TASK 1 - Roles and Responsibilities
For every film made there is always a film crew behind it. The film crew consists of hundreds of people with hundreds of different jobs. Without a film crew, there is no film. If a production company wants a film made they need a crew. Here are some of the most important members of the film crew and what they do, starting from step one.
The producer first needs a script, they need to contact a writer to help them, and the writer will help the producer to write the script. The writer may also add improvements and additional scenes to the script.
The producer then needs a location for his film. A location scout will listen to what the producer wants and the location scout will find a location that they think will be suitable and take some pictures. The producer looks through the pictures to see which location he thinks would be best and then decides where to film.
The producer first needs a script, they need to contact a writer to help them, and the writer will help the producer to write the script. The writer may also add improvements and additional scenes to the script.
The producer then needs a location for his film. A location scout will listen to what the producer wants and the location scout will find a location that they think will be suitable and take some pictures. The producer looks through the pictures to see which location he thinks would be best and then decides where to film.
King Kong (2005) was filmed at Shelly Bay in New Zealand during the first part of the film where the group first meet King Kong. King Kong climbing up Empire State building in New York was filmed in a studio.
Sometimes a film doesn’t need a specific location to be filmed at; sometimes the producer and his team can create the perfect environment in a studio where they have more control over the environment.
The Dagobah scene where Luke Skywalker meets Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back was all filmed in a studio, this meant that they had control over the darkness and fogginess of the area.
Once the location’s sorted the set designer must make the set look good. The set designer will design what the set will look like and show the producer, if the producer likes what he see’s the set designer will go ahead and make it.
The producer of the film will then need some actors for his film; this is where the producer will need to contact a casting agency. The casting agency will contact a number of freelance actors; all actors that apply will have to audition to get the place as an actor. The casting director is usually in charge when choosing the right actor for the job.
When there are actors on set, people have to look after them. So the producer will need studio doctors and caterers. This is important because if an actor gets injured on set, they have to get better soon or filming could be delayed. Catering is important too; an actor can’t perform his best when he’s hungry.
Once the producer has all the actors needed they need costumes. The costumes have to be perfect, so the producer will contact a costume designer, who will design a costume. This is especially important in for example a superhero film, where the superhero will mainly only wear that one outfit, so it’s incredibly important to get the costumes correct. The costumes also have to fit the actors correctly; this is where the fitter comes in. The fitter will measure the actor to get the perfect size.
The producer of the film will then need some actors for his film; this is where the producer will need to contact a casting agency. The casting agency will contact a number of freelance actors; all actors that apply will have to audition to get the place as an actor. The casting director is usually in charge when choosing the right actor for the job.
When there are actors on set, people have to look after them. So the producer will need studio doctors and caterers. This is important because if an actor gets injured on set, they have to get better soon or filming could be delayed. Catering is important too; an actor can’t perform his best when he’s hungry.
Once the producer has all the actors needed they need costumes. The costumes have to be perfect, so the producer will contact a costume designer, who will design a costume. This is especially important in for example a superhero film, where the superhero will mainly only wear that one outfit, so it’s incredibly important to get the costumes correct. The costumes also have to fit the actors correctly; this is where the fitter comes in. The fitter will measure the actor to get the perfect size.
Spiderman’s costume is very tight, so getting the right size is vital.
Once the producer has all his actors and costumes he will need a camera crew to film them. So the producer will go out and look for a Cinematographer, the cinematographer is the director of photography; he holds the highest position in camera recording. The producer will also need a camera operator and a camera grip, also known as a best boy. They will also need electricians, chief lighting technicians and a gaffer, who is basically the head electrician. This part of the crew will cover the camera and lighting. If the producer wants to film different types of camera angles he may need a camera crane to get the camera higher. If the producer needs a crane they will need a crane operator.
The producer can now record visual footage, but he will need audio also. The producer will need a soundman to operate a microphone. The sound department has many members. A boom operator is needed for placement of the microphone; they will identify the best position for the microphone and place it there. Sound editors and assistants will edit sound after the sound recordist has recorded it. The Foley editor will record any sounds that need to be added into the footage after it’s been recorded.
