2nd April: The finished film

I am very pleased with our finished result. I feel that the ending when Jenny smiles shows that just because someone has a mental illness doesn't mean they are any different. I think our message is very powerful and the glass is a great metaphorical way to represent this.

POST-PRODUCTION: 1st April:Editing

On the 1st April I finished the editing of our film.

• I ensured all parts of the editing were in sync and added the diegetic sound to the clips, such as the tap running, doors closing.


• I added the voiceovers we had recorded in the sound booth.


• I added key frames to the sound through out the film, ensuring that the diegetic and non-diegetic sound faded in and out nicely. Also ensure that the background music was never overpowering to the voiceovers.


• We decided to not put any quotes on screen, and chose to just use the voiceover at the end instead through out the whole piece as this was stronger and we didn't want our film to have too much going on that all he information couldn't be taken in

PRODUCTION: 1st April:Sound recording

Voiceover

• On the 1st April we decided to re record sound in the sound booth.
• We recorded using the microphone and using the sound proof room which worked perfectly.
• It created a voiceover with zero background noise.

POST-PRODUCTION: 31stMarch:Editing

Background Music

• We had initially been using a soundtrack called "Tension" which we found on the website:http://www.audionetwork.com/
• owever we felt it sounded to dark so I went back onto the website and found something more appropriate. I chose a track called "Encounters" it uses a somber piano and has subtle glitch sounds. It is calm and fits perfectly with our piece.  
• This made the voiceover sound stronger as the background music wasn't so overpowering as before
• I also found another track called "Palpitations" which we are going to use when the character Jenny is outside. As she has social anxiety this will be a perfect way to portray that she is feeling uncomfortable and panicked. 

 

The Title

• We were going to have the title on a black background however we felt that it looked visually very effective to put it over the montage sequence
• Also it meant that the title could stay on screen for a long time without wasting time and making the message of our film more clear.
• We chose the font to be simple and clear so that the audience would take it in.

 

Statistics

• Initially we wanted to include statistics appearing on screen however we decided that it would distract the viewers from focusing on the visuals. As we felt visually it was so strong we didn't want to detract from this.

 

Voiceovers

• We were going to have voiceovers through out the whole film.
• However we felt this was too much and using a voiceover for only part of the film would create more impact.
• So we decided to have a voiceover only at the ending of the sequence
• Also when the final shot of the glass appears we are going to have the voice over of Jessica say "Most people assume we are Half Empty but we are Half Full to make the message of our film clear.
• We also decided that the voiceovers are very good but there was a hazy background noise on our recording.
• To overcome this we plan to record in the sound proof booth

PRODUCTION: 31st March:Filming

On the 31st March we began filming the ending sequence outside.
Firstly we filmed Sophie walking around after she had just passed Jenny, we did many tight close ups to portray that the voice over was being said from her perspective. This way it would be easy for the audience to understand

We filmed Jessica smiling towards Sophie to highlight there friendship. We also did the filming in the same style by using the same close shots but with Jessica

 

I was very pleased with the outcome of how these shots looked.

 

Issues we faced

• We needed the weather to be cloudy so that the sequence filmed of Jenny would flow visually into the sequence of Sophie outside, at some points it was and some it was sunny.
• We had to do a lot of Close Ups while the characters were walking and it was therefore difficult to keep them in focus.
• The public sometimes got in the way when filming.

 

How we overcame them

• To over come this we made sure to either film in shaded areas so you couldn't tell or just waited for the sun to go in.
• We had to keep retaking shots to ensure that they were all in focus throughout the whole clip.
• We tried to film when it wasn't busy or retook if anyone was in the way of the shot.

