LO3 - Evaluation

Weekly blog updates are required, as with every unit. Please remember to
take photos/screenshots as you film/edit. You might find it easier if you note
down a record of what you did each day in a diary form.

Please use the following guidance to help you with each week.
THESE MUST BE COMPLETED IN DETAIL. INCLUDE IMAGES AND BE SPECIFIC!

Week 1 This week was spent on idea generation

What have you been asked to For the BeCreative unit I have been asked to produce
do? a short film and music video for one of two target
audiences. The two audiences to choose from were
the age groups 5-12 and 40-60. The target audience I
chose was 40-60. As a result I have spent the majority
of this past week generating ideas I feel will suit this
age group as well as conducting a range of research
to help me narrow down the ideas until I could
choose the most appropriate ones.

I found generating ideas difficult as this is a target

Why have you chosen this target
audience?
audience I am not too aware of but I enjoyed the
challenge. In the end I came up with three short film
ideas and three music video ideas that I was
confident I could develop into finished productions.
I chose the target audience 40-60 because I know
very little about the group, besides from what my
parents enjoy. Therefore, I felt it would be a challenge
that would let me develop my skills even more as I
would have to learn to adapt them to suit this
audience. I also felt I would enjoy the research stages
much more if I knew very little to begin with, unlike the
audience 5-12 as I already know a great deal about
that age group. Alongside this, I have constant
access to my chosen target audience as both my
parents fall within the age group, which will help me a
great deal during my research stages.

One area in which I feel I may struggle however, is

ensuring my work is appropriate for the older end of
my target audience, as I don’t know many people
who are between 50 – 60 years old. Therefore, I plan
to spend a bit more time researching this group, to
avoid excluding them within my work and giving

What two productions have you
decided to make? How do they
allow you to improve your skills?
How did the focus groups help
you to select your idea?
myself the opportunity to widen my knowledge of
what this audience would enjoy.
Now that I have finished my idea generation and
have received some feedback on the ideas, I have
decided to continue on with the 80’s movie themed
music video and the murder plot short film. I have
chosen these two as they received the most positive
feedback from both my focus group and the survey I
sent out. I also feel they will push me to use the
majority of my skillset and even develop it further. In
particular I feel I will face challenges when filming my
80’s music video because I aim to have the entire
thing filmed in one shot. This will be difficult and will
take a great deal of rehearsing and communication
between myself and any actors involved. These are
areas I want to improve in and feel that by doing so I
will be able to produce a high quality piece of work.
This idea will also push me to be my most creative,
and the single shot will focus mainly on the actors
feet, meaning I will have to think particularly hard
about which 80’s references will be most appropriate,
and how to make them as recognisable as possible.
Once I had generated three ideas for both my music
video and my short film I decided to hold a focus
group, so that I could receive feedback on each idea
and then reflect on which idea may be best to
develop further. The main goal of the group was to
find out which ideas were the strongest but also to get
a better understanding of what could be added to
each of them to ensure they appealed to my target
audience as much as possible. To do this I read my
participants a brief synopsis of each idea and then
asked them whether they felt it would be appropriate
for my audience. There was a fairly positive response
for all of my ideas, although it was mentioned that the
train station couple idea for my short film would only
appeal to a small percentage of my target audience.
However, my thriller murder plot idea would be
enjoyed by the majority. This was helpful because it
has helped me reflect on both ideas and understand
that my work may be more successful if it is produced
for the enjoyment of a larger group of people.
I also asked my participants what they felt could be
added to my ideas, once again to ensure that it was
appropriate for my target audience. Once piece of
feedback I received was about my second music
video idea. It was mentioned that the narrative may
appeal to a younger audience more than my target

Are you on track for the week?
What work needs to be
completed for you to catch up?
Week 2
What did you find out about your
target audience through your
secondary research?
audience. This is something I would have to consider if
I were to continue with the idea as the narrative I had
chosen was pretty universal and I would want to
adapt it so it would suit my chosen audience in
particular.
Overall, I feel the focus group was successful as I
received a mixture of positive feedback as well as
some suggestions that will help me as I begin to
develop my ideas further. From this feedback I am
now aware that for my short film the murder plot may
be the best idea to continue with, as well as the 80’s
movie themed music video.
Yes
No I am up to date
This week was spent researching target audiences
At the start of the week I conducted some secondary
research so that I could produce an audience profile
for my target audience, This is an important stage in
the research as it helps me to understand my chosen
demographic a lot more. The first thing I looked into
was what their media consumption is like. I did this first
because I knew it would be the most helpful when
developing my ideas so that I could do so in a way
that suits my audience and their habits. From this I
found out that while the majority of my age group
grew up without the internet, they do still use online
services, particularly for work purposes. A lot of this
generation prefer to communicate professionally via
email, although they do still use apps such as
WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. Facebook is
also the most popular app among this age group.
Next I decided to look into their spending habits,
something that is also important in my research as it
gives me an insight to what the generation prioritises. I
found that 40 – 60 year olds spend most of their
money on housing, followed by transport.
Entertainment was a lot lower down on the list with
only 5.3% on average spent on entertainment. This
suggests that they choose to focus on their way of life
rather than the smaller things in it.

