Practical and Technical Problems

3.1 Solve practical and technical problems within a creative media production project

Working with Children

Despite not planning on working with anyone particularly young, I do plan to be working with and filming those under the age of 18, meaning I must look into how to overcome the issue and problems that come with working with children on set.

Channel 4’s main areas they talk about within the guidelines can be seen in the image below.

I will be using these points as a way to structure my research, and to ensure that I cover all areas of the subject. It is vital that I do not miss any points, as working with under 18s includes different legal factors to think about.

Ensuring the child’s safety

Working with children is a brilliant opportunity, as they give great viewpoints to certain subjects. In my case, I have chosen to work with under 18s because I want to represent the younger generation who have misophonia. I want the people growing up to understand what it is, so that in future generations, misophonia is well known and understood.

For that to happen however, the child’s contribution to the production must be kept safe, both physically and mentally. It’s important to note that no person is the same; children will have come from all sorts of different backgrounds and had different experiences, so being mindful of this is necessary in ensuring they are not caused with ‘unjustified distress or anxiety’.

The simple way to put this is that when filming with under 18s I must be mindful of their situation. Even if am given parental/guardian consent for the child to be a part of the production, their health, safety and wellbeing must always come first.

The three areas I should be thinking about when working with an under 18 are:

The particular circumstances
The nature of the programme
The individual(s) concerns

If I think about these 3 points, and am able to treat them with respect, then I will be able to ensure the child’s safety in my production.

The child’s participation within the production

When working with anyone under the age of 18, parental consent is required. This means that the parent/guardian must sign a consent form for their child to be a part of the production. The childs contribution should be written clearly, stating exactly what they are doing.

To ensure that the child wants to be a part of the production and is happy to contribute, it may also be necessary to explain what they need to do in a way in which the child can understand. Sometimes children can see their parents as someone they can’t say no to, so getting the children to understand what they would be doing is important too. To ensure they understood what was said, asking the child to repeat back what as said may be necessary too.

When speaking with a child who may have ‘vulnerabilities, such as mental health issues, learning difficulties or physical health conditions’, speaking the parent/guardian to understand how to address and communicate with them appropriately is a good idea. This will be something that I have to think about as working with people who have misophonia, I don’t want to trigger them and cause any unwanted distress.

Channel 4 state that under 16s should ‘not be asked for views on matters that may be beyond their comprehension or capacity to answer without the consent of an appropriate adult’. This will be something to think about too – I may think about passing the questions I want to ask the under 16 through the parent/guardian first to ensure they are okay to be asked.

Furthermore, for the child’s safety, if a name and location is being used, only their first name, and a large location should be used. This is all subject to the situation the child is in, so research should be done into whether they are in a safe situation to have their name/face shown.

Licenses and DBS Checks

Gov.uk states that:

A child may need a licence if they’re under school leaving age and taking part in:

· films, plays, concerts or other public performances that the audience pays to see, or that take place on licensed premises

· any sporting events or modelling assignments where the child is paid

As my production is not paid work and I am not going to be making any money off of the production, I do not need a child licence for under 18s to be a part of my productions. However, this is good to know for future productions.

When working with children, production crew members should have up-to-date DBS checks. DBS checks are essentially background checks; they ensure that the person is safe to work with children. I already have one of these from one Unit 9’s client project where I worked with children at a dance school, so this is great. Some production companies require you to keep an up-to-date DBS check (e.g. 3 years) but as I am my own production company this is not required. Despite saying this, I have only had mine for 4 months so this is very up-to-date.

Harvard References

Websites

www.channel4.com. (n.d.). Filming with under-18s | Channel 4. [online] Available at: https://www.channel4.com/4compliance/compliance-guidelines/filming-under-18s.

www.bbc.co.uk. (n.d.). Guidance: Working with children and young people as contributors. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/guidance/children-young-people-working#:~:text=We%20must%20take%20due%20care

GOV.UK. (n.d.). Child employment. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/child-employment/performance-licences-for-children#:~:text=A%20child%20may%20need%20a.

