Direction Unit: Initial Script Feedback

I handed my script into Simon and I agreed with his feedback that the script was too long and would not fit into the 3 minute frame which we have been set in our brief. I will try and cut it down to 3 pages by getting rid of unnecessary dialog and maybe one of the characters. By getting rid of one of the characters it will make my script shorter but it will also make it easier for me when I come to shoot the scene as I will only have to concentrate on directing 3 characters rather than 4. I will also make sure that I am as descriptive as possible when I re-write the script so that my actresses know exactly what is expected of them.

Narrative and Genre: X Factor Research

From reading through my notes and looking at X Factor I know the genre of the programme is Factual Entertainment and the narrative plot line they use is that of a Quest.

From doing research online I have found a pdf which I think will come in very useful with answering the question http://www.bfi.org.uk/education/conferences/mediastudies2010/x_factor.pdf. I have also found this radio broadcast which I think could be useful http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9280000/9280919.stm. I've also got a few books out of the libary which I will read through and pull some references from.

Narrative and Genre: My chosen programme

I have chosen to use X Factor as my programme for the essay as it has developed alot over the years and I feel there is alot I can talk about regarding narrative and genre. I also think that the narrative and genre tools which X Factor uses would defiantly be influenced by online media transmission because so many people choose to watch it online know instead of sitting down at the correct time to watch it on TV.

Commission Unit: Leaving Home

My idea didn't get commissioned but I have been put in a group with Jane and Lauren. Jane's idea was the one which was commissioned. It is called Leaving Home and focuses on a couple who had to leave their home in South Africa due to the reversal of apartheid. It will show their journey and how the move has changed them as people and how they have coped with starting their lives over again. We will use archived footage and one to one interviews to show the couples point of view remaining objective all of the time to insure their is no racial prejudice.

I haven't worked with Jane and Lauren before and this will be a great opportunity to see if we work well as a team and find out what each others strengths and weaknesses are.

This is our blog for the documentary so we can all share our research easily
http://leaving-home-uca.blogspot.com/

Commission Unit: Final Pitch

To day we had to pitch our ideas to Helen and Simon so that they could then choose which documentaries they thought should get commissioned. 

Millennium Road Pitch

The documentary will focus on 4 generations all living on Victoria Hill Road, how they celebrated the entering of the 21^st century, did any big events happen to them in the past 10 years, what were their goals and aims for the new century and were they achieved. Victoria Hill Road is named after the Victorians and has a joining road called Stuart Close which was named after the Stuarts who came before the Victorians and this is why Stuart Close leads into Victoria Hill.

The style of the documentary will be interview, archived footage and natural observation footage.

I will unravel all of the 4 individual’s stories in order to show how the noughties have changed them.

The 4 generations will be:

A child who was born in 2000 and is now 11 and starting secondary school. What big events have happened in their life?

Someone who is in their mid to late 20’s now and so was a teenager in the 10 years of the noughties. What kind of teenager they were? Do they think the stereotype of teenagers change? Has a teenager’s role in society changed over the 10 years?

Someone who is 40 now so back in the noughties they were 30 and had children? Were they scared about parenthood? How did they deal with it? Do they think parenting techniques changed over the 10 years? What are their ambitions/ plans for their children’s life? Is there more pressure these days to plan and save for your children’s future extremely early?

Someone who is 70 now and so was in their 60’s back in the noughties and retired. What have they done with their new found free time? How have they coped with the constant change in technology?

My opening and linking sequences will be travelling up the road and entering the different houses and I will use music from the era where necessary. At the end of my documentary all of the generations will get together showing that neighbours still exist and even though they are very different ages and lots of different things have happened to them in the last 10 years they can still all relate and respect each other and be friends.

The unique selling point of this programme is the fact that it focuses on people in the noughties and covers a range of different events instead of just focusing on one event which happened in the noughties.

This idea should be commissioned because it is unique and shows the noughties through the eyes of those who lived it.

Narrative and Genre: Choosing a Programme

I've been trying to think of a programme to examine for my essay my initial idea was to do a cosmetic makeover programme like Extreme Makeover or The Swan as the characters in the show go on a voyage and return journey and I think there would be alot to talk about with the narrative and the genre of the show.

With The Swan it is a mixture of 2 genres Voyage and Return and Quest and so I would have alot to talk about with genre.

