Unit 1: Task 1- part 2, Future learn

We have been participating in an online course that teaches us all about the film and TV production process and each individual aspect. The course last 3 weeks and each week had different topics that we had to learn about in order to pass the course.
The first week was very much about introducing us to the course and the world of film TV. It taught us all about the different roles and what each person did to benefit the production it also gave us a quick run down of the production process teaching us each stage of production.
The second week went into more detail about crew members and the roles/tasks that they had to complete. It focused mainly on the different departments which roles are contained within them and also the key roles that the production must have in order to be successful. It also gave some information on the paperwork that needed to be completed for each day.
The third and final week the course taught us in more detail about the job of a runner and the different types of runner that you can find working in a production. It also taught us how to be the best runner possible and stand out from everyone else.  

Filming progress blog

This week I have attended 4 filming sessions for 3 separate films. The first session that I attended was for the film "A Stolen Mind" which is being directed by Chloe Handley. The shoot took place on Monday the 7th of march and my role was director of photography. During the shoot I was responsible for the framing lighting and all general camera work. I also kept an eye on continuity and made sure that none of the crew or equipment were caught in any reflections in shot. The shoot went very smoothly and we managed to film all of the required scenes very quickly.
The second film session that took place on the 8th of march, was for the same film and once again I had the same role fulfilling all of the same tasks. This shoot was also very successful.
The third shoot took place on the 9th of march and was for the Film "Exposure" which I was responsible for directing. As director I was responsible for keeping everything organised and giving the actors instructions so that they knew exactly what they were doing and could create the scene that I wanted. I think I did a good job as director as I knew exactly what I wanted to happen although I did find it much more difficult than I was expecting probably due to the fact that there was 8 actors on set that we were using as well as the crew. I wanted to film a total of 3 scenes but we only managed to film the first to and most of the third as we still have a few shots that we had to miss out due to time restraints and the fact that we also had a limited time to film scenes for "No good deed done".
The fourth shoot also took place on the 9th and was for the film "No good deed done" that was directed by Matthew Dickens. I retook the role of director of photography and for fulfilled all of the necessary. This shoot also went well however we did not get everything that we need filmed due to time and makeup taking longer than expected.

For the second week of filming I attended 3 filming sessions once again for 3 separate films. The first session that I attended was for the film "A Stolen Mind" where I reclaimed the role of D.O.P. The shoot took place on Tuesday the 15th of march. The first half of the shoot took place at college and went very smoothly. There were no real problems and everything went down without a hitch. For the second part of the shoot we had to go on location to one of our crew members houses in Billingham. During the shoot I was responsible for all of the usual things. The main issue that we had with filming was how to get the lighting to the level that we wanted it. The scene was supposed to be taking place on a night time but of course we were only able to film during the day, so tried to make the room darker by closing the curtains to the room. However this caused the quality of our footage to become significantly less. You could see that the footage was a lot grainier and so we used my phones flash light to give the room some more light. We managed to film all of the scenes that we needed to during the filming session which meant that "A Stolen Mind" was wrapped and filming had completely finished.
The second shoot of the week, which took place on Wednesday the 16th of march, was for the film "No Good Deed Done" Where I also took on the role of D.O.P. We filmed in a restaurant in Yarm called Lucias from 3 onwards however we had to stop a little earlier than we expected due to the change in lights and audio. This means that we will have to return to the restaurant during the pick up week to film the scenes that we couldn't get done. Other than that small issue the shoot went very well and everything that we did manage to get was of good quality.
The Last shoot of the week was for my film "Exposure" It took place on Thursday the 17th of march at Pizza Express in Teesside park. I conducted the role of Director for this shoot. The shoot went very well and we managed to film everything I needed. However one of the actors was unable to attend the shoot and so his scenes will have to be moved into the pick up week. I was very pleases with the footage that was captured and thought that the whole shoot was very successful. I feel that the second shoot went a lot smoother than the first one and that I was able to complete my role as director much easier. I believe that this was because of the fact that I had a little bit more experience and so was more prepared and also due to the fact that I was working with fewer people which meant that there would be a lot less interference. With that shoot day completed I only needed one day within the pick up week to complete the filming process and collect everything that I need.

