Production Diary

Day Two - 11th NovemberToday everyone in my group was in so we decided as a group what the film opening we were going to create. We decided that Issys film pitch was the easiest to do and we thought that it a different idea to what everyone else would do, also it was an idea that would be very good if we pulled it off. This would mean that we could do whatever we wanted in the film opening without having barriers as other people are doing the ideas. Also, today I evaluated some of my fellow peers film pitch and gave my input on what was good, what was bad and if it was realistic today. Me and my group presented our film pitch to the class and we got so input which has made us see where the faults are in the film pitch and where we need to change things. One input was that the name Sophia's List reminded people of Schindler's List. This caused me and my group to change the name of the film to the Wish List. Another comment we got is that the our original idea for Sophia to be in a doctors waiting room was going to be hard to do. This was a valid point and was the biggest fault in the film pitch. This led me and my group to discuss how we could do it in a location but we couldn't find a location where we could film the clips. In the end we decided to scrap the whole doctors waiting room as we felt that it gave to much away and that it wouldn't make sense to put it at the beginning unless we were creating a film trailer. We changed the scene to Sophia being in her home looking at a photo album which is incomplete to resemble that her life has only just began but it is already ending.Lastly, we discussed what the flash backs of Sophia's life would contain. We had both fall outs and agreements as I felt that Beth was over complicating the flash backs and that we should show it in a different way. However, Beth felt that we should show her when she was younger in the flash backs, an example would be showing a flash back of her eleventh birthday.Day Three - 12th NovemberToday me and my group researched different film openings that relate or are similar to our film idea. We split the list between us so that the task was completed more quickly and so that the work load was fair. We also split the task between us on finding out which companies distributed and produced the most drama films. This helped us the decide what production company would distribute and produce our film. From this search we found that Sony Pictures produced the most films. However, we thought that we could use one of our own logo's for a production studio that we created. Me and my group came to the decision that if we did this, we would use either my logo or Issy's logo. This was because we thought that they were the logos that looked the best and would look good with sound and visual effects. Lastly, we started to plan a time line for the film opening which would enable me and my group to decide what clips would be in the film opening and the order that they would be in.Below is a photo of Soraya researching what production studios have created drama films. Day Four - 13th NovemberToday we worked as a team and each of us created a time line for the opening of a film. We did this to see what things came first in the film openings to help us decide the order that our film opening will go in. From this researching the opening for The Notebook I found out that the title for the film isn't at the beginning of the film and instead it is after the main characters titles have been shown on the screen. Overall, me and my group found out information that will help us create the opening scene of The Wish List. The things that  I found out was that the opening scene is calm, natural and peaceful. I also found that the music is soft and soothing to go with the theme of the film being calm. Another thing that I found out is that the title for the film is generally presented in the opening scene rather than at the beginning and the actors names generally appear boy, girl, boy, girl. All this information will help us decide the order that the clips we want for the opening scene to go in to make the film opening look like a drama film. This will make it easier for the audience to realise that the genre of the film is drama.These are two photos are me and Beth which I took whilst they were researching and creating the time line for the films they were researching which were My Sisters Keeper and Sophie's Choice.Day Five - 17th NovemberToday we sat down and went through everything that we needed to do and set each other jobs and tasks. This meant that the work load was distributed fairly between us. We also chose who was going top play what role which resulted in Soraya playing Sophia, Issy playing Anna, Beth playing Kaitlin and me playing James. This then allowed us to decide what locations we will film the clips of our film at and what the flash backs will be of. We decided that one flash back will be of Sophia when se is younger on her birthday. To complete this scene we decided to use Beth's younger sister and her friends as they are all aged twelve to thirteen and will fit in the age gap that we want. Another flash back will be of Sophia and her friends having a picture taken before they go to prom. We decided to do this as it signifies that Sophia has left high school which will show the audience that the flash backs are of her past. The other flash backs will be of Sophia hanging out with her friends in two locations which are a park and town centre.  