Time

Time: 
e.g.

• Deadlines
• Availability of equipment
• Availability of personnel
• Timescales for clearances

Deadlines:

• Shoot

- First day of principle photography

- (All pre-production must be completed before this date.)

-  Last day of shoot - important to know how long you are using equipment for and so you know when editing can begin.

- (All footage must be secure by this point.

• Picture lock:

- Picture lock is a stage in editing a film or editing a television production. It is the stage prior to online editing  to online editing when all changes to the film or television program cut have been done and approved.

• Sound lock:

- 

• Music:

-

• Visual effects:

-

• Sound mixing: 

-

• Colour correction:

- 

• Delivery:

- 

Availability of equipment:

what equipment do you have available to you?

- Production

- Post- production

Micro task ~ make a list of all the equipment you have access to you

Equipment i have access to:

Cameras:

HD - Sony 

Camcorders

Mini DV camera

Sound:

• Voice recorder 
• AVID Editing keyboard
• AVID Editing suite - computer
• HP L1906 Monitor screen
• M- AUDIO - StudioPro 3 - Speaker
• SENNHEISER - sound microphone
• TASCAN DR-40 LINEAR PCM Recorder
• MAC Mini - running i-Movie
• CANON Legria- Camcorder
• STANLEY - Tripod Flashlight
• Boom pole
• LIBEC Tripod TH650- DV - Fluid head tripod
• DIDO - Lights

what equipment would i need to hire:

- Production
- Pre- Production

• Glider - for camera

Make a list of the most desirable equipment:

• Red One camera
• Blackmagic BMD-4KPPU 4K PPU Complete 3 Camera 4K Mobile Production Uni -£20,499.00

• Roland VR-3EX - Video switcher/mixer - 4-channel - £1,200.00

• YAMAHA RX-A3050 - £1,999.00

• 
  

Availability of personnel:

What is the Availability of the people you want to recruit?

- Understanding the availability of the people you want to work with.

• Dates 
• Hours off availability 
• Time schedule
• Weather availability 

Micro-task:

- Find the availability for each crew member  you have recruited.

Timescales for clearances:

• Get all of your clearances done before your first shoot date - prior to production.
• Must have all the contracts and documents signed.
• All legal requirements must be completed.

- Make up a new list of when you need to get clearances for every individual involved in my project.

- Go back to your key - dates list.

My CV - Second version

Kundai Machaka CV Template

URGENT

Understand -
How have i proved this understanding - justifiable.

Practice -
Do it!
Effectively!
Properly!
Substantially!

Evaluate -
How has this developed my research?
What is the impact?
How has this influenced me?

How to recruit a skeleton crew

In an article for indiewire in 2013, Noam Kroll, a Los Angeles-based filmmaker, suggested the five people whom are most needed for a skeleton film crew.

what is a skeleton film crew?

It is a crew which uses the minimum amount of people which can be used to operate and successfully produce a film it requires the least amount of people , this may be due to a short budget and would mean that only the most important and influential people would be needed for the crew. it also means because the film crew is stripped down to the bare essential crew members,  it helps in  making them less conspicuous when shooting without permits.

which two people does his skeleton crew not include and why?
 the skeleton does not include these two people:
- Director

-Producer

He says they are taken as red. the fact that they are always considered to be so important is the mere fact that we don't include them, and here are the reasons why.
You can do the job that a director or a producer does, just by having a good eye. this would eat away at a lot of your budget if you included a director or a producer to your skeleton crew. you could really minimise your costs by knowing what and how the screenplay should be and how to direct in in the way it is supposed to be, also your actors will partially be doing the job for you.


The five essential roles Kroll believes must be filled in order for the film to stand a good chance of being successfully completed are:

production assistant:
The reason for this being important is that when there is a shortage of daylight left and you need another scene shot, you begin to run out of time and that's where your production assistant comes in. It isn't ideal to ask your make-up artist to help set up props or start moving gear to having a personal/production assistant is another effective way to manage time, usually production assistants are still learning and may be new to being on sets and in the industry so as well as it being a good way for them to learn it is also important for them to have a good attitude whilst on set, encouraging and helping everyone perform at their best, as well as themselves.

