Live and Multi-camera

I have started the budget for Multi-camera but I think I worked it out wrong so I am re doing it.
It would have cost at the least £23000 so far! And I am not finished. Plus I haven't included Studio hire and Production Managers.

Yesterday I made a letter (on my letterhead I designed for Professional Studies) to Steve my Live Client. In the letter it explained that it is a first edit and the finished would be presented professionally. I also made a feedback form for him to fill in. I dropped it off then the next day he came to my house to return it. He said he is very pleased with it. He only suggested a few minor changes (a few shots he would like brighter so you can see his book more clear). I let Peter know the good news. Now all I need to do is write my critical evaluation..

So yesterday we watched the multi-camera project back. I am a bit disappointed with it because I know if we just had one more week we could have perfected it! But then again our idea was ambitious and not a simple idea. I made notes where sound went wrong and where my PA could have improved which I am going to write in my critical evaluation.
I forward the email that I receievd to my Live Client. I wanted to drop the DVD off but he had left the office so I am sending it on Friday. He know's I want the feedback before Saturday so I have time to write my evaluation.

Today we had a visitor give us a seminar on CV's. This was very useful because I noticed some things that could change on mine. My CV wasn't too bad but as a marketing tool I recognise it needs improving if I stand a chance receiving work when I leave.

I spoke to Sophie about the specialism. In yesterdays contextual studies tutorial Diane suggested that I could look into props and the diegesis of the period piece that I am Co-Producing.

I am finishing the budget for Multi-camera right now. Then I am going to start on my evaluation.

Live Project Deadline!

Our Projects need to be in in 45 minutes!!
It is okay though because I handed mine in at 3pm yesterday.

Peter Silk and Dan Harris (Director and Editor) tweaked my project, I went in and give feedback then after a few more hours it was complete. We put it on the master DV tape and I made a few copies on DVD. I didn't make 10 because Peter Silk wanted to put it on his hard drive instead and I will only give the actors their copy when all changes have been made. Either today or tomorrow I am going to give my client his copy and I will ask for some written feedback so I can then start my critical evaluation (I already have a rough evaluation but it needs setting out and a conclusion).
I put Sams Zombie Wool Room on DV and DVD and handed that in too. I wanted to avoid the stress of deadline morning when everyone is running about. When I receive feedback from the client I can then start working on the re edit.

Last night I was given some feedback on my blog from an ex-student who I did work experience with. I have printed it out and I am going to improve my blog over the next few weeks!

I have my Contextual Studies tutorial soon. I have printed off my proposal form with the associated research expanded. I have also printed off some of my research. It is not good research so far but over the next few weeks it will advance.

Today I think we have the opportunity to watch the Multi-camera project as a group. I am looking forward to this as I want to know where we went right and wrong.
I am going to be working a little bit on each module and I hope to finish my critical evaluations by Friday.

sunday / monday

Yesterday I did more work on my graphics package. I made my DVD case. I found that the easiest way to make one was to open a word document, turn it to landscape and put a border around the page. All the default settings make it the same size as a DVD case. All the templates I found didn't look very accurate.

I asked my family for feedback and they all said that the new letter heads, business cards and DVD cases etc looked better than the old ones (without them knowing which was the upadted version).

This morning, after sorting Student Finance out with my mum (there's been a problem with my loans and grants) I arrived at college 30 minutes later than I intended to be there but got straight on with the edit for Sam's Zombie Wool Room. I did a rough edit, put music on it then tidied it up. I spent hours trying to blur the TV in the background in after effects. Richard came to help me but he couldn't figure out a way to do this without it looking a mess. In the end after trying I asked Sam what he thought would be best and he said to just leave it too.

Tomorrow Peter & Dan are going to complete my live edit and make the 10 DVD's that are needed.
I will put Sam's on DV and make how many DVD's he requires.

On Wednesday, we hand in our live project film. Then we're going to watch the multi-camera TV show.

de rig / professional studies / live

On Thursday morning I joined some people in the studio who were starting the de-rig. We're getting assessed on our de rigging. I tidied up the gallery because it looked quite cluttered with scripts / pens etc. I put all paper in a big pile and didn't throw anything out so if anyone is looking for their work it is in there! I know some of it might have been very important. I then did the same in the sound booth. I boxed the radio mic's away and handed them back to Richard, I collected all the Dynamic & Rifle mic's, the stands and most of the cables (I couldn't access some because the set is in the way). I didn't think to wear some old clothes otherwise I would have helped with the painting! I walked in the studio wearing black and just saw about 5 people covered in white paint! I just cleaned what I could and then went upstairs to do some work.

