Thursday, 20 December 2018
Saturday, 1 December 2018
Unit 2: Learning Aim A & B
Unit 2 working in the creative media industry v2 from Connor_Crampton
Learning Aim B
The media sector that I would most like to work in is journalism specifically magazine journalism this is because the concept of writing reports and articles for magazines interests me and I feel like I would be helpful at researching a subject to write a interesting and engaging story to keep the reader involved. I also think it would be good experience to help with my creative writing so that I would be a better writer and story teller.
Recruitment
When working in journalism it's important for upcoming freelancers to get part of bigger companies and magazines. This can be done by getting work out in the world that companies could be interested in and would want more work of this nature, this can help journalists improve their writing skills and make sure they get recognised for their work so they could get exclusives in the future.
Freelance journalists
One of the biggest responsibilities of being a magazine journalist is making sure the work is written well, is accurate and submitted to a deadline, generating ideas for stories and sourcing the images that would go with the story. The most popular journalists are freelance journalists. These are journalists who "work as a writer selling work or services by the hour, day, job etc., rather than working on a regular salary basis for one employer".
There are many good qualities that employees look for in to be a good journalist. These qualities include, honesty, fearlessness, trustworthiness, passionate and tenacious. Honesty is important because it requires the journalist to not manipulate their audience with lies and to also not be too objective when discussing matters that could be deemed personal. Another trait that would be wanted for journalists is that they ask tough questions when called upon to do so, this will show hope loyal they can be and depended on for tougher situations.
When working freelance journalists tend to want to be trustworthy so that some independent companies will choose them to do a small job to see if they can be trusted with smaller jobs to work up to the bigger jobs. It's important for journalists to be very passionate about their work because it's this enthusiasm that drives them to do better work and get more jobs as a journalist so they can make more money and be trusted with big companies and get the big stories.
Structure
For structure in journalism, freelancers are the bottom of the company where they have their own boss, it then moves onto writers and editors, then moves onto the head editors and head writers and next and lastly moves onto the chief writer who is in charge of the whole company or incharge of the magazine.
Salary
Most journalists work for free because the experience is most important to beginners so they can figure out what things to change when writing reports. With experience, the salary is often negotiable, senior staff (senior staff writer, sub-editor or features editor) usually earn between £18,000 and £35,000. If working on a major publication or become editor-in-chief of a magazine, the salary will be anything from £22,000 to £65,000+.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
Journalists also have to deal with many ethical and legal considerations when writing stories, some laws are also put in place to stop them from making defamatory remarks. Ethics means doing what is morally right regardless of what laws say, journalists have to follow codes of conduct which set out ethical practice. The main code of conduct that journalists have to follow is the double check of their sources so that if they are questioned about it they have backed up research, they also have to give those who are being asked questions time to reply to their questions so it will be a fair interview.
Another set of ethics that journalists have to follow is respecting people's privacy particularly in times of grief, illness or shock, depending on the situation journalists are allowed to break these guidelines. Public interest includes the following three things, detecting and exposing crime or some serious unacceptable behaviour. Protecting public health and safety should also be a major part of journalism because it could cause some legal issues if false information has been given out about an emergency situation.
The Leveson Inquiry of 2011
Learning Aim B
The media sector that I would most like to work in is journalism specifically magazine journalism this is because the concept of writing reports and articles for magazines interests me and I feel like I would be helpful at researching a subject to write a interesting and engaging story to keep the reader involved. I also think it would be good experience to help with my creative writing so that I would be a better writer and story teller.
Recruitment
When working in journalism it's important for upcoming freelancers to get part of bigger companies and magazines. This can be done by getting work out in the world that companies could be interested in and would want more work of this nature, this can help journalists improve their writing skills and make sure they get recognised for their work so they could get exclusives in the future.
Freelance journalists
One of the biggest responsibilities of being a magazine journalist is making sure the work is written well, is accurate and submitted to a deadline, generating ideas for stories and sourcing the images that would go with the story. The most popular journalists are freelance journalists. These are journalists who "work as a writer selling work or services by the hour, day, job etc., rather than working on a regular salary basis for one employer".
There are many good qualities that employees look for in to be a good journalist. These qualities include, honesty, fearlessness, trustworthiness, passionate and tenacious. Honesty is important because it requires the journalist to not manipulate their audience with lies and to also not be too objective when discussing matters that could be deemed personal. Another trait that would be wanted for journalists is that they ask tough questions when called upon to do so, this will show hope loyal they can be and depended on for tougher situations.
When working freelance journalists tend to want to be trustworthy so that some independent companies will choose them to do a small job to see if they can be trusted with smaller jobs to work up to the bigger jobs. It's important for journalists to be very passionate about their work because it's this enthusiasm that drives them to do better work and get more jobs as a journalist so they can make more money and be trusted with big companies and get the big stories.
Structure
For structure in journalism, freelancers are the bottom of the company where they have their own boss, it then moves onto writers and editors, then moves onto the head editors and head writers and next and lastly moves onto the chief writer who is in charge of the whole company or incharge of the magazine.
Salary
Most journalists work for free because the experience is most important to beginners so they can figure out what things to change when writing reports. With experience, the salary is often negotiable, senior staff (senior staff writer, sub-editor or features editor) usually earn between £18,000 and £35,000. If working on a major publication or become editor-in-chief of a magazine, the salary will be anything from £22,000 to £65,000+.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
Journalists also have to deal with many ethical and legal considerations when writing stories, some laws are also put in place to stop them from making defamatory remarks. Ethics means doing what is morally right regardless of what laws say, journalists have to follow codes of conduct which set out ethical practice. The main code of conduct that journalists have to follow is the double check of their sources so that if they are questioned about it they have backed up research, they also have to give those who are being asked questions time to reply to their questions so it will be a fair interview.
