Short Film Production

Pitch Pack

For my idea i was heavily inspired by the film '50 first dates' and wanted to create something similar. For my film i wanted to follow a similar theme of fiction where someone would try and restore their partners memories through use of all five different senses, because of this idea for a story i thought i would make a nod to 'The Sixth Sense' in the title by calling it 'The Fifth Sense'.

Pitch Evaluation

Firstly, I believe that my presentation skills were good, i spoke well and passionate about my idea for a film in Perranporth. I also think my idea was solid and could've made for a fun short film. I think i could've thought about my target audience more as this is a very important aspect towards filmmaking. I do think however that my title might be a little cliche but i still think it's a good title.

Pitch Notes

notes from pitch - very achievable, risk assessed well, uncertain about many elements, clearly presented, open to suggestions, good use of colour, not thought about audience, could be very cliche', nothing too technical, bad title? could have a lot of plotholes. Liked idea of sound design incorporated into memory loss. location, moodboards etc a little uninspiring, feels like a hallmark movie for good or bad, not too many actors

Applying for roles

For Grievance i originally applied for Sound recordist, production designer and director of photography.

I wanted to explore sound recordist as a role as i have not had much experience in this job before when working on films so i wanted to explore my potential in this area and get a better understanding of how each role impacts the outcome of a film.
Another role i applied for was production designer for a similar reason which is that it's a role i've not had experience in before and wanted to see all that it has to offer, i also find production design to be very intriguing as for how much impact it can have on a film with it being similar to DOP in terms of mise en scene but on the more physical side of the job.
The final job i applied for was director of photography as this is a role i have had experience in before in which i have learned a lot about what it means to be a DOP and how i can create a visually interesting film. I wanted to use this knowledge learned from experience to create a film of higher quality.

The roles i was given for Grievance were:

Sound recordist - Responsible for quality of sound
Boom operator - Responsible for operating boom microphone
Editor - Responsible for final edit of film

Role research

What i've learned from online research

In my research i had also learned about the main responsibilities of being a sound recordist, one of the key responsibilities is to capture dialogue and other sounds on set as cleanly and clearly as possible. This requires careful microphone placement and the use of appropriate microphones and other sound equipment. Sound recordists must also be able to deal with unexpected sounds or disruptions, such as noise from traffic or equipment malfunctions, and find ways to minimize their impact on the recordings.

In addition to capturing sound on set, sound recordists must also maintain and organize the sound recordings for post-production. This includes labeling, backing up, and storing the recordings in a secure and organized manner. Sound recordists must also provide accurate notes and reports about the sound recordings to the post-production team to ensure that they have all the information they need to edit and mix the sound for the final product.

Sound recordists must also work collaboratively with other members of the production team to ensure that the sound recordings match the vision and style of the project. This may involve working with the director and cinematographer to plan and execute shots in a way that will capture the best sound possible or working with the post-production team to mix and edit the sound to match the visual style of the project.

In conclusion, the responsibilities of a sound recordist are critical to the success of a film or video production. A good sound recordist must have a deep understanding of sound, acoustics, and technical equipment, as well as good communication skills and the ability to collaborate with other members of the production team. The ability to capture high-quality audio recordings is essential for producing a professional, polished final product.

What i've learned from 1 on 1 lecture

As i was responsible for the entire sound department for 'Grievance' and i had little experience prior to this role i had asked for a 1 on 1 with a sound lecturer to help take me through all the equipment i would need and how to use them. I learned how to use tie clip mics, the mix pre 6, how to correctly hold a boom pole and other tips such as how to know when to use which sound equipment for each scene whether that be tie clip mics for a wide shot or using a boom mic for higher audio quality. The lecturer had also shown me how to organise and prepare folders on the mix pre 6 so i was able to keep everything organised for post production.

I was also advised to buy microporous tape that could be used for sticking tie clips to skin.

Equipment

I used a variety of equipment in this film which all had their owns uses for their own reasons

MixPre-6 - It offers high-quality preamps, multiple inputs and outputs, portability, durability, and versatile features, such as recording in high-resolution audio formats and built-in effects. It allows sound recordists to capture high-quality audio recordings on location or on set with ease, which is essential for producing a professional and polished final product.

Boom mic - A valuable tool for capturing high-quality audio recordings in film production. It allows for clear and focused recordings of dialogue and other sounds, greater flexibility and creativity in filming, and greater control over sound recordings during post-production.

Boom pole - A valuable tool in film production for holding a microphone at a distance to capture clear and focused audio recordings of dialogue and other sounds without being visible on screen. It allows for greater flexibility in filming and capturing sounds in difficult or hard-to-reach locations, resulting in a professional and polished final product.

Tie clips - A valuable tool in film production for capturing high-quality audio recordings of dialogue and other sounds. They are small, discreet microphones that can be clipped onto clothing, such as a tie or lapel, and are particularly useful for capturing dialogue in scenes where the actors are in motion or where a boom microphone would be visible on screen. Tie clips allow for clear and focused audio recordings, resulting in a professional and polished final product.

