Live production: VT Production

Over the course of two days we were able to shoot both of my groups VTs, the VTs we shot were Online Fashion Fails, and Presenter Challenge. My role being camera operator for both, i knew i needed to be organised and on the ball as i didn't want to let my team down.

Pre-production
A script had been written by our producer of the VT group A, (Callum) our locations had been confirmed also by Callum & Laura, the presenter was ready for the shoot date too. I had been briefed on the shooting dates and what they would entail in terms of how & where we would be shooting, i feel its good to have some kind of insight into what you're going to be getting yourself into, so you can be as prepared as you can. 

Production
The first shoot day came fast, myself, the director & sound assistant all had our hands full, it was a tough yet rewarding day. We managed to get all of the presenter challenge shot in one day. We had some difficulty with the white balance at one stage but I was able to figure it out by changing it manually. It has motivated to seriously get out a manual an start reading more in depth about the Panasonic DVX200s, they're beastly cameras that need controlling to get the best out of them! It was also an extremely bright day, so i was playing with the aperture a lot which i don't really like to do as it doesn't have a fluid aesthetic throughout, especially when you come back for the edit 

Post-production
I wasn't really involved with the edit, but i was sent a few rough cuts throughout the edit process by amy to give some advice/feedback. I was happy with the general look and tone of the piece, it fitted what we were going for, especially the online fashion fails sequence.

(Presenter Challenge)

Watching the final sequence in motion is quite satisfying, looking back and seeing some shots that i wasn't too sure about, and obviously having no real input in the edit, it looks very professional and definitely fits the tones & aesthetic of our show. 

Live production: Swap-role workshop

We had a session with Del today where we undertook different roles throughout the production. The specific roles that were chosen to be practiced and experimented with were as followed: 


-Camera Operator
-Talent
-Vision Mixer
-Sound Engineer 
-Director

Camera Operator -
This role obviously being my designated job specifically for the production, it was important to get to grips with the camera quickly and successfully. We would be filming a group, doing multi-cam, practicing shots that would be replicated within the real production

Talent - 
At every interval we would have to swap roles and some of us would have to become the talent to shoot for the others, getting to appreciate all roles. It made me realise actually how hard it is to be in front of a camera and do improvisation. 

Vision Mixer - 
This role required from me great concentration and awareness. You have the director cueing you, telling you what the desired shot wants to be put onto air. Sitting in the vision mixing chair made me appreciate all perspectives of the production as you can see everything from there. 

Sound Engineer - 
This particular job was a handful, i struggled with getting the levels right due to not being properly run over how to function the sound equipment. After figuring out myself how to work it i managed slowly to perfect and correct the levels. Furthermore this role definitely made me appreciate whoever did this job had a challenge on their hands.

Director - 
Sitting in the directors chair, with everything in sight, cameras, sound on voice and the producers right behind you is a serious amount of pressure. When testing out the role we would be required to work side by side with the vision mixer, so the relationship has to be one of a positive nature, as conflict would be the last thing you would want. More over working this role made me appreciate the difficulties that whomever the director be would face and come up against. 

Overall this experience was beneficial in terms of making all of the crew members appreciate each others role within the production, so that when the day came to the production, if mistakes were made, we could at least appreciate and understand where they might of gone wrong and to rectify the mistakes. 

Live production: Research into studio camera operator

Seeing as i've never done any studio camera operation work before, i thought it'd be wise to do some research and gather valuable knowledge before the big day.

What i was getting a lot of was the physical demands of the job, that you'll need good stamina and strength, obviously i'm not the largest of people, but i like to think of myself as not a weedy dude.
Skill required to be a Studio Cam OP - 
- Stamina & Strength
- Calm under pressure
- Ability to carry out instructions quickly and accurately 
- Patience and Concentration

https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/job-profiles/tv-or-film-camera-operator

I believe that i attain to some degree all of these attributes, which puts me in good stead for this role.

"Studio camera operators are responsible for ensuring that their equipment is in proper working order before a broadcast or taped session and that they are familiar with their show track"
http://getinmedia.com/careers/studio-camera-operator
After reading this article it really gave me some deeper understanding to the role and a sense of the levels of professionalism that should be shown once on the studio floor. Furthermore it made me feel to take more ownership & responsibility for the camera, I have to own it, and doing so I have to protect it as if it were my own, to also know the kit inside out, so if any technical faults were to appear, i could resolve it immediately.

"If you don't know what you're doing, you'll soon be out. So if you work against something, or you don't understand or you just don't liaise well with people then the machine won't work properly - the film will suffer, the actors will suffer, the whole process will suffer, the whole art form will suffer too."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-30128725
This interview gave me some deeper insight into how crucial teamwork & communication is, and that without it the project will most probably collapse. 

I'm realising certainly, that with more research comes more broader understanding & expansion of creative thinking when it comes to projects & shoots. I need to continue this to develop my skills and to focus it on one now, an that would be choosing camera. 

Live production: Mock VT Production

As my role within this unit is being a camera operator in both the VT & Live studio piece, i've been tasked to film a mock VT with a team of individuals to prepare ourselves with the right approach and skillset for the real thing. 

What?
As we had already thought of segments and the content for the VTs, we decided to shoot footage which would be close enough to the real thing, however obviously just a rough version that would be testing our abilities and giving us some clear perspective of certain areas of the VTs that we had doubts on. 