I have also thought about doing the X Factor as it has changed so much over the years and has become alot more about the narrative then the actual talent.

Direction Unit: Initial Script

INT.TRUDY'S KITCHEN

               TRUDY a TIRED SCRUFFY looking mother and KATIE a SMARTLY
               dressed doctor walk through to join SIOBHAN a WELL DRESSED,
               WELL GROOMED LAWYER who is sitting at the LARGE dinning table
               drinking wine. JESSICA a TRENDY CASUALLY dressed events
               planner walks over from pouring drinks, greets Katie and sits
               down.

                                   JESSICA
                         You see married men are a no
                         brainer their bedroom changed,
                         their low maintenance and you've
                         got a ready made excite strategy.
                         No mess, no fuss. Hi

                                   KATIE
                         Hi

                                   SIOBHAN
                         Except sometimes the wives catch
                         you.

                                   TRUDY
                         Well isn't that the whole point?

                                   JESSICA
                         No the point was to shag him in the
                         top 3 Parisian bridal suites at our
                         client's expence.

                                   SIOBHAN
                         God I want your life Jess

                                   TRUDY
                         How can you say that. Harry's the
                         loveliest man in the world.

                                   SIOBHAN
                         Alright I'd only want her sex life.
                         And your kids.

                                   TRUDY
                         Ahh. Well at least your in love.

                                   KATIE
                         Put together you'd make one
                         perfectly satisfied individual.

                                   JESSICA
                         No I'm satisfied with sex.

                                   TRUDY
                         Jess you don't die if you don't get
                         your leg over.

                                   JESSICA
                         Clearly I would have buried you
                         years ago.

                                   KATIE
                         No fighting

                                   SIOBHAN
                         Ok. Katie multiple choice sex, love
                         or kids?

                                   KATIE
                         What can I only have one? Ummm.
                         Love

                                   TRUDY
                         I think someone asked me out today

                                   KATIE
                         Really

                                   JESSICA
                         Oh yeah

                                   SIOBHAN
                         Hello

                                   TRUDY
                         He's a new dad at school and I
                         think he's just got divorced and we
                         got chatting at the supermarket and
                         he said that we should go for a
                         coffee and I went "errrmmm errrmm"

                                   JESSICA
                         Hang on a minute he asked you out
                         for a coffee in Sainsbury's?

                                   TRUDY
                         No. In Tesco actually and well I'm
                         not really sure he was asking me
                         out.

                                   SIOBHAN
                         What did he say? Exact words

                                   TRUDY
                         Do you fancy going for a coffee?

                                   SIOBHAN
                         He said fancy?

                                   TRUDY
                         I think so

                                   SIOBHAN
                         If he said that he was asking you
                         out

                                   TRUDY
                         Oh no maybe he said won't

                                   SIOBHAN
                         Well that's different. That's more
                         tricky to interpret.

                                   JESSICA

               Stands up and takes an empty bottle of wine and puts it on
               the side.
                         You see this is exactly why I
                         switched from English to modern
                         languages

                                   TRUDY
                         Sorry do we want to talk about your
                         sex life some more?

                                   SIOBHAN
                         Come on women think. We've been
                         waiting 6 years for this. Want? Or
                         fancy?

               Jessica picks up a letter, with a cheque for £2,000,000
               attached to it,from the side and reads it. Then looks at
               Trudy.

                                   TRUDY
                         Fancy

                                   SIOBHAN
                         He was asking you out

                                   TRUDY
                         Really

                                   JESSICA

               Walks back to the table and shows Trudy the letter she has
               found.
                         Trud. When did this come?

               Siobhan takes the letter and reads it

                                   TRUDY
                         It came this morning

                                   SIOBHAN
                         So you've scored a million and
                         pulled on the same day

               Siobhan passes the letter to Katie. She studies it for a
               while.



               INT. TRUDY'S HALL WAY

               Trudy sees Jessica and Siobhan out of the door.

                                   JESSICA
                         See ya Trude



               INT. TRUDY'S KITCHEN

               Katie is standing up still looking at the cheque. Trudy is
               clearing the table.

                                   KATIE
                         Why haven't you paid it in yet?

