2. Mind Map: Practical and
Technical Problems
Practical and Technical Problems
Equipment Research
Storage
Power
Ability Software
Backing up
Props
Costume
3. Mind Map: Technical and
practical Problems In-depth
Technical and practical
Equipment
There is a range of equipment that could cause issues for me in
the production, these are:
• Camera
• Tripod
• Audio recorder
• Boom microphone
• Battery for camera
• SD Card
• Shot gun Microphone
This is the essential equipment that I will be using in my short
film project and there is multiple problems that could occur.
Props
The props that I will order online for my project may not be the
props that I want for filming or not what was advertised, this
could heavily affect my product since my short film would have
a lot of props based around it.
Costume
I intend to order costumes so that I can create a visual story for
my project a potential problems could be the outfits ripping
before use, them not being the costumes that I order or the
costumes not being able to fit the cast.
Research
There are numerous problems that I could come across in
researching for my project, for example the websites I used for
my research could be taken down, my solution for this is to
create a reference on a bibliography page so that it would show
when I last accessed the website.
Storage
There could be an issue with where I would be storing my
props, costumes and equipment , this would include how I
would bring them to the different locations of filming.
Power
There could be an issue with the power to the street or house
that I'm filming depending on the location or there could be an
issue with the power to the equipment that I would be using
when filming my short film like camera and audio recorder.
Software
The software that I use for editing which would be premier pro
could cause problems for me, for example the files could
corrupt or the software might not have the after affects that I
want to add to my short film.
Ability
My ability to shoot or the casts ability to shoot on the day
could be an issue if they or I are ill on the day, dependent on
how bad the illness is would be the difference how they or I
would perform.
Backing up
There could be potential issue with backing up my work, an
example of this is if the backup file for my work corrupts to
doesn't’t save to the correct location. My solution to this would
be to always make sure I save the work to the right location
and make a backup save to the original backup save just in
case that corrupts.
4. Mind Map: Theoretical
Problems
Filming outside (temperature, light, weather)
Theoretical Problems
Unwanted noise (wind, traffic, public,
sounds)
Actors & extrasCrew dynamics
Transport Locations
Finance Refreshments
Production TimeHealth & Safety
5. Mind Map: Theoretical
Problems In-depth
Theoretical Problems
Filming outside
The could be potential issues when filming my outdoor shots
these would be:
• Weather conditions
• Pedestrian getting in the way
• The ground not being flat
• Road works where I intend to film
• Temperature
• Lighting because of the time of day
• Clouds
• Sun
These are issues that could possibly affect how my product
looks on film.
Unwanted Noise
There are could be sound issues when filming my project and
these would be:
• Wind
• Traffic
• Public
• environmental sounds
These are sounds that could affect how the audio plays
out in my short film, my solution to this would be to
record the dialogue and sound affects separate from the
short film and add them in at after affects.
Transport
The transport could be a potential issue and as I need
transport for multiple days of filming the risk of a problem is
high, my solution is to have backup transport to take cast and
crew to the locations.
Actors and Extras
There could be potential issues with my actors and extras to
my short film, if some of the cast or crew prove un reliable
when filming it can pose a big problem, my solution is to have
backup crew incase some people don’t show.
Locations
The locations that I have booked out may cancel on me or the
locations that intend to use that are public could have people
in the spot that I intend to film in. My solution to this problem
would be to have backup locations just in case this occurs.
Finance
The budget that I have for this project is for items like fog
machines, costumes and props I would need finance for
these items and if I cant afford them my solution would be to
have cheaper backup options.
Job roles
There could be a problem with people forgetting the job roles
I provide, to make sure they remember I would write them out
instructions and tasks to ensure that no one is confused.
Health and safety
There could be problems with health and safety with the
equipment or the locations, my solution to this potential
problem would be to research what could go wrong and
create a health and safety check list in accordance with what I
find, this would cover all my bases.
Refreshments
When filming my project its
likely that the cast and crew
would want refreshments for
the multiple and long days of
filming that they would have,
my solution to this problem
would be to make sure that the
cast and crew would access to
food and drink during filming
and breaks where they can go
and access this.
