Burn Out Project.

Castles In The Air

 For our Moving Image we have been set a brief to create a short film in which is based upon the fact the world is in need of a formula to save it due to global warming, melting ice caps, etc. I decided to call my short film Castles In The Air (meaning daydreams) as my whole film is based upon the fact a scientist thinks he finds the correct formula, however he wakes up and it is all a dream. He aspires to be the best at his job, working long hours and getting little sleep, consequently causing him to have dreams and reality merge to become one.
  So far in my brief I have done -for example- the treatment , mind map, recce and more. All links to completed work (T1.2) is on the brief.

     After creating an idea and producing the treatment, story board, script etc I carried out some research. I researched 3 directors and the styles in which they use in their films that make them successful and unique. This was important to do in order to know what works, what doesn't and how I can incorporate their visions and styles into my film and make it my own. I produced a separate blog post as opposed to Google Doc for this, which can be found here.


   When it came to the practical side of things, I needed to conduct a risk assessment as part of pre-production. Here I included any risks and hazards I may come across when filming (turned out to be not that many as locations were specific and small in number). In addition to this I assessed any potential risks and hazards and how to prevent them, this can be found here

Character Animation- Feeding.

Animation

  In order to fill out the given brief I needed to animate a character doing multiple things such as eating, sleeping and playing. Today I animated a character eating a carrot, this was done by creating two layers, one for my character and one for the item of food. I then animated my character and the carrot to jump on screen where the character would then consume the food. By inserting key frames where necessary I was able to create this:  

My first attempt is shown above. It is very fast and also doesn't end where I began it therefore will not loop correctly. I amended my mistakes and instead of lowering the Frames Per Second, I added more frames to the animation and ensured it ended where it began. Results are below.

Re-Shoot, Re-Dub, Re-Cut.

Podcast 

  Last term I created a podcast regarding celebrity 'gossip' and news at the time. For this project I intend to produce this further and improve it, by doing a follow up story and adding an interview. By adding an interview it gives the podcast depth and it also is a good update for me to do.

  Although by adding an interview it will give my podcast depth and interest I am not able to access the people in which I reported on. To over come this I will need to add a local story, so that I am able to interview a member of the public and add this to my podcast. In my previous podcast I was able to include a couple of stories as well as quotes, I also added some music to the beginning and playing in the background which I really liked, I will do this again. 

  In regards to other things in which I could add to my podcast I could add more visual things, for example videos and images of the subject in which I am discussing. This makes it interesting as you are able to view what the podcast is discussing. 

   In the back of the podcast I could use more relevant audio, for example when discussing ' I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here' I could use the theme tune in the background, this will make it more relevant. This will be adding small, but vital changes to the podcast. The audio in which I used in the background can then be used at the opening song and at the end, this will give it more structure.

http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/15043594.__39_Encouraging__39__update_given_on_Trowbridge_campus_project/ 

  

     The article above is the news article in which I will briefly describe, then get a member of the public to give their opinion on the fact. It discusses the funding that has been given for a new primary care unit in Trowbridge. It also talks about how the chairman of the Trowbridge Area Board Campus appreciates the encouraging work however thinks indoor leisure facilities need to be created.

Production

 After devising a plan of how I would improve my work from the previous brief I went on to create my podcast. I created a new script I would go by, this included celebrity news, local news, and an interview, giving it more depth and interest compared to the last one I produced.

  I recorded my podcast using an audio recorder with the microphone it comes with as opposed to attaching a microphone. In the last podcast I recorded using a hand held microphone and kept the same distance away when I spoke, the audio came out with good quality and levels that I was happy with. Despite this I decided to use the built in mic to see the difference and personally I cannot notice a difference. I took multiple takes of me saying my script so that when it came to editing I had plenty of options in case I needed too, this was useful and I will do this if I create another podcast.

    After I had recorded my podcast, including interview, I went on to edit it in Adobe Premiere. I needed to find some soundtracks to go in the background, in my last podcast I used the same piece of audio ( from YouTube Library) throughout the whole thing. Therefore this time I wanted to change it up a bit, therefore I downloaded a new track to run alongside me speaking, however I also downloaded the ' Im a celebrity get me out of here' theme tune to go in the background of that particular segment. It makes it more interesting and lively in my opinion!

I came across a few issues by holding the audio recorder by hand, for example when I introduced the interview I over came it by adjusting the audio gain. I set it higher where my voice sounded quieter and was also able to slightly lower it in the parts where I sounded a little loud. Not only did I adjust my voice, I also had to make the backing track a lot quieter so it was comfortably playing in the background and so my voice was the main focus.

