In the last 24 hours I've had some lovely feedback from the owners and customers of Confection Perfection. Everytime I watch the film however, I only seem to notice the things I'm not happy with. I think this is something I do a lot, and sometimes find it hard to watch my work back without cringing and picking things out that bother me. So it was nice to hear from people who aren't as attached to it as I am, and who don't know every second and every frame. I guess this feeling will keep me on my toes though, and will just motivate me to keep working harder! There are things I could have improved on, and given more time I would have re edited or even shot more, but time isn't a luxury I have as a student, and unless I am able to fund all my films indefinitely, it will be something I have increasingly less of in the future! Ending on a positive note, here is a few words from Annabelle the owner; Dear Lauren, The video is GREAT! Thank you so much you should be really proud - you've done a lovely job. It has been put together beautifully and it really captures what we are about.
Over all I am happy with the final piece, and the elements that I can see need improvement I have already started to work on in my next project. I still have issues with sound, and will continue to make this a top priority for future projects.
I also want to learn to grade my films correctly, so they have a universal colour and finish to them. I hope this will give the shop greater success and I will keep you posted as to the amount of views it receives.
I normally love editing, but this piece has been a total nightmare!!! I've increasing become aware that DSLR footage and final cut pro (Except X), really don't like to play together. As a result, my editing time has needed to be doubled, due to rendering issues. The film itself has also suffered as I can't seem to iron out these horrible skips and wobbles that are appearing all the time! I will make sure I research this thoroughly for any future projects. I've also had a big problem with banding. DSLR's tend to create black lines especially under fluorescent lighting. I know how to fix this on the shoot, as you can go into the camera's setting and change the pre setting white balance as well as the colour temp. However, the problem is that the DSLR's do not have a a great monitor, and so can be very hard to detect on location. I have found this with my interview with Annabelle. I've tried my best to correct it, but it's not great. These things are all sent to try us and indeed I have learnt more. It is something to think about in weighing up the pros and cons of DSLR footage!
After the initial week of filming they were impressed with the way I worked and the photography I could also produce. As a result they asked me to come in and do a photo-shoot of the team for their new website, the photos of their cakes throughout this blog were also taken by myself during my time on the commission.
This has proven that if you show ability and conduct yourself in a professional manner, people will be keen to use your services in future. I have also found, that companies as a whole aren't media savey, and thus if they see your filming, they assume your a photographer too and so can be approached for work in different fields and vice a versa. It is therefore important to have as many strings to yours bows as possible!
Explain to a new client what Confection Perfection is all about
Annabelle, what is your background and how was Confection Perfection born?
What sets the company apart from the rest?
What was the idea behind Cake School?
What does your shop offer the bakers of Kent?
What can customers hope to find in your store?
Explain the essence of the Back to Basics Course.
Sarah, what areas are covered on the course?
Who is the course for?
For any interview that is being filmed and used for narration or where the interviewer is not in view, the questions must be asked in such away that only self contained answers are given. The content needs to be relevant, and must tell you exactly what is being discussed. For the best answers, the questions should not be too leading, but should allow the interviewee to give sustained and meaningful answers
What I am aspiring to achieve as a start in my career
I also believe this would offer myself and others to practice our craft whilst still learning, and this type of pathway has been around for years;
“The music video channel’s massive influence can hardly be measured. The alchemical combination of music and movies into irresistible three-minute chunks was legendary. Many of today’s top filmmakers got their start during the Music Television renaissance, and their work makes up many of the films we see at the multiplex.” (Nick Hyman 2010) Some of my favourite film directors Ridley Scoot, Garth Jennings, David Fincher, Michael Bay, Gore Verbrinski and Jonathon Glazor learnt their craft and made their mistakes on television adverts and music videos . I also believe it allows a director the chance to experiment with different styles and production techniques. “Even the look of films started to change because of the continual influx of music video talent into movies, with more complex, slick, and stylised visual palettes dominating the frame. And their films keep coming” (Nick Hyman 2010) I have begun to think of the minimal tools I need to start approaching companies and musicians after University: A Space to work and edit An Apple Mac pro with Final Cut Pro X, and 8GB Ram Cannon 7D with a minimal of three Lenses Memory Cards Portable Lighting Kit Tripod Sound Recorder Stedicam Jib Transport
Although it is my ambition to create a silent drama for our major project, in the past I have stayed away from the classic 1920's silent films, except the odd bit of Charlie Chaplain. I don't really have an excuse, but I always felt a little put off by the on screen text, and over dramatisation, I feel you could tell a silent story, well, without the need for this. I was wrong of course. You can on a small scale, through a montage like the one I am finding myself constantly talking about in UP, but for a feature length narrative, that is some feat!
