Tutors Summary

Well done Josh and thank you for taking part in this years BFI Film Academy. This blog covers a true reflection of what you achieved.  You had a large involvement in the script development and worked really well in the team. You were always positive and listened but also gave great ideas. As the production week progressed you became more confident behind a professional camera.

You can find a rough copy of the film here:

https://vimeo.com/148244026

(A password for the film has been sent to you via an email)



Please do not share this yet on social media as this is still only a rough cut but feel free to show universities and other organisations or add it to your showreel.



Wishing you great success for the future

Spencer Whalen
MediaActive

1.1 - Outline the Culture of the film industry

What do you know about the working culture of the film industry?

The film industry has a time-consuming and very difficult working culture that is always worth it for the finished product that comes as a result of the hard work. In the industry, there are many people working in specific roles, though this also involves working together in order to create one cohesive vision. It involves working at high pressure for very long hours in order to reach a specific deadline and requires you to be very flexible in order to put full input into your work. You must be ready to drop everything at a moment's notice to fulfil your tasks when you are needed.

People will often need to move around substantially when working in the industry, particularly in projects with large budgets that require substantial crew members to work on-location across the country and sometimes all over the world. Furthermore when working in the industry, contracts are generally short-term and very often the work you will find is freelance.

What qualities do you need to work in the film industry?

In order to work effectively within the film industry you must possess a number of qualities and traits, that without will make it difficult for you to succeed. You must have determination and be confident in your own ability. Despite this, you still need to be prepared for failure and be willing to adapt your ideas and work if they are disapproved. Being able to work within a team is also very important, and requires an ability to get along with people and to listen to others. The film will most likely be a collaborative project so you have to be a team player in order to work efficiently, or nothing will get done. Opinions are appreciated, but you mustn't push them endlessly for your own personal gain.

Additionally, it is vital that you have good organisational skills. Without time management and punctuality, it will be an uphill battle to achieve anything and so you must be ready to plan in detail what you need to do for each step of the filmmaking process. Finally, you also need the ability to work under pressure and to deadlines. Stress is a given when working in the industry, but you must be able to keep it under control in order to meet your deadlines. If you feel you have all of these skills, you may be ready to work in the film industry. 

1.2 - Identify Time Management Skills

Why is time management important in the film industry?

There are a number of reasons that time management is very important in the film industry. One is that deadlines are common in the industry and so in order to finish your tasks on the production and meet the deadline you have to manage your time well. Also, there will be a number of people relying on you to do your job and often other jobs won't be able to begin without another being completed. Therefore, if you don't manage your time effectively and start missing deadlines you will do nothing but anger your fellow co-workers and create a bad reputation for yourself, as well as jeopardising the project's production.

Also, going overtime on a film production can lead to cost implications, i.e. going over budget. This  can lead to having a lack of money and can seriously hinder the film's production, making it very important to complete your tasks so that the film can be finished on time. Shooting on-location can also become a problem if it has to start late because shooting would likely have been organised around the weather and light conditions in order to fit specifications for the film.  If they are different from what it was for the planned shooting dates, it can result in further delays so that the film is shot in the right weather conditions.

Give at least 4 examples of good time management skills

• Self Discipline - This skill is vital in being able to control yourself whilst you are completing your tasks, so that you do not feel tempted to procrastinate. This allows you to manage your time more effectively by helping you stay focused.

• Punctuality - Important skill for being on-time, as being late can result in unnecessary delays that hinder the film's production as there is less time in that day to complete tasks. It is also important for helping you to complete tasks on time.

• Schedules and call sheets - Used in order to organise the crew of a production so that everyone knows where and when they are needed for work so that tasks can be completed efficiently and on-time. The call sheet then identifies who is 'on set' or should be there so any missing persons can be identified and called. 

• Using to do lists - Useful in order to set a number of tasks to be achieved within a day for example so that they can be organised so that they are all achieved efficiently. 
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1.3 - Describe the key aspects of health and safety when working on film productions

What needs to be considered in terms of health and safety when working on a film production?

There are a number of health and safety precautions that need to be taken into account when working on a film production. Risk Assessments must be carried out in order to make sure shooting locations for example, are safe to film scenes or carry out stunts in. If accidents do occur on-set once the risk assessments have been carried out, then they must be reported on so that no further difficulties with injury claims can be wrongfully filed. 

