Paper Edit

Annotated Screen Grabs

Visual Effects/Editing Guide

Animation

Online Screening

Pitch Feedback and Justification of Ideas

Consideration of Camera

In animation there are often a lot of different shots to show movement. To shoot our animation we placed the camera on a stand and tilted the camera so that it was at a birds eye view camera angle of the card that we were about to film, we had to consider a lot of possible problems that may have occurred. By placing the camera above what we were about to film gave us the opportunity to have the paper cut outs on a flat surface and make it easier to move them so that you don't have to stick them to the wall and risk them falling off. With them being on a flat surface there is less risk of the cut outs moving drastically and thus, creating a jumping effect. When putting the camera at this angle we had to consider the effect that the camera might give off.

The camera could be shadowed on to the page, this was something that we had to overcome and by doing this we got lights that would surround the camera and turned off the over the head lights. Instead we used three point lighting that would provide a 360 degree view of the lighting, therefore there were absolutely no shadows on the card, so it will look much more professional. Another issue we would have had to consider would be the solidarity of the stand we had put the camera in, we needed to make sure that it was firmly in place and there was no risk of it falling over and either braking the camera or ruining the animation. We also had to take into consideration the way the pictures would be taken and how we would move the animation as we didn't want to ruin the shots by having a hand in it or not moving the images properly.

In terms of the camera shots we knew that we didnt actually want any other form of shot other than long/wide, however we knew that if we needed a close up then all we would have had to have done is zoom in using the lense. This would have been difficult to do without knocking the stand over or moving it slightly so we decided to refrain from doing it at all costs. To be extra cautious of the camera staying in the same spot we thought it was neccessary to have someone holding the stand constantly, being sure not to get into shot. This would make the camera much more steady and reduce any un-needed shaking. 

Concept Pitch

Character and Prop Sketches/Design

Team Meeting Minutes

Team Meeting Minutes 

In our team meeting we discussed who would do which roles and how our Animation would be made. We started talking about who would be in charge of what roles and it was decided that Laurence would be put in charge of the design and drawing because we felt that by doing that we would be more of a productive team.

Laurence was instructed to start with the story boards and working out what we thought would work best. We decided that the best way to do our animation would be cardboard cut out animation because you can get the ideas across much more efficiently. We then discussed the best way to film the animation and how we would use the camera's to collect the images. We decided that we would use a clamp to hold the camera above the cut outs, this would help show the whole area of them. With the paper work I was doing, I made sure that I had used the templates provided so that I could develop the paper work so it relates with the Animation and helps us to get the best possible grade.

We had some trouble with keeping the positioning of the camera in the same place, and when we began editing we found that at one particular point the entire frame of the shot jumped, looking both ugly and unprofessional. As you can see the picture on the top shows the shot where everything is in frame correctly, and in the bottom photo you can see that the card has jumped, this was actually done by one of us accidentally knocking the paper and as it wasn't fixed in place it moved, instantly messing up our shot. To overcome this issue we decided to carry on shooting, and then in the post production editing process we would somehow try to fade it out so the jump is not as noticeable, when we put all of the photos together and played it we could see the jump quite significantly, so we tried to crossfade the two clips together, as to blur them together, so that it won't look as drastic. This didn't actually take any effect on the appearance of the animation so we decided to leave it as it was and just deal with the outcome, which is not as good as what we have hoped.

Risk Assessment

Production Schedule

Animation Crew Roles

Crew Roles

Director: Laurence Hisee

Definition: The person in charge of the entire production. This person has to ensure that everyone is in the right place at the right time.

Laurence will be good within this role because he is a very organised and uniform person, he always has things done at the right times and in the most efficient ways, so he would be the ideal person to be the main director for this production.

Producer: Ben Davis

Definition: the producer is second in charge during the filming as he as the producer has to make sure that everything is happening at the right time. Just like the director, he follows what he does but has less control over what everything that happens. his (the producer) main priorities is to make sure that the filming is happening correctly and everything is in place.     


As a producer Ben would need to be in charge of making sure things happen, so he will be good for this role due to his organisation skills and his goof time efficiency.

