As The sunsets on a emotional fairwell for the old 'Drill Hall'

And a prosperous new begining for Thornham and it's comunity 21/09/2013

Plus a sucessful location shoot for 'Thornham & The Drill Hall' -- A Retrospective.
A new documentary from SpringboardTV.com in association with Potential Kinetic Pictures
coming soon (22/10/2013)

Production log : The shields journey

 
The Machine gun memorial shield's removal (Flipcam footage)



The Parade- Kieran on steady cam and myself (Sean Marc Rees) supporting as we follow the journey of the shield from the old 'Drill Hall' to the new Thornham Community centre. (Stills Camera)




The arrival of the sheild being greeted by the crowds awaiting at the new community centre

Thornham Community Centre, The new home for all... including the shield

# Planning & Quick Thinking Vol.2

 ....Dealing with trials and tribulations of location filming

What could possibly go wrong....

1. Two cameras, one SD card?
2. being told your steadycam operator has to walk backwards for quarter of a mile over various hazardous terrains to get the required shots?
3. The vocal speaker for the evening decides to do his speech somewhere completely different from where you discussed and have an elaborate lighting set up placed purposefully for?
4. A monumental crowd of people that are blocking a focal point you need to get in shot?

Yes ladies and gentlemen they all happened......

But with quick innovative thinking they were  mear bumps in the schedule and were overcome with ease.

How we coped?

1. / 2 :

 As UN Orthodox as it may be i decided that we switched SD cards from one to the other, once I simply couldn't not get anymore shots it was time to go mobile. As my positioning was static and my priority was to get the speech I focused on my goal. Knowing that Kieran (Steadycam) was to follow the parade I kept my camera rolling until the very last moment; till there was no more footage i could get. I then quickly passed Kieran the SD card. Leaving the drill hall via seperate doors only to meet up again to support and guide him over a pre planned route (in-reverse by the way) that we would take to stay directly in front of the parade.

3/ 4 :
    After placing a lighting setting up near the shield monument that was to be removed and paraded and mic'ing Mr. Needham who was to deliver a speech near the shield. Late on it became knowledge that due to the crowds he was going to stand on a crate in the opposite side of the hall. We had to act quickly as it was only 10mins till the speech... so I suggested we get a high vantage point. As a team we constructed a high podium using tables from which i could get the required shot of the speech. knowing there was an electrical point near to the new position from the floor plan i had scribed earlier that day. I grabbed a dedo light and backlit the position. So to get the best shot in what is a very dimley lit building. This got us out of one tight spot but posd another problem as I could not get a clear view of the shield and the ceremonial removal of it from the wall. Kieran could not pass through the crowd. Knowing that James often carries a 'flipcam' and ilze had a stills camera. The two of them gathered amongst the crowd to get reacon shots and close ups which could replace the footage lost by the primary camera. Although again not overly athodox but this kind of quick thinking allows you to optimise everyone so creativly come post-production you still have images and footage to work with rather than settling for nothing. Failing that a mobile phone would have surficed.

Recce on the day !

 As producer of the corporate Documentary; I placed it upon myself to arrive earlier in the day prior to the shoot in Thornham which would be commencing at 6pm. I decided that this would allow me sufficient time to scout the area, conduct risk assessments and find prominent angles of which to place the camera. Thus maximising my chances of getting the required shots I needed and having enough time to plan as I personally had never been to Thornham. Using a stills camera I was able to capture the angles I wanted and relay these back to the crew upon arrival so to get them up to speed on where they should be positioned once the crowds arrived.

# Planning & Quick thinking

 

 

......and adapting to your situation when on location

 

 

Before principal photography begins both the producer and Unit production manager (UPM) work to secure as many of the production elements as possible, including a workable schedule and budget. Usually from a production office (springboardTV in our case) during pre-production, they may later divide their time between the office and the set while the film is being shot.

 

The UPM, under the supervision of the Employer, is required to coordinate, facilitate and oversee the preparation of the production unit or units (to the extent herein provided) assigned to him or her, all off-set logistics, day-to-day production decisions, locations, budget schedules and personnel. Without limitation, among the duties which the Employer must assign to the UPM or First Assistant are the supervision of or participation in the following:^[2]

• Prepare breakdown and preliminary shooting schedule.
• Prepare or coordinate the budget.
• Oversee preliminary search and survey of all locations and the completion of business arrangements for the same.
• Assist in the preparation of the production to insure continuing efficiency.
• Supervise completion of the Production Report for each day's work, showing work covered and the status of the production, and arrange for the distribution of that report in line with the company's requirement.
• Coordinate arrangements for the transportation and housing of cast, crew and staff.
• Oversee the securing of releases and negotiate for locations and personnel.
• Maintain a liaison with local authorities regarding locations and the operation of the company.

