Blog 6: Project 1_Overview of Project

Our Lecturer introduced details of Project 1: “Portrait of a Location.” The previous week all members of the class were to prepare a concept for this project for today and post it to our blogs. We were divided into groups. Our team is called Team 2 and has three members. We all have individual skills to contribute to the project and learn from each-other.

First of all as a team we all discussed our concepts prepared for today. We decided that each of us with take a turn over the three projects in this first semester of being Director and using our concepts. We took an overview of the work projects for the semester: the two other members will be Directors for the first and second projects and I will be Director for the third Project.

There are four Crew Positions:

o   Director/co-producer

o   Production manager (PM)/co-producer/Art Dept.

o   Director of photography (DP)

o   Sound

In the current project I have the role of Production Manager (PM). Each of the other team members are: Director and DP.

Today we worked on the “Pre-production” stage of the workflow process. We all contributed to each-others functions in our roles and are ready to move now onto the next stage which is ‘Production.’ However, we always have in mind throughout the current and future process, the end-product that results from the ‘Post-production,’ stage which is the finished film.

We discussed the concepts as a team, going down several avenues of thought to experiment creatively with the ideas, give our own slants on them, and discuss how they may materialize and tell the story of the film.

In terms of my role as PM “Guidelines for Crew Positions,” from our Lecturer I have made notes on the following:

Pre-Production:

For pre-visualisation we discussed the Directors ideas of location, the props and how these would conceptually inter-relate. Then we discussed how in reality the props their placement and how they are placed creating suggestions of human actions through e.g. clothing, personal mementos etc.

We also discussed equipment. I will find out about the logistics of taking out camera equipment for this film as follows:

o   Find out the opening times of the department which stores the equipment for use

o   Ask about how much time and procedures in advance of booking equipment and the return of equipment processes. Also, the signing out and back in of equipment.

o   Identify the exact equipment which we require. The Director of the project advised to check if the video recorder has an “SD card” of approximately 32 GB

o   Check that it is in working order including that: the battery is fully charged before going out on site, the tripod is working; pan and tilt arm can move up and down with ease.

o   To make sure the camera has a zoom lens.

o   To take out equipment in advance of going out on site for the Director of Photography and the rest of the team to practice with.

o   Query if there is any additional attachments for the equipment, e.g. covers for cameras for varying weather conditions.

Part of my role is to co-ordinate production schedule. Here I suggested we exchange details. We all now have each-others: e-mail, blogger account email and telephone numbers.

We decided on dates and times for our various activities which are:

o   I will make a booking for equipment for Monday morning for the DP to practice on

o   We have all availability to go out on site Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning

Our location has been selected at Plassey, University of Limerick. We can meet at LIT and go to site by car, with the technical equipment and our own attire e.g. wellies and a raincoat.

I think we have a strong framework and that we work very well as a team…..