Research into Similar Live TV Fashion Shows

As our show is going to be live, I wanted to further my knowledge of fashion shows on current live TV. We had talked about this a little in the lectures but I wanted to know as much as possible before the shoot days.

Television
Through my research, I have found that there are a lot of live shows now being broadcast online. But I wanted to start my proper research with normal television as that is where I show would be broadcast. We have a target audience of Channel 4 / E4 so I focused on them but found that most live fashion segments where currently on ITV.

The show that seems to be most prominent in broadcasting fashion Live on TV is "This Morning". The show is not based on fashion but touches many subjects in everyday life. They have a recurring segment on the show that revolves around fashion.

This is an example segment that I decided to analyse and try to understand so that I can take tips forward into our own live show.

This show follows the lead of the two main presenters asking the expert a question. The fashion expert takes hold of the piece and really engages the viewer in what is going on. She engages with the main hosts by giving information about the outfit that she is wearing.

It is important that she gives this information to back up the subject which is "Supermarket fashion". I liked the way that she actually got up and showed her outfit off in more detail as it adds to the moment. However, I would say that it would have been useful to have a pop-up card graphic which showed the viewers these details as well. "Graphics are often used to present information in a way that's easy to understand and pleasing to the eye" (BBC, 2018)
It is always good to back up spoken information with graphics on screen and I feel that would have made this opening section better.

When they bring out the model with the next clothing item they add a backing track, I think this works most of the time to add extra energy to the piece. However, in this scenario, I found it offputting in this case as it was quite loud in comparison to the fashion experts voice. I feel that the audio mixing was not the greatest in this scenario.

I like the use of the close up slow pan down which give the viewer more detail about the item, but it did seem like a fast pan down which meant it was hard to capture all the information that the viewer may have wanted. It made the five seconds that it was on screen feel rushed and poorly planned. However, I understand I have not done this myself but understand the pressures of live TV mean sometimes things do not go as planned.

The use of graphics is fantastic in this section as it clearly shows all the items in one shot with the graphics to inform the viewers on pricing and the shops that they can be bought. I think this is something that is planned for our piece so planning with the camera will be important as I will be on one of the studio cameras. The understanding on camera positioning will be vital as there needs to be space for the graphics to pop up. This means it may look strange for the person filming as there is a big gap to one side, but for the viewers with the graphics, it will look really nice.

Lastly, they give the model a chance to speak which is a nice touch as it turns the model from just a model to a character in the show. Even though they only get asked about the outfit which is normally "great" in their opinion... It adds another voice for the audience to listen to.

Overall I think this is a well put together piece of live television around fashion. I would not that the music was the main thing that put me off. It was more than it clashed with the presenter as it was too loud, rather than the music being bad. This is something I feel would work in our show, but the audio levels need to be good for it to be a good addition.

Internet Livestreams

The internet is becoming a place where most people go to for their TV and other video content. YouTube has a mass of Livestreamed Fashion content which includes VT's and live video content all in the same show. In a lot of ways, it is more similar to our show than the likes of This Morning even though we would be broadcasting on E4. In fact, searching "Fashion Live Show" creates 21 million results on YouTube.

What is even more surprising is that there is a fashion live stream on as I am writing this article. This shows the "need" for content like this as there are daily fashion live streams from around the world.

I decided to look into one of these live streams and understand how they film them. I went with "Fashion Television Live" which was a 12-hour long live stream - all to do with fashion!

I did not watch all of the show for obvious reasons but I skipped through it and watched specific segments to grasp an idea of why it is so successful. The first thing that hit me was the production value, it is something that you could totally see on TV. The camera quality is crisp and the audio and editing all work really well together. I think this goes to show that the internet has to be taken seriously by everyone as it is producing content which is now as good as TV. The internet has an upside in other ways like it is less strict and also there is more of an audience than TV which sometimes has to be paid for.

The live stream is heavily based on VT inserts that are recorded before the live show. These have a nice production value but you can see they are different to TV as they mostly do not include a presenter. Most of the VT cutaways use music as the audio source to keep the audience's attention. I actually think this works well (better than This Morning) as there are not two audio sources battling against each other.

Most of these VT inserts are very stylish with models posing and laughing with a "behind the scenes" feel to the VT. I noticed that these cutaways while sometimes related to the content which is coming next, is mostly to fill the time between the actually live parts of the show.

 Parts of the show are presenter led and include a piece to camera followed by a VT. Once again, however, this is all pre-shot material meaning a lot of this live show is not actually live. I understand that when you do a 12-hour live show it will be hard to be live all the time, but I was disappointed with the lack of actually live parts as that is what it is being broadcast as.

It did include interviews which are presented in a way that it is hard to tell if they are live or not, but I assume once again they are a VT insert. They feel uncut and live because they are not as scripted as normal interviews and lack the professionalism of most VT interviews have. The emphasis on VT's does work in this show as they have obviously spent a lot of time working out a running order and producing the content. If the Vt's where rushed it would bring down the professionalism, however, most of the cutaways are of a good quality.

Finally, looking at the actual live content. The cameras have been set up well and the lighting and sound is perfect meaning this live segment is broadcast very professionally. This is clear evidence of planning and practice runs which is important to note for our shoots. We will have rehearsals but it is clear they are not a time to be laid back. Every moment of those rehearsals will be key to making the actual live show run seamlessly and to plan. I think that was one of the things that stood out to me the most in this research is that planning will be key to this project's success!


