TGJ4M_MMProduction_preproduction

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=Preproduction (planning stage)=

PreProduction is planning. Before you start "SHOOTING" a video or animation, you must: 
 * **Define your Concept**, **Identify your target audience**
 * **OBJECTIVE**- What is the MESSAGE? What is the objective of your piece?
 * Prove a Thesis ie - America's eating food that's bad for them (SUPERSIZE Me)
 * Recreate the experience
 * Document the event - making of...
 * **TARGET AUDIENCE**- who is your piece intended to influence? How will it reach them?
 * Students
 * Organizers
 * Parents
 * Sponsors
 * In house audience vs External Audience
 * **CLIENT** - Who is "commissioning" your work? Who wants to see it succeed?
 * **Write a Script** (Even the best movie idea can be a BAD film - look at [|Battlefield Earth]) The basic script themes are:
 * Love — hate, sex, desire, etc
 * Death - permanent changes, etc
 * Justice — morality, rules, etc
 * Family - fatherhood, motherhood, childhood
 * Fear — escape, jeopardy, terror, etc.


 * >>>>>>>ACTIVITY: COME UP WITH 3 MOVIES IDEAS IN 3 MINUTES. <<<<<<<<**


 * Draw up a **Storyboard** identifying locations, special effects, titles, sound effects and voiceovers

Identify THIS SCRIPT: [[file:jmcintyre/Script.rtf|Script.rtf]]
[|What about this one]?

White font to follow - solution: Aliens - James Cameron - 1985

[|SCRIPT IDEAS]

media type="custom" key="28690952" PreProduction work that you do can serve several purposes
 * Describe the project and convince "Investors" that your production is worth committing to
 * Coordinate the efforts of those involved in the production



1)Storyboards
__The storyboard is__
 * A “Visual Script” for your production, looking very much like a comic strip version of the story.
 * A production “Blueprint” for your crew to follow.
 * A detailed list of the assets you need to create: graphics, video, dialogue, sound effects, text etc.

__The storyboard is intended for__
 * The “studio” for approval before production is started
 * The production crew, to assemble the assets

Process

 * BRAINSTORM the original story idea or “Concept”
 * WRITE a script or outline for the story
 * STORYBOARD the script
 * REVISE

Purposes

 * To work out and discuss your ideas, and to fix bad stories before they get made
 * To visualize how your production will look, and get creative with shots and action
 * To describe how your production is sequenced, and act as a step by step guide to making and shooting your film
 * To plan where and what type of additional sound effects or dialogue will be included

Tips

 * Put your shots and scenes of your storyboard in an order that tells your story clearly.
 * Plan your story so that the visual images and the script can be clearly understood by reading your storyboard.
 * Plan your production in the most interesting and appealing way possible for the audience.
 * Plan not only what happens in each shot, but also how fast or how slow you want it to happen.
 * Eliminate unnecessary or repetitive shots and add missing shots. Cut long boring shots and break them down into shorter more interesting shots.
 * Ensure that there is a smooth, clear, logical flow from shot to shot and scene to scene.



A great example of a storyboard:

Extra rationale for storyboarding:

Storyboard Blanks -

Finally - if you get tired of drawing things manually - try [|CELTX], a completely free storyboarding and production tool.

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Useful Links:
[] []

[|Nightmare before Christmas side-by-side comparison]

=2) EQUIPMENT/SHOOTING SETUP=

Make sure that you follow the instructions on the Equipment Setup Page

Make sure your sound recording is solid. Cameras can record acceptably up to 3 feet away. Take a microphone with you. Nothing is worse than having a great shot, only to realize there's no sound.

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 * CHOOSING A RATIO:** Often the choice of aspect ratios determines the look and feel to a film. As discussed in grade 11, a wider aspect ratio (2.35:1) makes a more cinematic hollywood-style feel to a story whereas an old letterbox (4:3) give the look/feel of a mid 20th century production. There are extremes (for example Hateful Eight chooses 2.76:1 on 70mm film) that give a particular expansive feel to movies that might otherwise have felt differently being shot/shown in any other ratio.