Day Six - 18th NovemberToday Beth wasn't in so it was just me, Issy and Soraya. Issy showed me and Soraya the music that I thought would be best in the opening scene and the cover that someone You Tube did of the song and both of them thought that it was a good song that that it would fit well with the clips in the opening scene. However, as Beth wasn't in we cannot say that the music is definitely going to be in the opening scene as we do not know whether or Beth will like it. Also, we got some feedback from our teacher which was that we needed something in the opening scene that will inform the audience that something was wrong with Sophia. This made us come up with the idea of Sophia getting a phone call from the hospital asking her to come in and a clip of her walking into the hospital. However, a hospital is a serious place so I phoned the hospital and asked but the person in charged of the department has not got back to me. Also, as a hospital is a serious place we may not be able to film inside so the clip may just be for her walking past the hospital and through the doors. If we do not get permission we have a back up idea of using Sainsbury's walk in centre doctors as it will still look as serious as a hospital but it is less serious so we will have more of a chance of getting permission to film there. Lastly, we started creating the story board for the film opening as stated how many seconds we wanted each shot to be. We decided how long we wanted each shot to be by creating the shots using my camera on my phone. This allowed us to have an accurate time for each shot. This is a photo of Issy calling the hospital for permission to film outside the hospital.Day Seven - 19th NovemberBeth was not in today so me, Issy and Soraya researched different titles and looked at different fonts that we could use for the titles in the opening scene. We also carried on creating the story board for the opening scene and planned where the titles would be in each of the clips, what would happen in the clips and how long they will last for. Issy showed me and Soraya the script that Issy created for the film opening and they thought that it was a good script. However, when we recorded me saying it at the speed it is supposed to be said, we found out that the voice over part of the script wasn't even a minute long. This made me realise that I needed to make the dialogue longer as it will be most of the opening scene. We also set targets for next lesson which are to complete the story board, to take a video of it and to record someone talking to create the voice over.Day Eight- 20th NovemberToday Issy and Soraya met during their free period to complete the story board. I wasn't available but they knew what I liked and disliked but Beth wasn't in so we did not have any input from her. Issy called up Sainsbury's walk in centre and will find out tomorrow if we are allowed to film outside the building. We asked for permission as if we did get any other member of the public in the shots which we will avoid, it may be disrespectful and they may be offended as they will not know what will happen with the footage. Day Nine - 21st NovemberToday it was only me and Issy that were in. Soraya and Beth were not in so we had to complete the timings on the story board and the risk assessment for filming the clips. We completed the risk assessment to show what risks we will be faced when filming and how to try and avoid them. The risks where that I could get run over when filming the tracking shot, the camera might be dropped on the floor, the train track or in the sea and that we could fall onto a train track or the sea when filming on Southend pier and when getting onto the train to get to Southend. To try and avoid these risk me and Issy said that we would hold the camera with the strap attached to our hands, stand clear from the edge of the pier and the train track, get onto the train safely and film the tracking shot from the other side of the road on the pathway instead of standing in the road. Day Ten - 24th NovemberToday all the members of my group were in. We made sure that Beth was up to date with evrything that had gone on while she was away and we finished doing the timings for all of the shots.  This allowed me and my group to film the story borad and do a vioce over of what will be happening in each shot. atahis meant that we had fewer tasks left to do. Also, I went through the group and asked when everyone was free. This allowed us to plan what day we are filming and what we are filming. Lastly, we went through the tasks that were left to do and set each other a task to complete. i have to do the instituations for the film, Jimmy has to do the representations, Beth has to do the target audience for the film and Soraya has to do the marketing campaign for the film. Day Eleven - 25th NovemberToday Jimmy and Beth were not in and it was only me and Soraya that were in. Me and Soraya recorded how long the dialogue is for Sophia's voice over and fond that it lasts for one minute and twenty five seconds which is good as the dialogue needs to last for all of the flash backs which are most of the opening scene. We then timed the conversation between Sophia and her doctor and found that it was twenty four seconds long. This is good as the conversation between Sophia and her doctor needs to be short as the scene of it isn't very long. By doing this it meant