In terms of the set itself, equipment must be checked in order to make sure it is not hazardous and is safe for use. For example, the set should be checked for trip hazards from wires so that they can then be removed before work commences. Lighting is also potentially hazardous equipment that must be kept stable, under control in terms of heat and in full working order to avoid any electrical faults that could lead to fatal injuries. Lifting heavy equipment also needs to be considered as it can lead to longer-term injuries as well as short term ones, and so requires handling training. In terms of personal safety, it is easy to become fatigued when working long hours. This can lead to potentially dangerous mistakes to be made as a result of fatigue and so regular breaks should be taken. 

Stunts are one of the biggest potential pitfalls in health and safety and must be checked meticulously before being carried out on a film production. They have to be checked and tested multiple times to check they are viable. 

What can be put in place to ensure health and safety risks are minimized?

There are a number of measures that can be put in place to minimise health and safety risks. As mentioned previously, risk assessments should be carried out to reduce health and safety risks and check that a location is safe enough for filming. It is also important that regular breaks are given in order to give crew members time for relaxation as opposed to them being too exhausted to do their job properly, which could lead to accidents taking place. In the case of an injury occurring, it is important to have first aiders on hand in order to swiftly deal with these injuries, minor and major, so that the injuries do not get any worse. It also gives time for emergency services to reach the injured person if necessary. Following this, an accident report needs to be completed so that measures can be taken to ensure that a specific injury does not happen to any other members of the crew. 

Additionally, safety equipment should be installed to minimize health and safety risks. This is in order to prevent any malfunctions in filming equipment that could result in potential accidents and to keep everything as safe as is viably possible. Furthermore, all equipment on the set should be regularly checked by a certified official so that it is confirmed to be safe for use and again will not result in any accidents.

Upload an example of a risk assessment that would have been used in the production week.

One example of a risk assessment used in production week could be considering the risks that could arise from shooting on location as we did. We shot out in Colemere on several occasions during the week and with this came the potential implication of tripping, slipping and any other possible injuries that could come with the use of some heavy filming equipment. While the likelihood of this is low, the severity could be very high so this potential had to be controlled. One method of control was briefing us on safety precautions before filming began so that we were aware of any risks so that we could avoid them ourselves.  The location was also scouted and researched to make sure it was practical and safe for us to shoot on, for example, making sure it was flat and had suitable space for equipment. Also, when using the lights, heat resistant clothing was encouraged in order to make sure there was no risk of fire. 

1.4 - Explain how regulations may affect the use of copyright materials

How do regulations affect the use of copyright materials?

It is very important to remain aware of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988 when looking into using copyright materials in filmmaking. This legislation is very important as it reasserts the statutory right of copyright law for many mediums within creative industry, in the United Kingdom. Copyright itself is a law that grants the creator of an original work exclusive rights for its use and distribution - though there are exceptions to the law, such as fair use of works. The 1988 Act establishes that copyright lasts for 70 years after the death of the creator, or 70 years after the work was created or published.

These laws exist in order to protect the intellectual property of the creator and to make sure they receive fair credit on a commercial basis as well as a moral one. As a result of this regulation, production of film must gain signed approval or pay for the rights in order to use any necessary copyright materials from the creator or who owns the rights to the materials. If copyright materials are used without this approval it can land the film production in potentially severe legal trouble, so in filmmaking it is often easier to steer clear of copyrighted materials unless absolutely necessary.

1.5 - Identify materials that may be subject to copyright

What materials may be subject to copyright?

There are a great number of materials which could be involved in the film-making process that may be subject to copyright. One of these is literary materials for example, such as lyrics manuscripts, documents, newsletters and articles. Another is dramatic materials, which could include plays and dances which could be being replicated in a project and thus would require clearance for use.

Musical materials are probably the most prominent materials subject to copyright as recordings and scores are often wanted and re-used in film and television. Sometimes the songs used appear on soundtrack tie-ins to the film or TV show they were featured in. Other sound recordings such as sound effects may also be subject to copyright, though perhaps less extensively than musical materials.

Additionally, artistic materials may also be subject to copyright. This could include photos, paintings and architecture, along with technical drawings, logos and even maps. Even published editions, such as magazines and articles, can be subject to copyright. Finally, film itself can come under copyright legislation through broadcasts and programmes, perhaps more likely to have been aired on television.

How has copyright regulation affected your film production?

Copyright legislation has affected our film production in several ways, the most obvious being that we have needed to create all of our own content for the finished film. This included composing our own score using our own instruments and our own sound effects, some of which included a 'witch's cackle' and a 'cup smashing'. However, there is also plenty of copyright free content available for use if any of our own sound effects or score didn't come out as well as hoped. As long as you credit the source of this content - which can come from numerous sites, such as freesound.org or incompetech.com - it is free to use.

