How did Nick Park create a Nation Loving Animation?

How did Nick Park create a Nation Loving Animation?

During this study I will be exploring how Nick Park conveys emotion using his animation and how this animation can show/express or create emotion. I will be looking at what influenced Park and how this has led to his success. By looking closely at the models body language and facial features I will be able to determine how this creates an ‘emotion’ for an audience such as anger or happiness. I will also be exploring how set design and lighting contribute to the overall ‘feeling’ and mood.

Park was born 6/12/1958 in Preston, Lancashire. His mother, Celia, was a seamstress while his father Roger Park a photographer, 'Dad worked in his garden shed a lot, made things, was full of ideas, and acted in the same way Wallace does,' says Park in an interview to The Observer ^[1]. Clearly Park’s father was a great influence to him, leading him to base his main character Wallace on his father although ‘It's only after making the first Wallace and Gromit film - A Grand Day Out (1989) - that I suddenly realised he's actually based very much on my father’ ^[6].  Park attended a Catholic High school and began making his own home-made movies with his mother when he was just 13. However he began creating hand-drawn strips of his family’s pet hen, Penny and a rat called Walter when he was just 11 using a camera his father gave him, “That’s how I spent my time...” Park recalls “While my mates were out playing with their bikes, I was in the attic.”^[1] Park studied Communication Arts at Sheffield Polytechnic where he created his first Wallace and Gromit Adventure ‘A Grand Day Out’, “My growing-up years were always a reference point. Actually, the north itself was always a reference point.”^[3]

Like his father Park was also very inventive and would send creations such as ‘a bottle that squeezed out different wools’ to Blue Peter. These ideas show clearly through Wallace as he is an inventor. Interestingly these ‘inventions’ are the focus of many of Park’s productions for instance in ‘Wallace and Gromit in The Wrong Trousers’ (1993) it is the invention of the ‘trousers’ that cause the problems and in ‘Chicken Run’ (2000) the chickens are inventing ways to escape. This is also shown in the recent production of ‘Wallace and Gromit’s World of Inventions’ (2010), a TV series where Wallace and Gromit are the presenters and looking at interesting inventions to encourage the younger generation to invent. I was fortunate to attend one of these events held by the BBC for the broadcast of A World of Inventions. The show captures the need for inventions as well as the enjoyment of inventing the item. Park also has a keen interest in wildlife ‘...indulging in his favourite hobby, watching wildlife.’ And it is, ‘...These two influences, family and animals, encapsulate his world and his work completely. His films are filled with deranged sheep, psychopathic penguins, mournful pumas and neurotic chickens ... flat-capped, waist-coated Wallace...’ ^[1].

Each creation began life as a small sketch/doodle on a notebook which Park develops further into a storyboard and finally actual characters and a set, until a final film is created, “Nick has an art pad with him all the time” says Sheriff (a collaborator of Park’s) “He scribbles out his ideas on it. All through Chicken Run he kept doing Wallace and Gromit sketches”^[1] . Park constantly developed these drawings until they created the perfect characters and vision that was personal to him but would also appeal to an audience. Park particularly enjoyed humorous adventures in which Gromit would ultimately save the day “Gromit was the dog I never had.”^[1] Park’s first film ‘A Grand Day Out’ began with a simple idea ‘An inventor trying to visit the moon’, with this idea Park takes us on a journey of humour and adventure. The films have everyday situations presented within the plot which appeals to an audience such as Wallace’s romancing of on screen ladies, Piella Bakewell, Lady Tottington and Wendolene. The films are designed for laughs which are conducted with a British attitude, most ‘jokes’ are ironic and include British dialect, “Wallace and Gromit are unquestionably northern characters, and Park’s stories share a charm, a plain-spoken warmth, and a sharp ear for florid language.”^[3] For the feature film ‘Chicken Run’ a lot of the language had to be reviewed to make it understandable for American audiences, “We put in a couple of jokes early on because we cut out some stuff as well because it was taking too long to get into the story. So we lost about a minuet’s worth of animation at the beginning.”^[2]

