Lucas worked on a group project researching 16-24 year olds over several weeks. He conducted surveys, researched popular sites and demographics, and helped define the project topic. Lucas then began an individual mini-project exploring the theme of "illusion" through an experimental film shot in York. He planned, shot footage over a day, and spent weeks editing adding effects and refining the film. Lucas received feedback and made improvements before completing his evaluation. The weekly diary documented his progress on both group and individual components of the project.

1. Weekly Diary
The Grid Audience Project Weekly Reflections
Lucas Higham

2. Week 1 – w/c. 24/11/21
Started the new project, working in groups. I made a
shared working PowerPoint document. I started to
research into the demographic of 16 – 24 year-olds, I
specifically looked into logos and branding and how they
have involved. I talked about the evolution of the
Instagram and Apple logos and icons and how this links
to the demographic. It was very useful to resaerch into
when considering brand image later on into the project. I
also set up an audience survey to get a good idea of
what 16 – 24 year-olds are interested in, it's all fine
researching it, reading articles written by middle aged
people- it's best to appraoch the subject directly, I got
more honest and insightful answers. These answers will
help us further our (as a team) understanding of this
audience what we need to create for them. I got the
other members of the team to also research into popular
sites young people use such as Netflix and Twitter. What
this demographic watch and why is very important to
know, I am still waiting on the feedback from them.
Teams chat set up to communicate with the group, share documents
or communicate if they go remote. I was left solo on the first day of
the project, I used teams to make sure the group was tied in on the
project and understood what we are doing. I spent that day chatting
with other groups to pull together a start on the project for my own
groups benefit.

3. Week 2 – w/c. 1/12/21
This week our group continuedwith researching the audience,mainly finishing things off, brushing things up. I
was finishing up the audience survey answers while the others moved forward and worked on the audience
profile. I found the overwhelming response of music being a common interest in this demographic very useful,
we could use this when thinking of content for the brand. As the others continuedwith the audience profile
and brain storming, I did one last bit of investigativework, lookinginto the what 'the grid' means or can mean.
This will help us with our brandingand overallimage. Once we define what the 'the grid' is and standsfor, we
can use that as our manifesto for our brand as we mould the brand, we mould the content.I think the logo for
this should communicateboth what content is being created and what the grid standsfor. What I've learned
will help us move forward in the project, the information gathered is very useful to me. It will help us by
defining the audience, which will then help us understandwhat content needs to be made.
We started to brainstorm as a group. At first, we weren't sure what we wantedto create, that's because we
didn't know what topic we were going to explore. I then pointedtowards what we found out in the research
and the word 'music' is bold in the middle. That became our topic of choice.
I am slightly worried about our groups progress and how keeping on top of work (which I'm usuallygood at)
could be a problem. Although at the moment I think we're on fine track, hopefullyI can keep it that way.

4. Week 3 – w/c. 8/12/21
This week our group started to look at brand development, creating
logos and idents. This practical part of the project is something I don't
consider myself good at, partly because I don't want you can do using
the software. We decided who was going to specialise in the logo
making but unfortunately, they were off college due to being ill. So, I
started playing around with making one. My idea of a logo didn't go
through, instead we went with a more modern look, which does relate
back to the research I conducted but I wish the logo did stand for
something more, had more meaning.

5. Week 4 – w/c. 15/12/21
This week I started to look at theme development, I chose the theme of
illusion. I started at the basics with the dictionary definition of 'illusion' and I
soon knew I wanted to link this with cinema. I chose illusion as it's a theme I
thought I could do a lot with, I could link to fantasy and dreams- dreams are
an illusion, or are they? What do they mean? To improve my work, I think I
should include the perception of 'illusion' from someone else to see if I get
any other ideas.
To link this mini project to my FMP (which will be starting early 2022) I
thought illusion give me ideas so I could exercise some ideas I may explore in
my FMP such as soviet montage (improve my editing) potentially shooting
the film in York (I plan to do this for my FMP, doing it with this mini project
will give me experience shooting in a busy city and finding good locations)
and to explore how I can incorporate surreal elements.