== =3) SHOT TYPES=

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Source - gratefully from MediaCollege.com **Extreme Wide Shot (EWS)** The EWS is often used as an "establishing shot" - the first shot of a new scene, designed to show the audience where the action is taking place. It is also useful in scenes where the action is very spread out. For example, in a war movie an extreme wide shot can show the scale of the action. The EWS is also known as an //extra long shot// or //extreme long shot// (acronym XLS) ||
 * [[image:jmcintyre/ews.jpg]] || In the //extreme wide shot//, the view is so far from the subject that s/he isn't even visible. The point of this shot is to show the subject's surroundings.

Very Wide Shot (VWS)
This often works as an establishing shot, in which the audience is shown the whole setting so they can orient themselves. The VWS also allows plenty of room for action to take place, or for multiple subjects to appear on screen. ||
 * [[image:jmcintyre/vws.jpg]] || The //very wide shot// is much closer to the subject than an extreme wide shot, but still much further away than a wide shot . The subject is visible here but only just (in this case it's a boy leaning against the fence). The emphasis is very much on placing him in his environment.

Wide Shot (WS)
As with many shot types, the wide shot means different things to different people. However the wide shot seems to suffer more from varying interpretations than other types. Many people take the WS to mean something much wider than our example, i.e. what we would call a very wide shot. ||
 * [[image:jmcintyre/ws.jpg]] || In the //wide shot//, the subject takes up the full frame. In this case, the boy's feet are almost at the bottom of frame and his head is almost at the top. Obviously the subject doesn't take up the whole width and height of the frame, since this is as close as we can get without losing any part of him. The small amount of room above and below the subject can be thought of as safety room — you don't want to be cutting the top of the head off. It would also look uncomfortable if his feet and head were exactly at the top and bottom of frame.

Mid Shot (MS)
The MS is appropriate when the subject is speaking without too much emotion or intense concentration. It also works well when the intent is to deliver information, which is why it is frequently used by television news presenters. You will often see a story begin with a MS of the reporter (providing information), followed by closer shots of interview subjects (providing reactions and emotion). As well as being a comfortable, emotionally neutral shot, the mid shot allows room for hand gestures and a bit of movement. ||
 * [[image:jmcintyre/ms.jpg]] || The //mid shot// shows some part of the subject in more detail, whilst still showing enough for the audience to feel as if they were looking at the whole subject. In fact, this is an approximation of how you would see a person "in the flesh" if you were having a casual conversation. You wouldn't be paying any attention to their lower body, so that part of the picture is unnecessary.

Medium Close Up (MCU)
= =
 * [[image:jmcintyre/mcu.jpg]] || The //medium closeup// is half way between a mid shot and a close up. This shot shows the face more clearly, without getting uncomfortably close. ||

Close Up (CU)
Close-ups are obviously useful for showing detail and can also be used as a cut-in. A close-up of a person emphasizes their emotional state. Whereas a mid-shot or wide-shot is more appropriate for delivering facts and general information, a close-up exaggerates facial expressions which convey emotion. The viewer is drawn into the subject's personal space and shares their feelings. A variation is the choker shot which is typically framed on the subject's face from above the eyebrows to below the mouth. || ||
 * In the //closeup shot//, a certain feature or part of the subject takes up most of the frame. A close up of a person usually means a close up of their face (unless specified otherwise).

Extreme Close Up (ECU, XCU)
You would normally need a specific reason to get this close. It is too close to show general reactions or emotion except in very dramatic scenes. A variation of this shot is the choker. ||
 * [[image:jmcintyre/ecu.jpg]] || The ECU (also known as XCU) gets right in and shows extreme detail.

Cut-In (CI)
Can be used purely as an edit point, or to emphasize emotion etc. For example, hand movements can show enthusiasm, agitation, nervousness, etc. ||
 * [[image:jmcintyre/cut-in.jpg]] || Like a cutaway, but specifically refers to showing some part of the subject in detail.