Director of Photography: Laurence Hisee

Definition: as the director of photography every shot is taken as a picture has to be taken while the camera is still, making sure that the same lighting is being used in every image so that with the final edit looks good and has consistent lighting. 


This would be suited for Laurence the most because he has got a great eye for cinematography so he will be the best for this role.

Editor: Ben Davis

Definition: as an editor you are in charge of the editing when editing the main thing you need to do is to cut and crop together bits of film to make a final piece that looks good and professional. 



Ben is the best option for this role because he has a keen eye for transitions and can easily complete any task he is given when editing.

Camera Operator: Laurence Hisee

The camera operator the camera operators are in charge of the grips of the cameras they make sure the camera does not shake when filming.   



Laurence will be the better person for this role because of his camera stability and control, he has demonstrated many aspects of great camerawork and takes instruction well.

 
Assistant Director: Ben Davis

The assistant directors job is to complete any smaller jobs the director might want to do this is to make there job a bit more easy. 


Ben Davis is best for this role because he is very supportive, he can support the director and put across his ideas.

Art Director


It is the art directors job to create any things that need to be made for the video for example: props. 


Casting Director

The casting director is in charge of recruitment for the production they would look for potential people who will work on the project they have to determine if they are right for the job the casting director is vital for the making of the project.       


Location Scout

The location scout looks at potential sites for filming they have to determine if the site is good to film on and if it matches the theme of the production and if it also matches the description of the directors wishes.     


Production Manager (P.M.)

The production managers job is to manage all the production aspects of the project. 
this means that they are in charge of logistics and budget there job is very important as if they did a bad job it might bankrupt the project.   


Screenwriter

The screenwriters job is to write the script for the project this means they are creating the story for the project. 
the screenwriters job is very important as they are creating the raw story for the project this means they have a say in the success of the project as people will judge the quality of the story and idea.

Editing Glossary

Editing Techniques Glossary 

Cut 
Cut is the most popular type of video transition it takes you from one shot right to the next with no fading. I have used them in my animation by quickly going from shot to shot creating a quick moving image

Continuity Editing 

Continuity editing is the predominant style of film editing and video editing in the post production process of film making of narrative films and other TV programs. If you haven't used them, what was the reason? - We didn't use this as we used a different form of editing that was easiest for our animation.

Cross Cutting 

Cross Cutting is an editing technique most often used in films to establish action occurring at the same time in two different locations. In a cross cut the camera will cut away from one action to the next. We have used this for our animation as it is a lot of clips being put together so cutting from one to another is what we needed to do to make it effective.


Dissolve 

In post production in editing the editors may use dissolve, this is where they transition one image into another, this is also known as fade in and fade out. This is used to show a gradual change from image to image. We used Dissolve once in the animation at the end. We cross dissolved into the still image logo at the end. We did not use dissolve too often because the film is rapid and it needs to be 30 seconds so we felt dissolve would lengthen the film.


Establishing Shot 

This is usually the first shot of a new scene, designed to show the audience where the action is taking place. It is usually a very wide shot or an extreme wide shot. We did not use this because we are doing an animation and you aren't setting the scene as much in an animation.


Eyeline Match 

Eyeline match is a editing technique associated with the continuity editing system. It is based on the premise that the audience will want to see what the character on-screen is seeing. If you haven't used them, what was the reason? - We did not use this as this is an animation and we felt that this would not exactly work for the animation.


Fade 

This is where the shot will gradually form in to the next shot where the shot will darken and then lighten going into the next clip. We have only used these at the beginning and the end of our animation to show the beginning and end. We have not used them through out the animation though.


Final Cut 
The final cut is where the edited version of the film is approved by the director and producer. How have i used them? - We have done this with our animation to make sure that everyone in the group is happy with the end result.


Jump Cut 

 An abrupt transition from one scene to another with no transitions. We have used this because we are very rapidly in our animation jumping from clip to clip to make sure that we have everything we want in the 30 seconds.

Matched Cut 

This is editing between either two different object or two different spaces, in the shots the objects would geographically match. If you haven't used them, what was the reason? - We did not use this as there are no actual objects in this animation.