Working with Vulnerable Contributors

I not only have to think about working with under 18s, but also the fact that these contributors have misophonia, a neurological disorder too. Though this disorder does not impact upon the way they think and feel, when triggered, their reactions may be unpredictable.

When working with under 18s who have misophonia, I should ask the parent/guardian or someone who knows them well, the best way to deal with their reactions if they were to be triggered and have a reaction. People have different types of ways in which they react to triggers (flight or fight), so it’s important that I am able to understand this.

However, the easiest way to prevent this from happening is to not trigger them at all. As stated, people are all different, meaning not everybody’s triggers are the same. It’s important that I speak to both the interviewee under 18 and their parent/guardian to discuss their triggers beforehand. Not only will this ensure that I do not cause any reactions, it will also make the interviewee feel a lot more comfortable with me being there and speaking to them in person.

The image below shows BBC’s guidelines with working with a vulnerable contributor who cannot give informed consent. Though I do not intend on speaking with anyone who lacks the capacity to give informed consent, this is useful for future projects.

When working with contributors who may have particular needs in terms of their physical, mental, emotional or personal state, careful consideration should be taken. If I were to be working on a large production, it would be important to take advice from professionals and, if appropriate, those that care/know the person well.

In the particular situation I am in, working with those who have misophonia will consist of being conscious and considerate. Ensuring that I am always conscious about what I am doing, as actions like pen tapping are common triggers, and I understand that I do this. In terms of being considerate, this might require having to adapt the production techniques I use in order to suit their needs and requirements. For example, when attaching lavalier mics to the interviewees, it may be required to explain how they are able to do it themselves because they may not want me too close to them – breathing is a common trigger.

Harvard References

Websites

www.bbc.com. (n.d.). Guidance: Working with contributors including vulnerable contributors or contributors at risk of vulnerability. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/editorialguidelines/guidance/vulnerable-contributors/.

Storyboarding Scene 1

Whilst beginning the storyboarding stage, I am across a problem. I knew that I wanted to include a shot or two to show the character walking down stairs in the introduction scene, but because I couldn’t include any shots of the face within this (in order for it to fit within my style) I needed to think outside of the box. To overcome this issue, I found a video by Film Punk, titled, ‘How to film stuff – Stairs l Zero Budget Filmmaking Tips’. This is a great video because it is all about the problem I have encountered, and includes the fact that I do not have a budget. This video can be seen below.

A particular shot he discusses which caught my eye can be seen below.

I think this would be quite a nice way to begin the scene as it shows movement and something happening. I could also direct the actor to act slowly with their hand trembling very slightly. This is to show uneasiness. Furthermore, with it being black and white, I think this could fit in really well with the style I’m trying to create. I do think however that I would change the framing of it as it doesn’t fit the style I'm after. I think I would cut it in closer and pull the camera right so much that it is above the bannister. I would then angle and tilt it so its inline, creating a face-on look at the end of the bannister, where the hand will be placed. The hand can then come down and enter the top of the frame slowly, cutting to the next shot...

My idea for the second shot is for it to show the character walking down the steps. Just as I have discovered in the first shot, and in order to follow my style, I think that focus on a particular point on the character would be good. It needs to be ominous and not reveal too much, but also be able to tell the audience that the character is walking down stairs. I want to focus on the feet/legs for this shot, as this shows direction and movement, whilst still being ominous and unsettling.

As I want to focus on the feet, there are a two different shot types that could fit for my style. An image of the two shot types can be seen below.

Option 1 demonstrates the opportunity to position the camera through the gaps within the banister, with the foot landing centre of frame. The two positives to this shot are that it fits better with the style and that the banister poles help indicate the isolation the character feels. A negative is that it is quite a short shot, so should it just be that one shot or should it be combined with the other too.

Option 2 shows a wider shot, with the character, center, walking down the stairs towards camera. There are opportunities for variations within this shot, as height and tilt can make a big impact on the emotion felt. The positives of this shot are that the central positioning helps make it feel eerie and abnormal and that the shot allows for the actor to portray great levels of emotion (slow plodding and dragging along the floor – to show lack of want to go downstairs).

