Viva voce

BTEC Level 3 Creative Media Production
Beacon Media 2016 – 2017
Unit 1 Task 3 Viva Voce
Logistics
1. How did you find your locations, what health & safety checks were performed
and did you secure permissions/releases?
Before doing my synopsis I had a rough idea of where I wanted my film to be shot. Due to the fact that my
film is based in a forensic science lab I had to find a location that resembles to a science lab. So location
scouting wasn’t a problem at all as majority of my film has been shot indoors in the science lab. I used The
Beacon School West Block (The Science Department) as the primary location. Safety checks was my
priority especially when shooting in a science lab as there could have been possible spillage of chemicals.
We had to clear our work area thoroughly before the shooting began. Before executing the shooting I
ensured that all release forms and waivers were filled and signed in. For the location it wasn’t necessary as it
was wide open for me to use, but it was mandatory for me to ask the science teachers and the technicians
before I could start shooting the indoor scenes and to use some of the department’s equipment’s.
2. Did you have contingency plans? What were your Plan As / Plan Bs?
I did not have any contingency plans when it came to the film itself or the scenes or the locations, however,
when it came to talents I had 2 options. Initially I was to become the main character of my film however
there was the question of who would operate the camera. I did have the option of asking one of my media
friend who is familiar with handling cameras and who understands the different camera shots and angles,
however I couldn’t possibly get the film I visioned if I didn’t film it myself. That was when plan B was
formed and that I wouldn’t be the main character and my friend would. It was easier for me as I was
comfortable in giving her the instruction of how I wanted the character to be expressed from the way she
spoke to her body language.
3. What organization did you do in relation to equipment – (booking, checks,
transport etc.)?
When it came to booking equipment’s it was definite that we all will receive a camera and a tripod but it was
the fact that who would get the better camera. Giving in the financial responsibility letter first meant that
there was a high chance of booking the best camera and tripod. I was lucky enough to get a good quality
camera as well as the hydraulic head tripod. I had my dad to drop me and pick me up when he was available
this meant that there wouldn’t be any damages caused to the equipment’s. However, on the days when my
dad was unavailable I had to use the public transport; meaning that keeping the equipment safe was my
priority.
4. What organization did you do around catering – (special dietary needs etc.)?
My film is based on a very low budget, I spent money on props and clothing and as a student it was very
hard for me to provide my cast and crew special dietary needs and professional catering. I made sandwiches,
and something that everyone would enjoy. I had to make sure that I wrote down specific dietary needs and if
anyone was allergic to anything. Catering was my responsibility.
5. What organizing did you do in terms of transport and travel to make sure the
production ran smoothly?
Transportation and traveling wasn’t a problem when it came to production, as most of my actors used public
transportation or their parents to drop and pick them up from the set. Arriving set on time was the only
worry but everything went by plan and production ran smoothly.

Finance/Budget
1. What would an equivalent professional budget have been for your production
and what would it have enabled you to do beyond what you did?
If I had a budget that is equivalent to a professional budget I would have been able to use better props and
make-up for the “Anonymous” character. On top of that, to be able to access a professional forensic science
lab would have provided the film more of the realistic quality. When it came to the “murder” scene I wished
the props that was used could have been better and less amateurish. For a short film a professional budget
would be around approximately £10k-£15k, given that if I were to have this budget I would have been able
to add more professional elements in order to make it look more professional. For the murder scene, initially
I had planned it to do it during night time however I didn’t have the right equipment’s or the money to hire
lighting equipment so I had to do it during day time. It didn’t bother me as much as I could change the
lighting and the saturation during the editing process.
2. What was your actual budget?
All together when including catering, props and make-up my budget came up to £50. Transport is excluded
however, if I was to add that it would add up to £70. Extra £20. I purchased sandwich ingredients as it was a
healthier and cheaper option for catering.
3. Did you keep within the budget? How?
I wanted my budget to be £30 or under, as I got the clown mask post Halloween time It was hard to find
good offers on good quality masks. I want my film to carry some quality and with what I could afford I tried
my best. The clown mask and other props and make-up needed was the reason of the £30+ budget.
However, I managed to keep it under £70 buy creating my own case file rather than buying one and all the
images we used was generated by the creative production team. My actors also agreed to do the acting for
free which helped me significantly to keep within my budget. I decided to not use extra lighting as not only
saved me money but also the lighting in the location was good enough.
4. How was your budget divided? – (food, materials etc.)?
My budget was divided into 2 different categories, catering and make-up/props. Catering didn’t take up
much of the budget, however, make-up and props were the primary focus. Getting the right make-up and
props for the murder scene was the priority, the quality of the make-up and props would impact the film as a
whole. For materials, I had everything I needed so there wasn’t any additional fee spent.
5. Were there things you needed at any point in any of the phases of production
which you found yourselves needing extra funds for?
There weren’t many things that I needed at any point in any of the phases of production which I found
myself needing extra funds for. If I had to include food and for the special dietary needs maybe additional
£15 was needed. I thought I would need additional lighting especially in the staff room which I used as an
office, however I overcame this as I felt the lighting was just as good and worked well with the scene.
Creative Processes
1. Did you find creating the storyboard beneficial to setting up your shots?
Yes, it definitely gave me a rough idea of how I wanted each scene to be executed and projected. Though I
didn’t follow it religiously it gave me a basic idea of how I wanted the film’s flow to be. Making a
storyboard allowed me to see the film from an editorial perspective, and gave me a sense of the shape of the
film. It was very beneficial as it provided me with short hand references to all shot sizes, angles, etc.