Location audio:
It has been said time and time again that 50% of your film is sound, arguably more. this is because usually in indie films, sound is the biggest set-back. the rule usually applies to be : Perfect sound coupled with poor visuals will always come across as more polished and professional looking than perfect visuals with bad sound.
psychology really does add to it when it comes to us judging and perceiving the movie that we watch, that is why good sound it critical to the overall success of your film.
Once again, it is important that you are not just looking for a sound recordist with the right gear or the right rate that will meet your budget, but you are looking for someone that fits in with your production. If you will be shooting for example guerilla style on the street for instance, you will want someone that has done this before, this will make a dramatic change. Someone that knows how to be discreet, hide the lavs and run the mixer out of his or her backpack.


Gaffer/ Grip:
Even if you only have a couple of flags, some C-stands and a couple of flags, a skilled Gaffer/Grip will make a dramatic change to your production.  Filling this position with someone who is quick, knowledgeable and skilled, can save you a huge amount time on set. this is one of the smart moves to make when creating a skeleton crew.
Instead of the director/Producer acting as the Gaffer/Grip themselves in order to save more money and potentially have their slot filled with somebody else, it is arisky move even-though it can be done. this is because they will have to be physically setting up lighting and handling gear themselves, this would waste some time, possibly missing shots and working longer days. 

Honorable mentions:

Script advisers (Honorable mentions) can save you tons of time when it comes to the production of your short film. This means that you wont have to stop at every pause, double-checking your scrip, dailies, over looking the whole department and staying consistent. 
Having a talented Script Supervisor on set can also be a life saver, especially if your film takes place over the course of many days and you have a lot of continuity to keep track of – wardrobe, makeup, props, etc.

Make-up and hair:
A make-up artist is a unique role and requires someone who is skilled at the job, know what the characters are supposed to look like within the short film. the value of their role goes beyond the ability to make someone to better - or even worse. they can also work as a Pa and this can be another effective help in the production of your film.
A great makeup artist will not only do a top notch job creatively, but also be diligent about remembering and photographing specific looks for continuity purposes and ensuring that looks are consistent throughout your production.


Summary:

There is no exact formula to creating the perfect skeleton crew, but the key is to have all of your bases covered. No matter what, you will always need assistance in the camera, audio and makeup departments, and you are certainly best off getting dedicated crew members to tackle all of these tasks. Don’t forget to have a great PA (or two) on board, as they are the life blood of your project and will keep things running much more efficiently.

production research

content -
when making a shirt film or a hollywood film, you will need to conduct research tasks.
your content may be original or optioned - both of which require research.
An option is a contractual agreement between a potential film producer (such as a movie, a production company, or an individual) and a writer or third party holding ownership of a screenplay. you would have to research what screenplays are available.

Within content, we have to think about copyright. It is an intellectual property that cannot normally be used without the permission of the owner. like other forms of intellectual property, copyright can be bought or sold. copyright owners can choose to license whilst others use their work while retaining copyright ownership over their rights themselves.

for those whom have independent material, which don't have copyright work, their material may be used without any rules or regulations. they do not have any copyright work which means nobody has to ask then or contact them in any way to use any of their material, they aren't attached to  record label, their work is completely free.

script auction, you have 1-2 years to have film made or then they have the right to then sell the script onto somebody else.

viability -
another part of important production research is to demonstrate that your planned product is viable (workable.) you will need to test the viability of your product at a number of different levels:
is the product financially viable
Do you have enough time on your hands to complete your project
what help and support will you require?
is it achievable?
Do you have the right equipment  and technology to support your project?
Do you have enough skills to undertake the production?

financial costs -
Is the product financially viable?
Short films have specific things you need to consider:
crew locations
talent
props / costume
permissions
equipment
miscellaneous e.g. food and drink
Production distributer and exchange.