How will this help you in adapting
your idea to meet the chosen
audience?
How useful was interviewing
people from your chosen target
audience?
This links to the next part of my secondary research as
I looked into the personality traits and lifestyle choices
of the group. One thing that stood out to me the most
was that this age group have a strong focus on their
work-life balance. They like to focus on spending
equal time with their family and at work, despite
being the generation that is ‘addicted to work’. The
main personality traits for this age group were
individualism and ambition. A lot of people view this
group as the best workers due to their efficiency and
dedication.
This research will be very useful as I continue to
develop my idea as it will help me to adapt it to meet
my target audience as successfully as possible. Now
that I am much more aware of my target audiences’
habits and lifestyle I will use this information so that I
produce a short film that they can relate to and also
find enjoyable. As my target audience can have a
rather stressful lifestyle I want my music video to have
an element of escapism. This will be done by avoiding
anything that they may find stressful, and including
things from when they were younger, such as 80’s
movies. My research has helped me to identify areas
that provide less enjoyment for my audience, such as
working a lot and spending time away from their
family. As a result I will endeavour to avoid these
areas as they will make watching my productions
uninspiring and difficult to watch.
As I know that my target audience also grew up
without the internet I plan to incorporate details such
as this within my work, particularly my short film. My
short film is about two people passing notes as a
means of communication. The pair never use mobile
phones or the internet to communicate and I feel this
more less modern way will appeal to my target
audience and will provide them with a sense of
nostalgia as it will be a lot like how they
communicated as teenagers and young adults. It is
elements like this that will be the most effected by my
primary research. The facts and statistics that I have
found when researching Generation X will be used
throughout my development stages to shape my
short film and music video into two products that
provide familiarity for my audience and make them
as enjoyable to watch as possible.
For my first piece of primary research I held three
focus groups. These gave me the opportunity to ask
my target audience what they thought of my chosen
ideas and what they would include and remove from

