Practical Portfolio Know How

10 STEPS BEFORE

U

LEAP

1. Research. Go watch some short films. (By 'some' I mean dozens or hundreds, not two.)

Check out:

Tropfest here

Youtube (naturally) here

Short of the Week here

You're not making a feature film, so don't think your viewing of The Revenant is going to be of much help here. Short films are an entirely different form - if you don't familiarise yourself with them, you're DOOMED.

2. Steal. The POINT of watching all those short films is to pinch their ideas. Oh, okay then, 'be open to influence.' Before we innovate, we imitate. It wouldn't kill you to keep the odd note as you watch - note good shots, plots, edits, colours, graphics... whatever. Don't steal entire scenes, but taking ideas from various places is part of a healthy creative effort.

3. Plan. Nobody ever messed up from planning too much. What is it you actually want to achieve? A good film, without making yourself crazy, delivered in time. Without really, really good planning, that's unlikely to happen. So be kind to your future self and get your work done in an efficient and healthy manner. None of this:

4. Consult people who know stuff. That includes teachers and technicians i.e., the people who are paid insane amounts of money purely to help you. If the first time we see your film is after the time you can change it, that's NOT GOOD.

5. Plan the bit that people will remember. I mean, plan everything, but REALLY plan that. What reaction do you actually want? Tears, screams. laughter? Plan for that reaction. Look at films which do it well and copy what they do. Show it to people and don't stop until you get that reaction.

6. Don't start with a guy getting up in the morning. The sequence of shots from the alarm clock, to the bed, to the feet hitting the floor, to the jump cuts / ramped-up footage of breakfast is so familiar I may vomit if I see it again.

7. Be ambitious. The single most common issue with student films is that they are tedious and predictable. You need to aim for more than your peers.

8. If you have to ask if something is okay, chances are it's not okay. Good enough generally isn't good enough.

9. Have more than one idea. Your first idea is the same as everybody else's first idea.

10. But remember the 'rule of one.' Keep it simple; have one location, or one character, or one symbol, or one narrative line.

Production

JOURNAL

The Portfolio journal is something we are really trying to influence/force/beg you do as you make your way through the practical process. Its primary use is to document every step of your filmmaking journey throughout the year. Students who have percevered with the process have gone on to use these journals to produce excellent informative level 7 commentarys.

We implore you to take these seriously if not for us but for your own sanity

Example of Exemplary online Production Journal

Synergy - level 7 film to go with excellent Production Journal

Example of excellent Commentry aided by journal

PLANNING

PROCESS

STAGES

Individual Practial Portfolio document

Consistently watch short films - search for inspiration and ideas

Choose your group and role. You won't be changing this role; make sure you're happy with it.

Bash out your ideas amongst your group - create a comprehensible PITCH in order to sell your idea to me and the class.

Start with a production schedule. Give it some thought and commit to it. Make sure it includes everything on this page and any other big deadlines you have coming up. If anyone doesn't contribute or seems uncertain in their commitment, suggest that they find another group.

Brainstorming. Generate several ideas, not one. Everybody contributes, separately or as a group. Rank ideas in terms of preference, choose one.

Start researching. Research your own role; editing, sound, directing, cinematography, writing. Find the films (or novels, poems, computer games, TV shows... whatever) which are going to be your inspiration. Watch a lot of short films. Make notes and take screenshots. Form an idea of what it is you actually want to do.

Writer; write a treatment. Get it checked.

Writer: use Celtx to draft your script. Arrange a time for the whole team to sit with a teacher and get it checked. Assume you'll need to do a minimum of three drafts of your script.

While the writer is drafting / redrafting the script, the cinematographer/ editor / sound designer / director can be doing the location scouting. Take photos and dound recordings of the location at the time of day you want to use it.

Director: find your actors. Screen test them. Read through and mark up the script.

Book your equipment. Make time to talk to teacher or technician about what equipment will best serve you.

Meanwhile, make sure you are planning your trailer.

Block the script into scenes.

Cinematographer, editor and sound designer (with the director) should be annotating the script with their own ideas.

Director should be annotating the script with instructions for actors.

Cinematographer - create the storyboard. Get it checked.

Sound designer should be making (or organising the making of) any music which is needed.

Director needs to be making sure everything is in place for shooting. Everyone, especially actors, needs to know when and where the shoots will be and what is expected of them.

Paperwork before the shoot - scripts, storyboard, call list, shooting schedule.

Paperwork during the shoot - Sound designer needs the sound sheet. Editor can be logging shots. Director should keep a daily progress report.

Shoot no#1. Check the footage and sound at the shoot and immediately after the shoot. Editor should be logging the shots during and after shooting. Sound designer does the same for the sound. Can start editing as soon as footage is good enough to use.

