Live Client: The Production Stage - An Evaluation

The total production stage consisted of 8 different shoots. I felt that overall I was able to develop the following skills:

1. Technical - Having continuous contact with technical equipment such as the Sony Z1HD camera and sound recording devices meant that I was able to pick up techniques of setting up and operating them efficiently. I was able to learn new features and functions by experimenting with the equipment.
   
2. Organisation - In order to ensure all the aspects of the shoot ran smoothly it was important to ensure the crew was aware of the schedule, the correct equipment was booked and hired for the appropriate day and the client was aware of what would be happening. This encouraged me to think laterally about all the influential factors.
   
3. Communication - I was required to communicate effectively by e-mail and in person throughout the production stage. It was crucial to be accurate in all the information that I was conveying as this affected the shoot creatively and technically. I picked up techniques where I paid extra attention to detail such as shoot times, locations, shot lists etc. The process also steered me towards making a standard system that was applicable to all the shoots. For example each call sheet had the same information but was adapted according to the particular shoot. I found that the shoots ran according to schedule as a result of effective communication.
4. Professionalism - I attempted to maintain a high level of professionalism with both my client and my crew. This increased my confidence as an independent multimedia practitioner as I was encouraged to act in a fashion that would be accepted in the industry. This includes characteristics such as punctuality, politeness, good presentation, co-operation and subject specific awareness.
   
5. Business Management - Creating a budget, keeping receipts of expenditures and providing invoices all formed part of developing awareness of the business aspects. This made me consider the cost implications of hiring extra equipment, taking extra taxis for transport, providing lunch for the crew members etc. Considering this was a university project, many of my costs were cut, however if this was to be commissioned or paid for I would have to seriously consider how my services (and the crew's services) would be paid for in addition to the overheads etc.

The production stage has developed a large range of skills in a short time as I had access and exposure to such environments on a day-to-day basis. I have been able to use the pre-production stage and the proposal to support the success of completing the production stage in time. I feel that I could have improved the process by allowing further time for testing and learning how to use the equipment as well as familiarising myself further with locations such as the primary school for the interviews.

I think the most effective aspect of the production stage was the team of crew members. This ensured that each role was fulfilled with concentration. However I feel I could have improved the quality of the footage by selecting crew members with expertise in certain areas such as sound. A major drawback was the lack of expertise in cinematography and lighting which had a direct impact on the quality of the interviews.

My skills and techniques as a producer and director were tested during this stage of the client project. I believe I have improved on my abilities since the simulated project as I have implemented strategies that were effective and introduced systems that I thought were needed. I have developed in practical experience of audio-visual production.

Live Client: Shoot 7 - Adult Interviews & Shoot 8 - Post Parade

Compared to shoot 7 I was more prepared for the set up of this shoot. In addition to this I was more familiar and aware of the location and the people that I would be interviewing. I found that having experienced a similar set up for the children's interviews, my crew was able to set up at the Playwork's office efficiently. I had learned the fundamentals of lighting and was able to adjust the positioning to suit the location.

Lighting - Photograph by Tom Edson

I feel that that this shoot ran far better in terms of schedule, technicality and creativity. As I was more prepared I could achieve the look that I required and I could also capture answers that were crucial for the story of my documentary. The room that I had selected to conduct the interviews was larger than the room in the school and we had further flexibility with adjusting the natural light from the windows. This had an overall effect on the technical quality of the shot.

As well as filming the interviews I had integrated shoot 8 into the same day as it involved the same location. Although this was a drastic change to the schedule it proved to be beneficial as it saved time in hiring out equipment for another day, gathering crew and spending money on transport. I found that I had developed a directing style, and although the production falls within the genre of documentary I was able to direct the characters (staff of Playworks) to achieve particular shots that were crucial for the ending of the film. In order to avoid a re-shoot it was very important to capture the required footage.

PRP: Artefact 3 - The Idea

After having decided that I will be concentrating the research area in a problem area that is more dense, the next artefact took the form of attending a Women's Film Festival in London.



The idea was together practical understanding of whether the statistic of 'only 6% of film directors are women in the UK' was actually true. My aim was to speak to film directors and organisers of the event to distinguish the main reasons for the shortage of women film directors.

I also wanted to record the information in multimedia format i.e. sound recordings. However this was dependent on the circumstances at the festival.