                                   TRUDY
                         Guilt. I know everything is
                         screaming at me to move on the
                         girls are both at school finally
                         settled for money and someone's
                         even asked me out after 6 years. I
                         mean someone I quite like. I mean
                         how can I move one? I still don't
                         know what happened to Paul. I mean
                         what if he is still out there.

                                   KATIE
                         No he's not out there

                                   TRUDY
                         There's phone calls

                                   KATIE
                         Police traced them

                                   TRUDY
                         But they were from public places

                                   KATIE
                         Thousands of people died in the
                         towers Trudy where else would he be

                                   TRUDY
                         Well maybe he lost his memory

                                   KATIE
                         Then he wouldn't be calling you
                         from pizza restaurants and cab
                         firms would he?

                                   TRUDY
                         You don't understand what it's like
                         not being able to say goodbye to
                         him properly ...

                                   KATIE
                         ... It's been 6 years Trudy let it
                         go for christ sake. I'm sorry

                                   TRUDY
                         Katie. Is everything alright?

                                   KATIE
                         I've been having an affair

                                   TRUDY
                         What?

                                   KATIE
                         For 2 years he was married. He was
                         going to leave his wife but he got
                         ill and he died last week. John's
                         funeral was this morning.

                                   TRUDY
                         Oh my god. Why didn't you tell me?

                                   KATIE
                         I couldn't. I wanted to loads of
                         times and oh god I know it sounds
                         completely mad but I just couldn't

                                   TRUDY
                         Why not?

                                   KATIE
                         Because he was my patient and
                         because you would have told me to
                         stop

Commission: My Draft Pitch

Draft Pitch

Title

Victoria Hill in the Noughties

Millennium Street

Victoria Hill in the Millennium

The Millennium on Victoria Hill

Pitch

The documentary will focus on 4 generations all living on Victoria Hill Road, how they celebrated the entering of the 21^st century, what were their goals and aims for the new century and were they achieved and did any big events happen to them in the past 10 years. The style of the documentary will be interview, archived footage and natural observation footage. There will be a child who was born in 2000 and is now 11 and starting secondary school, someone who is in their mid to late 20’s now and so was a teenager in the 10 years of the noughties, someone who is 40 now so back in the noughties they where 30 and had children and someone who is 70 now and so was in their 60’s back in the noughties and retired. I will unravel all of these 4 individuals’ stories in order to find out how the noughties changed them. My opening and linking sequences will be travelling up the road and entering the different houses. At the end of my documentary all of the generations will get together showing that neighbours still exist and even though they are very different ages and lots of different things have happened to the in the last 10 years they can still all relate and respect each other and be friends.

Direction Unit: Opening Titles

After a long discussion we finally came up with a title and the idea for a title sequence which we all liked and agreed upon. The title we have chosen is "Directors 13" and if you click on this link http://daniel-baugh.blogspot.com/2011/09/direction-unit-series-titles.html it will take you to Dan's blog where you can see the final title sequence which he has put together for the group.

Direction Unit: Performance Workshop

To day we had to take it in turns directing performers to create drama in a scene but at the same time we had to think of what camera angles we would be using to capture the drama as well.

Here is what I came up with.

I was pleased with how I directed my performers but I was disappointed with shots that I chose as they were not framed or as close up as I would have wanted but from doing this project i have learnt that I need to concentrate on all aspects of creating drama as with this task I was to busy thinking about my performance.

Narrative and Genre: The Story of Narrative

Every drama, documentary, news and reality show have a story to communicate their point.
Christopher Booker argues that all stories can be split into 7 plot lines and all stories are versions of these. They are:

• Tragedy
• Comedy
• Overcoming the monster
• Voyage and the Return
• Quest
• Rags to Riches
• Rebirth

Tragedy

This plot usually concerns a hero with a fatal flaw, which causes a tragic ending.

• Romeo and Juliet
• The Godfather
• Madmen

Comedy

This is not necessarily laugh-out-loud funny but there is always a happy ending typically of romantic fulfilment. Will usually have a hero, down on their luck and looking for love in some shape or form. There will be a hero and a heroine destined to get together, but dark forces prevent them doing so. Normally there is a guiding light to help them on their way.

• Take Me Out
• Friends
• Scrubs
• Gavin and Stacey

Overcoming the Monster

Fighting against a seemingly unbeatable foe at its core. Only will the hero prevail if they can overcome this monster.

