We handed the film in on the Friday 27th with a massive sigh of relief. Now onto getting our research folders up to date and presentable!
Thursday 2 February 2012
EDITING
Our editor, Jake Twyman has been working hard on getting our documentary finished in time. I have offered my support and help when/if needed.
This is one of Jakes edits, which he showed me and I thought it looked pretty good. We also stayed behind after lessons to finish it all off.
My other two team mates, Emma Dagger and Isabel Ayres have been working hard on producing a DVD cover. When a draft was posted up onto our facebook page a few problems seemed to occur.
I was very happy with the design elements of this, however, I was a little confused how it was going to fit onto a DVD cover. I asked my team mates about it, and we realised that the measurements and template used was not off a standard DVD cover. I started to panic, as the hand in was the next morning and I wasn't getting much reply from my team mates. I made the decision to make another DVD cover as a stand by. I was in the editing suite at the time and had all the resources to hand so I thought I would make the most of my time there. I was going to use it as a stand by, because if Emma and Izzie were happy to edit it and change it to fit a standard DVD cover I would be more than happy to use theirs. However, it had gotten late and communication was difficult. I re-made a cover with help from Jake.
I took it home with me, and as I live with Isabel I was able to ask her what she thought. She was more than happy to use this version. I then uploaded it to facebook so Emma Dagger could see and she also said it looked good. We decided to use this one, and we made the hand in on Friday….Hoorah!
This is one of Jakes edits, which he showed me and I thought it looked pretty good. We also stayed behind after lessons to finish it all off.
My other two team mates, Emma Dagger and Isabel Ayres have been working hard on producing a DVD cover. When a draft was posted up onto our facebook page a few problems seemed to occur.
I took it home with me, and as I live with Isabel I was able to ask her what she thought. She was more than happy to use this version. I then uploaded it to facebook so Emma Dagger could see and she also said it looked good. We decided to use this one, and we made the hand in on Friday….Hoorah!
JANUARY 18TH 2012
LEAD UP TO AND SHOOT DAY
Unfortunately our original shoot day was cancelled due to illness of one of our interviewees. We agreed to postpone it until soon after Christmas. We agreed on the second week in January to make a firm date to film, however when it came to that week I had not heard from Mary at all, and was starting to panic. I e-mailed Mary and Iain asking if we could still come and that our deadline was on the 27th…in which Mary e-mailed back saying Anwen is still of sick. I then made the decision to continue without Anwen, as the deadline was looming and we still needed time to edit. After a chat on the phone with Mary, we agreed that we could continue and interview Matt Fidell and two of the team from The Sarah Jane Adventures.
Our new shoot date was the 18th. I asked Isabel Ayres to re-book the equipment to cover that date, and she did so in good time. I then organised the transport arrangements with Emma Dagger and we were all set. I carried out some last minute research on The Sarah Jane Adventures website so we were well prepared.
I instructed everyone to meet at Bath Spa Newton Park campus at 8.15am as we planned to be at the BBC at 10.30am. Unfortunately, on the way there was a traffic accident as we were getting petrol. A woman had come off her motorbike and myself and Emma Dagger had to talk to her until a first aider arrived. As soon as we got back on the road (20 minutes later), I rang Mary and informed her of what happened so she new we might be a tad late. I instructed Jake to film a little as we travelled over the Severn Bridge.
We managed to arrive at 10.45am where we signed in at reception and met Mary Bateman. She took us through to BBC Interactive where we met Matt Fidell and the Sarah Jane Adventures team. We conducted our first interview which I felt went rather well.
After this interview was finished, I thanked then them, told them it was great and got our release forms signed off. Mary then came back into the room and told us she would send in Matt Fidell in ten minutes. We quickly made a new set up and got everything. As Matt Fidell came in I told him where we would like him to sit, and I gave him a list of the questions for a some quick preparation.
After this was finished I again thanked him and asked him to sign the release forms.
We were then given access to the offices in the BBC and an editing suite. We were given a free rain to film whoever and wherever we wanted within that office. We made very good use of this time and spent just over an hour gathering shots for cutaways and images.
After we felt we had significant shots, we went and had some lunch in the BBC canteen…very fun. We then gathered some more cutaway shots of the exterior, and began our journey home.
Overall I felt quite positive about how it went, and I was looking forward to seeing some rough edits. An exciting and enjoyable day was had by all.