Was it difficult to get a large
response to your survey? How
could you improve the amount of
respondents for your FMP?
them. I found these interviews extremely useful as they
also gave me the chance to ask questions about
these ideas and focus in on certain areas of my
audience’s interests. For example, one participant,
Will Davison explained that he was very unlikely to
watch a romantic short film, and he felt that other
within his age group would have very similar views.
Therefore, he much preferred my idea once I had
added a twist and stated that the one side of the
couple would plot to murder the other. As a result I
have decided to go ahead with the plot twist, so that
my short appeals to as much as my target audience
as possible.
All three of my focus group participants were in their
early forties, which makes it difficult for me to relate
their feedback to my target audience as a whole.
While the interviews have given me confidence within
my ideas and helped me to identify how I can aim my
work at my audience, I am worried that my
productions will appeal more to the younger side of
my audience than it does to the older side. If I had
the opportunity to redo the process I would give
myself more time when planning the interviews so that
I could receive feedback from a range of people
within my audience. I feel this would make my work
much more successful.
My survey was an opportunity to receive feedback
from the age groups that were left out within my focus
groups. However, I found it difficult to get a large
response. I received 24 responses to my survey,
despite needing at least 30. This is because I originally
only shared the link with my Facebook friends and
some of my peers with the hope that their parents
would fill in my survey for me. However, at the last
minute I decided to share the survey on a local
Facebook group with an explanation as to what the
research was for and how it would help me when
completing this project.
Once I had shared the survey here I got much more
interest and received 15 responses overnight.
Unfortunately, because I didn’t share the survey in the
group until the night before my deadline I didn’t
receive as many responses as I could have. Next time
I send out a survey I will prioritise places such as
Facebook groups as I am confident that I there will be
much more interest, if participants are given more
time to complete the survey.
What have you found to be the
key things that you should be
targeting your audience with?
What makes this audience
different to the one you never
chose?
Are you on track for the week?
What work needs to be
completed in your own time?
The target audience of 40 – 60 have multiple areas
that I could focus on, however the main thing I want
to highlight within my work is nostalgia. This age group
in particular spend a lot of their time focusing on work
and money and I want to produce some work that
lets them go back to when they were younger and
much more carefree. This will be especially evident
within my music video as I have chosen a specific era
to focus on. I want my 80’s movie themed music
video to reflect the element of escapism that my
audience enjoy, while also showcasing parts of their
youth that they can remember fondly.
A lot of my target audience has interest in dramas
and thrillers so this when developing my idea for my
short film I will aim to appeal to this. My short is going
to be less carefree than my music video as it will
involve a murder plot. However, the idea of two
people meeting via the passing of notes and then
one of them planning to harm the other is not
something likely to happen in real life, so it still
provides my audience with a sense of escapism.
The age group of 40 – 60 is very different to the other
group of 5-12 year olds for multiple reasons. The most
obvious one is that they are of different maturity levels
and content produced for children has to be
monitored and censored so that it won’t upset them
in anyway. Whereas, with the older target audience
there is a lot more freedom. The same goes with
intricacy of productions, a piece made for the
younger target audience would need to be simple for
them to understand whereas the older audience will
be able to comprehend a lot more. However, one
difference between the two is that there is most likely
a lot more creative freedom when producing work for
the younger target audience. As children have a lot
more time for imagination, there is unlimited possibility
for how the work plays out. Children can suspend
disbelief a lot easier so when producing work for them
it can be as unbelievable as you want and they will
still believe it. The older audience most likely won’t
enjoy this as much.
Yes
None I am up to date
Week 3
What genres have you chosen
and why?
What have you learnt from your
secondary research this week?
This week was spent researching codes and
conventions
I have chosen the thriller genre for my short film
because it is known to be popular with the age group
40 – 60, and by choosing a genre that they are
already a big fan of it is much easier to produce
something that I know will appeal to them. I also feel
thriller is an interesting genre as there is a lot of room
for creativity. Thriller’s come in a range of different
ways, often with subgenres such as horror, and
psychological thriller. This gives me much more room
to experiment and push my skillset when developing
my ideas and planning my productions.
I haven’t chosen a specific genre for my music video
because my goal to make something nostalgic and
perfect for escapism. As a result a lot of my planning
will be based on direct feedback from my target
audience where they have told me what they enjoy.
The theme for my music video is 80’s movies, so I plan
to focus my work on the films my audience highlight
themselves so that I can be confident they will enjoy
the video. I also aim to include smaller elements of
the 80’s such as the fashion, this will help me to create
an 80’s centric video that will remind my audience of
when they were younger. If I were to give my music
video a genre it would most likely be Drama.
My research this week has helped me to understand
what makes various products successful. I have
looked into the different components within
productions such as location, audio and narrative
and what the key codes and conventions for different
products are. For example, I have looked at how
sound can be used to communicate a narrative.
When doing this I looked at an animation that used
solely foley sounds and music alongside its visuals.
Things such as footsteps crunching against snow and
music traditionally heard in Europe set the scene
clearly, and other sounds such as a character
gasping shared how the character was feeling
without the need for unnecessary dialogue.
I also looked at how a narrative can be used to
enhance a films story telling. I looked at Todorov’s
theory, which is the idea that every narrative follows
the same five steps: equilibrium, disruption,
recognition, repair, and the new equilibrium. I then
went on to consider whether this worked on all forms
of narrative and did so by analysing two different
short films. This was particularly interesting because it

How will this influence what you
include in your productions?
What are the key conventions for
your chosen genres? What MUST
gave me the chance to watch two shorts with very
different narratives, and to understand how they
could be used to tell a story. One short that stood out
to me was about a how a time loop disrupts a heist
and how the main character finds himself running in
circles to try and stop it, only to accidentally add to it.
From this research I discovered that not all narratives
do follow Todorov’s theory and that the theory can at
times limit the creativity in how a story is told.
All of the research I have done this week will have a
big impact on my productions. I plan to use
everything I have learnt this week to improve my work
and to ensure I create two productions that are to
high standard. One area in particular that I will
remember to use is sound. No dialogue is allowed in
my short film and as a result I will have to try and tell a
story through the use of visuals, music, and foley
sounds. Therefore, the research I have done this week
on sound will be particularly important. I plan to use
foley sound to communicate simple things such as
how the actions on screen are being carried out. The
music will be particularly important as it will play a
huge part in setting the mood for the scene. I plan to
use music that effectively communicates how the
characters are feeling as well as the severity of each
situation.
Another area of my research that will be reflected in
my productions is my research on location. I have
spent some time this week looking into how a location
is essential when setting the mood for the piece as
well as communicating a certain message. I plan to
use simple locations that work well to share both the
positive and negative moments within my short. My
research on which locations best suit my genre will
also have a noticeable impact on my productions as I
will work hard to ensure they are appropriate for the
genre, context, and appealing to my audience. This
will be the same in my music video, although the
thought process for locations will be much more
logistical, as I plan to include various elements, such
as skateboarding and dancing. Therefore, I will have
to focus on finding an area that is appropriate for
these actions and ones that will make filming as easy
as possible, so that each shot comes out the best it
can be.
There are key conventions for thrillers that are essential
to making up the mood, and atmosphere within a
piece. These conventions have an impact on the
tone of the production as well as the message the
you include for it to be that
genre?
Are you on track for the week?
What work needs to be
completed in your own time?
Week 4
What have you learnt from your
primary research this week?
piece communicates. One key convention of a thriller
is the narrative. Thrillers usually take on a dark topic
that leaves that is full of suspense. It is common for
horrors and thrillers to fall under the same category
and as a result many of their key conventions are t he
same. Not all narratives follow the same structure, and
it is common for thrillers to defy the expectations of a
usual narrative, making the piece much more
interesting. Alongside this, the use of characters is also
important for thrillers. Most thrillers have one key
character and a villain. It isn’t unusual for the villain to
commit their crimes more than once, which makes
serial killers a particularly popular villain within thrillers.
Another key convention is the location. As I found out
in my research, location is very important in thrillers
and they tend to be dark gloomy environments that
reflect the mood for the short. These are often linked
closely with the narrative as they must also be
appropriate for the story told, but the link between
these to elements will work together to create an
effective piece. A strong narrative, paired with
powerful characters that fulfil their roles, and locations
that reflect the films tone are essential for putting
together a good thriller. Without these a thriller would
lose the suspense and tension they are known for, as
a result making it ineffective.
Yes
None I am up to date
This week was spent researching codes and
conventions
From my research this week I have been furthering my
knowledge on how different codes and conventions
can be used to create an effective short film and
music video. To do this I have analysed both short
films and music videos to help me understand how
the codes and conventions fit into each product. First
I analysed short films, focusing more on thrillers as this
is the genre my own short film will be. From this I found
that a lot of thrillers tend to have very dark themes
running throughout. These are reflected in the choice
of location, lighting, camera work, and mise-en-
scene. For example, a scene with dark lighting is more
likely one full of danger and the dark lighting makes it