Park’s choice of media is an important aspect in the creation of his characters “I’m a clay man myself.” Says Park “They probably wouldn’t have come about the same way if they came from a computer because there isn’t that kind of direct access to the clay that humans feel.”^[2] The use of clay means the models are easy to mold allowing easy adaptation of movements and texture as well as showing a hand-made quality, “I just find it such an expressive medium and a very immediate medium as well.”^[2] The animation feels very personal which the audience responds to. In many frames the markings of fingerprints can be seen showing the care and time taken into making the models “And we're proud of them. The Wallace and Gromit films have a very handmade feel to them and I think that's part of the charm.”^[6] My own attempts at modelling also show this, “It tells you that they are real; they are tangible. Luckily for us, our audience has always appreciated that personal touch.” Peter Lord states ^[11] about the Wallace and Gromit Franchise. Although the models have developed since ‘A Grand Day Out’ in design and personality, they remain the same much loved characters that the public associate with stop still animation. Metal skeletons’ have been added to the newer designs after ‘A Grand Day Out’ allowing for longer use and more realistic movements, “Wallace and Gromit have got metal skeletons inside and that helps to hold them up. Most of the floors are made of metal - just under the carpet there's a metal sheet usually with holes in it and you can either screw down the feet - this is a way of making them stand up - if you've got a metal or wire skeleton it helps. Also use a magnet to keep the feet down.”^[6] The metal skeletons also stop the models melting under the hot lighting conditions. Park did have to use a form of digital media in ‘The Curse of the Ware-Rabbit’, “...there’s a scene where Wallace uses the Bun Vac for the first time – sucks up all these bunnies and they’re spinning around. It was in a glass case and we couldn’t access the bunnies.”^[2] Instead Park allowed the London Picture Company to scan a clay model into a computer and animate it. “I do like a lot of computer animation - in the right hands it can be really good. I think it's just me - I just always will like to work with tactile materials - I love plasticine and working with clay - it's as straightforward as that.”^[6] Gromit is very simple design with few colours giving a clear contrast between his nose and ears. He has no mouth and instead uses his ears and eye brows to convey emotion, “Raised eye brows often symbolize suprise and astonishment as well as uncertainty and confusion. Lowered eye brows symbolize deception or annoyance. Eye brows can evoke anger, sadness, fear and other various emotions that the human body can communicate.”^[7] By placing his body in a human-like position such as folding his arms, Park makes Gromit more human but also enables the audience to relate to what Gromit is expressing. This is a very important aspect which Park integrates into all of his animal characters. Wallace as a human can be more expressive and it can be more accepted for a more exaggerated approach to his emotion. With the added addition of a voice (Wallace is voiced by Peter Saillis), Park can allow Wallace to be more openly expressive, “Wallace’s enthusiasm meshes with our sense of Britishness.”^[3] Wallace is also defined by the clothes he wares, typically presented in a green sleeveless wool jumper and shirt, complete with a red tie. These are carefully patterned and given a rough texture as to represent woollen material. Wallace and Gromit are also designed with plastic eyes; this reflects light making them appear more human. Park’s style of modelling is instantly recognisable with human characters having large round noses and large hands with the exception of the Lady Tottington and large toothy mouths. The eyes sit on the surface just lightly indenting the modelling clay. The birds are also very recognisable, being bottle shaped with small black beady eyes, that an audience recognises immediately as being a Park creation.  

The sets upon which the characters live and act can be very small but incredibly detailed. Park’s attention to detail gives the films a more realistic edge but also conveys the characters personalities in their surroundings, “...played out in a kind of eternal historic present. The world Wallace and Gromit inhabit harks back to the 1960’s and 70’s.”^[3]. Wallace’s personality is not only in his actions and what he says but in the items he’s surrounded with, this is even more important for Gromit who is a silent character, shown knitting or cooking. In ‘A Grand Day Out’ “Inside the rocket, it’s all like wallpaper and furniture he’s made [Wallace]...He made like a trailer [Roger Park]...It had wallpaper inside just the same.”^[2] The wallpaper is very detailed showing the period of time which the characters’ live in “You can see it in the wallpaper, interior decor, the houses and corner shops near their home in West Wallaby Street.”^[3] The texture of the sets is very important; nothing is flat but carefully detailed to represent the real life sized item, “Smoother textures can contribute to a softer more soothing mood and can aid in focusing attention on a specific element.”^[8] Even small knick-knacks that litter an average house are included within the set, such as trophies, ornaments, books etc. The list is endless as Park aims to relate to the audience as much as possible, again giving it a more personal touch. The bigger the productions the larger the sets and more detailed, in ‘The Curse of the Ware-Rabbit’ Park and his team create over 40 new characters all with their own tastes and personalities, “Park concedes that it [The Sets] reflects his childhood and adolescent years in Preston.”^[3] The production process is long and tiring taking months to create a single scene, with Park paying attention to detail in every frame. The characters are moved inch by inch as photos are taken in between, “A happy character will perform every movement and action faster than a sad personage.”^[7] Then the photos are reeled together to create a moving image and the films we see today. ‘Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Ware-Rabbit’ took five years to make. Park is always trying to find inventive and exciting ways to film such as the train sequence in ‘The Wrong Trousers’ “I really wanted that train sequence to be like nothing you've ever seen - really high speed... So what we did was we had this living room set which was about 20 feet long and we had the camera on rails and we attached the train out of shot. It was attached with a metal rod to the camera and every time we took a frame, which was actually a second exposure or two second exposure, we pushed the train and camera along at the same time which made the background blur on each frame.”^[6] Park also uses the lighting to his advantage creating moving shadows that dim with the natural light but stay harsh like most indoor lighting when the characters are inside; shadows are also used as an ominous effect, with approaching villains creating tension in the audience.