Wednesday 1 February 2012
FRIDAY 2ND DECEMBER
BEHIND THE SCENES PLANNING
Being the producer of our documentary, I handed out the roles to the rest of my group.
D.O.P - Jake
Producer - Emma C (Me)
Sound - Izzie
Director - Emma D
Ident - Izzie
Edit - Jake
Release forms - Emma D
DVD Cover - Emma D & Izzie
Assisstant Editor - Emma C (Me)
By this point I had been in contact with a woman called Mary Bateman (Iain Tweedale passed my name onto her for help), and she has organised various interviews for us to film at BBC Cardiff…
Subject: RE: Behind the scenes
Date: Thu, 1 Dec 2011 16:04:59 +0000
From: mary.bateman@bbc.co.uk
To: emma997@hotmail.com
Being the producer of our documentary, I handed out the roles to the rest of my group.
D.O.P - Jake
Producer - Emma C (Me)
Sound - Izzie
Director - Emma D
Ident - Izzie
Edit - Jake
Release forms - Emma D
DVD Cover - Emma D & Izzie
Assisstant Editor - Emma C (Me)
By this point I had been in contact with a woman called Mary Bateman (Iain Tweedale passed my name onto her for help), and she has organised various interviews for us to film at BBC Cardiff…
Subject: RE: Behind the scenes
Date: Thu, 1 Dec 2011 16:04:59 +0000
From: mary.bateman@bbc.co.uk
To: emma997@hotmail.com
Hi Emma
The interviews would be with Anwen Aspden, Executive Producer Doctor Who and Mat Fidel, Senior Producer for Doctor Who.
Also the head of Interactive and Learning, Iain Tweedale, will do his best to be around, however his diary is usually very full and this may prove difficult. As things change on a daily basis for him we can assess this nearer the time.
There will be restrictions to where you can film I'm afraid. We would probably ask you to film in the main reception and in general areas of the BBC rather than in specific places, but I will check with colleagues to see what's available to you. Did you have anything specific in mind?
With regards material from the BBC, sound tracks or film clips etc, again this is something I will need to check because of copyright restrictions. I will check and come back to you on this.
Currently the Executive Producer, Anwen Aspden is away unexpectedly and I haven't had confirmation regarding the 13th from her so am unable to confirm this date. I will keep in touch and let you know what's happening and in the meantime if you need anything from me just ask.
Regards
Mary
Anwen Aspeden:
-Executive producer - BBC Wales Online
Responsible for strategic development, management and delivery of immersive, digital brand experiences of Dr Who.
Matt Fidell:
-Senior producer for - BBC Wales Online
FRIDAY 25TH NOVEMBER
The Do's and and Dont's of conducting an interview
"A great interview is a lesson in the art of bringing out the story from the interviewee."
In this session we got into groups of two and found some interesting topics about each others lives. We then had to think up questions which would prompt the interviewee to speak freely and comfortably about these topics.
We had to:
-Think about the questions we wanted to ask them and right them in a logical order (being able to research/discuss with the interviewee made this a lot easier).
-If you want to show the life journey this person has been on, then start the questions with something about their childhood.
-Ask open ended questions to avoid short lame answers.
-When conducting the interview, start with warm relaxing questions to put the interviewee at ease.
-Listen and respond to your interviewees.
The interview my partner and I came up with was about his school life and how it has changed his life. The questions I asked were:
-Tell me about your early school life - what you liked and disliked about it (from research I knew that this would lead on to him telling my about being bullied)
-How do you feel your bullied experiences have changed your outlook on life?
-What was it that forced you to turn to crime?
-What and when was the turning point in your mind?
-How do you feel about your life now?
The interview questions could have been better. After feedback I was told that picking just one aspect of his life, for example crime, would have been better. And a cleaner opening line would have given the interview more of a structure.
I really enjoyed this session as it was interesting to hear about significant parts in peoples lives. I found it particularly hard to talk about significant details in my interview, but my interviewer was very understanding and made me feel at ease by being patient and kind.
-
"A great interview is a lesson in the art of bringing out the story from the interviewee."
In this session we got into groups of two and found some interesting topics about each others lives. We then had to think up questions which would prompt the interviewee to speak freely and comfortably about these topics.
We had to:
-Think about the questions we wanted to ask them and right them in a logical order (being able to research/discuss with the interviewee made this a lot easier).
