Blog 9 – Health and Safety

Health and safety is very important on a film set, you have to make sure that nobody hurts themselves on set for instance loose wires. This is a hazard on the film set because it can do serious harm to somebody. I am going to list below a few safety measurements that will require to be followed;

 

Lighting;

When handling lighting you have to make sure that you are wearing gloves because the light will be extremely hot that it will burn you when approached without care. As a crew member of production you can help with any heavy handling and also make sure that everybody is following the health and safety guidelines.

Trip Hazards;

In a set there must not be anything laying about because this can be highly dangerous. To avoid this, all wires should be taped down and tripods weighed down, and removed out of the way. This is to take safety precautions.

Fire Hazards;

You will find that every set must have a fire exit to escape in the case of a fire, and a fire extinguisher. All flammable equipment must be kept away from equipment that could potentially start a fire.

Set Handling and Rigging;

In a production set there are a large number of things that require to be moved back and fourth, and if this is not proceeded with caution then it can be very hazardous and inflict injury because of the weight of certain things that may require to be lifted. Communication with the person that you will be working alongside is essential because you have to look out and help on another on set. Riggers need to have clear communication skills especially when directing where an object is to be placed.

Smoke and explosions;

When wanting to have effect such as these then you have to make sure you seek permission from the council and then have access to a permit showing that you are permitted to use these effects. When using these effects you need to follow the health and safety guideline and make sure the public are not in the way.

Fire Exits and escape routes;

For every set there will be fire safety procedures and routes where by you can leave just in case of a fire. All sets may not have the exact same procedure but the underline goal is to make sure that you leave the building safely.

Public;

When filming in a public place you will need to have signs to show that production is taking place and security to make sure that nobody is wondering around the premises, because this can distract the production and can also be dangerous.

Part 2;

During our production for Let the Clock Chime On [LTCCO] the crew made sure that there weren’t any loose wires just laying about on the floor and made sure that tripods were out of the way so that nobody can trip and fall over them. Here is the risk assessment that was carried out before the shoot:

risk-assessment-form3 (1)

Asha Nakawoya

Blog 8 – The wider sector

Part 1 – sectors;

Film;

This sector is designed to tell a narrative to an audience and engage them to a continuous story line. You can access films on many platforms such as online etc Netflix, DVDs and the cinema. This sector can combine with other sectors such as music.

Music videos;

technology is evolving everyday there is something new. Micheal Jackson had a huge impact on the world of music, being the first to create a narrative for a music video.

Music have a a major link with the film sector because there are so many colabs for instance the James Bond film Skyfall was a very successful film with Adele singing the theme tune Skyfall, this is an example of the two sectors emerging.

Live performances;

This gives the audience an opportunity to engage in live performances ( acts or musicals etc ). An example of a live performance is Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet.

Part 2;

Director X is a male director that works on the production of music videos and short films. He has been noting to work on high-budget music video sets for celebrities such as;

• Beyonce
• Nicki Minaj
• Kanye West
• David Guetta

These are just a few names of the celebrities he has worked with;

His work has been recognized by many people and he has also won awards for best visuals. His work in terms of the aesthetics is very bright and always highly entertaining. His most recent music video that he has directed is Little Mix featuring Sean Paul – Hair.

Director X’s work link to the wider film industry because he also directs short films as well as music videos. After this he will collaborate the two (emerging of 2 sectors)

Here is a link of his current work;

 

This video reflects the same as Fifth Harmon’s video “Work”. His work regarding Female music groups share very similar similarities;

Asha Nakawoya

Blog 7 – Technical Skills

The resources required in making a short film are:

• Cameras
• Lenses
• Props
• Boom Mics
• Gaffer
• Spark
• Makeup artist
• Tripod
• Lights
• Budget
• Laptop
• Monitors

 

My role was the location manager, so I had to find potential places for us to shoot. I didn’t need much equipment all I took with me was a camera and pen and paper to write down my own ideas of what I thought would make good locations, also to help me remember what I thought because we visited many locations with Emma and Conrad. Because I already knew how to use a camera it didn’t take much skills i just had to make sure that the photos were clear so that i could take them back to my group and discuss what they also think.

Part 2;

As location manager I never knew how important this role was before, but now I have a much better understanding that this job role is crucial, you need to have sets and locations for a production its a must or there would be no productions. My feedback that i received from my peers is that i had good time management and a good eye for detail. This is because it took me one day to find the locations this was because i worked closely with the director and producer so I knew what they had in mind and I went with what i thought would work well. A good eye was because i would focus on the detail for instance the scene where Juliet is looking at herself in the refection and then suddenly she sees Romeo through the same reflection.

