Unit 6 Evaluation

Planning and Production Process

Before the group could begin the production process, we needed to establish exactly what our client (The Nuneaton Museum and Art Gallery) required from us. We were given a starting point which focussed around the theme of 'protest', however the client said that we had a lot of scope with the topic and could base the film around any subject of our choice, providing that in linked in with the starting point. 

We split ourselves into smaller groups and brainstormed a great deal of ideas between us, considering carefully how each idea we had linked with the theme of 'protest'. This was particularly useful because it meant that we could discuss any ideas we had between us, everyone's voices could be heard and we really put some thought into where we could take the ideas we had in the production process. After this, we presented our ideas to the rest of the wider group and to the client, as well as Chris, who was the professional animator who helped us to create the short film. In this larger group discussion with the client included, we established that the film had to appeal to a wide range of people from different ages, backgrounds, genders and ethnicities so we had to keep this in mind when creating the film. We eventually agreed on the final idea which was the idea of 'big brother society' and cctv and surveillance because we believed that it is an issue that effects almost everybody. 

After we had decided on the main idea for the film, we needed to build a narrative around it. We again split up into smaller groups and discussed any ideas we had and then fed them back to the wider group so that we could have an in-depth discussion on the storyline. Eventually we agreed upon the story that we used for the production piece and as a large group, we created a storyboard that outlined the narrative in brief and from there, we made a list of the characters that would need to be involved. We were then given the task of creating the characters and sets which was really challenging but very exciting at the same time. I really enjoy creative tasks, so I volunteered to help create the sets. We were split into groups again for this, as we had quite a few sets and characters to make and Beth, Jess and I were asked to make the little brother's bedroom. It was quite time consuming which I had not expected, as we had to add so much detail to each piece of the set in order for it to look good, however it was really insightful because it made me realise just how much effort goes into a stop animation such as Wallace and Gromit. 

I had little experience with stop motion films, as we had only briefly touched on the subject in A-level photography, however Chris guided us through the process and showed us the basics on how to use the stop-motion software DragonFrame before we began filming. In the groups we created the sets and characters in, we began filming using DragonFrame, and Chris talked to us about 'onion skinning' which allowed us to see the previous frame before shooting the next one, so that when we put all of the frames together in post-production, it didn't look too jumpy and staccato. 

Post-Production Editing

In regards to editing, Chris did a lot of the editing using his specialist software as he had more experience with using it than us. However, he did talk us through the process and demonstrate how to use Dragon Frame before we began the filming process.

Client Satisfaction and Feedback

Some time after the project's completion, we received a feedback report from Matt from the museum. Below are some of the comments he made:

• "The tight timetable for the project was ambitious. If we were to do this again a few more workshop sessions would be programmed in. As it was the students showed wonderful commitment in giving their own time to ensure things were completed on time."
• "For the students to be involved in a project from conception to launch, I believe, was very rewarding. I also believe that the practical skills gained were significant, from model making, script writing, sound recording and stop motion photography. This was certainly a broad base of practical skills with a wide application for the future."
• "The challenging timescale of the project gave the students an authentic taste of producing material in a ‘client based’ scenario."

What Went Well and What I Have Learnt

As this was my first experience with a client on a live brief, I found it really interesting and provided me with a good insight into what the media production industry is like; I now have experience with communicating with a client. I think that working as part of a large group was really beneficial, as there was so much work to be done and it was easily divided between everyone which meant that we could stick to our strict schedule and time frame and also produce a high quality production piece. I found it really interesting and useful learning how to use the industry standard software (DragonFrame) and the entire process taught me about how much time and effort goes into making this type of film.

Improvements

Although I believe that the project was very successful overall, there were some aspects that could have been improved. Coming up with the initial idea and the storyline was very time consuming, which meant that we had less time for the actual production of the film and also meant that we over-ran the original schedule which was not ideal. In retrospect, I think it would have been a much smoother process if the client had given us a more specific starting point or at least a few options to choose from, as the topic was so broad.