Danny Hewitt's Television Production Blog

Chris came up with the idea of getting us all in the same place so we can edit the programme together. This was vitally important as we all have different ideas and want the channel to be as good as possible. This was also a good time to record the voice over, so we invited Jamie round to join us as he still needed to do the commentary in the Roller Derby package.

After showing Jamie the rough cut, he came up with some good points to change/alter, which we all ended up agreeing on. I always think it's useful to get a second opinion, especially from someone who features in it, therefore knowing the subject well. Jamie's advice was taken on board, and definitely helped improve our piece.

We then went on to record the commentary with Jamie, using our phones to get clear audio which can be easily added and transported to our laptops. Again we all told Jamie how we wanted the script to be delivered, and he listened as he did it exactly how we wanted it. We wanted his engaging personality to come through with the commentary, and the relevant pauses made it easier for Chris to edit.

One idea we came up with is to have the 'Jammer' get highlighted when Jamie explains the rules. We believe this is a good idea as it will make it clearer to the audience what we're talking about and therefore understanding the rules to this new sport. Jamie put emphasis on the word 'Jammer', which in turn linked in well with the highlighted idea.

Overall it was a productive day, where we got our final piece of audio, and finalised most of the ideas so we can progress nicely and confidently

Today was the day to film the flashbacks, and this time I had Helen Welsh as camera operator with her new Canon she got yesterday. I learnt from my mistake the other day and came into today a lot more prepared with ideas and a shot list. This became even more important, as the weather was terrible, so we had to film as soon as we had the chances to.

Jamie put on the army uniform which I got from my dad and it fit him well, which was one worry off my mind. As soon as we got to the location, we didn't hang around and just got straight into filming all the shots I planned. Again, Jamie was brilliant and did exactly what I wanted him to do, and even put forward some ideas I hadn't thought of.

After filming some walking and shouting scenes near the cannon, it was time to shoot the most important scene - the final flashback where he gets injured and loses his arm. Due to low production values, I had to be clever with how I filmed this, as obviously I don't have the money or access to film it with guns and fake blood. This didn't stop us though, as we filmed Jamie flipping over a grassy bank, and making sure the shots were as close up as possible so it didn't look fake or tacky. Jamie performed this last piece perfectly, as he genuinely looked like he was in agony even though I knew he wasn't. Very convincing, and Helen did a great job of getting dynamic shots of everything.

Overall, it was a very successful day which was actually finished in less than an hour. This was down to my organisation, as well as Jamie's flawless acting. Next time I would look at the weather report beforehand so I know exactly what to expect and therefore know what to bring in terms of clothing and equipment. I am happy with the shots I got, and now looking forward to editing it all together.

Here is a rough cut of our news project:

As you can see, there is still a lot to do as we have commentary still to add in. Some of the clips still need cutting, and the colours need correcting, however overall we are very happy with the rough cut as everything is starting to take shape

I was researching different sports programmes, and took a great interest in "The Clare Balding Show" as the studio was very eye-catching (as seen in the pictures below). The bright colours really stand out, but give the studio a rather "comfortable" feel at the same time. This could really help us develop our virtual studio as not only is a female presenter used, but the colours match our logo, therefore keeping continuity across the whole channel. I will mention this research to my team, and I'm sure they'll agree that this is the way forward in developing our virtual studio with Fran.

Today I filmed all the shots I needed apart from the flashbacks (which will be filmed at a different location another day). These shots mainly took place in Jamie's car and the office in Rochester.

The day started off quite slow as I wasn't fully prepared with my idea, and still had decisions to make. Luckily I thought of this in advance, which is why I met up with Jamie (actor) and Chris (camera operator) in the morning, so we had a lot of time to film. After a brainstorm with everyone, I finally decided on what I wanted to do and gave the brief so everyone was on the same wave length. One positive aspect of this project is the fact the actor doesn't necessarily have to remember lines, which gave Jamie a lot pressure while delivering his performance. This meant he had 100% concentration on his emotions and facial expressions, as well as his actions.

We started off with the car scenes as I wanted to use the daylight while we had the chance. Due to my idea of making Jamie have one arm, I made the decision for it to be his right arm that is missing as this made it a lot easier for us to hide that fact in the car scenes (steering wheel on the right side of the car, therefore camera on the left). Once everyone was in position and knew what they were doing, we cracked on with all the shots. I have learnt from previous projects to get many shots in the same place so I can sequence it nicely in the edit. This meant getting close-ups of all the aspects of a typical car journey including seat belt, radio, gear change and mirrors.