I'd been putting off watching The Artist now for a long time. Again no real excuse, I just felt I needed to watch it because I was a film student and it's a film that seems to be hot on everyone's lips, so it was a kind of "Should do" rather than "Want to". I really didn't think it would be my cup of tea, and that I would find enjoyment in it, apart from admiring the style. Last night I bite the bullet ......... WOW!
The Artist, directed by Michel Hazanavicius, was released in 2011. A french film, shot mainly in hollywood, The Artist is a love note to the golden ages of cinema. Staring Jean Dujardin and Derenice Bejo, the film focuses on the relationship of an older silent film star and a rising young actress as silent cinema falls out of fashion and is replaced by talkies.
The Artist was a pure delight. I really did not expect to be throughly mesmerized, uplifted and unashamedly joyful. Even my partner, who I always force to watch films with me that I know he probably won't enjoy, sat there grinning the whole way through!
I think the main reason it had this effect on me, is because it really showcased the magic of cinema, the theatrical and entertaining majestic art form, from when it was first born! Presently I find myself watching plenty of cinema that is raw, realistic, edgy and sometimes downright depressing.
Of course that has it's place, but as soon as you sit down to watch The Artist, you know it isn't real, it's over the top, funny, heartwarming, cheesey make believe.......
but God does it make you switch off from the crap in your life!
It really was escapism for me, so if I haven't sold it to you yet, JUST GO WATCH IT. I promise you will be surprised! And yes before anyone says its a simple melodrama, stop being melodramatic about, I really couldn't care :)
Of course not only was this a nice rest bite for a couple of hours, it taught me a lot about making a silent drama. Not that ours will be a homage to the 1920's kind, but the principles are the same, this is what I took from it:
Silent Dramas;
- Are image driven
- Melodramas do work best
- Like The Artist, you can shoot in colour and then change it to black and white afterwards.
- For an authentic look, shoot at 22fps, this will give the slightly sped up look of the 1920's
- Sleek lighting is a must, the lighting really does replace the dialogue in many ways to tell the story.
- Plenty of dramatic close ups, don't be afraid to really show someone's teeth!
- Finally and most importantly, meticulously developed informational visual cues! It's the only way it can work!!
I also found an interesting interview about directing Silent Films in the modern day, from the director of The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius:
What is it about the silent form that resonates in 2011?
The format allows you so many things. The way it works, how the audience participates in the storytelling process, you put your own imagination in the movie. For every single person, that makes the movie very intimate, because there's so much of yourself [in it]. It's a great experience. It's a very different experience. It's a sensual experience.
How does the silent form ask more of the audience?
The less you do, the more the audience does. I'll give you an example, which is really one of the first lessons of cinema you can have. In M, the Fritz Lang movie, you see the [killer], he grabs a young girl in the city, and he goes with her into a kind of garden. The young girl drops a balloon and the camera follows the balloon. You don't see any kind of violence. We just follow the balloon.
"The fact is, it's so unrealistic to show people that talk and you can't hear them. You don't ape reality, you create a show that is a show and knows it's a show."
If you ask people after the screening, "What did he do to the young girl," everyone will say what [seems] worst [to] himself. … Because everyone does the job [of filling in the blanks].
What effect does that sort of abstraction have on the overall experience?
[Audiences] know real life is not black and white. So they recreate the color. They recreate the sound of the city, for example, the sound of the cars. Nothing is false, because you do it. You do it not very precisely. You just imagine it and you accept it. So you put so much of yourself [that] at the end of the movie, the movie is yours for real.
You stick to the characters. You stick to the story. I think you're much more involved in the storytelling process. It looks like it's very intellectual and you have to do a lot of work, but it's not. You do it very naturally. You have to remember that these movies were made for people much less educated than we are. For common people, it was a very popular medium.
Did your directorial approach differ here?
