessments and contingency plans already for filming, we had consent forms all prepared for guests and talent, and they were on standby ready to be signed when needed. However, ensuring safety in a production is so important to protect the well-being of cast and crew and to also avoid accidents that could harm people or damage equipment. A comprehensive risk assessment is key to achieving this, it will help identify potential hazards and risks. This includes finding the types of equipment and the environment in which the production takes place, and then comparing it to see any immediate risks or threat to life. The risk assessment should also consider the experience and training of cast and crew and the potential for a risk to turn into an incident.  

Once potential hazards have been identified, it is important to maybe consider sharing safety protocols to relieve any risks. Safety protocols should also include guidelines for safe operation of equipment, proper handling of heavy objects, and emergency procedures in case of accidents, for example outlining the nearest hospital on the risk assessments. when I oversaw cast and crew safety at my previous job, I was responsible for teaching and assigning training for all employers in the relevant departments. For example, it was illegal to leave someone lone working if they are noy evac or fire safety trained. This was a great thing to have, as it made me more confident in my team, and cancelled out so much on risk assessment and breakdown reports.

AC5

The intension for this country was to purely entertain, it was a mockumentary exhadurating and taking the mick out of average council estate country life. It was a comedic piece designed to make people laugh and educate people about life in the country. I feel we communicated this indefinitely in our final piece. The purpose was also to educate me, and everyone else in my team, about teamwork, independent projects and about responsibility. A1 was all about giving us the skills to create a good standard of work, but this project gave us the opportunity to practice these in a realistic environment. It taught me how hard it is to create something without a professional's input on the development of each process, and specifically it taught me about the long and tiring process of delivering something so short and simple. We learnt about all these skills that add up together to create a result, but we haven't yet been able to use them altogether at one time. With this said Ifeel it did achieve the impact on our audience that we initially wanted. It was funny and was a class piece of entertainment. Our inspiration was clearly BBC’s this country with daisy may cooper, as it was the chosen single cam that we had to recreate, so we were limited when using a genre or style, as we had to stick to the slapstick comedic approach from a mockumentary. Despite the restriction, I still feel managed to achieve this reaction from our individual approach.

The intension for multi-cam was purely to entertain. We could maybe consider a comedic reaction or even educational, due to the nature of some of the segments. For example, discombobulated blue planet is a funny take on the loved show blue planet. However, although we take the mick a little, we do share facts and information regarding marine life and Birmingham. After showing my nan this video, she was laughing through it all, which I guess proves success on our comedic intentions, but she was also impressed by the information, which again proves the educational advantages of this segment. You could say the show was inspired by other magazine shows such as this morning orgood morning, Britain, but I’m not going to lie it just ended up like a moderated, teen take on a tgf video at one point, with that said, I do think this show was heavily influenced by YouTube. We all watch YouTube and all of us at some points have been entertained by YouTube videos, hence I feel we fell into the trap of using the social culture and almost relationship from camera to the audience in a sidemen kind of way. Even through feel this had been suited for YouTube more than tv, it was targeted at late teens, which like I said will feel entertained by this kind of content; therefore, it may work in our favour.

Creative audio and camera skills can massively enhance the impact on the audience. one way we did this is by using creative camera techniques to help capture the action from unique angles, and to deliver the audience with a fresh perspective. This can include techniques such as close-ups, wide shots, tracking shots, and aerial shots. By using these techniques effectively, the director then has the opportunity to create a more dynamic and visually appealing show. Audio is also an essential factor of any multi-camera show, and creative audio techniques can work to improve the impact of the visuals. This can include using sound effects to create a more immersive experience for the audience or using music to set the tone for different segments of the show. We used these techniques in our piece by adding music to graphics and also by having background music to make it seem less awkward and boring.Creative camera and audio skills can also be used to tell a story more effectively. So, by using techniques such as slow motion, time-lapse, or split screen, the director can then sue that to help to convey emotions or highlight important moments in the show.This is demonstrated when we used split screen in the VT’s.

Creative audio and camera skills can again impact a single camera show like this country. With the right techniques, you can create a more engaging and immersive experience that captures the attention of your audience and keeps them engaged throughout the entire show.Sound as we know, is an important aspect of any video production, and it can affect how your audience sees your content. By using creative audio techniques, you can create a more immersive experience. For example, you could use ambient sound effects to create a sense of atmosphere or use music to set the tone for different scenes. The way we framed and filmed our footage also hada big impact on how our audience viewed ourfinal edit. By using creative camera techniques, we created a more dynamic and visually interesting experience. For example, you could use different angles and perspectives to create a sense of depth or use some kind of movement to add energy to a scene. You could also experiment with lighting and colour grading to create different moods and atmospheres.Finally, the way you edit your footage can also affect how your audience views your content. By using editing techniques, you can create a more engaging experience. For example, you could use jump cuts or time-lapse sequences to create a sense of pace or use visual effects to add interest to key moments.

As mentioned before for our multi-cam show I would say for higher engagement rates YouTube would be a great platform. Due to its high-quality design and production value, it will look incredibly good on the platform and give it advantages over other lower production value work.With that said, I did say at the start our product was designed for tv, specifically boa live. I think I would count as a contender in the commissioning stage, but personally I think we lack that quality needed for tv. I think our product is too playful and too casual for tv. In areas it lacks professionalism and depth, which I think may cause a lack of audience engagement. Discombobulated blue planet, one of the VT’s, I think would be a strong idea to commission to the boa live tv team, as its professional, it showcases Birmingham,student interests, its educational and has a lovely sprinkle of humour to finish it off. I think it would be a great video to show off yr12 broadcast.

WRITTEN BY JESSICA-CHLOE WATSON