2. Did you stick to your storyboard? What were your reasons for deviation?
I didn’t completely stick to the storyboard I had to deviate from it as the shot and angle planned for some
scenes didn’t do enough justice for the scene itself during the filming. Or that the planned scene didn’t make
sense until it came to the point of filming, so altering the shot or angle was mandatory for some specific
scenes. The first scene is a medium shot of her car, and when she talks to the ‘Anonymous’ the audience will
already see how she looks like so suspense or the buildup for the main character wasn’t necessary. In my
storyboard, I planned a point of view walking shot, it for me at that time made sense and because my film is
a fusion of thriller and social realist I wanted that elements of suspense. However, there was no use of the
POV shot as the audience have witnessed her identity.
3. Given that you did a detailed storyboard, how useful was your script for the
production itself?
A lot of re-drafting was needed in order to make it sound and feel realistic yet in some places it didn’t work.
Thus, improvisation was used to make it sound and look natural whilst shooting. This was since when
writing a script, it is quite tricky to picture the scene and the atmosphere; so, a few alterations was necessary.
4. What other creative activities did you undertake prior to production? How
useful were these to you realizing your product? (Treatment)
In one scene when the main character looks at the case file she witnesses the autopsy images, wounds and
injuries of the victim, as well as an x-ray of the victim’s snapped neck. Initially I thought of using images
that were already on the internet, but in order to gain more credit I thought of doing my own study and tried
to imitate the pictures that would usually and only be seen in case files/report. The key elements I had to
undertake prior to production were floorplan, character detail, treatment and story outline. Doing the
treatment was very useful and it’s a writer’s secret weapon, since they benefit you in countless ways.
Through receiving a sense of choreography, I was able to plan where would be ideal to place the camera.
Creating a character bio helped me project the characters’ personality through their script and their attire.
5. Describe how you worked creatively with props and costumes?
There weren’t many props used but I had to be creative in order to create authenticity within the scene.
When the main character looks at the case file it had to resemble to a professional case file. The brown
colour file and the red band that keeps it closed. I also used photographs of the ‘corpse’ to make it look
professional and skeleton x-rays. Due to the fact that my film ran on a tight budget I had to ensure that I
could do everything possible to give my film quality and not just base it on using different camera shots and
angles. When it came to the flashback of the murder scene I initially planned to use a fake knife as the
weapon that killed ‘Jessie Solomon’. However, I wanted to use a weapon that didn’t seem as dangerous as
using a knife, but due to its simplicity it looked more sinister. Using a metal wire as the weapon to kill the
character made it look more sinister and gave the killer more of a sinister reputation.
Personnel Management
1. How did recruitment happen and under what principles?
The recruitment of the talents was a very simple task as the actors are all my friends, however some legal
procedure was taken in order to avoid any future disturbances and especially during production. I ensured
that all the paper works were correctly signed, receiving each and everyone’s consent. Some of them are 2
AS students, 2 BTEC Media student and one drama student. I felt very comfortable using my friends and
they were already aware of the ins and outs of a low budget production. They also agreed to do it for free of
charge which helped my budget significantly. I also did the same for my skeleton crew that I recruited.
Using media students was also another major plus point for me as it made my filming less time consuming.

