Live production: Critical analysis

I can't believe another unit is over and second year is almost completely done too! To think, i thought this unit was going to be the easiest, how i got that so wrong i don't know! In all honesty, i know i probably say this but i feel like i'll take away from this unit the most, working under those kind of pressures, gives me confidence for the future an working in other projects where there won't be those kind of constraints, as it'll make me appreciate what i have and the time i have on those location shoots now. 


Pre-production
From my role, being camera, i just had to liaise with my producers and directors regarding what days i'm shooting and the style of the shoot. I was very pleased with how we all dealt with shooting the VTs, there was no hassle or issues with anyone and we all got on with the job at hand. We had permission granted in all of our locations, it's stuff like the weather that you can't really plan around, but fortunately it wasn't too difficult when we were out on location filming! If there were any downsides to the pre-production side of things in terms of improving for next time, it would be the VTs being slightly tweaked? I know we were restricted in terms of creativity as it may not of fit the tone/themes we were going for. However I would of liked a bit more creativity in that respect.  

(The live show)

Production
I was pretty satisfied with how the VTs were shot and the way in which it was done, as i was also happy with shooting of the Live production performance. If i could choose one that i was more proud of shooting it would probably be the Live production. I know your creative mark isn't left as a footprint within it, however i feel you're part of a bigger picture & to have an input in something like that is special. I think me & George got left with the bad apple in terms of the camera we were using for the Live production, (Sony PMW) so that was a pain getting it to match up with the other cameras that had different sized sensors that ours. 
We had a few technical issues regarding shooting our fashion fails online VT as the lighting was just pretty low and we knew it was going to be a post edit job. I've learnt now to take out my lights than always needed, as if we had that extra LED, we would of had a perfectly exposed face. 

Post-production
Having not yet seen the 'As Live' production, it's hard for me to critic myself in regards to that, however my VTs i can do so. Looking back on the final editing version, there are some things i'd change, like the lighting, and tighten up some camera shots. On the other hand, i'm pleased with the overall feel and aesthetic of the two VTs that i had a hand in creating. Possibly next time I would like to have more involvement in the edit process so i can contribute to some degree on that creative aspect.





What have i learnt 
I think this unit has taught me that communication is pivotal, you can have a group of fantastic talented people but if they aren't mature enough & professional to put aside any differences they have to come together and produce a piece of work, then they'll fail. I think that's what we did well as a year group, and i think we should be proud of that fact. I feel to some degree i know what it would feel like on a smaller scale to work on a studio set, and it's gave me that buzz to go hunting for more. It's a rush like nothing else and i loved every minute of it. Another big thing this time round is that i'm beginning to slowly but surely, enjoy researching relevant roles & people, obviously being interested in cameras, working camera operator, i've been tasked to research about them! I know how rich a lot of sources are for seriously useful information so i just need to keep digging and researching. 

What have i still to improve
I've got many skills that need major improvement but one that i felt i was majorly slacking was my camera ability! I felt i struggled with some of the movement shots within the live production, and trying to focus on that PMW was insanely difficult, so i seriously need to just crack on with way more research and take out the Panasonic's for little test shoots! I've been looking into colour grading more, and potentially shooting on V-Log, so realistically i need to take out the DVXs and have a play.


Conclusion
To conclude this unit, i think it's fair to say everyone did a great job at the specific role. I'm happy with how my role was carried out and in the manner it was too. there are certain things that looking back on i'd liked to of had a second chance or to add my creative input, but there things now i can take me with forwards to the future productions i'll be working on. I feel positive an confident in the direction that i'm going. 

Transitions: Group tutorial with Simon

After the pitch, we had much to talk about regarding the project and what we were going to explore with it individually. We knew as a collective we had to bring our own concept to our individual role. So with that being said, we had set out our own individual research into our roles and came back to discuss it further with Simon. 

The script was in its final stages, so hadn't been sent out to our cast or Simon for further reviewing, so today was a good chance to have a final overview on it. 

Feedback on script - 
- Too heavy dialogue based.
- Felt like there were no individuals, just a group of very similar characters.
- Needs to have more of a balance between sexes. 
- Needs to have more of an arch.

Feedback on Camera - 
So it was just a brief conversation regarding what I wanted the aesthetic to be within our project, but as the script was constantly changing as it wasn't completed, it was challenging to think of a certain aesthetic to implement. However, me and Oliver had been discussing briefly over the general tone that would suit the script, and had come to the decision that the majority of the coverage would be shot handheld. 

There were some concerns with our time constraints etc, as we were filming so close to the deadline, leaving us with little/not enough time for the edit. Nevertheless there was nothing that could be changed in that regard, so we had to push on with the project, staying focused and confident that we could achieve what we had set out to.