Once visual and audio is sorted, the producer needs the actors to look good. This is where the Make-up artists come in. There are key make-up artists that apply the make-up to the actors. They have assistant make-up artists to help them. There are also hair stylists that style the actors hair and make their hair look nice, they too have assistants.
Now the producer needs a director. Many people believe that the director is the most important part of any film crew. It’s a very high position of any film crew. The director can completely change a film, they could make it incredible or they could ruin it. So the producer has to think very carefully when choosing a director. Some famous directors include Steven Spielberg and Christopher Columbus. The director’s job is to tell the actors what to do. The director will almost control the actors, so it’s a very powerful job. The director has a script supervisor with them. The script supervisor assists the director in any way they can. The script supervisor will look out for any mistakes the director misses. For example, if recording stops when a character is halfway through a sandwich, they must begin recording with a half-eaten sandwich rather than a full one, many directors miss this but the audience will always see it, so it’s something that they must take into consideration.
If the producer wants any kind of stunts in his film he must hire a stunt artist. The stunt artist will perform any kind of stunt that the actor cannot do, for example if the producer needs an actor to perform a back-flip, he will get the stunt double to do a back-flip instead, this will make it look like the actor did the back-flip. The stunt double will also perform any stunt where the main actor could potentially injure himself if he did it. For example if the producer needs the actor to dive to cover or drop to the ground, he will get the stunt double to do it, because even though it seems like a simple thing to do, they cannot risk the actor getting hurt.
Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) can also make the stunt double appear to be the actor. A good example of this is when filming Iron Man 3, Robert Downey Jr. was injured on set, but rather than delay filming they recorded the scene with a stunt double and used CGI to put Robert Downey Jr.’s face on the stunt double (pictured below).
The producer can now record visual footage, but he will need audio also. The producer will need a soundman to operate a microphone. The sound department has many members. A boom operator is needed for placement of the microphone; they will identify the best position for the microphone and place it there. Sound editors and assistants will edit sound after the sound recordist has recorded it. The Foley editor will record any sounds that need to be added into the footage after it’s been recorded.
Once visual and audio is sorted, the producer needs the actors to look good. This is where the Make-up artists come in. There are key make-up artists that apply the make-up to the actors. They have assistant make-up artists to help them. There are also hair stylists that style the actors hair and make their hair look nice, they too have assistants.
Now the producer needs a director. Many people believe that the director is the most important part of any film crew. It’s a very high position of any film crew. The director can completely change a film, they could make it incredible or they could ruin it. So the producer has to think very carefully when choosing a director. Some famous directors include Steven Spielberg and Christopher Columbus. The director’s job is to tell the actors what to do. The director will almost control the actors, so it’s a very powerful job. The director has a script supervisor with them. The script supervisor assists the director in any way they can. The script supervisor will look out for any mistakes the director misses. For example, if recording stops when a character is halfway through a sandwich, they must begin recording with a half-eaten sandwich rather than a full one, many directors miss this but the audience will always see it, so it’s something that they must take into consideration.
If the producer wants any kind of stunts in his film he must hire a stunt artist. The stunt artist will perform any kind of stunt that the actor cannot do, for example if the producer needs an actor to perform a back-flip, he will get the stunt double to do a back-flip instead, this will make it look like the actor did the back-flip. The stunt double will also perform any stunt where the main actor could potentially injure himself if he did it. For example if the producer needs the actor to dive to cover or drop to the ground, he will get the stunt double to do it, because even though it seems like a simple thing to do, they cannot risk the actor getting hurt.
Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) can also make the stunt double appear to be the actor. A good example of this is when filming Iron Man 3, Robert Downey Jr. was injured on set, but rather than delay filming they recorded the scene with a stunt double and used CGI to put Robert Downey Jr.’s face on the stunt double (pictured below).
This isn’t actually Robert Downey Jr. It’s a stunt double with RDJ’s face added via Computer graphics (CGI).
The same technique was used in Captain America where 'Skinny Steve' is transformed into the Super soldier known as Captain America. They needed the actors face on both the Skinny man version and the Captain America version because it was supposed to be the same person, so they took Chris Evans' face (the actor who plays Captain America), and used CGI to place it on the skinny actor. Making him look exactly like Captain America, but skinnier.