What developments do you need
to make to your production for it
to meet these codes and
conventions requirements?
harder for the audience to see everything going on,
which in turn creates suspense. The key conventions
used in thrillers also tend to have dark connotations,
so if a prop gun were used the audience would
instantly be able to link it to danger, which is an
example of connotations being used effectively.
Camera work is something that can be used to set
the tone for a production, but also to aid the
narrative. For example, if there was a close up on the
main character it would automatically draw the
audience’s attention to them in time for them to
witness the character’s reaction to something
important.
I did the same for music videos, but this time focussed
on videos that had nostalgic themes within them or
used intertextuality to reference other films. I did this
because I want to create a music video that
references 80’s films. When analysing these I looked
into how the key codes and conventions are used to
draw focus to different elements, such as the
references as well as the messages they
communicated. For example, in the Buddy Holly
music video the band were wearing outfits that
clearly resembled the 50’s era they were recreating.
Their outfits were also very similar to ones worn by the
Beatles which helps communicate their attitude to
music, as well as suggesting that the crowd may react
as positively to them as people did the Beatles.
Camera work was a key convention I noticed as it
was used to showcase the artist over everyone else.
Close ups were used in every single one of these
videos and they were used most often when focussing
on the singers or band, instantly making them the
centre of attention, and drawing the audience’s
attention to them. This communicated the message
that they were most important, especially as the
video was for their song.
Once I had analysed these videos I began to outline
where I could include the techniques I had
researched within my own work. For example, I plan
to use the camera work techniques that helped to
build suspense in the short films in my own film. This
includes using close ups to highlight a specific piece
of information that is crucial to the narrative, as well as
wide shots that show how a character is reacting to
something and to provide more subtle pieces of
information. I also plan to use different lighting
techniques and mise-en-scene to create and
environment in my short film that sets the dark tone for