References

Supermarket Fashion - Casual | This Morning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeKOxIVSUK4

Accessed on 28th Feb 2018

BBC, 2018

http://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/journalism/article/art20130702112133508

Accessed on 28th Feb 2018

Fashion Television Live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA8fLAH7p-w&t=11678s

Accessed on 28th Feb 2018

Old To New Mock-Up VT

I was ill during the shoot of this mock VT for "old to new" however, I was a big part of the planning and the ideas for the scene so I wanted to make sure this was posted on my blog. I think the group did a fantastic job with this and if we can replicate this to a higher standard for the actual VT then we will have done well. I am looking forward to the actual shoot days now to get back behind the camera after my bad illness.

I also love the editing by Alex in this piece. Alex has always been a great editor but I assume this was his first attempt at a fashion-themed edit. It includes all of what you would expect in a similar styled YouTube video. In a lot of ways, this is filmed more professionally than a lot of the YouTube videos we had been looking at, that is because we have better knowledge of cameras and editing. Even with poor lighting conditions, the crew did a great job at making it feel natural and in a way make it feel like ti was meant to be!

The crew did a great job with what they had, as planned locations did not come through we were forced to film in a less desired location. However, through quick thinking by the group, they managed to pull it together!

Camera Operations Research - Filming Live Television in A Studio

Going into this unit I had never worked a project that was live, or even as live, like this project will be. I knew this would be a massive challenge as everything needs to be planned perfectly for the show to run as normal. I wanted to further my knowledge of filming on live tv and what camera operators do to make sure they always get the shot they need.

I started off by looking on the creative skillset to see what they think is needed to be a successful Studio camera operator.

• have good colour vision, and excellent hand-to-eye co-ordination
• have a strong affinity with technology, knowledge of the relevant electronics and an in-depth knowledge of the principles of camera work
• have good communication skills and show diplomacy and sensitivity when working with artists, production staff and crew
• be able to take direction and work as part of a team, particularly on multi-camera shoots
• be able to carry out instructions with great accuracy and attention to detail
• be able to frame and compose shots and perform camera moves with precision and speed
• have good IT skills
• possess physical stamina for working long hours and moving heavy equipment
• understand the requirements of the relevant Health and Safety legislation and procedures

The main things I took from this, is even though you are operating a camera, the main thing is to be able to communicate well and work as a good team. I am happy that we have a good team and so far in this project we have worked really well together in the preparation stage.

The same website also stated what a studio camera operator does 

"Camera Operators ensure that cameras and associated equipment are rigged and ready for the required set-up.  They must be able to multi-task, and to watch, listen and think on their feet while carrying out complex technical tasks. They supervise Assistants in moving the camera and carry out simple camera fault diagnosis. They may work closely with performers, giving them constructive advice in order to achieve the required composition." (Creative Skillset, 2018)

Although I have not had a test run of the shoot yet, I am sure one of the most challenging things for me personally will be the constant radio chatter in my ear. I enjoy the challenge of multi tasking but sometimes I struggle when there is too much going on at once. I need to personally make sure that I learn as much as possible in how to deal with the radio chatter while filming. Like most things, after some practice and some successful run through, I feel like I will be comfortable in my role and it should be fine. I just know that as I write this, that is one of my biggest worries.

I have previously used the cameras that we will be using in this studio production, so that was not too much of a worry for me. However, a worry was making sure that all the equipment is properly set up for the live shoot day. I know we will have a lot of time to rig the cameras and the set before the shoot day to make sure it is all in place; but I am going to go a step further to make sure it is all in place by creating a checklist so that I know everything is at it should be come filming day.

I watched this video about camera operations in another university and it seemed that they followed a simiar system to ours. I remember being told that our cameras would not be on wheels and would be heavy, this means that we will have to create a checklist to have an efficent system of rigging and un-rigging. The video also highlights the point of not leaving the camera alone, ehich I think was a really interesting point. We will all have our cameras set up but making sure that they are not interfered with will be incredibly important on the practice runs as well as the actual show. This means that as myself and Jason will be sharing a camera, we have equal responsibility in making sure the camera is safe and not changed by any other member of the crew.

I wanted to look at the professional side of working with cameras in Live TV and wondered how they keep calm under pressure. I looked at an interview with an ITV Camerman who talked about what it is like as camera operator in a high pressure scenario. He says that "they normally cover 40 pages of dialogue in a day"  meaning the pressure is on to make sure the first takes are good and all the pre-planning is effective. Hearing this just backs up my plans of writing as much information down before shooting as well as setting up checklists for the camera operations. I personally want to make sure I have done all of the pre-planning need to make sure when the actual shoot comes, I will not be worried about all of the technical work and can focus on filming.

From my research I have learned that working In a team and clear communication will make this a much less stressful experience. I will do as much pre-planning for my camera operations role as possible so that I ease the pressure on myself come shoot day. I also have noted to myself to write down and take in as much information as physically possible on the practice days so that once again the pressure will be eased from myself. I struggled to find any interviews with Live TV industry professionals for this research, but did the best I could with the resources obtained. It seems there are not many people in Live TV talking abut their job and how they keep cool under the pressure. I hope that is not a bad thing! 