Headphones - Headphones are a valuable tool for sound recordists in film production, as they allow for monitoring of audio recordings in real-time. They enable sound recordists to hear the quality of the recordings, detect any issues or unwanted sounds, and make adjustments as needed to ensure high-quality audio recordings. Headphones also provide a way for sound recordists to communicate with other members of the production team during filming. Overall, headphones are essential for producing a professional and polished final product in film production.

Pre visualization

I was able to use pre vis to help plan my equipment use, for example i was able to communicate with the director of photography and use the shot list made to plan out what shots will need what equipment and could then know what equipment to bring on what shooting day which helped incase i was bringing anything unnecessary.

Production Evaluation

As my role was very production and post-production heavy i ended up not having much to do during the pre production phase so i decided i would use this time to prepare myself for my role with doing research, getting adjusted to the equipment i would be using and how to use it. In this time i was also speaking with a sound lecturer to ensure i was using the equipment correctly and that i knew how to make the most out of what i had, we did practice shoots in class and the tv studio to prepare which gave me a good understanding of what recording sound in different environments would be like and identifying potential problems for the shoot week. During this stage i also was in good communication with our cinematographer who would take me through the shot lists he had created for the film which helped greatly as i was able to plan out each day of the shoot so i wasn't bringing any unnecessary equipment, for example one of the shoot days only featured inside close shots in which tie clip microphones would not be necessary and i would only need a boom mic. For the editing side of things i found myself in communication with the producer and writer of the film in order to plan out what kinds of audio that might be needed recording for ambience or ADR for example, i would also research different music we could use for the film and techniques for editing dialogue seamlessly.

During my production stage i found myself very busy being the only person in the sound department this meant that i was responsible for carrying all the equipment i might need for the day so i equipped myself with a vest to store tie clips and ensure cable management. I would organise folders for each day and for ambience/ADR also although i came into some problems along the way when i got so caught up on the shoot and trying to position myself correctly that i would sometimes forget to change the folder that i was changing to and would end up saving the wrong audio to the wrong folders which became a problem in post production edit due to the lack of organisation. One of the first issues i came across on the first shoot day was lots of outside noise like seagulls, cars etc which meant a delay in shoots at times causing the shooting schedule to suffer. A solution to this problem however was to record some automated dialogue replace (ADR) to fill in the dialogue incase it had been disturbed by outside noise which wasn't a perfect solution due to the difficulty of trying to dub a voice with dialogue recorded at a different time, however i still decided to record some as a precaution. One of the scenes involved a long shot that would have been impossible to record with a boom mic so i decided i would use a tie clip microphone on one of the extras with dialogue and fill in the rest with ADR which ended up not matching correctly with the dialogue used so looked unrealistic, to resolve this problem i should've either noted down the exact dialogue used in this scene or attached the tie clip mic to the main character so i was able to keep the most important dialogue. Another issue i faced was occasionally having the boom microphone in shot of the camera so i had to ensure communication with the camera operator to make sure i was in the best possible positioning to keep sound quality high whilst also not be caught on film, this didn't become a huge problem luckily due to the use of good communication.

In post-production i was editing which meant this stage was one of the busiest as i had to manage through all of the footage we had gathered that week and sync audio for every single clip, this proved to be a hassle at first but was made a much easier process thanks to our assistant directer who was using the clapperboard so i was able to know which scene and take it was through the sound recorded and clapperboard on the video. However there were some times where the clapperboard wasn't in shot properly but this problem was communicated on set most of the time and so was resolved eventually, also for the shots that did have issues keeping the clapperboard in frame i was able to use the camera audio record to know which scene and take it was. One big problem i found when editing Grievance was a shot at the start of the second act when a character is on a bus looking out a window at a dead badger which looked completely unrealistic due to the footage created for this was a still shot so didn't look like it was moving at all and it was also too straight and level for a bus so it looked unrealistic, to resolve this problem i decided to add a movement animation in the direction that the bus was going to keep continuity going and also added a shake effect to represent the bus hitting a bump in the road which i believe made this much more realistic and believable. Once i had a rough edit finished for this film i went over the ambience tracks for some of the school scenes and realised i needed some hallway and classroom ambience which i recorded that afternoon and imported from the SD card directly into premiere which became a big problem when i came back to edit next to find that that audio that i had recorded was not there anymore, this is because i was using the audio directly from the SD card instead of saving the audio to the computer first, unfortunately this meant i had to find ambience tracks online to fill in with due to time management. Bringing me to my final point, time management was a problem for me in this editing process as each week came by the hand in date came closer and i knew that it wouldn't be edited in time and needed help from the screenwriter to ensure that the final product was everything they wanted and also done in time, they assisted in my editing towards the end alongside the director which could've been prevented if i had planned my editing days better and focused on getting a certain amount edited each week rather than being stuck on one problem.