The point that's radically different is how you conceive of things, because you have to tell the story with images. And you have to create the images that tell the story, and you have to make things easy for all the people. For the actors, for example, you can't ask them to mime things. They have to be natural. That's what they do. You can't ask them to ape the code of acting of the '20s. So you have to write the images that will tell the story using the actors in normal situations.
The most challenging part for me was the writing process, because I had to be sure that I was able to tell the story. In a way, you have a lot of limitations because you don't have access to too much complex story, because you don't have dialogue. In another way it's very freeing, because it allows you to use imagination that usually you don't use and you wouldn't dare use. The fact is, it's so unrealistic, to show people that talk and you can't hear them [and] they're in black and white. You don't ape reality, you create a show that is a show and knows it's a show.
How do you successfully tell such an earnest story without irony or condescension?
To me, it was very difficult, because the movies I'd done before, the OSS [films] were very ironic and very sarcastic. For this one, the strength of the format is actually to allow you to do nice things. It works with that format. It can work.
But if you put irony in it, you kill everything, you ruin everything. I tried not to be ironic, and to respect the characters and respect the story. I want it to be entertaining and funny, but I tried to be funny without irony. Looking at the good silent movies that I watched, the ones who aged the best were the melodramas and the romances, so that's what I wanted to do.
What about working the comedy into the mix?
I put some entertaining and funny things in it because that's my way to be polite. [If] I ask people to come and see a black-and-white, silent, French movie, I can try to entertain them a little bit.
Have you thought at all about how amazing it is that directing a silent movie in 2011 has made you an Oscar frontrunner?
When you're a director, the Oscar is something that you don't even dream of. I could say that I'm honored to be part of the discussion, but I think I would be [minimizing] the reality. It's not even that. It's more than surprising, [especially] when you're not American, which is my case. I'm not union. I don't live here.
I really tried to make an American movie, [in that] the story is very American. I tried to find a sense of the American spirit, really. It's unbelievable, actually. That doesn't exist, a foreign director doing a foreign movie going to the Oscars. It's Mr. Smith Goes to the Oscars.
Most of my time in the last few weeks has been taken up researching our subject matter, finding actors and writing the script. This is the first draft and overall I'm happy I've got a competed piece written, now I am going to work on the second draft to really develop it. I can imagine exactly how I want it to look like, and the emotions I'm trying to convey, which is the most important thing, but there are a few tweaks I want to make; Firstly, as discussed with Helen, because this is such a surreal piece there are moments of reality that need to be thought about. I have made the decision to omit the moment the man places the condoms into Poppy's bag, as I think the stockings, and makeup are a subtle enough hint that she is going out on the game. I think if the audience see the condom pack, it suddenly brings them into reality and possibly becomes laughable. For the same reason, I also need to look at the flashbacks, these are too real, and need to be more dream like. I also want to develop the emotions, and make it more uncomfortable for the viewer, and feel the ending needs some adjustment. So here it is "Poppy" the first draft..... Poppy Script
On Friday 5th October, we held our first round of auditions......
I was as nervous as hell! This was the first time I held auditions for actors, and although I had helped with Lauren to find presenters for AS LIVE, this seemed like a whole other ball game. At first I had the feeling that I wasn't worthy enough to audition them. I felt I was creating a situation where I would be judging someone on their talent when I wasn't experienced enough. I felt like when you watch the X Factor, and you're screaming at the telly, "HOW THE HELL IS CHERYL COLE QUALIFIED TO JUDGE SOMEONE'S SINGING?". I was mainly worrying that they would find me out, that these were experienced actors (One had been in a Batman Begins... as a stunt man!), and as soon as I shook their hand they would know I had no idea what I was doing!
After trying to overcome my insecurities I spoke to Simon, who reassured me. He gave me the suggestion of asking the actors to come in the style of their character they were auditioning for. I sent the emails and immediately felt better, I was taking control!
I then sat down and decided what I wanted to do in the auditions. As my script was silent, and required a lot of physical theatre, I knew it would be a good idea to introduce improv, the majority of which would be silent. I started to make a list of what I wanted to talk to them about on arrival, and what I would like to do as I guide. Depending on how it was going I would ask them to do all the tasks, or just a couple and of course adjust them accordinglu, this is what I came up with .......
Are you ok with the dates? times? No pay? location? Subject matter? Semi Nudity? Kissing?
