I didn't really make any progress with my goal this week, although I didn't regress either.
As per my suggestions from last week on how I could improve, I did go location scouting with Lisa this week, and I did focus on what the locations would add to the TVC, instead of production considerations. I told her I wanted to keep looking - I don't think the locations we viewed hit the spot - but if I was focused on production I would have accepted the Scout camp, because it would be very very convenient. Although I did what I set out to do in this regard, I still don't feel like I made progress, I just did what was needed.
The other thing I suggested for myself was to ask my team members to help pull together visual and sound references for my treatment presentation. I didn't do this because it didn't really feel appropriate. For one thing, Michael wasn't at the meeting, so I couldn't ask for his help on sound. And for another, the presentation is not for another three weeks anyway, so why should my team be asked to do what is normally the director's job anyway? I was going to ask them because it was suggested in the class outline, but I've decided against it. I think part of Ben's assessment for this project includes pulling together references anyway, so I can always just look at those and compare and adopt.
Next week.... I don't see any opportunities for improving on my goal really, as I won't be collaborating with anyone. We don't have any TVC classes and out of school I will be focusing on my essay so... might be a bit stretched next week as far as finding things to write.
Friday, March 26, 2010
TVC - post 4
Lisa and I went location scouting on Wednesday. I feel a bit sorry for Lisa being my producer; in fact I feel sorry for anyone whenever they are my PM or AD, because I'm generally too ambitious and demanding and the shoot always seems completely unmanageable until the last possible moment.
Anyway, we went down to Blockhouse Bay, to a big park with another big Scout park across the road from it. The first park had quite cool patches of bush in it - Lisa and I took a little track through the densest parts - however the bush was dotted all through with pine trees (ie non-native) and had absolutely no native trees in it. It had native bushes, and tree ferns, but no native trees unfortunately. The Scout camp was almost all native, except for the odd few pine trees, and would have been quite convenient to film in as the undergrowth was mostly cleared away. It also had a great view, which our script calls for - however the view was over a bay, not a forest. All water, no trees. Boo! The other problem was that all trees were pretty small and crappy. They were too young, not enough thick trunks, and there was no undergrowth to film at all. I really want to emphasise the majesty, nobility, timelessness, grandeur and beauty of the native forests, and this one had some beauty but none of the other characteristics. I'm becoming increasingly convinced that we are going to have to film in the Waitakeres, but is this logistically possible??? Our budget is small, and they take a long time to get to, which is a lot of petrol money. Will we be able to park close to where we want to film? And will we be able to find toilets where we want to film? And we will just have to accept that there will be no power. And even more scary, how can we relocate from city to bush (or vice versa) in one ten hour day? The city will be a mission to film in, just because parking is such a pain and so inaccessible.
Anyway, I told poor Lisa that I'm not convinced and I want to keep looking. If we're desperate, we'll go to Blockhouse Bay, but... I really think we can find something better out west.
Anyway, we went down to Blockhouse Bay, to a big park with another big Scout park across the road from it. The first park had quite cool patches of bush in it - Lisa and I took a little track through the densest parts - however the bush was dotted all through with pine trees (ie non-native) and had absolutely no native trees in it. It had native bushes, and tree ferns, but no native trees unfortunately. The Scout camp was almost all native, except for the odd few pine trees, and would have been quite convenient to film in as the undergrowth was mostly cleared away. It also had a great view, which our script calls for - however the view was over a bay, not a forest. All water, no trees. Boo! The other problem was that all trees were pretty small and crappy. They were too young, not enough thick trunks, and there was no undergrowth to film at all. I really want to emphasise the majesty, nobility, timelessness, grandeur and beauty of the native forests, and this one had some beauty but none of the other characteristics. I'm becoming increasingly convinced that we are going to have to film in the Waitakeres, but is this logistically possible??? Our budget is small, and they take a long time to get to, which is a lot of petrol money. Will we be able to park close to where we want to film? And will we be able to find toilets where we want to film? And we will just have to accept that there will be no power. And even more scary, how can we relocate from city to bush (or vice versa) in one ten hour day? The city will be a mission to film in, just because parking is such a pain and so inaccessible.
Anyway, I told poor Lisa that I'm not convinced and I want to keep looking. If we're desperate, we'll go to Blockhouse Bay, but... I really think we can find something better out west.