My VT team consisted of Callum, Drey & Amiee, each having their own individual role on the production of the VT. However on the day of the Mock up VT filming Alex was not available to film, so I used the camera in both groups VT mock up. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8Rs_QpyXRY

Did you achieve what you set out to?
I believe with the short amount of time we had and having followed the script by the producer and ran through it cohesively with the director, it went relatively well. We got some okay-ish coverage, from a camera perspective, the white balance was challenging to get right due to a yellow light based in one of the rooms in which we were filming in. If setting out to do this mock up was to see the potential hazards for the real one, then we achieved that. 


Learning Outcome?
Things were definitely taken into account after creating this, as i'm still getting used to the camera (Panasonic DVX200) I know there's so much more features that can be accessed but just aren't due to negligence. I need to go further out of my way and speak to ferg to get a manual on them and keep reading, expanding my knowledge & capacity on the camera as if camera operating is a field i want to delve into then i have to engage with it consistently. 

Live production: Research into fashion trends

So I was tasked with being a researcher into the VT segment, Old to New. So I decided to focus my research on fashion trends that i followed and used to dislike with a passion, i found it easier researching something that i had a passion for regardless if it was positive or negative because i was interested nonetheless. 

Research -
We started a google drive and that's where everything was kept to be reviewed and potentially used for our VTs.

My Research into Fashion Trends -

Baggy clothing and it’s resurgence -

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2015/oct/27/fresh-dressed-fashion-hip-hop-kanye-west-louis-vuitton

• Baggy clothes were the thing of the 1990s due to the vast influence of music.
• There has recently been a trend, especially in metropolitan cities in where this particular style is increasing.
• The look began to creep back in primarily through the skater scene, then like a snowball effect everyone seemingly is keen for that look.
• https://www.gq.com/gallery/baggy-pants-are-back-in-style-but-dont-burn-your-skinny-jeans-just-yet#6 (Article reinforcing point of baggy coming back in)
• http://www.esquire.com/style/mens-fashion/a55402/skateboarding-fashion/
• Article referring to the increase of skater fashion and the wider implications.
• Skater fashion having a major influence in high street market
• 
  

Revival of Reeboks/Nike Air Max, TNs Trainer, cultural appropriation? -

'Council House-Associated Vermin’

Nike TNs & Air Maxes were trainers generally associated with the lower working class teenagers of the 00s, which is when they first hit the shops.These trainers were fairly affordable, and rarely, if not never worn by someone not wearing nike tracksuit bottoms and a hoodie. However, for some strange reason, these creps are back now, and deemed ‘cool’ by the people who once saw them ‘scally’ trainers. The metamorphosis of these trainers is something that could be explored further.  

https://thesolesupplier.co.uk/news/take-look-air-max-day-2018-line/

Reeboks

• Reeboks had also been a thing of the past, as when they were around in the 90s and early 00s, they were no way near as commercially viable and prolific as today. Their branding has transformed, having big sponsorships and synergising with other giant brands/companies, i.e UFC, through that comes the global eye and through that you get attraction and appeal.
• Reeboks were dubbed as the ‘ugly’ trainer in the 90s/00s in which lead to their inevitable death of the trainer brand around mid 00s.
• http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/nineties-fashion-brands

Live production: Pointless - Entertainment programme research

The entertainment programme i've chosen as inspiration for my show & general interest in is, Pointless, BBC 1 programme screened at 17:15 every day on BBC 1.

(Pointless, BBC 1 Entertainment show)

The shows format is simple, two presenters and starting with 8 contestants, having 4 rounds, last round ending with the last remaining 2 contestants. It goes by round elimination, the contestants with the highest (most obvious) answer score, is eliminated. The most obscure answer, usually getting you the lowest points, tend to win, and if by the end of the last round you get a pointless answer, you win. 

I think this show really works well down to three things, the presenters, the simple format and also the engagement & shows concept that allows the audience at home to be so interactive. The presenters are what hold this show together, they bounce off one another and have humour which reflects in essence what the show is all about. 

This show is kind of similar to what i believe we were trying to achieve in steal in style in terms of the presenters, having them bounce off one another & have a seemingly solid bond. 

This show was also an inspiration for my first initial concept 'Out of Context', as its simple format would of worked really well with the music themed game. 

Live production: Camera workshop

With Del today we had a brilliant camera workshop in where we would all line up our cameras and practice our ability to shoot moving objects whilst we were also moving. 

Knowing that i'll be a camera operator in the actual live production, all of these workshops are pivotal in regards to learning & furthering my knowledge of how to use the cameras in a studio environment. 

OVERVIEW -
The exercise was focusing in on a coin, and we would have to try and find that focus 'biting' point, where it goes out of focus, and in. Then you just have to work out which way the focus ring goes. 
The exercise would then get more challenging by Del getting the volunteer that was holding the coin to start moving coin, and the camera operator therefore has to keep changing the focus ring to keep it in focus.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE/OUTCOMES - 
This gives such a vast real life application to anyone interested in wanting to become a camera operator in the future as its such great practice for shooting moving objects/people. 

Overall it was a very enjoyable experience with a lot of useful knowledge & insight to take away with me.