Pre Production - Location Scout & Camera Test - Wednesday 24th October (Brands Hatch & Buckmore Park)

Today the group that will come together in January (Myself, George N & Cailan C) did a location scout and camera test at the motorsport track, Brands Hatch and the Karting track Buckmore Park.
Both are based in Kent and both around 20 Minutes from the Maidstone Studios. George did a great job to set up this day, as he felt it would be very important for the Major Project Group to keep up to date, even when completing our different pre-production projects.

George had created a schedule which had us leaving his house at 11am and returning from Buckmore Park (our last location) at 6pm to get back to George's around 6:30PM. Unfortunately, we started around half an hour late because Cailan was late in arriving at George's. This meant we were on the back foot originally as we knew we had to be at the Kart track for around 4PM. As soon as Cailan arrived, we left for Brands Hatch.

Brands Hatch Location Recce

I had been to Brands Hatch a lot since the age of 8 so I know the track inside out. However, as a fan, you do not always think about the important things needed for creating a video Production.

Transport connections to the track are not great, there is no train nearby and a bus service is not frequent. However, people who are travelling by Public transport can get the Train to Swanley and get the 478 Bus which will stop at the track if you ask the driver. Like Donnington Park that I scouted earlier, the best option is for people travelling by Public Transport is to get a train to the stations near myself or George's house and we can go from there. We will arrange with any crew helping us how they arrive at Brands Hatch if it is used as a location.

Space at the track is not limited. We went there on an open track day which had no spectators, but the only use of this location in our project will be the motor racing license, so it will have no spectators like we saw when recceing the location. The track is very wide and there are no issues with Cameras being in the way of anyway one. For actual use of the camera, there is little issue with filming the track. On track days, I assume you cannot receive trackside access (This will be something George needs to find out) so we will most likely film in locations which are accessible to the general public. We saw today, and I will speak about it more in the camera test section, that there are many great shots that can be created for general access positions. I will talk with Cailan about preferred locations when we know for certain if this location will be used, but wherever we film, space and being in the way will not be an issue at all.

Power Outlets do not seem to be accessible to the general public. I could not see any power outlets, even in the Cafe areas. The garages will have power outlets, like Donnington Park, but we will not be using the pits in this location. We may have to think about changing cameras when at this location, or having multiple batteries as it is unlikely that one battery will last for the whole session/ license day. Power could be a large issue on this location and I will be working with the rest of the team to think of some ways we can solve this issue. This is probably the only issue we may encounter when filming at this location.

Facilities at Brands Hatch are as good as Donnington Park. There are multiple food outlets and toilets positioned all around the track. Apart from if you are walking on the longer part of the track the "GP Loop" where no toilets or food is available. We are unsure yet which version of the circuit will be used as we will only know that once the location if confirmed. However, we will note all of the toilets on a map along with the open food outlets so nobody is left without knowledge of where these facilities are.

Hazards will be present at the track with the cars themselves going around the track. But as the crew will not be trackside at Brands Hatch that will be much less of a hazard than at the track where the actual race will be because at Brands Hatch the crew will be located behind the large metal barriers. In the race, the crew will still be safe behind a safety barrier, but they are not as high because they are designed for photographers to get pictures. On the rest of the track, the crew must be careful as some locations can be slippery underfoot, but this will be the case at every motor racing circuit due to the grassy banks at all motor racing track.

Overall the track is very safe and I am happy with the crew filming here and if I direct the sequences via a script I should be able to get the scenes and sequences I want out of this location with some great shots.

Brands Hatch Camera Test

We put together an edit of the camera test which can be viewed in the video on the right. This shows all of the cameras and at the various locations. It includes PTC and GV Shots mostly, as that is what we will be collecting at Brands Hatch and a Go-Kart track in the future. I will now go into detail about how each camera performed and the pros and cons of each. As Cailan was present, he was able to understand how he may best locate the cameras around the track.

Testing the Zoom:
One thing I wanted to understand from the director's point of view, is which cameras have the longest lens as we can understand where we can maximise that zoom length at a race track. The university Panasonic had the weakest Zoom length, meaning we will mainly use this for Sit down PTC's and at a location at the race track that isn't too far from the track. My Panasonic had a moderate zoom length but still was not good for capturing shots from a far distance. Like the universities camera, it will be located at a place which is not too far from the track, to ensure we still get punchy, zoomed in shots. My Sony and Cailan's Panasonic had the greatest zoom range, meaning we may be able to film at a variety of location as most trackside filming is located far from the track for safety. My Sony has an optical image stabiliser meaning it hyper-smooth even at full-zoom, while Cailan's camera struggles with focusing after it exceeds half-zoom length. Overall we have a good mix of cameras, mixing in the Go Pros and Slow Motion camera, we will have a huge variety of shots for the edit.

Understanding the Colour Grades:
KEY:
PA: Panasonic Alex
PB: Big Panasonic (Uni)
PC: Panasonic Cailan
S: Alex's Sony

We set all of the cameras to their standard settings so that we could compare the colours and understand which colour-style we should base the project around. Of course, there would still be colour grading in the edit, but if we can match the cameras to our favourite, in-camera grade, that will save time in the edit.

When I initially observed the footage, I thought PA had the best colour tones as it looked nice and warm, however, upon further inspection, it is almost too warm, having a yellow tint too it. Both PA and PC have inbuilt grading tools that allow you to change the White Balance according to the weather, Sun, Overcast, Indoor etc. I think we can play around with these tools and ensure all the cameras look similar. I think that PC has the most natural colours, but this is not helped by S which was struggling to focus on the cars, as I think we forgot to turn off face tracking so it was not finding anything to focus on. If that is turned off, I think S and PC both have a very similar tone and with a little bit of warmth added, they will look TV Quality.