Technological resources -
Audio and moving image  products will require the use of various types of recording and editing equipment. A range if hardware and soft ware options are available for print and multimedia production. however, if you were working as an independent producer then your equipment would have to be purchased of hired for the duration of the production process. you would need to conduct research costs.

personnel -
You would need creative people to help research and develop your ideas, technical expertise assist in the production stages, and then marketing people to help sell your product and generate income from advertising, sales and merchandising. 

locations  - 
In addition. the filmmaker will have to undertake some location research (called a recce) to identify suitable venues for filming to take place, assist in the planning of specific shots and assess any problems or health and safety issues that the crew might face.  



http://www.film.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/4897/Crew-Roles-and-Departments-Guide.pdf

final sentence

realised that i had reached the furthest point within the threshold

http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/beautiful-resume-design/

Crew CV's - My CV

Kundai Machaka

Post-production runner

07746568367

kaymac@hotmail.co.uk

The Beacon School Media Department

                                                                                                 

Objective: to secure work as a post-production runner

Throughout my Level 3 BTEC diploma and time in education

• professional skills required to operate effectively in the Media world
• how to create and run a blog to raise customer/consumer awareness 
• how to reference using the Harvard Referencing System
• understanding the field of Media studies and the media job sector

                                                                                       

Relevant experience:

 Film production - Edexel BTEC Nationals, level 3 diploma -Vocational Media Production course.

The best Media department in the world - probably

Other key educational experience

Basic experience with digital stills cameras

Gained knowledge of:
Shots sizes 
Angles
Framing
Composition
Basic camcorder skills

Research skills 
Internet
Journals
Books
Magazines and newspapers

New Media Skills
Blogging
Publishing skills
Online dynamic presentation skills (Prezi)

Customer assistant experience:
Developed people and communication skills
Interpersonal skills 
informational skills

CREW CV's

My first job in film

Out of 100's of CV's seen by employers, the "right ones" are characterized by what?

The right ones refer to relevant information and refer to fact or past experience. 

Using any style or format for the CV is okay, but it's important to make sure of what?

Any style, format or theme is fine, just make sure they're clear and easy to read. Not everyone is a fan of pictures, but it is entirely up to you.

10/15 people fail to do what when they are doing a CV?

10/15 people will not have made an effort to customise their CV or research the role. This leaves the applicant 1 in 5 chance that their CV will catch the eye of the recruiter, and trust me those odds are as good as it gets in the world of recruitment. It will all come down to that individual recruiter and their personality to try and make it onto that shortlisted 5.

why customise your CV?

The two important reasons for customising your CV are:

We see it time and again candidates applying to a job in say Distribution and have an opening line on their CV saying "I am looking for a career in Film Production" or "I am a highly experienced Camera Operator". Right there, their chance of getting that job just evaporated because they could not be bothered to customise your CV. How much better would it have been to say 'I am looking for Distribution Internships'?

this tells us that one of the reasons is to make your CV original and to keep it customised it is vital to have catching, unique titles, sub-headings and opening paragraphs. this differentiates the way most people write their CV and if it does catch the recruiters eye, then you know your'e in for a really good shot!

the second reason is:

Who would you recruit - the guy who says he/she is a 'Development Assistant' and who talks about their relevant information, the skills involved and the specific courses they have 

taken or the dude who mentions not a word of Scripts or Development on their CV?

This tells us how important sticking to relevant information is and how effective it is in including it in your CV. Do not get side-tracked when stating things you have done, have experience in or are looking for. Be straight to the point, then explain those points so it becomes very easy for the recruiter to see exactly what it is you can do, when you've done it and ways in which you can expand in those topics and more.

The 10 Golden rules:

1. Make sure your CV is customised, unique and never use 'General CV' as an option
2. Ensure you do not include any information which is not relevant to your application, including film experiences in a different area of the industry. ie. There will be no credits for an office job!
3. .Make sure to keep repeating the title of the job throughout the CV.
4. Remove your address from your CV as it has no relevance.
5. Ensure that the most important things go at the top of the CV.
6. Think about the recruiter, what they wish to see and deliver it to them.
7. Less is always more- Do not go off on a tangent and waffle on.
8. You are NOT a Producer, Director, Editor or Writer yet- remain humble and give yourself a chance to get there.
9. By keeping the size of the file as small as possible, you reduce the possibility of spam filters.
10. It's important to save your CV file as "Your name - The job title - Company name". ie. "Tom Hanks - Production assistant - Bobs Film Company"

The advice that is given if you want to get your foot onto the first step is to keep on mentioning the term 'Production Runner', still keeping all the information you use relevant and remember, everyone starts from somewhere.

the advice given to those who have no or little experience is to be smart. Use what you have. Research the company, research the type of job it is. Figure out what the recruiter is looking for and make sure your CV keeps giving them the answers. For most entry level roles, attitude is key and the ambition to work in that exact role.

