Wednesday 29 March 2017

Studio Production: Script 8, Running Order 6, Round Breakdown 4

After our first rehearsal, changes were made to the shows format, and so a new running order, script, and round breakdown had to be produced.

 SCRIPT 8


In this new script I have:
- Rewritten round 4 to match the new format where both contestants compete against one another separately to complete as many boxes as possible in two minutes.
- Rewritten dialogue in other parts of the script to reflect the changes to round 4.
- Adjusted the timings in the sequence headings to reflect the new running order.
- Added more questions to the script as we ran out of them during rehearsals.

 RUNNING ORDER 6


In this new running order I have:
- Written new timings to reflect the changes to round 4.

 ROUND BREAKDOWN 4

In this new round breakdown I have:
- Written a new description to reflect the changes to round 4.
- Adjusted the duration of round 4 to reflect the new running order.

These new documents will be uploaded onto the shared drive so everyone can access them.

Studio Production: Set Design Response From CATF

After our initial meetings with the set design team at UCA Rochester, they came back to us with a design.

SET DESIGN RESPONSE FROM CATF

The team started the meeting off by showing us a mood board and colour palette they had created, which they did using the information we had already passed onto them about style and tone.

They then showed us a 3D render of the set (pictured above) and ran us through the measurements for their design, something we will need during our rehearsals.

Finally they showed us the 3D model they had created, which looked like this:


They told us about some of the elements they had included in the set:
- LED strip lighting along the top of the set.
- A TV stand full of popcorn.
- 1920s/30s style designs for set dressing and podiums.
- A redesigned method of playing round 4 (see other blog post)

Below is the presentation they gave us:


Feedback from us on this design was pretty much positive.

*UPDATE* CHANGES MADE TO SET DESIGN

 Since this meeting some changes have been made:

- The large lattice pieces have been reduced due to a laser cutter not being available.
- The lighting tubes on either side of the TV stand have been removed as they couldn't find the lights they needed.
- The end flats have been slightly extended as we found during our rehearsals that they were too short.

Studio Production: PM 8 & Changes To Round 4

We recently had another production meeting where I delivered details of the new format for round 4 to the group.

PM 8 & CHANGES TO ROUND 4

 It became clear in our first rehearsal that there were still some issues with the format of round 4. It was down to me to address this, and so I came up with a new format that didn't affect the main elements of the game. These are the changes:

- The two contestants still compete against one another, accept they now compete separately, with the person with the most points playing first.
- Whilst one contestant is on set playing the game, the other will be backstage with sound proof headphones on.
- They each have two minutes to get as many correct boxes as possible.
- The winner of the two gets 10 bonus points added onto their final score, which could change the game.

This new format is fairer as it allows both contestants to have a go at the final game, and it could mean either contestant could still win. It also uses the time up better, as I don't feel the original format would've lasted the time given (5 minutes).

The final change to this game follows a redesign by the set design team. They came up with a prop that will work better for this round than the original boxes idea that I had. Instead it will be a line of sliding doors that the host opens to reveal the amount of money each film has made at the box office.

A model of the new prop
As well as these changes, there were a few other updates during the production meeting:
- Contestant auditions have been scheduled and we will have two confirmed contestants by Saturday 25th March.
- Sam is working to find a warm up act for the show.
- The website is now live (https://thebigmoviequiz.wixsite.com/thebigmoviequiz) and the tickets for the show are now available (https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-big-movie-quiz-tickets-32658537565)
- Articles are being written for the website and will be published ASAP.
- A trailer for the show has been completed and is now live on social media.
- Our first day of rehearsals went really well and all feedback from Del was very positive.
- The set has been designed and is now being constructed (see other blog post)
- Stand ins have been sourced for rehearsals

We will now move onto the next stage of the production, following up on any queries made during this production meeting.

Thursday 23 March 2017

Studio Production: First Rehearsal (14/03/17)

We recently had our first rehearsal in the studios for The Big Movie Quiz.