How did processing the results of
your research help you to
understand it thoroughly?
Are you on track for the week?
What work needs to be
completed in your own time?
my piece and helps me to make the twist in my
narrative as effective as possible.
In my music video I also plan to include codes and
conventions that I felt stood out in my analysis. One
key convention that stood out to me was that the
music videos that recreated specific scenes from films
refrained from cutting to the beat. This created the
illusion that you were watching a film rather than a
music video and helped to communicate the
references as effectively as possible. I hope to create
a one shot effect within my own work and produce
something with a similar illusion. Another key
convention that I plan to use in my own music video is
the use of mise-en-scene. In all of the music videos I
analysed props were used to highlight the era the
video was based on as well as to ensure the
references were easily identifiable. To do this I will
include a range of props that link to 80’s films and the
era itself, such as a bike, a lightsabre and a floor
piano.
All of these improvements will be made next week in
my planning stages. I will use storyboard to plan out
my shots and their framing and a props list to outline
what will be needed and in which stage of the
production it will be used.
When processing the results of this research I spent
some time figuring out how the codes and
conventions were used to create the most effective
products possible, as well as how I can use them in my
own work to do the same. The work I have done this
week has been extremely helpful as it has given me a
much stronger understanding of how codes and
conventions should be used in different products. It
has helped me to understand how my genres differ
from others and what makes them unique. I now
understand how the conventions are used in my
chosen genres to make them effective and to set the
tone. I am also much more aware of how the codes
and conventions should be used in my own work to
make it successful, and to communicate a strong
narrative, particularly in music videos because it can
be difficult to make an interesting music video without
a performance element, which I intend to do.
Yes
None I am up to date
Week 5
What did you learn from your
planning?
How will this be useful as your
production process continues?
This week was spent planning your productions
This week I completed the planning stages for both
my music video and my short film. The planning for
each of these products is very different. For my music
video I completed a shooting script which outlines
which visuals will be used alongside the lyrics and
when they will take place. When completing this I
found it was most effective if the script was
completed in a lot of detail. This helped me to
visualise the video and understand what was needed
for each moment. Before completing the script I sat
down and organised where each of the props and
movie references would be featured in the video. This
was really helpful because it made me aware of what
I would need to get before filming begins as well as
which order the shooting script would take place it. It
made writing my script much more efficient and it is
something I plan to do in the future to make sure my
scripts are the best they can be.
I also found that it was key to maintain
communication with my actor during the planning
stages. This was extremely helpful as it meant I could
produce a production schedule that reflected my
plans accurately and avoided any big changes due
to people being unavailable. It also helped me to
outline my locations and how I would get there early
on, giving me a better idea of how my productions
would play out very early on. This constant
communication reflected the most on the standard of
my location recces as it allowed me to think ahead
and make sure I had thought of any challenges we
may face beforehand, such as availability and time
spent travelling to locations. For example, my actor
for my short film lives nearby where I plan to shoot my
short film, which means I can dedicate more time to
setting up, and we can begin shooting earlier in the
day. It also means that bad weather is less of an issue
as they have nearby shelter suitable for them, within
the restrictions of covid-19.
The communication I have had with my actors
throughout the planning stages will be especially
helpful when it comes to filming. For example, it will be
easy for me to continue the communication during
the filming period, meaning I can check everything
will flow smoothly and I can let them know if anything
changes, such as bad weather cancelling and
outdoor shoot. This strong communication has also
meant I can send them the plans before hand so that

What issues did you encounter
whilst planning and how did you
overcome them?
they can provide any feedback they have or have
their own input as an actor. This is something I have
already done, as I sent my actor the script once it was
completed so that they could read it over and
prepare for the role. This was very useful because I
was unsure about the last line in the script, and I asked
what would feel most natural for them as the actor.
They said that the line should be more specific and
have a creepier tone. So the last message shared in
my short film was changed from ‘Don’t go to class
today’ to ‘You won’t make it to class today’. Overall, I
think this line of communication will speed up the
filming process and make everything a lot more
efficient.
The plans I produced before my shooting script will
also have a key role in my filming stages because
they are something I can take with me and use
alongside my script to ensure that everything is filmed
with the right timings. I plan to use them the most
when choreographing my dance as it will tell me
where the music will be at various points in the video.
Alongside this my detailed shooting script will be just
as important, as I can use it to translate my plans into
a visual performance with my actor. The high quality
plans will help me to produce something that is
equally high quality and will make both the rehearsal
stage and the filming stage flow smoothly and will
help me to stick to the time limits I have set out for
myself in my production schedule. Therefore, ensuring
that everything is completed.
One issue I found when planning was that I had
various pieces of equipment that I needed to book
for three different shoots for my music video. This
meant I needed to be organised and on top of things
ahead of time. As a result I spent quite a bit of time on
my production schedule trying to outline when I
would film each part and what I would need on each
day. I also had to specify where I would film and who
would need to be there. This limited my time for the
rest of my planning in class, however I was able to
overcome this by spending some time working on my
plans outside of class. For example, I completed some
of my story boards at home, so that I could focus on
my production schedule in class, where I could
receive the most help and talk to my actor.
I also found it hard to look for locations due to covid-
19 restricting travel. This was something I faced when
working on my FMP, so I knew ahead of time it was

How much work did you
complete outside of the lessons?
best to choose a location I already knew about and
perhaps lived close by too. Therefore, for my music
video I chose to use an empty car park near my
house, plus the college studio, and for my short film I
chose to use a street near my grandparents’ house.
To complete my location recces I used a photo I
already had of the carpark and used google images
to get one of the streets for my short film. I then filled
out the location recces to the best of my knowledge
and adapted them to suit the current covid-19
restrictions.
When planning my music video I spent time outside of
lessons planning out and choreographing the dance
and movement areas of the video. To do this I listened
to my song of choice on repeat and wrote down
which 80’s film references would be featured in at
each point in the song. I worked from start to finish,
meaning I was able to note down how long each
reference would be featured for and any props that
would be used. This was particularly useful because it
gave me a very developed outline for my idea before
I began writing my shooting script and made writing
my script and producing storyboard as easy as
possible. It also helped me to highlight which
references I would include and make sure they are
included long enough to be clear for the audience.
Which was something my target audience said would
be necessary during my research stages.