The worst thing you can do when putting together your CV is The worst thing you can write on a CV, is that 'I am looking to experience all aspects of the industry then make my decision on where to focus my career'. Forget it. They want to hire the person who states categorically 'I want to be this...'. That makes your CV standout and lets be honest probably plays to the ego of the recruiter by essentially you saying you want to be like them. 

What this implies about specialising is - lots of Production Companies, Distributors etc do NOT like to see loads of production credits on a CV. This to them is just a diversion for attention and they will think you are just applying to get any old paid job and will leave as soon as something better comes along. So remove them, if they do not support your case that you want to work in distribution or development etc then remove it. Be smart.
Advice given about looking at/ making use of example CV's is Right, don't copy these, they are quick guides nothing more. But should give you a sense of making sure your CV is relevant, repeats the title of the job throughout and is nice and clear. As you will see, they are all very much of a similar type, but that's because it is not rocket science. Research the company, research the role, make your CV relevant and clear.

<< This was the most relevant and useful example CV that i found. I am at the first stage, i have had very little to no experience so it is a good indication as to where you could start, being a runner, and how to use the information from your past jobs to make it more likely for you to get accepted in to that short-listed 5.

The thing that they all had in common was that they all contained relevant information, and  mentioned everything that was needed and they did not go off, talking about something irrelevant. 

Things all successful CV's have in common:

• They all contain relevant information
• They all have The job title repeated within the CV application.
• They do NOT include your address, just your name, the job title and company name.
• They are all humble and readable.
• They are clearly written and only mention what they need.

materials

Materials

Materials in film refers to any physical or digital artefacts used in the production process. This will include resources you have personally generated as well as archive footage and library materials that come in an array of forms e.g.,  sound files, video footage, edits on a black background to chroma key, props and costumes.

Material you have generated can include anything at all : from creating your own sound or video effects to making your own costumes.

how they were made? how they were generated?

Rubbertoe Replicas is a unique company specialising in 100% authentic prop replicas and collectibles from the cult BBC show, Doctor Who.

All our products are hand-made in Wales, by the original prop-makers who have worked (and still do work!) on Doctor Who. Nick Robatto, the founder of Rubbertoe Replicas, has been one of the principal prop-makers for Doctor Who since the programme's re-launch in 2004. Nick set up his own business, Rubbertoe Props, in 2011.  Maintaining strong links with the BBC and Doctor Who, Nick continues to provide the show with many props; most recently he has built the new Tardis console. Penny Howarth, who is on board at Rubbertoe Replicas in-between filming Doctor Who, has also been one of the principle prop makers at Doctor Who for several years.

Archive material - Archive material is old footage used in previous productions from various genres and mediums

Documentary filmmakers often use archive to build and authenticate their narratives.

Example - A recent example of a film which uses archive footage is Senna, a 2010 British documentary directed by Asif Kapadia, that depicts the life and death of the great Brazillian motor - racing champion.

find productions which have found archive footage

explain how it was used

1. In the first Star Trek movie featuring The Next Generation cast, the battle between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire was comprised of recycled footage from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

how it was used?

 Both movies share the same scene where the Klingon Bird of Prey explodes.

2. No better person to star in a film about a cowboy legend with cancer than a cowboy legend with cancer. The Shootist was John Wayne’s last film before he died – and a fitting one at that.

The Ron Howard-narrated opening sequence (yes, Opie is in it) is a montage of the character’s early exploits as a western hero – and what better way to get such exploits than simply using old John Wayne films? Red River, Hondo, Rio Bravo, and El Dorado all show up in this opening scene – now rather bittersweet to watch.

how it was used?

The smart strategy was at work in this case that had earlier salvaged the careers of both Marlene Dietrich and Katherine Hepburn when they too had been rejected by the public. In TRUE GRIT Wayne saved himself by giving a self-mocking performance in which he surrendered every vestige of his dignity, thus proving himself a good sport, surprisingly able to poke fun at his own inflated and now highly politicized image.

Library material refers to 

focus: sound libraries

when a film is complete, the wild tracks of non-dialogue sounds will usually be collated by the production company for use in the future projects.

over many productions a library of sounds and sound effects will be built up.