Cutaway (CA)
The cutaway is used as a "buffer" between shots (to help the editing process), or to add interest/information. ||
 * [[image:jmcintyre/ca.jpg]] || A //cutaway// is a shot that's usually of something other than the current action. It could be a different subject (eg. this cat when the main subject is its owner), a close up of a different part of the subject (eg. the subject's hands), or just about anything else.

Two Shot
A "One-Shot" could be a mid-shot of either of these subjects. A "Three-Shot", unsurprisingly, contains three people. Two-shots are good for establishing a relationship between subjects. If you see two sports presenters standing side by side facing the camera, you get the idea that these people are going to be the show's co-hosts. As they have equal prominence in the frame, the implication is that they will provide equal input. Of course this doesn't always apply, for example, there are many instances in which it's obvious one of the people is a presenter and the other is a guest. In any case, the two-shot is a natural way to introduce two people. A two-shot could also involve movement or action. It is a good way to follow the interaction between two people without getting distracted by their surroundings. ||
 * [[image:jmcintyre/2-shot.jpg]] || There are a few variations on this one, but the basic idea is to have a comfortable shot of two people. Often used in interviews, or when two presenters are hosting a show.

Over the Shoulder Shot (OSS)
f the frame. This shot helps to establish the position of each person, and get the feel of looking at one person from the other's point of view. It's common to cut between these shots during a conversation, alternating the view between the different speakers. In older 4x3 framing, the person facing away from the camera would typically be cut off just behind the ear (see example on the right). In 16x9 and other widescreen framing, there is more width available and more of this person can be shown (as above). This shot can be varied quite a bit to include the shoulder or back of the person facing the subject. ||
 * [[image:jmcintyre/oss.jpg]] || This shot is framed from behind a person who is looking at the subject. The person facing the subject should usually occupy about 1/3 o

Noddy Shot
The noddies are edited into the interview later. For more information see [|shooting interviews]. ||
 * [[image:jmcintyre/noddy.jpg]] || Common in interviews, this is a shot of the person listening and reacting to the subject. In fact, when shooting interviews with one camera, the usual routine is to shoot the subject (using OSS and one-shots) for the entire interview, then shoot some noddies of the interviewer once the interview is finished.

Point-of-View Shot (POV)
WS (Wide Shot) || Shot 2 POV (Point of View) || Shot 3 OSS (Over-Shoulder) || Shot 4 POV (Point of View) ||
 * [[image:jmcintyre/pov-racetrack_240x135.jpg]] || This shot shows a view from the subject's perspective. It is usually edited in such a way that it is obvious whose POV it is (see the example below). ||  ||   ||   ||
 * ==Example Sequence== || Shot 1

Weather Shot
Although the usual purpose of this shot is to show the weather, it is also useful as an establishing shot, for setting the general mood or for overlaying graphics. A weather shot doesn't have to show the sky. Other shots often used to illustrate weather include:
 * [[image:jmcintyre/weather.jpg]] || In this type of shot the subject is the weather. The sky takes up at least 2/3 of the frame. This type of shot is common in television programs where the weather is of particular interest, e.g. sports shows.
 * Puddles, drain spouts or any example of rainwater flow.
 * Trees or anything else blowing in the wind.
 * People sunbathing.
 * Snowmen, snowball fights, snow sledding, etc.

Also known as [|pathetic fallacy] ||

Dutch Angle
media type="youtube" key="I8z7-DIa1As" width="560" height="315" The nightmare that is Battlefield Earth
 * **Dutch tilt**, **Dutch angle**, **oblique angle**, **German angle**, **canted angle**, or **Batman Angle** are terms used for a cinematic tactic often used to portray the psychological uneasiness or tension in the subject being filmed. A Dutch angle is achieved by tilting the camera off to the side so that the shot is composed with the horizon at an angle to the bottom of the frame.[|Source] || [[image:https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ae/Battlefield_earth_planetship.jpg width="260" height="119"]] ||