During the pick up week I attended  2 filming session. One for my film "Exposure" and one for Matty's film "No Good Deed Done".
The first film session that took place was for my film, it took place on Tuesday the 22nd of march and was filmed within college. The shoot took place so that we could capture the footage that we missed from the first film and session and the footage that we were unable to film due to a member of the cast being unavailable. The shoot went very smoothly and everything was shot as fast as possible. We finished filming faster than I had estimated and that meant that all filming for exposure was completed.
The second shoot that took place was for "No Good Deed Done". This took place on Wednesday the 23rd of march when we returned to the restaurant Lucias to capture the few scenes that we missed due to the changes in lighting and sound that halted the original shoot. This once again was completed very quickly and also meant that "No Good Deed Done" could be wrapped up with all that is left to do is editing.

Finished advert - unit 30: Advertisement production for television

Short film review - unit 24: Writing for television and video.

Vengeance - 10 minute short film.

3 Act Structure - The film begins with an establishing shot to give the audience information about where the characters are. The plot is then explained in a very fast speech exchange and the equilibrium is established, everything is very clear even though it is very fast. A teenage boy (James) is asked to watch over his aunt and uncle's house while they are away.

The second act begins with the danger setting in and the introduction of the antagonists and disequilibrium (Troy and Cain). It also contains the motive of the antagonists and what they are about to do. James is caught by the antagonists but recognises one of them as an old childhood friend (Troy). We are given more information on the back story and further motive. The antagonists complete their task but while they were focusing on that James manages to get free but is quickly attacked by Cain. as he is being beaten by Cain the, Troy changes his mind and decides to help him by attacking Cain. They both lose the fight and just as James is about to be shot Trory shoots Cain instead. The act ends with all 3 characters lying on the floor and a police officer arresting the antagonists.

Act 3 takes place 3 years after the event had taken place. The act shows James receiving a letter from Troy who is in prison saying how he is sorry about what had happened and asking for forgiveness. The final scene takes place on a beach and includes James and Troy on the beach both dressed in white to symbolize that they have started a new beginning and also to represent that they have both made peace.      

Character profiles:

James - He is the main character of the film, He is a generic teenager and doesn't have anything special about him whatsoever. He is confused about what is happening and what the motives of the other characters are. He can't understand what is happening and why these people are doing what they're doing it.

Troy - Around the same age as James has a weird appearance like he has given up on life. He used to work for James uncle but was fired and is now bitter about it happening. That is his motive for trying to steal money from james uncle's house.

Both him and james grew up together and were both very religious however he lost his way and James did not.

Cain - Looks slightly older than James and Troy and is obviously the alpha male out of the 2 antagonists. Looks like he has taken way too many steroids and is the typical tough guy. His motive for stealing the money is just the money. He does not have any relation to the other characters or the person that he is stealing from.     

Script research - unit 24: Writitng for television and video

Research for my script idea

The story is about 2 friends who are asked by their other friend to go and spy on his girlfriend to find out if she is cheating on him or not. While doing this they accidentally take photographs of members of the russian mafia who thinks that they are spies sent to gather information about their plans. The pair get kidnapped along with Nathan's girlfriend who he was on a date with just before the pair were taken.

When they wake up they are in some sort of office building surrounded by armed guards, they learn what has happened and try to explain but they are still sentenced to death. They manage to escape with the help of police and MI6 who had watched the whole situation unfold from the very beginning when they spotted them outside the restaurant taking photos and almost blowing their cover.

Character Analysis

Name - Nathan Cole

Age - 18

Dramatic motivation - Has just been kidnapped and is very worried that he is going to die and desperately wants to escape with his life.

Role in narrative - Main character, very reckless but always tries to keep the situation light hearted even in the darkest situations.

Other information - Fairly clumsy, funny and always likes to enjoy himself in every situation.

