Unit 28: Task 2

For my corporate advertisement project I will be working with Bede Sixth Form College to help create a promotional video for their college and their sports facilities. I have been asked to use our drone to film some footage of their facilities for them. I have enlisted the help of Kaleb who will be the drone pilot.

There will be many production requirements for this project. It will be a single camera production as we will be using the drone to film it, it will also be silent footage we will capture as the drone has no built in microphone to pick up sound. We will be filming everything at Bede Sixth Form College so this swill be the only location. We will be getting there by bus as it is only a 37 minute bus ride from college. We will be taking the drone from college and returning on the day so there will be no real issues with scheduling, however we are now working on PMP’s so we will need to work everything around the times for those. The audience will need to know what the college has to offer so there will need to be shots of specific things on offer there to help sell the college. They need to know what the sports facilities have to offer if thy bare wanting to study this at the college, so we will need to get great footage to sell it.

In terms of management roles, Kaleb will be the pilot and cinematographer for the shoot and I will be the director for our shoot. This will be to help us to know what we are doing while we work with the people at Bede. In terms of production, Paul, the man in charge of creating the whole promotional video, will be the head honcho and he will be who has the last say on what we film and how it needs to look. In terms of monitoring progress I will be writing a diary that will document the entire production process that we are involved in.

Timing won’t be the most difficult thing in the world to sort out, as it will most likely be a short shoot when we start. It will, however, need to adhere to our schedules with PMP’s, and this could be a challenge as so many are getting made, but I am certain we will be able to make time somewhere to film this. The budget will revolve mainly our travel as there will be no expenses on our side of things aside from this.

Unit 28: Task 1

For centuries companies have been advertising their wares through any medium available, and now in the modern world we see adverts for these kinds of things everywhere. For this task I will be breaking down a promotional video and going over some of the codes and conventions it adheres to. I have chosen to look at the ‘Perspective’ video for Apple.

The style of this video is a simple advertisement of the company, showing and telling the audience the different reasons Apple is a different company to the others. Its main purpose is to give the audience a reason to buy Apple products. It follows the basic codes and conventions of a promotional video for a company, it is made to relay information to the audience about the company, why they are different and what separates their customers from everyone else. There is a calm, peaceful song that plays in the background, giving the audience the feeling of relaxation, a theme that Apple follow with everything they do. It follows on from the rest of Apple’s advertisements and themes by featuring their signature colour, white, and their signature idea of everything being perfect or better than everything else in the market. It doesn’t really give any information about what the company actually does, rather it tells the audience what they are all about, showing them all these great set pieces and implying that this is what you can be a part of at Apple. It also implies a lot of ideas about being different, doing things a different way or thinking outside the box, themes Apple have carried with them from the beginning.

In terms of equipment used, we never actually see any filming equipment, but we see what is being filmed. We see that they used simple yet intricate set pieces for each ‘exhibit’. This shows that they aren’t afraid of making their audience ask questions, wondering what everything means and how they did it. The video has obviously been filmed as a one take shot, or at least a very good fake, and this is a great choice, as it is something that isn’t done very often, and this falls exactly in line with what Apple is all about.
In terms of legal issues, I don’t really see them being a huge deal, there are no people in the video so there is no need to worry about that side of the legal world, however they did make a video that is very similar to a music video by OK Go, who filmed a video that was one long take with different things happening in each moment, with the camera following these things around as they happen. Both videos are extremely similar, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as OK Go are known for great videos, so if you’ve got to copy someone. In terms of privacy, I don’t see any issues with privacy being invaded are compromised with this video as there is nothing that could, what with their being no people in the video.
When it comes to ethical issues, there is one point in the video where it talks about Apple and their products and ideas being used to break down the world’s barriers and bringing people together through them. Apple has always tried to be as progressive and inclusive as possible, and this just proves that. They had the perfect opportunity to show off a new phone or computer but instead they use this time to show that they are trying to be as modern and up to date as possible, bringing people together over their products. There is no mention of religion or gender throughout the video.
When producing this video, Apple will have had a lot to think about. First they will have had to come up with the idea, and this may have taken a while as it is quite a complex video. They will have sat down and discussed possible ideas first, using client liaisons to help themselves understand what people wanted, and looking at previous promotional videos to help them find something they think would work. After this they would write up treatments and work out which idea they wold be using. They would need to write a script, which may have taken a while considering the topics and dialogue used throughout. The things talked about in this video are big topics and it is understandable that this part of production may have taken a while. All while this is going and, and up until the end of production completely, health and safety must be constantly considered. After the script was settled on they would begin looking for somewhere to actually film the video, this may not have taken that long since the video appears to have been shot entirely in a large white warehouse/parking lot type area, all indoors. After they find where they want to film it they would begin hiring equipment for the shot, and scheduling would begin too. After this point it is a simple task of filming it and editing the words over the footage.

