LO4: Proposal for certification classification for Climate Crisis

In reviewing my final finished product of Climate Crisis, I recommend that the accompanying certification be a PG, this standing for Parental Guidance.

My documentary is based around climate change and the efforts we can make to reduce waste and in my opinion this should be taught in schools to young children, this is why I didn't include any violence, language or dangerous behaviour as i wanted to create a documentary that could be watched by everyone. Looking back on this however I do think some of the internet clips inserted in the beginning are distressing and upsetting especially for younger children, this falling into the threat and horror subheading of the BBFC guide below. 

I did debate whether to take a lighter approach however the subject is very serious and if played down the emergency of change wont be understood or followed by viewers.

I ensured I didn't include any discrimination to any groups or minorities, I particularly had this is mind whilst conducting vox-pops, I tried to include interviews from all genders and a range of ages to ensure that I was trying to demonstrate a varied response from mixed groups.
When conferring with my focus group I discussed the PG rating, this was agreed upon with some viewers arguing even a Universal rating however many of my audience was 16+ meaning that they possibly couldn't imagine watching the documentary from a young child's perspective due to desensitisation from daily media.

To ensure I had fully come to the right conclusion on my rating I wanted to reference it to a similar documentary that covers close themes. I found the ratings for the documentary Blue Planet 2, this documentary covers wildlife in the ocean as well as touching on pollution and dangers global warming creates in regards to the wildlife.

Here is the BBFC rating for the film, the film got granted a universal rating meaning its suitable for all ages, i think the strong coverage of animals makes it more child friendly due to them being seen in the wild and this therefore making it very educational. After finding this rating I did wonder if i had been too harsh in my rating however I do believe that the distressing images and harsh facts mean that the rating is suitable to the visuals shown.
I am glad that I did reference the rating however and think this demonstrates the target audience of the film being families that want to watch wildlife documentaries therefore visuals are planned around this targeted audience.

LO4: Evidence of a focus group of final film

Focus Group 

After creating the documentary I wanted to get the opinions of my peers and target audience on what I could improve and their perspectives on the project.
I thought it would be really important especially as they are prime target audience for the short film, especially with subjects such as youth climate strikes shown in the documentary.

I ensured to gather a vary of genders to make the focus group more fair and to ask them open ended answers such as 'What element of the film did you like the best?', this avoiding answers such as 'yes' or 'no' which aren't the most helpful when finding feedback.
I also tried to pick a focus group that I didn't know too well this to avoid them being bias in terms of their feedback being a reflection of me rather than the short film.

After viewing the film they really liked aspects such as the impactful clips placed in the intro as they thought this really demonstrated the importance of the subject, this also being backed up by the news headlines audio playing alongside as it denoted the national recognition of the problem.
However negatives they fed back were elements such as the music creating an over-exaggerated effect, and the clips during the voiceover being repetitive and not correlating with the voiceover.
After hearing this feedback I understand their point surrounding the music and agree to a degree however I think the music is very interpretative and can be viewed differently by audiences.
In terms of the clips during the voice over section I think by showing shots of Sheffield it allows the audience to associate the problem with their home town, this demonstrating the participation everyone has to take into minimising their waste in everyday life.

LO3: Final of Climate Crisis

LO3: Linking audio to visuals and applying audio effects

Evidence of added audio effects and linked to visuals in Climate Crisis Documentary

Example 1: Increasing/decreasing audio gain 
This screenshot demonstrates the audio gain added to clips, in many cases I had to decrease or increase the audio gain on clips. This being due to factors such as two clips playing at once and one clip had priority and had to be increased or when a clip recorded had been too loud this needing a decrease in audio gain. I accessed the ability to differ the audio gain by ctrl+clicking on the audio clip, as you can see on the screenshot this particular clip had been decreased by -15 db, this being due to the voice over taking priority over the soundtrack and therefore had to be the loudest audio heard to attract the audiences attention.
Later on in editing I had to use this tool again due to the actual recording of the audio being too close to the source of sound and therefore clipping in the audio level bar, this meant I had to decrease the level to make it enjoyable for the audience and not overly loud.