Another set of ethics that journalists have to follow is respecting people's privacy particularly in times of grief, illness or shock, depending on the situation journalists are allowed to break these guidelines. Public interest includes the following three things, detecting and exposing crime or some serious unacceptable behaviour. Protecting public health and safety should also be a major part of journalism because it could cause some legal issues if false information has been given out about an emergency situation.
The Leveson Inquiry of 2011
The Leveson Inquiry was a judge led inquiry settee examine the ethics and the practices of the press. It was started up during the the of the phone hacking scandal that shook the world at the now nonexistent News of the World tabloid. During this time Judge Leveson ordered there to be some changes to how the press is regulated, some of these changes include:
- Newspapers should be self-regulated and any government official has no business deciding what they (the press) publish. There had to be a new set of rules and a new press standards body.
- This new body would have to be legalised, which would mean regulation was independent and effective.
Libel is a legal term coined when false information has been published about a person or business it's usually in a text-based format or in visual content in a permanent form. It is often sometimes confused with slander, which happens mostly in a verbal form (e.g. speeches to the public) both together are called defamation. The person or business that is suing for libel have to be able to prove the statements to be true with the use of evidence or that they damage their reputation otherwise they can't sue just based on if the statements or insulting or offensive.
The main thing all journalists look for is how to get involved in the business, this can be done a number of ways the first and most well known is by freelance work. This can be done by submitting a piece for a local newspaper or magazine of choice, this will show the editors of the newspaper/magazine what kind of style you have and what things you are interested in and may offer you some freelance work about specific topics.
https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/guides/zyt282p/revision/2
https://www.writersbureau.com/writing/what-is-freelance-journalism.htm
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/magazine-journalist
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/job-profiles/magazine-journalist
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/magazine-writer-2316041
https://nmkarlis.wordpress.com/2010/12/06/qualities-of-a-good-journalist/
Wednesday, 28 November 2018
Unit 18: Example Storyboards
Film Storyboard Analysis: Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
In the below example of a storyboard you can see that the images are hand drawn and have a lot of detail on them for just being the brief idea. In a few of the cells you can see some emotion on both faces so you can make out if they are in danger or any peril. The two characters (Bond and Wai Lin) featured in the cells have been drawn close so that you can point out that they are close and are trying to stay together to survive the situation they're in. In the other set of cells the drama going on in the scenes is clearly shown as the fabric ripping then the next cell is of both characters in danger showing that they must rely on each other to survive.
The final few shots show how truly in danger the characters are with the arm movements being a specific detail to point out, because they show the energetic motion of the scene, the final shot draws attention to both characters dangerous situation they have found themselves in.
The many camera movements and different angles shown in this brief portion of the storyboard show the audience exactly what's going to happen and how the shots will look in the finished product. It's important for these to be shown in the way they are because it helps the director be able to visualise the movie and to make it less confusing when filming.
The style shown in the storyboard is similar to that of a comic book, in thew sense of having colourful cells and arrows drawn on to show where the action will be happening. Overall, this is a good storyboard because it clearly outlines the action scenes and what will be happening in them. It also helps the cinematographer be well prepared for the set-ups required for the scenes.
Video Game Storyboard Analysis: Murdered Soul Suspect
In this example you can see that the images are well drawn and very well sketched out to show the audience what some parts of the game will look and act like. It also helps the audience to be able to visualise what some sections of the game would be. This is done to make sure the audience are aware of some of the detail that will either be included in cutscenes or in the actual gameplay.
The camera movements used during this storyboard change to show the audience what the scenes would look like in the actual parts of the game. Also the little details given in the text explanation part for the cigarette shows the audience that even little details mean a lot to the story and how things will move along. The accompanying text for the first few slides help the audience to understand the story.
In this whole storyboard there isn't really any references to sound in the images or in the explanatory text below them. This could be used instead to explain that the storyboard doesn't have any speech as it has few action scenes, it could be also suggested that a non-diegetic soundtrack will be used to add something to the scenes.
The transitions in this storyboard make it look like the opening pages of a comic or a graphic novel with some of its grittiness. The text underneath the images also helps the scenes move along because they have brief descriptions and the images have close ups on them so the audience can figure out where certain camera changes would be to fit scene needed for the cutscenes.
The layout for this specific storyboard looks like a comic because of the size of the images and also how much detail all of them have to show how important they are to the story that will be told for the player. This is very clearly a storyboard where the images are the dominant feature, there is a few technical bits of information added to this storyboard to show some camera changes (this is done with the use of arrows drawn onto the scenes).
This storyboard seems to be effective with helping the audience understand what is happening in the opening stages of these images. It is also helpful because you get an idea of what the designer was aiming for when creating this storyboard, the strong hand drawings help show the action well and the various shots and points of interest help highlight the important details. The accompanying description helps to set the tone for what the game will be like and how the images are the focal point of this storyboard.
TV Show Storyboard Analysis: Prison Break
In this storyboard the images are well drawn so the audience can very clearly see what will be happening in the show, it is also done so that the drama of the scenes is fully shown and how the character will deal with this drama. For example, in the first few cells it has the attention completely focused on the truck then quickly cuts to an over the shoulder shot of the main character and what they see right in front of them.
Some camera movements used in this storyboard show some points of interest, for example, in the first shot it shows a truck about to turn around or maybe crash. Then in the next shot it shows the main character with his attention solely on the truck in front of him. (with an over-the-shoulder camera shot) From the first shot to the second it is assumed that this would be a panning shot to show the danger then the reaction
Like in other storyboards I've found not much if any sound direction has been referenced in the explanatory text or in the images themselves. This could be explained by the fact that there isn't much speech going on in the scenes because they are more focused on the action aspects so the audience will remain engaged in the story.
In these scenes the transitions that are used are used in a way to make it clear and understandable to the audience so that they are engaged in the story being told. The text is effective because while there isn't any speech going on the text is telling the whole story and suggests how the scenes and transitions would be visualised. Without any sound the storyboarding artists may have felt that having too many drawings would complicate the story for the audience.
