A manual operation often overlooked in the focus on electronic operations in a video production is the continuity record keeping or logging process. A written record of each shot is kept on a log sheet in a form that supplies the director and the editor with the information they need to accomplish their tasks. The log registers, in the order of shooting, the shot and take number and the location on the medium (that is, counter, SMPTE time code, or elapsed time). Comments on whether the audio, video, or both were good and why and any other comments the director wants noted also are listed.
The log is invaluable to the editor. If not accurately logged during the shoot, the cassettes, discs, or drives must be previewed and logged in real time during postproduction-a slow and painstaking procedure.
One person, whose main responsibility is logging, should keep the logs; this person’s title in a large crew may be “continuity assistant” or “secretary.” In a smaller crew, the director or an assigned production assistant may be in charge of logging. The importance of this function cannot be ignored. The person keeping the log must be familiar with the critical aspects of continuity and well versed in that particular production.
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November 7th, 2008 | Tags: filmmaking, log, production, record, sheet | Category: Multimedia Production | Comments (1)
Low budget filmmaking is a process that can at times be arduous, but the pay-off is one of the most creative forms of fulfillment that can be achieved by a modern day storyteller. It is with this concept that we will cover some of the most basic steps of low budget filmmaking. Keeping these rules in mind will prove to be a savvy move.
Spend sometime and get to know your camera and its features before your shoot. Practice shooting simplistic scenarios. Familiarize yourself with the instruction manual, take nothing for granted. This could save you hours of critical time during low budget filmmaking projects.
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November 5th, 2008 | Tags: budget, filmmaking, production | Category: Multimedia Production | Comments (1)
A production budget form can be quite extensive, up to 30 pages or more in length. However, different budget forms are available for different needs. The sample production budget form can download in here, that forms is widely used in the industry. It is also available as part of a computer software package.
Cash-Flow Sheet
Once the production manager has established the final budget, he or she may be asked to work out a ash-flow chart, particularly in low-budget productions in which a production accountant will not be hired until the shooting actually begins. No established form exists for the cash-flow chart; the PM is free to design one to meet the production’s specific needs.
The cash-flow chart details the expenses and financial requirements of the entire production period, usually on a weekly basis. It is required to determine the amount of money needed at any given time during the production. To ensure a continuing stream of money, the producer must be able to advise the financiers or bank on a weekly or monthly payment schedule. Because payroll is due weekly, the common cycle is a week. The cash-flow chart also helps to determine whether the production is still operating within budget. This financial blueprint serves as a cost-controlling device as well. Budgeted and actual expenses are compared, and differences are quickly spotted.
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November 2nd, 2008 | Tags: budget, filmmaking, production, script | Category: Multimedia Production | Comments (3)
The job of the Director is to “drive the bus.” All of the other crew positions are coordinated by the command cues the Director gives as the show commences. To know “what to say and when to say it,” the Director will primarily rely on the script, the rundown, and the critical timing information regarding any roll-ins (video clips). The language the Director uses when giving these command cues is like a shorthand. It allows one person to communicate with the entire crew in an efficient manner. Learning the language is easy. Performing the language live is something else entirely. No matter how well written the news program may be, no matter how skilled and experienced the producing staff and anchors, the show will fail if the Director cannot coordinate the production effort.
Directing is like running in front of a train. Either you are leading the train down the tracks, or being run over.” In live television, there is no “time out” beyond that which is built into the show (commercial breaks)
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October 28th, 2008 | Tags: command, director, filmmaking, production, television | Category: Multimedia Production | Leave a comment
When the image makes it through the lens it gets recorded in various ways by a small chip located near the lens, called the charge-coupled device (CCD). There are two sorts, determined by which kind of camera you have:
- Single-chip. These dominate the lower, domestic end of the market. It collects over 300 000 pixel bits of information, which sounds a lot but is considerably less than the three-chip.