6. Week 5 – w/c. 5/1/22
This week I began planning my content(short experimentalfilm). Looking back on
the theme development research, I already knew exactly what I want to make, now
it is just the case of going through the standard procedure of planning of the thing.
I need to find an actor, organise a date, equipment, contingencyplanning etc etc.
Seen as this is a smaller project, experimental, I do want the film and shooting
process to have an edge of spontaneity and inspiration, as such I don't want to plan
too much. My planning will just feature the bare basics, given the time frame I
wouldn't have ample enough time to expand on said pre-production anyway (ie.
Conduct experiments, have extensive documents etc etc)
I'm still unsure how I'm going to pull this off. I know exactly what I want to emulate,
but I'm still not sure how to do it (even with the extensive research I conducted).I
am worried this could fail. It could turn into something boring and pretentious. It
could emulate too much, not be my own. Although I do see the whole point of the
film as an exercise, an experiment for my FMP. I'm testing my skills as a filmmaker,
the skills of making something surreal, applying editing theories.

7. Week 6 – w/c. 12/1/22
I spent the beginning of this week talking with the actors who applied to be apart of the project. I told my tutor, Scott, about my need for some acting help so he
communicated with the Drama department, sent over my concept for the film and I had three people respond.
The main task I spent doing this week was production. I have 2 weeks for production, so 1 week for shooting and 1 week for editing.
The shooting period of the day went well, I spent the first hour of the day getting all the shots of the city waking up. All tri-pod shots around York as the sunrises. The
only part I found difficult and something that I would change would be bringing gloves as it was very cold while I was shooting. If I had brought gloves, I could've spent
more time on shots and been more comfortable.
The day went smoothly, considering I had a plan to be experimentive and ready to improvise. My script helped with the structure of the day, and it comfortably leftt
room for me to go off and shoot something random yet relevant.
I sent this messageto all 3 actors and judging on their responseI would choosethe
mostappropriatecandidate.
I ultimatelywent withKeira, whowas the first personto respond. Her response wasthe best out of the bunch. One
person didn't evenbotherto tell me what interestedthem in the project, which I clearlyasked thentheywent onto
to tell me theywouldhavinga hair cut at 10am. Theywere also the last personto get backto me. We have
communicatedwitheachotherand she is lockedinforshooting onThursday.

8. Week 7 – w/c. 19/1/22
This week I began the editing process. I feelit is going somewhatwell. I firstlooked through my footageand selected
certain shots I knew I would use in the opening montage. I then dropped in the music as I work wellwhen working with
music, I knew I was going to edit to the music, so it was pointless editing it without it.
Looking fromthe scriptI had a rough idea of strcuture, I knew thatI was going to change the shapeof the film during
editing. Try out differenttechniques, experiment, play around with effects etc.
One partof the film was born in the edit- the balck and white surrealsequence. I really wanted to make something
provoking and surreal, I feltI failed to do that during the shooting however, this was discovered in the edit. As I started
to experiment with playing the same shots over each other (onein normaltime and speed, the other backwards) I
thought a blur effectwould look cool and interesting, so I added it in. I had the idea of black and white after changing
one shot from colour to B&W earlier. Oncethe blur effect was added and I tested to see how it would look fully blured it
created these moving lines. This really mesmerised me and the way somefilms areable to do this, making you feel
hypnotized. On top of that, the added music (fromEraserhead) amplifyed thesenseof darkness, hoplessnessand
endless void. After learning how to slowly shiftan images colour from normalto B&W eariler in the edit, I did the same
with the blur and colour in that segment.
This new found atmosphereI created continued when editing the secene by the river. I originally intended this scene to
be in colour as I requetsed the actress to wear a RED coat so the shot will have moreof a pop againstthe darkness of the
underpass. However, I feelthis scene looked a lot better in B&W adding to the desolate atmosphere.
I also wanted to play around with aspect ratios an integral part of filmmaking, someconsider using certain aspectratios
make films morecinematic. I wanted to use them in a different, meaningfuland inventive way.

9. Week 8 – w/c. 26/1/22
This week was spent on improvements to the edit of the film and
starting on the evaluation. The feedback I recevied from my tutor
helped me make the film leaner and flow better in parts. Getting this
type of feedback gave me the confidence to get rid of shots I liked. I
shaved off a few seconds from shots and I re-edited the final sequence,
layering up more shots and using certain shots at better times, such as
the shot with me and Keria. That was originally in the part where the
layering of eyes against her perspective, I found it went on for too long
and it felt out of place. I added it in during the final eye of the lens
sequence, brief and more meaningful.
Once I had finished the film, I moved onto developing my evaluation. I
recorded it live on YouTube.

10. Week 9 – w/c. 2/2/22
Contingency week. Used this week to dust up on work. Check
everything is up to date and upload it to my website. Finish off the
weekly diary. Close off any gaps. Add any more detail to my evaluation.
Collect feedback and discuss it.