Next is the editing. Editing can be a long process and it can also be quite difficult, so the producer needs to pick the best editors possible. There are lots of different types of editor. There's sound editors that will edit the sound effects, for example if the film has a clip of a huge explosion, then it's the sound editors job to make sure that the explosion sound is appropriate and in the right place. There are also visual editors. The visual editors make sure that the films visuals are all top quality. This means adding in extra colours, contrast, saturation, sharpness etc. to make sure that the picture quality is the best quality it can possibly be and suitable for the situation. For example a zombie film or an apocalypse film will have darker visuals than a kids Disney film.
Then there's the special effects (SFX) department, the SFX artists will add in any effects that couldn't be filmed, for example, the SFX artist may add a flash on the end of a gun which couldn't be filmed or health and safety reasons.
Then there's the special effects (SFX) department, the SFX artists will add in any effects that couldn't be filmed, for example, the SFX artist may add a flash on the end of a gun which couldn't be filmed or health and safety reasons.
It's too dangerous to film real life gunshots for a film, so it's down to the SFX artists to add them in after it's been filmed. The same goes for explosions or any other sort of hazards.
There are also musicians who work with film producers. A good soundtrack is important for any film, so the producer again must be careful when choosing who produces the music. Some famous composers who have produced great soundtracks include Hans Zimmer, John Williams and Howard Shore.
Hans Zimmer has created music for over 120 films; these films include The Lion King, The Dark Knight, Pirates of the Caribbean, Madagascar, The Simpsons Movie, Pearl Harbour and Inception. Some say he is the world's greatest modern composer.
So those are the basics of any good film crew, every member of the crew is very important and must not be overlooked. Behind every good film is a good film crew. Films cannot be rushed, they take a very long time, but the end result is always worth it if every member is dedicated to making a great film.
TASK 2 - Single Camera Drama
A single camera drama is a type of filmmaking. It’s a setup that uses just one camera on set. Every shot is taken by the same camera, which is moved around for different angles. For example if you’re filming two people having a conversation then you would film all the first person’s lines first and then the second person’s lines after, and after you would merge the two together to create a conversation. This stops you having to constantly move the camera and it also makes sure you keep the angle perfect. Single camera setups have remained the standard method of filmmaking since the early 20th century.
Although filmmakers prefer single camera setups, Television producers may choose multi-camera setups. If something live is being filmed, it cannot be filmed using a single camera setup, as you need multiple angles and shots.
Serial: There are many types of single camera dramas. One of these is serial. A serial show is a show that ‘never ends’, it always leaves on a cliff-hanger and new episodes are released very soon after the previous episode, this is usually a couple of times per week. Some examples of serial shows include EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale. The name most people use to identify these shows is ‘Soaps’ or ‘Soap Opera’s’. Serial shows rely on a continuing plot, as more episodes are released the plot unfolds and a new one will soon take its place, this process repeats. EastEnders has 4,751 episodes, Emmerdale has 6,696 episodes and Coronation Street has a massive total of 8,271 episodes.
Series: Another type of single camera drama is a series. A series is a number of shows called episodes. There are a number of episodes in a season. A season is a bunch of episodes (usually around 8-12). Once the season has started the episodes start, when the season ends, the episodes end, until a new season starts. Some famous series’ include The Simpsons, Doctor Who and Family Guy.
Drama: Another is television drama. A television drama is usually a one-off program that is similar to an episode except it’s longer and may be in parts. A good example of a drama that was on television recently would be ‘The Great Train Robbery’. It was a drama based on a true story of the Great Train Robbery of 1963 where a gang of 16 criminals stopped and robbed a train, taking exactly £2,631,684 (equivalent to £4,100,000 today). The money was divided between all 16 of the gang members with each member receiving approximately £150,000 each. The drama was split in two parts, the first part was from the criminal’s perspective, and the second part was from the law’s point of view and follows a police team tracking down the criminals. It’s a good example of a television drama.