Park also has a love of ‘classic British’ films and pays homage to them in many of his films, “I used to be into movies based on H G Wells stories, such as ‘The Time Machine’ and ‘First Men in the Moon’. I loved sci-fi films.”^[3] In ‘The Curse of the Ware-Rabbit’ Park creates a ‘Vegetarian Hammer Horror’ a homage to the ‘Hammer Horror’ genre by using dark shadows, with enclosed spaces and highlighted music. As well as carefully showing the characters’ reactions rather than the actual action, keeping the mood tense and exciting throughout the film “It’s about people locking up their vegetables rather than their children.”^[1] ‘Chicken Run’ pays homage to ‘The Great Escape’; however throughout all his films he keeps the well known comic humour of the first Wallace and Gromit.

Although Park has amounted to great success he is still described as ‘shy but spiritual’ (Richard Goleszowski) and even describes himself as “an observer, quiet and contemplative”, this also fits a description of Gromit. Little appears to have changed in Park’s lifestyle since his success, “he recalls being so average few teachers could even remember his name.”^[3] He continues to promote inventing, ‘Wallace and Gromit: A World of Inventions’ as well as provide adverts but we can hope to see more of Wallace and Gromit in the future. It is this time taken to create each individual film that anticipates the audience for a new release.  Park is respected by many other film makers such as Danny Boyle, Pixar’s John Lasseter and Hayao Miyazaki (creator of animated movie ‘Spirited Away’) who seek out Park’s opinion. 

Reference List

·         [1]  http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2005/sep/18/features.comment

An Observer article written Sunday 18^th September 2005 by Robin McKie

·         [2]  http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/655/655696p2.html

An interview with Nick Park by Jeff Otto, in the US on October 4^th 2005

·         [3]  The Daily Telegraph, Wednesday October 21 2009, page 29, ‘A Cracking Combination’, by David Gritten.
An Article about Nick Park and the recent release of ‘Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Ware-Rabbit’.

·         [4]  National Media Museum, Pictureville, Bradford, West Yorkshire. BD1 1NQ.
www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk

·         [5]  http://www.aardman.com
The studio in which Park works for, the website gives a virtual tour of the studio and information on characters and film making.

·         [6]  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/forum/2314009.stm
An Interview with Nick Park, Tuesday, 15 October, 2002, 17:26 GMT 18:26 UK, Name of news reader is unknown.

·         [7]  http://animationguides.com/character-emotion-in-animation
Website looks at making animated characters have ‘believable’ emotional expressions.

·         [8]  http://accad.osu.edu/~efarrar/thesis/proposal6.0.pdf
A study by Eric Farrar on elements that effect the presentation of emotion in Animation.

·         [9]  http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/nick-parks-quick-animation-guide/6938.html
Nick Park conducts his own guide on how to create an animation in collaboration with ‘Blue Peter’.

·         [10]  http://www.animatormag.com/topical/plasticine-animation-beginners/#.Typ7cqVOj4s
A beginners guide to modelling clay animation.

·         [11]  http://www.close-upfilm.com/features/Featuresarchive/wallacegromit.htm
A detailed look at the design of characters for ‘Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Ware-Rabbit’.

