Feedback on documentary idea, location scouting and the next task

Feedback
I have recently spoken to my lecturer about my documetary idea. He really liked it but he suggested to add more action shots than just using book images. He said the first 90% of the idea is really good but the next 10% of the idea needed improving. He asked how I could improve this which was very challenging to think about but then he suggested to film people reinacting a scene from one of Stephen King's books or films. This I think would really work. I also suggested to create a scene that's just related to the horror genre. This would also help with my upcoming editing exam.

Location Scouting and the next task

After the feeback, I went for a short location scout for interviewees and found some reasonable looking locations. Most of them were around the nearest church opposite the college. Here are a few images of the locations:

This is my bedroom, where I'm planning on shooting footage of my King collection and collectibles for the opening sequence.

If the weather is good enough, I would possibly like to use these settings because I think they give out a certain Gothic feeling. This I think will match the subject this documentary is about.

These are the locations I would like to use for people that aren't fans because they are just ordinary settings. The Gothic ones I don't think will work because the subject will be about why some people don't like King or they might not like the horror genre in general.

Here is the studio where I would initially like to shoot the fan interviews. I will set it up using the black curtains and to use the lighting. I want to learn more about how to use the lighting and controls before I use it for shooting.

My studio module role

Other than documentary, our second module for the end of this year is multy camera studio module.

This is where we all work in a large group. I've just recently discussed with one of the group members, who's in charge of thinking of an idea of a show. He told us he wants to do a music show and get 5 or 6 different solo artists or bands together and play live.

I asked my role for this module is camera oporator which I'm perfectly happy with.

First steps towards documentary: Action plan and script writing

Now that my previous projects are finished, I am now on the Documentary and Studio Production modules.

I have made a start on my Documentary module. I have explained my idea on previous pages. Before Christmas, I created the mood board for it, explaining what type of shots, lighting, clothing to wear etc. Here is the image of the mood board I created in a program I have called Inspiration:

I have also, recently began writing my script of the documentary. I haven't finished it yet but its a work in progress. Here is an image of a page:

But then I realized, before carrying on with my script, I wrote a action plan of what tasks I'm intending to do for this module. So I thought of all the tasks, for example, taking photos of the locations, sending out the advertisements for interviewees of Stephen King fans etc. So here is an image of the action plan I wrote:

This, I think will really help through out the module because then what I've done and what else I have to do.

Tweaking my Corporate Video

Recently, I have finished making a corporate video, promoting my course I'm on now.

After it was viewed, I had some really good feedback but somebody recognized that the colours needed tweaking slightly and the phone number I said at the end, I've written some of the numbers the wrong way round. So I took these amendments on board.

So today, I have gone back to the video and completed the amendments. I have deleted the old video off Youtube and now uploading the new one on now :D

Idea of Documentary set in stone and my proposal written

Recently, I have been thinking about my upcoming project, which is, making my documentary.

I have an idea for quite a while, which is piece about fans of Stephen King. It is about their favorite books and films, by King, why they like them and how much do they mean to them. I did ask my lecturer and my mum of what they thought of the idea. They approve and think that it would work.

My main inspiration from the idea is by a documentary I've seen and enjoyed called 'Metal A Headbanger's Journey'. It is about an Anthropologist, who is a big fan of metal music. He travels to America, England, Germany and Norway and interviews fans, band members, record labels, writers etc. The question the Anthropologist wanted to ask is why the genre is most of the time stereotyped, dismissed and condemned. He interviewed the fans about the huge passions in the genre. He had shots of music festivals, bands playing live and the fans having a great time.

He also mentioned the different types of metal music (there are loads!). He and band members have explained histories about the genre. Basically, anything you need to know about metal, its there.

I enjoyed it that much, I felt that I wanted to make one on the horror genre. This, I think will be difficult at the moment because I have to find out about clubs, societies etc. But I will have it in mind. So then I went onto Stephen King and I think it will be appropriate because it'll be easier. 