Now that the audience have understood that the character has been called down for dinner, and have seen two progressive, unsettling shots to show the movement of them going downstairs, the next shot needs to show them sitting at the table. Once again, I want to only show one section of the characters body, and keep a static central shot too. The idea is to position it centered with a chair, and the characters in from the side of frame and sits – we only see their chest and lower neck. The image below shows my sketch for this shot.

The choice to make here is whether they should come from left or right of frame; this could impact upon the flow of the piece and make it jarring to watch. I have figured that there are two different sequences I could create.

Sequence 1: Shot 1 moving right, Shot 2 moving right, Shot 3 moving right

Sequence 2: Shot 1 moving right, Shot 2 moving down, Shot 3 moving left

Sequence 1 keeps the character moving right in frame the entire duration of the scene. This makes it feel sequencial and in order, making it more pleasing to watch. Sequence 2 makes the sequencing of the shots feel cyclical and somewhat directional. The image below shows how the sequences look laid out.

To understand more about how this might look in video form, I have created a quick demonstrative video that showcases sequence 1. This video can be found below.

After watching it back, I think it was okay but there are definitely things to change/learn from:

The pacing is too fast. There is no suspense and no chance for the audience to feel anything. This can be altered by the movement of the actor and the editing.
The music is too loud, it needs to slowly build up in preparation for the next section of the scene. This bit where the character is walking downstairs should not be the most suspenseful.
Lighting is too bright and/or the colour grading for black and white is not representative of the black and white in horror.

Using the same footage, I decided to try and use some editing techniques to improve it – make it feel more suspensful. This video can be seen below.

What I tried to do was ultimately slow it down. The previous video was too quick, so there were a few different techniques I used to do this. These incude:

Use of black screens to show time skipping and further suspense. The idea of not seeing visuals can be unsettling and disturbing.
Heartbeat sound effects show suspense and add character. The audience are better able to understand how the character is feeling
Slowing the footage down to 80% draws the video out and adds suspense. I understand that as I didn’t shoot it again in a higher shutter speed, it looks choppy, but the principle is there.
The music comes in later (when the first visual is seen), and at a much lower volume. I used the constant power effect and added it to the start of the audio file. I then extended this effect by dragging it to the right, allowing for a much longer, drawn out suspense.

I am much happier with the result of this video. I understand it is not perfect but I did create the video very quickly, only thinking about composition of framing so I am not worried about this too much. The actual concept of it I like, and I think if I were to slow I down even more through the actors movement, it would feel a lot more suspenseful. Overcoming this problem has allowed me to be more confident and prepared for the preproduction stage of producing storyboards.

Harvard References

Videos

www.youtube.com. (n.d.). How to film stuff - Stairs | Zero Budget Filmmaking Tips. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeaxMcVYhU0

Interviewee not wanting to be on camera

A problem that I am going to have to overcome is the fact that my brother, one of the interviewees, does not want his face on camera. He is happy for parts of his body to be in the frame, but not his face. This means that I will not be able to do the conventional interview set up that I will be doing with other interviewees.

Ultimately, there needs to be some sort of visuals on screen whilst he is speaking. If there are no visuals, engagement could be lost and this is not ideal at all. There are two different ways that I am able to overcome this issue.

Use of b-roll – this is a good idea as it allows me to pair visuals that relate to what is being said. The idea with this b-roll is to have it in slow motion. Slow motion separates this video content from the interview style video and helps to give a cinematic feel too. This cinematic feel is important because the visuals are what is important in this situation.
Use of audio waveform – an audio waveform effect on screen may be a good alternative to the camera-shot interview. It allows the audience to view visuals and understand that they are supposed to be listening to the audio. This waveform on screen essentially becomes the face of my brother, so when the audience see this, they know who is speaking.
Silhouette interviews – this is more of a stylistic choice to overcome the problem: it involves filming the interviewee with only a backlight, meaning they cannot be seen. It would technically overcome the problem, but I don’t think it would be the best choice for my documentary. I feel as if it is too ominous and therefore not a good stylistic choice. I want my brother to be seen as a normal teenager, not some ominous character.

I am making the conscious decision to disregard option 3, and use options 1 and 2 to overcome the problem. I am happy with the concept and idea of filming b-roll as this can be planned regarding the questions asked.

