Research and Development for Media Production

Well, it’s the last post! My essay is complete, proof read and referenced and my production design folder is finished, supported by Andrea's script. I seem to have come a very long way from my initial idea of writing and developing a screenplay... and then research into animation techniques...I think it's really interesting how one idea can turn into another, and then spin off in a completely different direction. But this has turned out well for me, because I have found something I want to pursue in the industry. I have really enjoyed researching the history of production design as it has given me a good grasp of where the art began and how it developed with the times and technology. Carrying out case studies of the production design on acclaimed films and examining major production designers and their techniques has facilitated my own practical work greatly, as I have used many of their methods in the process of developing an environment for ‘Burning Ambition.’ Wynn Thomas gave me the idea to create a folder of ideas as a catalyst for all the hands –on work to derive from. He believes everything you need to go on to develop and produce the entire settings for a film will be in this folder, and this is what I have created. My folder is full of swathes of material, wallpaper, colour schemes, furniture ideas, apt objects for the Victorian era, costume and hair design, newspaper clippings, and visual metaphors which support the thematic content of the script. (Examples of all of these are in my critique for Burning Ambition, part three of my essay.) When the film gets on its feet, and into production, the folder I have created will be very valuable. Andrea is very pleased with my work to date, and I am going to be heavily involved with the hands-on production design when the film gets up and running. This module has really helped me discover and get to grips with an area and occupation that I am now very enthusiastic about. I have been lucky enough to have this fantastic opportunity, and can’t wait to take my production design further… keep a look out for Burning Ambition in the near future!
This module has helped me develop theoretical skills via my essay, formal skills via my opportunity in the industry, meetings and interviews with the director and writer, technical skills via the modification and colour selection of images and materials on photoshop and practical skills via the creation of my production design folder.
I am extremely pleased with the work I have accomplished throughout this module. I feel like I have learnt a great deal, worked hard and achieved a lot.

N.B
My blog did not start until later on in the year as I was absent for a few months, my PEC form can be provided if necessary- just send me an email.

I am still progressing on my folder at present, so far I have covered; scenes from the fire, The design and colour scheme for the working class kitchen in contrast to the design and colour scheme for the upper class parlour, and the dark, dank interior of the Dunn Cow pub. I have looked at furniture and accessories, wallpaper and flooring choices, set layout, colouring and how all of this will help portray the narrative themes and character development within the script. I still need to do the Victorian shop front and the overall colour palette for the finished production as well as develop the fire and water theme I want to highlight as an undertone to the piece. For example, when Mrs. Pattinson, the working class protagonist, reminisces of her childhood years by the river, she talks of the ship sails being like 'angels wings'. I want the water/nautical theme to run throughout the piece as a portrayal of the working class dreams and ambitions. I will try and scan some of my colour schemes on to my PC and see if I can upload them so you know what i'm talking about!
I have another meeting with Andrea to show her my aesthetics so far on 14th May, where I will hopefully also be meeting the producer for the film.

There is a Super 16mm film on at the Baltic (until 10th May if anyone is interested!) which has been really useful in relation to 'Burning Ambition'. 'The Gainsborough packet' is a work by Matt Stokes based on a letter written in the 1800's by a local man called John Burdikin. I wish i had found this earlier! Burning Ambition is also set in the 1800's in Newcastle and Gateshead. This has been extremely useful, as up until now i have struggled to find works on the Victorian working class, as websites and books on Victorian England seem to ignore the lower classes, only painting and documenting the rich and affluent upper classes lifestyle and attire. The letter by John Burdikin has been utilised as inspiration for the lyrics and music of a contemporary folk song on the short film, which in turn traces Burdikin's life and adventures.
Also, since I last wrote, I have been down to the Quayside with my camera and snapped up loads of good pictures of the Victorian buildings which still stand today (I.e the Guildhall)and others which I think could be used as a starting point for the design of, for example, Mrs. Shields' shop and the Dunn Cow Inn. I was particularly interested in the old stone work of many of the buildings, as it has given me inspiration for a colour palette for the film.
All written work is finished, (going to ask a lecturer to give it a once over before it is handed in though) but for now i'm still putting my folder together for Andrea, back to the pritt stick!

Check out my Victorian character design which is under 'My Media' link below, i did them on Photoshop... let me know what you think! Can you tell the different classes and occupations from their attire and hairstyles?

Busy week! I had an interview with Andrea Sutherland on Friday to discuss how she envisioned her film, 'Burning Ambition'. I told her all my ideas to date, and showed her my research and colour schemes, ideas for the design of the 'Dunn Cow' working mans inn, John Dobsons home, and the Pattinson's kitchen- the 3 main settings for the film. We also discussed Victorian costume and furnishings. I told Andrea an idea that i had conceived whilst reading her script; In the script, the architect John Dobson states that he always puts the elaborate designs on the top of his acclaimed buildings, so that the working class could enjoy them and would no longer walk around heads bowed and stand up straight to admire them. I told Andea that the buildings in 'Burning Ambition' should therefore always be above the eyeline of the working class characters, representing that they were always striving for something higher and had aspiration and ambition. I think it is fair to say that Andrea was very impressed with my work so far! She asked me to design some costume for the characters which would portray their individual personalities, and reflect their class status. So this is what i have been doing over the weekend on Photoshop. I have so far created the costume design for the characters of the Patinson family, The Dobsons and Mrs. Shields. I have also looked at costume as a whole for any extras in varying class status that will be needed when the film is shot. I still need to gather some fabric samples, and a few photographs of the Victorian buildings which still stand on the Quayside today. I think i shall do these this afternoon, as i have finally finished my written work for this module, and can now can concentrate on finishing off all my practical work up untill hand in! nearly there...!