Here is the link to our finished film;

 

Asha Nakawoya

Blog 6 – Effective working relationships

You have to have an effective working relationship when going into the film industry this will make your life so much easier and also the people around you (your colleagues). You have to have patience and understanding with everybody on your team to achieve a successful production.

• Time keeping is crucial because as you are working towards a dealing for the end of the production you need to be able to have time management and know when what is happening.

 

• You need to be able to be reliable because if you are asked to do something and you don’t come through you are wasting production time and money. You need to be focused and quick on your feet this way you are able to make a good impression.

 

• Use your initiative for instance if the lights go out on set don’t just wait for somebody to do something about it, you may use your initiative and substitute with candles until the lights are working again. Don’t always await on basic instructions.

 

• You should be able to work and get on well with your colleagues because what you think about one another has a massive impact on how you correspond together, you have to be able to support one another and take responsibility when necessary

 

• Keep a positive attitude when you are at work this makes the mood lighter and makes everybody in the mood to work.

 

All these factors are important because wen making a production of course you want you production to be the best it can be so you have to make sure that the atmosphere on stage and behind stage is good and there are no distractions so that everybody can be getting on with their roles.

This impacts other because people don’t want to come into work and be shouted at because you are in a bad mood it causes too much intensity and makes people loose focus where as in a more relaxed environment.

Part2;

During the production I worked alongside Isabelle the director. I worked as a location manager and we got on very well. This is because we kept it professional, I knew my role and she knew hers, also there was a mutual respect that we had for one another. I admire her creativity as a director and she admired my fast thinking and fast reaction. As director she knew what she wanted from the get go, a lot of us were actually very sceptical in the beginning but we dealt with it in a professional manor and we were happy with our results “mindless beauty”

I actually didn’t get peer assessed because i was not present on the day but I was also working alongside Conrad whom was also a Location Manager for the other production team let the clock chime on. We were able to support each other and give each other ideas on potentially good locations. On Conrad’s  blog he talks about what it was like being a Location manager in a conversation with Eelyn and the group.

” Eelyn: Would you like to do a summary of uh yeah, a self appraisal and, just a quick one in terms of your collaborative working, how your behavior impacted on the rest of the team.

Conrad: Well, I spent most of the pre-production… doing work as the location manager… um…… well uh I think… I had to work a lot with Lydia… for the, first half of it which was… quite nice, she’s a nice person. Going around look-, taking pictures, for the locations… most of the work came, working with… trying to coordinate with Emma, where we could… film, which was a bit difficult because a lot of it was… a week before the actual… filming of it… so it, it was a bit stressful and there were lots of last minute, changes… the last couple of days… it was a bit annoying but… I think… I think I did well, talking to Emma, keeping everyone informed in the group, what’s going on… so that’s… quite good. ”

Conrad’s statement is very accurate we also co-ordinated with Emma because she was the one that actually took us around the Barbarian to find suitable places for us to shoot and she was managing and trying to book places for us to visit for possible locations.

25th Nov	Everybody was given a role and I was given the role of location manager. I had never done this before and it isn’t what I normally do in a production but I knew it would be a good experience.
28th Nov	During the Pre- Production Emma took myself and the other location manager (Conrad) around the Barbican to look for potential places to shoot our film.
2nd Dec	I took the director to the locations that I thought would be best for us to film so that she could vision and also take a look and we agreed that the places fit our narrative. I then went back and completed a risk assessment.
5th Dec	The director and casting director held auditions for the people that wanted to take part in our production.
12th Dec	Independent meeting was held at the Barbican do discuss any last minute changes and to make sure that everybody knew what they had to do.
6th Jan	After I had done my bit as location manager there wasn’t anything for me to do because I had finished everybody so I just helped with any extra work that my team told me to help with just to make sure that we start the production on time.
10th Jan	The final brief meeting was held at the Barbican to see if everybody was on track and to see if anybody needed any additional help.
16th Jan	Started shooting mindless beauty, my role was production manager.
17th Jan	The other team started shooting Let the clock chime on and some of us just played as background extras to help them out.
24th Jan	The editors started to assemble everything together in the Post Production. Peer-to-Peer evaluation meetings also took place.
30th & 31st Jan	The cut for the film was completed.
19th Mar	Chronic film festival was held at the Barbican cinema where our films premiered.

Blog 5 – Copyright and Film

Producer Kate Wilson came in and spoke to our group about copyright and the laws within the industry.