• Jaws
• Deal or No Deal
• Doctor Who
• Detective Programmes

Voyage and Return

This plot line follows the archetypal structure of personal development through leaving and then returning. The hero enters a land/place/time that they don't understand and must overcome.

• Alice in Wonderland
• Wife Swap
• Big
• Freaky Friday
• Undercover Boss

Quest

Was always about finding a holy grail. Usually requires the lone hero to have a team or companions with specialist skills. Quite often the object of the quest isn't actually something dramatic - a macguffin.

• Lord of the Rings - the ring
• Pulp Fiction - the suitcase
• Moby Dick
• X Factor
• Total Wipeout

Rags to Riches

The riches in question can be literal or metaphorical. Usually there is a hero who goes from rags to riches and a villain who does the opposite. With a coming of age story the rags and riches are maturity and immaturity.

• Stand By Me
• Pursuit of Happiness
• Only Fools and Horses
• Weakest Link
• Makeover programmes

Re-Birth

The central character finds a new reason for living and turns their life around. Villain spirals down into evil and then at the last second raises their head and gets pulled out of mire by some redeeming figure.

• Eastenders
• Secret Millionaire
• Kitchen Nightmare

Commission Unit: My Ideas

Today we had tutorials with Helen to see where we were with our commission project and what ideas we had come up with. The 3 ideas I pitched to her were:

1. What happened to different generations in the noughties?
2. What happened to different couples in the noughties?
3. How has reality television changed throughout the noughties? Why is there so many reality dramas around now such as The Hills and The Only Way is Essex?

With the third idea I wasn't sure on what the story could be so I sort of discarded it to concentrate on the other two. Helen liked these other two and she helped me to get my ideas flowing about how these people could be linked, what there story could be and what ages they could be.

For both of them I thought I could base it on a street and visit 3 different houses and talked to a different generation/couples in each household to find out what happened to them in the noughties.

Generations                                               Couples
10                                                               Married
30                                                               Divorced  
50                                                               Widowed
or                                                                or
Born                                                           Married in 2000 and where are they now
20
40
60

Commission Unit: What happened in the Noughties

Noughtie's

September 11^th 2001 – terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centers in New York

2003 the Iraq war began

Earth quakes

Tsunamis

Hurricanes

Fuel prices went up

The price of the euro went up 

Some of the most popular and successful online sites or search engines of the 2000s included:Google, Yahoo!, Wikipedia, Amazon, eBay, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. Mobile phone convergance - camera, radio, internet, emails, sms, etc

Same sex marriages made legal

Swine flu

Rise in reality drama tv shows – The Only Way is Essex, Laguna Beach, The Hills, etc

Rise in reality competition shows – Strictly Come Dancing, X Factor, The Voice etc

Change in technology

·        Computers

·        Game consoles

·        Mobile phones

·        Cars

·        Televisions

·        Internet

Change in fashion

·        Uggs

·        Crocs

·        Skinny jeans

Initial Ideas

What the noughties involved for different generations?

What happened to different couples in the noughties?

Why programmes like the Hills and Laguna Beach have become so popular?

Why is there so many interactive reality competition shows around now? 

Commission Unit: Things to consider when coming up with an idea

When coming up with ideas I will have to think about:

• The time scale we have to shoot and the amount of time we have to fill in the channels schedule - will the idea be interesting and exciting enough for a 10 minute documentary and would you have enough time to shoot it.
• Size and skill of my production team
• Camera and kit accessibility
• Be original - what is the unique selling point of the idea
• Accessibility - are the locations, characters and information you need accessible
• Who is your audience
• What is your budget - can you afford to do your idea
• What are the facts
• What are your commissioning details - what does the channel want
• Locations - where can you film, is it easily accessable, do you need permision
• Branding - what programmes does the channel already show and will your idea fit in with the channels style
• Legal Constraints - can you actually film your idea
• Treatment/ style of your idea - how are you going to film your idea 

Commission Unit: Yesterday Research

I have began researching the UKTV History channel Yesterday so that I can get an understanding the branding of the channel and the kind of documentaries are shown on it so that I can begin to think of an idea for a 10 minute documentary which will fit into 7:30 slot on this channel.

The channel has a mixture of factorial documentaries such as The Beatles: From Liverpool to San Francisco and Hitler's Bodyguard and programmes originally shown on terrestrial television for example Top of the Pops 2 and Antiques Roadshow.

