Problem solving
- 2. Practical Problems • Camera • One problem that will come up with the camera is the battery life being really small. I don’t want to have to keep stopping to charge the battery and the warning it gives before it dies is less than a second so you cant prepare for it. To solve this issue I can plug in the DC input to the camera and use it whilst it charges, this will work well provided my set has plenty of power outlets. • Another problem with the camera is that at 24 mm I cant get it too focus on infinity. This is because the lens adaptor I am using was cheap and I don’t have an additional 600£ for the industry standard. There is a fix to this issue but I haven’t been able to get it too work. I have found that I can focus on infinity when zoomed in a bit, at around 35 mm so this could work as another option if I cant get the regular fix too work. • Another issue is that the camera doesn’t have working auto focus with my canon lens so I cant do any focus pulls without touching the camera which will cause shake. A way to solve this is too purchase a follow focus off amazon or not plan any focus pull shots. To make sure I nail the focus I will use the focus assist features built into the camera. • One final issue is that the camera has an internal fan that keeps it cool and that fan produces a lot of noise if the camera runs for a while and sometimes if the mic is on the camera it can pick it up. To prevent this from happening I will wear headphones connected to the camera to monitor the audio and listen if its being picked up. I will also turn the camera off during downtown such as setting up other shots or taking a 5 min break, this will keep the camera cool as its not running all the time Headphones leading into the camera Sensor cooling fan
- 3. Practical Problems Power • As stated before the camera battery is an issue and I will solve that by plugging it into the wall when in use. • Another power issue is the lights I plan to use only take AA batteries and will die after prolonged use. It comes with rechargeable ones but I feel like having spare back of them will be helpful to not slow down production too much • Software • I plan to use the Adobe Suit for any VFX and digital art I plan to make but I can’t access it on the college computers due to me using my college email for my personal account. To over come this I will do it all my laptop and just make backups on the college computers. • I am also going to be editing my film in DaVinci Resolve Studio. I have the studio version on my computer but the college computers don’t. I can still access the project file but not the advanced features that I may use. To get around this I will just edit it on my laptop and use the college computers if I really have to.
- 4. Practical Problems • Script Writing • I am not a good script writer so I have limited my dialogue to barely any. I believe I can tell a story well without dialogue by creating a visual narrative. I will have to engage the audience in a way that doesn’t require dialogue. • Many student films have very cliché characters. This can make a film quite bad because it is easy for the audience to loose interest in the character because they have seen them a million times before. To not have this happen I will try to make a 3 dimensional character and not just show surface stuff. I will tailor the environment to match and give hints at the character’s way of being. • Storage • One thing I am worried about is that I'm recording to an SSD which can corrupt meaning all the footage is lost. In case this happens I will back up all my footage to the adobe could storage as it gives me 100GB of storage. This is a really reliable way of backing up footage as adobe has redundant servers that protects cloud storage from damage. BRAW files are very large so I don’t want them stored on my computer as it only has a very small SSD and I need that space for everything else.
- 5. Theoretical Problems – Actors • Actors • My main issue is actually getting actors on board that are going to want to do it. I will ask around my friends and see if they want to do it and put up a casting call on Instagram pages and group chats. I will also stick it on the door of the drama classrooms. This will get my casting call the maximum exposure it can.
- 6. Theoretical Problem – Finance Finance • A big factor of this short is going to be the cost of achieving my vision. I need to pay for props, kit, zines, t-shirts, etc. I am worried this is all going to add up to a lot more money than I have. It’s easy to get carried away and run out of money. I don’t want this too happen. I will be saving up from my wages and using a lot of what I already have to build the set and only buying budget things Location • A big issue with filming anything having a location secured and being allowed to film in it. To solve this problem I have decided to shoot in my garage. This solves the securing problem and the permission problem as it’s owned by my family. • I am turning my garage into a set to shoot my film so I can have complete control over the environment. My garage is incredibly messy at the moment and we have too much stuff to move it all into one space. I am going to have too have a big clear before my shoot day as it can cause a massive issue if it isn’t done • One thing I have discovered is there can be a condensation build up which could cause an issue to the set pieces. I will have to figure out how to stop the build up of condensation. I will look into these options and try to sort it.
- 7. Theoretical Problem - Crew My project is very ambitious and I am going to need help fulfilling my vision. I am going to use some media and art friends to help me out. I love working with other creatives especially on larger projects like this. There are some potential issues with the crew that could come up and potentially ruin the production • Crew dynamic is very important as it means production day can run smoothly and everything flows. If my crew fall out on set and there is tension whilst on set then it can slow the whole day down potentially ruining the shoot and meaning that I have to do reshoots. • Another big thing that can cause a problem is that my crew might cancel on me last minute meaning I am shooting this alone. There is really no work around but I believe I can do this alone. I can consult with my production designer over skype/facetime and I can try to keep a note of the shots I like and continuity between setups and takes to eliminate the role of the production manager.
- 8. Name Job Role Why them Responsibility Contingency Holly Clark Production Design Production Manager I want to get an outside help when it comes to designing my set as its always best to be collaborative. Holly has a very artistic background which I believe will help better than having just me. I also want her to overlook production and make sure everything gets done. This is because being on set can get hectic and I feel like I need someone there just keeping an eye on things. Production Designer • Work with me to build and design the physical look of the film • Help me select props that will best fit the tone of the film • Help me to setup the set for shooting the day before Production Manager • Make sure everything runs smoothly on the day. • Note down good shots and takes to make things easier in the edit Adam Lepard Actor Adam is a great actor and studied drama at GSCE level. His personality and way about him fits my character well and I believe he can portray the role very well Act out my story • fully represent the character they are playing by acting as that character • convince the audience that character is real by drawing them into the story My Roles Director AC Editor I have a very clear vision for my film and don’t want to leave my vision with anyone else so I will be directing the film. I will also be running the camera too as I am the most experienced with my camera and have in my head a very detailed shot list Direct the short film • Convey the emotions that the story needs • Make sure all the shots get done and to a high standard Run the camera • Control the camera movements and chose all the settings required Edit the film • Fully edit the film • Do all the sound design • Colour grade the film