Copyright makes sure that your idea cannot be plagiarised by somebody else and shows that you have full ownership of that particular idea. An agreement is handed out before the launch of the production.

Intellectual property;

The producer has to make and sign an agreement with the owner of the work. This allows them to use their work for the film. Any form of original creation that can bought or sold.

Options agreement;

Filmmakers have bought the right of a creation and may use it in upcoming future projects. However the filmmakers may have to pay a small fortune.

Chain of title;

This involves documentation which establishes property rights of a film. This is like evidence of the ownership and creator of the work. you have to assure that all documentation is present as it can be hard to prove if paperwork is missing.

Location agreement;

This law is to make payments for the locations that will be used in production. Areas in the streets are fine to film but filming on private ground you will need permission. We were filming inside the Barbican so we didn’t need permission because they knew what it was for and we were BFI Film students.

Music;

Whatever music is used you have to make sure that you pay the record company to having their soundtrack in your film, otherwise you can be sued.

Asha Nakawoya

BLOG 4: Progession routes

I have taken part in the 2015/2016 BFI film academy and it has been such a great experience for me learning and understanding what it takes to work within the film industry. I feel as though I came in with somewhat of knowledge about the film industry in terms of the job roles, equipment etc. but being at the BFI has taught me beyond more than I could have expected for instance I didn’t know that sound was so crucial to the making of a film and this is what Winston taught us.

Eelyn Lee is an award winning artist filmmaker that we have been so blessed to work alongside. Her production company is called Eelyn Lee Productions and her phenomenal work has been showcased in cities such as Paris and Toronto. Eelyn has a degree and post-graduate in fine art, but focuses on performance and the moving image. In 2004 Eelyn then went on to open her own production company under her own name and started working alongside youths for many years. Ever since then Eelyn has created her own productions such as;

• Beneath the hood
• Youth of today
• Life and deaf  etc.

Eelyn then made a film in 2014 Monster which was nominated for the BAFTA Qualifying Aesthetical short film festival.

Winstan Whitter is a Director of photography that we had the pleasure of working alongside of also. Winstan made me realise that there was more to the aspects of creating a film than I ever knew and that all roles matter. Winstan had a passion for skateboarding in his youth years which is nice to know that your hobby can be different from your passion, but you can still be passionate about both at the same time. Winstan started off filming his friends skateboarding and realised that he loved to film ever since. In 1999 he became a camera grip, after this he became a key grip working on over 50 short films such as;

• Drama features
• Ads
• Children’s TV programme

Some of you may know the children tv programme called “Sir Gadabout”, Winstan contributed to the production of this programme.

Gabriella Apicella is a screenwriter and tutor, she has written many short films and has also written for events. She is also t co-founder of The Underwire Festival that look out and showcase new female filmmaking talent. Some of her work has been made into short films and used as experimental theatre projects an have been commissioned for sound art installation. Gabriella has been on the board of Euroscript for an amazing 6 years. She is also an activist for equality and human rights. In 2010 Gabriella has her premiere screening of film “Hooray for Hollwood” which then went on to the bigger screens at amnesty international headquarters. Her films include;

• Beyond Marilyn
• Honest Lies
• Hooray for Hollywood etc.

Part 2

Future plans and progression route;

I plan to finish the BFI and achieving a certificate stating that I have completed this course. I also then hope to finish my Level 3 BTEC media and progress into an under-graduate degree of Film and Television production. Whilst I am doing this I will be looking for a runner job before the end of 2016 so that I can get some extra knowledge of the film industry that I aspire to go into. I want to get hands on and work on a set before I go to uni but I have to look for the opportunities for instance I need to go to things like BBC Writers room and check for any recent update or competitions that I may be able to enter or just email production companies asking them if they would be able to take me on as work experience.

Asha Nakawoya

 

 

 

Blog 9: Health & Safety

Whilst major accidents on film sets are unlikely, there are measures that have to be put in place to ensure the safety of everyone involved. These include:

Lighting –

Using artificial lighting on a film set means everyone has to be aware of when they are turned on, off etc. The lighting technicians on set need to make sure they have their lights at an angle that doesn’t shine in someone’s eye, as well as making sure they tell the set when they are turning the lights on. On our set, this procedure ran smoothly as people were made aware of the lights, so no one got hurt.

Trip Hazards – 

Film sets are full with wires because of the sheer amount of equipment used. Therefore, there is the possibility that people will trip over the wires and hurt themselves, so they have to be correctly taped down with gaffer tape to minimize the problem. Tripod legs should also be weighted down if necessary. On our set, every time we moved to a new location we would tape down the wires and make sure there were no cables that anyone would trip over.