Bibliography

Creative skillset, 2018
http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/291_camera_operator_studio_and_ob
Accessed on 24th Feb 2018

Studio camera Instructional #2, 2009

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq_cDJI-YFU

Accessed on 24th Feb 2018

Career advice from a ITV Camera operator, 2014

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7_Sz26fPIg

Accessed on 24th Feb 2018

Live Production Show Research - The Use of VT's

As I will be the camera operator on two VT's on this live production I wanted to further my knowledge of the reason they are used and what makes a VT effective to the audience.

The first article I read was from the radio times about why Strictly Come Dancing uses VT's. "Cutting to a pre-recorded VT gives them the time to set the stage for the next couple" (Radio Times, 2017) In an environment which is very high paced and intense, a VT is a great opportunity for the crew to be able to change positions of cameras and equipment and set up new shots that are different to the one previously on screen. Without these VT's camera crews would need to be doubled as cameras would have to be in two places all the time as you do not have any time to change positions. So in an interesting way, having VT's actually reduce crew costs as it gives crew's the chance to change camera angles and make the most use of a singular camera.

"The moment each couple leaves the dance floor and goes rushing up to the balcony to talk to Claudia, the work begins. Strictly’s backstage army descends. In a performance as carefully choreographed as anything we’ve seen from the dancers, they switch out the lighting and install smoke machines and wheel off props; they sweep up glitter and bring on the brand new props and tape things down." (Radio Times, 2017) As with a lot of things in life, there is not enough time in the day to get everything done. Getting these extra few minutes to change parts of the set help create the experience of the show that we may not get if there was not the time to change parts of the set for the viewer's experience.

VT's also offers a chance for live television shows to explore scenarios and ideas which are not physically possible in a studio environment. You can go to peoples houses for example and shoot a cutaway VT in which we get to know the person on screen in an environment that they are more comfortable in. This may not be possible or as authentic in the studio location and the use of a cutaway can be used here to create a higher quality Live Production.

The use of a Vt can be compared to a cutaway in conventional television. "Cutaways can emphasize important details or add detail and meaning to a scene. From the cutaway shot of the clock, the audience might rightfully assume some of the following: the woman has to be somewhere on time, she's probably late and therefore is in a hurry, etc." (Video Maker, 2008) In some types of VT's the use of the cutaway is there to give us more information than what can be shown on live television. Some things are better presented in properly edited content with flawless information. In live television, it is still scripted but most of the time it is not presented in such a natural and professional way. In highly edited content there is the chance for the director to include shots which would not be possible on live television with the restrictions of being in a television show. This means, for the most part, VT's are better produced as there are fewer restrictions with the camera and there is also a chance to edit the video, unlike Live TV where both are much more restrictive. 

In general, I think the use of VT's are important in live television shows because they let us step outside the studio and explore subjects and ideas that would not be possible in a studio space. They also give the viewer a chance to see the people in the Live space in an environment that is less stressful than when it is live and retakes are a possibility. It also gives the cast and crew ample time to change locations and settings on set which would be incredibly hard if we did not have VT's and it was all live, start to finish.

I will follow up this research on what makes a VT successful and the types of VT's are used in current similar fashion shows. It will be interesting to note which shows currently pull off the VT the best.


Radio Times, 2017
http://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2017-11-11/are-the-strictly-come-dancing-vts-too-cheesy-and-why-are-they-there-in-the-first-place/
Accessed on 21st February 2018.

Video Maker, 2008
https://www.videomaker.com/article/13850-the-art-of-the-cutaway
Accessed on 21st February 2018.

Live Production - Mock VT

As I was ill when the mock VT was created, I decided to make my own practice VT using a script on the Google drive. I followed the script of the "steals of the season" VT which had a script on the google drive.

This is the script that I asked George and Connor to act out for me so that I would have some evidence of practising for the VT Shoot. It was a simple script that could be out in a restricted area which was good as I only really had access to my room to shoot a short film. 

I used my experience of creating interviews from the last three units to set up a two-shot of both of the presenters and then a close up of one of the presenters in this scenario. Ideally, I would have had more space to have had a better angle for the close-ups. I would also have ideally had a close up on both presenters but the size of my room meant we were restricted to a two camera setup.

I also realised that in our actual VT Cutaways we may include a "sting" which will be a way of transitioning from shot to shot. I asked Connor and George to act out to simple movements to create an effective sting. Of course, the restrictions of my room meant this sting was not that effective but I wanted to prove that I had been paying attention to the techniques that we are planning to implement in our shoots. The use of a sound effect or small music track would be used in these stings and I decided to find one myself. It was important to note that this music needs to be upbeat and entertaining as these stings are there to cut between two things in a quick way. A slow or boring soundtrack would limit the effectiveness of the stings.

If I had more space and time I would have of course made sure that the presenters were up to speed fully on what was being planned and ideally it would not b shot in my bedroom. I think the picture and audio quality was good considering the limited resources and also the lighting worked as the shot was planned so the window was behind the camera and that gave us good lighting. The use of graphics would have also been a nice addition but as this is only a practice VT and I would not be editing nor making graphics for the show I thought there was not much point as this test was mostly down to me working with the cameras. I feel all the work with the cameras was successful, I just wish I had more space and equipment to record a good three angle set-up. In general, for a quick practice shoot, I think this was a success and it gave me a good idea about how this VT could possibly work if I end up shooting this for the actual show. 