Fortunately, the folk stories revolving around the 'Mad Jack Mytton' figure that we have used as the story of our film production do avoid copyright regulation and are completely free for us to use to our liking. This is because the stories come from over 70 years ago, going past the point of copyright law's validity according to the 1988 Copyright and Patents Act and making the stories part of 'public domain'.

2.1 – 2.2 - Identify Key job roles and responsibilities in the film industry and describe the structure and interrelationship of the production department

Outline the key job roles on a film production

On a film production there are a number of key roles which are pivotal for the production to go ahead, as depicted in the diagram below:

In our own film production, we required less of the roles above due to the shorter nature of our project and our uses of animation for example. Generally, the roles were split up into four major groups - scriptwriting, filming, sound and production design - most of which we worked on collaboratively. For example, we all went out on-location and shot a variety of live action and stop-motion footage and the script received input from almost everyone. In post-production, the roles moved into a team of editors, the scriptwriting team to refine the film's dialogue and a team of musicians to record and compose a score.

A film's production can broadly be split into three main stages: pre-production, production and post-production, all of which feature a variety of key roles. In pre-production, one key role is the role of the 'Producer'. This includes those under the titles of producer, executive producer and even co-producer and these are the people who essentially ensure that the film is made. Producers are active through the entire process albeit perhaps most prominently in pre-production, as they organise and control tasks such as finding funding, crew and distributors, so that the film can be made. An executive producer plays less of an active role in the film's production technically but generally plays a significant financial or creative role which is pivotal in helping the film get made. Another key department is 'Story development' where the screenwriter, the script supervisor and - more prominently in animation - the storyboard artist work on creating the plot, characters and arc of the film to the stage where there is a shooting script and a detailed storyboard to set out an idea of the film's shots. The last pre-production roles come under the category of 'Director'. The director themselves oversee the overall creative process of the film, often working closely with the story development as well as everything else. Also in this category is the assistant directors, who help the director and keep the process running smoothly as well as the casting directors, who are responsible for selecting the correct actors for the characters in the film.

In the production stage of a film, production design, sound and cinematography become prominently involved. The production design team work towards creating an authentic setting and universe as specified by the director and in the script, for the film. Roles include: Set decorators and prop masters to furnish the sets and create suitable props that are realistic, creative and reliable for the film; costume designers to create suitable outfits for the actors that fit with the characters as well as being practical for filming multiple takes for days in; key make-up artists and hairstylists to plan makeup designs and any necessary prosthetic makeup for the actors as well as the chosen wigs or hairstyles for the actors so that they look natural and distinctive on camera. On the sound team, the sound designer is in charge of the film's overall sound whilst the sound mixer is responsible for all sound that is recorded on set through equipment such as microphones which can then be edited in post-production. The boom operator is the assistant of the sound mixer and is responsible for the placement and movement of microphones during filming. Finally, the cinematography team are who works on constructing each shot and scene to the will of the director. The cinematographer themselves decides on the framing and lighting of each shot to the guidance of the director, whilst the camera operator positions the camera with the direction of the cinematographer and shoots the footage. From this, he clapper loader operates the clapperboard at the beginning of each take and is in charge of organising the raw footage into an appropriate order before it is processed in preparation for post-production. In charge of the lighting design for the production is the gaffer, who is assisted by the 'best boy' of the production who deals with the logistics of organising the lighting equipment. Finally, the key grip is the chief lighting and rigging technician who is usually the head of set operations and works closely with the cinematography on getting the correct lighting. Another important factor of the production is the actors themselves who serve as the public faces of the film and are responsible for putting across the storytelling through acting.

The final stage of the film production is post-production, where film editing, sound editing and any visual effects needed are worked on. On the editing team is the main editor who, usually with the director, pulls the footage together into a coherent and consistent film. There are usually several supervising editors to help speed up the process, along with a titles designer who constructs any title sequences or credits on the film. On the sound editing team, the supervising editor is in charge of the post-production sound and working with the director and editor to meet their visions. The sound effects editor is responsible for editing all the sound effects on the film so they are polished, whilst the foley artist create all post-sync sound effects, e.g. footsteps, which may not have been good enough on the original audio and thus need to be recreated for a clear sound. After this, the musical supervisor works with the composer - who writes the film's musical score - and the editors to create and integrate the film's music into the film organically, as well as negotiating the rights for any other music used in the film. Finally, on the visual effects team, the visual effects supervisor is in charge of the VFX crew who works with the director to create the desired visuals, whilst the visual effects designer produces the effects needed digitally before they can be transposed and edited onto the film by the technical director. For any animation sequences, animators work on developing the movement and techniques that animate the specific objects or characters in the film.