PRODUCTION: 24th March:Progress update

Points made in video:

• After putting the clips of the characters in the seminar room in we felt that the ending of our film didn't work with the start.
• Visually the start was very strong and brilliant lighting and a variety camera angles, however the seminar room was dull and drained the colour from the actresses.
• We are going to re film the ending outside.
• We will follow on from where the character Jenny is outside with anxiety and then make Sophie walk past and Jessica then walk past Sophie so the sequence flows.
• We must make sure that when re filming the whether is similar to the day we filmed Jenny outside.
• We also felt that the music we have chosen to use for our piece is too sinister, and almost feels like it should be in a horror film so we need to reconsider and look on more websites.

 

I drew out a storyboard for the shots we want to film outside:

The last few shots where Jessica and Sophie are smiling at each other are essential to portray the friendship they have found in each other.

PRODUCTION: 23rd March: Filming

On the 23rd March we filmed in a seminar room the characters entering and sitting down. They then each individually spoke to the camera.

 

We also recorded the voiceover for while the characters are getting ready.

 

 

 

Issues we faced:

• Once again there was a lot of noise around the seminar room
• We didn't have the best lighting as it was indoors and it was artificial as there were practically no windows in the seminar room we chose.

 

 

how we overcame them:

• We had to be patient and wait until there wasn't any noise
• we used some of our own lighting but we didn't really feel it looked that good. We resolve this later on.

POST-PRODUCTION: 19th March editing

On the 19th March Izzy and I started to edit together the first part of our sequence when you see the glass and the characters getting ready.

Problems we faced:

• We didn't like the split screen shot of three glasses it was too busy and crammed.
• We realized that we had too many shots for the sequence of them getting ready, as our time limit for the film is 3 minutes.

How we overcame them:

• As this shot is such an important one we had to refilm it. We decided to do a shot with all 3 props and one glass:

We felt this looked a lot cleaner and conveys the message we want, which is that the characters are half full not half empty.
 
• We had to cut out un important shots, such as Jessica on the toilet, it wasn't relevant to our storyline and it didn't add any character exposition. We also cut shots such as Jessica walking to the bathroom which just took up time, we managed to get the sequence a lot quicker and I feel this made our piece stronger as we only kept in the best shots.

PRE-PRODUCTION: 19th March:Script writing

On the 19th Izzy and I wrote out another script. Firstly we wrote out what the characters would say for the voice over which will be heard through out the beginning of the sequence. We took my quotes which I have listed earlier on in my blog and put them into sentences our characters could say. This would be used as the voiceover while the part of the film when they are getting ready to go out.

Voice over –

Jessica-OCD

  Getting ready for each day involves so much hand washing, mental rituals, and doing things in the same order everyday... Sometimes, I feel like staying in bed and avoiding the day.

 It’s sunny outside and I want to go out, but I know I probably won't.

Obsessions are unwelcome thoughts, images, urges or doubts that repeatedly appear in your mind; for example, thinking that you have been contaminated by dirt and germs –

Jenny-Anxiety

The feeling you get when you tap your pocket to get your wallet, and it is not there, but all the time

 Sometime I wish I could just blank out everything, see no one and lock my self away with my own thoughts

The stress of having to meet new people or make simple conversation puts me in this state of panic which I can’t escape from –

Sophie-Eating Disorder

Dizzy spells from time to time, but you learn to anticipate and manage them

Ana controls every thought, every move and every decision o A day without eating is a day of absolute success and all I can think about is achieving my goal

100 jumping jacks, 70 crunches, 50 sit ups, 40 squats, 30 lunges, 20 mountain climbers, 10 push ups over and over.

Secondly we wrote out what the characters will be saying in the final sequence when they each talk to the camera. We have also included our title in the dialogue so that the audience watching can make a link between the title, the meaning of the piece and the symbolism of this through the glass of what at the beginning and end of the film.

Jenny-Anxiety -People who suffer with anxiety are often ostracized as others cannot relate to their situation due to their lack of knowledge about the subject, leading to the patient themselves feeling isolated and helpless. It’s such a common disorder and when people know you have it many will pre judge you, even though so many friends and family close to us suffer from it.