Presentation Techniques Through the Ages

A short video about presenting in TV presented by Andrew, Amy and myself.

Presenting Techniques and Inspirations

Presenting Techniques and Inspirations.

One of the main inspirations for the style we used in our presentation videos was WatchMojo and the style of videos they produce. These videos were a huge inspiration to myself and Andrew and we definitely learned a lot from about our presenting style from them. They use a simple but effective model for the top 10 lists they put out. Most videos start out with an introduction, briefly explaining what the following video is about and what to expect from it. They also preface some of their video with a spoiler waning in case the material in the video caries spoilers for a film, TV show or some other media. The videos follow a straight path from beginning to end, starting at the number 10 spot and working their way up to number one. They give a brief description of what each point is and why they think it should be at the spot they’ve given it, before moving on to the next spot. They end each video thanking the audience for watching and advertising their channel in an attempt to get people to subscribe for more. Some of their videos have brought them an air of mediocrity from the general public, saying their videos are boring or unoriginal, often coming across as being lazily thought out and pointless. While this is up for debate, their videos do follow a very same-y structure and it never really changes too much. They also have a number of partner channels on YouTube that are for specific videos and themes, such as Ms. Mojo, which is designed for a more female audience, or MojoPlays, which is a channel dedicated to playing video games and talking about them.

Another influence is the H3H3 Podcast, which is run from the H3H3 YouTube channel. It features the duo Ethan and Hila from the H3H3 channel and usually 2 special guests that changes every week. They sit and chat about current affairs in the YouTube space and make jokes, often getting fans to call in to the show to talk to them and give their opinions on the stories. They are very relaxing and calm, often times being funnier than the regular videos that are uploaded on their channel.

Another podcast that inspires me would be the Rooster Teeth Podcast, which is also run weekly on their respective YouTube channel or their website. They often have the same few people on and rotate some of their guests from other people in the company, and they will just sit and talk about their life and the goings on in the YouTube space.

Another inspiration of mine would be Stephen Fry while he was presenting QI. He was funny in a sort of dry and sarcastic way, which is something I find quite funny. I really liked the way he interacts with his quests and the way he would make jokes about the subjects being discussed. He made the whole show feel a lot more welcoming because everyone in it got on well together.