Critical Perspectives - What is a Dissertation Question?

You are likely to be exploring industry practices or industry output

1. Shape Societal views and practices
2. Reflect/Reinforce/Break With... Societal views and practices

Consider the "Questioning Term" as this indicates the aim of the research

Common Aims

• Measure and Gauge extent of a phenomena  
• Challenge a view or practice
• Update and Re-contextualised a view or practice
• Evaluate a view or practice

Questioning Terms

• Why - Reasons for an occurrence or approach
• How/In what way - Methods and approaches
• To what extent
• Comparative Analysis
• Critique / Analysis

You MUST Research a dissertation question!

What subject areas will their research cross?

What research and evidence will they need to answer this?

Group Task

"Is reality television taking over from soap operas?"

1. The question is too basic and needs a more in-depth objective 
2. Lacks appropriate questioning terms /  No mention of conventions
3. They may come to the answer that while they are not taking over from soap operas, they are now influencing what soap operas include
4. Yes, They chose the question because they think that it is taking over
5. There will not be enough substance, you would be able to answer the question easily and would lack theory
6. Probably None
7.  Look more analytically at the question and think about how reality television is changing and possibly if it has an influence on soap operas. Look at the two genres and see how they have changed over time.

Question:
How Do Stylistic Cinematography Conventions create tension in True Crime dramas? And to what extent it is more important to ? than the use of sound.


Study of Suspense
Pisters - Neurothriller

Introduction in for 2 weeks

Clear structure
Bibliography

Illness in our Mock Shoot Week

I thought that I would write this blog post to mention that in the week that we shot our mock VT, I was badly ill suffering from the Flu and could not make the shoot.

I wanted to note this on my blog because I wanted to make it clear I did not miss these shoot days through lack of care, but with an illness that left me bed-bound for numerous days. I want to make it clear that I would have been at these shoots if I was fully fit but sadly I could not as the illness was bad enough to keep me at home.

I was really annoyed that I could not make the shoot day as I wanted to work with the team and also have some good work on my blog. Sadly, as it is I do not have that on my blog but I was present at the idea making part of the project so I do have that to my name. I let the team know about my illness and they were very understanding and told me to get better soon! After the shoot day I caught up with what had been done and it was great to see the footage that had been shot! Thankfully Jason stepped in for me in this situation and I will, of course, be on hand to stand in if anyone else cannot make it in.

I am looking forward to seeing the final mock-VT and I may go and film my own VT so that I can have that to my name and for my blog. This, of course, is down to finding a few helpers and also adequate time to shoot and edit it as the real thing is happening soon!

I did make it back to uni with only 2 days missed, but I have caught up with as much as I could in my time off!

Critical Analysis For Studio Unit

Critical Analysis

• 30% Production Role Critical Analysis (2000 words)
• Include research from studio production - and your specific roles you have undertaken and research that informed your actual role and the production
• Think about this as a piece of writing that teaches the reader. Using experiences of this production as anecdotal evidence to illustrate typical tasks, issues and skills
• Assume the reader knows NOTHING
• About informing yourself during the production about your methodology and approach as it is a piece of critical writing. 
• Show the reader that you can critically evaluate your own work and that you understand professional approaches and context through a focus on academic referencing throughout
• Demonstrate and evidence that all decisions are critical reflections are informed by research and development

Style

• Delivered in a  report style, document that allows us to see now just what you have done
• Not just descriptive - must contain relevant research to effectively support your work

Journal Content

• The processes and methodology adopted
• Research into wider contexts of your chosen area of work. YOU MUST RESEARCH YOUR CHOSEN ROLE
• Contextual information for each project and background
• Load your prep/test shoots/scripts/paperwork etc to evidence methodology
• Use your journal for presentation/supporting information
• Your blog is the ideal day to day record of your research and development of your work which can then be drawn upon to aide your report writing, however, it should not replicate it. 

What to include: Structure

• Draw up a general list of areas you will need to cover - try mind mapping
• Overall rule - tell them what you are going to say in the intro and then tell them in the main body and  tell them what you told them in the conclusion
• Always write a draft
• Work in a logical structure
• Allows you to explore the subject and determine goals

What to include: Headings and Subheadings

• Introduction
• My production Role
• Creative Methodology
• Critical reflections
• Conclusions
• Bibliography
• Illustrations
• Appendix 

Layout:

• Bullet points
• Titles, headings
• Illustration
• Page Numbers
• Footnotes
• Bibliography
• Citations through Harvard

Sources:

• People - eg: A cameraman - IRL, Email Etc
• Books and other publications
• IT/Online
• Events and Places
• Usual rules apply - Accurate and up to date

Style of Writing:

• Always use a formal writing style
• Argue your points as with an essay by providing relevant and reliable evidence
• Avoid long sentences and paragraphs
• Normal grammatical rules
• Explain things they do not know - assume you're writing for someone with no idea
• Check format and essay before submitting. Possibly print before as well
• Be concise and clear
• Avoid pointless phrases - basically, actually
• Linking phrases to continue and develop points in new paragraphs

Research and this report:

• Justifies what we call your creative methodologies
• Demonstrating that your professionalism 
• Inform decisions through research into recognised sources 

DRAFT

1. Use this draft as an opportunity for guidance - Provide evidence of your research plan and quotations you will use
2. Alphabetical by Author surname
3. Show your report plan- headings and subheadings and likely content. 
4. 4-5pm 1st March is DEADLINE

Practice VT - Scripting

We now have a script for out practice VT. The ideas have slightly changed from the outset, but I am not involved as much with the script so it does not affect me too much. Unfortunately, I have come down with the Flu and it is actually pretty bad so I may miss this shoot day. I will try my best to be at the shoot but this illness could potentially hold me back from attending.