Production Time
There's a possibility that seven
weeks may not be enough for
me to get the work to the
standard that I want, the only
way that I see this happening
is issues with my time keeping,
my solution to this is to create
a schedule with times I have to
do scenes and to follow it to
the letter.
6. Camera Problems
Problems with aperture
Problem – if the camera had a problem with aperture on one of the days of filming it would be a big problem for my film in
particular, as aperture is the optical instrument in where the light enters if it was broken on the camera or trapped I wouldn't’t
be able to control the lighting of the scene through the camera. As a large majority of my scenes are focused around lighting
this would be a big issue.
Solution – My solution to this problem is to Book out a spare camera just in case this issue happens, it would also be
beneficial because two with two cameras I can test them out to see which camera is more efficient for my needs when
filming, I believe that this is the best solution to this potential issue.
Problems with SD Card
Problem – there's a chance that the camera that I'm going to use wont be able to read my SD card because of errors or
because the SD card is full, I have had this problem before and I have seen it as an issue that I need to be prepared for, last
time this happened I purchased a new SD card, this is also beneficial to this project as it means I can use this SD card in this
project.
Solution – use my own SD card that I know isn't full and make I can make sure that it isn't full, if the camera is just having
problems with SD cards in general I will book out another camera to us eon the days of filming just in case.
Broken Camera
Problem – There could be an issue with the camera in general, either broken ISO or a faulty Zoom, if the camera doesn't’t
work at all, wont turn on or wont film but will take pictures which is a problem I have had before. These issues can seriously
damage how my project is film even with the solution of having a back up camera I would have the issue of time, it would
waste time that could be spent filming if I was to have to replace it.
Solution – one solution to this issue is to have a backup camera on hand, setting them up at the same time would save time if
one of them was in some way faulty. Another solution is to research how to fix these issues on the camera manually so if it
occurs I can work through it, however if the issue with the camera is unfixable them my solution would be to just use a
backup camera.
7. Equipment Problems
Tri Pod
Problems – There could be different problems with the use of tri pods in my short film, the ground could be unbalanced and
this would make it difficult to create a straight centered shot. Another issue I could have with the tri pod is if its unbalanced on
its stand, for example one leg wont go down as far as the other.
Solution – The solution to the first problem would be that I would position the legs of the tri pod so that it would sit in balance
or I would change location to somewhere with a more balanced ground. The second potential problem solution I would find
the balance by matching the level of the legs but this could be an issue as I wouldn't’t have the freedom I would normally
have but would still work, another solution is getting a new tri pod for the shoot.
Audio Recorder
Problems – The big problem that could occur with the audio recorder and most likely possibility is the battery's going dead
during recording, if this where to happen I would struggle to record the audio for my film and I would have to record at another
time, this could result in me missing out on audio that I had planed.
Solution – The solution to this problem would be to carry spare battery's to the filming locations so if the audio recorder does
go dead I would have a backup prepared.
SD Card
Problems – There is a chance that the SD could corrupt when trying to move my footage from the camera to my laptop or
computer, if this where to happen then I would have to spend time reshooting the scenes that are missing, It could also
negatively affect how its shot, if I was to get what I wanted perfect the first time I shoot it, it would be difficult to replicate it or
do it better.
Solution – One solution to this issue is that I bring my laptop with me to filming and as soon as I'm done with the scene I
move it onto my laptop this would take time but if it corrupts I can just shoot it again on the spot. The second solution to this
problem is to bring a spare SD card and film the scene on both SD cards, this way if one corrupts I would have the same
scene on another, this would take more time and more effort but I would prefer to spend more time and play it safe than have
my footage corrupted by the SD card.
8. Props and Costume
Problems
Size of costume
Problems – as I am ordering the costumes online I see the size of the costumes as an issue, although I have looked at size
charts to the costumes I am concerned that they may not fit the actors and I can see this being a huge problem if so, I have
the same cast member playing different roles in different costumes, so if one suit doesn't’t fit then its unlikely the others
would, as I'm paying for these costumes they have to be right.
Solutions – My solution to this problem is to have different cast members on stand by to take other the roles if the costumes
don’t fit the original cast, these people would be of different sizes to make sure that the outfits can be used in my short film as
they are essential.