Pictures/Video reference:

·         [A]  http://arbroath.blogspot.com/2010/11/haynes-publishes-wallace-gromit-manual.html
Image of A ‘Cracking Contraptions Manual’

·         [B]  http://moodbuilder.com/blog/?cat=15
Shows pictures of the actual models used in Wallace and Gromit.

·         [C]  http://wallaceandgromit.net/2009/04/09/wallace-gromits-world-of-cracking-ideas-exhibit/
A fan site dedicated to Wallace and Gromit.

·         [D]  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/6395400/Wallace-and-Gromit-storyboard-drawings.html?image=1
A gallery of Wallace and Gromit storyboards created by Nick Park courtesy of the Daily Telegraph.

·         [E]  http://wg.popcorn.cx/nickpark/
Park with his Oscar.

Conspiracy Edits

Editing a Conspiracy Edit

As part of my post production course we were tasked with editing together a conspiracy video using archive footage from a number of sources. My group consisting of Megan Williams, Hazel Manongwa and myself, choose the subject of MK Ultra, a form of mental manipulation used by the US government. Megan and Hazel were to edit the film while I was to oversee and direct the edit. The edit had to be exactly 3 minuets long with as much relevant information included as possible.

We began by finding videos relevant to our topic and researching the topic fully before deciding the direction we wanted our video to take. We wanted it to be convincing and show the facts of MK Ultra. Once a decision had been made on the sources we wanted to use, we then analysed each individually to choose the relevant information for our film. As well as creating a shocking and entertaining video but also highly informative.

We labeled each clip individually so we were clear on which clip was which. Then we devised a short storyboard of the order we wished to place the clips in. This was only a brief outline that we were able to adjust when actually editing. We decided we wanted a 'scare factor' to our edit and therefore re-used a 'haunting' sound from an original clip and overlapped it in the background throughout our feature.

We began our film with silence and the image of the world to catch our audiences attention before interrupting it with the sound of music and narration and cut aways of brainwaves. The footage corresponds with the narration to show historic archive footage of Nazi Germany. By having Hitler talking then crowds of people celebrating and waving it tells our audience that Mk Ultra was effective. The footage then moves to iconic images of America - the white house and congress, we did this because these images represent America as a whole without having to show more footage and use more time.

After this and about 30 seconds into our film we display the title against a black background in white bold to stand out and hold the audiences attention with the dates. We then cut to interviews describing the effects and what MK Ultra was and did. Throughout these interviews we use cutaways to in force what the narration is saying.

Many of the cutaways are there to emphasize the drug use and psychological impact on the brain, so we used images of eyes and brain waves. 

We then move to a court case of a victim speaking our against the abuse and what was inflicted on her as a child. This is highly shocking for an audience and it emphasizes the real threat and everyone was a target. We made this information more shocking by including images of children during and after some form of abuse. All the while the woman continues to describe her abuse to a court and our audience.

We continue with more historic imagery and narration again describing the abuse on different types of people emphasizing the wide spectrum following by another court case of a victim describing the effects it still holds on her and the importance of helping those affected and stopping it from happening again. Therefore relying and emphasizing the message we want to get across to our audience.

Our soundtrack is very important because it keeps the footage upbeat but also a feeling of little time to correct these mistakes before they happen again and that someone should pay for what has happened.

Overall I believe our film has been successful in relaying a message and shocking our audience. It is a believable documentary.

MK Ultra from Megan DeLonge Williams on Vimeo.

Above is the final edit.

Seeing Green at last

So in my earlier posts I mentioned the Documentary we were creating called 'See Green' which we finished editing and submitted on the 10th December 2012.
This is our final film: Vimeo Link

Lights Out! from Emma Simms on Vimeo.

Creating this film has been a very interesting experience, one which I am very proud of due to my team and the lessons we have learned in not only designing such a film but time management and the development process. It has also showed me the importance of quality, sound and the time taken to edit. I have also vastly improved my team leader skills and communication skills with the public and negotiations with the professional industrial to get the material we wanted.  

Once we came to the editing process we did have to make some adjustments to what we had originally wanted due to the material we had collected. We instantly recognised that we didn't have enough cut away's which caused a few problems and makes our video less exciting than if we had filmed more material. This was lesson one that we learned during post production. Lesson two was that the material we had filmed later was of much better quality than our first interview we filmed. This was mainly due to experience and becoming more familiar with the equipment but it did affect the final quality of our work. For instance Dawn has a softer appearance than the background behind her. Unfortunately this was un-fixable. We also had to zoom in on Chris' interview due to a light stand being in the way and the background of Victoria's interview has smudges and looks somewhat dirty. This was lesson 3, interview location and camera placement. We were quite proud of our cinematography and choice of angles but many of them could still be improved on.

