You should really try your mobile
Last month I wrote a post called “Shooting Your Film on a Mobile Phone”. Today I came across a music video clip shot entirely on the new iPhone 3GS.
Music Video Shot on iPhone from Kenny Mosher on Vimeo.
One of the major problems with mobile phone cameras that I highlighted in the previous post was poor audio quality. By using the camera to shoot a music video, you eliminate the problem of poor audio.
Check out the ‘making of’ video to get inspired!
Behind the Scenes of "Play" from Kenny Mosher on Vimeo.
Don’t forget your editors hat
When directing and filming a production it is crucial that you consider the editing process. When editing, you will learn many mistakes that are made in the production stage. There is nothing more frustrating then being in an edit suit with dud, unrecoverable footage. Thats why, when you see the mistakes as an editor, you will be sure to never make the mistake yourself.
Here are common mistakes that editors find:
Not enough coverage
Its very hard as an editor to work on a film with not enough coverage. Make sure you cover shooting all the shots you need. Make sure you don’t forget the crucial close ups. It is sometimes very appealing to not do close ups due to time restrictions, but you will need them, trust me.
Wrong coverage
Okay, thats great that you have the time to film the close up of the flower, but ask yourself these questions.
Is it relevant?
Will it enhance the story?
& Am I ever going to use the shot?
If you answered ‘no’ to any of these questions, I would strongly re consider shooting it. Remember to keep the coverage relevant. Make sure you are doing extra takes that you can use. One mistake that many student filmmakers make is getting numerous takes of one shot ( that looks horrible ) and only one take of a nicer angle. Ask yourself if the time you are spending on a particular shot is worth it.
Bad continuity
Make sure that all your angles match. If there are extras in the background, make sure they don’t just disappear after an angle change. Consider what hand the actor is holding the water bottle in. Professional actors take continuity in to account, but your friends won’t.
Don’t stop that camera yet!
The MOST annoying thing you can do is press record a millisecond before the action starts, or end recording a millisecond after the action finishes. When editing footage with minimal ‘handles’ (the footage before and after action), it makes it extremely hard for the editor to cut.
TIP: Instead of just rolling the camera and saying action, use these steps.
Director: “Roll camera”
Telling the cinematographer to press record.
Cinematographer: “Camera Rolling”
Letting the director know that the camera is rolling.
Cinematographer: “Frame”
Telling the director that the camera is set to first frame.
( wait 5 seconds )
Director: “Action”
Letting the actors know to begin.
Now it doesn’t matter if you are filming as well as directing. Try to incorporate some of the steps.
It is very easy to excitedly press ‘stop record’, after a great performance. But wait! Give it at least 3 seconds after the performance before you even think about pressing stop.
?So when you begin to schedule your production, make sure you leave enough time to get all the coverage you need, because the worst feeling in the edit suite is regret.
REMEMBER: LABEL YOUR TAPES!!
Using copyrighted music, it can be a lot of work
Although the music you listen to on the hot30 countdown may be super cool and super hip and trendy, it contains a little thing called copyright and is someone’s “Intellectual property” . The Australian Copyright Council describes copyright as “a type of legal protection for people who produce things like writing, images, music and films. It is a legal right to prevent others from doing certain things (such as copying and making available online) without permission.”
What that means, is anytime you want to use copyrighted work in your project, you must first seek approval from the copyright owner.
This isn’t an easy process; a lot of students give up due to the time it takes to get a response as well as the cost in using copyrighted material. Keeping in mind that copyright owners can decline access for you to use their material.
If you do decide you want to go down the path of gaining copyright clearance remember:
- They may say no.
- Your approval won’t last forever (You may be only approved for 12 months. They can also outline where you can use it. i.e Film festival only.