Montage 

The technique of selecting, editing and piecing together separate sections of film to form a continuous whole. We did not use this because it is more of a story our animation and montages are more of memories than a story.


Rough Cut 
This is the first time you have edited but still have more editing to do. We did do this just so that we could receive some feedback and work out ways to improve it so that when we finish it would be to its best possible standard.


Shot Reverse Shot Cutting 

What does this mean? - Shot reverse shot is where one character is shown looking at another character and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. We did not use this as we didn't have real characters and this would be hard to do with cut out characters.


Wipe 
This is a type of film transition where one shot replaces another by travelling from one side of the frame to another or with a special shape. We did not use this as we felt it wouldn't be needed in our animation.

Story Board

Final Interview

BBC Interview Research

Shot List

Interview Evaluation

This documentary, titled "Bridge The Gap" features two students from Ravens Wood School. In the past, the two academies (Rugby and Performing Arts) have been known to not get along and so we thought it would be a brilliant idea to swap students from their respective academies to live a day in the life of their opposite. 

The first interview can be seen at mark 0:32. This interview features the two subjects, Harry and Sami being questioned on their opinions before the academy swap day comes along. The question "Do you like the idea of swapping students so you change academies for the day?" can be heard as shots of Harry lifting weights are used to set the scene. The Mise En Scene is prominent due to this interview being set in the school gym. Harry is wearing his 'working out vest' and is mid way through an actual gym session when we approached him to film the interview. This adds to the realism of the documentary and also highlights the fact that nothing was prepared prior to filming. An issue with this interview is that we started to film and quickly realised that the camera was positioned to look down on Harry. This was quickly filmed again as looking down would of had an overpowering effect on Harry and make him look smaller, taking away the truth. This was also not the persona we wanted to convey with Harry. 

Upon Sami's answer being played, Shots of Sami performing lines, holding a script and using elaborate gestures are shown. This was in-fact a use of archive footage to establish the persona of Sami before we see him actually talk to the camera. The archive footage shows a black box studio space which further aids the Mise En Scene of the interview by giving the audience a sense of Sami in his natural environment. When we finally see Sami talking to the camera, he is set in a changing room with lockers behind him. This reinforces the fact that the entire documentary takes place in a school. 

In terms of watching an enjoyable answer, Sami's replies are more engaging to see as he is simply more confident than Harry. This is largely due to his performing arts background but could also be on account of his lively personality. 

Filmed Interview Practise & Evaluation

The interview above features myself, the current I.T. Technician for Ravens Wood School, Laurence interviewed me with the hopes of gaining knowledge on his transition from part time to full time work. The interview is shot all in one take and takes place in my office. In terms of Mise En Scene, the backdrop and setting of the interview could have been better prepared. Despite setting it in the actual workplace, none of this location can be seen in the shot, instead, a simple white wall backdrop is visible. To improve this aspect of the interview, I would suggest setting up the camera further back and not zooming in the shot. This would improve the overall framing and also set the scene better. 

In terms of Cinematography, some would argue that the interview is poorly shot due to the camera looking down on me, this creates a sense of over-powerment and also means that my focus is lost. Instead of looking relatively close to the camera, I looked directly forward which means that his eye line is lost. 

The final point that could have been improved is the choice of clothing I wore that day. Even though this interview was spontaneous and time for planning other clothing was not available, we should have adjusted the shot to not include the majority of my shirt. This was a problem for us due to the tight stripes on my shirt causes a grainy effect. 

In conclusion, the elements we need to better prepare for are Cinematography and Mise En Scene. In particular the shot could have been constructed in a much nicer and more aesthetically appealing way, as to be more entertaining as a whole for the audience. To do this we will think about using techniques along the lines of the rule of thirds, focusing on the positioning of the subject, sometimes having him off dead centre can look much nicer, due to the fact that it looks much more dynamic. In terms of the Mise en Scene we can focus on getting a more linked setting to the topic of the interview, so in this case we could make sure that the desk I was sitting at is visible, and have lots of paperwork on to reinforce the office vibe.