Presenting Techniques in the 80's

TV Presenting in the 80’s

Phillip Schofield was born on Lancashire in 1962 and at the age of 17 he began working for the BBC as a bookings clerk and tea boy for BBC radio in London where he was for a while the youngest employee. At 19 he moved with his family to New Zealand where he began working in television as the initial presenter of the youth music programme ‘Shazam!’. He spent 2 years there working for Radio Hauraki. He returned to Britain at 23 and became the first in vision continuity presenter for Children’s BBC on weekdays for 2 years from September 1985. This was when he was working as the Broom Cupboard presenter. While he was on this he was vastly different from the way he is now, which makes sense since he was presenting for a children’s show rather than a more adult show like he does now with This Morning. He was softer spoken and friendly, which was a common thing at the time of children’s presenters, compared to modern children’s presenters who are louder and more obnoxious, in my opinion. There were a great many people who did TV presenting in the 80’s, not just Phillip. Andy Crane took over after Phillip on Children’s BBC and he had the role of in-vision continuity. While he was doing this he was in the same pace that Phillip was, nicknamed the ‘Broom Cupboard’ because it was literally a broom cupboard filled with pictures and props. After this he went on to present many different shows and radios before ending up on ‘This Morning’ with co-host Holly Willoughby. One of the most important things to note with this evolution of character is how Phillip has changed wince his time in the broom cupboard. He has gone from being the funny calm and soft spoken children’s presenter to the more real and forward news presenter, while Holly fills in the role of the upbeat softer presenter now. This shows that Phillip has grown with his audience rather than staying the same as he was back in the 80’s and trying to reach the same audience in the modern day. He has grown and changed alongside his audience from that time and is still presenting to the same people, but they are now older as is he. This ability to change and adapt to a more grown up audience is one the main reason people like Phillip, because they have always seen him on TV presenting the things they want to see.

There were many different styles and shows that were used to present in the 80’s, and one of these is the Hart series, notably Take Hart and Hartbeat. These are where the clay character of Morph first came to be. Take Hart actually began in the late 70’s but ran on into the 80’s. The show featured Tony talking to the young audience and teaching them how to create artwork from everyday objects. It also began the idea of using a crane to look down on massive projects. The show was cancelled in 1983 and Tony Hart went on to make Hartbeat, which was much the same thing as Hartbeat but was more popular. The 2 shows featured a small comedy character made from modelling clay called Morph and was later accompanied by  a cream coloured version called Chas, who was badly behaved. The shows both featured the use of art as a way of teaching the children watching life lessons. After the shows both came to end the ideas used in each were picked up by the show Art Attack, which ran for a number of years using the same concept as both of these shows. One thing these shows had in common was a soft spoken presenter, Tony Hart was accompanied by a few other people who acted as either co-hosts or as a form of comedy character to make the children laugh. Another show that was aired later in the 80’s was The Joy of Painting. This was presented by the legendary Bob Ross. Before he was an artist he was a master sergeant in the US military and said that if he ever left he would never raise his voice again, one of the reasons he is so soft spoken in his shows. Bob has sort of become the face of calm and chill, painting ‘happy little trees’ and always being extra kind to any fan of the show he met. He died in 1995 but his legacy has outlived almost every other TV painter. The styles of these shows definitely tried to garner an air of calmness and relaxation, with the hosts being chilled out and calm, wearing casual clothing like shirts and jeans. This can be seen in Tony Hart and Bob Ross wearing this style of outfit, not really trying to wear the popular brands to look flashy or rich. Their tone of voice was calm and soft, again to evoke an air of calmness in the audience as they relax and watch the show, rather than trying to build up any hype or excitement over what they were watching. They sets they used were usually simple and easy to look at, with Bob Ross going as far as to just have his easel and canvas in front of a black background, while Hartbeat was set in what looked like Tony’s greenhouse.

Another type of show aired in the 80’s was Opportunity Knocks hosted initially by Hughie Green, before being taken over by Bob Monkhouse and later Les Dawson. The show was a talent show in which the winners were decided not by a panel of viewers but by a postal vote. The show featured a comical presenter and general feel. The show was targeted at a more adult audience and families. It was seen as one of the first talent shows on TV. There was also the show New Faces which was a similar idea. It was hosted by Derek Hobson, who was also a continuity presenter for ATV in Birmingham. New Faces was later revived for Central 1986 and 1988 and was hosted by the previous winner, Marti Caine. Her signature catchphrase was ‘Press your buttons... NOW!’ Her hosting was loud and in your face, she was a genuine talent show host always attempting to big everything up. The style of these video was largely the same as the style of modern talent shows like ‘X-Factor’ or ‘Americas Got Talent’ with the hoists wearing the flashy expensive suits and dresses, just with different brand names depending of the decade it was being filmed in. the outfits and sets used in these shows were designed to draw in the attention of the target audience, young adults and families.