We set up on multiple locations around the track and kept getting a similar result, PC was seemingly the best and most natural tones, but the focusing could have been better. Likewise, with the S, it could have focused better, but it was set to Autofocus where all the rest were on Manual. The PB was fine but it really was shooting washing out footage, we needed more time to "re-learn" the camera after having nearly a year of not using it, but with some small tweaks we could match the colours to PC. As for the focusing of PB, that is more down to practice and we did not have a lot of time as George had us on a tight schedule.

After doing some comparison tests of the cameras, we decided to practice the PTC's and decide which camera we should use for that. Due to native frame rates, we had narrowed the cameras down to S and PB for the PTC shots as they had slightly higher rates meaning footage was less likely to be blurred in movements. We started with PB and Cailan was really struggling to walk and focus the camera at the same time. When we reviewed the footage, we realised that the camera also really struggles to maintain a steady picture while walking on rough terrain. The footage was shaky and it was consistently messing with the framing, my head sometimes is a long way outside the COF. We decided to see how the S did. With its optical image stabilisation and incredible autofocus with faces, it provided us with a much smoother shot. It was not as "perfect" as a stabilised image, but we did not want that, as this will be an actuality sequence. Movement is still needed to make these scenes feel natural. Too much stabilisation would kill the tone and that is something we are very conscious of. The S was much better in all areas, video quality, focus and ease of use as it is much smaller and lighter than the PB. We decided going forward we would use this camera for the PTC's as it was superior to the rest of the equipment we had.

We also played around with the camera angles to see which would work best when walking. Being slightly ahead of the presenter when they are walking looks best and also helps reduce shadows. It also looks better because it is slightly zoomed out, rather than being a close up like Cailan was trying to create when I was walking. I took the control of the camera so that I could understand what this scene was like to film, as well as understanding what shot type worked best. I am glad I did this because I need to decide the shot types for the script, and I need that hands-on experience to ensure I have tried what I think looks good in my mind.

We also tried some static PTC's but these felt really staged and the lack of movement really killed any sort of emotion that we would have built up to by this stage. It also made me look like a presenter, rather than a contributor which meant we decided to not follow this route any further. We quickly realised that we want the majority of this film to be handheld and have constant movement to keep the pace up. We may go static for a couple of hard-hitting scenes, but the majority would include some sort of movement. The static PTC's were easier for Cailan, but he agreed, he wants to challenge himself and try shots that will create the best cinematic effect. Therefore, going forward we decided we should use the S, handheld and be moving when doing a PTC.

We learnt a lot at Brands Hatch and it was great to come together, even though we are working on separate projects for PP, as it enabled us to get in the spirit of the production and have something to look forward to! We all settled nicely into our roles and were helping each other in this very early phase of the production. We also understood that the wireless clip mic would best for the PTC's. The boom mic would be fine as a backup, but the quality of the clip mic is superior. We will accompany this with Tascam when not using the PB that has a Microphone slot appropriate.


Buckmore Park Location Recce

We were not going to Buckmore Park as a possible filming location, rather just giving the crew an opportunity to practice filming Go Karts as they had not done that either. Buckmore Park will not be the track we use as I have never been there and it has no meaning to the story. However, it was worth looking around the location just in case we ever did come here to film.

Transport connections were good for car drivers as it is located just off the M2 Motorway, but no train station was close to the track. The facilities were great with there being a central hub where food, toilets and areas to sit were located. Power outlets were also available in the central hub which would give the crew an opportunity to charge equipment if it was needed. As Go Karting is still a form of motorsport, hazards do present themselves with the possibility of a kart losing control. There are safety barriers located around the track that we were told to stay behind. The area was tarmacked meaning loss of footing was not an issue unless there was rain. Space was limited but the employee at the track said we were not in anyone's way, wherever we filmed which was good to hear as we were worried at first that the location was rather limited in terms of space. Overall the location was safe to film at and gave some good shots which I will speak about in the camera test section. This part of the day was only really meant to practice filming Go Karts as we will have a scene in our documentary which includes me in a Kart. However, it is worth knowing that this track has a lot of positive features for filming which we can take into consideration for future events.

Buckmore Park Camera Test

We went to Buckmore mostly to give us a chance to understand how best to film a moving object. We did do a little bit of panning at Brands Hatch, but that was more about comparing the cameras.

At Buckmore we spent around an hour on three separate cameras, trying out shots and trying to be unique and original, trying to create a shot that looked like it was intense or was action-packed. I used my Sony, Cailan his Panasonic and George had the big Uni Panasonic. We all moved around the track and I helped as much as possible as I had done a lot of motorsport filming in the past. The most difficult part is definitely judging the speed of the pan and ensuring you do not go too fast and create a blur or miss the vehicle with bad framing.

A mix of handheld pans along with some fixed tripod shots will enable us to create an intense sequence. They need to be accompanied by each other otherwise the sequence will be all over the place and no "down time". One sequence cannot be constant action, to appreciate the action we need to be brought further out and have a moment of stillness and silence. If everything is fast paced and full of action, it does not give the perspective of speed in the action sequence.

Something that is important in motorsport videography is using the iconography of the track to create an interesting shot. For example, you can see the shots I took on the sony use the lines on the track, to create a cinematic effect which draws the viewer in. You can see on Cailan's shots that he is not exactly sure what to film or what angle is best, which is fine as it is a learning experience and I have been able to point this out to him. You have to see where the karts are driving, to understand the racing lines and track perimeter including iconography to create a shot which looks visually pleasing.

Overall the shots we a good start. They helped us have a chance at panning and using a tripod and understanding how is best to film a kart. I need to make sure that it is made clear in the script for them, that we want to create a sequence that is intense and action-filled. We need punchy shots with close-ups and ultra close-ups. These are hard shots to create, but with some experience and at our level we should all be able to create them. It was a long day, but a lot was learned and it was important to keep in tough in PP while we are working on our separate projects.