-If you want to show the life journey this person has been on, then start the questions with something about their childhood.
-Ask open ended questions to avoid short lame answers.
-When conducting the interview, start with warm relaxing questions to put the interviewee at ease.
-Listen and respond to your interviewees.
The interview my partner and I came up with was about his school life and how it has changed his life. The questions I asked were:
-Tell me about your early school life - what you liked and disliked about it (from research I knew that this would lead on to him telling my about being bullied)
-How do you feel your bullied experiences have changed your outlook on life?
-What was it that forced you to turn to crime?
-What and when was the turning point in your mind?
-How do you feel about your life now?
The interview questions could have been better. After feedback I was told that picking just one aspect of his life, for example crime, would have been better. And a cleaner opening line would have given the interview more of a structure.
I really enjoyed this session as it was interesting to hear about significant parts in peoples lives. I found it particularly hard to talk about significant details in my interview, but my interviewer was very understanding and made me feel at ease by being patient and kind.
-
FRIDAY 18TH NOVEMBER
– The art of documentary ideas and structure
· You need to determine the theme and angle you want to get out of a documentary. The content of an interview is often the backbone of a documentary.
· Pictures need to be explained and the information given needs to be accurate.
In this session we looked at a powerpoint which included helpful pointers on how to make a successful documentary.
Interview preparation
· Thorough research on the background of the interviewee shows professionalism.
· It can sometimes help you to get a good interview if you show the interviewee the questions in advance.
· You need to know exactly what you aim to achieve by conducting this interview. The purpose needs to be clear in your head.
· Prepare the questions and make sure you only ask open questions, so not to invite short one word answers.
· Encourage description and emotion – ask them to describe something and say how they feel about it, how was the process for them and what were the problems.
· Get the interviewee comfortable and into their stride. Try some warm up questions.
· The location for the interview should be familiar and comfortable for them. This will help them to relax and give a more faultless interview.
· Make sure there are no likely sound distractions which could ruin an interview. You can always ask an interviewee to repeat the last parts…but if a mobile phone going off can be avoided then it should be!
On the day
· Introduce yourself and say who you are, what the purpose of the interview is.
· Give them plenty of eye contact and take real interest in what they are saying.
· Sit close to the camera lens to ensure good eye line.
· Keep questions short and clear.
· Don’t ask double questions which could confuse and through the interviewee of their stride.
· Don’t be nervous in getting the interviewee to repeat an answer.
· Make note of their answers and anything in them which would be a good visual sequence.
· Ask a bucket question at the end…’is there anything else you would like to add?’
· Check name spellings and titles and don’t forget to sign off release forms.
Post – production
· Transcribe the interviews as soon as possible while they are still fresh in your mind.
FRIDAY 4TH NOVEMBER
The commissioning process in television
One of the largest ever events broadcast on the BBC was the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953. It had 25 million viewers worldwide. The broadcast was even made in 44 languages! People would have been crowded round a television and for many it would have been the first ever time they had even watched a television. The channel had total monopoly and such success. After this, the channel ITV was introduced which was funded by advertisements.
The public service act was placed, which meant that channels had to show programmes about religion, news, educational programmes and children’s programmes. The BBC followed these rules as it was funded by the TV licence, but as ITV was being funded by advertisements it had more freedom in what was required from them.
The ITV followed the ITV Levy, which meant they had the right to broadcast, they had shareholders, and they could devise popular shows such as Double Your Money and Opportunity Knocks. They also had a Network Committee.
FRIDAY 28TH OCTOBER PM
FRIDAY 28th OCTOBER PM – Recce research trip practical
In this afternoon session we formed a (pretend) production group who were working on a documentary about the ‘real Fresh Meat’.
· ‘Finding out the truth behind the assumption that student life is just an excuse for behaving badly away from home’
· Are students really only interested in getting drunk, getting laid and generally doing as little as possible?
· What really happens when you go to university? Is it a different experience for everyone? Do you go there to learn about a subject or learn about life? How can the student make the most of the experience?
· Are the financial obligations now making attending university now an impossibility for teenagers unless they have rich parents?
· Do students really get what a student loan is? Do they realise what it will take to pay it back?
· Are some people more suited to university than others?
· Have things changed? Is it the only way to get a non-manual job?
We had to produce 4x30 minute documentaries on relevant, honest and frank issues that affect students today.