Are you ready to film next week
and if not, what do you need to
complete to be ready?
Are your storyboards up to
standard?
I also completed my short film script outside of lessons.
When working on my script I completed other tasks
alongside it. This helped me to keep track of how
much work I had done and what I still needed to
complete. For example, every time I introduced a
new prop to my storyline I reflected on whether I
already owned it, and if not how I could get it. This
was really helpful because it ensured I had all of my
props in time for filming and meant I could gradually
begin to fill out my prop table as well. One prop I had
to order was the fake dagger that will appear at the
end of my short film, and because I planned my props
out alongside my script I was able to order it in time to
check it was appropriate for filming.
I am ready to film my music video, although I need to
finish the storyboard for my short film before I can
begin filming it.
When completing my storyboards I knew it was
important that they were to a high standard as they
will be particularly important during my filming stages.
I will use them to make sure my framing and use of
angles and shots are accurate and reflect what I
have included in my planning stages.
One area I focussed on when completing my
storyboards was the framing. This is something I pay a
great deal of attention to when filming and I knew
that my storyboards would help me to do so. When
drawing the illustrations I made sure to place my actor
and any objects in the frame where they will be when
filming. I also used this as a chance to visualise how I
wanted my productions to look. I also spent time
thinking about which angles and shots I would use as
these are very important when it comes to
communicating my productions message. For
example, I want to use a lot of wide shots in my short
to make my main character look small and weak,
which links closely to the plot. I will also use high angle
shots as the danger levels increase to show their
unimportance and weakness once again.
I used the lines beneath the frames on my storyboard
to describe what was happening in each shot. This
proved especially useful when storyboarding my
music video because I plan to use a lot of movement,
and the description gives me the chance to highlight
which kinds of movement will be used where.
 Overall, I think my storyboards are at a high standard
and they will be very useful in the filming stages of my
production. They will help me to work efficiently as
every shot will already be planned out in detail and all
I will have to do is film it.

Week 6 This week was spent filming

How did you find the filming
process?
This week I filmed my music video. I found the process
a lot more challenging than I expected. I set aside
three days for filming. The first day was to rehearse the
dance elements of my music video and to
choregraph them so that they fit within the location.
The second day was set aside to film any outdoor
dance shots, and the third day was to film any indoor
shots.

The first day was went well and we were able to

choreograph the entire dance and rehearse it so that
my actor knew it well. This worked well because it
saved time on the filming day, as all I had to do once
we arrived on the second day was film, and no time
was wasted learning the dance. I think without the
extra day set aside for rehearsals my shoot would
have been a lot less successful so I feel it was a good
idea. At the end of the first day I also took the
opportunity to practice each of the shots once. To do
this I asked my actor to perform the dance while I
followed with the camera, filming the action. This was
a good idea as it gave me the opportunity to
practice where I needed to be and when so that my I
could capture each moment perfectly.

However, I feel I should have spent more time doing

this, as on the second day I struggled to film
everything to a high standard. I did not anticipate
how hard it would be to shoot each shot at such a
fast pace, without producing shots that were shaky. I
struggled to keep up with my actor, however after lots
of reshoots, where I continuously shot the same
moment over and over again I was able to capture
some footage for my edit.

On the last day I filmed in the studio. This was my most

successful day as we completed everything quickly.
For this shoot I filmed my actor in the dark room with a
light saber. The shots for this worked really well and as

Did you encounter any problems
during filming? How did you
overcome them?
After reviewing footage, what do
you feel you need to reshoot?
What new techniques from your
previous units have you tried to
use?
it was only one shot we were able to have fun with it
and get multiple shots done in a short space of time,
giving me lots of footage to work with when editing.
When planning out my music video I decided to
include a great deal of camera movement, so that I
could produce something that would maintain the
upbeat and exciting concept of my chosen song.
However, this was a lot more challenging than I had
anticipated. My location of choice was a very wide
open area and when choreographing the dance
element of the video we decided to use as much of it
as possible. Therefore, when it came to filming it was
very hard to keep up with the actor without my
footage appearing shaky. This was something I had
anticipated, however I hadn’t expected it to be quite
so difficult. We decided to continuously film the same
shot multiple times so that I have lots of different
versions when editing. And by shooting the same
moment over and over again I was able to identify
where I needed to be at each point in the song so
that I could keep up and shoot the shot, as necessary.
This proved useful because overtime each shot was
more and more successful, however in the future I will
consider this problem a lot more during my planning
stages and aim to avoid it by solving the problem
beforehand. This made it hard to keep up with my
production schedule, however once I had figured out
how to solve the problem as best as possible I was
able to complete everything in time.
I feel if I had the chance I would reshoot a lot of the
outdoor scenes again so that I could avoid the
constant shaking of the camera. However
unfortunately it rained on the day I had put aside for
reshoots and I would need a lot more time to develop
a solution to the problem. As a result this will be my
priority if I were to include a similar use of movement
in any future work. I would spend more time in my
planning stages focussing on how I would film each
shot.
In previous units I found it particularly useful to have
both my scripts and storyboards with me when filming.
As a result I decided to bring them to this shoot, where
they were once again a huge help. I used both
resources to plan out and choregraph my music
video with my actor, using the shooting script and any
extra planning I completed to help us highlight were
my actor needed to be at which point in the song
and what they should be doing. This helped us to work
efficiently and complete all rehearsals on the day set
aside for them. I then used my storyboards to help me