Monday, March 22, 2010
TVCs - post 3
After classes were finished on Friday I had a rather fantastic brainstorming session with Ben, my DP.
Ben had said in a previous meeting that one of the problems he has had with directors in the past was that he didn't fully understand their vision for the piece; he felt they had simply assumed he would take the same interpretation of the script that they had. Although our brainstorming session was unconventional in a "real-world" professional sense, I think it will probably have a huge contribution to remedying that problem, and when it was done I really felt that we were on the same wave length about how this TVC should shape up.
Basically what we did was se ourselves up in an empty classroom with a white board and drew big messy mind maps on the board. We started with the main ideas and images of the script, and worked our way outwards, writing down all the images, concepts and feelings that we could think of that were linked to these key things, and then from that pulling in all the filmmaking techniques that we could think of that might be able to convey these things. We also discussed how the key ideas and images fitted together structurally, ie what parts constitute the journey, resolution, climax etc, and how the audience should feel at given points.
A lot of the ideas came from me, because I have spent a lot more time thinking about the script than Ben, but he also had some great additions that I had not thought of. The most important thing though was that having the opportunity to explore all of these ideas with me means that when I discuss the shots with Ben he will know the ideas that they come from and he will understand the sensations I am trying to convey, and therefore he will be able to offer up ideas and adjustments that will be strongly relevant to the end goal, instead of feeling confused about why I am doing a particular thing in the first place.
I just wish the soundie could have been involved too! But having had this experience now (and seeing how empowering it is for both me and my collaborator) I will make sure that I can share the same information with the soundie and editor, even if it is in a different way.
Ben had said in a previous meeting that one of the problems he has had with directors in the past was that he didn't fully understand their vision for the piece; he felt they had simply assumed he would take the same interpretation of the script that they had. Although our brainstorming session was unconventional in a "real-world" professional sense, I think it will probably have a huge contribution to remedying that problem, and when it was done I really felt that we were on the same wave length about how this TVC should shape up.
Basically what we did was se ourselves up in an empty classroom with a white board and drew big messy mind maps on the board. We started with the main ideas and images of the script, and worked our way outwards, writing down all the images, concepts and feelings that we could think of that were linked to these key things, and then from that pulling in all the filmmaking techniques that we could think of that might be able to convey these things. We also discussed how the key ideas and images fitted together structurally, ie what parts constitute the journey, resolution, climax etc, and how the audience should feel at given points.
A lot of the ideas came from me, because I have spent a lot more time thinking about the script than Ben, but he also had some great additions that I had not thought of. The most important thing though was that having the opportunity to explore all of these ideas with me means that when I discuss the shots with Ben he will know the ideas that they come from and he will understand the sensations I am trying to convey, and therefore he will be able to offer up ideas and adjustments that will be strongly relevant to the end goal, instead of feeling confused about why I am doing a particular thing in the first place.
I just wish the soundie could have been involved too! But having had this experience now (and seeing how empowering it is for both me and my collaborator) I will make sure that I can share the same information with the soundie and editor, even if it is in a different way.
Professional Practise - Main goal - post 2
Last week I set myself specific tasks to ensure that I would improve on this goal. Those tasks were to meet individually with Lisa and Ben, who are the producer and DP for the upcoming TVC project.
Those meetings were successful in helping me to build my understanding of the boundaries between mine and their roles. In the case of the meeting with Lisa, she and I came to an agreeance on how we thought the producer's role would play out, however we also found that we may need to ask for further clarification from our tutors. In the case of the meeting with Ben, we discussed the issues we have encountered working with other DPs and directors in the past, and each outlined the way we would prefer to work.
Ben and I also had an additional meeting; a brainstorming session to discuss the possibilities of our TVC. There was a point in the meeting where Ben actually pointed out to me, "it's not really your job to worry about that". We were discussing ways of shooting a particular aspect of the commercial, and my suggestion had been based on the assumption that we couldn't do a particular kind of shot. Ben was pointing out that it's not up to me to make assumptions about our technical limitations - I should be saying what I want to achieve with the camera, and it's up to the DP to work out whether we are capable of that thing or not. I should not start out by compromising based on assumptions, but should be ready to compromise just in case. I was really glad that Ben pointed this out. It means that our line of communication is very open at the moment, and by showing me the boundaries it ensures not only that I will step back and respect Ben's role, but also gives me the freedom to focus on the things that are most important in my own role.