2. Did you make sure you had sufficient personnel to staff the production
properly?
Yes, I had my media friends to staff the production immaculately, some were also in my film. Having
friends who take media was very helpful as they too had to make their own short film which was a major
plus factor as I needed personnel that can take responsibilities, familiar with equipment’s, and can adapt to
different situations. For my film, I had a skeleton crew, it is stripped down to the exposed key team
individuals/members, typically so as to spare cash in production, or to be less prominent when shooting
without permits. I also researched into funding a potential skeleton crew for my production- instead of
finding five crew members. Director: Writer, Producer and Camera Operator. Director of Photography,
Make up/Hair Artist, Special effects crew and Sound recordists.
3. What channels of communication were established and how was contact
maintained?
I had all the actors and crew members phone number so contacting them wasn’t a problem. For instance, FB,
SMS, WhatsApp, Snap Chat etc.
4. As far as time was concerned did you encounter problems with crew or talent
not showing up? How did you deal with these?
Fortunately, I didn’t have to deal with any of my cast or crew not turning up on set. I made sure that I picked
a day that everyone was comfortable with and that they had all the facilities to get to the set, on time. I
would secure this by informing my cast and crew a week before the day of the shoot.
5. Did you have backup team members in place?
I did ensure that I had a team B just in case something happens to either one of my cast or crew during
filming or the pre-production stage. Doing this kept me in a secured position and there wouldn’t be any
disruptions during filming or anything that would intend to delay the filming. For instance, camera operator.
I was the main operator but I had one of my AS media friend as my back up just in case there are any change
in plans.
ResourceManagement
1. How did you make sure of your ability to meet equipment needs? What were
the booking arrangements?
I knew I wanted the best camera and tripod to use for my film, by giving in the letter that states to take full
financial responsibility first meant that there was a high chance of booking the best camera and tripod. I had
to utilize the weekly camera booking sheet as well as for sound equipment’s. Each of them barcoded sign in
and out as so many others use it.
2. How did you prepare for production in terms of equipment operation?
I didn’t have to carry out any major preparation for production in terms of equipment operation as I have
previously used the same model camera, I had to study the camera I was using before the day of the shooting
so I would know how to use it without spending time figuring how it functions during the shoot. In my
previous unit, I had to previously used the Canon Legria camera for in-camera editing and proven that I
acquire the basic knowledge of in-camera editing, I have used different shots and angles and I have also
improved my timing which is a principle rule in-camera editing.
3. How did you prepare for production in terms of props and costumes?
Props and costumes was planned before I even started to write my synopsis; as I already knew the type of
genre I wanted my film to be based on. Initially the clown mask was meant to be for a different unit and a
different story, but because in my story there is a sinister villain involved I decided to put the scary clown