that we knew if we needed to shorten the script down in some areas as me and my group are trying to make the opening scene last for two minutes or more. However, the film opening must not be too long as it may become boring for the viewers to watch. This may effect the mark that me and my group get for the opening scene. Lastly, me and Soraya went through what we both had to do and how we would do them. We talked about potential ideas for posters and decided that we should take some pictures at Southend on the pier with Sophia and two of her friends. We thought that it might be more interesting that a list of things on a note pad.Day Twelve - 26th NovemberToday Jimmy and Soraya were in but Beth was not. I texted her to see if we could still film at her house after school as were using her sister and her friends to act in the flash back of Sophia's birthday party when she was little. I received a phone call from her and she said that we could still film at her house. Soraya brought her photos in today of when she was little to the present day and I brought in the photo album. This meant that we were able to put the photos in the order that we wanted and we are prepared to use it tomorrow when filming. Also, me, Jimmy and Soraya went through all the titles that we needed and decided who's names we should use and what clip they would appear in and in what order. This means that when we edit the opening scene next week, we will know what titles go where and in what order. After school me and Soraya signed out camera seven and went to Beth's house. Me, Soraya and Beth decorated the dining room to make it look as if it was a real birthday party. We blew up balloons and decorated the cake. We used Beth's little sister's friend called Daisy as Sophia as she looked more like Soraya than Beth's little sister. We filmed the match on action clip, the medium long shot and long shot clip. We filmed each clip twice in case one was better than the other. After we finished filming, I went back to school and signed the camera back in. I also uploaded all the footage onto a computer so that it was ready to be edited.Day Thirteen - 27th NovemberToday me, Jimmy and Soraya signed out camera fourteen to use to film. We went to my house at period two and four to film the shots of Sophia in her house in the present day. Beth was not in so we did not have any input from her. After we filmed each clip we all saw the clip and decided whether or not it was good or if we should film it again. This meant that everyone gave their own opinion and made us work as a team. After, we went back to school and Jimmy signed the camera back in and gave the tripod back. We used a tripod so that we got smooth shots rather than the shots being shaky. However, the tripod made a funny noise that was really loud when we turned it in one direction. This meant that we had to film two shot free hand which proved difficult as I had to make sure that I wasn't shaking. Both me and Jimmy took the filming in turn so that everyone was working as so it was fair. Day Fourteen - 28th NovemberToday Beth wasn't in so me, Jimmy and Soraya filmed the story board again as we thought the first video wasn't good. We filmed each sheet one at a time and Jimmy spoke about each shot explaining what will happen, what movements will occur and what frame it is. I filmed the storyboard and Soraya made a script for Jimmy to read from so he knew what to say. After we filmed the story board I uploaded it to the computer we will use for the rest of the project and edited it on premier. This allowed me to place the videos in order, cut some pieces of the videos out, add a title to the video and to place transitions for the videos to make the videos change from one to another more smoothly. Lastly, we went through our plans for Saturday's filming and looked up train times and cost. This is the only cost for our film and resulted in the budget of the film being about thirteen pounds with the cake cost and the train ticket cost. By looking up train times it enabled us to set a time to meet Jimmy in Southend and for me to meet Soraya at the train station.  Day Fifteen - 29th NovemberToday me, Jimmy, Soraya and Soraya's boyfriend filmed the flash back in Southend. I met Soraya and her boyfriend Chelmsford station and travelled to Southend. On Friday I signed out camera fourteen and took a tripod. However, I did not bring the schools tripod to Southend as my sister had a tripod that was better as it wasn't broken. When we reached Southend Victoria Station we met Jimmy and walked down to Southend sea front. There was a lift that had a balcony which over saw the whole sea front. We took a video which contained me, Soraya and her boyfriend in it. This video made it clear where the flash back was set. We then walked down onto Southend pier and paid to go on into. This cost one pound and raised the film pitch to fourteen pounds each. When we got onto the pier Jimmy filmed me Soraya and her boyfriend talking and walking down the pier. We did not get all the way down to the end of the pier as the sun set. However the sunset was really pretty so we filmed some scenes with it in the back ground. I took some photos whilst filming down the pier for the film posters. We then went to the beach and we a filmed so shots there and in café. Finally we made the journey home and I took the video camera and the tripod home ready for the filming the next day.Day Sixteen - 30th NovemberToday me and Soraya went to the Sainsbury's walk in centre to film the final scene. I charged the video camera over night but found out in the morning that it hadn't charged. It would only charge on my laptop which meant that I took my laptop with me to make sure that it was charged enough to film and so I could charge it on the go at any time.  