As for this week, it is difficult to project specific suggestions for how I might be able to improve on my goal. I may go location scouting with Lisa at some point this week, and according to the TVC class outline I will be having a team meeting with the TVC team on Friday. Possible ways that I could contribute to my goal might be to, a) view locations with an eye only for what they can add to the TVC and allow Lisa to worry about production aspects, instead of my usual constant questioning of production issues, and b) in my team meeting on Friday I should make sure to delegate appropriate tasks to memebers of the team, rather than trying to do everything myself. Specifically, I will be asking team members to help source specific visual and sound references to add to the treatment presentation.
Those meetings were successful in helping me to build my understanding of the boundaries between mine and their roles. In the case of the meeting with Lisa, she and I came to an agreeance on how we thought the producer's role would play out, however we also found that we may need to ask for further clarification from our tutors. In the case of the meeting with Ben, we discussed the issues we have encountered working with other DPs and directors in the past, and each outlined the way we would prefer to work.
Ben and I also had an additional meeting; a brainstorming session to discuss the possibilities of our TVC. There was a point in the meeting where Ben actually pointed out to me, "it's not really your job to worry about that". We were discussing ways of shooting a particular aspect of the commercial, and my suggestion had been based on the assumption that we couldn't do a particular kind of shot. Ben was pointing out that it's not up to me to make assumptions about our technical limitations - I should be saying what I want to achieve with the camera, and it's up to the DP to work out whether we are capable of that thing or not. I should not start out by compromising based on assumptions, but should be ready to compromise just in case. I was really glad that Ben pointed this out. It means that our line of communication is very open at the moment, and by showing me the boundaries it ensures not only that I will step back and respect Ben's role, but also gives me the freedom to focus on the things that are most important in my own role.
As for this week, it is difficult to project specific suggestions for how I might be able to improve on my goal. I may go location scouting with Lisa at some point this week, and according to the TVC class outline I will be having a team meeting with the TVC team on Friday. Possible ways that I could contribute to my goal might be to, a) view locations with an eye only for what they can add to the TVC and allow Lisa to worry about production aspects, instead of my usual constant questioning of production issues, and b) in my team meeting on Friday I should make sure to delegate appropriate tasks to memebers of the team, rather than trying to do everything myself. Specifically, I will be asking team members to help source specific visual and sound references to add to the treatment presentation.
Professional Practise - Secondary goal - post 1
My secondary goal for the week was "Level of listening". Given that I had planned to improve on my main goal by setting up meetings with Lisa and Ben to discuss how they felt their roles should function in the TVC project, I felt that the "level of listening" goal was an appropriate focus on this occasion.
I felt that I was successful in terms of listening to my collaborators this week. I focused on asking them questions, so that I would hear what their thoughts were before talking about my own. I also asked clarifying questions, to make sure I had understood them properly. Blogging for the TVC assessment also helped, as it meant that I spent time thinking about the meetings later, so that the things we discussed were further cemented in my brain by the time spent reflecting.
Apart from the two meetings I have already written about in my TVC posts, I also had a particularly good brainstorming session with Ben, which I will write about in more detail in other posts. In terms of listening, I think I did well; I made sure to note down all of his observations and suggestions along with my own, and I paused and took the time to discuss the suggestions he made that were new to me. When we finished I had a very strong feeling that we are now on the same wave length about the project and much less likely to have misunderstandings than if we had not had the session.
Despite doing well with listening this week, I think this skill will be tested more, and differently, in the future. This time around I only had to test my listening abilities in a one-on-one meeting context, which is comparitively easy compared with either a group meeting or an on-set context, when it will become much more difficult, and at least as important if not more so.
For this week coming, my secondary goal will be punctuality, since I was late for a class last week and don't want that to happen this week. This goal may present a challenge since time management may be somewhat difficult this week, as I have a lot on.
I felt that I was successful in terms of listening to my collaborators this week. I focused on asking them questions, so that I would hear what their thoughts were before talking about my own. I also asked clarifying questions, to make sure I had understood them properly. Blogging for the TVC assessment also helped, as it meant that I spent time thinking about the meetings later, so that the things we discussed were further cemented in my brain by the time spent reflecting.
