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 7: Technical Skills

Technical Skills Part 1 

These are the technical equipment needed on a film set:

• Cameras
• Lenses
• Tripods
• Lighting equipment
• Clapper
• Reflectors
• Recording equipment (e.g boom microphone)

These are the resources needed to complete a short film – I will need many of these for my role as art director:

• Costume
• Makeup
• Props
• Actors
• Specialist help
• Specific set requirements
• Set movers
• Editing facilities (computer, editing software e.g final cut pro)

 

Technical Skills Part 2

I was the art director for the shoot ‘Let the Clock Chime On’, which required virtually no technical preparation although there was a lot that I needed to do.  For the most part i learned about organisation skills, time management, people management, always being prepared and the importance of getting costume and makeup plans ready on time. 

I sought help from mostly the director in pre-production, however during the shoot my assistant, the producer, the DOP as well as the director helped out to dress the scene and organise the actors. We hired a make-up artist to do the make-up for the actors, with help from head shots of people from the period we were trying to style to point the artist in the right direction. As for costumes, all of the costumes were easy to source as they were for the most part everyday clothing; anything the actors couldn’t bring i brought in from my wardrobe or a charity shop.

If i were to do it again I would sort out props and costume for each scene thoroughly. Especially costume; consulting with the actors well in advance is key to a smooth running shoot.

To develop further, I need to understand time management more and be more prepared to handle difficult situations and problem solve on the spot.

Here is an overview of the technical skills i learned as art director.

Blog 6: Effective working relationships

Part 1

These are some of the factors that constitute an effective relationship on a film set:

• Be open to others’ ideas
• Communication
• Be respectful
• Be flexible with time and ideas, don’t be too stubborn about what you want to do
• Be supportive.
• Compromise.
• Show initiative if something isn’t working/something goes wrong.
• Organisational skills; time management; be certain of what you have to do and how you’re going to do it.
• Respect each others roles in the production, don’t get involved when its not your place.
• Help others when you’re free.
• Follow health and safety guidelines; don’t put yourself or others at unnecessary risk.

Part 2

Production Log for our film, ‘Let the Clock Chime On’

Wed 25th November:

– Roles allocated

– Initial thoughts of directors

-Outlining exactly what our job entails – what i have to do as an art director.

Sat 28th November:

– Talking with director about her vision, branching on from initial thoughts

-Working with director and DOP to construct an understanding of the script and develop ideas into an initial prop list/ storyboard

Wed 2nd December:

– Final outline of props/costumes in need of purchase

-Final artistic visions of the film given by the director

– Meeting with the director to clarify progress of production.

Sat 5th December:

-Casting

-We were happy with our cast:

Thea Balich, Liz Stevens & Saorise Addison

December:

-Independent production meetings where we kept up to date with progress and identified areas we needed to improve before the shoot.

Wed 6th January:

-Final preparation

-Communication via group chat to our director to enable us to continue working even in her absence

Our shoot would’ve happened on the 9th but this was changed to the 17th. It would’ve been a literal disaster if it was on the 9th – our group benefitted massively from the other groups shoot the day before. We were determined to be more organised and keep on time.

A peer to peer evaluation on my performance as art director can be found here.

Blog 5: Copyright

Producer Kate Wilson came to talk to us about different kinds of copyright agreements that have to be made before you start film production. Copyright by definition is “The exclusive and assignable legal right, given to the originator for a fixed number of years, to print, publish, perform, film, or record literary, artistic, or musical material.”

Copyright is important as it protects the creator/owner of that material from getting their material stolen without credit to them. If you are caught using copyrighted material without consent, it is likely you’re work will get removed, and you may have to pay the owner civil damages.

The copyright agreements are as follows:

Intellectual Property

This is the idea – there has to be an agreement between that who came up with the idea and the filmmakers/producers that want to use it.

Location Agreement

This is an agreement that the filmmakers can make a film at a certain location, usually by paying the owners of that location a sum of money. For example, you can rent the London Underground for £500 an hour.

Options Agreement 

This is the agreement that the studios has all rights to the film and any possible sequels for a set amount of time with the goal of creating the film within that time frame.

Chain of Title 

This is the paperwork that proves that the filmmaker/studio has the rights to make the film, tying up any loose ends or uncertainty within the production.