== =Camera Movement=
 * Crab || A less-common term for tracking or trucking. ||
 * Dolly || The camera is mounted on a cart which travels along tracks for a very smooth movement. Also known as a tracking shot or trucking shot. ||
 * Dolly Zoom || A technique in which the camera moves closer or further from the subject while simultaneously adjusting the zoom angle to keep the subject the same size in the frame. ||
 * Follow || The camera physically follows the subject at a more or less constant distance. ||
 * Pan || Horizontal movement, left and right. ||
 * Pedestal (Ped) || Moving the camera position vertically with respect to the subject. ||
 * Tilt || Vertical movement of the camera angle, i.e. pointing the camera up and down (as opposed to moving the whole camera up and down). ||
 * Track || Roughly synonymous with the dolly shot, but often defined more specifically as movement which stays a constant distance from the action, especially side-to-side movement. ||
 * Truck || Another term for tracking or dollying. ||
 * Zoom || Technically this isn't a camera move, but a change in the lens focal length with gives the illusion of moving the camera closer or further away. ||

=Steadycams= The steadycam combines the stabilized steady footage of a conventional tripod mount with the fluid motion of a dolly shot and the flexibility of hand-held camera work. While not completely replacing the role of the dolly shot. While smoothly following the operator's broad movements, the Steadicam's armature absorbs jerks, bumps, and shakes and yields professional quality footage. Setting up the AllSteady balanced gimbal: [|Youtube Video] Using the AllSteady gimbal settings: [|Youtube Video]

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== =Assignment#1 - Shots=

The student is to plan out (before they leave to shoot) and obtain 8 different shots of their choice. The shots must evenly be split between shot types and camera movements. Clips are to be labelled with the shot type in post-production. Please make sure to put the card-reader and cable away once you're done transferring the video to the computer. There is to be no sound in this assignment, so in the editing phase discard the audio track(s).

Once complete, sew the clips together with the appropriate title screens into a single film stream, then submit the rendered clip (render as a h.264 MP4 file at 720p quality). Submit the piece to the handin folder with your name on the file please. Groups may share footage, but each student is to edit and submit their own finished product.


 * = **Evaluation ** ||= **4 ** ||= **3** ||= **2** ||= **1** ||
 * = 8 clips ||= Clips not only are all present, care has been taken to ensure proper filming conventions followed. ||= Clips are present and fully represent what they should ||= Clips are present, but better camera technique should be used. ||= Poor camera technique is used in obtaining each clip, not all clips are labeled well, or are missing. ||
 * = Camera setup/lighting /composition ||= Excellent camera technique used in obtaining clips, colour is correct, there is no shaking or visible defect to the clips. ||= Camera technique is adequate to obtain the shots - there is some shaking or bobbing depending on the shot, colour is largely correct. ||= Some clips have inadequate stabilization, colour balance but largely the clips are sound. ||= Many, if not all the clips have visible shaking, errors in colour balance or orientation. ||
 * = Presentation of clips in post-production ||= Clips are all easily and skillfully identified ||= Clips are lagely well labeled and easy to follow ||= There are some errors in labeling, or poor choices in presenting the clips are made ||= There is a lack of labeling of the clips, or major flaws in the presentation of the clips ||

//Steadycam activity - if you are planning on going on in film this is mandatory knowledge.//

== =Assignment #2 - Storyboarding 101=

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**GOAL**:
Online find **a 15 second sequence from the film, and storyboard it.** Include not only shot types, camera movements, key dialogue & rough timecode. Target about 5-6 sheets of storyboard.

Example of impeccable planning in pre-preproduction:

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Use this blank template for your storyboarding -

tell what goes where. It would be impossible for another person to create this presentation without asking lots of questions. ||
 * **CATEGORY** || **4** || **3** || **2** || **1** ||
 * **Content** || All content is in the students' own work and is accurate. || Almost all content is in the students' own work and is accurate. || At least half of the content is in the students’ own work and is accurate. || Less than half of the content is in the students’ own work and/or is accurate. ||
 * **Required Elements** || Storyboard included all required elements as well as a few additional elements. || Storyboard included all required elements and done additional element. || Storyboard included all required elements. || One or more required elements was missing from the storyboard. ||
 * **Clarity and Neatness** || Storyboard is easy to read and all elements are so clearly written, labeled, or drawn that another student could create the presentation if necessary. || Storyboard is easy to read and most elements are clearly written, labeled, or drawn. Another person might be able to create the presentation after asking one or two questions. || Storyboard is hard to read with rough drawings and labels. It would be hard for another person to create this presentation without asking lots of questions. || Storyboard is hard to read and one cannot
 * **Use of Time** || Used time well during each class period (as shown by observation by teacher, and documentation of progress in journal) with no reminders. || Used time well during most class periods (as shown by observation by teacher, and documentation of progress in journal) with no reminders. || Used time well (as shown by observation by teacher and documentation of progress in journal), but required reminders on one or more occasions to do so. || Used time poorly (as shown by observation by teacher and/or documentation of progress in journal) in spite of several reminders to do so. ||