Sophie- Eating Disorder - People with mental health conditions are seen as more unsociable, when it’s not always the case, it isn’t that simple. We act ‘unsociable’ because of society’s constant need to point out when people are different society are so obsessed with having perfect people with perfect social lives and social ability, that if someone doesn’t appear to fit into that one popular group we disregard them.

Jessica-OCD -People are quick to judge and this leads people feeling singled out, avoided and seen as outcasts. Unsure of how to act and round constantly feeling you might offend them. Thinking we live such miserable lonely lives, realistically we can be happy people we just need your time and understanding to see how we are as a person. Don’t put every individual with a disorder into a different category. Some people assume twe are half empty, we are half full.

PRODUCTION: 17th March: Reviewing

On the 17th March we began reviewing our footage and editing together what we had filmed as a whole. We did this to decide if we were happy with everything.

We have been worried about the ending and after looking at the footage we didn't feel it was a strong enough ending. There just wasn't enough impact.

We re thought about what we could do and decided changing the ending to the characters talking to the camera and voicing their opinions on mental health would create something more moving.

We therefore scheduled for another filming session and began writing out a script.

Wednesday 16th March:Filming

On the 16th March we filmed the sequence in the seminar room. This is where all of the characters came together.

We filmed them walking in one by one and interacting with eachother.

They each had props such as Jessica with her hand sanitiser, Sophie had her laptop with a pro ana website on, and Jenny had her headphones.

Problems:

• One problem we faced is that there was only windows on one side of the room so all of the natural light was flooding from one angle.
• It could be quite noisy when people were outside the room walking around, talking and closing and opening doors noise

How we overcame them:

• we tried to film most of our shots with the lighting coming from behind as these made the shots look the best, however we also utilised the inside lighting to brighten up the other side of the room so all shots looked acceptable.
• We had to wait to make sure it was quiet when filming, and if it wasn't we would re film. We also checked the footage at the end to make sure there was no noise in the clips.

PRODUCTION: 15th March: Recording Sound

On the 15th March all of our group went to a room the sound we needed for our film. We used our survey to gather real opinions and thoughts of the public on mental health and we read some of these aloud to be recorded. We then plan to put these clips through out the film.

We also recorded statistics being read out about mental health.

problems:

• Sometimes we sounded very robotic when reading out what people had written in our survey

how we over came them:

•  we decided to sometimes read the points from the survey and then express these opinions in our own words so that it sounded more genuine and real.

PRODUCTION: 9th March:Filming

On the 9th March we went outside the library and began filming the sequence of Jenny. We ensured that it was a cloudy day so that we had nice lighting and there was no rain, this ensured the equiptment stayed safe and their were a lot of people walking around.

We made sure that we filmed at a time when there were a lot of people walking around so that we could demonstrate how uncomfortable Jenny felt in a busy environment.

We took long shots of her so that we could speed them up in editing and make the people appear to be walking around her quickly. This would create a more chaotic and intense atmosphere.

We took many close ups to ensure that the sequence was personal and invasive.

We also had a shot when someone knocks into her make her feel uncomfortable.

Problems:

• At first a lot of the public would stop while we were filming incase they were in the way. However we wanted the opposite, we needed them to walk in the frame.
• Sometimes the wind could be a hassle as it blew Jennys hair across her face when we needed a CU shot of her face.

How we overcame them:

• We had to film for a long time to make sure that the public were naturally walking past.
• To overcome this we positioned her facing a certain way so that the wind wasn't inconveniencing. Also a lot of the shots where her hair is being blown can create a very dramatic effect which looks great in the shot.

PRODUCTION: 8th March:Filming

On the 8th March we started to film the sequence of Sophie in her bedroom.

 

 

 

We chose to place a magazine and water on her side desk to represent her obsession with image.

We also bought some magazines and cut out the pictures of the models and then put them up around the room.

We thought putting them around the mirror would emphasize the fact that Sophie compares herself to the models.

During filming the reflector was very helpful. It allowed us to make shots lighter if needed or help us to create shadows on her body.