I do now have the problem of having to understand how to create audio waveform visual effects. To overcome this issue, I watched this Youtube tutorials explaining how to do it in After Effects. I decided on using After Effects as this is something I have a few years of experience with and have access to at home and college too. This will be very important in the post production stage, as I want to be able to access all of my files from both working environments. The video I watched can be seen below.

Using this tutorial, I followed the steps carefully and even used my own knowledge and improved upon the final product too. By this, I mean that I was able to add the effect ‘glow’ to improve upon the visual looks of the audio wave aesthetic. My final edit can be seen below – for the purpose of this edit I used some music to interact with the audio wave.

Harvard References

Videos

www.youtube.com. (n.d.). How to create Reactive Audio Spectrum Waveform Effects in Adobe After Effects (Tutorial). [online] Available at: https://youtu.be/iJimO9Oftqo

Erin's interview video is vertical

Something I did not think about during the interview process with Erin was the fact that she was recording with her phone vertically, and therefore the aspect ratio for the video is 9:16, not 16:9 like it should be. It’s a real shame that I did not realise or even think about this when speaking with her on Zoom, as the outcome of it is that it looks slightly out of place compared to the rest of the interviews. To overcome this issue, I used the AI generative fill tool on Adobe Photoshop to generate a fake background. The video below shows the process I took to do this.

The main techniques I used within photoshop to achieve the final result was firstly, the use of the marquee tool and generative fill tool. The marquee tool allowed me to create a selection on the layer, which the generative tool then prompted me to write what I want. The generated portion of the image looked okay initially, but it took a few attempts to get anything that looked real. After finding something that I was happy with for both sides of the frame, I then went in with the spot healing brush and healing brush tools to correct any distortion and smoothen colours. To help smoothen the colours on the wall, I copy and pasted portions of the wall, merged the layer down, and continued to use to healing brushes.

The final outcome of this I’m actually really happy with, as I think it acts as a great way to make it feel far more a part of the documentary and not distant from other interviewees.

However, the other problem that lies is that for the shot of Erin walking from side of frame and sitting down, she suddenly appears underneath the background, exposing the fact that the background is separate. There is a decision that I need to make here: is this actually okay because it is common on Zoom calls to have blurred/fake backgrounds to help disclose the background of the participant. This issue can be seen in the video below.

Now that I watch it over, though it’s not perfect, it does still do the job I need it to do, so is it really that big of deal? To add to this, it’s only for a split second and something that the audience will simply look over. If, within the edit I later decide not to use the shot, then so-be-it, but currently, my thoughts are that I should keep it as it links with Jolene’s intro shot too.

Understanding how to join clips together

When accidently cutting a clip with the razor tool, or deciding I don’t want it cut there anymore, I needed to reconnect the clips back together. What I usually do is hit ctrl z to undo, but in this instance, as I had been working on the edit for the past few minutes, I didn’t want to undo everything I had done. To overcome this issue, I searched up how to merge clips together. I came across this video, https://youtu.be/eO41wY9l7xA, where I learnt that if you right click in between the two clips, an option for ‘join through edits’ comes up. Upon clicking this, the clips are now merged together.

Harvard References

Videos

www.youtube.com. (n.d.). How to Join Clips Together in Premiere Pro. [online] Available at: https://youtu.be/eO41wY9l7xA

Facebook group members unable to watch documentary

When arriving back home, I checked up on Facebook and my google forms survey to see if I had any more comments and feedback – to my surprise I actually had a few comments and likes on my facebook post. My post had been approved by an admin on the largest misophonia group out of them all, so I was able to get more views on the post. I had a few comments suggesting feedback which was great and really useful, so I made sure to leave a kind response to this. However, there were also a few comment suggesting that they couldn’t view the YouTube video on the google forms and that they really wanted to watch it. An example of this can be seen in the image below.

Therefore, to overcome this issue, firstly I responded to the message with the direct link to the YouTube video so they could easily watch the video, and secondly, added the link to the description in the google forms. This way, if anybody else has the issue of not being able to view the video, they can use the link in the description instead. Both of these methods of solving the problem can be seen in the images below.