Example 2:  Matching audio to the visuals 

In this screenshot I am demonstrating how I have matched my audio to the visuals of the film, by having the audio matched up to the visuals this means my documentary can follow basic conventions of all short films/documentaries.

As you can see I have two lines of audio nearly constantly throughout the documentary, this being bedding music and audio from voice overs and interviewees, the two lines are very clearly divided and was always organised very clearly toe s

ensure no audios were lost or mixed.

Example 3: Adding Dehummer effect

In editing my audio, one of the biggest changes i had to make was to the interview section of the documentary, the recording of the audio had been taken too close to the interviewee and therefore there was a loud hum that accompanied the audio. To remove this hum I searched 'Dehummer' in the editing tools section and once I had it selected I then continued to drag and drop this onto the clips which then were a lot clearer and the hum was a lot less prominent throughout.  It was important that the dehummer was added as this allowed the quality of the audio to be more professional and crisp, this making the documentary more enjoyable to watch and the focus can be on the content of what Mathew is saying rather then the quality. 

LO3: Applying appropriate visual effects and transitions

Evidence of added visual effects to Climate Crisis Documentary

Example 1: Increasing clip speed

The screenshot shown demonstrates me adding visual effects throughout my short film, the effect added in the screenshot above is an increase of clip speed. To increase the clip speed I have ctrl+clicked on the clip in Adobe Premiere, this then bringing up an effects menu which I selected Clip Speed/Duration.    Once on the Clip Speed/Duration I then applied a 1500x on the clip, this huge additional speed to the clip makes a 5+ minute clip a couple of seconds, by increasing the speed it allows the clip to show the element of time passing but majorly increased. This technique of time lapsing clips allows a new interesting perspective to contrast other B-Roll with, by adding different visual effects to clips it keeps engagement with the audience. 

Example 2: Adding fade in

 Another visual effect added into the documentary is a simple but effective fade, this I added in both the end and beginning of the documentary to demonstrate opening and ending of the documentary.
To add this fade I opened the clips editing settings and selected opacity, once selected I then created a key frame at the beginning of the clip and turned the opacity to 0 and then created another key frame 2 seconds in at 100% opacity this allows a fade into the clip and allows the visuals to be revealed to the audience.

Example 3: Adding Text/Title

In this visual effect I have created a title and also added a fade onto both the title and the subtitle to stagger the shot. I began by using the text tool to add the title, I wanted to have the two words separated by St Pauls tower in the shot therefore I added spaces to make up this gap to fit the words into. After choosing a very bold san serif font, this connoting modernity and visibility, I then began to add a fade to both the title and subtitle, by having them both fade in it would intrigue and engage the audience as well as stagger the two separate titles demonstrating their importance.

LO3: Producing and reviewing an off line edit

In the first stages of producing my short film I created an offline edit, the offline edit is an edit that consists of only my raw footage before any editing, SFX or additional clips are added.
To create my offline edit I first reviewed my storyboard and other pre-production documents such as scripts, reflecting on pre-production documents is crucial in the production of the documentary as it reminded me of the clear timeline that needed producing with the footage I had obtained as well and helped in the organisation of the product.


I began to assemble the clips in chronological order on how I had planned the documentary, this meant rushes towards the beginning in which the voice over would accompany and interviews towards the end of the documentary. I plan to add effects to this portion of the documentary such as increasing speed of scenes such as the cars driving below the bridge, this would emphasis the amount of carbon produced by traffic and the overuse of vehicles on small journeys where public transport could be used.

As you can see in the screenshot i have also created the film with a rather unorganised timeline, this being due to pace I was putting the clips in at, in a later version I will make it more organised and clearer however due to this being a draft version I found it was easy to see where all the clips were and how they fitted at a fast pace.

In just putting all my usable footage into the timeline it allowed me to see what I needed to further film or if I was able to begin refining the clips to being to make a final version for the documentary.
After creating my offline edit I realised that the film didn't reach the minimum time requirements and therefore had to get some b-roll to extend the film, without creating the offline edit first I wouldn't have realised what stage i was at and what i needed in addition.