In professional studies we were asked to lay our work out because we were going to go around each others graphic packages and give feedback. When I read the comments people made on mine, I agreed with them all (even though I didn't realise before the session what was missing) so it made me think how to improve it. The thing people commented about the most was that it was hard to read because of the colour and because it was too small. After the session I went on the computer and altered my logo slightly (with the help of Sam because I didn't know how to use photoshop properly, something I need to learn!). I made it darker, and removed the word 'productions' so that it was larger. I think I will keep the word productions in the title of my company but just not in my logo. This weekend I want to finish the design ready to take to staples or somewhere next week to be printed professionally.

This morning I was an extra for Sam's Wool Room Live Project. I am his Editor so if I went on his shoot I wouldn't have had a role so I volunteered to be a runner / extra. It involved me laying on a Wool Room duvet placed on the grass at Middlesbrough town centre on an icey day. As much as I regretted it at the time because I thought I was going to freeze to the floor, I am glad I helped out because I wouldn't like it if nobody helped me out one day just because of the weather conditions!

I have been experimenting with some software called Mixcraft 5. It is a music production software so that if I wanted to compose music for future projects I can. It also has a lot of royalty free sound effects for films. I don't know how useful it will be but it is fun regardless!

Lot's of deadlines coming up!
However, I paid for the London trip on Thursday so I am looking forward to that!

multi-camera cast and crew

Live TV show!

This morning I arrived before 9am because we had someone come in to give us a talk about a survey. After this talk I went to the studio and made sure the sound was set up. I transfered my PA notes from my script with all notes on for every role onto the new group B only section of my 'production pack' because my script looked messy and would have caused confusion. We had a rehearsal. It went terrible! I was confused about timings because I wasn't sure whether to look at the VT times or my stop watch! Then my Director started calling out cues for floor manager / sound / lighting which was supposed to be coming from me which confused everyone, they listened to him and I didn't know what to do because he called it 45 seconds early. I knew what and when to cue so this made things hard. The sound wasn't very good. We couldn't hear anything in the gallery. The lighting was okay because it is quite a simple set up. Camera was okay once I turned up the volume on the head set. This was very worrying. Hours from the show and it was an awful rehearsal. However, I had the sound issue sorted and I told my Director not to speak to anyone on my behalf and to just trust me that my timings are accurate. He assured me it wouldn't happen again. The actors arrived (all but David, Stanley Buttons). We had an actor run through which was the opportunity to have all sound people in the gallery and I went through exactly what was needed until they understood and definitely knew how to work everything and what to do if a mic fails. The sound issue was resolved, I had all input levels set which give the best sound I could possibly have. David (Stanley Buttons) still wasn't there after the rehearsal. I called his house number. His wife give me his mobile number which was switched off when I called. This was very worrying but luckily he eventually arrived!
Make-up and costumes were put on and everyone was preparing. I did a last sound check to confirm that my levels were fine. The 15 minutes lead up were very scary. I stayed as focused and calm as possible and told my sound assisstant exactly what to expect (he knew from previous rehearsals but this time no mistakes were allowed).

My first section (sound) went okay. My mic's didn't peak, all sound in the gallery / studio was clear and the music was cue'd on time. I think the only issue was I cut the sound from the VT a split second too fast causing some sound to be cut off. I cut exactly when the PA said 'we're live' so I don't know why this happened. But it is not a major issue.

Group B which I was PA for went well too. I cue'd everything, we started on time and finished on time. I did have to use the 'air guitar' cue which the actors knew meant leave the rest of the script, say 'ah I've had enough of this, lets just get to the music' I cue's the lights to go down then the music started. This was just so that my section finished on time. Hannah (Christine Charles) didn't manage to get her shirt off in time but it didn't really matter. I was happy with how this section went.

For group C I was on lighting. I only had two cues. I had to solo bus 9 when the judge spoke once. Then solo / flash bus 19 (the red gel) when the alarm was going off. I liked how the music and lights stopped at exactly the same time.

For group D I was on camera 2. This went okay too. No problems from what I know of.

I can't wait to watch it back and see where we went wrong / where we improved over time. The past few rehearsals we have had have been a bit of a disaster. I think we all had a bit of a panic but when it came to the actual show everyone performed really well and worked great as a team!

The floor manager thanked the audience, we sent them upstairs for refreshments and had cast / crew photographs. Everyone was relieved that it went smoothly. I then had to quickly drive home and bring the flowers and chocolates Charlotte and I bought for Jess and Sophie for being really good Production managers. We appreciate how hard they worked to bring the show together. They stayed up late / made schedules / sorted out problems / motivated people and supported us all. We wouldn't have had a show if it wasn't for them so we had to get them something as a thank you. When I returned, the studio was locked up (I wanted to collect the mic's up) so I have to start de rigging in the morning instead.

Tomorrow, Mike wants to see our graphics package. All I need is a compliment slip and my DVD template updating.

I always said I would miss multi-camera when it is over. I have enjoyed it so much! Big thank you to Mike and Richard. And well done everyone!!!!!