 =Assignment #3 - Script Writing=

1. Get Celtx from the handout folder if it's not already on the computer. If not get it [|here]. 2. Open Celtx 3. Select ‘Film' under Project Templates

//You should now see the Celtx interface.//

4. Every scene begins with a heading. The heading has:
 * INT or EXT for interior or exterior
 * The name of the location
 * DAY or NIGHT.

//When you press enter you will notice that the formatting dropdown changes to ‘Action'. You can now type in a description of the location and the action that happens there.//

//Pressing the TAB button on your keyboard will cycle through all the options in the dropdown. You can also go up and change it using the dropdown.//

5. Write in some description for the scene.

6 Press the TAB button to switch to Character or use the formatting dropdown. 7 Write a character's name.

8 After entering the character name, pressing the ENTER key on your keyboard automatically switches to dialog mode. 9 Write some dialog.

10 You can add description of the dialog by changing the formatting dropdown to ‘Parenthetical' or by pressing the TAB button to select it.

11 At the end of every scene, provide a transition to the next scene. Some common choices are: CUT TO: (a simple edit) Or CROSS FADE TO: (a slow dissolve from one shot to another).

//Celtx makes it easy to identify all the important elements of your script known as lining your script.//

12 First, identify all the characters. Highlight the name of a character by clicking and dragging.

13 Select the breakdown tab and find the ‘Character' option. Click it and then click the ‘Add' button at the bottom of the frame.

14 Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the rest of the characters in your scene.

15 Finish lining your script by identifying all the:


 * Props: (objects actors will interact with)
 * Set dressing: (important objects that appear in the scene but that the actors don't touch)
 * Wardrobe:(clothing)
 * Extras: (Non-speaking, non-named actors that appear in the scene).



//Switching to the Reports tab and selecting ‘Scene Breakdown' provides you with a list of all the scenes and which actors, props and other elements are required to film it.//

=Your turn= Write a one-page scene using the Celtx software. The scene should include some dialogue and description. Note that this is not a creative writing class and your work will not be judged on its writing style. Instead make sure your script follows the proper screenplay format.

Create a list of the actors, props, set dressing, extras, animals and vehicles in the scene (called LINING your scene).


 * **CATEGORY** || **4** || **3** || **2** || **1** ||
 * **Content** || All content is in the students' own work and is clearly enough written so that another student could easily create the product if necessary . || Almost all content is in the students' own work and most elements are clearly written and lined so that another person might be able to create the presentation after asking one or two questions. || At least half of the content is in the students’ own work and is accurate. It would be hard for another person to create this presentation without asking lots of questions. || Less than half of the content is in the students’ own work and/or is accurate. It would be nearly impossible for another person to create this presentation without asking lots of questions. ||
 * **Required Elements** (lining) || Script included all required lined elements as well as a few additional elements. || Script lining included all required elements and some additional elements. || Script lining included most required elements. || Many lining elements are missing from the script. ||
 * **Use of Time** || Used time well during each class period (as shown by observation by teacher, and documentation of progress in journal) with no reminders. || Used time well during most class periods (as shown by observation by teacher, and documentation of progress in journal) with no reminders. || Used time well (as shown by observation by teacher and documentation of progress in journal), but required reminders on one or more occasions to do so. || Used time poorly (as shown by observation by teacher and/or documentation of progress in journal) in spite of several reminders to do so. ||




 * NEXT: Production**