Are the locations you filmed at
suitable to your production?
Are you keeping up with your
production schedule?
What footage still needs
capturing?
understand how I would use my camera to capture
the dance and which framing and shot techniques I
would use. Actively using my planning while filming is
something I have always found especially useful, and
it is something I plan to use in the future. I also feel my
use of rehearsal time was particularly useful and it is
something I want to consider when working on future
productions.
I feel both locations were suitable for my location,
particularly the use of the studio. For the shot with the
light saber I needed a location that would be as dark
as possible, and the studio provided this. It also gave
me a lot of space to work with. In my planning stages I
made it clear that I wanted to have a smooth and
effective transition between the two scenes and the
metal pillars in the studio provided this, as I plan to link
them with the brick wall pillars in my outdoor location
using a mask when editing. The only negative with the
use of the studio is that I decided to film in a 360
around my actor, something I didn’t plan
beforehand, and when the camera faced the
opposite direction it picked up some light coming
from windows that I was unable to cover with the
studio curtain. If I had considered this when planning I
could have taken dark paper with me to black out
the windows, however I was unable to due to it being
a last minute decision. In the future I will consider this
beforehand, and really think about the use of my
location when storyboarding. Or I will choose a
different location that provides a lot more freedom
when filming.
The location for the outdoor shots was also a good
choice because it was a wide open area that was
rarely used by other people. In one shot I decided to
use a bike and by having such a wide space it was
easy to film and choregraph to the music. The only
downside of this location was that other people also
used it to ride their bikes, so when filming we had to
pay attention to them and try our best to keep them
out of the shots.
I have been able to keep up with my schedule well.
However, I feel I should have set aside more time for
filming any outdoor shots, or rehearsal time so that I
could practice any camera movement before hand
and not just the dancing element of the music video.
None – I have shot everything.
Week 7
How did you find the filming
process?
Did you encounter any problems
during filming? How did you
overcome them?
This week was spent filming
This week I filmed my short film. Compared to my
music video I found this filming process a lot easier. I
put aside two days for filming to ensure that
everything could be completed on time and so that I
had time to reshoot anything that I felt could be
improved on. This was a good idea because it meant
I was able to shoot everything to a high standard and
take my time working with my actor so that I paid
attention to every element of the short.
On the first day we were able to shoot everything, as
we worked efficiently, thanks to my detailed planning.
I took both my storyboard and script with me so that I
could continuously refer back to it and make sure I
shot everything as planned. This means I am much
more likely to produce a finished product that
communicates my message. This helped when
shooting as I didn’t waste time thinking about where
my camera would go, or how the framing would look.
Instead I was able to spend any spare time working
closely with my actor and helping them to create a
performance that was suitable for my piece.
As we were filming outside I had to keep an eye on
the sun, as it was December there was limited day
light, meaning we once again had to work efficiently
to get everything done in time. This was key because
the use of daylight can make it hard for each shot to
consistently look the same, however thanks to my
planning we were able to finish everything before the
sun set.
One problem I encountered when filming was bad
weather. This is something I had anticipated when
producing my location recces and I stated that bad
weather could disrupt my shoot, or make my shots
look inconsistent. In my location recce I stated that to
solve this problem I would check the weather
beforehand so that I could adapt how I was filming to
suit it or bring equipment that would allow us to
continue filming, such as umbrellas. I also decided to
shoot in an outdoor location that provided us access
to shelter should the weather get worse. We shot the
short film on a pathway outside my grandparent’s
house and we had access to their garage, which
allowed us to wait inside for any rain showers to pass,
without breaking any covid-19 restrictions. The
location was also close to my actors’ home in case

After reviewing footage, are you
happy with what you have
captured?
Have the techniques you planned
on using turned out well?
they needed a change of clothes due to bad
weather.
I also mentioned on my location recce that I would
check the weather before we began to make sure
we had time to shoot before any bad weather.
However, it did begin to rain before the forecast had
predicted it would, meaning we had to work quickly
to get inside, but thanks to my planning we were able
to continue filming with little disruption once it had
passed.
I am happy with my footage from this shoot. I filmed
every shot at least twice, meaning I have a lot of
footage to choose from in my editing stages. This also
means if anything doesn’t look right, I will be able to
use a different version of the shot to ensure my final
product is the best it can be. I didn’t feel any re-
shoots were necessary as I was bale to film everything
the first time to a standard I am happy with and feel I
will be able to edit the short with the footage I have.
When planning my short, I decided that I would use
framing and different shot types to communicate how
my main character is feeling, and their level of power
in each scene. I feel I was able to do this successfully
and it had reflected in the footage I gathered. For
example, I decided to use a wide shot at the start of
every scene to highlight that my main character is
alone in the street, which hints at some form of
danger as it is strange for a street to be completely
void of other people. This time of shot can also make
my man character look small and weak, which once
again suggests there is some form of danger nearby,
and that they wouldn’t be able to defend themselves
if there was.
When using framing I attempted to keep my main
character in the centre of the frame for most of the
shots. This draws the audience’s attention to them
and showcases their importance within the narrative. I
want my audience to feel a connection with this
character so that the dangerous plot twist at the end
of the short is much more impactful. I feel that by
focussing on the main character throughout the short
I will be able to highlight small moments that make
them loveable, such as how they move in time with
their music and how they dress themselves. These
things will draw the audience in and make them feel
for the character.