We went into the reception at the walk in centre to inform the staff that we had arrived so that they could warn the patients. We started by filming the tracking shot of Sophia walking into the doctors. Then I panned the camera up to that the sign on the wall was visible. This means that the viewers understand were Sophia is. I filmed the tracking shot from both sides of Soraya so that we could chose on Monday which one looks better. I then filmed the NHS sign to make it clear what location Sophia is at. Then, me and Soraya went home and I took the video camera home. Day Seventeen - 1st DecemberToday everyone was in. We uploaded all the footage that we took at the weekend and uploaded the footage that we filmed at my house as someone else took the camera out last Friday which meant that we could not upload the footage. I created a premier document and uploaded all the footage onto it. This meant that we were ready to create the film opening. We watched all the footage to show Beth what we filmed at the weekend and to show everyone what we filmed in general.Day Eighteen - 2nd DecemberToday Beth was not in. Jimmy put al the footage into order on the premiere document whilst me and issy did other work. i worked on the marketing for the film and issy tried to create a video for Watering Hole Studios to put into the opening scene. issy also downloaded the music that we might use in the opening scene.Day Nineteen - 3rd December

Today everyone but Beth was in. Me and issy went through the footage and shortened the videos down so that they were no too long as it would ruin the film opening if they were too long as it would make the film opening boring for people to watch. Then I went through the video transitions and tested each one out on the flash backs as I wanted to find a video transition that differentiated the flash backs fro the present day footage. I found a transition called film dissolve with made the flash backs look as if Sophia is looking through her memories. This is an effective transition and I added the transition to all the flash backs and the two close ups of the photo album. I also used this transition as it was the only realistic transition I could find.
Day Twenty - 4th December
Today Beth was not in. I edited the film opening. I placed the New Line Cinema logo at the beginning of the film opening and imported the audio of the phone call conversation and the over voice of Sophia talking. I placed the clips in to the right place. I edited some clips out of the footage as I decided that some bits of the videos were not good enough to be in the film opening and that there were too long. I stayed behind school to edit the film opening. I added all of the titles into the film opening, placing them into clips that there was room for them to be in. I made them long so that they did not go off the screen and so that you could read the titles without rushing to read them. I added the transition called film dissolve so that the titles faded into the footage slowly rather than suddenly appearing on screen as it would ruin the soft effect. I edited the transition on the flash back videos as I found another transition called addictive dissolve which created a flash effect. This made the footage turn bright and then back to normal lighting. This made it look like they were different memories coming to life inside Sophia's head and it made this part of the film opening seem lighter - happier. I edited the audio clips so all the mistakes were taken out as we recorded the script many times on the same two audio clips. When Ii went home I searched on YouTube for flash back effects on Premier and found an effect called lens flare.
Day Twenty One - 5th December
When I got into school I edited the flash back videos by placing the lens flare edit on the videos. I edited the lens flare so that the flare stretched across the whole video and so the brighter end of the flare was in the corner of the videos. This made the flash backs look more dream like - as if they are happy times that are not happening now (so they looked like they have already happened). I downloaded all the songs that I found and imported them on the Premier file. I placed them all in the opening scene. Me, Jimmy and issy went through all of the music to see which one went best with the opening scene. I found from Jimmy's and Soraya's feedback that the cover of Salvation went the best with the opening scene. I edited the music into the opening scene and made it so it faded into the opening scene by using an exponential fade. I created a video clip on PowerPoint of my production company logo. I then imported it into the Premier file and placed it at the beginning of the opening scene. I added the transition film dissolve to it so that the logo faded into the opening I did the same with the New Line Cinema logo so my production company logo faded out of the opening. I then played the opening scene through to make sure that there was no mistakes. I then exported it into a video file and uploaded it onto my YouTube account. Then uploaded it on to my blog for the first draft.