Props
Problems – The big problem that I see with props in my project is the issue with them being Halloween props, I don’t have a
big budget and I am spending the majority of what I have on costumes therefore I have less to spend on props, as they wont
be of great quality there's a chance that they could snap or break in filming this could occur because they are cheap material
or because the cast and crew are to over the top with them.
Solution – my solution to this problem is to make sure that all of my cast and crew are carful with the props to make sure that
they stay in tact and if they break I would have to use a substitute for what the prop was.
Costume rip
Problems – A problem I can see happening with the costumes is them ripping and tearing in the filming locations, one filming
location imperticular is a forest and if the costume rips on a tree branch for example, the costume would be damaged and
ruined and if the tear is really bad I may not be able to use it in other scenes.
Solution – the solution to this problem is that I will personally make sure that the cast member under the mask is carful in
where they step and watch what the are doing while film to make sure they don’t rip or tear my outfit.
9. Filming outside Problems
Weather conditions
Problems – I see potential weather issues while filming, as the weather is unpredictable even with forecast, if the weather
isn't what I want for my short film because it doesn’t fit the scene that I want to create then it would have a negative impact on
my short film and would make it difficult to reshoot if I bring my cast and crew out on a day where I end up not filming due to
the weather conditions. An example of the weather ruining a scene would be going out in the dark to shot a short scene in the
street but its not possible to do because it starts snowing or raining heavily.
Solution – A solution to this problem would be to get a flexible crew that are willing to come on multiple days to shoot the
same scene, this means that if the weather isn't ideal on some days then I can easily change the day to one that’s better fit.
Pedestrians
Problem – A problem that is likely to occur when I'm shooting my film in public areas is people walking into shots or in the way
of the camera, I only intend to have two locations that are public areas, it can be frustrating when people walk in front of me.
Solution – A solution to this problem is to stop shooting the scene while waiting for the pedestrian to pass by and then
continue shooting the scene when they are gone, if they walk in shot in the middle of a scene then reshoot the scene.
Lighting
Problems – when filming in the day the film can cause a problem dependent on where it is angled on the shot, as I have a
vision of how I want my lighting to be on the shot, hopefully this doesn't’t pose as to much of an issue. Another problem could
when I'm filming the project at night in the street, there is a chance that the Street Lights could give off and unwanted glare.
These problems would have negative impact on my short film as a whole as I want my short film to be shot in a certain style
and tone, the lighting is a key part of how my project would look.
Solutions – one solution to problem one is wait for the sun to move into a better position for film although this could take a
while to wait that I could of spent filming its more important to get the shot perfect. Another solution is use the aperture on the
camera to control the lighting the best I can, this solution also works for the second potential lighting issue.
10. Unwanted Noise
Problems
Wind
Problem – When recording the audio to my short film, the camera is sensitive and if there is strong winds while shooting then
it is likely that the camera will pick up more wind than dialogue, this can be a big problem as for one of my scenes my intent is
to make a conversation sound distant as the camera pulls away, wind in this scene would ruin the idea.
Solution – My solution to this problem is to record the audio to the short film separate, this would make the audio a lot clearer
and there wouldn’t be any wind, I would have to record all of the background noise separate to make it realistic, this would
take more time to do but it would be worth it for a better sounding product. For the scene with the where the dialogue gets
distant I can record it and then make it seem more an more distant in after affects.
Public
Problem – The potential Problem with Filming in public areas is the people around the area can loud and noisy. Occasionally
this can fit the scene and setting but for my short film in particular noise of people in the background would ruin the immersion
so I would have to remove it.
Solution – My solution to this problem is the same as the potential wind problem where I will record the dialogue and
background noise separate with an audio recorder this was I can play around with the sounds and keep what I like.
Environmental Sounds
Problem – When using the audio recorder to record background sounds like rain, thunder or wind there is a chance that other
sounds can interfere with my recording, like dogs barking or people talking.
Solution – The solution to this problem is to be patient and wait for it to be quite enough to record the sounds that I want and
also I to record multiple versions of the sounds, even if not perfect I can fix the sounds in premier pro.
Traffic
Problem – the sound of traffic interfering with my audio recordings.
Solution – wait for the Traffic to stop and then record.