In normal storyboards there are more cells on a page so that more scenes can be sketched out, so by using less like this one it allows for more detail to be added to the cells and the imagery to be larger. This storyboard is clearly a action based one where all of the action is pointed out and dominate, therefore the explanatory text is kept to a minimum also there are some technical details added. For example, there are arrows on a few of the cells to show where camera positions would be but these aren't detailed that much so it doesn't take away any impact that you would get.
This storyboard is somewhat useful in showing the audience what the action scenes would look like for the final cut of the episode. The hand-drawn imagery helps convey the types of things to expect from what the cinematographer and director see and how they want the whole to be shot, it also helps that on this storyboard their is a brief description of each scene broken down so that the audience will be able to understand everything going on in the separate scenes. These descriptions work well for action scenes but more detail on the bottom two parts of the storyboard would be better to help some crew members understand the little parts of scenes.
In the below example of a storyboard you can see that the images are hand drawn and have a lot of detail on them for just being the brief idea. In a few of the cells you can see some emotion on both faces so you can make out if they are in danger or any peril. The two characters (Bond and Wai Lin) featured in the cells have been drawn close so that you can point out that they are close and are trying to stay together to survive the situation they're in. In the other set of cells the drama going on in the scenes is clearly shown as the fabric ripping then the next cell is of both characters in danger showing that they must rely on each other to survive.
The final few shots show how truly in danger the characters are with the arm movements being a specific detail to point out, because they show the energetic motion of the scene, the final shot draws attention to both characters dangerous situation they have found themselves in.
The style shown in the storyboard is similar to that of a comic book, in thew sense of having colourful cells and arrows drawn on to show where the action will be happening. Overall, this is a good storyboard because it clearly outlines the action scenes and what will be happening in them. It also helps the cinematographer be well prepared for the set-ups required for the scenes.
Video Game Storyboard Analysis: Murdered Soul Suspect
In this example you can see that the images are well drawn and very well sketched out to show the audience what some parts of the game will look and act like. It also helps the audience to be able to visualise what some sections of the game would be. This is done to make sure the audience are aware of some of the detail that will either be included in cutscenes or in the actual gameplay.
The camera movements used during this storyboard change to show the audience what the scenes would look like in the actual parts of the game. Also the little details given in the text explanation part for the cigarette shows the audience that even little details mean a lot to the story and how things will move along. The accompanying text for the first few slides help the audience to understand the story.
In this whole storyboard there isn't really any references to sound in the images or in the explanatory text below them. This could be used instead to explain that the storyboard doesn't have any speech as it has few action scenes, it could be also suggested that a non-diegetic soundtrack will be used to add something to the scenes.
The transitions in this storyboard make it look like the opening pages of a comic or a graphic novel with some of its grittiness. The text underneath the images also helps the scenes move along because they have brief descriptions and the images have close ups on them so the audience can figure out where certain camera changes would be to fit scene needed for the cutscenes.
The layout for this specific storyboard looks like a comic because of the size of the images and also how much detail all of them have to show how important they are to the story that will be told for the player. This is very clearly a storyboard where the images are the dominant feature, there is a few technical bits of information added to this storyboard to show some camera changes (this is done with the use of arrows drawn onto the scenes).
This storyboard seems to be effective with helping the audience understand what is happening in the opening stages of these images. It is also helpful because you get an idea of what the designer was aiming for when creating this storyboard, the strong hand drawings help show the action well and the various shots and points of interest help highlight the important details. The accompanying description helps to set the tone for what the game will be like and how the images are the focal point of this storyboard.
TV Show Storyboard Analysis: Prison Break
In this storyboard the images are well drawn so the audience can very clearly see what will be happening in the show, it is also done so that the drama of the scenes is fully shown and how the character will deal with this drama. For example, in the first few cells it has the attention completely focused on the truck then quickly cuts to an over the shoulder shot of the main character and what they see right in front of them.
Some camera movements used in this storyboard show some points of interest, for example, in the first shot it shows a truck about to turn around or maybe crash. Then in the next shot it shows the main character with his attention solely on the truck in front of him. (with an over-the-shoulder camera shot) From the first shot to the second it is assumed that this would be a panning shot to show the danger then the reaction
Like in other storyboards I've found not much if any sound direction has been referenced in the explanatory text or in the images themselves. This could be explained by the fact that there isn't much speech going on in the scenes because they are more focused on the action aspects so the audience will remain engaged in the story.
In these scenes the transitions that are used are used in a way to make it clear and understandable to the audience so that they are engaged in the story being told. The text is effective because while there isn't any speech going on the text is telling the whole story and suggests how the scenes and transitions would be visualised. Without any sound the storyboarding artists may have felt that having too many drawings would complicate the story for the audience.
In normal storyboards there are more cells on a page so that more scenes can be sketched out, so by using less like this one it allows for more detail to be added to the cells and the imagery to be larger. This storyboard is clearly a action based one where all of the action is pointed out and dominate, therefore the explanatory text is kept to a minimum also there are some technical details added. For example, there are arrows on a few of the cells to show where camera positions would be but these aren't detailed that much so it doesn't take away any impact that you would get.
This storyboard is somewhat useful in showing the audience what the action scenes would look like for the final cut of the episode. The hand-drawn imagery helps convey the types of things to expect from what the cinematographer and director see and how they want the whole to be shot, it also helps that on this storyboard their is a brief description of each scene broken down so that the audience will be able to understand everything going on in the separate scenes. These descriptions work well for action scenes but more detail on the bottom two parts of the storyboard would be better to help some crew members understand the little parts of scenes.
Wednesday, 31 October 2018
Unit 19: Short Movie Proposal
Title: Don't Hike Alone
Genre: Horror (Sub-genre: Slasher)
Film Synopsis: Three friends (Jack, Tommy and John) are walking through a park when something catches their eye, they get distracted by what it is
Logline: Don't Hike Alone is a horror based movie that opens up on a trip walking through a park where three friends figure out that everything is not as it seems in their everyday lives, they go on an adventure that will change their lives.