To conclude this evaluation i think that overall i did a good job at preparing for my role in sound and executed my preparation to a good standard considering it was my first time making a film in the sound department. I think my editing was well done and i was able to use my skills accordingly to produce a well edited well however i do believe it could've been better managed and possibly some more time planning the edit could have benefitted the process and reduced stress. I am proud of my work on sound in this film especially and enjoyed the role and learning all about the different ways of recording sound and the kinds of equipment there are, i would be happy to do this role in the future and am look forward to learning more about it.

Grievance Evaluation

I think Grievance is a well produced film will excellent casting and an intriguing story. The main characters featured in this film all play a vital role and have decent on screen chemistry with one another, they all have their own motives which tie in well with each other and i believe Alyssa to be a strong main character to start with as we are just as clueless to what's happened as her. Because of this as an audience we can relate strongly to her and she becomes a very easy character to follow. Polly being missing from her usual place in school is something we as an audience can all understand to be worrying especially as the first scene develops with Jimmy and Alyssa's phone call, it is revealed that this isn't the first time there has been issues with Polly when Alyssa says 'maybe she's just having one of her bad days' which i think is a clever way to subtly explain the situation Alyssa has with Polly without outrightly stating it. At first we think of Jimmy as a caring father from the phone call through use of concerned dialogue as a man just looking out for his daughter until we conclude act 1 with a zoom in close up shot of a knife in Jimmy's kitchen. I think this is a nice way of revealing the imminent threat without being too direct and obvious. Overall i think the first act of this film is a strong start with a simple equilibrium in the classroom which develops and raises much more questions as the phone call continues which makes for quite an intriguing start to the film.

Starting act two of this film we find Alyssa on a bus to try and find Polly, when looking outside she notices a dead badger outside on the road bringing us to a flashback sequence between Polly and Alyssa, i think this was a strong way of showing us the relationship between the two characters and their chemistry together, it shows the care has for Alyssa and the problems Polly is going through especially when Alyssa asks 'can you hear them again?' implying that Polly is hearing voices in her head possibly meaning she is schizophrenic or struggling with another serious mental health issue. Once again i think this was a clever way of telling us more about polly as a character through use of dialogue and her breakdown scene here was well delivered and impactful. I do feel however that Alyssa's dialogue could have been improved as it's hard to believe Polly's best friend would call her out for being 'not normal' whilst going through a mental episode, other than that i think the performance in this flashback was very high quality and the shots achieved a good representation of the actress' performance. After the flashback sequence, Alyssa arrives at Newquay and looks at her phones map to find Perranporth. This scene puzzles me in terms of plot as it doesn't seem to make sense why Alyssa would go here in the first place and how would she figure out to go to Perranporth either, it feels like there is something missing here in terms of plot which can potentially disrupt the viewer as it becomes a struggle to know what's happening and therefore losing their interest. We then see Alyssa in what is presumably Perranporth given previous information asking locals where she can find her which i think is a nice idea although should've been longer in my opinion to show her struggles rather than finding someone with the exact information needed on the third try, this scene could've worked well as a montage with more shots and some music however it was a nice idea. Next we get some really nice shots from when Alyssa arrives at the hostel Polly is meant to be staying at and she then walks into the hostel, im not sure how realistic this scene is in terms of the friendliness of the hostel owner as Alyssa has shown up uninvited and unexpected. However, the dialogue between the hostel owner and Alyssa is good and works well for what it's trying to achieve. Alyssa gets information about a pub that some of the locals might be staying at which i quite liked as it made the journey a bit more realistic in the fact that she didn't find Polly instantly. Alyssa then receives another phone call from Jimmy questioning her about Polly once again, what i like about this scene is how Jimmy slowly starts to show his true colours and starts getting snappy with Alyssa for not finding her yet, once again i think this as a great way of slowly revealing to us how Jimmy is a person. When Alyssa arrives at the pub that Polly is at i think Alyssa's dialogue isn't very strong or realistic when the first thing she says is 'last holiday with your mum before she passed, sentimental value?' i feel as if this line comes across as unnatural, I was expecting more of a reaction out of both of them for finding each other. I did think that this scene was well shot and lit well, sound was also clear.

For the final act of this film we get to the beach scene which begins with some incredible cinematography of the beach, we then see Polly and Alyssa walking down the beach where Alyssa is clearly trying to understand what had happened to her although i did feel like some of Alyssa's lines here almost came off as condescending which felt wrong given the severity of the situation, her performance here doesn't seem too genuine in my opinion. I will say however that i love Jimmy's entrance to this scene bringing lots of tension with his first step into frame shot and his sudden appearance later in conversation. In this confrontation i am very impressed with the performance from both Jimmy and Polly especially, i think they did a very good job with their lines here and the characters felt very real. The shot choices here between Jimmy and Polly were unique and powerful as as an audience we aren't used to having actors/actress' look directly into the camera although i think it works very well here as it involves us into the scene much more and makes it feel very direct and personal.