Location searching

Location searching

Location searching is a vital pre-production stage of filmaking and commercial photography. Once scriptwriters, producers or directors have decided what general kind of scenery they require for the various parts of their work that is shot outside of the studio, a search is begun for a suitable place or location outside the studio. Location searchers also look for generally spectacular or interesting locations beforehand, to have a database of locations in case of requests.

Location searchers often negotiate legal access to filming locations. Callum and I had a meeting with the manager of age and sons.

Location Requirements
 You have to consider many factors when finding a suitable location to film,

Overall Aesthetic

Financial cost to production

Logistic feasibility

Availability of parking, facilities, crew and talent

Availability of electrical power

Availability of natural light and artificial light and weather conditions

Permission from cooperations of the location owner and neighbors, local government and law enforcement

Shot List
Considering shots when considering locations is a vital part of location searching. Callum and I took a camera and tripod with us to out locations to check how filming might work. This allowed us to decide and alter our storyboard.
A shot is an uninterrupted sequence of frames taken by a video camera. In other words, this is the continuous film taken from when the camera has been turned on to when it has been turned off.

Actor List / Starting Positions I will need to choose the actors that i want in my film, once i have chosen i will need to create a script which will let my actors know what they have to do and when. It's easier for them as the actor knowing what's going on but also for me as the Director of the film.

Props and first day of filming

On Wednesday 20th June, Callum and I had our first session with Poppy May as our actress. The filming at school was very productive and all the required filming got done. The school scenes and the bathroom scenes were all filmed there. Looking over the footage we recorded, we have decided to re-record all the audio to put on as an overlay afterwards. We hope that this will allow our film to have a clearer sound quality.

At about 2:30pm, Callum and I arrived at Ramsgate where we looked at props for our Wedding Sequence. Poppy has told us that she has a white dress which she will wear on Wednesday 27th June (our next filming session). We bought a tiara from poundland along with Ballons, confetti and white sheets. We went into several shops to look at things people usually buy for weddings.

Meeting with Age and Sons

We had been speaking to Age and Sons via email and the owner had said that she couldn't see a problem with filming there but she wants to know more about what we would be doing. We went along for a meeting on the 21^st June 2012. We asked if the meeting could be recorded and she said it could be. The meeting recording will be uploaded to youtube soon. During the meeting we discussed the storyline of the film and the sort of shots we would be using. She encouraged us to look around the fine dining section of her restaurant. We had already been there taking photos while location searching but she had made a few changes. When we came back we told her where we'd like to film. She told us she had no issue with us filming but had some concern over the insurance..what if one of us got hurt?

She allowed us to use the uniform that the waiters use so that everything will look like a proper restaurant. She also told us how the bill would be given and presented. At the end of the meeting I gave her my card which she referred to as professional she also likened the project we are doing to the BBC Production of 'True Love' starring David Tennant. Though we are aware that we aren't professional film producers or anywhere near, it does show us that she treated us like adults and gave us a better insight to what a meeting would be like in the media industry.

In evaluation Callum and I got huge insight into the complications of filming. If we are to have future meetings about filming somewhere, we will go prepared to answer any questions about liability. As it turns out, we are covered by their insurance as we count as the public and they are insured if the public injure themselves inside the restaurant. We thanked her for her time and we very pleased with the meeting. We will send over a small box of chocolates to thank her for giving up her free time for us.

Fonts for 'Happily Ever After'

Something I noticed about the titles of these proffesional and extremely successful films is that all the words are in capital letters. This isn't the sort of look I want for my film but it was interesting to look at how exsisting films create a romantic title. The look I am going for resembles pride and predjudice the most but I'm going to look at fonts rather than exsiting films to create an idea of what I want.

working title - Happily Ever After

At the moment, Callum and I are giving our film the working title 'Happily Ever After' because it appropriatly matches the narrative of the short film as well as being ironic as Callum's character is not happy with the result of his pursuit of the girl. For this title I will be experimenting with script fonts and calligraphy which matches a film beloning to the romantic genre.

Reply from the restaurant that I emailed to request permission to film.

Time Management.

This is how I so far and plan to manage my productivity in June.

Deadlines:

Miss Stone wants in two weeks time:

.At least 1 minute of footage
.A sound track which i have created by myself or in garageband
.At least two inspirations of other real existing short films.

Similar exsisting videos.

This video was made by the youtube partners 'Britanick'. It makes a similar joke to the one we are planning on making although our ending result and punchline is different. These youtubers make other shot films similar to the style of film we are trying to create.
They made a 15 minute film entitled "eagles are turning people into horses" which follows the same cinematographic style as well as simmilar editing to what Callum and I are trying to create.

Emailing a restaurant to request permission to film

Second Idea -Script

First we see two guys sitting at a desk in a classroom writing. The sounds of a teacher talking can be heard. Callum looks up and stares off to the right. Cuts to a girl working hard. Cuts back to the two guys. Benjy speaks.

Benjy: You like her don't you.
Callum: Yeah.
Benjy: Are you gonna talk to her?
Callum: maybe. I don't know how I would though..
Benjy: what you need (looks at camera) is a plan (winks)

Dark room. Just Benjy, Callum and a white board can be seen. The rest is black.