Repeat shoots until done. Remember to arrange a time to do pick-up shots.

Remember to film any additional footage for everyone's trailers.

Director, editor and sound designer need to get rough cut arranged. Show to a teacher. Assume that you'll be filming again after the first showing of the rough cut.

Get the sound into the rough cut as soon as possible. Footage needs to be edited to the sound.

Keep editing until it is as good as it can be. Sound designer keeps working on sound until it is perfect.

Colour balance, adjust levels.

Final showing of film. Accept praise.

Complete trailer.

Write commentary draft, get checked, redraft.

PLANNING

PRACTICAL

PRODUCTION

PORTFOLIO

Before putting you into groups for a D-Day landing within Film Production, we want you to each have a think about some ideas that you would like to create. Maybe you have something brewing in the back those barnets that may change the world, or change a small proportion of society and maybe just change my opinion of you and some of your weird behaviours.

We would like you to open the following form below and carefully think amongst yourselves to develop a possible idea for a film.

We have provided a blank copy for you to fill in, plus an exemplar example if you wish to check it out.

Practical Portfolio Proposal Doc

Practical Portfolio Proposal Example

ASMANY

ASPOSSIBLE

PICK

GENRE

A

NOTESONFAVOUREDDIRECTORS

CAMERASHOTS/FRAMING

MEANING

MEANWHILEWEWILLCONTINUALLYWATCH&ASSESSSHORTFILMSTILLITSENGRAINEDINTOUS

IMPORTANTshortSTORYPOINTS

Taken from Short Story web page that you must visit

Visual epiphanies are just as important
Moody moments of pure color, texture, and sound
Replacing non-vital dialogue with pure reactions and other meaningful, visual moments.
Don’t Over reach
Single dilemma and resolves it in some way by the end
Chance to attack one major scene or conflict—nothing more.
Highly personal stories
Enclosed environments
Someone we can empathize with.
Set up expectations, then subvert them – unpredictable – twists
Find something positive even in the Darkest Story
Personal Connection with a Unique World View

To include when envisioning your ideas

Bamboozled – Tropfest Winner 2013

Perfect example of an award winning short that encompasses all these traits

STEPBYSTEPshortSTORYcreation

Taken from Short Story web page that you must visit

Don't jump a step - one foot in front of the other

We have spoken alot about what a good short story is.

We have spoken alot of what to do and what not to do with regards to a short story.

BUT, a lot of you still aren't getting it.

A good short film is alot similar to a good short story/novel. A good short story doesn't explore many themes because it wouldn't do justice to that exploration in its minimal form. The same holds true for short films.

Generally the best shorts are are those that laser focus on a topic and flesh out all the meat of that single topic.

You can't be over-ambitious with a short and you can't be lazy either.

You have to draw that fine line between entertainment and exploration.

A good short is generally geared around a single emotion, event or thought in a singular way.

Routine: Make writing and generating ideas something that you do on a regular basis,

Write What You Know: Drawing from your own experiences is a sure-fire way to create believable scenarios and authentic characters. Dig into your past and ask yourself if there are any instances that could be the basis for a film. Once you have a scenario or storyline you can then embellish detail events to make more visually interesting

Game of Opposites: Take a well-known concept and flip it on its head. This is a playful way to brainstorm ideas that go against the grain.

Watch Other Films: This one is self-explanatory. Being a good consumer of art makes you a better artist. It's a great way to mine for ideas. Keep in mind that very few, if any, ideas are truly original. Don't feel bad about taking somebody else's concept and putting your own spin on it. Chances are the filmmaker you're borrowing from did the exact same thing.

Take Batman as an example - the raid/raid 2 - Judge Dredd - Spiderman reboot 100 as feature film examples)

The Magic Notebook: Ideas often come at the worst time: in the shower, when you're out with friends, when you're cooking dinner. It doesn't have to be a physical notebook, but having a way to capture spontaneous ideas as they come to you is essential.

Research: Start doing research about a topic that interests you. Along the way, you'll almost certainly come ac

List Your Resources: As independent filmmakers, our resources are often limited. By listing out the resources you have, whether it's certain locations or props, you can generate ideas that you know you can make.

Keep It Simple: For short films, it's often better that the concept is something extremely simple. Stop thinking about complex plot lines and characters, and instead try building a film around a simple idea.

Live a Little: This goes along with #2. It's much easier to write what you know if your life is somewhat interesting.

In Short:

1. Think of a simple idea/scenario centred around single emotion, event or thought for eg buying a coffee in starbucks.

2. Work out whether your character is male or female - what kind of person are they.

3. Build on a situation that might take place from a simple act of walking into a starbucks to buy a coffee. (the obvious one in this case is he/she is caught in the middle of a robbery.