THE BIG MOVIE QUIZ- FIRST REHEARSAL (14/03/17)

 We started the day off by meeting in the gallery of Studio 5 for a script read through. For many, this may be the first time they've read through the whole script, so this was a good chance for me to ensure everyone knows how the show works and what will hopefully happen during the 30 minute run time. I also found this read through helped me understand the show better. It became clear during the meeting that there was still an issue with fairness in the final round. I also discovered that I had not come up with a way to solve a tie break situation. These are things I think about before I write the next script.

After the script read through, we all went into the studio (minus the P.A, vision mixer, and graphics operator) and Becca began to block the show with the crew. This was an essential part of the process as up to this point, Becca and I were the only people that knew the full blocking for the show, and Becca was the only person that knew the full shot list for the show. This took some time but after it was complete I was satisfied that everyone now had a good idea of how the show should look.

Meanwhile in the gallery, Alex (our technician from the studios) had been able to upload some of our graphics onto the vision mixing desk, meaning we could use them during the rehearsal. The graphics computer had also been set up meaning we could have lower thirds and score cards on screen. Finally, Sammi had programmed her sound software meaning we had music beds, stings, and grams for the rehearsal. We were so prepared to do this rehearsal Del was very happy and surprised.

Because we were prepared, we got off to a good start. We had third years Wez, Harry, & Adele as stand ins which made the rehearsals a lot easier because everyone could do their own jobs. Once rehearsals started Becca went into the gallery to join the other crew, and I stayed in the studio to help with positioning and to help Sammi on sound (e.g. telling her who buzzed and if people got questions right or wrong so she knew which sound effects to use). I would've liked to have been in the gallery so I could actually watch the show, but I understand why I had to stay in the studio.

During the rehearsal we were able to get through almost 7 minutes of the show, which I though was amazing considering the time we had and considering that this was our first rehearsal. I was happy with how the show was looking so far, and I am looking forward to being in the gallery during the next rehearsal so I can observe the visual side of the show. I have a lot of notes on my script, so I have a new draft to write, and a new running order to create. I will come up with a new format for round 4 to make it fairer and to include a way to hopefully avoid a tie break situation.

At the end of the day Del called us all into the studio for a debrief. He is very very happy with the progress we made, and this is all down to the preparation of Becca and I to ensure we had a full script and shot list to start out first rehearsal with. This is also down to the sound and graphics department who had a lot of elements ready for us to use. And finally it's down to Alex and Ferg who had everything in the studio ready for us when we needed it, and were able to quickly respond to every request we had.

I look forward to the next rehearsal, where we will aim to finish the entire show.


Studio Production: 2nd Set Design Meeting

The set design team from CAFT Rochester recently came to visit us at the studios to discuss the set design for The Big Movie Quiz.

2ND SET DESIGN MEETING

 We started the meeting off by given the team a tour of the studio the show will be recorded in. We showed them the space they would have and what Becca and I were currently thinking about positioning (set, cameras, audience).

After the studio tour, Becca and I briefed the team on the changes that had been made to the show since we last saw them. This was mostly changes to the third round of the show, which is now a different game (American Pie In Your Face). We then opened the room up for questions.

The set design team asked a few questions about measurements, style and tone, flooring, lighting etc.. and we were able to answer all questions to a good degree. We mentioned to the team that we would be providing the TV for the set. They then spent some time measuring the television so they could design a way to incorporate it into the set design.

Below is the presentation we gave them:



In my opinion this meeting went really well, and I think they understand what it is we want from them. I look forward to seeing what designs they come up with.

Saturday 11 March 2017

Studio Production: Script 7 & Round Breakdown 3

I have now sourced questions for round 3 and so I have updated the script and round breakdown

 SCRIPT DRAFT 7

 In this new draft I have:
- Added further dialogue for round 3 which includes all of the new questions.
- A few minor grammatical corrections.


