Coursework Management

Introduction

In this section of the coursework, the management of the video project will be discussed in detail. The details of the management of the actors, props, locations, mise en scene, lighting etc will be discussed in this section. We will consider the benefits of using the particular method or item for the project.

Props & Equipment

Because of how complex this particular project is, and the number of props and pieces of equipment that are involved, we will have to manage all the apparatus carefully.

Props

The main characters costume is composed of several different parts all used together to create one costume. The base layer of the costume will be a red coloured morphsuit. The reason for using this is that the costume is very simple, with no added protection to the character. It demonstrates his naivety as a superhero, that a costume is all he needs to be a crime-fighter. It shows how detached he is from the real world because he can not tell that criminals can be dangerous because of how he watches the world go by from his bedroom. The colour red does however show his anger and frustration towards the world and towards the world and criminals who are out there. 

The next layer of the costume is the  heavy boots. The size of these boots are large and are clearly out of proportion for someone of the characters build. This is used to demonstrate how he is stepping into the shoes of a crime fighter, but the size of these boots show how large the challenge is to the character, because the shoes he is "stepping" into, are too big for him to handle.

After the boots, are the black briefs that are worn by the character. These briefs are another cliché item and are commonly associated with children who are trying to be superheroes. This demonstrates how the character is only a child and is immature. It also adds a level of comedy to the project because of how ridiculous he looks to other people.

A black mask with eyes holes cut out is used over the face of the character. (Fill in reasons for choice)

The character also wears a black cape which...(Fill in reasons for choice)

Equipment

The following equipment is used to film the project:

• iPhone 4S/ iPhone 5 (as the camera)
• iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 data transfer cable,
• Velbon Tripod.
• iPhone tripod adapter.
• Chroma Keying screen (blue/ green screen)
• MacBook Pro (editing)
• External Hard Drive.

iPhone 4S/ iPhone 5

We made a decision to use the iPhone 4S/ iPhone 5 in order to film our project. This is a beneficial choice because both devices offer an 8 MegaPixel camera, with full 1080p HD video capture. This allows us to create high quality video while having the portability and the convenience of a smart phone.

iPhone 4S/iPhone 5 data transfer cable

We will always bring along suitable data transfer cable for the iPhone4S/5 in order to take the footage off the phone and transfer it to the MacBook Pro that we will use to edit the clips.

Velbon tripod

We have chosen to use a velbon tripod because it allows us to increase the height of the camera, change the angles etc and it also allows attachments to be clipped on, or attached to the screw on the tripod. This is useful for the tripod adapter we will use.

iPhone tripod adapter

Due to the fact that both the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 have the same width, we can use a single tripod adapter to hold both devices on the tripod. This allows us to switch devices over in case one of the device's batter were, for example, to run low on battery and needed recharging. The tripod provides a firm grip and a screw hole so that the phone can fit in place and the adapter can fit nearly any good quality tripod available.

Chroma Keying screen

We will make use of a chroma key screen during the making of our project. We will need to store this screen so that it will not get damaged or wrinkled, it will be stored in a rolled up fashion and in a location where it be disturbed as little as possible to reduce any damage done to the screen.

MacBook Pro

We will use a MacBook Pro in order to edit our film. The reason for this choice is that the mac series of computers are the only computers that can run Final Cut Pro X. We are going to use Final Cut Pro X as our editing software because it is easy to use yet it allows for advanced editing. We are also using Motion 5, to add 3D effects and effects that will be used in conjunction with the chroma keying screen.

External Hard Drive

We will use the external hard drive in order to backup all our work and footage. It is important to back up the work as we go along because if there is a fault with out MacBook Pro, we can simply restore all our files back to normal.

Location

A decision was made amongst the members of the group to plan to use the house of one of the members as the main set for the project. This allows for an atmosphere that is personal and allows for a more intimate relation between the audience and the character, as if they are welcomed into his home. Another reason for this choice is the window in the bedroom of the chosen house. The single window in the bedroom can represent how the character is very detached to the outside world. This location is also appropriate because the location of the house has a wide skyline. This means that there is plenty of natural and ambient light that will be available whilst filming. This can benefit the lighting of the project whilst on this set.

During the project, the character is deep in thought, remembering back to events that have happened in school. This involved him trying to fit in, by attending the gym and trying out equipment and also mistaking one girl for another when he is trying to talk to her. This is cliché and often a stereotype attached to "nerdy" people in a school community. In order to complete this scene and make it feel realistic, we decided to simply use our school facilities to create this scene. Our reasons for choosing our school are that, it has everything that we need, from the gym facilities, to long corridors, and because it is a school, the audience will feel like it is a school environment and therefore makes the project more authentic.

Another planned scene uses a shop on a street. The character walks into the shop without a bag, then after an edited transition, he walks back out again with a costume in a bag. In order to create this scene, we need to find a shop on a street, and use a wide shot in order to create the scene. The shop will be clearly described as a costume shop of sorts. The use of a shop creates the idea that he is purchasing the costume. This is also helped by the distinct labelling that the shop is a costume shop.

The final scene will be created using chroma keying. We plan on using our school's Sports Hall in order to create an environment suitable for chroma keying. The sports hall has strong bright lights on the roof which can be used to create a brighter environment for filming which is appropriate for chroma keying. This location also makes it easier for transferring the props to and from the room because of the large space that we have to work with.

Actors

Throughout the project, we will only be using a single actor in the shots. The reason for this is because in the first 2 minutes 30 seconds of any film, the scene is really set only for the main character and their friends or family. However because of the nature of our character, we can create a much more personal and intimate scene with the character and also keep the amount of people we introduce during the project to a bare minimum of 1. We will keep our chosen actor, Gavin, up to date on filming dates and ensure that he can show up on time.

Lighting

The lighting we will use in the project will mainly be ambient lighting. This helps to create a more normal scene in the project and can help the scenes have more of a personal and normal feel to them. In order to create this effect, we will have to choose to film on a day that is generally bright enough to create an ideal lighting scene, however nothing too bright incase you get glare from the light through windows etc.

During the scene using the chroma keying, we will use a dark background with smoke effects so that we can display the idea of a dark scene, where the character is effectively, "In the dark" on the decision he is making, not sure of how things will turn out. We will use a spotlight effect during editing to focus some of the light on the character to put the focus on them.




Posted By - Eoin Lavery