Scenario: Your production company has been commissioned to create a 9 minute short film for the Royal Television Student Media Awards.
THE RTS STUDENT MEDIA AWARDS
Royal Television Society's Young People's Media Festival
- Royal Television Society's Young People's Media Festival is for students between the ages of 14 and 19 who have a passion for media.
- See their work shown on a big cinema screen
- See work produced by other young people
- Have their work seen by media professionals who work in the industry
- Have the opportunity to meet other young people who also have a passion for filmmaking
- The most outstanding work will be recognised and may even be awarded a Royal Television
- Society Certificate - something industry professionals dream of!
The Senior Festival has the following categories...
Factual
- Documentary style programme making, investigative and topical.
Drama
- Drama production based on an original idea or an adaptation.
Entertainment
- Animation, promotional, music or studio-based news type programme.
- We are going to join forces…
- Media students our directors, writers, camera operators, boom operators
- Will merge with our drama and performance students.
- Actors – dancers, script writers, stage directors.
- You will assign roles* we do have 1st year students here this afternoon who may at this stage of the year have limited experience with filming and editing but all is welcome and everyone's skills will be utilized.
All submitted entries will be judged by industry professionals using the following criteria...
Originality
- The unexpected, something we haven't seen before, a subject explored in a new and different way.
Script
- A great story, not just using words but pictures and sound too - this was a key criteria applied to all entries.
Target audience
- An awareness of who will be watching the finished work and how effectively that audience will be engaged and kept interested.
Use of resources
- The effective use of competent handling of all the available tools, from camera kits, sound equipment and editing software to graphics, voiceover and music.
Creativity
- The ability to use those resources to come up with something innovative, exciting and new.
Professionalism
- The quality of the finished work, not just the technical production values but the overall approach, attitude and commitment demonstrated in the finished work.
L.O. - Understand the requirements of working to the brief
1) Who is the client in this brief?
Royal Television Society, a British-based educational charity. According to their website, “the RTS embraces all aspects of television, and is open to anyone with an interest in the medium.” This serves as an opportunity for us Media students and those aspiring for a role in the industry, as it is an ideal platform in getting a project out there and your name recognized.
2) What type of brief is this?
An informal one, since we have been asked by request and no formal document has been signed as a form of contract. As Media students we must take into consideration our own precautions, be it paperwork or permission slips, whether it concerns consent or shooting locations. We are under no legal obligation; however, as it is part of our coursework to complete by the end of our term, it is vital we do so as it can lead to a better overall grade. This will also serve as a testament to our discipline when working with other individuals on set and from different areas of work.
3) What is their intention?
RTS intend to showcase our short film as part of Young People’s Media Festival. This event is, as aforementioned, an opportunity for us Media students (as well as drama students) to showcase our skills in production, editing, among other key areas critical in the developing of a film project.
4) Who is the target audience and why?
The 14 and 19 year demographic, as this project is being done by students of similar ages. Furthermore, the short film is of the horror genre, which notoriously goes over well with the teenage target audience. For example, Horror Movie Research by Alex Gilbey offers statistical analysis on the topic, proving that young people are the largest majority that view such films.
5) Outline what you have been specifically asked to do?
To produce a short film for RTS that will in turn be exhibited at their festival, as part of our BTEC Media (Level 3). As previously noted, we are not legally obliged to complete this task because of the nature of our brief; nevertheless, we are compelled to do so, since this is apart of our coursework and will affect our end of year grade. The plan is to pre-produce, produce and post-produce a 9 minute short film, and it can be about anything we want. We are being left entirely to our own devices, as well as form plans for meetings, create storyboards, map out a script and sort shooting locations.
6) How do you begin to approach this topic?
By being given our prefered roles and sorted into appropriate groups. We were predetermined our groups and roles by our lecturers, our roles based off of two preferences we had beforehand. For example, I prefered either being a cameraman or an editor. Ultimately, I was made a cameraman and placed in a group with individuals with other roles and preferences. This works out well enough and in the end has resulted in a rather tight teamwork effort.
7) Outline your initial ideas?
We (media students) had no initial ideas of our own, only waiting on the drama student’s script. The script to our film, entitled Dark Days, follows a detective and his partner on a job involving a possessed killer. They enlist the help of a priest in an effort to exorcise the demon inside the man. This is the script and story will plan on filming.
Preparation
The following screenshot shows our Media group chat and the initial plans and ideas discussed for the film; however, developments were made and changes occured due to circumstances, as well as poor set design and timing.