- It’s expensive. Expect to pay $200 up. (that would be student rates)
So what do I suggest? Contact small local bands. They are normally willing to let you use their material for free, as it gives them exposure. Look up independent bands on Myspace. Do you know someone in your school that can play the guitar really well? Record them! Maybe make your own music using software like garageband. WARNING: I know every Garageband loop and there is nothing more annoying than hearing it, so make something original! ( In saying that, I use a garageband musicbed for the podcast – its easy and does the job in my case! )
No matter what you do, leave plenty of time when trying to find the soundtrack for your production. You never can predict the hurdles you may have to jump over!
I have only touched on copyright. There is so much more to know. Check out http://www.copyright.org.au for more information.
Are you prepared? Planning your media production
I get it. I did VCE. Its hard to balance every subject, all the homework, all the SACs and stay social. I always left everything to the last minute. Except when it came to my media film. My media film was my outlet, it was something I enjoyed. I would come home from school and easily spend 5 hours contacting people, brainstorming and Googling.
I understand that you all aren’t going to spend that much time on your production. As you actually want to do other subjects homework.
One of the biggest problems with student films is planning. Students have a limited time to complete their production and have to concentrate on following the criteria to do well.
If you were studying VCE Business Management, you would have heard of S.W.O.T analysis. S.W.O.T stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. When making a film, you should be constantly analysing your situation, to ensure you are ready from any change to plans.
Here is an example list of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.
Strengths
Filming at your own house – will have easy access to catering facilities. If your media teacher hasn’t already told you FEED YOU CAST AND CREW WELL – IT WILL KEEP THEM HAPPY!
Weaknesses
Actor experience – You are using your little cousin in your film. He has not had any acting experience. You will need to spend more time with him to make sure he understands his role.
Opportunities
Prices of HD cameras have gone down – This may influence the equipment your school has for you to use.
Threats
Its winter – It could rain, what’s your back up plan?
There. By analysing Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats you can easily start to create lists of things you need to do. If you want to understand SWOT analysis a little bit more, here is a good site: http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/swot/. Although, knowing the details isn’t necessary for the exercise I just did. Just analysing what you are going to do will help!
It is also extremely important that you leave time to develop your script. Refer to Episode 3 of the VCE student podcast for more information on script writing.
Quick tip: SWOT analysis is something you can continue to do throughout the process, as the list will change. It is also great for your Production Plan.
Managing your media files
In the excitement of transferring your media onto the computer, it is very easy to forget where everything is going. If you click capture, do you know where the footage is saving to?
If you are using iMovie, you won’t have to worry about the ‘capture scratch’ as iMovie embeds your captured footage into a self contained project.
What is a capture scratch? Put simply, a capture scratch is a folder where all your captured media is saved to.
It is important to check what initial setup is required for your particular software. In my case, I edited using Final Cut Pro. In Final Cut Pro, you can set up your capture scratch under ‘System Settings’.
Setting capture scratch in Final Cut Pro
Video capturing is only one part of the input process. Your film may contain other assets including graphics, text, images, music and voiceover.
When I first started editing, working on a Channel 31 TV show, I would receive a variety of files from the producer, ranging from a voiceover to a word document with instructions. It was here that I learnt one of the most important aspects of post production, file management. I was self taught and gained a lot of my knowledge through trial and error.
The biggest error I ever made was the habit of saving everything to my desktop. I know what you are thinking, wasn’t it annoying to have a messy desktop? Yes it was, thats why, when it would get full, I would create a new folder called ‘desktop 1’. After that, I felt great, all the files were hidden away from sight and I had a nice clean desktop to fill.
There are a couple of problems with not properly managing your files. One is the ‘Media Offline’ error. When this happens, your heart will probably sink. Media Offline, occurs when the editing software can no longer find some of the files you are using. Imagine your file as a house address. If you suddenly move, or change the name of your street, or you suddenly demolish your house, without redirecting your mail, you will break the possibility of communication between the post office ( editing software ) and you ( the file ). Not to mention confuse your family when they arrive home to a smoldering pile of debris.
So, what does this lesson tell us? The answer is GOOD media management.
Set up a folder ( the desktop doesn’t count )
When starting a project, it is a good idea to have a project folder. In this folder you can keep all the assets you use in the film. Within the the project folder you can have sub folders, grouping your files by file kind ( audio files in one folder, photos in another ).