 ROUND BREAKDOWN DRAFT 3

 For this new draft I have:
- Added all of the questions for round 3 including the additional ones that will be written on cue cards and used if extra time is available.
- Updated the descriptions for all rounds to match the current plans for the show.

These new drafts will be uploaded to the Google Drive so everyone can access them.

Studio Production: PM 7 & New Host

PM 7 & NEW HOST

 We started this production meeting off by discussing our current host Piers Hunt. Since we hired him he has been a bit unresponsive and difficult to make a schedule with. We showed the group his, and George's audition tapes, and straight away I could tell the group prefered George. Seen as we weren't having much luck with Piers we agreed that if Piers were to drop out, George would be our back up. By this point I wished we had chosen George in the first place as on second thought he was actually a lot better for the show and more enthusiastic as a presenter.

Half way through our production meeting Piers emailed to say he was dropping out, something I think we saw coming. Within 10 minutes Imogen had spoken to George and he was on board as our new host.

So our new host is:

George Sesay


I am very happy about this new development.

In this production meeting we also discussed when the VTs are being filmed, what outfit the presenter should wear, contestants, audience, and a warm up act.

We have chosen Making Miracles Rochester as our charity we will raise money for.

Sam will now be our VT operator during the show. The 1st year originally assigned to this will be given a new role.

Studio Production: Masterclass 3 with Del Brown

For our third and final masterclass with Del Brown we focused on everyone's job roles for the show.

MASTERCLASS 3 WITH DEL BROWN

 For this workshop we all got a chance to try out everyone's roles which included:

- Director
- Vision Mixer
- Gallery P.A.
- Floor Manager
- 5x Camera Ops
- 2x Sound
- Graphics Op

To do this we rotated around the positions every 5-10 minutes, each time producing a three minute 1+2 chat show. We started off in the roles we had for the show, and kept going around until we got back to those roles. As I'm the producer, I don't have a role that others can try out in the studio, so I started off as a presenter.

I went around each role and got a chance to spend a good amount of time trying it out. I enjoyed being the presenter, vision mixer and director the most. I also found that those three roles were, in my opinion, the roles I was best at (although presenter doesn't count as a role any of us have on this production).

In the afternoon we got a chance to stay in our roles that we have for the show, and we produced a short shopping channel type program, which gave everyone a chance to try out new skills including the camera ops who had a challenge to get good close ups, and to follow moving objects.

I found this final workshop the most useful because I now understand what each person on this production has to do. As producer I don't do any of the roles so if we hadn't done this, I wouldn't have been able to understand what each person has to go through to make the show a success. Now I do understand and I appreciate everyone has an important job to do. This will make rehearsals a lot easier for me as I now know what everyone does, and how they contribute to the final production.

Studio Production: Script 6, Running Order 5

Now that round 3 has been finalised, I have written a new script and running order.

 SCRIPT 6

 In this new draft I have:

- Written an intro and outro for the new round 3. Questions and additional dialogue to be confirmed.
- Swapped some elements around so that Normans Trailer now plays after round 2, and the Trivia VT plays after round 3.

RUNNING ORDER 5

 In this new draft I have:
- Added the new round 3, and it's timings.
- Given an extra 30 seconds to the opening link, and taken 30 seconds away from the contestants entrance and chat. This allows time for the new short monologue to be delivered and means we don't spend too long talking to the contestants.
- Swapped the film trailer and trivia vt around. I did this to give us more time to do a set repo in between rounds 3 and 4.
- All timings have been updated and shouldn't change until we start rehearsals.

These new drafts will be uploaded to the Google Drive so everyone can access them.

Studio Production: Auditions & Host

All of our possible candidates were invited in for an audition, however only two of them could make it, the rest sent in audition tapes.

AUDITIONS

 We set up in one of the small production rooms with a camera and a few chairs. Before any of our candidates arrived we discussed as a group what we would like to get out of the auditions.