The sound was the hardest thing to sort. Much of the time the sound was louder in one speaker, this was due to our lack of knowledge at using a Marazte. Again this improved with experience. We also had to have the sound at the same level which was hard due to the different locations we incorporated when filming. We also decided not to use any additional music and work from interviews. However looking back this could have made our film slightly more exciting. 

We wanted to begin our film with an exciting opening, like a stroke advert. However in practice, getting our volunteers to film this was too difficult so we settled for a more drama dramatic opening of an unwanted call. We changed it into black and white so it stood out from the rest of the film's interviews, then the narrative followed through to discuss not only scams in the industry but what can be done to avoid this and still save energy. As mentioned before we needed more cutaways but the cut away's we did film and used were placed to back up the narrative and in force what was being said visually. 

I feel our team have worked effectively together and I'm proud of everybody's efforts. I have a lot to develop and improve upon which was the function of this task and I want to thank everyone that agreed to be involved such as Dawn and Chris our interviewees and Victoria from National Energy Action. 

Editing 1 - Recreating scene 34 and 37

To practice my editing skills I was tasked with editing two scenes from a film given to us by my University.

We needed to practice smooth editing with clear sounds and able to show the story line  To help us with this task we were also provided with the scripts of the scenes.

I used Premier Pro to edit my footage as I found this to be an easier system to work with than the new Final Cut X, which system I disliked and found hard to navigate.

Editing Scene 34: - Vimeo link
Here is my finished scene. I began editing this by watching the clips I was provided with and renaming them for quick and easy access, allowing me to find each clip I wanted to use quickly.

Re editing of Scene 34 from Emma Simms on Vimeo.

I then compared the script with the footage. Slowly I pieced together each clip into the order I wished for them to appear and would show the storyline clearly.

I addressed the sound last because I wanted to create an order to the clips first. I could also go over  the audio later using the unused clips.

Pace:
I decided I wanted a relaxed pace that wasn't too slow due to the seriousness of the action and the character's true intent. I have however adjusted the pace when necessary for quick reaction shots only directed by the narrative. I have especially lengthened Kathrine's reactions as she is the main character of this scene and we are focusing more on what she is doing and her camera. This timing is very important as it can effect the mood of the scene.

Continuity:
Due to the location being a busy public place with the public's involvement instead of 'extras', it was impossible to eliminate all continuity errors. In many close ups the groups of people in shot are not visible in the later long shots, this is mostly due to the footage being filmed at different times. For instance the family visible in the background at 0.42, isn't visible in the long shot at 0.48 even though they are clearly standing still. However I have been able to keep the couple, who they are photographing, on the right side of the frame each time. Kathrine and Tomas are also clearly looking in the right directions each time.

Colour Grading:
Unfortunately looking back at my footage, it appears very dark and should have been lightened. However the colour does remain consistent throughout the whole film. However this darkness can been seen especially on the long shots. This darkness also makes the footage appear slightly grey.

Sound:
The footage that was given to me was not of clear sound quality, this was due to a number of elements. Firstly the sea and wind but also the public, unfortunately these are uncontrollable and most be dealt with in post production. I have however tried to improve on the sound but may have made it worse in some areas. For instance 0.56 repeats the dialogue again but more quietly. This is due to where I have attempted to make two audio clips have a similar volume. This can been seen clearly to not have worked because the following audio clip is too loud. The sound of the sea is also too loud in some clips.

In Conclusion: 
Due to the sound not being clear from the original footage, I have attempted to correct this. I do need more practice at this to improve what I have done and correct the dialogue echoing underneath. I also need to maybe improve on picking the correct reaction shots, for instance a better one would be more suitable for 1.10. Most of my clips flow well together and it is clear that they are watching the couple in the background and trying not to get caught. However there are a few 'jumpy' shots that don't quiet match. However as a first attempt at editing I am very happy with this and have much to learn from.


Editing Scene 37: - Vimeo Link
This scene was shot in a more controlled location, inside and smaller. This made the original sound to be of a much clearer quality than scene 34 which was shot outdoors.