Media Industry Jobs.

Comparing & Contrasting 

 There are multiple different roles included in the media industry, ranging from composers to costume designers etc. This post will be comparing and contrasting a few different roles within the industry and their general day to day activities, pros and cons of the job and more.

  Editor

 Editors work closely with directors to finish the film, this requires a creative individual and it can have some cons to it such as being in the editing suite for long periods of time. Editors also run a team of assistants and trainees on big productions. 

  Their role is highly significant as editors are one of the key Head Of Departments on feature films, responsible for first assistant editors and second assistants / trainees. They work very closely with the directions to ensure a coherent story and flow within the film. They will select the best takes and edit them together, often working backwards (from the end of the film to the beginning) hence why it is crucial to be able to maintain a good sense of how the story is unfolding.

            

      Editors work long, unsociable hours and are often under pressure. They are employed on a  freelance basis by the producer based on reputation and experience. They often work on television dramas and feature film.

    

   In regards to qualifications you do not need a specific qualification however those contemplating a film production course on a higher level of education does not go unseen as they provide you with a degree that will prepare you for your career.

 Typically you enter the industry by being a runner to a trainee, second assistant, first assistant and lastly editor.

  

This role interests me as I enjoy putting footage together and editing it to create a coherent film. Upon researching editors and their roles, pros, cons etc I realise that it is very intense. With long hours at unsociable times and under a considerable amount of pressure, despite this as they do work so closely with the director and have a say in how the story will emerge etc I do find it intriguing as a potential career choice.

Journalist

 A journalist will research new news stories and leads for either newspapers, magazines and other news-based services. They will write up stories based on research before submitting it to an editor. The general role of a journalist requires excellent organisation skills as well as being able to meet deadlines perfectly. They require to have the knowledge of knowing laws around journalism and be able to establish a list of contacts within the industry that you can rely of for quotes and interviews etc.

   This role requires a large amount of research before writing articles for magazines, websites etc. They are required to keep a 'finger on the pulse' in the area they are covering. They can either work freelance or for a publication, freelance however can be difficult as publications will send out staff to research the new stories.

  Qualifications for journalists are not require however it is becoming increasingly difficult within the industry to become a journalist without a Journalist or English degree at university. 

   A successful journalist will find themselves leading a group of reporters making sure the sectors is covered to the best of their abilities, alternatively they can become a part of the Editorial team, influencing the direction of production as a whole.

  This career is very different compared to an editor as explained above, I enjoy writing and find it interesting carrying out research of specific topics, however upon deeper research to this specific career it isn't something I would was to pursue ( in higher education etc). I find this role interesting however the industry is difficult, along with the qualifications that are preferred.

 Studio Technician

    A Studio technician will run cameras ( for commercials etc) and work closely with the studio manager. They will attend pre-production meetings and will also oversee the rest of production such as the camera work and workflow of the project and film, ensuring the frames were successfully put into the machines so that everything will run smoothly. They also look after equipment and kit ( cameras).

   In this industry it will help to have qualifications / education of film production to help pursue your career successfully, typically the way into this role is through runners ( much like editors) and you can work your way. Sometimes a simple day can lead to a full time job. The pros to a studio technician is that everyone is involved and that there is a nice atmosphere & enthusiasm within the work place. On the contrary to this maintenance can be difficult as it is their responsibility to ensure that the kit is safe and well maintained. Another pro to working in this role is that you get to work on multiple different projects which will be interesting as opposed to one role that includes the same-ish projects.The role requires a positive attitude as well as patience and passion for the role.

    To conclude, there are a variety of different roles available in the media industry, some easier to enter than others, however they all require determination passion and dedication. Out of the three I have briefly compared and explained the role I would be more inclined to chose and pursue would be editor as that interests me slightly more out of the three. To compare these roles further I would add that although they are in the same industry they are very different. They do however have their similarities, for example long unsociable hours. However the one that is particularly different is a journalist. A lot of the time I found out that alot of journalists work freelance as well as for a publication. All three roles require enthusiasm and passion, as well as dedication. When researching the roles I came to the realisation that qualifications aren't necessary, only for a job in journalism do you require a journalist/ english degree. As discussed these roles ( and others) have a lot of similarities and compare and contrast towards each other. 

Information : http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles
Images: Images are not my own, see Google Images.