Progression | My Site 1

Creative Media Working Practices:

Pre, Post and Production:

What pre-production activities or work have you completed so far? Why is this stage important? What are your strengths or weaknesses in this stage?

So for my projects where I completed a pre-production plan the main thing for me to do was write out step by step what was going to happen and what we were aiming to complete. For my advert and short horror film, I also completed a story board, location form, risk assessment and prop form. All of these stages were important and gave many benefits to production. The storyboard really helped me visualise what we were planning to do and how roughly it would look and be presented. It also allowed me to see and understand the vision we had in a clearer way. The location form was also a big help as it allowed us to plan where we needed to use and it allowed us to for see any issues that would com with it, like available hours and whether it would be per-occupied. The prop form was also pretty useful as we were able to write down what we exactly needed, who was bringing it and what it was for. It added a little bit of pressure meaning you wouldn't forget and also made it hard to forget anything that we needed to include. Finally, the risk assessment was a major, underrated (by me) helping hand. It allowed us to plan around and avoid any dangers and risk, which was easier than discovering them during shooting.

I believe that for pre-production I mainly have a lot of strengths. I feel like I have the ability to plan and take leadership within this role and generate ideas, which I love. I also feel as if I am able to see if there are any issues beforehand and find a way to prevent this or even avoid it all together. Furthering this point is my ability to manage time in an effective way. I feel like that is very important for pre-production. So I feel like knowing when something needs more time spent on it is a great skill to have. I also know that I have a weakness within this, and it is the feeling of rushing and jumping into production as it is more exciting and fun. However, I am able to contradict this weakness with strength as I know the importance of pre-production and how with it things will go a lot more smoothly.

What production activities or work have you completed so far? What are your strengths or weaknesses in this stage?

I have completed most production roles, including directing, lighting, and camera work. The only one I haven't had ago at yet is being in front of the camera. During production I feel like I took a lot of the leadership and was able to bring my own vision to life, which was probably my favourite part of the whole thing. During my time of doing the lighting I found that you had to hold the light perfectly still and in the exact same place to make it seem seamless. I also found that when flicking the lights on and off you have to keep the tempo the same to once again make it look smooth instead of blotchy and messy. This was probably the hardest part of production for me. It wasn't that it was difficult it was just a lot more pressure than the rest. I really enjoyed doing the camera work, it felt as if I had control over what the spectator would see. I got to experiment with different angles and see which worked best for what I was trying to accomplish. For me personally, production was my favourite as it was really enjoyable and where I felt the most confident and useful.

I once again believe that I have mainly strengths within production. I feel like I can put time management really well in this role and know how to keep track of time when filming. I also know this is great for leadership and for growing my confidence within the media. I feel like production is a great way for me to work outside of class as well and really dedicate what I can do. Once again, I do have a weakness and that for me is let other people take control within this department. However, I will always respect and listen to other people's ideas.

What post-production activities or work have you completed so far? Why is this stage important? What are your strengths or weaknesses in this stage?

With post production I feel like I still have a lot to learn but I definitely have an understanding of the basics and I understand what I have to do. Yet I know I have many areas of improvements within. I feel like I can complete seamless cutting to a high a standard and even adding sounding and text to a video. I feel like there are a lot of techniques that I still need to learn by editing to improve my videos. Personally the easiest part for me is aligning the shots

to make it seem seamless. However, the most difficult but my favourite is trying to align the sound correctly with the video. I know I still have a lot to learn when it comes to editing like colour correction and some tools that I haven't been able to use yet, but this is a close second with production purely because I get to complete the final steps of bringing to life something I have created.

I know within post-production I have a lot of weaknesses but this is because I'm still getting used to the software and my way around it. I also have a few strengths though, including being able to take criticism and being able to learn from my mistakes and improve my work that way. I am also able to re-think an idea if it isn't working out and think quickly of a solution, which wouldn't affect the speed of my other work. I also know that the independence of editing and post-production is a great skill for me to develop and work towards more.

Researching Careers:

Based on what I selected on the job profile match that I enjoyed, these were the three reults I got:

I said I enjoyed, Content creation, Editing videos, Meeting new people, Organising, Researching, Taking photos and Watching film and TV drama.

Casting Assistant- They offer general help with finding actors for TV or a film. They read the character brief and script to help the director draw up a list of possible actors for the role. The casting assistant will call agents to check actors’ availability. They help out with screen tests, operating the camera and offering general support in casting sessions. They also assist with general office duties.This includes editing and uploading footage from casting sessions for the producer and director to watch.

Kit Room Assistant- it room assistants work for the rental companies that provide the technical equipment for a crew to make a TV programme, such as cameras, lenses, microphones, mounts of cameras and lighting equipment. Sometimes they work during filming by helping to set up and operate the cameras. This can give them the experience they need to become a camera assistant at a later point.It’s their job to assess if it’s been damaged, either repairing it themselves or sending it off for repairs. They also do general servicing and cleaning, including updating software. Kit room assistants do general office admin too.

Marketing Assistant- Marketing assistants do anything that’s needed to ensure the success of a campaign to market a film or TV drama; whether that’s scheduling tweets or ordering in lunch for meetings. Marketing campaigns for film and TV dramas can include posters, newsletters, content on social media as well as trailers. Marketing assistants help with proofreading copy, filing, and inputting contact details into research spreadsheets. They often coordinate market research projects and use the data to help assess the effectiveness of current campaigns to help with future ones.