What do you feel about the script?
What do you feel about your character?
How would you play him/her?
The Box Warm Up - Here is a box, hold it, examine it. Decide what you would like to find in that box, and show us what it means to you. We want to see your emotions and reactions before, during and after you have opened the box.
The Box Warm Up - Now I would like to give you some more direction, change whats in the box, if it was sad, show the oppopsite emotions. How did you find this?
Incresed Direction - Phone a parent or a love one, to convinve them to give you money to pay for your drug dealer what you owe. Increase manipulation and anger.
Uncomfortable Situation - Method Techinique - No pressure to succeed and we can stop at anytime. We would like you to look straight down the lense of our camera, whilst thinking of an extremely sad experience or bittersweet memory. Take you time to allow these emotions to wahs over you, and convey them through facial expression alone. Try to switch off from us and your surroundings and just be raw.
This last stage of the audition was something we had found Shia Lebouf doing for a director to get tears to flow. It is really powerful to watch, and something are going to incorporate in our piece. Both male actors we auditioned agreed to give it a go, and did really well. James however was exceptional, and just what we were looking for. He has extensive experience in theatre, appearing in prestigous theatres in London, particularly Covent Garden. He has also been a stunt man for ten years, and so has experience with movement. This is the footage we got of his method improv.... we will be calling him sortly to offer him the part.
I am now organising the final line up for Friday, for actresses...
One of my main roles during Pre Production, has been to find a Male and a Female lead.
I was looking for:
Slim Built - This would be realistic for a drug user
20-35 - I had written the script with the idea of Poppy being 25, and The Man being 27. I felt that a realistic age range for the actors would be between 20-35. I also felt that it was important anything below 20 years of age should be steered away from, especially no one under the age of 18 due to the content of the script.
Training - I am looking for someone with background in dance and physical theatre, as this piece is mainly told through the actor's bodies, and their ability to show deep emotions silently. I also felt after researching method acting, that it would be ideal if they were familiar with these techniques.
Locality - because of the auditions, and 5 - 7 days worth of filming, I feel it is important the actors live with in a manageable distance, especially as there is no pay. I felt Kent and London were achievable, although we do have someone who is very keen to audition living in South Hampton.
Problems that have arisen......
Finding talent has taken a considerable amount of time. I did account for this, but I feel more pressured for time and feel this will effect our final choices.
After already having a day of auditions, I am currently in contact with eleven applicants, and it is becoming a challenge. It's simply logistical, trying to organise time slots, dates, scripts, auditions etc, it is hard to keep track of who has confirmed what....... I don't want to trip up, but I'm getting there.
After our auditions on Friday 5th, it is safe to say we have found the most suitable candidate for the role of The Man. However we have somewhat been lacking in female interest. I did have a few apply in time for the auditions last week, but some weren't right, some after initial interest never replied once an audition was offered, and the only girl who confirmed did not turn up..... So we have decided to hold another round of auditions this Friday, five more girls have applied, but only one so far has confirmed (The girl who didn't make it the following Friday) But I am hopeful, so watch this space....
Contacting agencies to find talent. Since we began the search I have sent emails to multiple local outposts, several schools, five dance and theatre academies and two local art studios, as well as posters in each place, and as yet have had no response. This has been quite down heartening, and something I should follow up more, but there is only so many emails you can send without sounding demanding and desperate........ I have also posted to four online actor sites, one of which, Star Now, has provided the most response, and have supplied 99% of the interest. The other is Casting Call Pro, who have provided me with a girl called Kathryn. As of yet it has been hard to arrange an audition with her (she seems to have lots already booked in london), BUT SHE IS PERFECT, well on looks alone, just who I could see playing Poppy, so I hope that works out in the next week of so!
Answers to why this has been a VERY difficult task:
Maybe our expectations are too high, I have desperately wanted a really strong performer, that isn't a friend or relative, as I really feel this piece deserves it. BUT it is my first ever script that I have tried to audition for, my name isn't out there yet, so maybe it's not as an appealing project for them as I had hoped.
There is zero budget for this, and unfortunately I'm really not in the position to pay actors, not even expenses (It's a five - seven day shoot, trains from London are £25 a day......) It is hard to find what we are looking for without paying for it, or helping out in some way.