File names – Using a project code
The next step is naming your files. When working on a project, it is a great idea to have a code for your project. For example, let say your film was called ‘The Awesome Film’. Your project code could be TAF09. At the start of each file related to the project type your code, followed by what it is ( i.e. TAF09_Teacher_Interview.mov ).
Why use a code? Codes are great because it make your assets quickly searchable. If I ever need to find a file related to ‘The Awesome Film’, all i have to search for is TAF09.
You can also have subject codes. This is great if you are studying more than one creative subject. ( i.e Studio Arts work SART09, Media work MED09.
So there you have it! tips to stay organised while dealing with your files! So before you click import, think to yourself, where are these files going?
Getting permission to film
In this post, I will discuss techniques I have used to successful and unsuccessfully approached businesses and individuals, while making a student film.
First of all, let me say, every individual and organisation is different, some people you will approach one way, and some another. These tips are designed to get you thinking.
Contacting a business
When contacting a business for the first time, I like to start with either a phone call or a face-to-face conversation. Make sure you have a note pad and pen. Jot down any relevant information, including the person’s name you are talking to. It’s a good idea to have an outline of your production, making it relevant to the business. An example of this would be if you were dealing with a train station (for the record, I have done it, and it was one of the worst experiences I had. But don’t let that stop you from trying and experiencing it for yourself). People that run train stations want to know things like this:
Proposed day/time/duration of shoot
Location preferred
Equipment involved
Power requirements
Actors
Script and scene summary
The reason they want a script is because they don’t want to look bad. If the film is about blowing up the station, there is a strong possibility that they will say no. Although this was specifically for a train station, keep in mind that most locations will require similar information. If you can have the information ready, before they ask, it will make you look professional and organised.
Never be defensive. Remember, you are asking them for a favour, so always be nice.
After providing them with the information, I got an email back like this:
We have considered your proposal and advise that charges would have to apply. We handle numerous commercial filming and photography activities at the facility and in addition to the need to generate income, the impact on resources (administration, safety arrangements, safe working processes, security, management time, marketing agency time) requires application of fees.
The best we could do is suggest our agency consider a student rate but it would still cost you well above what I suspect you want to pay.
Let me know if you wish to proceed further with your inquiry.
After receiving this email, I decided to no longer pursue the location. You may communicate your idea succinctly, represent yourself well, and still get an answer that says ‘NO’. So, I just want to tell you that it happens to everyone, so expect it, and take it in your stride. All you can do is provide all the information, everything they want to hear, so it’s harder for them to say no.
When dealing with a large organisation, try and contact a person, not a info@randombusiness.com. I have found that these email addresses rarely reply.
How can you get a contact person? Call the organisation, talk to reception. “hello my name is [insert name here], I am making a student film and would like to know which person in your organisation I should speak to”. Normally they will say the persons name, followed by “I can transfer you through”. Before they transfer you through, ask if the person has a direct number. You will see why in a second. They will probably say yes, give you the number, then transfer you through, you will then get through to an answering machaine. Leave a message. Make sure you say your name, the school you attend, that you are making a film/magazine/photography, and ask then to contact you back, followed by your number. Sometimes they will call you back that day, sometimes a day later, after 3 days, call the direct number.
One of the most important things to remember is to be persistent. You are the most passionate person about the project.
Shooting Your Film on a Mobile Phone
Over the past 5 years, we have seen the inclusion of video recording capability in mobile phones. But have you thought of shooting your student film with it? Yeah, I’m serious. You just have to look up the film festival guides to see that people are doing it and that video on the mobile is no longer a device for just shooting dodgy Youtube vlogs or the latest Xavier College scandal.
At The Season of Excellence, Top Screen 2009, one of the assessors said to a group of VCE students that ‘they are waiting for a good video by a year 12 student that uses mobile phone video.’
Now that you are convinced that you want to shoot your next short film with your mobile phone, here are some handy hints.