Act 1: Jack, Tommy and John walking through a wooded park when somethings catch their attention and distracts them for the time being.
Act 2: All three of them walk towards where they heard a noise when suddenly a figure takes away one of the friends.
Act 3: Tommy and John find out where Jack was taken and try to get him out safe but the figure that kidnapped him starts to chase after them but they are also kidnapped but taken to separate rooms to be talked down to.
Character description:
Treatment: Jack (19), just a normal college student hanging out with his friends Tommy and John, but this night was a little different because of the fact that they were all drinking. The next few hours that follow are a blur but all three are still somewhat coherent until they hear a noise that kinda freaks them out.
The three friends continue following the noise in the hopes of finding out what it was, however, when they get closer they see that it is a hooded figure and he comes up to them and takes one of their friends. After picking themselves back up Shaun and Jacob find themselves also taken
After a few hours of being left alone Tommy and John start the search for their missing friend and hope that nothing bad has happened to him. The figure has taken Jack away to a secret place to keep him held for a while to make sure that he doesn't run away, the figure only wants to talk to Frank and how his friends are going to carry on without him and leave him all alone by himself.
Target Audience: The perfect age demographic for my short movie would be around the ages of 17-20 because around that age a lot of people are more interested in movies and how they are put together so this would help my movie out a lot because more people will be interested in it. Another thing that will make my movie interesting for those ages is because people of that age are also interested in action elements.
Genre: Horror (Sub-genre: Slasher)
Film Synopsis: Three friends (Jack, Tommy and John) are walking through a park when something catches their eye, they get distracted by what it is
Logline: Don't Hike Alone is a horror based movie that opens up on a trip walking through a park where three friends figure out that everything is not as it seems in their everyday lives, they go on an adventure that will change their lives.
Act 1: Jack, Tommy and John walking through a wooded park when somethings catch their attention and distracts them for the time being.
Act 2: All three of them walk towards where they heard a noise when suddenly a figure takes away one of the friends.
Act 3: Tommy and John find out where Jack was taken and try to get him out safe but the figure that kidnapped him starts to chase after them but they are also kidnapped but taken to separate rooms to be talked down to.
Character description:
- 1) Is the one that tries to help sort all problems and wanting everyone to chill out.
- 2) The first one that gets kidnapped.
- 3) The one that is worried about something going wrong.
Treatment: Jack (19), just a normal college student hanging out with his friends Tommy and John, but this night was a little different because of the fact that they were all drinking. The next few hours that follow are a blur but all three are still somewhat coherent until they hear a noise that kinda freaks them out.
The three friends continue following the noise in the hopes of finding out what it was, however, when they get closer they see that it is a hooded figure and he comes up to them and takes one of their friends. After picking themselves back up Shaun and Jacob find themselves also taken
After a few hours of being left alone Tommy and John start the search for their missing friend and hope that nothing bad has happened to him. The figure has taken Jack away to a secret place to keep him held for a while to make sure that he doesn't run away, the figure only wants to talk to Frank and how his friends are going to carry on without him and leave him all alone by himself.
Target Audience: The perfect age demographic for my short movie would be around the ages of 17-20 because around that age a lot of people are more interested in movies and how they are put together so this would help my movie out a lot because more people will be interested in it. Another thing that will make my movie interesting for those ages is because people of that age are also interested in action elements.
Thursday, 18 October 2018
Wednesday, 3 October 2018
Unit 19: Example Scripts
In a TV script there are some subtle changes compared to a movie script, because in a TV script the character's name appears at the side of the page instead of above the scripted written words. Also in a TV script it has the FX listed in the script above the action happening, however in a movie script the INT/EXT (Interior and Exterior) are listed to show where the scene is. For example, in the Deadpool script it features a few editing techniques used to describe part of the scene and how it starts this being "Fade Up On" it also has other edits and camera angles to be made.
Another thing that a movie script does differently to a TV script is that it constantly has the scene layout on the top arts of the script so that they are shown to be important, for example, on page 4 of the Deadpool script it has EXT./INT. next to the location of the scene letting the audience know where the scene(s) are taking place. (this will also be shown in the movie in the bottom corner.)
A Master Scene Script is the standard use and accepted format for film production and is used and designed to offer a straightforward and accessible format for producers of a movie, tv show, radio broadcast or a video game to show to investors to get them interested. It helps to offer a mix of dialogue and description to help the reader understand the story easier, in any media format story is the most important feature, with story being the most important thing some technical information is limited within Master Scene Script format, MSS is split into three different sections: scene headings, narrative description and dialogue blocks.
Narrative description is the telling of the whole story as it is being "told" on screen and will normally begin directly below the scene heading. Through storytelling it's important to make sure the writing is clear so that all audiences understand what is happening screen otherwise it may lead to some confusion and so its also important enough to be able to move the story along at a steady pace. When describing a scene it's good to make sure the audience understands what the scene(s) is about so they can follow the story, this means to be able to explain everything in detail in the script beforehand so every member of the crew know how the scenes are going to play out.
There are a few conventions of writing a Master Scene Script (MSS) that should be known these are that when writing a spec script there shouldn't be any scene numbers shown, camera angles should also not be seen in the script. A few more things that shouldn't be seen in a MSS script is capitals for any sound effects or the names of characters unless it is their introductory scene.
When looking at shooting scripts it's important to realise that they are only used during the production to shoot the actual movie and are not used for selling purposes, this is important because they feature many notes that may or may not be involved in the final version of the movie/tv show.
From the first few lines here you find out everything you need to know about the characters of Max Payne and what their journey will be throughout the course of the game.
For example, if this was a movie script the character's story and motivations would be laid out on camera for the audience to see and they would decide on their own who the good guys are. But in a gaming script it's made obvious who the good guys are based on their motives.
In the beginning portion of Max Payne the script has details outlining the starting point of the game in exact detail of how it happens, so it'll be easy for the gamer to understand the story.