Pre Production - BUDGET AND SCHEDULE (As of October 2018)

Before we can start this project we need to know the possible budget for this project could be. Once we know what the documentary should cost to make, we can plan around that. However, we should exercise caution with the budget as there will be additional costs that could arise without us knowing until very close to it happening. I have looked at the cost of the potential sequences that we will have in this documentary and worked out the costs accordingly. This is a rough guide as George, as the producer, will take upon this role full-time in January. However, I feel it is very important to understand all of the costs before I finalise the script so that I do not include too many expensive sequences that we cannot fit into our piece.

Opening Sequences - PTC In studio or Spare campus room. We can obtain access to a university lecture room with a projector or some space in the studio. This will enable us to film the piece to camera segments planned. We will liaise with the university and get this at no cost. We could use a room at the Maidstone studios campus, but we may be tight for space which could compromise quality. As the producer, George will be in charge of finding this location and securing it. The cost for this should be nothing, apart from the travel costs.

Interviews - Throughout the documentary, we will have interviews with race drivers as well as possibly a doctor and family members. The only cost involved here would be getting to the locations and transporting the camera equipment. This is a cost we have all stated we should not include in the budget as we would have been travelling to the university as much anyway, so it would be a similar outlay to before. Worst case scenario, we would be spending £30 per person a day on travel (by car or train) as we would be meeting people rather than paying them to visit us.

Travel for other members of the group - We will be paying for our own travel, but we will need to pay for the travel of people helping us with the project. Assuming they will be local, that cost should not be any more per day than £30. We will only need extra help on the Race day and potentially on the test session a few weeks prior. This should help keep costs down. However, we have allocated at least £100 for other people helping us in this project.

Go Karting - One of our opening sequences will be at a go-kart track, this will be one of the first locations we see on screen. The use of the kart session will be the start of the journey. This is where I am at right now and we will talk about what I think might happen in the future. This cost comes to £30-50 depending on the track. I have some contacts that may allow me to film and have a discount, so that cost will hopefully reduce, which would help our overall costs.

The Racing License - To ensure I can race, I need to obtain a racing license. This will enable me to participate in the race, without it, I cannot race. Including the starter pack and medical, this will cost around £500 and £200 will be funded by the project budget. If we get outside funding through our fundraiser or sponsor this will help cover the gap in cost.

The Trackday - To prepare at the circuit I will be racing in, I will be taking part in half a days track running with my co-driver, Sam. He will help me learn the track and give advice. This will be a big moment in the documentary as it will be the first time I drive the car. This will come to around £300 for half of a track day.

The Race - The main race which will conclude our film will undoubtedly be the most expensive part of the project, but as the climax of the film and the part that will have the most screen time, it will be worth it. To complete half of the race and pay the entry fee it will be £600 all-in.

Recording Equipment - While we in a fortunate position that we have the use of multiple cameras, we still aim to buy a camera between us. This may sound extreme, but as we will be filming a motor race from multiple different angles, we need a lot of cameras. We have 4, including one from the university, but we will need at least one more. We have set a budget of £100 to buy an extra camera. Cailan has already bought a camera and it is shown as the only item which we have all contributed towards and paid for. We have also set aside money for a possible slow motion camera hire, a new Handheld microphone and an extension cable. We are aware other equipment may be needed but as of writing this, we think this is all the equipment we should need.

We may also rent a slow-motion camera for one day/ weekend to capture glorious shots at a high frame rate. I have looked on various websites and we could hire one for £200. This may be a cost we simply cannot afford when we have paid for the rest, but we think this option would enable us to create some very slick shots. This has been allocated to our budget but this will be the first thing to be removed if we are tight on money.

We will buy some walkie-talkies for the shoot days, these will cost £60 for 6 walkie-talkies. I have looked on various websites, including Amazon, I feel like we should buy the walkie-talkies before we recce the locations before the event so we can test that they work!

We fully expect the budget to fluctuate but as the document is set up clearly, it shows what each person has already put in, and shows how much money they still need to put in towards their individual total which is currently £603.33. You can see we have all contributed some money towards the cost of the camera. Over the coming weeks and months, this will go up and the amount of money each person has put in will change, but we will all come to the eventual figure of £603.33 put in.

Schedule


It will be George's job come January to make a proper schedule but I have made a hypothetical plan of when I think we should film, just for my own guideline throughout pre-production. I fully expect this to change and for George to give me a much more developed schedule come the middle on January.

As the narrative is linear, it is important to note that draft cuts can be edited after each segment is completed, which will help in the overall turnaround of this project as the eventual race will be late in our schedule.

• January 2019 - What and where we are going to film will have been decided by this point. January will consist of location scouting and Cailan developing the storyboards. We will also be completing camera tests.
• February 2019 - Filming will commence. The opening scenes exploring motorsport in my childhood. We will also be filming the scenes that include Go Karting and obtaining my racing license.
• March 2019 - Majority of filming will be completed by the end of March. This includes moments in my personal journey eg. Fitness & Training, Simulator Sessions and similar actuality experiences. The race that will end the documentary normally happens towards the end of March which gives us time to edit. 
• April 2019 - Cailan will transcribe the clips and I will put these clips into a new edit script. We will work as a team to decide the best clips to tell the story. April will also leave us with a slim opportunity to film any extra cover shots or film an additional interview if we feel one is needed.
• May 2019 - George will be given the opportunity to edit and we will constantly feedback with ideas. By the middle of May, our production will be complete. 

While neither of these is finished or will be my responsibility come January, they are vital for me to know for Pre Production. Thankfully George has helped me create this budget and he has created a Google Document to illustrate it. Both having a rough idea of the schedule and the budget will enable the pre-production planning to be easier for me. I will continue contact with George and Cailan to make sure I keep them in the loop about the project alongside their own ideas. 

Pre Production - CASE STUDY - Reggie Yates

The documentary starts with a light soundtrack with an ambient tone. This really sets the viewer up for what will become a very hard-hitting documentary which enlightens the viewer about a subject that they may lack knowledge in. This opening drone shot allows the viewer to see the landscape for themselves, but the tone of the audio helps the viewer understand that not all is well and the subject matter is serious. The use of sound to create a tone and atmosphere cannot be underrated as in the previous projects I have neglected sound somewhat. From those experiences, it is clear that half of the story is missing if the soundtrack is missing or does not fit the tone set for the documentary.