Apart from the two meetings I have already written about in my TVC posts, I also had a particularly good brainstorming session with Ben, which I will write about in more detail in other posts. In terms of listening, I think I did well; I made sure to note down all of his observations and suggestions along with my own, and I paused and took the time to discuss the suggestions he made that were new to me. When we finished I had a very strong feeling that we are now on the same wave length about the project and much less likely to have misunderstandings than if we had not had the session.
Despite doing well with listening this week, I think this skill will be tested more, and differently, in the future. This time around I only had to test my listening abilities in a one-on-one meeting context, which is comparitively easy compared with either a group meeting or an on-set context, when it will become much more difficult, and at least as important if not more so.
For this week coming, my secondary goal will be punctuality, since I was late for a class last week and don't want that to happen this week. This goal may present a challenge since time management may be somewhat difficult this week, as I have a lot on.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
TVCs - post 2
As per yesterday's post, I had meetings with the producer and DP today.
The meeting with Lisa was a little bit messy, as neither of us really had an answer to the question, "how does the role of producer function on this project?" It didn't help that we had decided to remain in the production office, where one of the other production students insisted on constantly putting in their 2 cents worth, saying that they thought it was stupid that they should have the producer title on this project. Nevertheless, what I got from Lisa was that she felt it was about managing the relationship with the client, and she agreed with me that it is about ensuring that the client gets value for money. As a result of this we talked about having Lisa involved in the treatment presentation; since we don't have a real client, this is about the closest Lisa will be able to come in terms of presenting to and pleasing a client. It's difficult to say exactly how Lisa can be involved with the presentation, given that the items listed to be presented are the concerns of the director rather than the producer, but I suppose we will consult with Sima about this. Apart from the producer's role we also talked about some of the production management aspects. We have decided that wherever possible we will do location scouting together, although time constraints may sometimes separate us. I also told her about my fingers-crossed plan to add a second character to the ad - a young child to represent the future generation for whom we are preserving the native forests. Fortunately for me, Lisa is a pretty chilled out PM who likes a challenge, and she wasn't phased at all by my suggestion. Sima has also said it seems like a good idea, so now it's just a question of whether it will get through the other tutors and the budget, which is only $150 :-( Assuming we're allowed to add the child, we also discussed the fact that our first preference would be to cast an actual mother and child, as the actress will be able to look after her own child between takes, it won't require an extra person (ie another parent) on location, and the child and mother will already be comfortable with one another and resemble one another. Assuming we not allowed to add the child, I have a young actress in mind who is quite beautiful, with a bit of a girl-next-door look, and curly hair. I like the idea of having a curly haired actress, because it makes it very easy to create a natural-looking visual contrast between her city/work persona and her bush/free persona, all in a close-up.
I also met up with Ben this afternoon to talk about roles/collaboration as well. Judging by our conversation this afternoon I think we might actually work well together, which would be a first for me. We do have differences though; for example Ben hates storyboards and doesn't like to work from them. I, on the other hand, have to draw a storyboard before I can write a shot list. If I write a shot list without them I simply don't trust it. I don't really think this will cause a problem though, as Ben's problem with storyboards is that he thinks it's a waste of time trying to make shots and locations look like your pictures. The reason it shouldn't be a problem is that I don't bother trying to make the shots look like the storyboard because I'm a terrible drawer anyway, and the only reason for me having a storyboard is purely to get a sense of how the shots flow together, and I never use it on set.
A problem that Ben identified from his previous DP-director relationships was that he did not fully grasp the director's vision for the piece, and therefore couldn't fully execute or enhance it. He noted that director's seem to assume that the crew takes the same meaning from the script that they do, even though scripts are in fact very open to interpretation. I can recognise this in my experience too, as I have sometimes had suggestions from DPs that I felt did not serve the story or the vision. Therefore Ben's comment is a very useful one, as it is something I can personally remedy by working hard to make sure Ben sees the same things in the script that I do, and therefore we can make sure we are on the same page in terms of deciding how to turn those things into images.
One request that I made of Ben is that if he feels he has something to offer then he should please feel free to jump in and interrupt me, rather than waiting around for me to stop and ask, as I am very likely to plough on ahead with my ideas unless someone pipes up with a better one. Ben said that he would not have realised that I would want to work this way if I hadn't said it, so I'm really glad we set up that meeting.