Period Drama: A period drama is the same as a drama except it’s set in a specific time, usually in the past. Some very famous period dramas include Mad Men and Downton Abbey. Mad Men is set in the 1960’s and follows an advertising agency in New York City as the company struggles through the economic climate. Downton Abbey is set in the post-Edwardian era and follows an astrocratic family and their servants. Period dramas are very popular in the UK.
Crime Soap: Crime soaps are soaps that follow police units. Some famous crime soaps include The Bill and Heartbeat. They have been around for quite a while. The Bill was first shown in 1983. They’re similar to regular soaps except they’re usually a lot more action-packed as they follow the jobs of policemen rather than the daily lives of ordinary people like other soaps do.
Although filmmakers prefer single camera setups, Television producers may choose multi-camera setups. If something live is being filmed, it cannot be filmed using a single camera setup, as you need multiple angles and shots.
Serial: There are many types of single camera dramas. One of these is serial. A serial show is a show that ‘never ends’, it always leaves on a cliff-hanger and new episodes are released very soon after the previous episode, this is usually a couple of times per week. Some examples of serial shows include EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale. The name most people use to identify these shows is ‘Soaps’ or ‘Soap Opera’s’. Serial shows rely on a continuing plot, as more episodes are released the plot unfolds and a new one will soon take its place, this process repeats. EastEnders has 4,751 episodes, Emmerdale has 6,696 episodes and Coronation Street has a massive total of 8,271 episodes.
Series: Another type of single camera drama is a series. A series is a number of shows called episodes. There are a number of episodes in a season. A season is a bunch of episodes (usually around 8-12). Once the season has started the episodes start, when the season ends, the episodes end, until a new season starts. Some famous series’ include The Simpsons, Doctor Who and Family Guy.
Drama: Another is television drama. A television drama is usually a one-off program that is similar to an episode except it’s longer and may be in parts. A good example of a drama that was on television recently would be ‘The Great Train Robbery’. It was a drama based on a true story of the Great Train Robbery of 1963 where a gang of 16 criminals stopped and robbed a train, taking exactly £2,631,684 (equivalent to £4,100,000 today). The money was divided between all 16 of the gang members with each member receiving approximately £150,000 each. The drama was split in two parts, the first part was from the criminal’s perspective, and the second part was from the law’s point of view and follows a police team tracking down the criminals. It’s a good example of a television drama.
Period Drama: A period drama is the same as a drama except it’s set in a specific time, usually in the past. Some very famous period dramas include Mad Men and Downton Abbey. Mad Men is set in the 1960’s and follows an advertising agency in New York City as the company struggles through the economic climate. Downton Abbey is set in the post-Edwardian era and follows an astrocratic family and their servants. Period dramas are very popular in the UK.
Crime Soap: Crime soaps are soaps that follow police units. Some famous crime soaps include The Bill and Heartbeat. They have been around for quite a while. The Bill was first shown in 1983. They’re similar to regular soaps except they’re usually a lot more action-packed as they follow the jobs of policemen rather than the daily lives of ordinary people like other soaps do.
Task 4 - PreProduction
Devising: I had three ideas for a single camera production, two horror ideas and one action idea. I chose one of the horror ideas because I felt it would be the most interesting; we also had all the necessary resources to create it well.
Finding ideas: With the resources and ideas I had, I had lots of ideas for a horror film, in the end I decided that this was the best genre for my film, we had a suitable location, costumes, props etc. all suitable for a horror film.
Developing ideas: After deciding to create a horror film I had to then think what type of horror, how I was going to make it, and how I was going to make it work. I had to change things in the script and the location in order for the film to flow well and feel more realistic. I had to change certain parts of the script due to the limited resources I had.
Narrative structure: The narrative structure for my film was a realist structure. I wanted my film to feel believable, but not too believable so that the events in the film don’t seem creepy or odd. The entire film was filmed from a POV shot, to further increase the reality.
Characters: There are two main characters in my film. The two characters are both teenager boys who are exploring an abandoned house. The boy’s names are not mentioned in the film.
Scripts: I had made a rough script but during filming we only used it as a guideline and referred back to it if we needed reminding of what we needed to say. The script very similar to what we actually say but not word for word. This made the film feel more natural as we weren’t reading from scripts.