The opening voiceover is very powerful and enlightens the viewer straight away about the subject matter and the issues that will be covered in this documentary. This is something that all good documentaries do, they hint at what is going to be explored in the documentary. If this is left for too long, it could lead to some confusion about what challenges we will see, leaving the viewer confused as to what the point is.

This opening voiceover is also mixed with a piece to the camera, which allows the viewer to see the presenter for the first time. Reggie explains why this story has a meaning to him (Parents from Ghana and he has visited the county many times in his life) which adds another layer of importance to this documentary. The opening sequence clearly lays out that this is a self-discovery mission and the presenter is doing all he can to enlighten in the viewer through living the situations of the locals.

This opening sequence also tells the viewer why this subject matter is important now. This is because a lot of the goods being burned for copper are coming from Europe, specifically England. As this is for an English TV channel, it makes the subject matter relevant and thought-provoking. We instantly know that the documentary is trying to highlight an issue we probably didn't even know existed. This is done through this powerful opening mix of a voiceover and PTC to draw the viewer into the reality and let them explore the subject through Reggie's actions.

I found it interesting that a lot of the shots were handheld and looked shot very raw. They were shakey and it almost felt like a video diary in some areas as the quality was only made usable through the message it was bringing. This was mixed with beautiful drone cinematography and a couple of stabilised shots. It was a real mix of shots which slightly confused me at first. I was looking at this from a directors point of view and made me question if they had actually done a location recce before coming, as they seemed to be very rushed with all of their shots.

This style of filming was down to a lack of planning, as I have seen a number of Reggie's documentaries and most of them are more cinematic than this particular one. This could have been a chosen style, to highlight the rawness of the issue, but more time should have been spent understanding the location beforehand. It would have been down to the inaccessibility of this location which meant they could not determine what could be filmed until they got there. This rushed approach did change the tone of the documentary, as we were now seeing more shots of the appalling situation, rather than crafted cinematic shots.

This shows the importance of planning and location recce and I am already taking a proactive approach when making my documentary as I have already scouted multiple locations. I am aware that my locations are much more accessible than the one used here, which is probably why they ran into issues as a production team. The importance of doing a location recce has already enabled me to understand the potential hazards of each location we are going to visit. This has allowed me to better understand how we should approach filming our documentary so that our tone is consistent throughout. I am likely to do another location scout with the rest of my group so we can collectively decide what the best approach for each scene is.

I noticed that this documentary seems to be created with one or two cameras. There where a lot of instances, in scenes of discussion, where we see the camera move from a two-shot to a one shot in the documentary. The camera physically moving shot types without cuts does create the tone that this documentary is raw and unfiltered. The use of one camera changing shots shows that the situations presented in the documentary are natural and the camera operator is having to think fast, to capture the moment in the most realistic way.

Sometimes these changes in camera shot are covered with a general view shot, but we do see the camera actively move to change shot type on multiple occasions. I am not a fan of the constant camera readjustments being shown, as I like a documentary to be slightly more cinematic and clever with its use of the camera. I am not sure if it was intended to be like this, but I assume it was not the plan as many other Reggie Yates Documentaries feel more "complete" with fewer shots which are created in this style. I learnt that in this style of documentary you want to film moments of authenticity, but they need to be done in a way which is easy to follow as a viewer. Constant camera reframing does significantly lower the production value, even if the moments it captures are more authentic. This knowledge has allowed me to analyse my script and predict where moments of emotion and honesty could arise. Pointing these out to the crew will allow one camera to be focused on a typical wide shot, while one captures close-ups of specific emotions. The use of two cameras is used in many other documentaries with this style, as they help create a more refined and visually pleasing documentary.

Through the apparent lack of planning that went into some scenes, I can assume it meant that the director and presenter had to recreate some scenes to get them from a different angle. There are many random jumps and at times the clips didn't quite match each other. This is what makes me think that had to reshoot some of the sequences with action or movement, to allow them to inject more crafted cinematic shots into the project.

This goes to show how important some sort of plan is before filming starts. The cast and crew went into creating some scenes of this documentary woefully underprepared which has led to some scenes feeling staged and filmed in an uncreative way. This is a surprise as some scenes are beautifully shot and had a lot of time and thought put into them. It is a shame that didn't stay have a consistent tone throughout this documentary, as that would have allowed the viewers to connect to the story further. This makes me slightly concerned as a director who is also in front of the camera. It certainly makes me think about planning a lot more than originally thought, so that the crew get the shots I'm thinking of and fully understands the cinematic approach that will be consistent throughout the documentary. This has led to me placing further hints at the style of particular scenes in my script. I have also sent reference material to my collogues which will allow them to know my inspiration for each scene.

I still love this documentary as it tells a great story, which is the most important thing, but looking at it as a director I am somewhat disappointed with its production quality. It uses a lot of L Cuts which is a great cinematic technique which allows the viewer to hear the contributor before we see them.

"An L cut is a variant of a split edit film editing technique in which the audio from preceding scene overlaps the picture from the following scene, so that the audio cuts after the picture, and continues playing over the beginning of the next scene."

It is a great cinematic effect when used correctly, but in situations throughout this documentary, it felt un-needed and unplanned. This gave the impression that the crew were unprepared and were struggling in the situations because of where the area the documentary was set.

An example of having the time to set up a meaningful shot with impact, is when one of the Burner Boys is destroying some white goods and setting them alight. This is a very powerful shot as black smoke is billowing out of the machine highlighting the terrible living situations they are going through.