Practice VT - Planning and Ideas

We have been asked by Helen to create a "Mock VT" for the live production so that we can get an idea of what we will be doing when the real thing is going to be shot in the next couple of weeks.

We separated into our "VT Team" and started putting some ideas onto paper. We thought that as we had to create 2 VT's that we could possibly split into our two sides of the project and possibly work in those teams. However, after some thought, it made more sense to work together and then split into mini-teams on the day so that we could all film in all situations.


Group A: Sonia, Jason, Aimee and Drey

Group B: George N, Alex, George, Alex

Presenter Outfit Challenge

Fab or Drab was a name suggested by George Wing and it stuck for the test shoot.
Possible IN: today we are in Maidstone where we are waiting to find out what our weekly challenge is… so let's find out what it is? (runner comes and hands them an envelope for them to open.)

Callum’s idea: VT presenters challenge the - weekly challenge where they open up an envelope with a set challenge (creates the best outfit for each other on a budget.) Against the clock

Presenters: George N & Sonia

Location (Laura): Maidstone Mall possibly New Look (01622 350670) and New Look Mens (01622 760840) or Marks and Spencers (01622 692226)


Date for filming: Wednesday 14th Feb - Timings TBC


Find a location for shoot, filming outside and then see both presenters walk-in store- teams. We think it should be pretty easy to find somewhere in Maidstone to film. This will be down to the Producers and Location organisers to find a location suitable.

We will then split and film them choosing an outfit

Using voice-overs, and speech from presenters, which will be recorded through Clip Mics. Shotgun mic for Buzzfeed.

Out: I think I’m done here (presenters leave the mall and walk down the street)


Online Fails
Presenter sat in front of the computer looking at online reviews for a product.

Alex Hargood's story of the dress he bought which was a lot smaller than expected

Location: Maidstone Studio’s / someone’s house (for interview)

Using voice-overs - Condenser mic in studio

Montage of images from google about ‘fashion fails’ to introduce the segment??


Helen suggested another possible option if we wanted more content for the online fail's section.
Top 5 things to watch out for when buying online??- Helen's idea to think about

A good idea we came up with as a team was using Google drive to sort out who could film and who could not film, therefore deciding the shoot dates we have chosen above. As you can see from the schedule, Wednesday seemed to be the best day, but there may be a chance to film in the study week if we needed to. However, a few of our team were going home over study week meaning it may not be as suitable but possible if needed. 

We will continue work with this idea for a VT and it may change as time goes on. But for a first few days of thinking we are in a good place to start this. It will be great experience to be apart of filming the VT so that when we film the actual thing it will not be as much of a shock. 

Production Meeting Notes 12/02/2018

VT
Groups will be mixed for the pre-production and then split into two teams for the production.

Teaser:
Need to talk to Simon about graphics

Talk with Katie so scripts can be matched

Steals of the Season:
**Needs four models**

Presenter challenge:

Filmed in two separate groups

**Laura covering locations**

Possibly thinking £60 for this segment, will depend on the store

VT Online Fails:
Screen recording, GVs and voice-overs

Documentary style (interviews)

Information-heavy with a “slight comedy aspect to it”

Will include a 5 ways to avoid this happening to you part

**Researchers looking for case studies**

**Researchers looking at copyrights in case logos are included**

**NEEDS A NEW PRESENTER**

Old to New:
Trends through the 70’s, 80’s 90’s and 2000’s eg. band shirts. Taking the style of Buzzfeed video

--->https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xrp0zJZu0a4&t=81s

Look for Dad’s-researchers looking for shoes on lend?

Using the presenter from online fails if needed for a voice over

**Two models, one female and one male-20’s/30’s max**

**Researchers finalise styles included**

DIY:
Using “online/independent sellers”

Contributor found and hugely up for it *George. N has contact*

Following someone

**VT needs a presenter, contributor, 8 models (possibly reusing models) overall everyday people**

Need a list of who is doing VT during production

Getting dates for VT for presenters


Promo

Look into doing a poster

Trailer ideas:

A person walking into a store stealing a mannequin **using hosts from the show in it** (Steal the style)- Connor looking into locations in Sittingbourne/Roch has said we can use their fashion space

Promo with hosts, various 10 sec long clips-maidstone studios with logo and time included at the end

1 trailer with a lot of variety 10 second clips


Style and graphics:
Preferably keeping the colour scheme of red, pink and white, across all promo

Stings

Logos for trailers, possibly a behind the scenes logo


Using a street as a background for images/videos

Using art students as models?


Website:
Already started-really good-going to continue the style through all social media

Have it as an established website- articles, have pictures relevant to the articles


Social media accounts:
Instagram and Facebook - link the accounts for the ratio so it’s the same

Snapchat- behind the scenes, unscripted for behind the scenes, fun and bouncy

Facebook- logo for the profile picture, banner either a video or picture

Danny will talk to Roch photography students-possibly using fashion pictures from students at UCA

Back drop needed *preferably pink*

Rochester high street for photos?