Backstory - Has been in a relationship with Lauren for about 3 months so doesn't want to do anything that might ruin things. Has been friends with Greg and Matt since they were kids so is very close to them.

Name - Greg Peters

Age - 18

Dramatic motivation - Nathan's friend and also really doesn't want to die, will try anything in order to save himself

Role in narrative - Is also kidnapped with Nathan and often does stupid things under pressure.

Other information - He is easily bored in situations and doesn't always think things through. he gets more and more frustrated as the situations gets increasingly tense. Hates the fact that nathan is joking and messing around even though they're in real danger.  

Backstory - Has been friends with nathan since they were kids and is also friends with Lauren. He was very reluctant to even help matt with his problem in the first place and originally said no.

Name - Lauren Wilson

Age - 18

Dramatic motivation - Is also kidnapped alongside Nathan, Doesn't what is happening and is understandably angry at the fact she has been kidnapped by the russian mafia for a reason that is totally unknown to her.

Role in the narrative - tries to keep things calm while also thinking of a plan of how to escape. Tries to stop the boys from constantly squabbling.

Other information - She is very confident and not afraid to say exactly what she thinks.

Backstory - Hasn't really know nathan for that long and has been with him for about 3 months, she thinks that everything is going very well and doesn't want anything to go wrong.

Name - Victor  Zakharov

Age - 22

Dramatic motivation - The head of the organisation. He is the one who orders Nathan, Greg and Lauren to be kidnapped so that he can find out what they know and get rid of them.

Role in narrative - Classic bad guy. (Antagonist)

Other information - Has some sort of facial markings like a scar to make him stand out from the crowd, Smartly dressed.

Backstory - Has just taken control of his father's company and is a very dangerous man that doesn’t like to take risks. He makes sure that he will be successful and he will not allow anyone to get in his way when he is organising his plans.      

3 Act Structure

First act - This would briefly establish the characters and relationships giving the audience some idea as to what is happening. This act would end just as the main characters are taken.

Second act - This act would be all about the character trying to get themselves out of the trouble that they have ended up in and trying not to be killed in the process of escaping. This act would end just as the police have helped them to escape

Third act - This act would be about how the police and MI6 knew about what was going on and to show that the ending was relatively happy for the characters.

Hostage situations     

A hostage is a person or entity which is held by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against war. However, in contemporary usage, it means someone who is seized by a criminal abductor.

In my films case they have been seized in order to prevent information from spreading or making its way to any government agencies or rivals.

Kidnapping in Film   

The films Taken and Taken 2 are probably the best examples of kidnapping and hostage situations in film. The films show what kind of things can happen while being held hostage but also what type of people do things like this. I will use the images that are present in Taken of a wealthy dangerous man to take inspiration for my antagonist. This will be combined with the more classic villains that are seen in things such as James Bond films so that it is more of a stereotypical villain.

Portrayal of criminals in films

Criminals in films are often portrayed as powerful wealthy people who need to be feared and never crossed. In films based around the mafia in specific they are always seen as very well respected people who can decide the fate of others and ensure that their business is kept private. If anyone ever disrespects them or poses a threat to any of their operations then they are often dealt with very quickly and discreetly. This information will help me to understand the train of thought that my antagonist will be going through. To him what he is doing is very necessary as he can not allow any rivals or government forces to discover any weaknesses that his organisation may have, so he has no problem with killing people in order to ensure this doesn't happen.

MI6

  

The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 (Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the British intelligence agency which supplies the British Government with foreign intelligence.

The reason that MI6 would be involved within my story is due to the fact that the antagonist is head of the russian mafia and therefore is part of foreign intelligence. MI6 would be monitoring him so that they could determine whether he is a threat to the country and members of the public.

Russian Mafia

In modern times, there are as many as 6,000 different groups, with more than 200 of them having a global reach. Criminals of these various groups are either former prison members, corrupt Communist officials and business leaders, people with ethnic ties, or people from the same region with shared criminal experiences and leaders.