11. Solutions and Alternatives
Summary
Was it useful
I have found looking at potential problems and how I can resolve them very useful, now that I have a wide
range of ideas and notions as to what could go wrong when filming I have made a plan and steps to
ensure that these problems don’t happen, without being able to look at the potential problems this wouldn’t
have been possible, although I would have had way to resolve problems anyway, I wouldn’t have as many
backups as I now have.
How it will affect my product
Now that I have a plan around potential problems, the affects on my product will be positive, with the
solutions to the potential problems I have multiple backups to different scenarios that could go wrong in
my short film, this will mean spending a lot more time on my production days shooting and a lot more
equipment to carry around to the filming locations but my product will be a lot safer and I believe that it will
show on the final product.
How I feel
I feel that this stage of the work was useful and positive to my overall product, now that I am prepared for
potential problems I feel more comfortable with things going wrong or not going as plan as I am now
prepared for such an event.
12. Health and Safety
Potential Issue How will the issue be
avoided
Liquids near computers could be a
potential health and safety issue.
I will avoid this by not bringing liquids near
the computers.
Not sitting on the chair correctly
(slouching) causes back pain.
I will avoid this by making sure I'm sat in
the chair correctly at all times.
Wires on the floor while while filming
would be a health and safety issue.
I will solve this issue by hiding the wires
either out of the way or under a mat.
Running in the forest when filming would
be a health and safety issue.
Choose a part of the forest that has less
risk and make sure everyone is carful.
Looking into a computer for a long period
of time causes eye strain.
Take regular breaks from the computer to
avoid this issue.
Heavy equipment when carrying it to the
filming location could be harmful.
Get multiple people to carry heavy
equipment and a lift to the location.
Using sharp props (Knife etc…) would be
a potential issue.
Make sure the props that are used are not
dangerous or harmful.
13. Cost and Time
Cost
From research I worked out the short film would cost £307.34. my budget that I had originally allocated
myself was £250 but now because of this problem and issue that I need these props for my short film I
have been able to increase budget to £310, there is still a big potential issue with this problem, I may need
more costumes or need to replace the costumes that I purchase if there is a problem like the ripping when
filming the short film, the props could break. If this is a potential issue my solution to this problem would be
to increase the budget further, if I was to make the budget £350 then I would be on the safe side, I don’t
have to spend all the money in the allocated budget but in case I need more than estimated the money is
there. Another potential issue is the prices of the items that I have researched could go up in price my
solution to this problem would be to use the additional money left in the budget or find a cheaper version
of the item on a different website.
Time
There's potential issues with timing, what I think is enough time to get something done, when doing it may
be different. My solution to this particular problem would be to create a back-up schedule so that I'm
prepared in case of this potential issue. When planning my schedule in the proposal I hadn't done a plan
for how long it would take production scene by scene this could be a potential issue of me loosing track of
what scene I should film and when. My solution to this issue is to crate a more in-depth schedule that
builds me a structure to follow exact for filming so that I know exactly what I'm filming and on what day.
15. Research for Practical
Video 1
Surfaced Studio. (Jun 11, 2017). How To Remove Noise
From Video in After Effects - No Plugins. Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnHMs40yaiY. Last
accessed 18th February 2019.
Reason
This video is a tutorial on how to remove noise in after
affects, a problem I frequently have with the 600d
cameras is it automatically cant get the ISO right and
when I manually adjust the ISO it still has some noise left
over, this video is useful as it teaches me how to remove
the remainder of the noise using different tricks in after
affects.
Video 2
Armando Ferreira. (Apr 21, 2017). How I COLOR GRADE in
Adobe Premiere PRO CC. Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuEhGR0QJmE. Last
accessed 18th February 2019.
Reason
This video is a tutorial on how to colour grade. I found this video
to be very useful, in my final short film I want to add my own
artistic style to the footage, its important to me that I know all
about colour grading so that on my work I can get it right, this
video is a long and in-depth walk through on all the different
possible ways to use colour grading.
Video 3
Point Blank Music School. (May 29, 2018). Garageband
Tutorial: How to Make a Basic Track. Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYynioOpkGU. Last
accessed 18th February 2019.
Reason
I don’t have much experience on Garage band and
because I'm using it to create the soundtrack for my short
film its important that I can use the software affectively
and this tutorial is useful as it’s a step by step walkthrough
on how to create a track.