Our first candidate was Piers Hunt. We started by asking him a few questions so we could fill out a quick form. Next we asked him about any relevant experience he might have. Once all of this was done we moved onto a test scene. He had brought along with him an annotated copy of the script which was a big positive for me. We tested out the opening of the show and round 1. After a read through with stand ins, we threw it over to him and asked if he had any questions for us. After about 20 minutes, he was done and it was time for the next candidate.

George Sesay was our next and final candidate. We ran through the same process with him as we had done with Piers so I won't go through it again. George was a very confident and funny person. He delivered the script well.

Once our candidates had gone, we sat down as a group and watched the audition tapes of our other candidates. For each candidate we rated them on a few areas like appearance, personality, and mannerisms. We also rewatched the auditions of Piers and George.

At the end of the day, we added up all the scores, and the result was:

Piers Hunt


Piers got the highest score and so if all goes well he is the host of The Big Movie Quiz.

Studio Production: Possible Hosts

For this show we need one host, so I put an advert on Casting Call Pro. After receiving quite a few applications, these are our final 6 possible candidates.

POSSIBLE HOSTS

 George Sesay

George has a good level of experience. He has presented shows for Pineapple Dance Studios for a few years. He is experienced in improvisation and ad libing. He has presented some student productions before.

Olivia Nicholson

Olivia has been a presenter on a live televised casino for the past six months. She has experience doing various screen and theatre roles.

Joe Gale

Joe has experience using talk back, autocue, and sustaining enthusiasm during a continuous shoot. He has also done theatre and numerous student productions.

Arabella Burfitt-Dons

Arabella has real experience as a presenter, however she is looking to get into presenting and sees this as a good opportunity for some good showreel footage.

Piers Hunt

Piers is a RADA trained actor and presenter who has a lot of presenting experience. He has worked on student productions before.

David Wooldridge

David applied to be part of the show after he saw my tweet about it. He is a highly experience radio, TV and live events presenter.

All of these possible candidates will be invited in for an audition, and one of them will become the host of The Big Movie Quiz.

Studio Production: PM 6 & New Round 3

In this production meeting we discussed all of the ideas I had come up with for round 3.

PM 6 & NEW ROUND 3

 Below are the ideas Becca, Sam and I came up with for round 3:


After a quick group discussion and a vote, we decided that the new round 3 would be American Pie In Your Face. The group felt that one would work best for the show and have the most energy. I will now work on a new script and running order which will reflect this new round.

During this meeting we also discussed audience and contestants, something the A.P, Sam, is working on for our next production meeting. All VTs now have shoot dates, and scripts.

Everything appears to be on track

Studio Production: Masterclass 2 with Del Brown

For our 2nd masterclass with Del Brown we looked at cameras, sound, vision mixing/directing, and graphics.

MASTERCLASS 2 WITH DEL BROWN

 We started the session by splitting into 4 groups: cameras, sound, graphics and vision mixers. As part of this we would rotate in our groups every so often to allow everyone a chance to try every one of those 4 roles.

I started off in the camera group. We set the cameras up on their tripods and had to white balance and grayscale them all. To do this we put all of the cameras next to each other and framed them up on a grayscale chart. We then asked whoever the vision mixer was to put our camera feeds up on the screen as a split screen so we could compare them and match them all up. This took quite a while to do as we just couldn't match them up. In the end we asked last year's head camera op to come down to the studio and help us resolve whatever the issue was.

Next I moved into the sound group. We were in charge of setting up the clip mics and the handheld mics. To do this, two of us would be on the sound desk, and the other two would be stand ins on camera. We asked the stand ins to have a conversation so we could check the levels on their mics. We also connected a phone to the sound desk so we could test playing music and leveling mics so you could still hear them.

After this I moved into the graphics group. During this part of the workshop we sat with Ferg who showed us how to use the Motion software that will be used during our show to run all of the screen graphics to the vision mixing desk. The software is similar to After Effects and so I was able to pick it up quite quick. Ferg also told us about alpha channels and how they are used to create transparent video layers in graphics. He also told us about all of the specifications for graphics so the system would recognise them and allow them to be played on the show. This is good information that can be passed onto the graphics operator for the show.