Create a flowchart or mind map of how these roles interrelate

The flow chart below shows how all these roles may interrelate:

How have the different roles interrelated during your production?

In our own production, many of the different roles were interrelated all the way through the process as everyone must work together for a coherent film to be created. In the main production stages, the scriptwriting team which I was part of for much of the production, worked with every department in some form, for example the people working on filming / cinematography in the main production period required knowledge of each shot so that the footage could be filmed. The same went for the people working on sound who required a list of sounds from the script to be recorded. Furthermore it meant that the group could decide on which shots would be more suitable as live-action or as animation. It also meant that these departments could point out any potentially unfeasible shots or sounds so that those parts of the script could be rethought - although due to our use of animation this was a possibility that was avoided. This emphasizes how the whole project being able to function is more or less dependent on the story and script.

During production, there was also a lot of interrelations between the filming team and the production design team, who made many of the props needed for shooting on the film. The scriptwriting team first discussed their vision of the props and designs with the production team who then designed them ready for filming. These included such items as a pop-up book and a 'jester' like hat for the character of Mad Jack.

During post-production, there was further interrelations between the editing team and the scriptwriting team, where the editing team required a full complete script with confirmed and refined dialogue that could be placed into the film so they had an audio line to work with. Also, people working on the score discussed the tone and style the music should be in each scene of the film according to the script with the scriptwriters to make the score was appropriate for each scene of the film.

2.3 – Outline the potential progression routes into the film industry and wider sector

What could be your potential progression route into the film industry?

There are a wide variety of progression routes that could potentially lead you into the film industry:

• BFI Film Academy - This very academy we are partaking in could be a potential route into the film industry as it builds up a group who can contact each other for assistance on their own future projects due to the connections made during the course. Perhaps most significantly, Film Academy goers also have the opportunity to apply for residential courses with the National Film and Television School (NFTS), some specific to one area of filmmaking (e.g. screenwriting) and others including all roles in order to make several short films. These highly prestigious courses are what can help you obtain contacts with people already in the industry and could be the thing that first gets your name out there.
• University - Studying film courses at many of the universities offering courses on the subject can help you gain contacts and experience that can get your foot in the door when looking for work in the industry.
• Work Experience - Gaining work experience on film or television sets or at a production company can be a direct route for you to build up a good reputation in the industry so that you can climb the ladder and get higher within the industry. 
• Self funded films - These are self-made pieces of filmmaking that could be submitted and potentially accepted to festivals where your work is screened to an audience of professionals that could lead to bigger festivals and even film distributors, bringing your film to a larger audience and establishing yourself within the industry.
• Short films - These can follow a similar route to self-funded films, by gaining exposure at festivals and potential interest from producers and other professionals who could help you get further in the industry.
• YouTube channels - By posting your work onto YouTube, it exposes its to a worldwide audience which can lead to work with other filmmakers on the platform and even people higher in the industry if it receives enough exposure.
• People you know - If you are lucky enough, you may know someone working in the industry personally, or even a friend of a friend, who can pull the strings to help get you working in the industry. 

2.4 – Outline the relationship between the film industry and wider creative media sector

How is the film industry influenced by the wider creative media sector?

In recent years, the film industry has grown to become more and more influenced by the wider creative media sector. This is shown in one way by the prominence of film adaptations of books. Many wildly popular book series have inspired filmmakers and given them the vision to adapt the books into films, such as Harry Potter, The Hunger Games and The Lord of the Rings to name a few. This has been a massively lucrative way of generating a hit film or blockbuster franchise, which puts film studios and producers on the lookout constantly for new books that could have the scope to be successful films. The game industry has also been a source from which the film industry has developed many popular film adaptations such as Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. As the industry has become popularised with increasingly narrative-driven video games, there have even more film adaptations of games being put in production, such as Halo and Assassin's Creed.

The rise of the internet has also changed the way the film industry works substantially within the last few decades alone. Cinemas are no longer the only way for films to be distributed and seen by a mass audience which has given a voice to amateur filmmakers whose work can be heard through web based platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo. These platforms have let these amateur filmmakers rise to the forefront of the industry as a result of their popularity and is a trend that seems set to increase. These filmmakers don't even need to have funding from producers or film studios, as additional sources can be found through platforms such as crowd funding on sites like Kickstarter. The popularity of online streaming has also led to further exposure of less well-known filmmakers as people from all over the world can watch their films and help them gain enough popularity to gain more clout in the industry, creating a massive market in online streaming services such as Netflix.