Times..... Lauren W as the cinematographer has chosen to shoot in the Studio at the Campus, which I fully support. But it means we are restricted to Mon-Fri 9 -5, and actors that aren't being paid for there art just yet, have to make money elsewhere, this is normally in the form of a JOB.... Those that are willing to take time off work, it's hard to persuade them to do so for free.
The script is quite demanding, edgy and brave with it's subject matter, especially with the possibility of semi nudity with unknown actors..... Anyway maybe I'm over thinking this all too much...... Onwards and Upwards!
Poppy was a young passionate women, who has been weakened by the love and comfort she has found. Her life has transformed from one full of hopes and dreams, to addiction and confinement. She is trapped in the grip of despair, and does not yet possess the true desire to break free.
This beautiful young girl, is a former shadow of herself, beholding all of the physical signs of a drug abuser. She is a slim, pale girl, hiding behind her lank and dirty hair. He eyes are dark and sullen, with a constant rim of unwashed makeup framing them. Her sensational smile still shines through, but she is gaunt and exhausted, living each day for her drug, for him.
Poppy screams of desperation, the love of her life sending her out most nights, to sell her tiny frame to men, to feed their insatiable habit, has taken its toll on her body and mind.
Poppy find herself unable to change the patterns of a viscous destruction, but perhaps the bitter sweetness of her existence is just what she has been living for....
"The Man" - aged 28
The Man is weighed down by guilt, for plucking this beautiful flower, and allowing her to suffocate in his arms. Slim built , with medium unkept shaggy hair and beard, you can almost smell the muskiness of his unwashed body. He skulks around the room in bare feet and tight jeans, his torso always bare.
There is love in his eyes, but it is overshadowed by the need for his drug. The Man has a constant battle, visible in his tired eye. He feels physically sick every time he sends POPPY out into the night, but for now his addiction comes first. He is graceful and sensual, with deep thoughts of love that spill out of his eyes and trickles through the rest of his body. His look is that of a failed musician or poet. The Man is week to everyone but POPPY.
Inspiration- I researched the true stories of heroin, not just those depicted in films, and found this account extremely harrowing. I used the young girl mentioned as a basis for my character Poppy.
Too Young to Be a Heroin Addict
This is my first post...hopefully someone will read this and comment...I need help....This blog is dedicated to all those suffering and struggling with addictions….God bless all of you. When I learned that my 17 year old daughter was using heroin…I did what any other Mother would do…I maintained calm …and went into the bathroom and cried…the silent cry…you know so no one can hear you….I didn’t think I was ever going to quit…The pain I felt was similar to learning that someone you loved just died…I know about heroin addiction…Some of my closest friends died in high school from the drug and some of my friends battled the addiction their entire life until only to die from consequences associated with use of the drug…aids. I knew first hand how it could ruin a life, take a soul and dangle it around like a puppet. I talked to my kids about drugs. I told them stories about my friends and the devastating effects of heroin, crack, methadone, prescription pain killers and other various demons.
My daughter didn’t listen…she thought she could do heroin every once in a while and not become addicted. She had tried it on several occasions and really like the way it made her feel. She used off and on for a couple of months and then stopped. She was dope sick and she told herself that if she could get through the horrible pain that she would never do it again. Finally, the sickness subsided and she found that zanac helped eased her cravings. So for a couple of months she was using valium, zanac, and colatapins. Whatever, she could buy on the street is what she would take. She was always happy and I thought she was fine. After awhile she would use again. Somehow she thought she could just use once and it would make her feel good and she would stop. That’s not the case. She would use once…then use again…then again until she was again living for heroin. Her life is focused on heroin…you work around the need until you can get a bag or two and then your fine. She told me she actually started using January 2006. That was almost a year ago today. I didn’t know she was on heroin. I knew she had tried it a couple of times but when I talked to her about it she said she would never use it again. Heroin addicts lie. They turn into the best actors and actresses. They live in another life-heroin’s life. It is a horrible existence. Heroin is like a friend, a best friend. It never leaves your side…its always their waiting for you to finish work, waiting for you to wake up, waiting for you to finish watching a movie or visiting with friends. Its always there and you know its there. Its an attachment of your soul.