Editing - Scene 37 from Emma Simms on Vimeo.

Pace:
This scene has a faster pace than scene 34, especially when Katherine is trying to avoid Lisa's attention but slows as Lisa leaves with Michael. I also quicken the pace later when Dickey gives his advice. By increasing the timing and pace of the footage, I am able to create tension and anticipation within the audience which creates a more exciting narrative. I increased the pace near the end as this allowed us to think on the morals of what Katherine is doing or what Dickey suspects she is doing.

Continuity:
Due to the location being in a small public, indoor space, it is easier to create better continuity. This is because it is easier to film when there is no public members visible. The type of close up shots used in this scene also aid this ability. However there is still one continuity mistake I have made where Dickey is talking to Katherine but when the camera is reversed she is looking in the wrong direction 1.27. Other than this error I feel I have eliminated most continuity errors.

Colour Grading:
Due to the good quality of the original shots, I felt that these shots only needed to be lightened slightly.

Sound:
There was little to change for the sound quality in this scene due to the original recording of clear sound. However due to this being a public place there were issues with the telephone ringing 2.18 in the background which I was unfortunately unable to remove due to my chosen dialogue.

In Conclusion:
I believe this was a better edit than my scene 34 edit as the material flowed better and was more carefully constructed. I did however have issues with editing this scene as my first copy became corrupted when I attempted to export the material. This was very disappointing. There is only one point at which I am unhappy with this edit and it is when the material jumps and misses a second of the clip. I believe this occurred when I uploaded it to Vimeo.

Ghostbusters - re-editing shots

As part of my University course, we have been instructed to re-create a clip from the hit cult film 'Ghostbusters' (1984) directed by Ivan Reitman. This task was designed to allow us to work with new members of our class, to look at our cinematography skills and editing skills. The clip below is the original clip we were tasked with re-creating.

This clip was chose due to the simple cinematography design and simple editing technique. We are able to move carefully from clip to clip. It also made story boarding pretty simple.

Story Board 1

My team and I firstly decided to print of the script of the section used so we were influenced less by what Reitman actually decided to create. This also allowed us to focus on the directions that the script specified were necessary, such as head movements and actions. The script allowed us to create some basic story boards of what we would prefer the video to look like. Due to the story boards being guides it allowed us to deviate when filming actually commenced but gave us a rough idea of what we wanted.

The story boards are very rough designs and therefore are of no artistic talent, they are made to remember the next shot and are frequently just crude drawings. Much of the time only the drawer can actually tell what they mean.

These are the two story boards I created for our Ghostbusters short. As you can see they are not very detailed and provide a clear idea of the camera angle we wish to use.

Due to technical issues we actually ended up filming our clip twice because when we tried to upload our footage to a Mac, the files corrupted and we were unable to recover the lost footage. This was disappointing but it also allowed us to improve upon what decisions we made the first time. It also allowed us to work together more consistently.

Story Board 2

For this task we decided that I would be camera operator and Megan, Rob and Hazel would act. We also decided to film within my kitchen due to the open space. However this meant we had to adapt to the environment such as lack of lighting and background objects. We tried to incorporate the background into our shots as much as possible using 'the rule of thirds' however this was not always possible. Some shots that we had initially wanted were impossible to manoeuvre into in our chosen location and had to revised.

(VIMEO LINK)

Ghostbusters from Rob Young on Vimeo.

Cinematography: 
Our first shot would have worked better if we had been able to use a direct  medium shot, this would have improved the zooming effect, however by using the shot we did, it allowed us to show someone actually entering the room. We were also able to include the necessary details on the door. I also feel we need to do a bigger variety of shots for editing later so we have more choice. We also need the zooming to be smoother than it was.

We attempted to use close ups to show important details such as the 'flirting' and hand holding towards the end and to show the reaction of the characters, particularly Megan being electrocuted (1.18).
Unfortunately some shots are blurred (0.28) or focus more on the background instead of the characters. During the frame 0.28secs the footage jumps and the clip doesn't flow, showing the obvious editing. We also used very static shots, with little movement of the tripod or camera. I've also noticed that the clip 0.49secs is a better angle of Rob than the others used and would have been better to film from than the one we ended up choosing, therefore we would have benefited from filming a wider variety of shots and this would have been avoided. We would have also benefited from marking each shot as we filmed it because when we came to editing, there were a few shots we forgot as to where we wanted to place them. Therefore a clapperboard would have improved this filming as well as more note taking.