In terms of the creative side of the work, I'm really looking forward to the day in the future when a device is invented that can read and record thoughts, because I can think far more quickly than I can write. I've spent quite a bit of time analysing everything the script suggests and noting down the various ideas and concepts that come out of it. I also went into the city today, to simultaneously location scout and also see what sights, sounds and sensations I could draw from the place. It was definitely a successful trip in terms of seeing and hearing, but it was a little bit depressing in terms of location scouting, because the most impressive, most beautiful, most appropriate locations were also the ones I know we have no chance of securing. As I stand in the perfect location it's so tempting to wander off into thoughts of, "perhaps we could do it guerilla-style and not worry about permits if we just...", but of course that's impossible within the framework of a Unitec assessment. So I'm still at square one in terms of finding an actual usable location, but I do have an idea of what I want the location to actually do for the TVC.
So now I have long lists of ideas, themes and concepts that come from the script. Tomorrow we have class, so I'm hoping there will be time in that class for me to get together with the rest of the team and brainstorm these ideas with them, to see what kinds of images and sounds and styles come up for them. If you have collaborators you might as well milk them, right?
The meeting with Lisa was a little bit messy, as neither of us really had an answer to the question, "how does the role of producer function on this project?" It didn't help that we had decided to remain in the production office, where one of the other production students insisted on constantly putting in their 2 cents worth, saying that they thought it was stupid that they should have the producer title on this project. Nevertheless, what I got from Lisa was that she felt it was about managing the relationship with the client, and she agreed with me that it is about ensuring that the client gets value for money. As a result of this we talked about having Lisa involved in the treatment presentation; since we don't have a real client, this is about the closest Lisa will be able to come in terms of presenting to and pleasing a client. It's difficult to say exactly how Lisa can be involved with the presentation, given that the items listed to be presented are the concerns of the director rather than the producer, but I suppose we will consult with Sima about this. Apart from the producer's role we also talked about some of the production management aspects. We have decided that wherever possible we will do location scouting together, although time constraints may sometimes separate us. I also told her about my fingers-crossed plan to add a second character to the ad - a young child to represent the future generation for whom we are preserving the native forests. Fortunately for me, Lisa is a pretty chilled out PM who likes a challenge, and she wasn't phased at all by my suggestion. Sima has also said it seems like a good idea, so now it's just a question of whether it will get through the other tutors and the budget, which is only $150 :-( Assuming we're allowed to add the child, we also discussed the fact that our first preference would be to cast an actual mother and child, as the actress will be able to look after her own child between takes, it won't require an extra person (ie another parent) on location, and the child and mother will already be comfortable with one another and resemble one another. Assuming we not allowed to add the child, I have a young actress in mind who is quite beautiful, with a bit of a girl-next-door look, and curly hair. I like the idea of having a curly haired actress, because it makes it very easy to create a natural-looking visual contrast between her city/work persona and her bush/free persona, all in a close-up.
I also met up with Ben this afternoon to talk about roles/collaboration as well. Judging by our conversation this afternoon I think we might actually work well together, which would be a first for me. We do have differences though; for example Ben hates storyboards and doesn't like to work from them. I, on the other hand, have to draw a storyboard before I can write a shot list. If I write a shot list without them I simply don't trust it. I don't really think this will cause a problem though, as Ben's problem with storyboards is that he thinks it's a waste of time trying to make shots and locations look like your pictures. The reason it shouldn't be a problem is that I don't bother trying to make the shots look like the storyboard because I'm a terrible drawer anyway, and the only reason for me having a storyboard is purely to get a sense of how the shots flow together, and I never use it on set.
A problem that Ben identified from his previous DP-director relationships was that he did not fully grasp the director's vision for the piece, and therefore couldn't fully execute or enhance it. He noted that director's seem to assume that the crew takes the same meaning from the script that they do, even though scripts are in fact very open to interpretation. I can recognise this in my experience too, as I have sometimes had suggestions from DPs that I felt did not serve the story or the vision. Therefore Ben's comment is a very useful one, as it is something I can personally remedy by working hard to make sure Ben sees the same things in the script that I do, and therefore we can make sure we are on the same page in terms of deciding how to turn those things into images.