I felt a little disgusted when I saw this, because I thought no human should have to put themselves in this much danger to survive. This is what a shot like this does, it creates a powerful emotion in the viewer. The production did do a good job at points in this documentary to capture those scenes as these are the shots that stick in peoples mind when discussing this topic in the future. I feel like there should have been more shots like this and they were a little too reliant on handheld shots which were set up on the fly and did not have the same impact. The use of iconic shots will be different in my documentary, but they will still be used to have an impact on the viewer. An example of an iconic shot I have chosen after watching this, is one as I enter Brands Hatch to complete my racing license. I am creating this specific scene to have a large impact on the viewer, I will use the large Brands Hatch logos at the circuit entrance to heighten the drama. the camera will be placed low, showing the logos and the sky, enabling my car as I drive in to be small, highlighting the large task I have ahead of me.

Possibly because of the nature of the topic matter, being put into the shoes of this group of people is very powerful and allows the viewer to connect to the subject matter. As Reggie is subjecting himself to living in conditions no human should, it allows the viewer to sympathise as they are probably more like Reggie than the locals. The locals see this as somewhat normal and do not understand how dangerous the situation is. This means if this documentary was more observational it could lead us as viewers to not feel the same emotions that we do when a presenter is in the situation themselves.

Having a presenter that is partaking in "The Life" also allows the people in the film to be challenged. He always knows when to speak out when something is not right, challenging people, even if he grew a close bond with them. He does it in a very humanising way which does not leave the people he is surrounding himself within any type of disgust or hatred towards him. He poses most things he disagrees with in the form of a question which allows the other people in the film to have a conversation about the disagreement.

Many times we see the subject matter speak and it is clear they do not know what they are saying or have little knowledge of the truth. I think questioning, rather an interrogating, allows the viewer to connect to the Reggie as he speaks to everyone the same manner. This leaves everyone to respect him and allows more honest answers from his contributors.

 The way he communicates with the audience, as well as the way he interacts with people on screen, is superb. This comes down to relaxing into the project and believing in the issue or subject matter you are exploring. It will also be down to doing a lot of prep before-hand and test shoots to understand what and how you say things to the camera. Reggie will be my benchmark, I hope to be able to get somewhere close. Knowing information about my fellow contributors will allow me to dig deeper when finding the honest answer. This is the knowledge that will need to be found before each interview. This will allow me to be honest with the viewer as they will be getting interviews with answers that reflect the truth. This will be down to research before each scene, enabling me to relax the contributor and have an honest conversation.


Something that I noted that worked well in this documentary was how in certain situations it was shot like a video diary. It included transition slides on the days and transitions including the time of day. It is a small editing technique, but it helps the story keep moving along at a steady pace and keeps the viewer up to date with the progress being made by Reggie. This is one avenue we can take in certain scenes, as it is very certain some scenes will be more planned than others, meaning some scenes may feel like a YouTube video rather than a documentary. The use of transition slides and time/day info helps keep the film's narrative consistent throughout and ensure the cinematography captures the correct tone.

I also noted that Reggie speaks to the producer rather than directly to the camera. I like this a lot more as it feels less scripted and much more honest to the viewer. It would be easy to direct the camera formally, but it documentaries like this, addressing the camera like that makes it feel very staged. When part of the point of the documentary is finding out about new situations it is important to have that trust between the viewer and the presenter that is documentary is not staged and has no bias. Looking off camera allows the scene to be more authentic, allowing Reggie to open up on his thoughts. This technique has been adapted for our project as we think directing the camera throughout would insinuate that I am a presenter rather than a contributor. By being a contributor, I am guiding the story along by my stories and actions, rather than telling the viewer directly.

Throughout the documentary, it keeps reminding us as the viewer why this is relevant now. Showing shots of Sainsbury's vacuum cleaners makes the viewer think about their habits when getting rid of goods and allows the question of what we are doing wrong as a country.

When we see Reggie's reaction we also share his disbelief that this is where some of our goods end up. This is a powerful scene, as it clearly illustrates with video how the United Kingdom and the viewers watching this documentary, are actually involved in this whole issue. While it is hard to blame the consumer for issues that are down to the large corporations, it certainly allows the viewer to question their disposal of waste. This allowed me to understand how I am going to allow the viewer to question themselves. Throughout our piece, I will be posing the question of why the viewers have not achieved their dreams. By doing so, it allows the viewer to think about what they could be doing better. This technique also allows the documentary to have a wide audience as the subject matter is broad, even if our chosen dream is specific.

The soundtrack helps set the tone for each scene, enabling the viewer to have some understanding of what they are supposed to feel. The editor would have worked closely with the director in making sure the soundtrack fits the tone that the director was trying to create when filming this documentary. George and I will work well together in the edit to ensure that the final edit looks how I planned it originally.

However, I am aware some scenes will appear that will not have been in the script (due to the nature of the documentary - exploring subjects with an answer that is not clear). We will make sure that the tone is constant throughout which keeps the trust between the viewer and the project. Clear and effective teamwork between the director and the editor will be key to the success of our project and ensuring our project is honest to itself in giving a true order of events.


There are moments of reflection which are sometimes said in the middle of a conversation to the producer/camera op behind the camera. These sequences are "reaction shots" to what he has said/is talking about which do a good job at enabling the viewer to connect on an emotional level. The best documentaries are ones where the presenter is active including a certain amount of "conversation" between the viewer and the presenter, these moments of reflection help create that mood.


The chats with contributors are very personal in this documentary and the camera operator captures close-ups throughout as they are the best way of showing emotion in a character. I know we could have had more "intense close-ups" as with some characters I found it hard to relate to them as they were filmed at a distance. We could not see the micro-emotions you see when you are close up, meaning the emotional connection was lessened. I would like to include a larger proportion of close-ups in my documentary as I want the viewer to feel the emotion that I will be going through as a contributor. These moments of emotion allow the viewer to understand the importance of my story and how I have changed through the experience.

The closing commentary is very powerful and closes the story very well. Commentary sometimes closes a documentary like this better as it allows the presenter some time to gather his thoughts before deciding upon the appropriate ending.