Planning is a step-by-step process that needs thought and consideration. Remember that you are not working for yourself and that you need to consider and respond to the client’s needs at all times. Here are some of the key factors you will need to remember. You have been provided with some questions to help you with your planning; now use the brief above to work through these questions and start planning your response to your client.
Plan to meet the requirements of the client throughout:
- What are the client’s needs? The production and completion of a short film for the Young People’s Media Festival, where student awards will be decided on whose film is the best.
- What are they asking you to do? To create a short film as part of the Royal Television Student Media Awards.
- How can you meet their needs? By appropriating production and ensuring all members of the crew fulfill their purposes.
Health and safety
These questions should be addressed prior to production:
- At what stage will you have to consider health and safety issues? Pre-production, more specifically when it comes to scouting locations for film shooting.
- Who will you need to consider? Everyone in the crew; actors, production crew, as well as of the local populace.
- How will you ensure health and safety standards are adhered to? By putting in place the necessary precautions and ensuring location areas are scouted properly, in order for these places to be safe to shoot in.
Relevant legislation
Make sure you investigate relevant legislation and arrange to fulfil its requirements prior to production:
- What legislation is relevant to the product you plan to make for your client? Shooting permits for filming, consent forms, health and safety procedures etc.
- How can you source and investigate the relevant legislation? We can use the links provided to safety and regulations of Ofcom and ASA, in order to source relevant regulation.
- How do you propose to work within this legislation in order to meet the client’s needs? Ensure the product is appropriately regulated so that our clients may need not concern themselves with the ethics of the production process, as well as reassure them this was done in a humane way and no risks were necessary.
Team members and their roles
Everybody should know what they are required to do and when; they need to be consistent and reliable at all times:
- Who are the team members? Matthew, Mattie, Kevin, Lucy, Kieran, Luke and Harry.
- What roles need to be undertaken throughout the production? The role of director, scriptwriter, editor, cameraman, actor as well as lighting and other production values.
- How will you decide who is best suited to which role? These roles were recommend by ourselves and were appropriated by the course lecturer.
- What roles have been allocated to whom? Matthew = cameraman, Keiran = director, Mattie = assistant director/actor, Luke & Harry = actors/scriptwriters, Lucy = lights & set.
Working practices
These are professional, legal and ethical issues:
- What professional working practices will you need to consider? Being civil with the cast and crew, as well as to our course lecturers and any pedestrians. We must also all meet production deadlines in order to carry on with the work and ensure we can all move on to the next task.
- What legal issues will you need to look into? Issues of locations for shooting, needing permits as well as consent forms for cast and crew. However, given the nature of our informal brief, we have little need for consent forms.
- Are there any possible ethical issues that may arise from your proposed production? The subject of the film could be sensitive, as themes of religion and the supernatural surround it. We must appropriately survey the script and ensure nothing too sensitive slips or some unnecessary controversy is brought about it. Given the mock ending, some may be offended or relieved as the production was not taken seriously.
- Where will you find information on these issues? From links provided by ASA as well as Ofcom ruling, as well as example incidents in order to prevent potential ethical issues.
- How will you resolve any issues you may come into contact with? Clear location of shooting of potential safety hazards, ensure cast and crew are safe from elements such as hasslers or the locals of wherever we may shoot.
CONSTRAINTS
Legal Constraints - in the context of this unit the most important legal constraint is the contract between you and your client. This means that you are legally obliged to deliver the product to your client on time and within the budget. - In our case this rings true as part of our assignment and course, as we are required to complete these tasks in order to attain a grade of at least a Pass. In terms of legality of the product, we must ensure that aspects of production is regulated and review the script.
Ethical Constraints - you cannot do, say or produce whatever you want without considering the impact on both your audience, any contributors or participants, and, of course, your client. - Having considered these, we believe our product is safe for viewing as well as safe for the cast and crew participating.
Regulatory Constraints - these are rules or codes of practice that are set down by governing bodies such as the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) or Ofcom, for example The Broadcasting Code. - Standards and practices have been taken into account and reviewed in accordance to our finished product.
Summary of Ofcom's ruling: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/apr/03/russell-brand-jonathan-ross-bbc-fine
Transcript of phonecall: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/3274807/Transcript-Russell-Brand-and-Jonathan-Ross-prank-call-to-Andrew-Sachs.html
Advertising Standards Authority - Top 10 Most Complained About Ads of 2015
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