Highly experienced UPMs bring great value to a project for their strategic and creative problem-solving skills. These individuals will positively affect the film's budget as well as the final outcome and quality of the film on multiple levels.

....BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN????

 

 

 In the case of the Thornham shoot only few members of the crew could not  make the time or location, Key members of the shoot such as the Director and Cameramen. The most vital night shoot of the project and an event which had to be filmed and you only get one take. What do you do?

 

As producer I knew I had to get this right and first time, so i arrived early. It seems so simple but to some it simply goes overlooked. I had never been to Thornham before. I had never seen what the lighting was like. So I arrived early I recce'd the Drill hall noting where electrical points were for the lights, where windows and doors were, possible obstructions or passge ways that would obstruct us getting the shots we needed. Knowing fully well the drill hall was going to be bedlam and filled with un-predictable people.

 

 I also knew that if the director wasnt able to make it. I personally had to take control and adopt the role myself. This is not recomended but in this eventuality imperitive. So I took a camea and i got the shots I needed to bring this documentay to life. So this is what i did.

 

By simply surveying the area i knew when i come to setting up for the actual shoot where my resorces were located and at the drop of a hat i could make a decision that could ultimately salvage the shot I needed if jepordised by unforseen circumstances... which belive me it occured!

 

 

 

Meeting the client

 
   Most Importantly You Must Build Trust From The Start! !!

   A client’s trust will make or break a project. Without it you’ll spend endless hours explaining and defending your ideas. It’s easy to build trust when you’re meeting once a week to present your work and report your progress, but how do you do it with someone 10,000 miles away or someone you only meet the once?
First, introduce yourself – and I don’t mean send them a link to your portfolio. But it’s essential. Before you dive in to any work, schedule a quick kickoff meeting. A video conference is ideal – I recommend Skype – but if they can’t manage it, a phone call will work almost as well. But I prefer the personal touch at least If only for the first meeting.  If you’re in different time zones, wake up nice and early (or go to bed very late) to accommodate them. If in person be prepared, do your homework and arrive punctual to the meeting.

This is important for both sides. You already know you need deadlines to keep yourself on track, but you need to set them for the client as well. Asking for timely feedback keeps the project moving forward. Every time you produce something that requires feedback or sign-off, set a short-term deadline and make sure it’s documented in writing somewhere. If the client lets the deadlines slip repeatedly, they can’t complain when the project is or is not delivered. But a true professional still keeps to the brief and all deadlines.
Having deadlines motivates clients to focus on your work, which may be one of a zillion projects sitting on their desk needing attention. It is also a subtle way of asking for (and getting) respect.

Since perhaps you’re not meeting face-to-face (and probably aren’t calling too much either) the limited interactions you do have are incredibly important. Make sure you craft your emails and messages carefully; realize that every word you write is amplified and your dry sense of humor isn’t going to come across very well. Best to just be straightforward.
Don’t inundate your clients with needless emails, but make sure you communicate enough to keep them feeling comfortable with your progress. Quick, regular check-ins help set everyone at ease. If you think the client is confused, pick up the phone and have a real conversation. You’ll be amazed how much can be cleared up in 2 minutes when you’re not trying to explain it over email.
Keep a copy of all your correspondence for future reference – you never know when you might need it.

Collaborate and negotiate. Be able to explain your vision to the client and why it’s the best possible solution to their design problem. While you should defend your ideas, when possible it’s a good idea to give in to the client.

Maintain contact. If you are proactive about contacting the client and providing updates, the client will feel important and have more confidence in your work.

Stick to deadlines. It doesn’t matter if you have to give up an occasional weekend or work thirteen-hour days for a week. Part of being a professional is getting your work done on time.

For the Thornham project I had not met the client (Colin Venes) prior to today. I had only liased/ mediated of what the breif was via my correspondent James Fox at SpringboardTV.com. So to gauge what it was that was expected of me and what the client had envisioned. I formaly aproached him with James Fox simply to grasp a larger understanding of what the project meant to him and the community. I instantly began building a rapport and ask multiple open questions to extract the information and his vision for the project. I relayed various ideas I had asthetically regarding the style of documentary i would like to create. By doing this we were able to colaborate on the tone and desired style of the documentary I was to produce. But ultimatly he and I were finally on name to face basis and placed him in ease of who would be in charge of ensuring the documentaries fruition from inception to creation. Later we discussed a Deadline for a viewing of the documentary's finished edit; which allowed me to gauge how long I had as producer for production and post-production. Which became the foundation of my production schedule.

Client- Colin Venes at the Thornham 'Drill Hall' closing ceremony.
 

Hazard Awareness & Risk Assesment On Location VOL. 2