A large production company, such as the BBC has a vast library of different sounds that can be tweaked and re-used.

These may contain anything from raindrops, creaks, scratches and footsteps.

Library Materials

video libraries:

• The BBC will also have libraries of video materials.
• Collections of different video effects often referred to as action essentials.
• These may include anything from landscape sunsets to traffic on a busy street.

The BBC effects library has long been regarded as the standard library, and we are pleased to be able to offer the commercially released section on compact disc. Everything from cars to aeroplanes, ships to trains. Sounds domestic, urban, rural and international. Over 90% of the effects are recorded direct to digital stereo – many of them using binaural techniques. The rest have been transferred from analogue to digital. Each compact disc is accompanied by a booklet with a comprehensive index for the instant identification of effects.

BBC SOUND LIBRARY- sets of 1-10 £99.00

BBC SOUND LIBRARY DISK 25- Aircraft £4.95

BBC SOUND LIBRARY DISK 14 - Cities £19.95

BBC SOUND LIBRARY Sets of disks 41-50 £39.00

Internet

the internet is one of the newest ways to get copyrighted sound and video effects to your production.

other material libraries which have materials for use in production:

 Boom Library is one of the popular sound libraries which offer packages, great deals and competitive prices.

Case study

Free-sound: 

Freesound.com is a website which offers free sounds from rain, torrential rain, doors slamming, keys footsteps .etc.

how could i use the site to create my own sound library?

By using their free sounds and building up my own sound library from their existing library and using their sounds but improving, tweaking and upgrading them.

Property rights and Copyright (cont'd)

If you ask permission from a person/ company to use their material, anything from sounds, footage etc., then you must be prepared to pay for it as anyone original materials comes at a cost.

A great deal of time is spent refining sounds and the sound designers, Foley artists and effects  editors who invest that time should receive the appropriate remuneration when they're work is used.

The most important thing to remember when using any media related material in your production is to make sure that you have written permission from the owner of the material, and a contract has been signed that evidences this.

piracy equals boredom. The  more piracy carries on, the tighter and safer Hollywood gets and they begin to have more restrictions which protect them.

http://www.doctorwhoprops.com/props.php

http://www.originalstormtrooper.com/e

Clearances

Clearances

source ~ http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/filmmaking/guide/before-you-start/content-clearances

what does clearance mean?

In order to be able to distribute and screen your film in public you'll need to ensure that everything is 'cleared'. This means that you have written permission to use everything that appears in your film. This includes script, brand names, logos and stock footage, images and music.

make sure to get cleared as you go along, often or as soon as you can. you do not want to attempt to get clearance retrospectively once you have shot your film as this can be incredibly inconvenient and cause major delays in the production and screening of your film.

Remember, if you can't obtain a release for anything, use a substitute instead. 

Definition of a film clearance.

What is film clearance?
Film clearance is the process of having access to required permission for all aspects of a film production. 

The necessary clearances can include:

 Sets, actors/extras, music, stock film, art, posters, products/brands, books, broadcasts, computer programs, dramatic works, photographs, etc. 

Several types of clearances may be needed when producing a film. They generally fall under three categories: 

a) Property

b) People

c) Locations.

Film clearance is necessary to avoid liability, acquire E/O insurance, and avoid any general copyright/trademark issues. to successfully broadcast and/ or screen your film, all of the above would be quintessential.

Clearances for showing your film on Film Network

Legal advice on getting the appropriate clearances for your film are:

·   

 .         Products, Logos & Brand Names
·         Clips, Stock Footage, Tapes & Images
·         Font, Text & Designs
·         Famous Works & People
·         Script Clearances
·         Other Resources
·         Related Guides
·         Help us improve the Film-making Guide

If     If however, somebody claims your film breaches their 'copyright' (e.g. you have used them/their identity/their work in some way without their consent, any of their information), it is you, as well as the BBC, who are liable.  If you have breached copyright, at the very least you will not be able to continue to show your film and this leads to a possibility of you being sued.

 Please check that the clearances you have obtained include internet use ('All media' covers internet as well) and should ideally be for use in territories throughout the world, in perpetuity (indefinitely). Broadcasting your film will be a much easier process if all of the fields are clear, organised and checked.