We discussed what we thought the most prominent issues were, and came up with; finance, socialising, health, and work load. We also discussed the angle we would take on the documentaries. A ‘fly on the wall’ documentary would be good as we would be able to see the students in their natural surroundings behaving as naturally as possible. However, for ethical reasons, we would have to tell the students what we were filming and they would have to give us permission. So the students would always be aware the cameras were there. It would also be un-ethical to have cameras in the student’s bedrooms and toilets. Which means we wouldn’t be able to capture some footage which could be vital in answering these questions. Another angle we could take would be to interview the students about their new lives, and to encourage them to go as deep as they wish. And then possibly use actors for re-construction so the audience also have an engaging visual. The option of whether to have the same students in all four documentaries arose also. Having the same four would give a consistent account of student life. However, we face the statement that all humans are different, and whether having different students each week would give a broader view of student life. I felt that the audience would engage more if it were the same four students, as they would get to know them and gather a sense of recognition for them, which would enable the audience to enjoy the series more, and there keep watching. What sort of students to pick for the documentaries is also a major factor. For example, would we have all young (18-22 year old) students? Or would we mix it up and feature mature students also. I feel that having at least one mature student would make the documentary appeal to a wider audience. Do we use British students, or include foreign students? Again, I feel including at lease one foreign student will make the documentary appeal to a wider audience. It is also a strong contributing factor to university, as now I don’t think there is one university that does not have foreign students, and therefore I feel it is necessary to include this in showing what student life it really like.
Watching the programme ‘Fresh Meat’ is a good insight into student life as it not as wild and over the top as ‘Skins’ but I feel it does show an almost accurate portrayal. However, it is a drama, and it purely for entertainment purposes and therefore some of the stories are a little exaggerated. For example, sleeping with lecturers, impulsive liars etc. I don’t think this happens much at university and definitely not all under one roof!
I would want to create a documentary that would interest prospective students, so they know what to expect before entering a totally new life, alone.
FRIDAY 28TH OCTOBER
Guest speaker: Iain Tweedale
In this session Iain Tweedale, head of Interactive and Learning, from BBC Cardiff came to talk to us. The talk focused on the television programme ‘Dr Who’ which first appeared on BBC television in November 1963. He talked about Transmedia, which before this session I had hadn’t heard of. It is also known as ‘multi-platform story telling,’ it’s the technique of telling stories across multiple platforms and formats using current digital technologies.
THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF TRANSMEDIA:
- Clear definition of what the brand stands for
- Tone meetings for key developments e.g game
- Show runners take responsibility for signing of key content – done by the people who run the programme
- Central asset development and distribution – photography, artwork, twitter feeds etc
- Have a dedicated cross platform.
DR WHO
- Exhibitions
- DVDs and audio stories
- Toys
- Publications
- Animation
- Games
- Concerts
- Social Media (facebook & twitter)
- Website (BBC i.player)
- TV Programme
CONTENT AND STORIES FOR SPECIFIC AUDIENCES
- BBC One mainstream
- Dedicated fans – Behind the scenes, Access all areas, Social Media etc
- Children – masks, jigsaws, ‘how to speak like a pirate, script to screen etc
ROLES IN THE BBC
- Assistant producer
- Producer
- Storyboard and concept artist
- Project managers
- Technical project managers
- Business analyst
- Brand manager
- Social media producers
- Music composer
- Script editor
- Writer
- Testing
- Rendering
- Graphic designer – tv/web
- Software engineer
- Press officer
- Rights clearence
- Production management
- Search engine – optimisation specialist
Etc!
After hearing Iain Tweedale talk to us about aspects of the BBC and Dr Who, we watched a behind the scenes documentary of the Dr Who video game which is accessible on the Dr Who website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw
We saw how it was made, all the contributing factors that went into making it look as realistic as possible and be as appealing as possible.
Iain finished his talk at 12.00 and as people were packing up we got into our production group to further discuss some ideas. I took it upon myself to approach Iain and ask for his contact number/e-mail, and whether he would mind us coming up to BBC Cardiff to make a behind the scenes documentary on Dr Who. Luckily he was very helpful and allowed us to do this. He gave me is business card which had on it his mobile number, work number, e-mail address and fax address. I e-mailed him that week and am posting the correspondence up on our facebook group for all of our group to see and involve themselves in.
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