Furthermore, there is also now a clear crossover between the film industry and other parts of the creative media sector, such as game design, fashion design, radio, writing and film itself. To work in all of these sectors a high degree of creativity, drive and determination is very important, as are technical skills. Skills developed in any one of these sectors could be transferable to the film industry as they all expertises that the film industry requires to make films. For example, fashion designers could design costumes for the film or even have a knack for colour that could make them a good cinematographer or editor. Additionally, as software has developed to have multiple uses, it means game design and other digital industries have more crossover with the film industry due to the increasing use of CGI and special effects in films. This kind of skill in creating special effects and manipulating images is a common thread between films and digital professions like game design that means they could be as skilled as people working on CGI in the film industry. 

3.1 – Describe the impact of your own behaviours on others

How do you feel you have worked well with others on the production team?

The behaviour that a person exhibits to others will always have an impact in ways that can be positive and negative, particularly when working in a group towards a tight deadline as we were on the film production. Generally, I feel that I have worked very well with others on the production team over the course and found it very easy to work with everyone else. There was a great positive attitude and motivation amongst most of us that drove us towards working hard to meet the deadlines of each task that we carried out. Personally, I worked most prominently on script-writing, whilst also working on live-action and several animation techniques. Working on the script lent itself to collaborating very well as we spent much of the first session working on it, generating lots of different ideas that meant the story was constantly changing. In this process, it was imperative to keep a positive attitude and to make sure we were joint thinking rather than prioritizing our own thoughts. Once we had the story nailed down, we worked very hard as a team to manage our time effectively and finish the script for the benefits of everyone else working on the film. Communication with the other members of the production team working on other parts of the film was vital towards making sure that our collective vision got across so that people working on animation, production design and props could create what we envisioned in the script. It was wonderful to know that we all mostly knew and had input with what was going on with the progress of the film in every part, so that if any necessary changes were made for example, we would be told - e.g. the adapting of Mad Jack's costume / silhouette.

What was the impact of your behavior on others?

As I stated previously, it is very important to consider the impact that your behaviour could have on others, both in a physical and mental capacity. For example, being consistently negative or uncooperative has a negative impact on everyone you are working with as it can lead to decreased morale and a general animosity that can lead to un-productivity on the film production - something it was important to avoid due to the short amount of time we had. Thankfully, I and everyone I worked with tended to keep positive and it meant that we all happily worked together and productively. If ideas were changed there were occasionally negative reactions, but we worked to move on for the good of the team and the project.

In terms of safety, your behaviour could potentially be fairly dangerous in the production of a film if you do not know what you are doing properly or were acting in a immature manner. For example, if you are unsafely using or moving equipment, you could be endangering yourself and the people working around you. Thankfully, due to safety regulations that were iterated and myself and everyone being careful, I believe I carried out tasks in a way that was safe and did not cause harm to anyone working around me. 

3.2 – Identify the key factors for effective working relationships

What qualities are needed to work well with others?

There are a number of qualities that you must possess in order to work effectively with others, which are very important when working a project like the one we were. One quality is listening skills, which you cannot underestimate the importance of when working in a team. Everyone should feel that they are able to express their opinions and be heard, or people can end up feeling left out and isolated by the group which can lead to a toxic and negative working atmosphere.

From this, you must be able to communicate with others effectively. When working on a collaborative project like this where lots of different people are working on different tasks that link together, it is important that everyone is aware of what they are doing, what they are working towards and when they should have their tasks done by and the most effective way of doing this is by communicating with everyone.

It is also important to be punctual when working with others on a project of this nature where tasks waiting to start are dependent on others being finished. If you are late or waste time on doing your own task, it can mean another person cannot do their task and it can set the project back a few steps for everyone involved. Try to complete your tasks quickly and to the time you agreed to have them finished by and it will make working with others much easier.

Furthermore, it is always important to have a positive attitude in general when approaching tasks. Even when things may be looking difficult when working on a group project, having a positive attitude is the best way to keep morale up as your own optimism will help your peers to be, and generally make you work more productively and happily together towards a goal.

Though it may be difficult at times, you must always try to self analyse your own work for the benefit of everyone working around you. It means that you can improve your own work by acknowledging any flaws that can improved on, thus improving the quality of the film and therefore the satisfaction and work of the whole group.