Lots has happened since I last posted! I am almost finished my mini dissertation/essay on the role of the production designer, and the research I have done has given me great insight into this role. I really wanted to have a go at it myself, so emailed lots of local screenwriters and directors to see if they would let me have a go at creating a sort of mood board/initial idea scrapbook for their work, concentrating on set/costume/colour schemes etc. A local screenwriter, Andrea Sutherland has since been in touch with a script she has written called 'Burning Ambition' which is about the class system of Victorian Newcastle, set against the tragedy of the great fire of Newcastle and Gateshead in 1854. The script was originally for theatre, and has been performed at Newcastle Keep. Andrea now would like to turn the production into a short film and is kindly letting me create a production design portfolio for her work, which i am now in the process of and will also submit as part of my R&D module! So for now, i am up to my eyeballs in Victorian stuff and will write soon!

Well, after my last post I have had a tutorial and a casting workshop. The casting workshop with Yvonne Boyle was really interesting and we experimented with mod rock, fimo and plaster to make casts of objects that would be used as props in film and animation. I took a cast of a face and hand. These can be utilised in film as exact fitting masks for the actor in order to make it look realistic. Mod rock was first cut into strips and placed in water. The material was then placed over the subjects face and left to harden. Once it had set, the mask was removed and was an exact replica of the subjects face. We then flipped over the mask and covered the inside with vaseline before filling it with plaster. After the plaster had set, the mask peeled away and we were left with both a positive and negative replica of the actors head. This technique is very common in creating aesthetic special effects for film.
When i last wrote, i also mentioned that i wanted to find out the brief for the third year project so i could use this module in order to give me some insight into the preparation for it. I found out that the brief can be either animation or film, roughly 10m long.
My tutorial with Robert Jefferson was useful as we discussed my initial idea for this module and it seemed too broad. I was advised to pick a role perhaps that i was interested in within a film/animation crew, and research their occupation developing my ideas from there. As my strength lies in set and art design for my projects, I am going to look at the role of production designer on films and animations.
Production designer is a term used in the movie and television industries to refer to the person responsible for the overall look of a filmed event such as films, TV programs, music videos or adverts. Production Designers have one of the key creative roles in the creation of motion pictures and television. Working directly with the director and producer, they must select the settings and style to visually tell the story.
From early in pre-production, the production designer collaborates with the director and director of photography to establish the visual feel and specific aesthetic needs of the project. The production designer guides key personnel in other departments such as the costume designer, the key hair and make-up stylists, the special effects director and the locations manager (among others) to establish a unified visual appearance to the film.

Hello!
Welcome to my blog. I have been absent for a couple of months and although i haven't updated, i have been working!
Within this module, students are expected to follow a personal programme of research work within the following areas; film and video, animation or scriptwriting.
My original proposal for this module was to put forward a project which was to concentrate on an idea I had for a feature length film, a court room drama. I have so far written a plot treatment for the narrative of the film (which has taken weeks of preparation!)and I will include the treatment in my portfolio. After a tutorial however, I was advised to make this project link in with my specialist practice, ‘animation’ so that I could put all research and knowledge gained to good use in my Year 3 project.
So I have scrapped the script and started a fresh.
Below, I have put together a brief outline of the what's and how's i am going to go about this module.
My new proposal is to centre on my animation skills. I aim to research into all aspects of the production of a claymation, as this is the medium I will use in my third year work. I particularly want to find out about the production of set and puppet design, so that my final piece can be up to a high standard within the industry. I want to learn about lip syncing, armatures, and props, develop my camera, lighting and editing abilities by practicing and experimenting with claymation tests and examining my second year projects.
Before I commence work on my portfolio for this module, I want to have an inkling on the project I am to commence for my third year project. This is so any queries or problems that may arise in the making may be dealt with as part of this research and development module.
Once I know what my third year project is, I will know what exactly needs to be researched into and developed further. If I need, for instance, my puppet to execute a certain movement, I will have to do tests into how to make that movement smooth and lifelike. I will have to work out what sort of armature is needed and how to make it work within the surroundings and set that will be utilised, and also within conjunction with any other puppets that may be needed.
Areas to be looked into and researched:
1. Set production, props, scene construction.
2. Puppet design, armatures, lip- syncing,
3. The process of creating a claymation and the techniques needed to produce a high standard piece of work.
So... next time I write i am going to try and have a start on my portfolio! Until next time then, i am reading 'Cracking Animation' the Aardman book on claymation.
4. Lighting, camera and editing tests.