*Production Manager has contacts for models*


Locations needed:
Base room, lecture room, Roch highstreet, UCA-project space

Aspect ratio

Using logos at the ends of the show/videos

Website with Katie P

Understanding my Role through an Experienced Professional: Gail Jenkinson

To further my knowledge of my role in this unit I wanted to research further into an industry professional to see how they go about their job.

I focused on industry professional Gail Jenkinson who is a camera operator and has experience of being a camera operator in many different scenarios.  I found it hard to find any relevant information on professionals in a studio environment so decided to go with an experienced professional in Gail Jenkinson.

Gail's experience would be most valuable when shooting the VT cutaway segments for our show as they are more like the factual storytelling she does on her shows.

In her own words here is how she describes herself "Briefly - what is your job and what are your key responsibilities?My job is primarily as a camera operator. This varies between having the sole responsibility for the visuals for a production, or being a 2nd camera operator to an overseeing main camera or DOP (director of photography). I am also often employed to work a crane, jib, timelapse rig or as a team shooting high speed. I work underwater as an operator and assistant or occasionally as safety for an actor/presenter. My role is very varied; I consider myself camera crew and am very much a team player." (BBC Acadamy, 2018)

Gail did a fascinating BBC interview where she talks about her career. She recalls the best skill she has learned is knowing what might happen next "Most useful skill you’ve developed?:
To anticipate. Listen, be aware of what is occurring around you and strive to be one step ahead." (BBC Acadamy, 2018). This will relate well for our VT segments as we may be recording something like a photo shoot and in that instance, something that is not planned for could happen and create a great shot.
An example of this could be the model flicking her hair which could work really well as a quick cutaway. I will speak to the directors and producers of the VT's so I can mention this as something to watch out for when filming.

Something mentioned in another piece with Helen was her ability to use her camera expertise alongside her knowledge of cinematography to create mind-blowing shots and sequences "Combining technical expertise with creativity Gail has produced sequences for programming on the BBC, National Geographic, Discovery and Sky." Film Dat 59, 2018
This will be important for the director of the VT's to understand when we are on out VT Shoot days. Even though hopefully they will have created a great shot list and storyboard - As the camera operator I should be given some freedom to create shots that I think would work really well at the same time. Knowing when to listen to the director and then chip in with my own input will be important as we want to make sure we get all of the shots possible from our shoot days.

Gail's wealth of knowledge is also important to understand for our own unit. As we are tackling different types of filming scenarios, it will lead to us stretching ourselves in areas of work we may not feel most comfortable. From Gail's work you can see that she does not shy away from new challenges. "I am very happy to face new challenging roles and believe multi skilled, hands on crew roles suit me well and am very much a team player." (bectu, 2018) Travelling all around the world to capture places only a few people have seen. While our studio unit may not be quite as glamorous as that.... I will take that mentality of pushing myself and my peers to create better content.

Finally, something that Gail has experienced over her vast career is technical difficulties and learning how to overcome them. Once again, I am sure shooting in a river which probably has something dangerous in it is harder than shooting in a studio.... But you never know! In seriousness, seeing how Gail learns from others is very important to understand. "Suck up all the information possible. Listen and learn, learn from the successes and the failures. There is a wealth of learning to be done on set and it’s usually not done by staring at your iPhone." (BBC, 2018) 
This is really relevant as students because we rely on a lot of our information through online sources, we need to make sure over this unit we build the communication skills to have good peer to peer conversations about technical equipment. I am sure there will be stages when one student knows more than the other and vice versa. Learning off of each other will be important, especially when on the studio floor operating a camera with another person.

To conclude, through looking at Gail's career and understanding how she works, I have gained a better knowledge of the sort of person I will need to be on shoot days. I will have to be quick thinking to get important shots, as well as knowing my camera off by heart to get it set up as quickly as possible. I also need to advance my communication skills to make sure that over the unit I can talk to my peers and teachers to gain as much knowledge as possible. It is now important to work as a team in our VT groups to come up with a plan for our two VT's which will be shot soon. We have a great group we just need to make sure it is all organised properly for the final product to be as good as we know it can be!



References:

BBC Academy, 2018
http://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/production/article/art20130909112341103
accessed on 10th February 2018

Film Dat 59, 2018
http://www.filmsat59.com/people/gail-jenkinson/
accessed on 10th February 2018

bectu, 2018
https://www.bectu.org.uk/advice-resources/crewbus/80ab01e67a7fee1ae8a835fa8058a08e
accessed on 10th February 2018

Live Production Lecture - Scripting, VT'S Promo and Graphics

Script Layout

• Two Columns:
• Left Side: Shot No, Camera No Shot Desc
• Right Side: Stage Movements
• Cut Lines
• If you decide to add more shots, you will amend the card
• Need Page Numbers

Camera Cards

• Provided to camera Op's so that they can see what shots they are responsible for
• Used in rehearsals and during transmission
• Can be created once the director has finished the script- ensure that they are up to date
• Be clear with info and leave space for extra shots
• Sometimes things will be "as directed" which is shot on the loof

VT Scripts

• Title should match the title on the VT clock and script
• IQ In words and OQ Out Words for the last and first few words of each script so everyone knows when it is about to start and finish
• Also add: Duration and Capgens (info about captions)
• NB: Each piece of VT should have bars/tone and clock with appropriate idents 