Despite these results, from my own research I believe I would be more interested in:

What does a director do?:

Directors are the creative leads of the film. They hold the creative vision throughout the whole process, from pre-production through to the final edit. Directors start with a script, and work with a screenwriter and sometimes a script editing team. It’s not uncommon for the director to be the screenwriter as well. They then work with producers and casting directors to select the actors and with the director of photography to develop the filming style, including notes about camera shots and script changes. At the same time, a director will also be instructing other members of the crew, especially lighting, wardrobe and make-up supervisors. Directors work to get the best performance out of the actors but also need to ensure that all technical aspects are in place to get a great scene filmed. After filming, they lead the editing of a film, preparing a ‘directors cut’. That cut will be reviewed by producers and financiers before signing off the final cut.

How to become a director?:

School/college
Build a portfolio
Get a degree
Look outside the industry
Take a short course
Network online/offline

What are directors good at?:

Leadership
Imagination
Art's knowledge
Production
Staying calm under pressure

Case studies:

Director and writer Benjamin Bee-

"This is an accomplishment that would have surprised his younger self, because growing up, he never thought there were any sustainable jobs in the creative sector. It was only through years of persistence - and some Screen Skills support – that the Newcastle-based filmmaker managed to turn his dream into reality".

Director Irshad Ashraf -

"Mancunian Irshad Ashraf has taken huge strides from being a runner at Granada in the 1990's, to directing and edit producing numerous documentaries and magazine shows. Now with the helpful hands of Screen Skills and Directors UK through the Back on Track mentoring scheme, he is making the transition to drama."

What does a screenwriter do?:

Screenwriters write and develop screenplays for film or TV drama. They do this either based on an original idea, by adapting an existing story into a screenplay or by joining an existing project. Screenwriters prepare their script in a way that enables readers to envisage the setting, emotion and the way it will work on screen. They collaborate with producers, directors and actors to draft and redraft their script, often working to tight deadlines. In film, initially, screenwriters develop roughly three drafts of a screenplay, with the third being known as ‘the polish’. This is the version that gets pitched to a producer or film studio. Alternatively, a screenwriter may be commissioned by a producer or studio to create a screenplay. The way a screenwriter is credited in a film can determine their future payments based on exploitation of the film.

How to speak to a screen writer?:

School/college
Read and write
Build a portfolio
Get a degree
Network online/offline
Search for jobs

What are screen writers good at?:

Knowledge of screen writing
Creativity
Arts knowledge
Watching film and TV
Freelancing

Case studies:

Screenwriter and unscripted TV producer, Emma Millions-

“I’m never out of work. I’m thrilled to be constantly busy,” says Emma. “When one part of my work dries up, I can jump back into another sector. I’m constantly entertained by my work. I constantly have lots of different projects on the go.”

Scriptwriter, Kit Lambert-

“There is a general perception that if you’re a writer you’re struggling but I’ve been very fortunate and it’s proved a stable career,” he says. Living in Cardiff, there is a smaller pool of writers but fewer local opportunities. Kit feels that “so long as your work is good enough to stand up against the competition, being regionally based isn’t a hindrance. I work from home and travel to production meetings across the UK. It’s only two hours to London.”

what does a edit producer do?:

The role of an edit producer can be quite different depending on whether they are working on a documentary or live programme. On a documentary, edit producers will take all the shot footage (rushes) and put the best bits together to create a polished complete programme. They often start by putting all the material on a very long timeline so they can see what’s been shot, the style used and how a story has been told. They then edit the timeline down, selecting the best takes and finding appropriate general views such as wide shots of the location or close-ups. The footage might include interviews and archive, with the addition of graphics and music if needed. They usually write a guide script and record it into the programme timeline, which helps to tell the story they are cutting and what eventually will become the script read by the presenter or a voiceover artist. They are responsible for making sure the finished programme runs to the required duration. Edit producers are mainly freelance. They are usually hired by production companies rather than post-production companies.

How to become a edit producer?:

School/college
An apprenticeship
A degree
Work experience
Network online/offline
Search for jobs

What are screen writers good at?:

Storytelling
Scripting
Producing and directing
Adaptability
Compliance and copyright knowledge

Case studies:

Mark Bradford-

“I was really keen to move into the industry. I knew it would be hard starting at the bottom in a new industry, especially as my competition tends to be people half my age with university or college qualifications. But I was really fortunate to speak with some fantastic editors, who have worked on productions that I really admire, and when a chance came to work with them in an entry level role, I grabbed the opportunity to learn from them.”

Mal Woolford-

“I knew about Screen Skills and that I could potentially be eligible for Make a Move, so I spoke with the producers to see if they’d like to get involved with the scheme,” explains Mal. “Fortunately, I was successful and had a very supportive producer, Catherine Gosling Fuller, who took it very seriously. We diarized time to go through a training plan and work closely together in every aspect of post, alongside post supervisor Portia Napier.”

Action Plan:

For my three selected jobs above they all have a specific skill set that will help me achieve these roles. When doing my research I found they all had more or less the same the skill's as they all have a sense of control within the job.

Skills:

Time Management
Commitment
Communication
Confidence
Dealing Well with Criticism
Working Under Pressure
Collaborating