After all the car scenes were finished, I decided to get us all a KFC as working on an empty stomach never goes well. "Food is Fuel" is my motto, and I will always make sure my colleagues and I are satisfied in terms of food and drink as I want the best performance from everyone, including me. We then went to the office, where Chris and I sorted out the desk to make it look as realistic as possible. This involved moving items around as well as tidying. Due to scouting the location beforehand, I knew exactly what props I wanted to use, therefore making the preparation time a lot faster.

We filmed all the office scenes with Chris on camera, and myself directing while also in charge of the lighting. I didn't have to focus too much on the lighting as I wanted the room to be quite dark to reinforce his sense of loneliness. I told Jamie to act more shaken up as I wanted my film to progress in terms of emotions, I wanted it to build up. This turned out great, as he did exactly what I asked and it helped give the film some emotion. Helen told me beforehand that she wanted to feel the actors pain and torment, so that's what I told Jamie and he did it superbly with the use of heavy breathing and facial expressions.

After a long day, it was finally a wrap and I was very pleased with Jamie's performance as he did exactly what I was looking for. I believe this was down to good communication within the team, as well as Jamie's outstanding acting skills. One thing I am worried about is the amount of shots I've got. I won't know how many good shots I have until I sit down and edit. I am also worried about the lighting of the last office scenes, as even though I wanted them dark, I don't want them to be so bad that you can't see Jamie's facial expressions.

Overall I am happy with how it went, and I am looking forward to filming the flashbacks on Thursday.

Luckily my friend Jamie (who was our reporter in the Digital News project) is available on the filming days, and he said he is excited about starring in this role. I believe he is the perfect candidate for this role as not only does he have all the physical features I want, but he also has a great talent in front of the camera.

I've known him for many years, so we both know exactly how each other works, which means we can play to our strengths. I know how to get the best out of Jamie, and we communicate on a personal level due to being friends. This friendship also means we trust each other, as well as enjoying every shoot we do (mainly due to his funny personality).

I have every faith in Jamie, and believe he will deliver a performance exactly the way I want it to be and planned out in my head.

After filming with the green screen, it was time to record the voiceovers for our news piece. Again, this was using Fran, however this time she was not on camera as we used the sound booth in the studios.

Chris took up the technical role on the computer, while Helen and I went through the script with Fran. Again, we both asked Fran to put emphasis on certain words as this helped to get our meanings across. One example of this would be when Fran says "get to grips with" after talking about Pole Fitness; emphasis on the word "grips" enhances the idea of the pun, therefore making it easier for the audience to understand. Helen sorted out the script in sections, therefore making it easy for us to record the different segments, and making it less daunting for Fran.

Overall this worked perfectly as we got good sound with a nice clear delivery from Fran.

We filmed our studio piece using a green screen. The idea is that we have a virtual studio in the background while Fran talks to the camera. As there is quite a bit of dialogue, we decided to use a teleprompter (an app on iPad) which would help Fran deliver the piece clearly and confidently. We didn't want her to keep looking down at her paper as we find that very distracting as a viewer.

We set up everything like what we did before on the test day; with the lights and filters being carefully placed to shine on the green screen equally, therefore getting perfect quality. After setting up for about 45 minutes, everything was in place and Helen went to get Fran. While Chris and I were waiting, we decided to shoot some profile videos for our website. We started off with myself, and I came up with the idea of walking onto screen and then stopping. This idea was based on Sky Sports when they got the football players to do the same. We believe this has a great effect, and will be a nice feature on our website.

Fran arrived, and we got started straight away. Chris had his usual camera role, Helen was holding the lights, and I was holding the teleprompter. It started off quite slow as we had to keep changing the settings of the teleprompter so Fran could deliver perfectly. First I changed the size of the text, then the speed of which it was moving. After a few takes I managed to get the settings right for Fran, and we ended up getting the footage we needed. Fran was very professional, and took all of our advice on board. Chris asked her to move her hands more so she didn't look like a nervous statue; and Helen and I asked her to put more emphasis on certain words - which Fran did perfectly. It was great that we managed to have good communication within our team as well as with Fran, as it meant we were all happy and got the job done.