I have recently created a mood board of shots, lighting, clothing, angles etc. I then thought of what locations to use for filming. I asked my family of what locations I could use. i suggested the studio for one of them and they like the idea

Today, I have written my proposal and asked about more locations. My mum agrees with my other ideas. My next step is to write the script.

The ending of my corporate video

The viewing and the feedback
Recently, I have been working on my corporate video, which is my promotional video for my course.

I have still followed the two students, making their film. These are for action sequences to add in the interviews.

My lecturer looked through the footage I had and he rekoned it needed alot of improving. Looking back at the footage, I can see what he meant. The colors weren't right, the sound was uneven and there weren't enough action sequences. He suggested that I would film any filming objects or somebody preparing equipment etc.

To help this, that night, I went to the Staffs TV organisation up at the uni and used a little handycam to film people preparing the sets, behind the scenes, preparing the cameras etc. I filmed these when I had time because I had a role to do for that evening's show, which was auto cue operator. The evening went very well and I collected lots of footage.

The day at the nativity

As soon as I got in college the next day, people had to help Bill film a children's nativity that was happening near Stafford. Bill said to me that if I wanted to capture footage of them filming the event, I had to come now. So I chose to go with them. Wile I was there, I shot lots of footage of everyone preparing the equipment, shots of the equipment itself and also the students actually filming the event. These I thought would really work for the event.

During the same day, I was still editing of what I had. But I realized that at one interview with Bill, he mentioned about the DSLR's. So, with quick thinking, I asked for a handycam and filmed some shots of a DSLAR and even filmed it recording something. I also asked for a help from a student to film me pursuading students to come to the course and saying Bill's mobile number and email address. This was for the end of the video.

Editing

The video had to be in soon, so it was time to get this video up and running. I looked back at the previous footage and the first thing I did was fix the color balance to make it look nicer. Here's an example

Some of the clips unfortunately, were quite glitchy, so I deleted it and had another copy on my timeline (which was a godsend!).

I then put it all together, making the titles were correct, the picture and sound etc.

For the music, I looked on YouTube to find novelty free music to use. I did find a couple of tracks that sounded very good but then I found the one that was just right. For doing this, I have a program on my computer called 'vdownloader', which downloads YouTube videos. Here is what it looks like:

What you do, is that you click on the link of the video on YouTube and copy it. This is immediately sent onto the program. When its there, you click the Download icon. It takes a minute to download. It then goes onto the videos file on my computer.

I then copied into Premier. I locked the sound part and deleted off the image that comes with the song. Then this will have just the song. I then added to the video and it works like a treat. Here's what it looks like now



I then watched the video and they really liked it. My mum gave me some constructive criticism by saying turn the music down slightly and highten up the student's interview's volume slightly. So that I will do. After it's done, off to YouTube it goes :)

Paperwork for my drama done! Including DVD cover!

During today I have finished all the paperwork I've got for my film 'Paralysis Of Fear'.

Also the film is uploaded on Youtube. Feel free to have a watch. Here's the link


During yesterday and today, I have created my DVD cover of the film on Photoshop. It was challenging but fun to make.

How I made it was that I got the measurements of a normal DVD case and then print screened some images of the film and created text for the front. For example the title, who stars in it etc. I used a particular style of the font. Here's how I did it:

I used a particular style and used many blending options to make it look the way I wanted it.


To get the certificate, I wanted to get an existing DVD cover, copy and paste it into photoshop and erase all parts of the cover except the certificate. Here's how I did it.

This I thought was the most challenging to get because I wanted the text to say what the film contains. So I copied an existing cover and did the same as I did last time by erasing everything but the rating. I then erased a word from the rating that I didn't need. Unfortunately this didn't work because it looked to blury. So I then copied another cover and used it's rating where it just sais 'Suitable for 15 years and over'. This worked alot better.

The cover now, I think is successful.



Also here is the link to my film:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7hqdU6SBes