One of her friends called me last Friday (November 30, 2007) and told me that she was bad and that she needed help. To be quite honest, I was surprised. I had no idea. I immediately called her psychiatrist to get an appointment to talk to him about putting her on suboxone. Luckily, the counselor we had been seeing in December of last year worked for a psychiatrist who specializes in addiction medicine. (The appointment was scheduled for Tuesday (December 4, 2007). Her psychiatrist gave her ½ -4mg tablet in his office to make sure she didn’t have any type of reaction. It made her high. She went to bed and stayed in bed all day Wednesday. One Thursday (December 6, 2007) she decided she would only take a ¼ of a tablet instead of ½ tablet. This dosage seems to be better. She is less drowsy and is able to drive. We had an appointment with her psychiatrist on Friday (December 7, 2007)…She seems to be feeling pretty good being on the medicine. Her Doctor agreed that the lower dosage would probably work, if not to increase it back to ½ tablet. We have an appointment in a week to see how things are going. This is a relatively new drug that counteracts the effects of using heroin if you decide to use it. It turns off the receptors in the brain that cause the urge to use. She’s been on it for 7 days. She said the drug makes her look like she’s using heroin. I can now tell what you look like when you’re using heroin. When they first use I understand that they are very dopey and can’t really do anything except nod off. After awhile, they are usually very happy and have pinpoint pupils.
Today went really well, considering it was the first time either of us had held auditions for actors!
We took some great screen tests and explored various techniques. Because they are quite long pieces, they are taking forever to upload, so I will put up another post with them, and go into more detail about the auditions. I think I can safely say we have choosen our main actor, next friday we hope to find the female.
After a long day however, it was nice to come home and discover that a lovely gentlemen from London, had written me an email explaining how much he would like to be in our film. Unfortunately his body isn't right for the part, but it will certainly help keep up moral for next week .......
Since embarking on this commission, as well as producing private promotional and music videos, it has become clear that there is a demand for small business to start helping other small businesses and unsigned artists promote themselves on the internet.
“Advertising is nessary for businesses to grow. However, when a business is in the start-up phase it can be hard for a small business to afford tradtional marketing. That is where viral marketing comes in hand” (QuoteBean, 2012)
It would be my intention to get a very small group of like minded people together in order to cover all bases, video production, website design, graphic design and photography. By keeping it small with low overheads, we would be able to pass our savings onto our customers and be extremely competitive.
Producing a high quality video, advertising and photography for the internet at a fraction of the cost needed to advertise on Television, Radio, Newspapers and Billboards. For the initial cost of an internet promotional video, our customers would have the potential to share their product/music with the rest of their world, creating a following and generating interest.
It is therefore key to target companies and musicians who are just starting out, or perhaps don’t have the means to invest seriously into traditional promotional material. There is potential to create a successful business and career from this type of industry work. The main obstacle is selling yourself and your skills, as well as being comfortable approaching companies, and letting them know what you have to offer.
The Pros For Clients:
Low Production Costs.
Free Platform, no need to pay for screen time.
Completely free from legal constraints, within reason. You can put anything on the internet, no need to worry about water shed/ Channel Codes of Conduct. Free Reign to push boundaries and be creative.
Potential for going Viral, global viewers.
Dealing with one person, from start to finish, who can also create photographs, website design and graphic material.
I have been looking at a company closely called Dragon Fly who produce incrediable promotional videos, and it something I want to aim for. They charge between £2,500 and £10,00 for videos 1 min > 7 mins in length. Their main aim if artistic creativity;
When it comes to promotional videos there is not per-defined length that is going to guarantee success. However, length should be considered quite seriously when conceptualizing or scripting your promotional video.
"Keep it short"
Keeping your video short is often the default advice given to anyone trying to make videos that are going to go on the Internet. This is due to the short attention spans of the average Internet user. Viral videos for example anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes would be an ideal time frame depending on the concept.
How much time is actually needed?
What if you promotional video is not a viral video? Then consider the information you are trying to convey. How much time is needed to put across that idea? Whether it is what your business does in general or the details of a new product you need to make sure that it is put across in a clear and concise manner. If the new product is complex and you are struggling to explain it in a concise manner then spend sometime finding a way to explain it as simply as possible.
There is a famous quote “Intellectuals convey the simplest of ideas in a complex way while artist convey the most complex ideas in a simple way” You have to look at creating a successful promotional video as an art.