mask to good use. I already had a vision of how I want to execute the scene, so prior to production I ensured
that all props necessary was in stock for me to be used and I bought additional fake cut throat as the reviews
on it were good and it was budget friendly.
4. How did you manage food supplies?
As my film was lacking in a large budget, I arranged picnic lunches for my cast and crew. I found this
helped me prevent from spending too much money of professional catering and I will know what is added in
the food just in case someone has an allergy. This also prevent from any quantity issues and the cast/crew
were all happy with this arrangement. I made sandwiches as they were easier to make and it is something
that you can’t go wrong with. However, the price for a loaf of bread was £1.50. For a one day shoot I went
through 4 bags which is all together costs £6. I took 4 days to complete my film thus I spend £24 solely on
bread. This excludes fillers. I made sure that the fillings I used were healthy and met all specific dietary
needs. Chicken, cucumber, lettuce, mayonnaise, tomato as fillers.
Chicken: £2.50 x 13
Cucumber: 50p x 10
Lettuce: 70p x 10
(Asda) Mayonnaise: 75p 4
Tomato (6): 69p x 4
Total: £35
5. How did you manage personnel and editing ratios?
As I have filmed a low budget short film, the number of members in my crew was constrained. Director:
Writer and Producer, Camera operator, Make up/Hair Artist, Special effects crew and Sound recordists. I
specialized a unit on editing where I had to go through huge amount of footage and the video logging
procedure took so much time and I had to watch all footages and labeled per its content. When seeing from
an editor point of view, it is better to have less footages to go through. However, since I do not have a lot of
experience it is a challenge for me to keep it down and to get the shots right at the first go.
Time Management
1. What planning did you do to ensure good time management?
I made sure that I arrived on set early on each shooting day so that I could greet the cast and have everything
prepared to start shooting immediately as soon as the cast arrived. Using CALL SHEETS, CONTACT LIST,
PROP LIST and FILM SCHEDULE allowed me to know what I needed instantly.
2. How much time was divided between each section of your production (writing
and development, planning, pre-production, production, editing and other
elements of post)?
I equally divided my time between these sections as I believe they are all incredibly important to the
production of a film. One area I will say that I put a lot of effort into is the pre-production because I felt this
needed the most attention. Collecting evidence to add to my case file was where my main focus was on. The
art team was the biggest team, they dealt with the make-up, props and the evidence collection. Getting this
done first made the other tasks much easier to take on. We spent 4/5 weeks of writing the script and
synopsis, before that story outline beginning middle end. Research and pre-production work took us about 2
weeks. Using call sheets was beneficial when making time between each section of production. The editing
part took ¾ weeks and when brainstorming and capturing ideas took 2 weeks. Filming 2 weeks, all together
15 weeks. 2 months and 3 weeks.

3. How was the team organized to ensure good time keeping of activities?
Before the cast arrived on set I made sure that they knew what they had to do and where they had to be. I
contacted them with casually composed schedules of the shooting days and arranged what the cast could and
couldn't do on certain days. It bought me a lot of time in terms of any re-shoots as I was optimal in time
keeping and did not waste any. I allowed more time for parts that were especially challenging, writing right
and the editing process, drafting getting through all the different rough cuts.
4. How did you maintain good time keeping during the production itself?
Again, I did this by making sure that I and the cast didn't waste time letting everyone know what to do, as
they were already informed and we could get on with it immediately. I maintained good time keeping during
the production by planning the time each shooting day. Time of cast and crew arriving, make-up and props
wearing time, max and min time spent on each shots and break duration. I took all of them into account and
this helped me.
5. Did you finish your project before the deadline date, if not how much extra
time did you require?
I did require extra time for my project, about 2 weeks extra due to members of my cast not being able to do
several days and the location that I needed for my film being unavailable for a certain period of time. I did
make this up by spending the time that we could not shoot planning for when we could.
Monitoring progress
1. What mechanisms were put in place prior to production to ensure good
monitoring of progress?
I often updated my tutor of my progress with the production so that my progress level would be clear
throughout. I had production folder, where I created hard copies of all l the development and pre-production
documentation. Against the work checklist and the tally sheet. I have a physical folder for all of the legal
documents, logistical planning and going through the accordance of the work checklist allowed me to know
whether I was on track. I actually fell behind a little bit during the process of making the storyboard and
whilst working on my treatment. Because of the production folder I was able to self-audit.
2. How effectively did you monitor your progress during the different stages of
production?
Self-audit helped me to monitor my progress amid the different stages of production. I would monitor
progress during each stages. For instance, during the completion of each stages- pre-production, production,
post-production. Monitoring progress for production and post-production due to the amount of details I had
to record. For production; budget, time spent each shoot day, how many scenes I got done in one day,
recording the start and end of each shots for continuity. Doing this was significantly beneficial as I knew
where I had to pick up from.
3. What did the monitoring of progress entail?
For production; budget, time spent each shoot day, how many scenes I got done in one day, recording the
start and end of each shots for continuity. Doing this was significantly beneficial as I knew where I had to
pick up from. For post-production; updating rushes log, ensuring that I digitized rushes every single day of
shoot. Specific names for each shots and the specific one I want to use when there are several similar shots.
4. How were checklists useful to monitor progress?
Having checklists was beneficial when monitoring progress as I knew what I had done and what I need to
get done.