Overall it was a very successful day! We got everything we wanted, and we were very happy with Fran. Next time I would practice with different softwares/apps beforehand, so the shoot doesn't get delayed. The teleprompter worked out great, however it slowed down our progress due to not enough practice. In the end, we were extremely happy with how everything went, and we are looking forward to seeing it all with the virtual studio

Unfortunately after asking my applicant about a possible audition, he replied by saying he is now busy/unavailable to take part in the film.... This is quite annoying as I'm filming soon and I only had one applicant. Here are the messages:

We wanted someone who was confident on camera to be our news anchor, as this is a very important job on the programme. As with Jamie, we wanted someone who has an engaging personality so the audience can interact with them as well as be entertained

Here is a video of Fran talking to the camera:

One person applied for my short film and here is his profile:

As part of our development and research, we went to the studios to test the green screen before the important shoot. We hired out the kit and one of the rooms so we can practice using the equipment which I personally have never used before. Luckily for me, I had Chris there to give help and advice, as well as share his knowledge due to having worked with green screen before.

The day started off rather abruptly due to a mix up with the bookings.. However this quickly got sorted and we were in the room with all the equipment needed. We all helped set up the green screen, and then Helen and I were in charge of the lighting while Chris set up the camera. After researching about lighting, Helen and I used that to great effect by placing them in the desired areas, however this turned out to be trickier than we thought as that wasn't enough to light up the whole screen (which needs to be equally lit). In the end we managed to do it, which was one of the highlights of the day, as it meant we could execute this procedure quickly and efficiently on the day of shooting.

We originally used the Sony to practice on, however after shooting different clips with different people, we realised the quality of the image was not good enough which started to frustrate us all. We then made the decision to try a Canon, which Vic kindly lent to us, and this turned out to be a million times better! The image was much clearer and sharper, which is what we need for a successful project.

Overall it was a very productive day which helped us all a lot in terms of use of the equipment. We found out what camera to use, where to place the lights, and what filters to use to get the best results. On a personal point, I enhanced my knowledge and understanding of a subject which I wasn't very clear about, therefore this test day was very useful to me and my future use with green screen.

I will be filming in two locations for my fiction film, one inside and one out:

I have found an interesting video of a car sequence:

Here is a video of a war poem that has been adapted into a short film:

After getting feedback from my script and having a long discussion with Helen, I have now got a few more ideas for my film. Helen made a good point about the fact I'm limiting myself due to basing the whole film in an office.. Therefore I have decided to start the film in his car, as this means I can film him making his way to work as well as the office.

I think my attempt to portray the poem through different office props has made it quite confusing and farfetched.. therefore I have decided to stick with the poem being a thought in his head, however I will have the last bit of the poem on the back of a photo frame to make it more interesting, and gives something for the audience to refer to.

Finally, I am changing the fact my actor is going to be in a wheelchair. Even though this was a good ending, it just meant I limited myself to what I could film (especially now he's going to be driving). Therefore I am considering a different injury, and at the moment I'm thinking a lost arm, as this won't stop him from driving, and can film a lot easier. The reveal of the lost arm will still have the desired effect as the wheelchair did.

After a successful first day of filming with Pole Persona, it was onto the second day; this time with the Roller Derby Girls in Herne Bay. This was another exciting project, as it is a very fast paced sport with good characters. We wanted to reinforce this character, so we used my friend Jamie Terry as the reporter as he is very funny and engaging.

The day started off quite slow, as when we got there we had to wait around for a while for the arena to be free. We thought this would help give us time to set up, however we couldn't set up in the arena so it ended up being a waste of time. On the other hand, it gave us time to show Jamie the script (who only received it there and then), therefore making him feel more comfortable. The next problem we faced was constantly changing our ideas/layout due to different opinions.. This is where I had to step up as director and not only be decisive, but steer the ship in the right direction so we didn't waste valuable time. This turned out to be a good move, as we got set up just in time for when the action was about to start.

While the girls were warming up; we interviewed our first person - Lady Killer. She was carefully chosen as we wanted someone who was confident in front of camera, therefore giving us good answers without any fear. This turned out to be one of the highlights of the day, as not only did she answer all of the questions perfectly, but Jamie was superb too! We did it in one take, which was great considering it's a live piece. I was particularly proud of Jamie because he performed the script perfectly, and even added his own humorous twists which made it very entertaining for everyone.

We then moved onto the second interview, but this time with Jamie asking the questions with Roller Derby gear on. We thought this would help the audience interact with the programme more, as well as adding an entertaining element to the piece. Unfortunately we only had one clip mic, so we were slightly worried about the audio.. However we made sure Jamie stood close to the interviewee so we could pick up both voices clearly. After asking questions, we got the interviewee to teach Jamie a move used in Roller Derby, as this helped explain the sport as well as showing the audience that it can be done even by beginners. I would say this interview was slightly weaker than the first one due to the audio and the nervous interviewee; however Jamie being taught a move helped save the piece.