Benjy: Ok. This is our plan. First...(montage)

Callum: (stands up) Let's do this.

Benjy rubbing callums shoulders

Benjy: Do you feel ready?
Callum: (nods)
Benjy: remember you ask 'How do you like your eggs?' Then you say 'Fertilised'
Callum: Hey would you like some fertilised eggs?

cuts to callum rubbing his face with a slap mark on it.

Benjy: ok...plan B

Cuts to callum
callum: my friend and I bet you wouldn't take off your shirt in public.

Cuts back to Benjy and Callum

Benjy: well at least you didn't get slapped.

Callum: (lifts up a bag of ice) not there!
Benjy: oh OH!!!!
Callum: fuck this
Benjy: ok. This one is bound to work! (hands callum a piece of paper with 'I put the STD in Stud and all I need is U' on it)
Callum: No. No way in hell! Im just gonna talk to her!

Callum approaches the girl

Callum: Hi. I'm sorry for being weird. Do you maybe want to go out with me sometime?

Girl: yeah, I'd like that.

In the restaurant

Callum: see this is nice. We're having a great time. No crazy schemes.

Girl: Yeah I'm having a lovely evening.
Callum: I'm glad to hear it. I just have to use the bathroom.

Cuts to Callum washing his hands. As he looks up Benjy is seen in the mirror.

Benjy: Callum!

Callum: (panicked) WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? GET OUT!
Benjy: I have a plan!
Callum: no! It's going great! Don't do anything!
Benjy: Trust me! Just wait until the bill arrives!
Callum: No! Benj... (benjy is gone)..benjy!?
Girl: that was an amazing meal. We should probably get the bill.
Callum: NO! I mean... theres so much I still don't know about you. What's your favourite colour?
Girl: haha what? CHEQUE PLEASE!

Benjy arrives.

Benjy: Callum asked me to read this

Callum: no I didn't!
Benjy: this past three our date has been incredible. Would you do me the honour of marrying me -signed Callum
Callum: That's not my signature! I never asked....
Girl: YES!

Callum:...what?

Cuts to wedding. Callum looks scared. Benjy looks pleased.
Benjy: When Callum first asked me to be his best ma...

Callum: I NEVER ASKED YOU THAT!

Second Idea - synopsis

The film opens with two characters (Benjy and Callum) discussing girls. Callum admits to liking a girl in their class and Benjy makes it his mission to put them together. Benjy tells Callum (after a dramatic film sequence replicating a 'battle-plan montage') to say "how do you like your eggs? Fertalised" as a chat-up line. Callum returns having been slapped.Benjy then suggests a second chat up line which we don't hear him tell Callum. Benjy says "say..." then it immediatly cuts to Callum saying it. This chat-up line is equally cringeworthy and creppy and is "My friend and I bet you wouldn't take your shirt off in public". callum gets slapped once again. Benjy suggests a final chat-up line ("I put the STD in stud and all I need is U") and Callum decides against using it and instead aproaches the girl normally.

The girl agrees to go on a date with Callum and the date is seemingly going great until Callum goes to the bathroom. The door shuts revealing Benjy who tells Callum he has a plan. Callum tells Benjy to not do anything and that everything is going fine but Benjy ignores this and tells him to "wait until the bill arrives".

Callum spends the rest of the evening trying to avoid paying the bill by moving the subject away from the bill. When the bill finally arrives it is Benjy wearing a suit. He states that Callum asked him to ask her to marry him. Callum tries to explain he didn't say that but is interrupted by the girl saying yes. The scene quickly cuts to a wedding where Callum looks panicked and Benjy looks pleased with himself.

credits begin to role up and it cuts back to the wedding where Benjy begins to say "when callum first asked me to be his best man" but is interrupted with callum shouting "I never asked you that!".

iCan - context edit

This is the context edit for the iCan idea. We would have made the screen circular and we would have animated the can a bit more but we decided this wasn't enough to push us and started working on new ideas. This was edited and filmed by Callum.

Initial Ideas

Due to the success and productivity of working with Callum Hurley (www.remasteredmedia.blogspot.com) last year for my AS level media studies, I have decided to once again work with Callum. Last year, Callum and I both supplied our own edits and versions of our final piece, the result of this was we did twice the amount of work in terms of experiemental edits. Unfortuantly for me, Callum's edit scored a higher mark than mine, in order to avoid a repeat this year, we are both going to edit our own versions but select one (the one our teachers deem the best) and use that as our final.

We both want to step outside our comfort zone and try something completely different to what we have done before. In order for us to push ourselves we decided on a genre that we haven't previously explored. Comedy. We hope Comedy to be a genre that most other people in our class won't be doing.

Our first idea for the comedy was an apple styled advert for a made up product called the 'iCan' which was based on two cans connected by a piece of string. We made a context edit for this but then decided it wasn't difficult enough and wasn't going to push us. We showed the context edit to Mr Cunningham who said we should continue with it as a side project but not use it for the actual A-Level.

Our Second idea and the one we are currently exploring is a short film based on one friend helping the other friend get a girl to go on a date with him.