Day Twenty Two - 8th December
Today me and my group watched other people's film openings and gave them some feedback, whilst others were giving me and my group's film opening feedback using an anomalous feedback sheet. Everyone was in apart from Beth. I started the representation task and used Prezi to present it. i was working on the marketing campaign task and Jimmy was researching film posters from similar films so it gives us ideas on how our film poster will look. Me Jimmy and issy went on the computers and played around with images that we took to see what pictures were good for posters for our film.
Day Twenty Three - 9th December
Today we got given our feedback from the other media classes. me, Jimmy and issy went through all of them and read out ones which were different and gave good feedback. Beth was not in today so we did not know what she liked about the film opening or what she thought we should change. After reading all the feedback sheets i wrote a list of things that commonly came up on the feedback sheets and things we are going to change. We also had a group discussion on how we could improve the opening scene and what ach of us disliked about it. After deciding what we are going to change we set each other tasks. issys task is to re-record the doctors side of the conversation by using my dad as the doctor. my task is to continue doing the marketing research and to make film posters. Jimmy's task is to create film poster ideas. Me and Soraya went to edit and create posters whilst Jimmy looked up what posters had on them. I edited the opening scene by changing what we had on the list which included sound, titles length and ending. I cut the ending so that it was shorter and played around with the titles. Later on in the day I got some more feedback form the year thirteen's.
Day Twenty Four - 10th December
Today I carried on editing the film opening. After looking at the feedback from the year thirteen's the feedback was good as they really liked the flash backs. However, I got given a valuable piece of advice on what to change. I got given the advice to make the voice over shorter so that it started later on in the opening as the person thought that the voice over started to early and that they had no time to look at the locations and to establish were the opening scene starts. There was no enigma. The person also stated that the voice over needs to be re-recorded and that i need to say the voice over dialogue more slowly and with more emotion so that it would inform the audience of her emotions. issy took this feedback into account and shortened the voice over to the right length so that Issy knew what i had to say when re-recording the voice over. I also changed the titles so they faded out by playing with their opacity at the end of their frames. This meant that they faded out slowly which gave a calm effect to the opening scene. In the evening I e-recorded the doctors dialogue using my dad as the doctor. This meant that the doctor's voice would sound older on the opening scene and people would believe that he is an older man rather than a teenage boy which is what the doctor sounded like when we used Jimmy's voice.
Day Twenty Five - 11th December

Today Issy uploaded the audio of my dad saying the doctors dialogue and edited it so that is was quieter so that it wasn't over powering. I cut bits out of it where there was no speech so that I would fit in the time gap. As I had shortened some of the scenes, this enabled me to make the phone call scene longer so that the pause that Sophia does in the dialogue was longer. I also made the size of the titles smaller as some people thought that the titles were too big and took up too much room. i and Jimmy worked on a film poster and Beth was not in.
Day Twenty Six - 12th December
Today me and issy re-recorded the voice over as her voice over that she recorded wasn't very good. We recorded three time as the first time the recording was jumpy and the second time you could hear voices and people walking past in the background. The third time recording the voice over we went into the schools toilets as it was during class so no body would be in there. This meant that there was no body talking in the background or walking in the background. Also, by using the school toilets it made the voice over sound louder on the recording as the acoustics in the toilets was good. I uploaded the recording onto the Premiere file and edited it so that it fitted perfectly and so there was no mistakes in the recording. I also edited so that it was broken up with gaps between the to make the voice over more slower. I found out that the titles had to last for at least two minutes and some of the titles lasted for less. This meant that I had to move some of the titles around so that I had enough room to make them bigger. Also, I found out that you could not keep repeating peoples names. This meant that I had to change most of the titles. After I checked that everything was perfect I exported the file into a video file and upload it onto my YouTube account. This then allowed me to put it on my blog. Soraya and Jimmy worked on the film posters and Beth was not in.