A convention of a game script is that everything flows to make sense to the player and that they have a basic understanding of the game they are playing and how the story will change through the course of the game.
As you can see in this part of the script it shows a detailed description of the beginning of the game and how it starts and looks in the script. This is done to show the audience how the story will flow and what direction it will be going.
In a movie script it would be set out in a similar way this is so that it's easier to understand and they both have a set way of having scripts laid out so that everyone is able to understand what is happening and are able to easily follow the story of both.
Grade Achieved - Pass
Max Payne
https://uk.ign.com/faqs/2003/max-payne-game-script-436914
To Hull and Back
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/scripts/to-hull-and-back.pdf
Deadpool
https://s3.foxmovies.com/foxmovies/production/films/103/assets/deadpool_screenplay.pdf-9383757494.pdf
30 Rock
30Rock.pdf
In Bruges
http://www.ivanachubbuck.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/In-Bruges-Entire-Script.pdf
Another thing that a movie script does differently to a TV script is that it constantly has the scene layout on the top arts of the script so that they are shown to be important, for example, on page 4 of the Deadpool script it has EXT./INT. next to the location of the scene letting the audience know where the scene(s) are taking place. (this will also be shown in the movie in the bottom corner.)
A Master Scene Script is the standard use and accepted format for film production and is used and designed to offer a straightforward and accessible format for producers of a movie, tv show, radio broadcast or a video game to show to investors to get them interested. It helps to offer a mix of dialogue and description to help the reader understand the story easier, in any media format story is the most important feature, with story being the most important thing some technical information is limited within Master Scene Script format, MSS is split into three different sections: scene headings, narrative description and dialogue blocks.
Narrative description is the telling of the whole story as it is being "told" on screen and will normally begin directly below the scene heading. Through storytelling it's important to make sure the writing is clear so that all audiences understand what is happening screen otherwise it may lead to some confusion and so its also important enough to be able to move the story along at a steady pace. When describing a scene it's good to make sure the audience understands what the scene(s) is about so they can follow the story, this means to be able to explain everything in detail in the script beforehand so every member of the crew know how the scenes are going to play out.
There are a few conventions of writing a Master Scene Script (MSS) that should be known these are that when writing a spec script there shouldn't be any scene numbers shown, camera angles should also not be seen in the script. A few more things that shouldn't be seen in a MSS script is capitals for any sound effects or the names of characters unless it is their introductory scene.
When looking at shooting scripts it's important to realise that they are only used during the production to shoot the actual movie and are not used for selling purposes, this is important because they feature many notes that may or may not be involved in the final version of the movie/tv show.
From the first few lines here you find out everything you need to know about the characters of Max Payne and what their journey will be throughout the course of the game.
For example, if this was a movie script the character's story and motivations would be laid out on camera for the audience to see and they would decide on their own who the good guys are. But in a gaming script it's made obvious who the good guys are based on their motives.
In the beginning portion of Max Payne the script has details outlining the starting point of the game in exact detail of how it happens, so it'll be easy for the gamer to understand the story.
A convention of a game script is that everything flows to make sense to the player and that they have a basic understanding of the game they are playing and how the story will change through the course of the game.
As you can see in this part of the script it shows a detailed description of the beginning of the game and how it starts and looks in the script. This is done to show the audience how the story will flow and what direction it will be going.
In a movie script it would be set out in a similar way this is so that it's easier to understand and they both have a set way of having scripts laid out so that everyone is able to understand what is happening and are able to easily follow the story of both.
Grade Achieved - Pass
Max Payne
https://uk.ign.com/faqs/2003/max-payne-game-script-436914
To Hull and Back
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/scripts/to-hull-and-back.pdf
Deadpool
https://s3.foxmovies.com/foxmovies/production/films/103/assets/deadpool_screenplay.pdf-9383757494.pdf
30 Rock
30Rock.pdf
In Bruges
http://www.ivanachubbuck.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/In-Bruges-Entire-Script.pdf
Tuesday, 18 September 2018
Unit 19: Roles/Responsibilities
Section 1: Obtaining work as a screenwriter – Commissioning
Job Roles:
Commissioning Editors
Their main job is to allocate the funds for the production so that it can go ahead and they are the senior employee of the broadcaster. They are in charge of selecting the programme ideas so that the shows that go on TV are always checked over to make sure nothing is in there that shouldn't be.
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/commissioning-editor
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/commissioning-editor
Producers
The main role of the producer is to oversee the sections of the production that the director doesn't have to look into (e.g. financial aspects and legal aspects). When writers are starting to write for projects a producer may originate a project, or pitch it to the writing staff. They will also may attach this project to a particular writer or a group of writers.
The producer is also among the first set of people that are apart of the project, the many responsibilities of a producer are seen in the four major stages of production on a project. For example in the gaming industry a producer acts the same way as they do in movies helping with the budget and the development process.
The main role of the producer is to oversee the sections of the production that the director doesn't have to look into (e.g. financial aspects and legal aspects). When writers are starting to write for projects a producer may originate a project, or pitch it to the writing staff. They will also may attach this project to a particular writer or a group of writers.
The producer is also among the first set of people that are apart of the project, the many responsibilities of a producer are seen in the four major stages of production on a project. For example in the gaming industry a producer acts the same way as they do in movies helping with the budget and the development process.
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/757_producer
Directors
When a project is started, the director takes the ideas that the producer and writers have come up with and is responsible for pulling all the ideas together to make a full project. They provide the creative vision and have a creative direction in which they want to take the ideas, to do this they make sure the DP (director of photography) some technicians and the editing staff have a good basis to work from.
They also have to interpret the script so they have a complete vision of what the project will look like and how it will be made. (The writers have little control over what the director decides to do with their work).
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/758_director
Directors
When a project is started, the director takes the ideas that the producer and writers have come up with and is responsible for pulling all the ideas together to make a full project. They provide the creative vision and have a creative direction in which they want to take the ideas, to do this they make sure the DP (director of photography) some technicians and the editing staff have a good basis to work from.