When the USSR collapsed and a free market economy emerged, organized criminal groups began to take over Russia's economy, with many ex-KGB soldiers and veterans of the Afghan war offering their skills to the crime bosses. Gangster summit meetings had taken place in hotels and restaurants

Original story type - unit 24: Writing for television and video

The character who cannot be put down
A person demonstrates prowess, but then faces a bigger challenge that tests that prowess. This happens multiple times in most films or TV and each situation requires a new solution that the character must think of. They succeed.
Example: Die Hard


My script relates to this story type as it is all about people who are kidnapped but have to escape so that they don't die. However they just as they resolve one problem another one pops up that is even more of as challenge to solve. This occurs 4 times within my script whilst they are attempting to escape but each time something happens that means they succeed sometimes through their efforts and sometimes by pure luck or coincidence.
An example of a time that this happens is when they are kidnapped and accidently kill both guards assigned to kill them. once this has happened they must solve the problem of getting free from being tied to chairs which is much more difficult than it sounds.

Advert analysis - unit 30: Advertisement production for television

This advert was aired in 2010 by John Lewis to celebrate the stores long time success. The message of the advert is that John Lewis has always been there for you to provide good quality products during its time.


The structure that is presented during this advert is a linear narrative for the time line of someone's life. The format is linear because it follows a chronological order over the course of many years, it shows this by aging the characters but with them still having similarities to what they were before. The advert is a stand alone advert that doesn't reference or follow on to any other adverts that the company have produced in the past and it contains a dramatic style with multiple moments of conflict in the story line. This helps to keep the audience engaged with what is happening o screen. The advert gives the illusion that the entire thing is one shot and very cleverly blends into using camera movement, shots, editing, lighting and special effects. This gives the whole advert a very smooth feeling with the transitions being very subtle and pleasing to watch.
A of different emotions and situations are shown during the advert by doing this, John Lewis are creating a link with all of these situations and emotions that the audience can associate with the brand. If these situations ever occur in real life then the audience may turn to John Lewis. For example the advert contains a wedding so they may remember if the situation happens in real life and go to them to buy a wedding present. John Lewis use the technique of association to try and gain customers and to make there store memorable.
John Lewis maintain the fact that they are distributors of very good quality goods and with this advert they also try to put this across to the viewer. The advert says that the brand is "never knowingly undersold on quality, price and service" which conveys to the audience that they always try to do there best with what they do. The tag line for the advert is "Our lifelong commitment to you" which gives the audience the opinion that John Lewis totally care about their customers and are completely committed in doing their job as professionally as possible.
The advert gives us the picture of a perfect family giving a very traditional feeling to the advert and want we can see on screen. The family that can be seen on screen are quite wealthy and appear to have nice things. The advert gives a very perfect view on life as a whole and suggests to the audience that shopping at John Lewis can help you achieve this.
The unique selling point that John Lewis try to sell their products on is quality and the smoothness and quality of the advert puts this across.
During the production of the adverts John Lewis had to make sure that the advert met all of the requirements set out by the ASA (Advertisement Standards Authority). Before the ad can be aired on TV it must be first checked and approved by ASA. They check for things such as copyright violations and anything that could be viewed as offensive or not suitable for TV during the time that it will be aired. They regularly conduct surveys of adverts published by sectors to make sure they are viewed as suitable. However even after the advert is aired the ASA still have the power to act on complaints that they may receive from the public to ensure that no codes have been breached by the advert. 
The target audience for John Lewis is typically wealthy adults that prefer to by quality products and don't really care about the cost as much as other people would. This advert is relevant to the target audience as the family who appear in the advert can very easily fit into this category. This will help the target audience to be able to imagine themselves shopping at the a lot easier because their demographic is visible within the advert.
Before creating there advert, John Lewis will have carried out a lot of research to makes sure that they were creating an advert that would attract their target audience to shop at their stores. They would have conducted things such as focus groups and made people answer questionnaires in order to create the advert that would be the most successful. They would have also used statistics from BARB (Broadcasters Audience Research Board) to see which adverts, that they and other companies have created, have been most successful and for what reasons they generated interest.