Script Content

• A decision must be made as to how much-scripted content the programme contains 
• If there is a lot of script for the presenter, prompts will be needed
• Shorter pieces the presenter can learn their lines and refer to printed index

Links

• Presenter can deliver links between parts of the show
• Loosely written by the presenter
• Written in the tone of the show

Ad Libs

• Leave segments to the presenter to ad lib and simply give guidance
• Make sure timings work
• Adlib should be established and confident
• Timings can go off with ad libs 
• Adlib may seem unprofessional so possibly keep to a minimal
• Ensure that they are briefed on the Ad Lib
• Producer will keep an eye on timing with the aid of AP
• AP should brief the presenters

Timings

• Will need approx timings for most elements of the script
• Important to keep on top of timings throughout the pre-prod and recording process. 
• Lots of sections could be "as directed"
• PA is key to working out how much time must be added or lost from other times going astray

Who uses the script?

• All crew
• Presenters
• Director and Vision Mixer
• Script needs to be up to date 
• Put in the date/time and update version number

Vt Scripts will have 3 columns:

PIX, SOUND, DURATION

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WORKSHOP

VT?

• Add value to studio prod
• provide talking points
• illustrative 
• Add variety
• Location opps beyond the studio 
• Why do it? practical, entertaining, informative, variety 

Good VT vs Bad VT

• Needs a purpose
• Feel apart of the rest of the programme
• Add to studio content
• Entertaining or creative
• Comprehensible
• QUALITY needs to be consistent with the rest of the show 

Organisation, development and research

• Research and recce
• Locations and paperwork
• Casting and contributors
• Scripting 

Got to be a "why" for the VT and the researchers and VT producers need to know the "topline"

5 Min Segment in a 59 Min programme, so it all needs to be in proportion. 

Graphics

• Opening Titles
• Stings
• Subtitles/Lower Thirds
• On-screen statistics/ Prices/ Sources
• Credits
• End Titles

Essentials

• Accuracy
• Branding and Tone
• Clarity
• Layout and Composition - 16:9 Scale
• Font
• Purpose
• Synergy - Images and Words

Text

• Simple bold typeface - avoid elaborate lettering
• Limit no of fonts
• Letters less than 1/10 of screen height
• Outlines and drop shows improve ease of reading
• Don't punctuate abbreviations
• Leave space between title line 
• Ensure lettering contrast well with background
• Don't put too much info on the screen at once
• Warm, bright colours are good to bring attention
• Fit colour palette
• ON SCREEN TIME - Must be able to read it twice

Graphic Design Layout

• Rule of thirds
• Golden Ratio
• Columns
• Baseline grid

Background

• Consider outcome of complex background
• Equally a varied background can make lettering hard to read
• Simple colour Background

Style

• Fonts
• Colours
• Background
• Astons
• Poster
• Mood board
• Lighting plan/design 

Promos and Trailers

• Social Media - Branded Content - Appearance of entertaining content made via a brand
• Promos and Trailers - Make them engaging and creative to draw people in

Production Meeting 3 (08.02.18)

Production Meeting 3 (8.2.18)

• Script: is in progress
• Set: details ( catwalk, the zoning) will be send to the set design team, when they start the unit (March 6th) .
• Draft Report: due March 1st
• Transmission Date: moved to the 19th ( thursday)
• Workshop: split into Teams A and B, as for the studio show. Still need to be in all day
• Carry on researching into segments
• VT Ideas:
• Outfit challenge- needs more challenge, eg- tighter budget?
• Online fails- more serious, documentary style
• Promo ideas:
• Short trailer- steals a mannequin
• Contacts: Susie Bradley ( Usher) - Jo’s Friend - costume buyer
• Research in for meeting monday, uploaded to google doc in advance

Live Production - Del Lecture #1 - Running Order and Content

TX- 14:00-14:30 - 19TH APR

Masterclasses & Lectures:

• 13th FEB - Masterclass
• 27th FEB - Masterclass
• 6th MAR - Masterclass
• 13th MAR - Rehearsals 
• 20th MAR - Rehearsals 
• 10th APR - Rehearsals 
• 18th APR - Lighting and Set
• 19th APR TX Date

Termanology 

• L3 / Name Super / Super - Lower Third
• TX - Transmission
• Grams / Music Bed  - Sound Effect

Initial Rough Running Order:

1. Steals of the season
2. Thrifting/Vintage - Old to New
3. Fashion Fails
4. DIY/Independent Stores
5. Music and Style

Possible Timings/Running Order:

• Opening Credits - 30 Seconds
• Establishing Shots
• Whats To come STING
• Steals of the season
• 2 Women and 2 Men - Three trends of each
• Catwalk - Old vs New style for the same item. Each separate and then together at the end
• VT STING
• Pre Dressed Mannequin leads into 2 Presenter Challenge VT
• Walking to Soft Zone - Walkway
• VT STING 
• Fashion Fails - 2 People in Audience - Interesting Stories - Pics/Videos Onscreen HANDHELD CAMERA
• Online Fashion Fails VT
• Old to New Vintage - Music? - 1+1 Chat (DAD TRAINERS?) VT TBC
• Etsy and DIY Segment on Stage including, 2+1 Interview link to VT
• Drag Act - Links from DIY Segment, interview him/her and asking why they dress like they do and what their inspiration was. 
• Bringing all contributors onto the stage and thanking them and the audience.
• Ending Credits 

Steal The Style: Primark and Etsy Statistics & Further Research

Furthering my work looking into Primark and Etsy, and why one is offline only and the other is online only, I am not looking into the statistics of both companies.