Finally I moved into the vision mixing group. We took it in turns operating the desk, with someone else in the group calling shots. We also used a sheet of paper to cover the buttons so the operator couldn't see which buttons they were pressing. This helped to test hand eye coordination. Del then gave us a few challenges to see how well we knew how to use the board. This included setting up spit screens with soft or coloured borders. Our final challenge was to set up a three way split screen but unfortunately we ran out of time and so didn't get a chance to finish it. I enjoyed this part of the workshop the most.

This workshop taught me a lot I didn't know about each of those four jobs. It has allowed me to have a greater understanding and appreciation for the people that have to do those jobs on the show. It also made me realise that I definitely would like to be able to do a more technical role on the show, but unfortunately I can't. It has been a good learning curve.

Studio Production: Script 5, Running Order 4

Following on from all of the new changes made to the show, I have produced a new script and running order.

 SCRIPT DRAFT 5

In this new draft I have:
- Written new dialogue for round 2 to match the new extended VT that the contestants answer questions about.
- Written an intro to Normans film trailer.
- Changed the timings in the script to match the new running order.
- Taken out all dialogue for round 3. This will be rewritten once the new round 3 is confirmed.
- The monologue has been reduced to one joke to allow us to get on with the show quicker than before. This also allows more time for round 2 which is now slightly longer.



RUNNING ORDER 4

 In this new draft I have:
- Added in all of the new sections including Normans mockumentary and Normans film trailer.
- Added new timings for most elements of the show to reflect the changes made to round 2 and 3.



The new script and running order will be uploaded to the Google Drive so everyone can access them.

Studio Production: PM 5 & Changes to show

Our fifth production meeting followed the feedback from our test shoots, so a few changes have been made to the show.

PM 5 & CHANGES TO SHOW

 1. VT Round: Instead of having four small VTs that the contestants answer questions about, there will now be one feature VT (3'30") they watch and answer questions about. This VT will be in the style of a mockumentary that is following Normans journey to become an actor. This change has been made to allow the audience to get to know Norman over a longer period of time, without us cutting to and from the studio.

2. The part of the show where the host goes into the audience and asks them about their favourite movies has now been replaced with a new VT (1'00"). In this VT Norman will star in a trailer for his new homemade movie. This will allow us time to do a quick set change, and allows the audience to connect with Norman more.

3. Round 3: Pin The Award has been scrapped and will be replaced in due course once I have come up with some new ideas. These will then be run past the group so we can do a vote.

During this production meeting we also decided that will we have charity buckets that we will pass round the audience before the show so we can donate some money to charity, something we as a group would like to do. We however we not be putting a charge on the tickets as part of this, they will still be free. We will decide what charity to donate to before the next production meeting.

Finally we have assigned roles to all of the first years who would like to part of the show, these are listed below:


Studio Production: VT/Trailer/Studio Workshop & Feedback

To help us prepare for the show, we had a test VT, trailer, and studio shoot.

VT/TRAILER/STUDIO WORKSHOP

 My group was me, Becca, Imogen, and Sam. We were going to do a test shoot for some of the studio script. Becca (the director) wanted to test shoot Round 3: Pin The Award.

We started by setting up the camera and sound equipment, which included white balancing and testing the mic levels. We then went through that section of the script and blocked out the positions, with me as a stand in for the host, and Imogen and Sam as stand ins for the contestants. Once this was done, we filmed the script five times, changing the camera positioning and framing for each new take. We did this to replicate the multi camera setup we will have in the studio.

Once we had completed the filming, Becca and I sat down and edited the footage together. Becca directed my editing telling me when to cut to a different shot, just like she will during the show. After the edit had been assembled, I blended all the sound together and exported it.

Below is the final video:


FEEDBACK

In the afternoon we all gathered as a group to watch all of the test shoots, which included the VT and trailer test shoot. We started by watching the trailer which featured the host and Normans character sitting in a cinema whilst an advert for the show played on the screen.

