BBC - Mark Kermode's film blog

Tuesday 24 May 2011

AS-Live: The edit

Working Notes during the edit:

Just wanted to flag up during the edit, we should have had the audience watching the VT so we could gain audience reaction during the sequence. However, we had limited time during the production and certain elements arose that meant we couldn't show it. As we discussed it would have been better to have shown it!

Audience warm up was a little thin on the ground but the few we got we good strong reactions.

We only managed to get shots of the audience on the front row so cutaways were of the same people, but there are some very good reaction shots.

Monday 16 May 2011

AS live: Invites and cue cards

With the help of Dylan, on Wednesday we ran up to CAFT to have a final debrief before they move the set in finalising buzzers, pork pie trophy, lighting, beer pumps.

Spent the last few days organising audiences and contributors via doing invites and producing cue cards.

I've felt getting into the pubs and speaking to everyone face to face builds a rapport and will help on the day and at the same time leaving the landlord/landlady of each pub a list of potential audience members with my contact details.

Since doing rehearsals which I have found very useful, I have felt I am out the loop in terms of linking to the gallery, during the pre-prodcution I feel I should be helping more on scripts and running orders etc but don't want to interfere with the producer and director.

In terms of VTs im very proud of my editors, Cat & Steve on how the have sucsesfully syncronised the two pieces holding the MTV cribs style. one issue on my behalf was the sound on both pieces could be improved and as I discussed with Helen, do back up interview sync which could have gone over the action.

I have been liasing with Emma Norris and Reception re: Security and mananging audiences and equally contributors.

Over and out.

As Live: Closing credits


Came up with an idea for closing credits to extend the show.

In the style of The Hangover end sequence I imagined getting the 2 pubs to take photos/use pictures from a night out at their pub. credits will roll and stylised polaroid photos will be on screen. in the background meanwhile the 'slung' camera 6 will capture the audience moving from the floor through to the main set area and chat to the teams/host. all the while the theme tune will be played over the top.

The Hangover Slide show

Thursday 5 May 2011

Work Placement: Frank Skinner

^^^^ To view the episode click above ^^^^

9:30 Arrived at Maidstone studios

10:00 Met Geoff Miles and he took us on a tour of the set. He talked about working and excelling in the gallery, and working on intense live programming such as the Olivier Awards. Breifed on the task for the day:

11:00 - 6:00
Resize images (from Andy at Avalon) saving to Bitmap and loading to the server via Oxtel. Struggled with the new technology but Cat managed to master it early on so I turned to liasing with Andy and Alastair to ensure the images were spot on and were projected onto the monitors correctly (Frank was very particular on how the images look).
I produced a checklist for Me Cat and Andy to reference and through the monitors ensured we had the correct images to 'ingest' Via Scott, the EVS operator.


Note: There was no actual script just into and outro autocue. Frank uses his own stand up material through out the show.

Director runs through the show sitting on set, he takes the crew through shots via talkback. Perhaps Cat could do the same?

I was a runner at Ascent media where Director Paul was working for Have I got news for you. I dont know if he recognised me though!

Work Placement: From the Hip Productions

At the start of the Easter break I contacted "From the Hip Productions"

based in Godalming, Surrey and let them now I was available for the holidays. A quick response and I was on to work on Tuesday 19th April. I arrived on a hot and sunny day in Godalming and was posed the question, do I want to help out on set, a small studio with tracks and impressive lighting and a kitchen set built in. Or to go to Portsmouth and shoot GVs for a presentation to be shown at a conference for Kenwood.

I chose to go out to Portsmouth as it would prove to be perfect practice for VTs to be shot for As-live the following week. The brief was to capture iconic GVs of Portsmouth (Kenwood originated from Havant) using Sony XD cams (the very same as ours) so we shot:

From the hills above Portsmouth

The Spinaker Tower

HMS Warrior/ The tower

Selsey Castle