Finally, critical thinking when working with others is what helps you to look at an issue and evaluate it so that you can form a judgement and move on to the next step from there. This will benefit you and your working relationships in a team greatly as it cuts down on any arguments since decisions are quickly made. 

3.3 – Interact with others to encourage collaborative thinking and teamwork

Give an example of when you worked with others to encourage collaborative thinking and teamwork

When I first starting working on the script with a number of other people, we only had the concept of "Mad Jack adventuring through Mere and Mosses" and it was very necessary that we worked together collaboratively to come up with a story. At first, we all individually researched stories about Mad Jack and his antics and wrote down anything we thought could be an interesting segment of the film onto a mind-map. From here, as a group we discussed where we could go with the ideas we had in order to create a story where Mad Jack would explore several locations. Our ideas evolved greatly over this discussion and while we made sure that everyone's opinions were included and heard, we all also made sure we had agreed on what was the best concept and idea to create the film around while trying not to be biased towards our own ideas. This collaboration meant that we could then plot out the film and write the script all with a good idea of what the story was.

4.1 – 4.2 - Identify the resources needed to meet film production requirements and the technical skills and equipment required for your production role

What resources are needed in film production?

In order to create a film, there are a number of resources that you require or it is not likely to pan out. The most obvious resource is people to be working and creating the film - this includes everyone from directors, writers, animators, actors and designers. It is important to have a large number of people all with different specialties to work on a film production as it means everyone will know how to fulfill their role and work towards making a great end product. This includes a cast of good actors who play and understand their characters well. Without a great team behind it, a film production is likely to sink.

Next, it is important that you have the correct equipment to make the film with and to make it of a high quality. Having good cameras along with lighting and sound equipment for example will make your job on the film a lot easier as it means the process can go much smoother and be more professional if you are not fretting on having bad picture quality, sound or lighting. However, this could be considered useless if you do not have the knowledge of filmmaking to work with the equipment. A good knowledge of the process of making a film will help you go through the stages with better ease.

Furthermore, in order to make sure you have good equipment to use it is important to obtain adequate funding for the film. Film equipment is expensive and cast and crew will want to be paid for their work, so if you don't have funding it will be very difficult to make the film. This funding can be found by pitching to potential investors and producers for your film.

Additionally, finding the right locations and shooting at an appropriate time is also an important resource in filmmaking. This is why in the pre-production stages, you should scout locations so that you can find the most appropriate one for your film and then make sure you have permission to shoot there. You also need to find the correct and appropriate facilities and venue for your film to be edited and scored in, in the post-production stages as it means you can pull together your film properly and professionally. 

What is your production role?

My predominant production role was in script-writing.
I also worked as part of the live-action team and on several animation sequences and sound effects.

What do you have to do to carry out this role?

In script-writing, I was part of the brainstorming and collaborative phase in which we came up with the main story. From here, I worked with others on creating a basic plot outline and then served as the literal writer of the script, pulling the plot into a coherent script and writing - and later expanding and refining - the dialogue.

With the live action team, I filmed on-location at Colemere, operating the camera on establishing shots and slow motion shots such as the burning wooden chapel. I also worked with a team on the pop-up book shots and later on cloud tank shots.

In animation, I worked on some stop-frame animation involving the movement of one of the team members as a 'lake witch', as well as on several light painting shots. 

On sound effects, I assisted the main sound operator with several effects such as a cup smashing, as well as in a group on whispering and cackling sounds.

What skills do you need to carry out your production role?

In my role on the script-writing team, I needed to show creativity and a skill at constructing plot and writing dialogue. This process also involved a lot of collaborative and team-working skills in order to work towards completing the script productively. In the process of writing the script, I required the ability to self-analyse my work in order to improve upon it and make it better, something was difficult but ultimately necessary in order to create the best script possible. I also needed to be organised, punctual and hard-working in order to complete the task on time - the same goes for everything I worked on.

With working on the live action and animations shots, I needed how to use the camera's functions properly to create the slow-motion or the light-painting for example, as this was important in completing my tasks to the best standard possible. I also required creativity in constructing the shots, particularly when working on the stop motion shot of the lake witch and when filming the pop-up book pages. 

What equipment and planning documents do you need to carry out this role?

In the script-writing team, we needed a computer with internet access to research and word processing software to plan with. We also needed it for script-writing software on (Celtx) in order to make the script professional with the correct terminology and layout. On the live action and stop-motion shots we used mostly DSLR cameras with microphones built in, with the exception of  the slow-motion and pop-up book shots, where we used one of the supervisor's considerably higher-quality cameras. We also had separate lighting equipment rigged when filming shots indoors in order to make the quality of the footage better.