 

These can be somewhat applied to our film ‘Let the Clock Chime On’:

Location

All our scenes were filmed at the Barbican, which we didn’t have to pay for. We filmed one scene at Bunhill Cemetery that we had to get an agreement to use for one short scene.

Music

For our 1970’s party scene we will have to use 1970’s style music, however we will not need any copyright agreements as we will try to get it composed and made ourselves so that we own it and don’t have to go through the hassle of paying for music of that time.

 

Blog 4: Progression Routes

Here is examples of contrasting progression routes into the industry:

•  Filip L. Firlej came accompanied with the cast of his film ‘If It Be Love’ to talk to us about how they made the film, and also their journeys and how they came to work on the project. Filip was fascinated when he was younger by the film ‘Independence Day’, in particular one shot of a UFO. He started watching behind the scenes footage of the film and how they made that shot, which made him interested in more behind the scenes specials of how different movies were made, and subsequently learned a lot about film production. Filip then went to UCL to study French, which he was already fluent in, so he could use the state of the art film facilities the university has. He then went on to do a Master’s in Film, Business & Finance, before working for a producer and learning about licensing for films, etc. Now, Filip hopes to start a production company off the back of his new film.

 

•    We also spoke to Kate Wilson who talked to us about producing. She went to UCLA to      study English Literature, but took film courses on the side and came out with a minor in film. Then she got an internship at Jodie Foster’s production company, where she read scripts to see if Jodie would want to take them on, and developed the ones she would like further. After the internship, she got a permanent job there and after some years went to work as an adviser for Paul Thomas Anderson. She then went to London and was head of department at the London Film School where she looked for originality when reading scripts.

 

There is a number of different ways to enter the film industry. We had a talk from Yen Yau who said that there are six main criteria that it is useful to fulfil  in order to have a better chance of getting a job in film. These are having a driving license, having a university degree, frequently making your own short films, speaking a foreign language, having a film related degree/going on a film course,  and getting a first aid certificate.

For me, all of these things are achievable. Being only 16, i cannot drive a car or get a degree just yet, but everything else is easily within reach. I have already made a few short films, including the ones on this course, and will continue to do so whilst still in education, and beyond. There are many different options available to break into the industries, some others include through work experience on set (being a runner, etc), having a mentor in the industry, and doing work in other art-y fields such as theatre.

BFI Blog 3: Roles and Responsibilities

This is a diagram of the key roles people have whilst working on a film project.

Producer: 

The producer oversees every part of the filmmaking process. They usually hire the director, handle the finances and business aspects of the production, as well as check that everything is going smoothly, and handle any problems if things are not.

Screenwriter:

The screenwriter structure the characters, dialogue and plot into a screenplay, which is then given to the director to help bring that script to life.

Actor:

Actors are responsible for acting out their part in the script, by following what the director tells them to do on set.

Director:

The director controls the film’s artistic aspects by directing everything on camera to portray on screen the vision in the director’s mind. The director works closely with the script to translate the words and characters into real life. They also work with the director of photography to ensure that the camera angles are right for every scene.

Director of photography/ Cinematographer:

This is the person in charge of shooting the film. They work with the director to work out the right camera angles for each scene, and then oversees the shooting process.

Art director: 

The art director oversees the art department; those responsible for props and production design.

Location manager:

The location manager finds ideal locations to shoot the film. They then negotiate the terms and fees for shooting on that location, as well as how long they’re going to be there. During the shoot, they look over the location and check there aren’t any problems.

Editor:

The editor works in post-production, bringing together the visual and audio elements, with help from the director, to piece together the final film.

INTERRELATIONSHIPS IN DEPARTMENTS:

Many departments have to work together during the film. The producer would have to work with the director, more in pre-production, to plan the shoot and outline the vision of the film. The art department would have to work with the director to gather his vision for costumes, props, etc, and whilst shooting, they would have to work with lighting and the D.O.P  to make sure every colour co-ordinates with the background, etc. Sound would also work with the D.O.P to make sure the boom isn’t in shot. These are some examples of how when on a shoot, virtually every department has to overlap and work together.

FILM CHALLENGE:

Our film challenge was to reenact a scene from Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Romeo & Juliet’. I was the director for basically all the day despite it being for only one scene, as we spent most of the day shooting it. For the last part i was a very rushed and angry Tybalt.

