Pre-Production Documents (Depict Challenge)

Synopsis- A day in the life of a pleb synopsis

In this particular task we were asked to write a synopsis for our 90 second short film. A synopsis is a brief summary of general survey of something. We started off by giving a general description and overview of our short film without giving away the plot and any specific details. We talked about if there were any messages that were trying to be portrayed, what they were and how they'd affect the plot and the audience. We then talked about the general themes within our short film and whether it incorporated things like realism or comedic effects ,in order to influence the dynamic of the film or the audiences response to the things taking place. We then talked about our characters and gave a brief description of their roles within the film and their vitality to the storyline.

Script- A day in the life of a pleb script

In this task we were asked to write the script for our short film. Due to the fact our film is a comedy, we tried to make the script humorous and relatable in order to gain audience attention. We used things like movie quotes from Harry Potter as they're well known and would help us with audience retention. We also used things like a David Attenborough style voiceover as again he's popular and would further help with audience retention. However, I feel the style of humour used is very specific to our group and may not be seen as funny by potential viewers this essentially forced us to add the famous things like Harry Potter and David Attenborough in order to reach a wider audience.

Prop and Costume list-A day in the life of a pleb prop and costume list

In this particular task we were asked to create a prop and costume list for each of our scenes. Within our group, we established early on that we wanted our main protagonist to wear an outfit consisting of one colour as to make her stand out- this would be our only costume throughout the whole project. For our props, we once again decided that we wanted things that would make our character stand out. We decided on a birdwatching book, a paper aeroplane and a seagull (in the sky opposed to the ground). All of these were chosen purposefully to make our character stand out whilst still working with our narrative and to reinforce the desired humour effect. We were also going to use a prop of a tray from the cafeteria and film in the cafeteria, however we realised that filming in the cafeteria would be unrealistic and unachievable for us a group so we relocated that scene hence the tray no longer being necessary. 

Shot List-A day in the life of a pleb shot list

In this particular task, we were asked to make a list of all the different shots we were going to use within our 90 second short film. Collectively, we decided on 4 different shots. They were a panoramic shot, an over the shoulder shot, a walking shot and a shot of our main protagonist through a window. All of these shots would take place over the course of 4 scenes within our film. These shots would also help the dynamic of film as they correlated with the narrative and helped to reinforce the humour within our film.

Production Schedule- A day in the life of a pleb production schedule

In this particular task, we were asked to make a production schedule for our 90 second short film. It would give us the date and time of when we were filming particular things, what we were filming and what we needed to accomplish the task. It's beneficial for us as a group as it helps us to stay on top of tasks and have an idea of what to do rather than have to plan on the day and therefore waste time. Unfortunately, we've had issues securing our actor as they've went on holiday and as a a consequence of this our production schedule and production has been delayed. To overcome this, we are trying to complete alternative tasks like audio production so we don't fall completely behind on our schedule.

Risk Assessment-A day in the life of a pleb risk assessment

In this particular task, we were asked to make a risk assessment of our short film and assess all the potential dangers and risks we could endure. We established that there were six potential risks that could happen. One of our risks was bad weather in the rec. This could lead to many complications such as ruining equipment as well as ruining our film as the weather wouldn't match up with the narrative. Slippery surfaces was also a risk whilst filming within the rec, as this could lead to crew members falling causing potential injuries and once again potential broken equipment. Another risk was that whilst in the cafeteria the furniture could be a potential hazard as cast and crew members could trip over it resulting in injury, broken equipment or unnecessary retakes. The cafeteria also included another risk of hot beverages this could result in burns. Finally, the classroom had two potential risks. One of these was sharp objects being placed everywhere like tables and chairs. Cast and crew members could trip over these or accidently poke themselves. This would result in injuries and ruined takes. The final risk was the use of the prop of the paper aeroplane, as it would be used in a classroom it could potentially poke somebody in the eye again resulting in injury. All of these potential risks are easily avoidable hence the fact that we made a risk assessment in order to highlight the risks that our production could cause.

Group talent release- A day in the life of a pleb group talent release

In this particular task, we were asked to create a group talent release. This is essentially a consent form for all the actors and they're consenting to being filmed. This is done to avoid complications and allegations after filming is completed and the film is distributed on various platforms like YouTube. However, due to the fact we are having complications with our actor , our new talent will also need to consent to being filmed.

Email to police-  A day in the life of a pleb email to police

In this particular task, we were asked to write an email to the police explaining that we will be filming in certain locations on certain days in order to avoid confusion and potential allegations from bystanders. This is a precautionary task as it's just informing the police rather than them potentially getting notified about our production. Only one of our scenes is filmed on public property so our email was relatively short.

Location Scouting Form-A day in the life of a pleb location scouting form

In this particular task, we were asked to create a location scouting form. A location scouting form is where the address of the locations as well as the timing of production are all documented. We are only filming one scene outside of college so only needed one form. The form had all the information about the rec which is where we're filming. It includes the location of filming and the date and time we are filming. Unfortunately, as a group we are having issues with securing our talent so our dates on our location scouting form are now incorrect, when we secure new talent we will change the dates within our location scouting form as to then make them correct.

Budgeting- A day in the life of a pleb budgeting sheet

In this particular task, we were asked to create a budgeting sheet for our production. It would include everything that we would spend money on solely for the purpose of production. Within our production , we realised that we wouldn't need to spend anything as we'd be using borrowed filming equipment and editing software. Our props such as the birdwatching book, could also be borrowed from the library and the paper aeroplane could be made using our own paper.

Location Release- A day in the life of a pleb location release

In this particular task, we were asked to create a location release for our 90 second short film. This is basically granting us permission as a group to leave the premises with the borrowed equipment within permitted time frames. This therefore means that the college isn't essentially lying y saying we're on sight when in reality we're out filming.

Storyboard- A day in the life of a pleb storyboard 

                      A day in the life of a pleb storyboard part 2

In this particular task, we were asked to create a storyboard of our 90 second short film. A storyboard is a sequence of drawings, typically with some directions and dialogue, representing the shots planned for a film or television production. This helped us to stick to a plan for our film and enabled us to film immediately without having to try and think of a plan on the spot. However, a lot of our storyboard became pointless due to the fact we had to change our actor and therefore our script. Due to the script change, a lot of the locations on our storyboard were no longer needed.