Sometimes documentaries that close on a PTC feel too forced and staged and I have made this mistake in the past, resulting in a poor ending. I had been thinking about the ending of our documentary and tried to decide which style would be most effective. I feel we should not make a decision until the documentary is nearly finished editing, but in my script, I have ended our documentary in a powerful voiceover which reflects on my experience and questions the viewer about their dreams.

Overall, Reggie and his documentaries are a big inspiration for my project and I am glad I have analysed one in further detail to understand why they are so good. The storytelling was great and that is what is most important when following a subject matter which the viewer has little knowledge of. In a lot of scenarios, the shot types pick themselves because the power is in the contributor's story rather than the choice of shot. From my experience in filming motorsport, I know what works and what does not, and I have communicated this information with the team. This will allow our documentary to be both cinematic and tell an honest story. The use of multiple camera will help this effect, but we are certain not to stage many sequences as that would detract from the value of the message being broadcast.

Pre Production - The Motive Behind The Project

With any documentary, it’s important to understand why this is being made now as well as voicing my reasoning as to why the topic is so important to me. This knowledge allows the documentary to have more meaning and allow us as storytellers to dig deeper and create a documentary with multiple layers of emotion and story.

Why Now?

British Motorsport is in it’s prime with Lewis Hamilton set to win a 5th F1 World Championship and younger British drivers are winning many of the lower categories. The interest in motorsport in the UK is very high, with 2.33 Million People watching this year Spanish Grand Prix (F1 Broadcasting)
As there is such a large audience for motorsport currently, I feel that this documentary will help the general public understand what being a motor racing driver really is, even if our documentary is focusing on a motorsport on a smaller scale to F1.

This documentary aims to show the issues they may have faced on their journey in motorsport and what kept them motivated. This will enable the general viewer to understand the sacrifices and dreams of racing drivers and what makes them risk their lives for their job. Our aim is to produce a documentary that is for the masses, focusing on "what it is like to achieve your dreams", we do not want to produce a How-To Guide for motorsport as that is not for a wide audience and does not interest me.

It is a perfect time to illustrate this topic as many young motorsport fans in Britain will be intrigued by the success of our top athletes, this documentary will give perspective on what the journey is really like, if on a smaller scale. The idea of following your dreams is a subject that is always relevant as everyone always strives to improve and try new things in life. This documentary will be the catalyst of viewers questioning their dreams and what they need to do to achieve them.

F1 Broadcasting Reference: https://f1broadcasting.co/2018/05/14/channel-4s-f1-highlights-coverage-draws-record-audience/

The Motive Behind This Project

I am fascinated by people who risk everything to achieve their dreams. When you get to understand about someone who loves something so much, they dedicate their life to it, it makes for a very special story. However, most people are not blessed with the money or resources to focus solely on their dream, as they may have a job or a family. I want to achieve one of my dreams and I saw the creation of this documentary as a good time to give it a go.

Ever since I can remember I have been a fan of motorsport. When I was 5 or 6 years old my father would watch motorsport on the TV and I would watch it with him. I started watching more and more and in 2004 my Father decided we should go to our local racing track, Brands Hatch, to watch a race. I still remember to this day, driving into the circuit and being deafened by the noise of Formula 3 cars. It somewhat shocked me as a young kid at how loud these cars were, but also made me love the sport. I distinctly remember some of the cars I watched that day, the Formula 3 cars which are not that much slower than F1 Cars. I also saw Porsche's, TVR's, Moslers, basically some of the fastest cars in the world. From that moment onwards I knew this was one of my passions.

In 2008, after Lewis Hamilton won his first F1 championship, I went with my sister and parents to our local go-kart track for the first time. From that moment onwards I was hooked. I have set up on own championship with friends and family so we can make our karting sessions a little more competitive. 2008 was the first time I had ever been on a go-kart track, most professional racing drivers started racing seriously at the age of 4 or 5. I knew I could never have a career in motorsport because I had no money and I started late. However, this never stopped me from wanting to give it a go. This will be explored heavily in my documentary, drawing on the emotional side of not being able to follow my dream as a child.

I tried for a number of years to try and talk to companies about sponsoring me to race go-karts but it never happened. For a few years after that, I did start to think that I would never have the chance to live my dream. I continued to race in the championship I set up between friends and family but the dream was always to race at a slightly higher level. I started a YouTube channel in 2011 which revolved around motorsport which enabled me to have many great opportunities around motorsport. It was a different route to what I had wanted but this got me closer to the sport than I had ever dreamt.

I was lucky enough to get even closer to the sport I loved throughout 2017. I got to visit some large motor races as press which enabled me to speak to professional drivers and get much closer to the action and drama. I absolutely loved it. The passion for motorsport had taken a hit after I realised I would not be able to live the life of a racing driver that any child dreams of. But when you grow up you realise some things are just meant to be. After going as media to multiple events, it got me thinking, could I drive in a motor race, if I put the money aside? These thoughts led to the creation of this documentary.

Money, A License and Skill are things you need to even start racing on a low level, but as soon as I realised it could be a possibility, I wanted to make it happen. I was struggling to come up with an idea for the 3rd-year major project, but then I thought, could I not just film this? Of course all of the technical details of how/where/when needed to be sorted out before I could film it, but it looked like it would work.

You can now see why I have a passion for motorsport. You can see why it is a dream of mine to drive in a motor race. Now the story is coming together and how I want the documentary to look is being finalised, this is actually happening. It actually gives me goosebumps writing this. Recalling how this all started does seem a little crazy, but the journey I have been on has enabled this to be a possibility, and I want to make the most of it. The team and co-driver are sorted, the budget is nearly complete and we have a good idea of where we may be filming. I am excited and nervous at the same time. I know I have a great team around me which will allow me to focus on the race when it happens. Now, just the nervous countdown.