In terms of planning documents, we had call sheets and risk assessments so that we had a list of everyone who was present and so we knew how to use the equipment properly to ensure our safety.

4.3 - 4.4 - Review your own technical skills and use of equipment and Identify sources of feedback on your performance

How well do you think you have carried out your role in production?

Generally I think I carried out my roles in production as well as I could - I completed all the tasks I worked on within the time constraints and to a standard I was proud of, particularly in the script. I worked hard and well within a team, always trying to offer input and making sure I was always working on some aspect of the project.

How do you think your technical skills have developed in this role?

I am very happy to say that I believe that my technical skills have improved significantly in my roles in production. From taking on these roles I have gained knowledge on how to operate and use complex camera equipment that I would feel comfortable using again. I believe this has improved my abilities in cinematography and constructing shots, helping my confidence in other fields aside from writing. Leading on from this, I think my script-writing abilities have also improved in my role on that team and I improved in writing dialogue as a result of working in that team. Furthermore, I have learned how to use animation techniques such as stop motion and light painting in creative ways that can really add flair and uniqueness to a film. 

How do you think your knowledge and understanding of equipment and planning documents have developed in this role?

My understanding of the importance of planning documents has developed in my roles on the production greatly, particularly in script-writing, where I learned the importance of managing your time effectively to meet a deadline. The planning of the whole project was also important in showing the significance of everyone needing to know their tasks so that everything could be completed in an organised manner. I have also gained a good grasp of new equipment and technology used in filmmaking that I hadn't experienced before. I learned how to use script writing software I was previously unaware of that I intend on using to write future scripts whilst I have also gained a basic knowledge in using sound equipment to create foley sound effects as well as lighting equipment to enhance a shot, which could be very helpful in my future film-making.

Ask your tutors and peers: How well did I carry out my role in production? How did my technical skills and use of equipment developed in this role? Then answer:

My tutors and peers considered me to be a very polite person to be around who listened well, which was very helpful when working as part of a group and coming up with ideas. Through working on the script, people thought I contributed well to the script as well as giving good feedback to other groups when asked, showing that I carried out my role in production fairly well.

What feedback have you received about your technical skills and use of equipment?

Whilst initially I wasn't too familiar with many of the technical skills and equipment involved with working on different techniques for the film, my peers felt that I learned how to work things fairly quickly after being shown how, though occasionally it required a few tries.

4.5 – Describe areas for development in your current knowledge and understanding of skills

What is your current knowledge and understanding of film?

Before coming to BFI Film Academy, I believe I had a decent knowledge of film from a spectator perspective as a result of watching a wide variety of films and becoming accustomed to looking at it from an analytical point as a result of the techniques I've been taught in my Media Studies AS level. I try to look at how a director is expressing his ideas through various film techniques such as lighting, camera angles, mise-en-scene and use of colour as well as dialogue. I also try to write reviews of the films I see regularly, in order to keep me looking at film critically.

Prior to the Academy, I had a very limited practical knowledge and understanding of working on and making a film production as I had only previously helped make short films using just a DSLR camera and actors. From working on this project, I have gained a much wider knowledge of all the fields that come together to create a film and the process in which they come together, such as filming, script-writing, production design and sound effects. I've also learned the mass variety of styles of animation and live-action which can be blended together to create some very unique and interesting filmmaking. Along with this, I have learned of various time constraints that come with making a film and how organised, safe and hard-working you have to be in order to work on a film production effectively.

What skills do you have?

My main skills were in scriptwriting, as I had previous experience from writing scripts in my own time and for coursework in the past, which spurred me on to work with the script team on this project. I also had some knowledge of using editing software - specifically Adobe Premiere Pro - from using it when working on short films and coursework pieces outside of the Academy, as well as basic skills with operating a DSLR camera, such as using shallow focusing as well a decent idea of how to construct a shot. This knowledge was increased upon greatly from working with my peers and tutors at the BFI Film Academy.

How would you like you develop your knowledge and skills? Give reasons.

I would like to develop my skills in screenwriting in the future, gaining a greater skill in constructing stories and narratives which I can utilise in my future to try and get working in the film industry.
I would also love to develop my knowledge and skills in filming live action, by trying other more experimental techniques and styles in order to make my future work more unique and interesting. As a natural extension of this, I am interested in developing my knowledge of post-production editing software such as After Effects as this can open up your filmmaking to a wider variety of capabilities I didn't know was capable as an amateur filmmaker.