The group had mostly positives for the trailer, however it was felt that it'd work better as the opening titles instead, so the promotions team will now have to come up with a new idea for the trailer, as this one is being used for the opening titles instead. I have also decided that I don't want Norman featured in the opening titles, as he may not be a reoccurring character if the show were to continue. However, it was suggested he could be included in the show more in the studio segments. This is something I will consider but am not too keen on.

Next we watched the VT test shoot. It was reasonably funny, but it was not what I expected. The video had be shot literally like a home video, with one single take from one angle. This made the job of cutting it down difficult for the editors as there were no other angles to cut to. The camera crew also didn't have much of a job to do either. As a group we discussed different ways this could be fixed. The actual contents of the VT was fine, I just need to go away and think of a different format for it within the show.

Finally we watched the test shoot for the studio script. It was clear straight away that it was very flat and didn't have a lot of energy, which was something that was mentioned by others in the group after the film had finished. Round 3 is going to need some work doing to it to add some energy, this could mean I have to scrap it and come up with something completely new. It is a work in progress. In terms of framing however there is no issue.

Based on this feedback, a lot of changes are going to be made, which will be briefed to everyone in the next production meeting. A new script, running order, and round breakdown will also be produced.

Studio Production: Masterclass 1 with Del Brown

As part of the studio production unit we are working with freelance director/vision mixer Del Brown. In our first masterclass workshop with him we covered all things cameras, and looked at vision mixing to music.

MASTERCLASS 1 WITH DEL BROWN- CAMERAS

 Del started the workshop off by showing us how a traditional TV ped camera works. To do this we looked at one that the studios had, and Del pointed out certain controls and what they did. The cameras we are using do not have some of the same features (like tally lights), however they still do what we need them too for the show.

 After this we worked as a team to rig the cameras up, which included setting up the camera wheels, camera track & dolly, and the camera jib. For our show we are currently thinking about using all of these items of camera gear, and so it's good that we're practicing rigging them up.

Next we split into groups of three, with two behind the camera, and one in front acting as a stand in. We started by practicing our focus pulling skills whilst following a moving subject, something the camera crew will have to do a lot of. The stand ins would slowly walk towards the camera, and the operators would have to maintain the focus and framing. We did this a few times until everyone was happy with their results. Then we did the same thing, but with the stand ins walking in a zigzag pattern, meaning the operators had to pan to follow their movements. This helped test our abilities to zoom, pull focus, and move the camera all at once.

Then we moved onto testing our abilities to quickly change shot sizes, something the camera operators for the show will have to do a lot. Del called out shots he wanted, which sometimes involved us having to pick up and move the camera, then we had to repo our shots and call out when we were done. We did this a few times until everyone was happy with their results.

I found this part of the workshop really useful as it helped me to begin to understand the difficult job the camera operators for the show have. It's made me think about what can and can't be asked of them, and it's made me appreciate how difficult their jobs are. It's also made me realise how much I enjoy more hands on and technical roles in the show, which as producer I don't really get to do.

VISION MIXING TO MUSIC

 For the second half of the workshop we began to look out vision mixing to music, a task that was designed to test our self timing abilities and our hand eye coordination. For the task Del would play a music track and we would have to cut shots to the beat of the music. To do this we had to count beats and cut when the script told us to.

We went around the group, with each person giving the task a try. For some people Del would count beats for them, or use a pencil to help them keep track of where they are in the script. For my turn, I wanted to try it on my own, so I counted the beats in my head and kept track of my own position in the script. As the afternoon went on, Del changed the song to a more challenging one, allowing people to begin to develop the skills they had learnt earlier in the workshop.

By the end of this half of the workshop I had a greater understanding and appreciation for the job that the vision mixer and gallery P.A. have to do. This workshop helped me to gain an understand of what their jobs involved, and how their jobs fit into the production as a whole.

Overall it was a very useful workshop, and it helped me understand some of the other roles on the show better.