Week 8
How are you finding the editing
process this week?
Have you encountered any
problems whilst editing? How did
you overcome them?
I feel I have successfully incorporated all of these
ideas when filming and that they will work well
together in the final edit to communicate my short
film’s message.
This week was spent editing
This week I focussed on editing my short film. Unlike
the other editing periods I found this one was a lot
more challenging than usual, mostly down to the
current situation with covid-19. Due to the lockdown I
was unable to use Adobe Premiere Pro for editing
and instead had to find a new free software instead. I
chose to choose DaVinci Resolve which I have found
difficult to use as I am not used to it. However I feel I
have completed my work to the highest possible
standard considering the situation and have adapted
my ideas and editing style to suit the new software.
As mentioned above, one problem I encountered
was not having access to Adobe Premiere Pro when
editing. I struggled a lot at first when using DaVinci
Resolve, but found the longer I worked with it, the
easier it became.
One area in particular I struggles was using the colour
editing tools within the software as they worked
differently to the ones I am used to. For example,
when filming, in order to use the same actor twice in
one shot I had to take two shots with the camera in
the exact same position. However, when editing I
noticed that the colour was slightly different in both
shots, making the cut visible. I used YouTube videos to
try and figure out how the colour tools worked, and
how to match the two shots as closely as I could but
found there was always a slight change in colour
when the shots changed. In the end I found it was
much more effective to slowly fade one shot in and
the other out so that the change wasn’t noticeable at
all. I think in the future I will keep this in mind and if I
have to use DaVinci Resolve again I will make use of
my extra time to learn more about how it works and
practice different techniques using YouTube videos to
help me.
Another problem I encountered when editing was
that a lot of the audio my camera recorded wouldn’t
fit the short film. For example, as we filmed near to a

Are there any new techniques
you are trying to use during this
editing process?
Are you on track with all of your
work?
What work needs to be
completed outside of lessons?
school there was a lot of background noise of
children playing and talking. In my script it states that
the main character is completely alone in the film,
and therefore the audio was inappropriate for the
film. To solve this problem I decided to build up the
background noise myself using sound effects I
collected from the website Freesound. When doing
this I put the wind sound effect in first and used is as a
base, and then layered other sound effects on top,
such as birds. I also matched sounds to the visuals. For
example when a car drove past I made sure to fade
in and out the suitable sound effect.
When editing my short film I paid a great deal of
attention to the use of audio. This is because the film
uses no dialogue, so I wanted the music and sound
effects to effectively communicate the film’s mood
and message. Alongside editing the background
noise, I also focussed a lot on the use of music. I
decided to use music as diegetic sound in the film as
it is something I’ve never done before. This is
noticeable at two points within the film. The first time is
right at the start and the main character is listening to
music in her headphones, this becomes much clearer
when she takes her headphones out, as the music
cuts out, which communicates that the sound was
diegetic rather than non-diegetic. The music returns
again when the main character places her
headphones back in her ears, and once more later
on when she is wearing headphones again. However,
this time the music fades out and is replaced my non-
diegetic sound.
I found it somewhat challenging to edit these
moments as I wanted the music to cut out realistically
and make it clear that it was coming from her
earphones. In order to do this I faded to music to
halfway when the actor took her first earphone out,
and then faded it out the rest of the way when she
took out the second earphone. At first I was unsure if it
fit the film’s mood, but once I had shown the finished
production to someone and received their feedback
I decided that I would keep it in, as it tells the
audience more about the character herself.
Yes.
None.
Week 9 This week was spent editing

How did you finding the editing

process?
Have you encountered any
problems whilst editing? How did
you overcome them?
Are you happy with the outcome
of your productions? Why?
How did your productions meet
your target audience?
What aspects of your productions
could have been better targeted
to your audience?
How effectively have you
matched the codes and
conventions you researched
earlier in the unit?
How do you feel your work
compares to existing professional
productions?
Are there any areas where your
production falls short? How would
you improve it next time?
What have you learnt about
yourself to take into the Final
Major Project? What do you
personally need to improve on?
Are you on track with all of your
work?
What work needs to be
completed outside of lessons?