As for my role as director, my strengths lied in the ability to make sure everyone knew what they were doing. There was quite a lot of shots, from all different angles so i had to make sure that the actors knew where their hand was at certain points, etc, to make sure there were no continuity errors. In similar fashion, we filmed each shot out of order so that we didn’t have to keep moving the camera, so i often had to let the actors know what they were doing at that precise moment and how it had changed from the shot we filmed previously.

My weakness was inexperience particularly when it came to time management, we only had a couple of hours to film it and we spent most of those hours on the scene that i directed, so perhaps i could’ve made things run more smoothly. There was an incident where we couldn’t use the location we wanted and had to improvise, and that caused a lot of time to be out of our hands but still, it was an issue as the last scene was very much rushed.

 

 

Blog 2: The Working Culture of the Film Industry

Yesterday we did a film exercise where we recreated a scene from Romeo & Juliet (1997). We learnt that there are a five main points that outline the working culture of the film industry; these are:

1. Time Management:

• It is important to plan ahead in order to keep to a timed schedule
• Make sure you get all the shots you need from one angle/place so that you don’t have to keep going back and forth
• 1st AD is under a lot of pressure to make sure everyone is on schedule
• Planning has to include being aware of takes that will take longer than usual  (for example, the first set-up always takes a long time)
• Prioritising tasks
• Settign clear, time senstitive goals.

2. Using your initiative

• When things to do with location aren’t working, such as an unwanted light showing through, you need to be able to work with things around you to prevent this
• Being flexible/ creative when you’re confronted with an issue
• Being able to make informed decisions on the spot

3. Taking Responsibility

• Sticking to your own role and being responsible for yourself
• Doing your job/ being able to admit when you have made a fault
• Getting things done within a timeframe

4. The pressures of  working on set

• Time is a big pressure – being able to work within a time frame
• Accepting the stressful environment  – not taking things personally if you’re shouted at
• Being aware of other peoples jobs and trusting other people to do their jobs
• Planning is essential to relieve stress and minimising amount of crises.

5. Good working practice

• Planning ahead and being able to stick to that schedule
• Being flexible in different situations to find solutions
• Staying focused on your own job – this can relieve stress as you are less influenced by other people’s jobs

When we went out and shot our recreation of a scene from Romeo & Juliet, we identified time as the main problem. We only had 2 hours to get every shot done, and by the end we were diverting from our scheduled 10-minutes-per-shot plan in order to complete everything on time. We worked together well and by the end of the day we had created a smooth working culture, and we managed to get all our shots. Here is the finished product.

Blog 1: Film Reviews

A few weeks ago, Sonia Zadurian, a film reviewer for Cine Vue and Birds Eye View, came to talk to us about how to structure a good film review. She split the structure up into 4 parts. These were:

1. Background information. This includes key people (leading actors, director, possibly writer), awards received, year it was released, etc.
2. Brief synopsis of film. 4/5 sentences, outlining basic plot and starting opinions of film.
3. 3 points. The 3 things that stood out most to the reviewer. This can be positive or negative, usually justifying the star rating given.
4. Conclusion. This is a short summary of the reviewer’s opinion, and whether they recommend it to their audience.

Here is an example of a film review written by Sonia.

————————————————————————————————-

‘Gasman’ – Film Review

Lynne Ramsay, most famously known for ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin’ (2011) and ‘Ratcatcher’ (1999), added a Cannes Jury Prize, a Scottish BAFTA and the Atlantic film festival’s International Award to her collection of accolades through the 1998 short film ‘Gasman’, of which she both wrote and directed.

The film follows a young girl Lynne through her struggles and confusion at her complicated family situation. It’s brilliance is rooted in Ramsay’s ability to create a eerie and distorted portrayal of Northern, working class family life in the 1970’s, as the viewer is taken down a path of uncertainty, in which things only really become clear near the end, as Lynne, and subsequently the viewer, is hit with a sudden realisation that her family life is not quite as it seems.

The focus shifts away from dialogue for most of the film, as the viewer is forced to focus on the details on screen; location, movements, etc. These all hold a meaning which goes beyond a basic tool like dialogue, and helps the viewer delve deeper into the world that Lynne lives in. The subtext of the short communicates a deeper message of family, deceit, and working class Scotland. All this is seemingly effortlessly communicated by Ramsay, who sneaks in small references to not only the realisation Lynne comes to at the end, but also the deeper meaning to the short.

This short, whilst on the forefront appears simple and one-dimensional, unravels slowly into a complex and eerily realistic film which is creatively manipulated through the looking glass of a young girl.