Pre Production - Location Scout - Sunday 14th at Donnington Park

Yesterday I visited Donnington Park to do a location scout of the track which seems like it will hold the event which concludes our documentary, the motor race. Timetables for the 2019 season are yet to be confirmed, but from researching into the previous year's championships, they have all started at this track. While at the location, I needed to make sure I looked out for certain things. My findings can be seen below.

Transport Links

Near Donnington Park, there is an International Airport (East Midlands), which was a potential travel system, but due to flights from down south, it isn't financially viable to fly. When I went to location Recce I drove and it took 3hr30mins, but for George and Cailan it should take 1 hour less as they live closer to the location. We should be able to fit all crew and equipment across two cars and money for fuel has been allocated in the budget.

Parking was right by the track and only around 10 minutes away from the pits. However, as I will be racing, you are allowed cars inside the circuit boundaries and we should be able to park parallel to the pit garage. This will help us as we will not need to carry the kit from the car to the paddock. As for links around the circuit, from what I could see you can walk all around the track. From previous experience, there may be media shuttles between races. As long there is strong leadership from Cailan about where people will be filming, getting the correct shot will be no issue. A plan will be made in early 2019 after another recce about where each camera will be placed.

Space

I visited while it was raining heavily so I was not able to walk the whole of the track, but I was able to gain vital knowledge of the surroundings by observing the area. I was attending this event as general public, not media, meaning that I was not able to assess how the filming locations would be trackside. As mentioned in another blog posts, filming positions at the side of the track are often narrow meaning it will be tough to set up a tripod. I hope to assess this situation again in January when we recce the location again, hopefully with access to go in the media areas.

Space for the general public is great. As shown in the pictures there is lots of space and especially on a smaller race meeting like I attended, and one similar in size to one I will be racing in, there is only a small number of people meaning we could film where we wanted. From my experience, we should obtain media access but we know there is a possibility that we will not. Therefore, I wanted to see what the shooting conditions for general viewers were. I did some test shooting while I was there. I did notice that around the first half of the lap it was especially hard to get close enough to the track to get the cinematic shots that were after. Saying this, there were numerous locations we could film from, which I have indicated on this map that I took with myself when looking at the location. (The X marks the location and what you can see from that location. The arrows are areas I did not visit but it seemed people were observing from these locations and could be good for filming)

I also looked in the pit garages to see how big they were and they were larger than expected. I had only ever visited ones at Brands Hatch before and they are much smaller. This enables us to have more creative freedom with filming in the garages. The view from the garages was also good, but when the race is live we will be unable to walk down the pitlane as it is a very high-risk area. In general, the circuit has a lot of space for filming and I could not see any issue from the general admission viewing areas. When we recce again with the trackside access we will see what the restrictions are. I will be in contact with George about booking this location for a recce and obtaining media accreditation. 

Power Sources

While looking around the location, I kept an eye out for what power sources were available at the track. These will be vital on the shoot day as we will need to charge the cameras at some point during the day. While in the pit garages there seemed to be a couple of plug sockets. We should bring an extension lead to make sure that all of our cameras can be charged. This will also be right next to the car so the cameras will be exactly where we need them. I also noticed a few power outlets in the cafe but it would be too much of a risk to hope one is available on the shoot day. 

We may also decide to buy additional camera batteries just for this event, but this may not be cost effective as we could easily end up spending £150 on batteries. We know our budget is already quite high so we need to make sure it stays sustainable. This will be a discussion we take forward into 2019 and decide if the cost is worth it. 

Facilities

I kept a special lookout for facilities such as toilets, food areas and places to rest when at this venue as they will be important as we will be there all day. I was surprised at how up-to-date this track was and the facilities were much better than expected. 

Toilets are located at a number of points around the track which will enable any crew member, no matter where they are, to have access to a toilet. These will be clearly located on a map we will use for the crew so they know where they are so that we have no problems with not understanding where the nearest facilities are. 

Areas for food are located at the main entrance. Depending on when our race falls in the day, we may ask the crew to bring food with them at our cost or choose to use the lunch break as an opportunity to meet up and discuss final plans before the race. We must be wary that to travel to certain locations around the track could take up to an hour to walk to. Food was served throughout the day, but as a team, we know that it is best that each crew member takes enough food for the day just in case the food hall is inaccessible because of the timing of the race.  

Areas to sit down and rest were located around the track, much like the toilets. There are benches to sit and grandstands as well. We hope these will only be needed in a situation where something has happened on the track and suspended the racing. Otherwise, all crew should be focusing on capturing the shots for the documentary. However, it is important to know these rest areas as the team may decide to meet up and discuss something in the middle of the day. These areas being clearly located on the map will then be very important in allowing all crew members to know where everyone is.

Hazards

It is important to observe the hazards with any location to minimise the risk of injury while filming. I visited on a very rainy day and all the areas with tarmac surface where fine and not slippy underfoot. However, there is a large area of grass that will have to be walked upon by certain crew members during the shoot day. That grassy area was susceptible to being water-logged and slippery. If the day is rainy or the area had seen rain over the previous days, caution will be needed when crossing the grassy areas.

Other risks come from the cars themselves. The camera crew who will be directed by George on the day will need to be diligent when moving and always keep an eye on the race track. Like anything in life, accidents can happen and if the crew member is keeping an eye on the track it will remove them from any risk that may present itself. This rule goes if you are trackside or just a general spectator at motorsport events. As I have experience with motorsport and being trackside as photographer/videographer, I will be able to show the crew how I operate as well as knowing where is safe and what places could be at potential risk. As long as the crew member thinks before they act, motorsport should not pose a threat. It is unplanned and actions with no care and attention which can cause issues. I will make sure, along with George and Cailan, that the rest of the crew know this and works accordingly.

Overall the biggest issue with location would be the distance. We would have to travel a long way, but we have put funds aside in the budget to make sure that will not be an issue. The facilities and track itself give us a lot of opportunities to capture some quality shots. We will see if this is the location used for the event by the end of December.