- Three-chip. This one is found in any of the better camcorders in the mid and upper ranges. The big difference here is that there are three chips, each gathering 300 000 bits of information, but this time each chip gathers just one colour each: red, green or blue. The single-chip gathers all colours together and so has to squeeze all three groups of information into one chip. The additional quality of the three-chip is worth about an extra 20 per cent in terms of picture and colour resolution.
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October 27th, 2008 | Tags: camera, filmmaking, format, image, record | Category: Multimedia Production | Leave a comment
Most lighting isn’t neutral. Most light contains a color cast that tints the objects in a shot. Even if you can’t see the tint with your eye, it makes a difference to the camera. Depending on lighting conditions, the light in a location may have a blue or a yellow tint that colors everything you see. The human eye and brain do a remarkable job of compensating for differences in lighting, so most of the time people don’t even notice a tint unless it’s really strong. If you stand next to a red light bulb, you’ll notice it’s turning everything around you red, but most people don’t notice that everyday light bulbs make things look yellow. Cameras, however, don’t compensatethey record the lighting conditions in an environment, for better or worse.
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October 26th, 2008 | Tags: camera, filmmaking, lighting, white balance | Category: Multimedia Production | Comments (1)
The final consideration in lighting equipment actually is a part of the camera operation, but the problem starts with the source of light. All light sources are not equal in their actual color. The human eye and mind compensate for this variation by creating the illusion that light within a certain range appears white. Actual measurement of the color of light is in degrees Kelvin, based on the color of a carbon heated and measured at certain temperatures. The lower the Kelvin temperature, the more reddish yellow the light appears; the greater the Kelvin temperature, the bluer the light appears.
There is no actual “white light” on the Kelvin scale. Typical candlelight measures less than 1,800 K. An ordinary incandescent light bulb measures 2,800 K. Professional tungsten-halogen lamps measure 3,200 K. Daylight varies from approximately 4,000 K to more than 12,000 K, but the standard is considered 5,400 K. The lower the Kelvin temperature, the “warmer” the color is; the greater the Kelvin temperature, the “cooler” the color is.
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October 24th, 2008 | Tags: color, filmmaking, lamp, lighting, production, temperature | Category: Multimedia Production | Leave a comment
The script breakdown sheet is the single most important production form during this phase because all future reference and production work will be based on it. Anything missing in the breakdown sheet is likely to be missed during the shoot on the set, and thus will be missed on the screen. It is essential that the utmost care be taken during this step of production. The Production Manager creates a separate breakdown sheet for each scene in the screenplay. Eventually, the number of breakdown sheets must equal the number of scenes in the screenplay.
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October 23rd, 2008 | Tags: filmmaking, tutorial | Category: Multimedia Production | Leave a comment
Film Camera Report by NCSA
A camera report must accompany every roll of film that is shot and sent to the lab for processing. The information on the report is used by the lab to make certain the film is processed and returned correctly and is also used by the editor to locate and identify shots during editing.
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October 22nd, 2008 | Tags: camera, filmmaking, sheet | Category: Multimedia Production | Leave a comment
Stage 1: Planning
The first stage of making a movie is centred on getting the film developed as much as possible before you start shooting. Substantial changes during shooting are expensive and disrupt continuity, or worse can result in a discordant and messy film. Good planning means that when you start shooting you go through a smoother process. You will encounter surprises and have to make changes here and there, but planning means you encounter more of the right sort of surprises and know how to solve the less welcome ones. The aim is to let your ideas grow and develop to a point at which you know every aspect of the project better than anyone else. You know the relative significance of each part of the story, the kinds of motifs and ideas that are running through it, and the kind of atmosphere that is to dominate.
In a sense, when you commit your ideas to paper you are taking them out of the comforting darkness of the imagination, where you don’t notice the loose ends and rough structure of a film, and exposing them to light. Some aspects of your ideas survive, some don’t, but it is better that the project changes now than later. Work on paper is cheap but work on film is expensive. An hour of scriptwriting can save you a day of shooting and a week of editing later in the process.
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October 22nd, 2008 | Tags: filmmaking, tips, tutorial | Category: Multimedia Production | Comments (1)
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