Treatments: I have made a treatment containing the format of the film, location, characters etc.
Storyboards: I have created a storyboard containing the most important scenes in my film and a description.
Resources: The resources I had for my film were a handheld camera, a tripod and iMac’s with professional editing software.
Talent: There was no professional talent in my film, the actors in my film were both amateur and had no previous credits.
Properties: We were filming in St. Giles Church main hall, Exhall.
Costumes: The costumes the actors needed were just casual clothes, nothing specific, as they were just two normal boys. The demon has a mask and a rugged outfit for my jump scare.
Locations: We had two possible locations we could have filmed in. We could have set up a film set in one of our own houses, or we could hire a church hall for a few hours to film. In the end we decided to hire the church hall, as it’s more realistic and had an eerie feel to it that fits well with my film.
Video recording and playback equipment: We had handheld HD cameras for recording, which we used for the POV shots. For playback we had a screen on the cameras where we could see the shots straight after filming, we also had the iMac’s where we could see the shots in full HD.
Audio: The cameras had built-in microphones that we used to record the audio rather than a separate boom microphone. This again, added to the realism, as two teenagers who are exploring a house wouldn’t take a boom with them.
Lighting equipment: We didn’t use any special set-up lights, we just the natural lighting, again for a more realistic feel.
Sound and visual effects: There are lots of sound effects, such as creaking doors, screams, bangs etc. As for visual effects, there are special lighting visuals I used and there’s a constant video camera effect throughout the whole film where I put thin lines across the picture and a ‘.rec’ at the top of the screen to make it look more like it’s recorded through a handheld video camera.
Finding ideas: With the resources and ideas I had, I had lots of ideas for a horror film, in the end I decided that this was the best genre for my film, we had a suitable location, costumes, props etc. all suitable for a horror film.
Developing ideas: After deciding to create a horror film I had to then think what type of horror, how I was going to make it, and how I was going to make it work. I had to change things in the script and the location in order for the film to flow well and feel more realistic. I had to change certain parts of the script due to the limited resources I had.
Narrative structure: The narrative structure for my film was a realist structure. I wanted my film to feel believable, but not too believable so that the events in the film don’t seem creepy or odd. The entire film was filmed from a POV shot, to further increase the reality.
Characters: There are two main characters in my film. The two characters are both teenager boys who are exploring an abandoned house. The boy’s names are not mentioned in the film.
Scripts: I had made a rough script but during filming we only used it as a guideline and referred back to it if we needed reminding of what we needed to say. The script very similar to what we actually say but not word for word. This made the film feel more natural as we weren’t reading from scripts.
Treatments: I have made a treatment containing the format of the film, location, characters etc.
Storyboards: I have created a storyboard containing the most important scenes in my film and a description.
Resources: The resources I had for my film were a handheld camera, a tripod and iMac’s with professional editing software.
Talent: There was no professional talent in my film, the actors in my film were both amateur and had no previous credits.
Properties: We were filming in St. Giles Church main hall, Exhall.
Costumes: The costumes the actors needed were just casual clothes, nothing specific, as they were just two normal boys. The demon has a mask and a rugged outfit for my jump scare.
Locations: We had two possible locations we could have filmed in. We could have set up a film set in one of our own houses, or we could hire a church hall for a few hours to film. In the end we decided to hire the church hall, as it’s more realistic and had an eerie feel to it that fits well with my film.
Video recording and playback equipment: We had handheld HD cameras for recording, which we used for the POV shots. For playback we had a screen on the cameras where we could see the shots straight after filming, we also had the iMac’s where we could see the shots in full HD.
Audio: The cameras had built-in microphones that we used to record the audio rather than a separate boom microphone. This again, added to the realism, as two teenagers who are exploring a house wouldn’t take a boom with them.
Lighting equipment: We didn’t use any special set-up lights, we just the natural lighting, again for a more realistic feel.
Sound and visual effects: There are lots of sound effects, such as creaking doors, screams, bangs etc. As for visual effects, there are special lighting visuals I used and there’s a constant video camera effect throughout the whole film where I put thin lines across the picture and a ‘.rec’ at the top of the screen to make it look more like it’s recorded through a handheld video camera.
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