I need to try and come up with an idea which fits in with the channels branding.

Direction Unit: I've Changed My Idea

From talking in class about everybodys ideas today I have realised that my initial ideas would turn the drama into a comical parody and that's not what I want to achieve. This project is about taking a drama and directing it in your own way so I need to make sure that I still keep the drama in the scene.I've decided to keep the scene as 4 women and have the scene set around a dinner party.

I have found a scene which I believe represents the whole series well and I have already thought of many ways I can turn the scene into my own by directing it differently but keeping the drama at the forefront.

This is the whole episode I couldn't find a clip and downloading it and editing it to the scene I wanted myself was proving difficult. The scene I am concentrating on is at 11mins to 15:19mins which I know is more then our briefed 3 minutes so I'm going to have to figure out a way of cutting it down so it still flows but still portrays the series and still contains lots of drama.

Commision Unit: What's Involved

One of our other units for this term is the Commission Unit for this we will each have to come up with an original idea for a 10 minute documentary which could be shown on the UKTV channel Yesterday at 7:30pm. We will each have to pitch our own ideas and then 4 will be selected and we will have to work as a team to create the documentary.

What goes into a documentary:

• Strong main characters
• Narrator
• Archive footage
• Facts and figures
• Pictures
• Experts

I need to consider all of these aspects when coming up with my ideas to amke sure they are something I can actually create with the budget, time scale and skills I have avaliable to me.

Direction Unit: Mistresses Research

Today I began researching Mistresses more in depth and here's what I found:

Tag line: Drama series about four female friends' marital and extramarital relationships.

3 series were produced with 6 weekly episodes each year between 2008 and 2010

Each episode was 60 minutes long

The show was broadcasted on BBC One and BBC HD

The series was mostly filmed in Bristol

It was created by SJ Clarkson and Lowri Glain

It was written by Rachel Pole, Richard Warlow, Harriet Braun and Catrin Clarke

It was directed by – SJ Clarkson, Philip John and Peter Hoar

It has now been broadcasted in 15 other countries

The 4 main characters are all very different and have very different careers but are all linked by their strong friendship but also by adultery and a web of lies.

The 4 Main Characters

Katie Roden – Doctor

Siobhan Dhillon – Mum and Lawyer

Trudi Malloy – Mum and Baker

Jessica Fraser – Events Organiser

Each of the characters have a few affairs throughout the series and they all fall out at some point but their friendship is too strong and important to stay apart for too long.

Narrative and Genre: The Genre of Telling a Story

Genre can be described as a set of particular conventions or rules that present a particular story in a particular way. The idea being that a viewer watching "X" genre will expect to recognise the story.

The Different Genres

• Action
• Adventure
• Detective
• Fantasy
• Film Noir
• Horror
• Musical
• Romantic Comedy
• Sci-Fi
• Thriller
• Western

The rules of the different genres are there to be followed because history and experience say they work.

Narrative and Genre: What's Involved

For this unit we will have to pick a television production and write a 2500 word essay identifying and examing the use of genre and narrative tools and how online or portable media transmission would affect these tools.

Theres so many programmes to choose from, I could either use a fictional show such as The Office or Eastenders or a factual programme such as Superfat vs SuperSkinny or Extreme Makeover, I could also use Mistresses the same programme I am using for my Direction Unit as this will link the 2 units and I will be able to use the same research for both. I will have a think and decide what programme I think I will be able to get the most out of in terms of understanding the narrative and genre and then be able to put that knowledge in to a 2500 word essay.

Direction Unit: Lighting Workshop

Today we had a workshop on lighting. We learnt how to light a scene properly to create a certain mood and help tell the story. We had to get into groups and practice with the lights to light a natural, expressive and experimental portrait as well as lighting a hero and a villain.

This is what we came up with.

Direction Unit: Director workshop

Today we had a workshop on directing a crew. We had to get into groups and take it in turns to direct each other, we were all given the same scene which we had to film in our own style. The scene was:

Two strangers meet at what is a clearly pre-arranged time and place. After a brief acknowledgement of each other, a written message is quietly passed from person A to person. Person A then walks away, leaving person B to discover the contents of the message.

I decided to make the story very simple and try and use a variety of shots to tell the story.