Another big show during the 80’s was Top of the Pops, a music chart TV show made by the BBC. It showcased up and coming musical groups and was known for showing the full chart list of performers. It first came about in 1964 and formally ended in 2006 except for the yearly Christmas show. It has been hosted by many different people. In 1980 it was hosted by Michael Hurll who was said to have brought a more party atmosphere to the show. The show brought out some new ideas in the 80’s, such as a new section showing short clips of new tracks from the lower end of the top 40, and this continued until 1994. A new feature was introduced around this time, an American music scene hosted by Jonathon King, who helped create the band Genesis. The programme was broadcast live in early editions but was pre-recorded the day before for many years. Top of the Pops has been credited as popularising the music show genre, and with the help of MTV shows, cemented them in popular culture. Their where many different styles that each show had, but the entire purpose of the show was to showcase the popular music of the times, so each episode featured the host wearing an ‘in’ outfit, with many of the big brands of the times being worn. Compared to shows talked about earlier, such as ‘The Joy of Painting’ and ‘Hartbeat’, the sets used in Top of the Pops were far more flashy and loud and in your face. Since they were trying to build an exciting party atmosphere, they would have all kinds of background dancers and lights flashing like they were at a disco. All of these things where done to draw in their target audience of teens and young adult, people in their 20’s and 30’s, who would find all of these things appealing.

The 80’s featured many different kinds of presenting but the one I am looking at the most is the soft spoken, calm and relaxing children’s presenters such as Tony Hart and Bob Ross.

Ufilms Oscars Rundown Analysis

Oscars Rundown Analysis

The Ufilms Oscars Rundown has come to an end and it is time to break down what went well and what went not so well.

What went well?

One of the most obvious things what was done well was the graphics used in the shows. They were slick and sleek and looked like they could have been used for an actual Oscars TV show. These should definitely be used in the future again. Another thing that was done well was the teamwork we had while on set and while filming. Once everything was done and ready to begin production we knew who was doing what and where everyone needed to be. This proved to be a great help while on set for getting things done professionally and on time. There were some things that could be improved like making contingency plans in case people don’t show up for filming. The camera plans and shoot schedules were great too, especially with the inclusion of the slide for the horizontal moving shots we got. This looked great in the edit and proved to be a great idea both in theory and in practice. The presenting from everyone was great too. Although we aren’t actors or presenters, we all tried not to be as awkward as possible and get through everything with a straight face, which we accomplished. The game show episode was especially fun for people in front of the camera as they got really into the role. The set design was another positive point about the shows. The sets we used all looked great and worked really well to compliment each other while still being unique each episode. The game show had a great design with the props used in the background and the tables looked great too.

What went not so well?

There were a few things that could be improved upon in future and will need to be remembered for the next shows we make. One of those things was the communication between team members, especially before we got to set. Some of the team members didn’t know what role they had because they took over from someone else and hadn’t been told, while everyone else got on with their own work. This should definitely be improved in future if we want to create a professional looking show. Another thing that needs to be improved in future is fore-planning with equipment. On one specific shoot the SD cards all became corrupted forcing the team to reshoot the entire show. Again when we used a new bit of equipment to record the audio the wrong SD card was used causing the audio to become out of synch with the video. This was fixed when we re-filmed the show but in future we need to be more careful when using SD cards. The scheduling and uploading of the individual video was great for the most part but some of the video went up a little later than they were supposed to. One of the reasons for this was the SD card problems but sometimes it was the fault of the team member not knowing what they were doing when it came to uploading or scheduling Facebook posts.

What can be done better?

In future we need to be better prepared to deal with situations that cause us to need to reshoot or rerecord any aspect of the film. We also need better communication so that people know what they are supposed to be doing and when. We need to keep a better eye on what is being filmed when too, to avoid people not knowing what they’re doing each day.

Monkey Business - Documentary