Fire Hazards – 

There are many things that are flammable on a film set. The lights in particular can get very hot and therefore is in danger of burning someone or catching fire. All electrical equipment on set must be PAT tested, which means it is officially tested to check its safe to use. More info on that can be found here. It needs to be clear to everyone on set the fire exits and escape routes in case of an emergency. On our set, there were no fires as the equipment was kept safely away from flammable objects.

Set Handling & rigging – 

On a set, when lifting heavy objects you have to act with caution. Everyone lifting the sets have to be in clear communication with each other so to not cause any accidents. The area in which there will be things moving around also needs to be clear of any kit, people and general obstacles. On our set there was one incident in particular where crew members had to move massive poles across a room which was virtually crowded with fellow crew members and some extras. In hindsight it would have been best to clear the area, as we did almost have  a close call knocking the pole into someones head. The day before though, we had to do a similar thing and communication was better as it all went smoothly.

Explosions & Smoke Effects –

When using effects on a film set it is likely you’ll have to get a permit or a license, especially if its inside, so the building knows and it will not trigger off any alarms. Safety precautions need to be in place for the cast and crew, as well as any members of the public so that they are aware of the potential dangers surrounding them. We used a smoke machine on our set, which did trigger the alarms and caused an evacuation of the gallery at the Barbican as whilst they disabled the alarms upon us telling them, they didn’t expect the smoke to travel to the floor below and set off those alarms.

Public – 

When filming in a public place, there has to be signs and security in place to warn the public of what is happening. It is wise to close of an area of the space for filming so that people are kept away from the set. For us, floor 4 of the Barbican was virtually empty on both days so we could set up a base there easily. We filmed a lot of stuff on the ground floor, in a room closed off to the public, and apart from having to avoid people when carrying equipment down there, there were no real problems.

Here is a real example of a risk assessment and here is the one made by our location manager Conrad for our filming of Let the Clock Chime On at the Barbican

BLOG 9- Health and Safety

II Health and Safety Briefing at Watershed Cinema

Working on films sets can be very dangerous and busy , but can also lead to various hazards and  accidents which could lead to a crew member being injured or equipment breaking. So I have constructed a list on what hazards could occur when filming on set.
Lighting: When turning on lights you should be aware of the brightness and not look at them to closely . Also lights heat up very quickly and can lead to burns so to prevent this put on a pair of gloves before turning them on. If you’re using a light you need to be wearing gloves to avoid accidentally burning yourself. You also need to warn people beforehand that you are turning the lights on so no one gets blinded by the brightness.

Fire Hazard:  As on set there are many flammable materials such as costume which could be lit by equipment that gets heated quickly. It is important to teach a fire procedure, keep flammable materials away from lights, have fire extinguishers and fire escapes just in case of a fire.
Wires: To prevent crew from tripping or accidents it is important for wires to be taped down at all time.  To prevent other tripping hazards tripod legs should also be weighed down to prevent from falling.
 Set Handling & Rigging: As sets can be extremely heavy is it important that the riggers or people moving the set have good communication as it needs to be clear on where it is being set and where.

Smoke and Explosions: Many films like to use explosions or smoke however you will need a license in order to do this so that fire or smoke alarms go of .Therfore you need to inform the  crew that smoke will be used as it could hurt someone and the public.

Public: To stop the public from getting hurt or interfering it is important that signs are put up and that there is security .

Part 2

An example of a health and safety issue would be when the smoke alarm went of for one of the scenes . We had told the building that smoke would be used howver when alarm wnet off leading to the building having to be evacuated but the problem was quickly resolved and the public returned to the building.

Risk Assessment Form3

Blog 9: Health and Safety

Even though films are deemed to be one of the most glamorous industries to work in film sets are extremely dangerous due to the amount of equipment and technology that is required.  Here are some of the hazards and how they can be be made safer.

Lighting: The big lights used on film sets can become extremely hot. So it is important to be wearing thick gloves while using them and adjusting them to avoid burning your skin. Also before moving them, notify others so that they are cautious around the lights too.

Fire Hazard: While on set, note down all the fire escapes and make sure the rest of the crew know where they are before filming. Also keep at hand fire extinguishers and keep flammable materials away from hot lights or generators.

Wires: It is easy to trip on wires or even to rip them and expose the electric currents.  For this reason it is important to keep gaffer tape around at all times and stick the wires securely to the ground for each shot. Especially when travelling to different locations for the shoot. This will make the filming process a lot safer for the crew as well as the equipment. 

