perfecting your production work

how to get the most out of your practical projects

Key words

• research and planning

• blogging and evidence

• ideas and feedback

• logistics, equipment and production

Research

•really look at real examples

•keep evidence of all your research

•research every angle

•conventions, audiences, institutions

Planning

•plan for all eventualities- what could possibly go wrong?

•record all your planning- visuals

•show the process of your ‘journey’

blogging

•a blog allows you to link to examples, ideas and inspiration

•keeps a record of the process of your project’s journey

evidence

•storyboards, animatics, recce photos

•flatplans, all your original images

•screengrabs of your manipulation of material- digital editing, photoshop, etc

Ideas

•keep ideas simple

•have a workable concept with realistic plans

•try the ‘25 word pitch’ or the ‘lift pitch’

get feedback

•at all stages from peers, teachers and others

•keep records of the feedback

•take notice of it and respond to it

logistics

•people, places, props, costumes

•get it done early- you may need to do it all again

•rehearse and prepare

•share contact details for all involved

Equipment

•practice on it

•prepare it, get to know it

•make the most of it

•are all the parts there before you use it?

production

•always shoot extra for coverage

•organise your material before editing

•start with the big picture

•fine tune the detail later

perfecting your production work

how to get the most out of your practical projects