5.1 – Review and critique a short film production

Review of one or more short films

World of Tomorrow - 2015 (dir: Don Hertzfeldt)

Don Hertzfeldt’s latest animated short film, World of Tomorrow covers an astonishing amount of ground in its taut 16 minute runtime, and does so with aplomb. We follow a young girl, Emily, as she is contacted by a third-generation clone of herself from 227 years in the future, who takes Emily on a journey through her life as she reflects on significant events during it. Through covering such themes as humanity’s pursuit of immortality, nostalgia, love, loneliness and the grand scope of space, Hertzfeldt has created an astounding film that is melancholic and deeply sad whilst still being very funny and a complete joy to view. It seems impossible for a film to include all of this whilst still being complete and satisfying, but World of Tomorrow somehow manages incredibly.

Whilst he keeps his trademark simplistic animation style, Hertzfeldt creates a beautiful vision of space and the future, erupting with colour and beauty. Each and every shot is just gorgeous and makes the film a visual delight. Combined with its endlessly creative story full of wit and poignancy and some great voice acting from Hertzfeldt’s own niece as Emily and Julia Potts as the deadpan older clone of her, World of Tomorrow is an incredible piece of short filmmaking that stays with you long after you have finished watching. 

5.2 – Review and discuss own choice of British film productions and world film productions

Review of British or World film features (ideally in cinema).


Sicario - 2015 (dir: Denis Villeneuve) 

After emerging from the Cannes Film Festival amidst critical lauds, Sicario became one of my most anticipated films for the remainder of the year. An intriguing story rooted in real life struggles, backed up by a terrific cast and creative team made it look to be a sure-fire winner. After I saw it, I was delighted to find out that Sicario is indeed the winner I hoped it was. It’s a gorgeously shot and terrifically tense thriller, featuring breathtaking turns from Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro which elevate the decent if not unremarkable script and story.

In the seemingly never-ending and escalating Mexican drug war, Blunt’s Kate Macer is an idealistic FBI agent who is recruited by a government task force to help take down a leading dealer in Mexico. Director, Denis Villeneuve establishes that this war is at a point where right and wrong is hard to distinguish, something that Kate struggles to align with her morals as she grows increasingly alienated to the people she should trust, whilst still being wholly dedicated to taking down this threat. Blunt captures this frustration, doubt and determination amazingly, delivering a knockout performance as the film’s POV character. Threatening to steal her spotlight is Benicio del Toro’s Alejandro, a shadowy figure on the squad, whose overwhelming intensity yet world-weary voice give a lot of complexity to what on paper could be a fairly cartoonish character. It’s sublime work that deserves recognition come Oscar season.

Kate’s uncertainty at the morality of the people she’s fighting with play a major role in the film’s first two acts, while elements of a ‘revenge’ movie are sprinkled throughout in the motivations of several characters. The former themes prove to be far more interesting; showing the corruption and twisted ethics the government appears to hold in order to try bringing down their targets. Nothing in this fight is black and white. But in making a statement on the futility of Kate’s idealism by making her increasingly irrelevant to the events at play, the plot is weakened as the climax seems more like a straight revenge flick that takes away some of the complexity developed throughout. Furthermore, a subplot attempting to add depth to the guys on the other side of the battle is fairly predictable and doesn’t really match up with what surrounds it. However, the ending is a real punch to the guts that turns it back around and places the struggle back on Kate, who comes to a heart-wrenching and difficult realisation on the corruption that takes place in order to take down enemy threats in the world.

These plot weaknesses are more than made up for in production, where Villeneuve’s direction, combined with Roger Deakins’ cinematography and Jóhann Jóhannsson’s score, creates two hours of heart-pounding film. Even in scenes where nothing significant appears to be happening, there is an overwhelming sense of dread that fills the screen and never leaves. You can imagine the insane tautness built in the film’s terrifically crafted action sequences – particularly one set in a traffic jam at the USA-Mexico border crossing. I could barely look. In spite of any plot deficiencies, the film moves at a great pace, always building up tension through Deakins’ striking images and Villeneuve’s direction and not letting you take a breath until the credits roll.

Overall, Sicario is a thriller that triumphs exquisitely in its craftsmanship, elevating some of the weaker elements in the story department. The whole cast is great – I didn’t even mention Josh Brolin’s strong unsettling turn as Matt, the operation’s leader – and I don’t even want to try and do justice to how gorgeous Deakins’ work on this film is. Villeneuve never lets up on the film’s dark tone and creates an emotionally draining experience that is nonetheless a really excellent piece of filmmaking.