Set Handling and Rigging: Some of the equipment can be really heavy sometimes. So it is important to have multiple people working on moving/readjusting the heavy equipment.  This is important for both the crew and the equipments safety. It is important to know exactly how the equipment works before trying to use it.

Smoke and Explosions: If you want to add this to your film, yu must have the precautionary supplies near you.  You will need hazmats, fire extinguishers as well as a well ventilated area.  These cool effects can be very dangerous to everyones health and it is important that every member of the crew know when and how the explosions are about to go off.

Public: Filming in public calls for many legal documents especially if there are general people around.  So make sure to have all documents with you to be presented when required. Also people might walk onto the set without realising so it is crucial to have signs and many even guards to stop them when they are about to do so.

We used smoke for our shoot for the time travelling scene. We filmed this inside the barbican so we had crew members on guard to help the public go around the set.  We were being very responsible and cautious until we realised we were not in a well ventilated area. Since the area was not ventilated properly, we ended up setting off the fire alarm which caused everyone to panic and leave the building, however despite that no one was hurt so that’s a plus. One of the things that was really helpful to maintain a safe set was the use of gaffer tape on the wires. We had so many wires for the lights, the cameras and microphones that it was hard to keep track of all of them, so as soon as we were set for the scene we would take the wires all down so none of the cast/crew would trip over them while filming.

Blog 8: The Wider Sector

Part 1

There are many links to the film industry.  There are ways to go from one section of the industry to the other as they all intertwine. Some of the other industries in the media sector are music videos, advertising, theatre, etc. The creative industry is a massive one.

For example, lets look at Snow White & The Hunstman.

This film, directed by Rupert Sanders, was a major hit due to its exposure in the sector. The film is based off of an old fairy-tale, but is given its own twist to it.  This shows that any types of industries can be linked to the film industry. The campaign for promoting this film was also linked to the music industry.  The theme song for this film was sang by Florence + The Machine. The filmmakers decided to produce the music video for that song by adding clips of the film into it for promotional purposes. The music video was received well and got more than 9 million views. Advertising via these productions can be very expensive as music videos can cost millions of pounds to make sometimes.  One of the most expensive music videos ever shot was Scream by Michael Jackson, which cost about $7 million.  Another way to link a film to a music video is by advertising onto the video.  For example, one of the most famous music videos out now is ‘Hello’ by artist Adele. Underneath every music video on youtube there is a space for advertising.  This music video is a great opportunity to advertise films or other products which fits the demographic of the video viewers.

Films are also linked to theatre/live performances.  Wicked, by play writers Honnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz,  is the theatre remake of the famous book/film ‘The Wizard of Oz’.  Originally written by L. Frank Baum published in 1990 as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Wicked has been on the theatre scene since 2003 and provides content promotions for the original book, and its film adaptation, as well as its previous theatre adaptation.

Part 2

The film industry would not be as magnificent as it is unless it was linked to various other industries. It is the combination of the different skills and jobs that allow the audience to be surrounded by film all the time.

For this reason people with other skillets can find themselves as being a gem within the film sector. An example of this being, David Fincher.

During the early stages of his life, Fincher worked at Forty Films as a production assistant. He slowly worked his way up to various different roles, including camera assistant and visual effects producer. It is easy to tell that his main goal was always to work in film, however his early directorial pieces of work were for commercials, most famously one of the America Cancer Society. This edgy and awareness demanding advertisement got his name realised by hot shot Los Angeles producers and eventually landed him the opportunity to direct documentary The Beat Of The Live Drum (1985). Despite this breakthrough Fincher continued to direct commercials for the biggest retail companies such as Levi’s, Sony, Pepsi, Chanel, etc.

After this stage of his life, Fincher discovered the power within music videos. This then catapulted his career as he got noticed by some of the worlds leading musicians. He worked for the best of the best and directed some music videos, for example We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off by Jermaine Stewart and Vogue by Madonna. Fincher was able to do this as he has co-created a company called Propaganda Films, where him and many other big hollywood names such as Micheal Bay, Zack Snyder and Antoin Fuqua cultivated their skills before heading off to direct some of the biggest blockbusters in history.

Fincher then made his film directorial debut with Alien 3 in 1992.  This went on to win an oscar for best visual effects. Since then he has won numerous awards and be offered script from the best screenwriters and also created the biggest blockbusters, for example, Fight Club, Gone Girl, Panic Room, Seven and many more.

Fincher is now still working as a director in film as well as debuting his television career by  producing the netflix series House of Cards. He even directed the first few episodes of it.

Fincher’s incredible career goes to show the links between the different sections within the media industry and how closely everyone works.