They also have to interpret the script so they have a complete vision of what the project will look like and how it will be made. (The writers have little control over what the director decides to do with their work).
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/758_director
Script Editors
The main role of a script editor is to provide a overview of the writing process. They also support and are responsible for helping the screenwriters to "map" out their story, they have to remind them of this "map"when they are writing scenes that may change from the narrative they also tend to agree on a development schedule with the producers and screenwriters. This schedule usually includes some development meetings, one-to-one editorial meetings and regular feedback.
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/3765_script_editor
The main role of a script editor is to provide a overview of the writing process. They also support and are responsible for helping the screenwriters to "map" out their story, they have to remind them of this "map"when they are writing scenes that may change from the narrative they also tend to agree on a development schedule with the producers and screenwriters. This schedule usually includes some development meetings, one-to-one editorial meetings and regular feedback.
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/3765_script_editor
Agents
The role of a agent is to be able to find work for their clients and also to organise contracts for the talent they are looking after. They also help to negotiate appropriate deals and help to build up relationships with the decisions of the higher ups in the chosen industry. Much of their time is spent on trying to keep up to date with all that's happening in the industry so they can see which productions are in current development and which are about to be given the green light.
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/282_agent
The role of a agent is to be able to find work for their clients and also to organise contracts for the talent they are looking after. They also help to negotiate appropriate deals and help to build up relationships with the decisions of the higher ups in the chosen industry. Much of their time is spent on trying to keep up to date with all that's happening in the industry so they can see which productions are in current development and which are about to be given the green light.
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/282_agent
Writers
The main role of any writer for any production is to be able to research certain topics or things that will be discussed in the project, they are solely responsible for creating and developing an engaging narrative featuring an emotional impact with the viewers. A lot of writers that work on projects are freelance (meaning they work for free and are hired on for particular assignments).
Corporations
The main role of any writer for any production is to be able to research certain topics or things that will be discussed in the project, they are solely responsible for creating and developing an engaging narrative featuring an emotional impact with the viewers. A lot of writers that work on projects are freelance (meaning they work for free and are hired on for particular assignments).
In the gaming industry writers work the same way where there is big groups of writers that bounce ideas off of one another to figure out the storyline. For certain game companies the writers work in small groups to ensure the story is exactly how it is wanted.
Commissioning Bodies:
Commissioning Bodies:
Almost all pitching ideas for four of the biggest corporations (Fox, Sony, Disney and Universal) go through established relationships this help to create a "safe bet" so that established names who have already worked for big companies or agencies. The biggest UK corporations like the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 often commission scripts and budgets for TV shows that will appear on their channels.
Sometimes with writers being freelance workers they are given opportunities to submit some scripts to big corporations and if the corporations like the scripts they could possibly commission the script to be made for one of their channels.
Independent Production Companies
In the UK there are many independent production companies that are used for both commercial and broadcasting needs and strike deals so that these companies can produce material that could be broadcast onto networks. Writers may also submit their work and ideas to independent production companies to see if they can get work, this also depends on what company they submit their work to because some companies have different genres that they work towards keeping and have certain budgetary restrictions in place.
Organisations
There are also a number of organisations that are set up to assist prospective writers to help kick-start a career in media be it as a writer or director. The few that are most well known are the BBC Writers Room, Good in a Room and the BFI Film Academy as well as the The Writers' Guild of Great Britain. The WGGB helps to support young writers across all platforms of media including film, online, radio, theatre, TV and videogames.
Sometimes with writers being freelance workers they are given opportunities to submit some scripts to big corporations and if the corporations like the scripts they could possibly commission the script to be made for one of their channels.
Independent Production Companies
In the UK there are many independent production companies that are used for both commercial and broadcasting needs and strike deals so that these companies can produce material that could be broadcast onto networks. Writers may also submit their work and ideas to independent production companies to see if they can get work, this also depends on what company they submit their work to because some companies have different genres that they work towards keeping and have certain budgetary restrictions in place.
Organisations
There are also a number of organisations that are set up to assist prospective writers to help kick-start a career in media be it as a writer or director. The few that are most well known are the BBC Writers Room, Good in a Room and the BFI Film Academy as well as the The Writers' Guild of Great Britain. The WGGB helps to support young writers across all platforms of media including film, online, radio, theatre, TV and videogames.
Section 2: Working as a writer – The Demands and Requirements:
When writers start working for independent companies and major companies they have to maintain a professional way of conducting their business and also show professionalism when presenting their work to actors, producers and directors. If this professionalism isn't shown that company won't accept that writer because they'll come across as being untrustworthy and not reliable.
Agent Representation
In the media industry it's very important to have a agent and have one that has very good bargaining and negotiating skills, it's also important to have a well known and well travelled agent because they will be able to send more contracts with roles that interest the actor. Some submissions that get sent through to production companies have to be done by agents or managers to be counted as solicited (ask for or try to obtain something from someone) otherwise they are know as unsolicited (not asked by or needed by someone) submissions and won't be accepted.
Communication
When pitching ideas to higher ups in a its very important and crucial to have clear communication skills so that the producers and director has a basic understanding of the idea that is being pitched to them. In any media format it's important to be able to make your points known when discussing ideas that would benefit the whole production, this is mostly important during meetings when many ideas are getting pitched around to see what will get made.
Time Management
When working in a professional environment it's important to be able to manage time effectively so that you will have the correct amount of time to get a script completed on time. It's also important to do this because it shows that you are interested in writing scripts and trying to get projects green-light.
Another thing that could happen if time is not managed correctly is the writer finding no interest in the project anymore or losing the story that they had originally set out and planned, if the writer gets behind schedule it can cause many problems mostly the whole production process could cause money losses.
Royalty Payments
Writers will often receive royalty payments when creating their work so that if their work gets published they will receive some payments from it. Royalty payments are split up between a specific group of people working on the production, these people are the writer, the agent and the producers. These royalty payments can come in the form of sales from the use of a script that was used for example a writer will receive payments from the use of a script for a film or TV show.