What to do reference: https://elementtwentysix.com/6-things-look-location-recce/

Pre Production - MAJOR PROJECT UNIT ROLES

This Blog post will show what the roles of the Major production until will be when we start in January. I am working on the major project and Cailan and George are working on hypothetical projects in pre-production. This blog will clearly identify which person will be responsible for what when we come to start the unit in January. I have liaised with Cailan and George throughout the unit so far and will continue to until we group together in early January. We also have a number of test shoots planned that we will do as a group. 

• Cailan Cook will join me in January as the Director of Photography. As DOP he will be in charge of the documentaries visuals. He will start by adapting my script into storyboards which will help him visualise what I am writing. This will be of massive help when it comes to filming as we will use these storyboards to connect the story to visuals. Making sure we are all on the same wavelength will enable a consistent film throughout. He will follow my guidelines for how I want each scene to be shot and will decide what equipment is required to enable the scene to be captured in the best way possible. We will have multiple camera operators on some shoot days, meaning Cailan will be required to delegate who does what. We will have a variety of camera, with different qualities, some which better in low light and others that will create a better depth of field. It will be up to Cailan to ensure that the cameras are placed accordingly around the track as to ensure we get the shots decided in the script and storyboards. Cailan will also be helping direct when I am in front of the camera. It will be his job to shout action/stop and decide if something needs to be reshot. This means he will have to know the shots inside out and be able to offer opinions on how well a scene is going. He will work closely with George in making sure that the cameras are at the locations on time and also understanding what other equipment may be needed on specific days of the shoot. Cailan will also have a bit part in setting up equipment and lighting so that it looks the storyboards and scripts that have been created. A clear communication line between all of us will help make sure there are no issues with creating this project. Once the filming is complete, Cailan will need to transcribe the clips which I will use as the scriptwriter to edit my script.
  
  

• George Nicholls will also join me in January becoming the Producer and Editor. As a producer, George will be able to offer an impartial perspective on the script and general layout of the documentary. He will oversee the production and decide which scenes should be included to offer the most authentic story. This will lead nicely into his role as editor as he can guide the story throughout, ensuring consistency. As the producer George will be responsible for helping set up interviews, organise equipment and locations that I want to use in my story. A clear line of communication has been present with George even before we started Pre Production as we knew we were going to work together. He will be in charge of the budget and making sure we find outside sources of investment. He will also work with me to try and attract sponsors that we can work with and that will also help us cover some of the costs of this project. As this project is expensive, keeping an eye on the costs is going to be vital in ensuring everything gets filmed within the budget. George will also have to work out schedules for filming days as well as how group members are going to attend the shoot days (Travel plans). He will also be in charge of filling out safety forms and booking out the required equipment. George will lend a hand on shoot days to ensure, along with Cailan, that the story is being told according to what we planned. He will also need to be fast on his feet when issues arise. As an editor George will have creative control of the final outcome of the project, he will have guidance from myself and Cailan to make sure the documentary is consistent throughout, but George will be the one making the decisions. He will be an active voice in the documentary as he will communicate with myself when I am going about my challenges.

• I will be the Director and Writer. Since I will be the focus of the documentary it is important that I am able to both tell the story, but also distance myself from it. I will be Writing the initial story but relying on George to guide me terms of which scenes should be included.  I will be able to focus on directing each scene to get the most out of them using the knowledge I have gained throughout my research. The issue would be if I was solely in charge of the story, then it may lose its authenticity and our aim could get lost. As this was my idea from the start, it was important for myself to become the writer of this story and understand the order of events. I also have a good understanding of the subject matter which means writing the script would be the best for our group as both Cailan and George are relatively new to the subject matter. From my initial plans and order of events, I will place these ideas into a shooting script with rough guidelines of what is going to be said and shown on screen. This script will then be adapted various times before filming when key locations and contributors get confirmed. Once the filming is over, I will receive the transcribed clips from Cailan which I will then slot into an edit script which George can use in his role as an editor. My role as a director will be planning how the shots will be filmed and how to best create the cinematic style that I envision. I will work closely with Cailan on storyboards so we both have the same vision of the final project. I will develop a cinematic style and will send examples of reference material to the group so we are all on the same wavelength. As the director, it will be my role to decide the locations we will be shooting at, but up to George to obtain filming permissions. As I will be in front of the camera I will not be able to "direct" in the way that most directors do. I will have to be told where to stand and where to look in some circumstances, as I cannot see what the camera is doing. This is where help from George and Cailan will be important. As stated previously, I will distance myself from the creation process to ensure the most authentic story is being told. I am having continuous meetings with the group which is helping the story go down a path that is more authentic. Once the final list of events is decided, as previously mentioned, it will be put into the script which will all be found on my website.

Pre Production Green Light Pitch

FEEDBACK FROM SIMON:



Major Project Pre-production - Journey into Motorsport

The pitch was clear and detailed. This project Has good potential for you to explore the role of a director/writer.

I can see the mechanics of the project have a clear sense to them. There is good evidence that you know how you want to make the film. What's not clear is the a story that is more than just a "how to" type film. If you want to explore a wide audience and get more out the subject, then you need to think more about your personal journey. We need more of a story. What is at risk here for you (other than the physical risk?). Why would I watch if I'm not into motorsport?

Motorsport is exciting - but characters are always more exciting. That's why we watch. How personal are you prepared to go in terms of your journey?

You need to produce a detailed directors statement that outlines your directorial vision.

In terms of your role - I have some concerns. At the moment whilst you say you are the director. It feels like you are producing too. You have to step back from being a producer - as this is George's role. If you produce all elements of the project now, then what will there be for George to produce?

You have to focus just on the directing elements. So things like schedule, contributors, locations, permissions, crewing, equipment, overall production plan etc - this needs to be left to George to produce from the new year.

You need to be researching documentaries and documentary makers. Particular ones who are the subject of their own story. Case stories. Make the research relevant.

You need to produce a detailed list of what you are going to contribute to the pre-production package. Email this to me before your next tutorial.