While this isn't a totally equal comparison as the two companies are of different sizes, it does give a good idea of the success of both of the companies. 





Primark 2017 Revenue: £7.053 Billion
Etsy 2016 (latest) Revenue: £364.97 Million
(Statistica, 2018)

While maybe not totally relevant, I found some other interesting Statistics for Etsy. This includes the growth of the mobile market, and also the Statistics about their customer's gender/ethnicity.

Further company details have to be paid for, and as I was unsure if any further research would be needed, I decided not to pay to see the full statistics of Primark and Etsy.

----------------------

An idea we could follow up surrounding this issue would be speaking to independent case studies who have shopped at both stores discussing if they preferred one or the another. We would then go to ask if the reason for liking one of them more was down to it being instore or online only.

I found a possible case study that we could follow up and it also gives an idea of what type of people we could also speak to.

"I opened my Etsy shop on July 3, 2005. At that time setting up an independent ecommerce shop was an onerous task that required technical skills I didn’t have. Etsy was like a miracle. A week later I made my first sale. I’d been sewing plush toys for months and was desperate for a way to sell them online. Now I was finally in business. I loved Etsy." (WHY I STILL LOVE ETSY, 2014)

Even as a seller she would be able to tell us how she found success on Etsy and if she thinks that she could have done as well if she had only sold on the high street. While I have not found concrete evidence saying so as yet; it seems that cheap items will work better on the high street due to the risk of losing money on postage. Higher priced items work better online because the higher price means that the cost of postage does not outweigh the cost of the item.

Many companies have an online and high street market, meaning that they get the best of both. However, for a company like Primark that stocks a lot of very low priced goods, Online will only ever be at a loss so it makes sense to stay offline only.

Bibliography:

WHY I STILL LOVE ETSY, 2014

https://whileshenaps.com/2014/11/still-love-etsy.html

Accessed on 5th Feb 2018

Statistica, 2018

https://www.statista.com/statistics/383785/primark-revenue-worldwide/

https://www.statista.com/topics/2501/etsy/

Accessed on 5th Feb 2018

Critical Perspectives - Week 2 Dissertation Proposal

Introduction

• Points need to be clear to follow
• Establishing themes
• points must be clearly linked
• Introduce your themes and ideas

Conclusion

• Summarise your findings
• Needs to draw together main arguments made, using the title
• Return to summarising the key findings

Structure

• Avoid mixing points
• Signposting, transitions. Explain why you are where you are in the essay
• Avoid getting paragraphs too long
• Logically guide the reader

Formatting and Layout

• Harvard
• Pages numbered and indented and line spacing
• Spelling errors
• Check origins of case studies
• Avoid bullet points
• Make sure you format it correctly

Analysis, Evidence and Argument

• Rely on relevant theoretical text
• depth and breadth of sources
• Avoid being descriptive or too going on for long
• Avoid using your own viewpoints and use proper theories
• Avoid describing differences between films and concepts, without the use of theories. 
• Avoid reliance on online texts
• Avoid hard-to-follow arguments
• Avoid vague and unclear statements
• Avoid generalised assumptions
• Evidence-based arguments are KEY

Genre Theory

• Is superhero movies a subgenre of action-adventure? Or a Hybrid?
• Thomas Schatz - Treats genre as an intellectual concept rather than just as an industry term alone
• Genre: Types of film which filmmakers and audiences recognise through their type. Iconography, Style, Narrative and Narrative Structure 

Formalism - Is Soviet Montage still relevant today?

• Film aesthetics can have political effects
• Can have effects on people wanting social change
• Montage is a word for meaning
• Eisenstein -  About the collision of Jux, trigger a new way of thinking. Not building a linear story.

Montage in Hollywood vs Soviet?

• Establishing Shot/ re-establishing Shot
• Eye Level Shot
• Reframing
• Eyeline-matching
• Shot/Reverse Shot
• Axis of Action

Run Lola Run - Extended Montage Scene to the Thumping Beat

Breaking many rules.... 180 Degree Rule, Jump cuts, whip pans, animation, film stock, the action is sped up and slowed down. 

Social realism

To what extent is social realism a call to action or exploitative entertainment 

Realism

Minimal human interaction

Formalist Tendency

Placing things where they should be


My Essay

Summarise and state as clearly as you can: What is the author's main argument, i.e. the point that the author is trying to get across?

"I mean, we were certainly looking for shots that told the story without a lot of cutting. Again, going back to Jean-Pierre Melville. His action scenes were not really action scenes in the sense of a modern film where you cover a scene from a lot of objective angles and cut it together very fast. That’s kind of a device, really. I think the way, for instance, Denis had portrayed the action both in this film and in Prisoners was much more realistic in the sense that things happen very brutally fast — not always on screen, but when it happens, it’s there and gone"

This an interview with a director about the pacing of his film. He is arguing that his action scenes are not action scenes like most movies. He is holding the shots for a longer amount of time to build tension, which could be seen as more realistic but not as exciting to some people.