Collaboration
In the media industry its important to find writers, producers, directors that you enjoy working with and can grow a working relationship with so that you will always be working in the industry and will always be able to keep a job. For example, Tim Burton has frequently worked with Johnny Depp during his career as a film director also in Burton's movies they feature a somewhat Gothic style to them.
https://jamesaconrad.com/writing/multi-screenwriting-teams.html
Handing Over Control
Section 3: The Scriptwriting Process – Legal & Ethical Considerations
A copyrighted piece of work is the most important thing that a writer can call their own, as long as the idea is protected and a copyright symbol has been placed on all work your idea will be safe. However, your idea won't be safe forever after the creator passes away and 70 years has passed the projects that the writer had protected are now free to use.
https://info.legalzoom.com/copyright-laws-video-games-20305.html
Plagiarism
A lot of writers need to be very careful when publishing their work to make sure it isn't plagiarised in any way otherwise legal action will have to be taken in order to get the legal rights. Most if not all plagiarism cases end up being settled with the original creator being credited so that they can get royalty payments from the use of their work.
https://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2012/01/30/plagiarism-in-video-games/
Libel
Libel refers to people sometimes writing hurtful or inaccurate things about a single person, a group of people or an entire business either in written format or in a broadcast. Therefore, writers will have to research certain things to make sure they don't bring up any legal issues. To be able to collect on any damages that could be created and brought up an individual or individuals have to have proof that malice was intended.
Bias
When writers create a fictional piece of work they have to make sure that they don't favour a certain demographic of people or that they don't alienate a group of people. 'Representation' is a massive issue in current media production and it should always be the main priority when writing and creating.
Censorship
When writing and creating it's very important to make sure that the audience is being kept in mind because you don't want to offend anyone because it could turn them off your product and make sure it gets plenty of negative attention. To make the subject matter appropriate some aspects may need to be cut or censored, this usually means the level of violence, language if there are any sexual themes or any drug use. If any of these apply then the material will need to be altered.
In the video games industry many games companies will come across censorship in their games due to the rating that may be put in place by either the publishing company or the production company themselves.
Censorship is somewhat different in games because when things get censored they are mostly just taken out and removed form the coding but sometimes this censored content stays in the code by accident. For example, in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Rockstar thought that they had completely removed a graphic scene but was later found by some people in the coding files.
Watersheds
When writing a project to get commissioned it's important to know what kind of rules to follow, for example if the project you want to get put on TV has swearing in or certain adult themes it will need to be put on in a different time slot. (Before 9pm when the watershed starts) For example Mock the Week is always put on at 9pm because it features some adult themes and won't be suitable for going live during the day.
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/advice-for-consumers/television/what-is-the-watershed
Grade Achieved - Pass
Wednesday, 13 June 2018
Tuesday, 12 June 2018
Unit 4 Pre-Production - Evaluation
Evaluation
When we were first given this task, I thought it would be a lot harder than it was because we didn’t have a base idea set out straight away because we wanted to create a short movie which we felt would’ve been easier and taken up a little less time. But, as we thought about it more we realised that it would be easier to instead create a music video because we could use the green screen for our background.
After going over a few choices of what we would do for the music video we chose to do ‘Japan’ by Famous Dex.
After deciding on the song choice for our music video we then had to do all of the pre-production work that comes with making anything film related, so first we started to fill out our production log (which shows what parts we need to do), then one of us filled out a storyboard so we as a group would have a good idea of what the video would look like. After that, we then had our production meetings to discuss what role each member of the group would do after the basic things were taken care of,
When we started this project I thought that there would be more problems that would come about because we had to decide if we wanted to do a short movie or a music video, in the end we decided to do a music video because it would be a lot easier. Other problems that came about when working on this project was that we had to do the reccee sheet and also the location scouting but that wasn’t as hard because we are going to use the green screen studio so we can have images on in the background.
One of the things that I’ve learned from doing this type of project is that it’s a lot easier to create a music video than to make a short movie because for a music video we as a group didn’t have to try and remember lines or have a specific wardrobe that we had to have. Instead, we got to relax and chill a bit and got to wear our normal college clothes so we were more relaxed. If we were going to do this type of project again there are a few things that we would do differently, the first of these being we would choose a song quicker so that we would have longer time to decide on other important details that are involved during the pre-production section.
Another thing that we would change about our project if we were to do it again would be the selection of different songs that we had ideas for because we had a few different ideas but most of them wouldn't work well with the target audience and who we are aiming to get interested in our video. The reason why we switched was because with our video for 'Japan' we will have a lot more freedom in what we plan to do with it so it will be a lot more fun, however, we have to be careful to not have too much fun with it because we could end up wasting time and that could eat up our editing time that we have scheduled.
Another thing that we would change about our project if we were to do it again would be the selection of different songs that we had ideas for because we had a few different ideas but most of them wouldn't work well with the target audience and who we are aiming to get interested in our video. The reason why we switched was because with our video for 'Japan' we will have a lot more freedom in what we plan to do with it so it will be a lot more fun, however, we have to be careful to not have too much fun with it because we could end up wasting time and that could eat up our editing time that we have scheduled.
Unit 4 Pre-Production - Report
(REPORT)
The client is the VPA section of Bede College, they have asked us as a group to create a 4-minute short music video. For this work we have to store the pre-production work in a portfolio and will need to be maintained in an organised way throughout the pre-production phase of the project. The target audience for this music video would be fellow college students due to the nature of the video and the work that we’ll be doing to keep them interested, also because of the nature of the video it will be intended for those that are mature because of some things that are in the actual video will most likely be replicated.