One request that I made of Ben is that if he feels he has something to offer then he should please feel free to jump in and interrupt me, rather than waiting around for me to stop and ask, as I am very likely to plough on ahead with my ideas unless someone pipes up with a better one. Ben said that he would not have realised that I would want to work this way if I hadn't said it, so I'm really glad we set up that meeting.
In terms of the creative side of the work, I'm really looking forward to the day in the future when a device is invented that can read and record thoughts, because I can think far more quickly than I can write. I've spent quite a bit of time analysing everything the script suggests and noting down the various ideas and concepts that come out of it. I also went into the city today, to simultaneously location scout and also see what sights, sounds and sensations I could draw from the place. It was definitely a successful trip in terms of seeing and hearing, but it was a little bit depressing in terms of location scouting, because the most impressive, most beautiful, most appropriate locations were also the ones I know we have no chance of securing. As I stand in the perfect location it's so tempting to wander off into thoughts of, "perhaps we could do it guerilla-style and not worry about permits if we just...", but of course that's impossible within the framework of a Unitec assessment. So I'm still at square one in terms of finding an actual usable location, but I do have an idea of what I want the location to actually do for the TVC.
So now I have long lists of ideas, themes and concepts that come from the script. Tomorrow we have class, so I'm hoping there will be time in that class for me to get together with the rest of the team and brainstorm these ideas with them, to see what kinds of images and sounds and styles come up for them. If you have collaborators you might as well milk them, right?
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
TVCs - post 1
It's already Wednesday. How does time fly by so quickly?!?!
I haven't done as much as I would like to on my TVC work. I have images in my head but have yet to actually express any of them on paper.
In terms of organisational work, I have contacted Lisa (producer) and Ben (DP) to ask whether they are free for meetings tomorrow and am sorting out times as I write. At the moment I purely want to touch base with them and discuss our roles, as per my previous blog post for the professional practise assessment. I'm not prepared enough yet to collaborate properly with them, and I would rather hold off than have messy, confusing discussions that may be a waste of time.
In terms of creative work, I have merely been spending time working out the problems and processes I need to go through in order to explore my options fully, ie listing questions and tasks for myself that will help me create a thorough and effective vision for what I want to achieve. To some people this kind of thing would look like procrastination, but the fact is I am a very systematic, process-focused person, and I need to create these kinds of structures for myself. I can't generate a blissful flow of freeform creativity in a vacuum like some people can, but if I pose lots of questions to myself then I am good at seeing the links between the answers and getting a creative flow from that.
One such question, and the most basic question in a TVC, is 'What is the product? What is being sold?'
Only through asking the question can I realise that I don't know the answer. The ad is titled "Life Cycle", and the end graphic says, "Life Cycle for a Better Brighter Future". But what is this Life Cycle? Unfortunately it's not a question I can answer for myself, as it is not up to the director to decide on the product, so I have emailed Sima about it and work is temporarily on hold.
I haven't done as much as I would like to on my TVC work. I have images in my head but have yet to actually express any of them on paper.
In terms of organisational work, I have contacted Lisa (producer) and Ben (DP) to ask whether they are free for meetings tomorrow and am sorting out times as I write. At the moment I purely want to touch base with them and discuss our roles, as per my previous blog post for the professional practise assessment. I'm not prepared enough yet to collaborate properly with them, and I would rather hold off than have messy, confusing discussions that may be a waste of time.
In terms of creative work, I have merely been spending time working out the problems and processes I need to go through in order to explore my options fully, ie listing questions and tasks for myself that will help me create a thorough and effective vision for what I want to achieve. To some people this kind of thing would look like procrastination, but the fact is I am a very systematic, process-focused person, and I need to create these kinds of structures for myself. I can't generate a blissful flow of freeform creativity in a vacuum like some people can, but if I pose lots of questions to myself then I am good at seeing the links between the answers and getting a creative flow from that.
One such question, and the most basic question in a TVC, is 'What is the product? What is being sold?'
Only through asking the question can I realise that I don't know the answer. The ad is titled "Life Cycle", and the end graphic says, "Life Cycle for a Better Brighter Future". But what is this Life Cycle? Unfortunately it's not a question I can answer for myself, as it is not up to the director to decide on the product, so I have emailed Sima about it and work is temporarily on hold.
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