We still attempted to use a variety of shots especially high angled shots to show who was more in charge, this effected Rob's character more until Megan becomes angry and has the power to storm out. This shows the power balance of the characters. Hazel however remains very much the same until the final shot of Rob and Hazel 'flirting' were Rob is more clearly in charge of the situation.

Editing:
On looking back at our film, I feel we have cut too quickly to and from the next shots. It would have been better to make the shots more established allowing the scene to flow better. However there are other shots where we have done the opposite and left the cut off too long such as 2.02 of the door closing. This is unnecessary long and there was no need to watch the door such fully. Another shot that would have either been better with a reaction/close up shot splitting the footage, would be when Megan is retrieving the money from her pocket.  Megan stands too long struggling to remove the money although the fast close up following, of her slamming the money down on the table, improves this slightly. However it is out of balance with the slow removal of the money.

The sound quality of our film could also be improved upon. At the beginning a fuzziness can be heard, this could have been replaced with a sound track. Also the dialogue is too early in the second shot compared with the slow opening shot. It makes the footage appear very rushed, this is partly due to the editing and the somewhat bad acting skills. We also have sound issues with someone else speaking in the background such as me directing when to 'Go' or the character talking from another shot.


In conclusion, we have many things to improve on especially timing of our shots. We also need to work on a bigger variety of shots. However, as a first attempt of working together and attempting to combine all of our ideas with no established director, I believe it was a good attempt with plenty to learn from and improve upon. If I were to do this again, I would pace the editing differently and add more angles. I would also change location and improve upon our sound editing.

Documentary Day 2

Today we began filming day 2 of our documentary interviews. Unfortunately due to the cancellation yesterday I began the day trying to find a new interviewee with no such luck. This was very disappointing for both me and the team as it would set us back on the amount we could use to edit and the varied answers we would have achieved otherwise. Therefore instead we began looking over the work we had completed the day before by looking through our rushes and discussing how we should edit them and what directions the answers could take us. We also began labeling everything correctly and developing an order. I also began writing up a script for our audio interview so we could perhaps use the answers in post production, using animation.

This time also allowed us to go through how we wanted to exactly film the cut away scenes, these depended heavily on the type of house we would be using which we hadn't seen previously. It also depended on what our actress would allow us to have access to and how open they were to using items around there home. Fortunately for us, our final interviewee was very enthusiastic about her new role and would willingly improvise a scene if necessary.

Finally finished filming and heading home.

I rang in the morning to confirm that we were still good to go as I did not want another cancellation. Once confirmed we prepared our equipment, once again checking batteries and SD cards. Due to the bad weather the previous day we had, had to dry out the camera bag and Marantz bag. This was unfortunate but we didn't want to damage the equipment. Luckily the bags had dried overnight so we were good to go. Again we had to walk to location which was fortunately not far and in a simple location.

Due to this particular interviewee providing the majority of our cut away scenes we had allowed ourselves more time to film at this location than at the previous addresses. While my team set up I briefed our actress on what we would like her to do, also going through the interview questions. I also discussed our ideas for the cut away scenes allowing her to elaborate on what she thought and what we could use in the house, particularly the kitchen, giving a change of location from the living room where the interview would be taking place. We were able to quickly and efficiently develop ideas for the cut away scenes to be performed after the interview.

Once we had finished setting up, with myself checking over what the team had decided, we asked our actress to sit as we adjusted the camera to her position, keeping close to the rules of thirds. Megan performed a sound checking, which we had visibly improved on from the day before, getting better, clearer sound quality. We began the interview, receiving helpful and interesting answers. The interview finished within the time we had set to complete it and we moved location into the kitchen to create the cut away scenes and beginning of our documentary.

Using items already available within our actress's house added to the realism and truth of our shots and allowed us to make it more believable. We took  a few takes of each cut away, adjusting the angle and composition of each shot so we had more depth to edit with.  We were very happy with the work we produced and hope it is to the quality expected of use, although we are pleased non the less. Our interviewees how been extremely patient with us as we used the equipment and had all visibly improved by the end of the day. We also became faster at setting up the equipment such as the tripod which had be a struggle to maneuver at first.