For looking into Famous Dex's previous work I found out that he has eight separate mixtapes, one collaborative mixtape (with 5 different titles) and one studio album. The studio album was released on April 6th, 2018 and reached number 12 on the US charts. In 2017 Dex's song 'Pick It Up' (featuring A$AP Rocky) charted at number 54 on the US charts, 26 on the US R&B/HH charts and 60 on the Canadian charts (it also got a RIAA Gold certification). In 2018, Dex's single 'Japan', charted at number 28 in the US charts, 18 in the US R&B/HH charts and 40 in Canada's charts.
Primary research?
Existing work?
The below link is to the music video for 'Japan' (this is the video that we'll be recreating.)
This is the kind of thing that we’ll be trying to do because we want to keep the same style and visuals for our version of the music video. The below screenshot shows Famous Dex’s other work in mixtape form.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
When recreating a video like this, we'll have to be careful of not showing any copyrighted material that could affect our video, another thing that we'll have to be careful of is if some of the images that will be shown in the background on a green screen will be not suitable for our project or if it will be suitable for our intended audience. Another thing that we'll have to be careful of is that we aren’t going to include some things that were in the video because they aren’t really appropriate for our target audience or the client.
Unit 4 Pre-Production - Proposal
(PROPOSAL)
For this unit I’m going to be making a music video for the song ’Japan’ by rapper Famous Dex, the reason for picking this song and video combination is because we as a group felt it would be a lot better than the other ideas we had. The overall music video will follow a similar pattern to the actual video itself where it has the song happening but also have a green screen set up to have various pictures of Japan on in the background. Since the music video is upbeat we will hope to replicate the same thing for ours because we don’t want to make ours that much different and we will try to keep the same happy vibe and theme that is the actual video.
When trying to replicate a video like this we will have to try to avoid some things that could be copyrighted material, for example some of the pictures we will use for the background on the green screen. Some other equipment that we’ll need is the lights, so we’ll need permission to use them and need to use the cameras at the college otherwise we won’t be allowed to film our video.
Unit 4 Pre-Production - Contingency Plan
Pre-Production Unit 4
Contingency Plan – Connor - Crampton
In the case of one of us not being to show up for filming we have thought as a group who would be able to help us out and it would be easier if some other class mates would help us because it would be more helpful than trying to find anyone else. Also, in the case of some of the equipment not working correctly or there being some faults with it we will have to find another way of doing things, this includes trying to film on a different day than we planned for because the best equipment might not be taken by then.
Another thing that we will have to think about is whether or not the weather will be a factor in our work, because if it is we will have to try and schedule our filming dates for some other time as a precaution. So, to make sure that weather isn’t a factor in our filming getting messed up we’ll record it a few days beforehand just to make sure nothing goes wrong and the weather doesn’t affect driving conditions.
During the making of our video we will have to be careful about the time schedule we have set out because if we go over the shooting schedule it will cost more money and we could potentially be wasting time by re-shooting the same things again if they need multiple takes to get right. We will also have to make sure that we take our time when shooting because we only have a set amount of time when we have to be done by and if we go over that time-frame the video will suffer.
During the editing period we’ll have to make sure that we only take up the time we said we would need otherwise we’ll be overrunning which won’t help our video because we could be running behind and end up losing extra time that we could be given. This will result in the video not being as good as it should be if we overrun, but we’ll make sure we won’t overrun.
Wednesday, 23 May 2018
Saturday, 19 May 2018
Unit 4 Pre-Production
Unit 4 Pre-Production
Pre-Production
The reason why pre-production is important when making a movie is because the director and producers need to have a base idea set out, so they can have a vision of the movie that they'll be making. Using a storyboard is the best way for a director to have a general idea of what the movie would look like from a structured standpoint.
Other important parts of pre-production are location scouting, props, cast & crew, costumes etc. Location scouting is a major part of any movie production, this means that a movie needs to have locations to film in so that the movie will have a realistic feel to it.
Props are another important and vital part of film production, literally every movie ever created has used props of some sort. These are important because it helps the audience understand the "story" of the movie and the surroundings of the set will look familiar. Cast & crew are the most crucial part of the whole movie making process because without them there would be no movie at all. The crew ranges from cameraman to script writer and everything else in between, without a script writer there would be no movie and the director wouldn't get an "image" of what the movie would be like the same goes for a cameraman if they aren't there nobody will be shooting the movie.
Finance products
Zombie Hunter raised a total of $46,254 for additional funds that were needed after the budget set in place ($1,000,000) was not enough for the visual effects. These funds were raised through a kickstarter campaign to help improve the production team's desired budget. The film had its official premiere at the 2013 Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal, it was then released on home media on October 8th, 2013.
Logistics
When creating a short movie it's very important to know how much it will cost because you will need to think of this as a proper business and would want to cut costs so that you can have a better movie for cheaper. This is one of the most important parts of the pre-production of a movie because it could all go wrong if there isn't any money behind it. There are two important aspects of the costs for creating a short movie, the first is potential sources of finance (such as advertising, sponsorship, subscription fees, cover price, sales, rental charge). The second of these is the expenditure (covering such elements as equipment, materials, transport, costs, crew, personal, facility hire, clearances and legal costs).
Facilities
Any creative media production will involve the use of production equipment and facilities to capture, record, edit and manipulate the raw materials into the finished product. Moving image, audio and photographic products will need equipment and perhaps studios to record and capture the sounds and images that you require. Computer hardware and software is now at the heart of the production and post-production processes that are 8sed to create all digital media products. Professional production companies will either use their own equipment and facilities or hire what they need for a specific production from facility houses. They might even outsource some of the work, such as post-production special effects, to a specialist company.
Codes of Practice
When looking over separate products it's important to include codes of practices so that people know the guidelines when making a short movie product so that the message isn't being taken the wrong way. For a short movie the codes and practices would be health and safety forms, for example a risk assessment. These are forms that get filled out before and after a movie has been filmed so that possible dangers of the workplace/filming locations are identified and taken care of so nothing goes wrong in terms of injuries. If these forms aren't filled out the actors might not want to work on the movie because they won't be protected by insurance if anything goes wrong.
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