 

Problems we faced:

• When filming Sophie in the mirror sometimes you could see the camera or a member of crew in the reflection.
• Creating shadows on Sophie's body was sometimes difficult.

 

How we overcame them:

• We made sure the crew were in a place that they couldn't be seen in the reflection and we re-watched footage just to make sure.
• We experimented with different camera angles and positioning Sophie and also used the reflector, and this allowed us to eventually achieve the look we wanted.

PRODUCTION: 3rd March: Filming

On the 3rd March we have returned to the Turing college bedroom and bathroom to film the sequence of Sophie.

We used props such as tablets, and put up photos and an incense burner to set the scene

 

 

Problems that we encountered:

• We found it difficult to keep the shots steady when we were panning around her.
• At the start some of our shots were over exposed and we were losing detail.

 

 

How we over came them:

• We repeated these shots many times until they were as smooth as possible
• We changed the camera settings so that the exposure was at a suitable level for how bright it was in the room.

 

PRODUCTION: 2nd March:Filming

On the 2nd March we went to our bedroom location to film the sequence of Jessica.

 

Call Sheet and Shooting schedule:

 

 

We made sure that the crew arrived early to the shoot so that we could change how the bedroom looked.

 

Firstly we cleaned the whole room, as our character which we were filming has OCD we had to make the bedroom and bathroom look very organised. We wiped down all services and included props such as the white board with a schedule on and making all props be aligned around the room.

 

We placed hand sanitizer next to her glass of water:

 

This is a shot of Izzy filming:

 

We ensured all settings on our camera such as White balance and shutter speed were correct and began filming!

 

Some problems we encountered while filming:

• Sometimes we were tight for space, manoeuvring the tripod around was a hassle and having that many people in one room while filming was difficult as we had to make sure no one else was in shot or creating a shadow or making noise.

• We noticed that we had forgotten to place the alarm clock in our LS pan of the room so had to redo some shots to ensure we kept continuity.

• On our storyboard we had planned to do a shot of Jessica's feet while she was on the toilet from front on, however due to the size of the bathroom this wasn't possible

How we overcame our problems:

•  We worked well as a team and made sure we were quite and not in any shots


• We re-filmed and I think now we have learnt how important and essential it is to be aware of every detail and item in shots to ensure we keep continuity


• We decided to do the shot from the side instead and that worked well.

 

PRE-PRODUCTION: 23rd February Casting

Unfortunately our male actor playing Jamie is unable to fulfill his commitment as an actor due to health reasons. Due to this last minute drop out we have replaced him with our team member
Lucy Abbott:

PRE-PRODUCTION: 20th February Storyboarding improved

PRE-PRODUCTION: 14th February: Characters and casting

Character Profiles

Jamie

Age:18
Gender:male
Character attributes: This character has anxiety

Actor: James Unsworth

James has previously acted before at school and is very interested in doing more drama, he seemed enthusiastic and a very believable and real actor. 

Contact details :07784695353

Sophie

Age:19
Gender:female
Character attributes: This character has an eating disorder. She doesn't see what she really looks like in the mirror. This is called body dysmorphia


We are using 2 actress' one will be Jessica and the other the figure she sees in the mirror

Actress:Emma O'Brien

We have decided to use members of our group for this disorder. We know that eating disorders are very common with girls and that many females wouldn't have been confident acting this role and revealing their bodies. Therefore to avoid someone feeling uncomfortable while we film we have chosen to use Emma and Izzy as our actress' for this character.

Contact details :07435146566

Actress: Izzy Cooper

Contact details: 07522953810

Jessica

Age:19
Gender:female
Character attributes: This character will have OCD.

Actress: Stacey Symons

Stacey also has previously acted and she was very eager to act in our film. She is very organised and always on time, so we know she will be a very reliable actress. We also asked her to act out a few shots we would need and she took direction and acted very well.

Contact details:07904272332