Once we had completed this last bit of filming we headed home to back up our rushes and look through the recordings for quality and to see what else we would need to film. However it wouldn't be until a first edit draft is made that we will be able to have a real scale of the amount. Unfortunately it looks as if we will have to recruit a new interviewee. This is not ideal but will be necessary for the quality and completeness of our film.

We were able to progress with the next stage of our filming by being able to write detailed questions for our professional interviewee, based on the information we had received by the 'public' and send this off to our contacts. I will also be contacting our university associate to update them on the progress we have made.

Overall I believe we have learned a great deal about the process of setting up, communicating with the public and actors, and conducting an interview. I would like to also thank everyone involved so far with our film for being involved and being patient with us and allowing us to develop our film making skills. We look forward to the feedback and what improvements we could make.

Documentary Day 1

Today we began the filming our first interviews for our 'See Green' Documentary. We began early to make sure equipment was working and charged, checking SD cards and cables. We did have to visit the shop for batteries for the Marantz but had given ourselves plenty of time to do so. Then we sorted through the necessary paperwork such as actor release forms, interview questions and production schedule. We wanted to be as organised as possible. 

Megan re listening to recorded interview

Our first interviewee lived close by so we walked to her house. Unfortunately she had recently had a knee operation and was unable to move around much, however she was still enthusiastic about making our film, supplying useful information and allowing us time to set up and move things in her house for a better composition and frame. Fortunately for use she was very accommodating and willing. 

We set up the equipment quickly and efficiently, though had some trouble with calibrating the Marantz as we are still getting used to the equipment while our actress remained patient and was briefed on what we wanted of her. Once we felt we had clear sound and a good composition and image we began our filming. Taking care to incorporate lighting changes and room space. We did unfortunately have to remove her clock from the room due to the ticking sound, but the sound remained clear after that. Megan was in charge of our sound for the day. While Hazel and Rob focused on the camera and I directed the shots and interviews. This worked well because I was team leader and had made contact with our interviewees, therefore they felt I was the one who knew what should be happening. Being careful of her knee op, we arranged a few simple motion shots to incorporate as cut away's for our film. Once finished we thanked our interviewee and returned home to back up our files on to a hard drive and laptop, ready for editing late.

Once we had backed up our material we still had enough time to look through it and check the quality of both the image and the sound. Allowing us to see what other shots we would need from interviewees. This was beneficial because any shots we felt we needed to do again, we could replace with new shots from a separate interview.

Our next interview was located further away and needed the use of a car. The lady was a lot older than our previous interviewee and didn't quite understand what we wanted from her. After discussing with her more closely, she would allow us to film her but not post the images on the internet. This however would make her interview void. Therefore we managed to negotiate that we could record a voice recording of her interview and create a voice script that we could perhaps recreate later using and actor, or as facts using animation in our finished film. She agreed to this and the interview continued.  This was a slight set back for our filming process as we will now have less clips and footage time than previously expected. We hope to find another person to interview but we are short on time. We have also found, when we were originally trying to contact people, that the age group 65+ do not like being posted on the internet and many rejected our request to film them for this reason. This has made it incredibly difficult to find people to interview. We felt somewhat disappointed at this particular interview, mainly due to the way I should have perhaps communicated better instead of assuming that they would assume the material was going to be posted online. We are however glad we remembered the actor release forms and asked them to sign them before beginning filming. The interview wasn't a total loss as we were provided with very interesting answers, allowing us to have new and interesting questions to ask at our next interview. 

I learnt that communicating clearly is essential when filming and to detail exactly what we want from our actors. We returned home and again backed up our material and looked though, slowly beginning a voice script of the interview, that we hope to incorporate into our final film.

We later received bad news again, that an interviewee had to cancel on us due to poor health and could no longer allow us into there home to film. This has again shortened our footage time. Fortunately I have a few contacts in the area that we are phoning to see if they would be willing to be in our documentary. We are hopeful someone will volunteer and allow us to continue filming.

As far as first days of filming go, we've had mixed up and down results. We do have some good footage which is the main thing but are disappointed with the amount. However tomorrow we will be continuing with another interview and hopefully an extra volunteer. If not we will have to make a second trip and return to finish filming. This is not ideal but must be done for the quality of our film. Overall an interesting day in which we learnt a lot and worked well as a team. I am proud of the team for adapting so well with the situation and remaining positive throughout the day.