Having all the necessary legal requirements and permissions will mean less time and possibly money wasted trying to organised and gain access to show your film on Film network.

funding requirements

funding requirements

• Equipment
• Materials
• Transport
• Costs
• Crew
• Personal
• Facility hire
• Clearances

Finance crew

Camera and lighting department

• DoP
• Camera operator
• 1st assistant camera 
• 2nd assistant camera
• Clapper/loader
• Gaffer and team
• Key grip and team
• Electricians

Art department

• Production designer
• Art director and team
• Set decorator and team
• Construction co-ordinator and team
• Props master

Production sound department

• Production sound mixer
• Boom operator
• Sound technician

Costume department

• Costume designer and team

Hair and makeup department

• Key hair stylist and team
• Key make-up artist and team

Special effects department

• Special effects supervisor and team/crew

Post production department

• Post- production supervisor
• Editorial team - film editor, colourist etc.

Visual effects department

• Visual effects creative director
• Visual effects supervisor
• Visual effects team

Sound department & music

• Supervising sound editor
• composer
• sound team- sound and dialogue editors, mixers, foley artist

Finance equipment

Essentials for filming

The censor size will increase the cost and it improves the quality of the image.

although there is much better quality in a better camera, there are a range of specific things that make it more costly 

finance equipment
capturing the image-

• camera
• triopd- fluid head
• lighting- 3 point lighting
• slider/ glidecam equipment
• jjb/ crane

Recording sound-

• sound recorder
• mircophone
• boom pole
• windshield

Finance transport

crew-

• minibus
• travel expenses
• coach 

talent-

• taxi
• Share a car 

eqipment-

• equipment van
• minibus

• The BBC and equity ( the actors union) have a television agreement wherein it is stated that an actors minimum engagement fee should be £603

• If the engagement is for one week, this represents 6x work days. each work day being 8 hours in duration (9hours with 1 hour meal break)
• 
  
• If the engagement is for two weeks this represents 5x work days. each work day being 8 hours in duration (9hours with 1 hour meal break).

Finance

A key part of the pre-production process is to asses and analyse the financial viability of the specific proposed production.

Potential sources of finance.

Requirements – expenditure.

Sources of funding

Funding

TV channels,

BBC, ITV and Channel 4 are all supporters of short filmmaking.

Funding may sometimes be direct.

Sometimes funding is “in kind”

Commission (e.g. BBC3 Original shorts, it’s my shout)

Development (e.g. Channel 4 director development programme)

Screening support (e.g. ITV and Odeon anti – bullying shorts)

Competitions (e.g. BBC3 The fear)

Government funding

National:

British Film Institute directly funds feature length projects.

BFI (British film institute) does not fund stand- alone shorts directly.

Regionally

British film institute funding partners:

·        

             Creative England

·         Creative Scotland

·         Film agency for wales

·         northern Ireland screen

·         Film London

Local government funding

London borough film funds (e.g. Wandsworth, Croydon, and Camden)

Private funding

Cinema companies:

·         Odeon

·         Curzon

Media companies:

·         Sony

·         VIRGIN MEDIA

Other:

·         BMW

BECTU stands for broadcasting, entertainment, cinematography and theatre(BECTU) and is a trade union operating in the United Kingdom. 

BECTU represents staff ,contract and freelance workers based primarily in the UK.

BECTU negotiates pay, conditions and contracts with employers.

BECTU advises on recommended rates for crew.

A BECTU crew rate card will typically indicates maximum and minimum rates of pay for 10 hours of work in sociable hours. 

5 crew members, go on bectu then search theirr rates the work out what it will come to as a total

1. camera operator

2.lighting

3.sound

4.dubbing

5.costume designer 

Camera examples with censor sizes and day rates

source ~ http://thecamerahirecompany.com/video-camera-hire-rental/canon-5d-mk-3-body-only/?gclid=Cj0KEQiA2b20BRDj4buduIG-y9EBEiQAhgMGFWRIHHQpwbYKrhxW-lJeBDpGBDm07nDFmqlUeOJ8bkAaAjzR8P8HAQ

 

Day rates-

£118 for the canon legria HF R706
I could use this for approximately for 6-10 days to ensure i have taken enough shots and filmed enough scenes 

xlr sound and not standart sterio jack, as it can lead to distortion 

on board and stand alone