4. At this point, list your resources, is this actually a viable option? do you have access to a starbucks, or a gun or even that many actors/actresses. if no, go back to the storyboard.

5. Once you have an idea break it down into a 5 act structure, the final act involving if need be a some form of twist.

6. Even in the darkest stories there is light at the end of the tunnel, it may be sick or controversial but for the character it is light.

7. Don't be over ambitious, though don't be lazy - find that fine line between entertainment and exploration.

8. If you have an idea but don't know where to go with it, do some research on the topic it revolves around, something werid is bound to come up which you may find inspirational.

8.5. If you have your idea/topic that you wish to discuss, see if you can turn it on it's head to give it your own individual spin.

9. Take this seriously, and get to it asap 50% of your grade is huge - some of you are taking this very lightly as if to say "i'll pass, it will be fine" you will fail with this attitude, film is time consuming and involves your upmost creative skills in order to achieve, i stress again do not take this lightly.

10 STEPS BEFORE

U

LEAP

Production

JOURNAL

Example of Exemplary online Production Journal

Synergy - level 7 film to go with excellent Production Journal

Example of excellent Commentry aided by journal

PLANNING

PROCESS

STAGES

PLANNING

PRACTICAL

PRODUCTION

PORTFOLIO

Practical Portfolio Proposal Doc

Practical Portfolio Proposal Example

WATCHSHORTFILMS

SHORTFILMSWEBPAGE

TROPFEST

SHORTOFTHEWEEK

ASMANY

ASPOSSIBLE

PICK

GENRE

A

NOTESONFAVOUREDDIRECTORS

CAMERASHOTS/FRAMING

MEANING

MEANWHILEWEWILLCONTINUALLYWATCH&ASSESSSHORTFILMSTILLITSENGRAINEDINTOUS

IMPORTANTshortSTORYPOINTS

Taken from Short Story web page that you must visit

To include when envisioning your ideas

Bamboozled – Tropfest Winner 2013

Perfect example of an award winning short that encompasses all these traits

STEPBYSTEPshortSTORYcreation

Taken from Short Story web page that you must visit

Don't jump a step - one foot in front of the other

We have spoken alot about what a good short story is.

We have spoken alot of what to do and what not to do with regards to a short story.

BUT, a lot of you still aren't getting it.

A good short film is alot similar to a good short story/novel. A good short story doesn't explore many themes because it wouldn't do justice to that exploration in its minimal form. The same holds true for short films.

Generally the best shorts are are those that laser focus on a topic and flesh out all the meat of that single topic.

You can't be over-ambitious with a short and you can't be lazy either.

You have to draw that fine line between entertainment and exploration.

A good short is generally geared around a single emotion, event or thought in a singular way.

Routine: Make writing and generating ideas something that you do on a regular basis,

Game of Opposites: Take a well-known concept and flip it on its head. This is a playful way to brainstorm ideas that go against the grain.

Take Batman as an example - the raid/raid 2 - Judge Dredd - Spiderman reboot 100 as feature film examples)

The Magic Notebook: Ideas often come at the worst time: in the shower, when you're out with friends, when you're cooking dinner. It doesn't have to be a physical notebook, but having a way to capture spontaneous ideas as they come to you is essential.

Research: Start doing research about a topic that interests you. Along the way, you'll almost certainly come ac

List Your Resources: As independent filmmakers, our resources are often limited. By listing out the resources you have, whether it's certain locations or props, you can generate ideas that you know you can make.

Keep It Simple: For short films, it's often better that the concept is something extremely simple. Stop thinking about complex plot lines and characters, and instead try building a film around a simple idea.

Live a Little: This goes along with #2. It's much easier to write what you know if your life is somewhat interesting.

In Short:

1. Think of a simple idea/scenario centred around single emotion, event or thought for eg buying a coffee in starbucks.

2. Work out whether your character is male or female - what kind of person are they.

3. Build on a situation that might take place from a simple act of walking into a starbucks to buy a coffee. (the obvious one in this case is he/she is caught in the middle of a robbery.

4. At this point, list your resources, is this actually a viable option? do you have access to a starbucks, or a gun or even that many actors/actresses. if no, go back to the storyboard.

5. Once you have an idea break it down into a 5 act structure, the final act involving if need be a some form of twist.

6. Even in the darkest stories there is light at the end of the tunnel, it may be sick or controversial but for the character it is light.

7. Don't be over ambitious, though don't be lazy - find that fine line between entertainment and exploration.

8. If you have an idea but don't know where to go with it, do some research on the topic it revolves around, something werid is bound to come up which you may find inspirational.

8.5. If you have your idea/topic that you wish to discuss, see if you can turn it on it's head to give it your own individual spin.

Do you really Get it?

TIPS to get you really started:

The Raid - Indonesian with Welsh Dir

Dredd - American Tripe