Romeo & Juliet (1996) review: 

Baz Luhrmann made his Hollywood debut with a modern take on William Shakespeare’s widely known play ‘Romeo & Juliet’. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes as Romeo & Juliet respectively, and is set instead in the fictional Verona Beach – one of many references to the original script. In true Luhrmann style the movie is riddled with fast paced, theatrical cinematography, which at points makes the movie hard to watch, but certainly makes it harder to fall asleep.

The movie starts off with a TV news anchor reporting on Romeo & Juliet’s death, giving us the hindsight we had in the original play in regards to their fates. There is then a massive shootout between the Capulets and the Montagues to introduce their fierce rivalry, which plays out as more pretence than anything, with the use of old Shakespearian language, contrasting the obviously not Shakespearian time, with guns and Hawaiian shirts galore.

We are introduced to an angsty and brooding Romeo – finally something that relates to the original script – and everything kind of goes downhill from there. Romeo & Juliet meet, they fall in love within seconds, marry within days and then everybody dies. For me, no matter what way you sugar-coat it, this story is yawn worthy from the moment Romeo starts crying about his lost love only to get over her literally a day later. I will say though, the last scene where they both die *tragically* is pretty brutal and heartbreaking, the acting from Leo there is great, really bringing out Romeo’s tendency to just permanently cry about everything. 

Some good things though – whilst the use of the original language from the script is somewhat hard to follow, the actors did a good job of transferring it onto screen. It wasn’t perfect, but for pretty much beginners DiCaprio and Danes – and for the rest of the cast – it was good enough. The film was very fast paced, whilst it was kind of a bit over the top, it was supposed to be, and Luhrmann was creative with it.

The use of colours and costume to show the difference between the two families worked really nicely, as the dark, sophisticated Capulets contrasted the colourful, clumsy Montagues. My favourite bit though, the little references to the original script, were fun to find and gave me confidence that Luhrmann had actually read the play beyond hitting copy and paste into his word file, only stopping to add a gas station shoot out here and there.

Overall, this movie is creative in the way it tells an uncreative story, using visuals and crazy camera movements to keep the audience awake. You’ll enjoy it either way, whether you laugh at its flamboyant nature, or cry along with the characters – there is something in it for everyone.

Hamlet (1964) Review:

This Soviet interpretation of Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ – influenced heavily by the Soviet regime – was directed by Grigori Kozintsev and stars Innokenty Smoktunovsky as Prince Hamlet. In my opinion this is the best film interpretation of Hamlet i’ve watched, as it merges elements from the original script to newer ideas of the meaning of Shakespeare’s story, all coming together in a dark and visually unique manner.

The first scene of the play is cut from the film, and instead we are rushed straight into the political world of Denmark, with Claudius sliming his way into everyones good books through his speech, and Hamlet watching, the personification of emo teen angst. What is so great about Kozintsev’s version is the use of nature to portray space, a common theme throughout the play. Almost all of the film is outside, as apart from the backdrop of the castle, the imagery of the film is almost always dominated by nature. The sea plays an important role in the play, as it is the defining imagery in both the first shot, and the last shot. The elements of stone, fire, iron, earth and sea feature prominently, as Kozintsev purposefully focused on these elements as a link back to the language used in the original script.

Unlike Laurence Olivier’s version almost 20 years earlier, this interpretation focuses not only on Hamlet’s inner turmoil but also the political aspects of the play. This is likely to relate back to Kozintsev’s experience living under a rule where war was a regular topic of conversation and a dictator was all he’d ever known. A modern understanding of Claudius would identify him as a dictator, someone who is ruling without ‘Divine Right’, or, in a modern context, without a mandate from the people. For Kozintsev, showing broad shots of courtyards riddled with political figures indicated the wide political context as opposed to Olivier’s narrow alleys showing the inner thoughts of the protagonist.

Overall, this film is so visually captivating that even someone who struggles with reading subtitles will be able to follow. There are many scenes that don’t even have dialogue, or don’t need it. I would recommend this film to anyone looking for an alternative options to 4 hours of Kenneth Branagh’s face or Laurence Olivier’s movie ‘Hamlet: A study into the mind of an angsty teenager that can’t do anything right’ (to be honest, i can relate). I would also recommend this movie to anyone studying Hamlet for A Level English Lit, some killer AO5 stuff here.