- Do tests
Every phone is going to be different; they are all going to have varying quality in both video and sound. By doing tests you are not only preparing yourself for what to expect, but you are also building up a heap of work that you can put into your folio/production plan.
- Plan/story
When dealing with such a unique format like mobile video, you really want to have done the tests before you write your story. You are going to want to spend a lot of time on your story, to ensure you are not just creating another ‘dodgy Youtube Vlog’.
Some decisions that may be influenced by the use of mobile phone video are dialogue and postproduction. Are you going to be able to record dialogue affectively ( remember you can use a second device to record audio like a portable disc recorder ). Also, is your video compatible with your computer and non-linear editing software? How about memory on your phone? If you are shooting a lot in one day, will you have the space on your phone?
- Shoot close up.
The closer you are, the easier its going to be to see what your filming. Remember that you are shooting at a lower resolution, so be aware of this if you plan to shoot wide shots.
- Audio
As mentioned under planning, audio capturing on your phone maybe poor. A lot of the time you will find the in built microphone is sensitive to background noise and wind. You really have 3 options.
1. Use the in built microphone and be selective with where you shoot and what audio you need to capture.
2. Use an external recorder ( you could even use another mobile phone with better quality that could be placed close to the subject )
3. Use only post sound. This would be most commonly used if you were creating a music video. TIP: Be very careful if you plan to do ADR ( record the dialogue in post production ). It’s a very tedious process and normally looks stupid.
One of the most powerful scenes in the documentary ‘Bowling for columbine’ is a montage of security camera footage ( poor quality ), phone conversation audio and music. Remember it’s all about the story.
5 Websites for the Creative Student
One of the most important things about being a media creator, whether that is design, film, photography or finger painting, is influences. Influences can come from just about anywhere, from an object, a relationship or an experience. In this post I will give you 5 websites that will inspire. Through looking at other artists’ works, you can explore aesthetics, techniques and subject matter.
One of the more common websites, Flickr, has a great collection of images, uploaded by a diverse range of artists. The best way to utilise Flickr is by using search terms that are relevant to your subject.( example of searches: Portraits, nature, grunge, happy, dark, depression, punk, event, gig, homeless )
The Cool Hunter is a fantastic Australian blog focusing on subjects including Design, Lifestyle, Travel, Art, Gadgets, Food and much more. This blog is a great one to visit daily. Even if the images are not directly related to your subject, you can still use them as inspiration. ( example: look at coulour palette, presentation, style )
I like to think of Vimeo as the high quality version of youtube. Vimeo has a fantastic community of video artist, constantly uploading interesting stuff. Did I mention its high quality too? Similar to Flickr searching, try keywords, even search the model of your video camera to see what stuff people are capable of shooting with your model.
Australian Short Films is a great website if you need inspiration when making a film. The website has uploaded short film scripts by Australian writers. Sometimes people get stuck on how to format their script, see how other people are formatting.
Micro blogging is becoming more and more popular and with ‘Twitter Search’ it becomes a lot more relevant to you. Use Twitter Search to find artists, as well as fresh design content from the web. Maybe you are making a magazine on fashion. Type that into Twitter and you will get lots of opinions and links to keep you going for hours.
VCE STUDENT – Ep0003 – Ray Mooney Interview – Screenwriting
VCE Student talks to Ray Mooney, screenwriter and educator.
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SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ( ITUNES )
SHOW NOTES
Ray Mooney Imdb – http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0600765/
Australian Short Films – http://www.australianshortfilms.com/ ( submit your work )
Coming up with concepts
Look in your local newspaper
Try to find completed short stories that will transfer into your genre.
Find stories that have a beginning, middle and end
Workable Jokes
Write a joke you know into script form
Many tropfest films are ‘joke films’
Work in a group
In a group discuss ideas for stories
Get feedback from others
VCE STUDENT – Episode 2 – Ben Morgan Interview
Ben Morgan’s media film, Big W OH&S was selected for this years VCE Top Screen. He talks to VCE student about his experiences.
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