5. Where did you encounter problems with the monitoring of progress?
When I accidently forget to update my progress I found it tricky to get back on track because I forget with
where I left it.
Risk management
1. Before arriving at the chosen venue did you ensure all possible risks had been
explored?
I had to carry several risk assessments before arriving at the chosen venue, I filled out risk assessment sheets
of each locations that I used and before the cast and crew arrived I ensured that all possible hazards are
safely dealt with especially the murder scene in the field.
2. What paperwork / documentation was produced as part of your risk
assessment?
Location limitation, FILM PRODUCTION RISK ASSESSMENT, location recce checklist were just some
of the paperwork I had to produce as part of the risk assessment.
3. How did this help you in the process?
It mentally prepared me for production because already having an idea of what my cast and crew could
come across and any hazards that could potentially delay filming were already evident and every cast
member knew of them.
4. What were particular risks and how did you manage them?
When filming the murder scene in the field was a risk as we didn’t do any hazard search until the day of the
shoot, however, the field was safe. The school was the primary setting meaning that there could be several
potential hazards, for instance wet floor, wires laying around on the floor. Working with the science
department with all the chemicals was my primary worry. However, the technicians were kind enough to get
the room cleaned and prepared for us; this lowered any potential hazards.
5. In the case of a team member being ill or injured how were you and your team
set up to deal with the situation?
I will carry out the health and safety training and if a team member fell ill or get injured on set I will make
them sit or rest to see if there are any improvements or I will take them to the SDC and leave them under the
care of a teacher/nurse.
Crisis Management
1. What areas of possible crisis did you outline?
I found it quite tricky to link the actors within the story. In my film there is a scene where the main character
looks at her phone and she receives a video from an unknown number, as it is a short film I didn’t have the
tine to explain the main character’s family background so I needed an actor that could link to her. The video
shows a man wearing a scary clown mask and has kidnapped the main character’s little sister. Using a minor
was quite tricky as none of us have a younger sibling, and even if we did it will be very hard to make them
to co-operate. However, I decided to act and fill that gap.
2. What particular work did you do to pre-empt crisis?
Drilled everyone in the science lab start of each shoot day. Knowing how to handle equipment’s correctly,
and made sure that there was a physician assistant at the school just in case an accident occurs.

3. What were people’s individual responsibility areas regarding crisis?
Having 2 first aid qualified individuals, someone who carries the contacts for local accident emergencies.
4. How were you set up to deal with a crisis, either in terms of venue, talent no-
shows, crew no-shows, talent or crew illness, equipment failure?
Before doing my storyboard I made sure that the locations I chose was available for me to film, as my
primary location is a school it was easy for me to film whenever I wanted to. Of course there are limitations
especially when there are lessons taking place nearby. In order to avoid any disruptions and clashes I got a
copy of the classroom’s timetable; this allows me to know the days I can use the classroom and during
which periods. I also went to the head of science department to discuss the possibility of filming.
Communication was key and I really am grateful that I got the authorization to film as I didn’t have any
contingency placed in the event that I had no other location.
5. How were you set up to deal with any footage deletion or how did you avoid its
risk?
I made sure that I took precautions just in case I deal with any footage deletion. I did this by digitizing
rushes every single day of shoot.
Maintaining documentation
1. How did you manage your documentation?
I had a checklist of what needed to be filled out and I had my production folder where I kept and managed
all the documentation.
2. What key pieces of documentation did you need to evidence?
The key pieces of documentation I needed to evidence were the call sheets for crews and actors, actor
release form, location limitation, music right agreement, copyright waiver, risk assessment, location recce as
well as the location agreement form. I had to make sure that they were all filled out before I started filming.
3. Were there individual areas of responsibility and how did team members keep
one another informed and up-to-date?
I had different teams to do undertake specific task. For instance, one for make-up, one for props, one for
clothing, someone to do the catering.
4. Did you ensure all the documentation you needed was in place?
Yes. As they were all in my folder it was convenient for me as I didn’t have to carry all the documentation
around with me.
5. Where did you store all of your documents and why?
All of the documents are safely kept in a folder. And kept in a room which will be locked at the end of the
day, so I know all the documents is in a safe room.

Viva voce

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