Video 4
justin. (30, 2015). How to edit audio in Adobe Premiere Pro CC.
Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NGPngAhDlE.
Last accessed 18th February 2019.
Reason
I know how to edit audio in Premier Pro but I felt it was
important to refresh my memory and use it to find if there's
anything that I'm missing or any different affects that can be
used that I didn't’t already know about. I found this source to be
useful as it will help for my final production.
17. Experiment Planning 1
Introduction
There are different things I need to learn for my final production and different shots that I need to master. In this section titled
‘Experiments’ I will list potential problems with filming and creating sets that I need to learn, I will learn how to do the parts I
have problems with and do experiments to practice so that when it comes to my short films final production I will be prepared
and ready.
Chase scenes
The opening of the chase scene will need to be fast paced fun to view, from research I saw that scream (which has the chase
scene I want to re create how it was shot) I saw that I used different shots to make the chase scene fun to follow, these shots
that where used are:
• Point of view shot
• Over the shoulder shot
• Close up
• Dolly
• Extreme close up
• Shaky cam
• Down shot
• Establishing shot
I will book out a camera and practice these shots so that when it comes to creating the final short film I will know how to do
the shots to a high standard, I will also practice my editing of these shots so that I can utilize them with fast transitions so it
fits together like a chase scene. I feel that this experiment will be affective, it will mean that when it comes to shooting the
opening chase scene to my short film I will know exactly what to do.
18. Experiments – Shots
Shots
In this Experiment I focused on the shots I would use for my short film, just practicing for when I use them in my final project,
in my short film the setting will be completely different, I feel that this shot practice was helpful as it has shown me what I
need to further improve and I feel that using the camera frequently in this project will be useful for my final project as I will be
used to holding and filming with the 600D camera.
19. Experiment planning 2
Sound effects
In my Short film I will be using various different sound effects to create the scene and set the tone and atmosphere, the
sound effects in this case will be important to my production, I will capture these sound effects with an audio recorder, this
can take time for the sound affects that I would need. I'm going to practice capturing the sounds with the audio recorder so
that I can either use what in this experiment in my short film or use what I capture as evidence of what I need to improve.
The sound effects that I will be needing to capture are:
• Whistling Wind
• Strong Wind
• Running sound affects
• Running up the stairs sound affect
• Knife Swoosh sound affect
• Wall Banging
• Screaming sound affect
• Knife hitting wall sound affect
• Rain
• Thunder
• Lightning Striking
Most of these required sound affects I can capture on a audio recorder but sound affects like thunder, rain and lightning
striking I would need to find on the internet in royalty free, to wait for lightning to strike something or for there to be thunder is
unrealistic especially in york. The other sound effects that I will need I will be able to capture with an audio recorder and it will
be good practice for when I'm capturing sound effects for my final production.
20. Experiments – Audio
Reason
I have used the sound effects that are important for me to collect for my short film as practice
for my final project, the idea was to capture or source the sound effects from the list I created in
planning, these where sound effects that I had difficulty with in other units, I put all the sound
affects together to create a scene without visuals, this would show my editing of the sound
effect and putting them together and the ability to capture them.
Use
I used this section for practice on sound effects, I used the collection of the sound effects as practice for when I need to
capture sounds and use them, this is practice for finding the best ways to record the sound effects and the best ways to
utilize them with other sound effects in foiling. I found this to be very useful as I can use the effects I collected in this for my
final project if I'm pushed for time. It was effective for my editing skills, editing is a big part of my project and the use of editing
this section of the experiments is good practice for my final piece.
What I did
I was prepared when recording sound effects, following my
contingency plans I had brought spare battery’s incase the ones
that came with the audio recorder weren't charged. When
recording the sound effects, the equipment I used was audio
recorder, I recorded running sounds, hitting sounds, wind (by
blowing), stomping and breathing. I used other sources (Internet
and YouTube) for the lightning strike, thunder, rain and knife.
The reason that I used the web for these specific sound effects
is because it would have been impossible in the time I had to
record the genuine audio from these sounds, the sound effects
that I didn't’t do myself where all royalty free and was good
practice for sourcing material.