The last bit of filming was for the package, which will be placed in the middle of the piece. This involved us filming the girls in action so we can explain the sport to our audience. I put Chris in charge of the Sony again, and decided to put him up high so he could film the whole arena from a slight birds eye view (like a football match). Helen and I took in turns of filming right next to the action with the Canon. Similarly with the Pole Fitness, we helped each other look for good shots while swapping to save energy. We wanted the shots to be as still as possible, therefore needing 100% strength. Being right up close to the action helped us get some great close up shots, and Helen and I even managed to capture some people falling over too - which was great for the commentary, as well as entertaining for the viewers.

Overall it was a good day! It started off slow, with all of us being indecisive and not prepared.. However this enhanced my role as a director as it meant I had to make quick decisions, as well as getting everyone focused on the same wavelength. This was a challenge, but one I very much enjoyed and believe I performed it well under pressure. We got all the shots we needed, and we were extremely happy with Jamie and our interviewees.

This is my first draft of the script for my film:

Now it's second year, I really need to start finding proper actors who have experience making films. I've heard "Starnow.co.uk" is good for recruiting actors, so I created an application on there to see if I could find any suitable actors:

As you can see, I have given a little description of the idea so any applicants know what they're in for. I have also stated the production time, so they can be available for when I'm filming. Due to being a student, I have warned them in advance that this is unpaid, which I know unfortunately means I will not get as many applicants; however I'm hoping at least a few people apply so I get a choice of who will suit this role the best.

Here is a link to a website that lists poems that have been adapted into films:

http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/text/poetry-movies-partial-list

This long list has given me a lot of material to research on to develop my ideas.

I have researched the meaning of adaptation so I know exactly I'm doing for this project:

Our first shoot was in Medway City Estate where we filmed 'pole fitness' at Pole Persona. We took 2 cameras, a tripod and zoom sound kit. We decided on one Sony and one Canon as we wanted a variety of shots and both cameras have their own specialties. The Sony was used for wider shots as well as sound; and the Canon was used for close up shots so we could get right up close to the action for the audience to see every detail.

As director of this project, I had a big responsibility on this day.. and I started this role by briefing the actors, as well as my team. I believe that this is one of the most important roles as a director as you can't create a successful project without everyone knowing what they're doing, and feeling comfortable with it. I decided to put Chris on the Sony and Helen on the Canon as they were both familiar with their respected cameras. Helen has a got a very good eye for a dynamic shot, so she was able to use this skill with her free role. We are always on the same wavelength too, so we both saw good shots when they arose.

We started off recording the girls in action, with them showing different moves on the pole, while we walk around the room filming them at different angles. This worked out really well as it meant we had many cutaways to use, as well as making our interviews easier to construct (as we became more familiar with the sport). I then wanted the girls to perform the same moves at the same time so we had a different variety of shots, as well giving the film some balance and symmetry. This turned out great as the shots gave the girls a chance to show how elegant it can be, as well as aesthetically pleasing for the us and the audience.

Then we moved onto interviews - with Chris on camera and Helen asking the questions. We came up with the idea of having one of the girls performing tricks in the background while we ask another member some questions to do with the sport. This was one of the highlights of the day, as after a lot of trial and error, we managed to frame it perfectly and it gave the interview a new dimension which would make it more interesting for the audience. I was very proud of us all for managing to execute that style to great effect. We interviewed an instructor and a student, as we wanted to get opinions from different members of the sport. This was very effective as it enhanced our knowledge and understanding of being a student, as well as an instructor, and all the work that comes with it.

At the end of the shoot, I decided to have a go on the pole, and I can assure you it's a lot harder than it looks! We filmed the instructor showing me a move, which will feature on our website as my skills were too good to make the cut...... I think..... Overall it was a great shoot as we got everything we wanted and more! The participants were great on camera and gave good answers to the interview questions. Next time I would reconsider the location and scout it out before we get there, because this one was surrounded by mirrors which made us very limited.. However we dealt with this problem accordingly and managed to get good shots regardless. Great day!

Today we were given a task to use clips from youtube and edit them using a song of our choice. The idea of this task was to see the relationship between the music and what is on screen. This involved timing as well as continuity. I chose to use the song "We Will Rock You" by Queen, as this is a powerful song, as well as being one I enjoy listening to. I decided to use clips of riots/protests as I believe these would go well with the song, making it easy for people to relate.

Here it is: