Character Shots

Before we started filming, we arranged a dress rehearsal and a run-through of the storyline with the actors. As the 2 main male characters are 'chavs', we typically dressed them in tracksuit bottoms, hoodys, trainers and hats. We found that the actors quickly got in to character and were happy to pose for the camera!

 Cameron Stead as 'Taz'

Ryan Jones as 'Griff'

Filming setback

Unfortunatly, we had to put filming on hold as I have been ill with tonsilitus. I am now fully recovered and already we have over half of the filming completed! We have also had trouble with weather conditions, which has effected our filming plan.

Marketing and Distribution

I found this article in a local newspaper, advertising a new soap and how the community is excited about the new show. It is a better idea to advertise in a smaller, local paper rather than a national brand like The Sun or Daily Mail, as it is less relevant to these peoples as the majority of them are not Welsh. If I was to advertise my own soap opera, I would advertise in local newspapers that are more relevant to my target audience, such as The Gazette, The Echo and The Diary. I am hoping to create my own newspaper article on the launch of 'The Vale'.

Storyboard

This is our Storyboard for our soap opera trailer;

Shot List

This is the shot list;

Script

This is the script for our soap trailer The Vale;

Character List

Alcoholic Teacher - Mrs Goodfellow (Mrs Slater)
Daughter/Pregnant Teen - Vicky Davies (Beca Smith)
Drug User - Griff
Drug Dealer - Taz

We have chosen to use the names Griff and Taz for our drug dealers to conform to the conventions of a typical 'Chav'. These are sterotypical 'Chav' names because they do not usually use their first name, but a surname or a nickname.

500 Days of Summer Script Example

I have researched a number of existing scripts on the internet so that me and Beca can make our script as realistic as could be. I have come across the 500 Days of Summer script and have copied and pasted a section.

INT DINER - AS BEFORE
          
                              SUMMER
                    This thing. This whatever it is.
                    You and me. Do you think this is
                    normal?
          
                              TOM
                    I don't know. Who cares about
                    normal?! I'm happy. Aren't you
                    happy?
          
                                                          9.
          
          
          
                              SUMMER
                    You're happy?
          
                              TOM
                    You're not?
          
                              SUMMER
                    All we do is argue!
          
                              TOM
                    That is such a lie!
          
          
          INT TOM'S PLACE - AS BEFORE
          
                              RACHEL
                    Maybe she was just in a bad mood.
          
                              PAUL
                    A hormonal thing.
          
                                 RACHEL
                    P.M.S.?
          
                              TOM
                        (to Rachel)
                    What do you know about PMS?
          
                              RACHEL
                    More than you.
          
                                 TOM
                    Oh my god.
          
                              MCKENZIE
                    Please continue.
          

Location Shots

Beca and I have visited our locations that we will use to fill. These include Pencoed Comprehensive, Pencoed Chemist, Bathroom and Llanharan skate park. Here are the location shots;

Llanharan Skate Park

Pencoed Comprehensive School

E4

We have chosen to use the channel e4 to document our trailer on. E4 is a British digital television channel launched as a pay tv companion to Channel 4. The E stands for entertainment and the 4 is aimed at the age group the channel is aimed at, aged 15-35. Programmes on this channel include The Inbetweeners, Skins, One Tree Hill, Hollyoaks, Made in Chelsea etc. We have decided to use E4 as it is popular for our genre of film and it fits in well with the storylines we will be using, such as drugs, teen pregnancy, teen sex etc which is often shown in Skins and Misfits.

Copyright free music

I have been researching free copyright music on the internet and came across this website. Beca has been playing around on Garageband to create a possible song for us to use in our video.

Here is the link to the website;
http://freemusicarchive.org/

We would like to use existing artists music but as that is not currently possible due to copyright, we will continue to create our own music on Garageband.

Ideal Songs;

                                              Ed Sheeran - Small Bump

                                             Dizzee Rascal - Bonkers

Waterloo Road Alcoholic Teacher

This is a trailer of waterloo road series 8 where there is a new character who is an alcoholic teacher. It is important that me and Beca watch this series of Waterloo Road so we can pick up the characteristics of an alcoholic teacher to feature in our own trailer.

This Life Trailer

Beca and I have been looking through youtube at previous A2 Media Studies videos and this is our favourite. We have decided to re-create some of the scenes in this video such as themes of pregnancy, breaking into houses, drug dealing and the 360 camera turn. In particular, we found that the 360 degree camera turn was very effective and we hadn't seen that done before.

Eastenders Trailer

I have been researching a number of existing trailers on youtube. In particular, I like the eastenders trailers because they create their own mini film which is unrealistic but the viewers know what their trying to interpretrate. In this video in particular, they are showing Max Brannings affair with his sons wife. The tag line that is used is 'He's made his bed but will he lie in it? It is judgement day for Max'. The scenes show a prison where Bradley (Max's son) is a prison officer and Stacey (Bradleys wife) is a maid. This video is very interesting and it draws the viewers in to encourage them to watch the episodes.

Job Roles

This week Beca and I have been finalising the storylines and choosing music. We have been viewing existing trailers for inspiration and this has helped greatly! We have also decided the job roles for the filming. These are the following;

Director - Beca Smith
Main Camera Operator - Lauren Coleman
Editor - Lauren Coleman / Beca Smith
Storyboarder - Lauren Coleman / Beca Smith
Script Writer - Lauren Coleman / Beca Smith
Shot List - Lauren Coleman / Beca Smith

Most of the roles we have allocated we are working together because we are a small group and we can blend each others ideas together to create a better vision.

The characters we have chosen are the following;

Alcoholic Teacher - Mrs Griffiths
Alcoholic Teachers Daughter/Pregnant Teenager - Beca Smith
Potential Father 1 - Jordan Clarke
Potential Father 2 - Lloyd Glass
Drug Dealer 1 - Stephen Moss
Drug Dealer 2 - Lloyd Glass

Ideas

Beca and I brainstormed a few rough ideas for storylines, locations, props and cast for our Trailer. We are thinking about using the name 'The Vale' but it is not definite yet.

Teaser Trailers

We have been watching existing teaser trailers and I think this skins party trailer is my favourite. Me and Beca are going to re-create some of the scenes used in this trailer e.g. being sick, couples, wreckless partying, flashing lights, drugs, alcohol.

Timeplan for G324

	Completion Date	Date Achieved
RESEARCH & ANALYSIS
Teaser trailer	1st October	Done
Listings magazine front cover	1st November
Poster	1st November
PLANNING
Teaser trailer	1st October
Listings magazine front cover	7th November
Poster	7th November
CONSTRUCTION
Teaser trailer	30th October
Listings magazine front cover	30th November
Poster	30th November
EVALUATION
Teaser trailer	20th February
Listings magazine front cover	20th February
Poster	20th February

Research

At our first lesson back, we were fortunate enough to get the opportunity to go on the set of BBC3 drama 'Being Human' series 5. The director gave us a tour of the building and he explained how each department worked. We were able to take pictures of the set and the actors/actresses. Each department gave us advice on creating our own production and in particular the health and safety woman explained in great detail about how important the health and safety factor is in filming. 

In order to be working in health and safety, you had to be a mature qualified nurse, in order to help in emergencies. We watched one of the scenes be filmed which featured Phil Davies. He was playing a disabled man which had to use a wheelchair. It was exciting to see all the professional equipment being used and watching the scenes filmed in live play. One of the rooms which the Director shown us was completed re-made for the show. It had all old furniture and damp on the walls, and there was also a false window which shown Barry Island, as the hotel they are filming in is supposed to be filmed in Barry, but there were not any hotels available so they filmed in a hotel in Pencoed called The Maerdy.

Front of the Maerdy hotel, note the change of name to
'Barry Grand Hotel'

The woman in charge of Health and Safety was also nice enough to give us a portfolio of her work. Some of the shows she has worked on include: Being Human series 3, Summer open air concert, Being Human series 4, Teule, Stella, BT Commercial advert for TV, Tesco commercial advert for TV, BBC Casualty (Medical Advisor), Switch, Being Human series 5, Teule, Casualty (Medical Advisor). These shows range from 2010-2012.  
 


Different features in the portfolio included an accident book, risk assessments, potential emergency situations, supplies for medics, fast response bag, accident and illness form, medical referral documentation, disclaimer, patients own medication, set medic protocols and guidelines, equal opportunities policy, daily actives for medics on set, paper and electronic documentation protocols, safe storage of medical kit, oxygen policy, oxygen TREM card, confidentiality, complaints, environmental policy statement, health and safety policy statement, medical confidentiality, manual handling guidelines, clinical waste, certificate of incorporation of a private limited company. I was surprised at the high demand of detail needed for the health and safety aspect of working on a film set.

Jan, the health and safety woman, also wrote a list up of the different departments in the film set. These include; Executive Producer, Producer, Line Producer, Director, 3RDA/D, 2ND A/D, 1ST A/D, Sound, Electrics, Carpenters, Wardrobe, Makeup, Health/Safety, Accounts, Locations, Caters, Actors/Actresses, Extras, Arts Department, Preps Department,Unit Drivers.

A picture of the lighting used on set

One of the actors in the make up bus