21. Experiment planning 3
Soundtrack
In my short film I will be using my own created soundtrack, the use of my own soundtrack in my short film would allow me the
ability to find my own fit for the film something unique and only used on my film, it’s a tricky task but I feel confident that I can
deliver. For this experiment I will be using Garage band to create the soundtrack. This experiment will be good for me to
practice the areas of garage band that I struggle in, these areas would be:
• EQ
• Balance between Instruments
• Volume
• Use of instruments
These are key parts of what I will need to practice during my time on garage band. The idea is to create a soundtrack for
something sad or creepy using the basic instruments provided by garage band, the garage band that I have access to only
has base instruments and which of them instruments is actually of value to what I want to create. The instruments that I want
to be using for the experiments are:
• Violin
• Acoustic Guitar
• Piano
• Drums
These should hopefully be base instruments, the reason that I chose violin is because it’s a great instrument for creating
suspense. The use of guitar and drums can be used to create a background beat that’s faint but memorable. The use of
piano is for the main theme which would be the loud and most present tune in the soundtrack, for a sad scene this can is a
good instrument to create emotion with. All of these instruments should contrast with each other well dependent on how I use
them and if I utilize their strengths. I feel confident that using this time to practice my garage band and soundtrack creating
ability will be well spent, the soundtrack is a key part of the short film and getting it right is important.
22. Experiments – Soundtrack
Reason
The reason that I chose to do soundtrack experiments is to practice using the application and to
get used to the controls and how it operates, I feel that as the soundtrack is an important and
crucial part of the short film and as so it is crucial that I learn how to use it effectively for my
final project. Most films have a great soundtrack that creates atmosphere and suspense, the
majority of student films don’t use their own original soundtrack instead they use royalty free
music or music popular today, I want my soundtrack to be my own creation.
Use
I found this section of the experiments to be useful as it has given me practice in creating a soundtrack with limited
instruments accessible, its also shown me what I need to work on and improve.
What I did
When creating this soundtrack I used two Instruments
and three recorded. I used two guitar tracks that I
created, on the first one I created a small tune that I
would use as faint in the background, on the second
guitar track I used a beat of four on repeat to create
suspense and I then put this as a faint rhythm in the
background. The final track was piano, this is the main
and prominent tune in the soundtrack. Al together they
have different feelings, the first track is to give the feeling
of sadness. The second track is to give the feeling of
suspense and the final track is to give the emotion of
moving up. I feel that together these work well but I
wasn’t able to use violin as it wasn’t a base instrument
which is something I need to look into.
23. Experiments – Summary
Was it useful
I felt that the experiments as a whole where useful as they have given me time to develop my skills. The part that I felt I
needed to work on the most was camera work, as filming is the main part of my short film and getting the shots as I want
them is crucial to my production, doing experiments of these shots in use will help me a great deal when it comes to
shooting my final production, it will be very useful. Practicing my filming was also useful as it gave me time to use the
camera practically, this is important as when it comes to shooting my short film I will need to be confident with how to use
the different settings on the camera like aperture and ISO to my advantage.
I found the the sound effect and sound design experiments to be useful as it gave me the ability to get practically practice
from the audio recorder, capturing the right sounds at the right tempo is important for my short film as sound effects can
build a scene just as much as the footage itself which is why I need to have strength in both areas, the sound effects create
the immersion into the film making it sound realistic is important and practicing my ability to do this was very useful as I
wasn’t strong in this area, it will have a positive impact on my short film as I now have a lot more knowledge in the area and
I'm more confident.
The soundtrack was useful as I have limited experience with the software (Garage Band) I found having a play around with
instruments and using them to create different tones and feelings was useful and now that I am experienced in this area It
will have a positive impact on my project because I know what instruments can create different emotions and how to utilize
the different instruments together to create a tune but the more experience I have the better my end soundtrack will be.
How it will affect my product
In summary the experiment's as a whole will have a positive effect on my project, I feel a lot more confident in each area and
this will be shown on my final project, I have learned new things that overall widen my knowledge in each area and this will
be affective in my final project for getting the footage and editing done on schedule as I wont need to practice or play around
with the camera while filming. This will have positive impacts on the rest of my work as I will have more time to make
improvements.