LO3: Evidence of logging rushes and creating edit list

LO2: Footage in the style & conventions of the chosen genre

In this post I will demonstrate that I have followed codes and conventions of documentaries and the style of genre. 

In looking at inspiration for my documentary I heavily looked at 'War on Plastic with Hugh and Anita', this being a BBC 1 documentary it was a high-end and professional documentary looking at very similar topics to me including how to reduce waste and the damage of plastic. 

Example 1: Vox Pops 

In the series I have found similarities that demonstrate I have followed documentary styles. 

In this first  example it shows Vox Pops, this being a method of asking strangers there opinion on a topic relating to your documentary, both pictures below depict this and by including this style of interview it allows interaction with the audience and perspectives from people who the audience can easily relate to.

Example 2: Interview

Here depicts another type of interview along side a Vox Pop, you can tell they're different to a vox pop normally in audio/visual quality and location. 

In both interviews we can see talking space in the composition of the shot, this convention of filming interviews allows the shot to look much more professional and denotes to the audience the type of shot they're watching.

By shooting the interview from a medium close up the viewers feel engaged but not uncomfortably close as they may do if it was a close up. Both interviewee's are looking off camera whilst answering questions this is another convention I have followed to make sure its more comfortable for the audience to watch.

 Example 3: B - Roll/ Establishing 

Here are B-rolls inserted into both documentaries whilst a voice over is talking to the audience, by having these establishing shots playing whilst a voiceover is playing it allows the audience to not be distracted visually from the audio but is still visually pleasing so the audience doesn't get bored.
Both the shots are establishing shots that contain a strong lighting presence, the strong lighting allows a more aesthetic element to the shot whilst showing an urban area this relating to the problem of plastic and waste as these are often found in very dense populated areas.

LO2: Following safe working practices

In ensuring I followed safe working practises whilst filming I had made sure to complete a risk assessment before filming. This allowed me to anticipate any problems we would face in shooting or production of the project and know how to deal and resolve any issues we would have.
Scenarios on the risk assessment that were high priority were aspects such as shooting outdoors, this would bring risks such as equipment being rained on or stolen as well as the safety of crew whilst out in public. By fully anticipating problems and understanding the priority and contingencies this allows the safest conditions to work in for all crew members.

Alongside creating a risk assessment before shooting we also decided it was important to check all equipment, I ensured to check kit such as tripods, this was to ensure that all legs were locked and wouldn't harm any crew or actors if it fell over or damage any cameras attached. As well as checking the tripods we also made sure that all cameras had been electrical checked in guidelines with government policy and that all transportation kit such as camera bags and tripod bags were sturdy and fully zipped.
By checking the equipment so thoroughly it also enabled me to check battery life and ensure that we had a clear SD card so filming would go smoothly.

In addition I also carried checks on locations we were shooting to ensure the safety of my crew and any actors, this being especially focused on exterior locations such as Sheffield Amphitheatre due to it being a public and open space, we made sure to complete location recce's to make sure they were appropriate and safe to film in.

LO2: Following shooting script/storyboard

Storyboard scene 1 

Here I am demonstrating how I have followed my planning documents, above is both shots from the finished product next to the storyboard. In this opening scene I wanted to introduce the location of the documentary by having a visual of the cityscape that is recognisable to people who are familiar with Sheffield. 

As you can see this had been planned in the storyboard and the final product is very similar to the planning stage, by continuing to stick to the planning documents throughout shooting the film looks more professional and has more continuity throughout. 

The storyboard demonstrates this scene from a closer shot however when filming we did realise that shooting it further away allowed contrast between heights of buildings making the shot more aesthetic and visually interesting for the viewers.

Storyboard scene 11 

In scene 11 you can see the visual introduction of the shop 'The Bare Alternative', the introduction of the shop was a scene that had been planned to be the opening of the interview section of the documentary, by shooting the outside of the shop it allowed the location of the shop and the environment surrounding it to be showcased to the viewers.

As you can see the storyboard once again demonstrates this shot once again from a closer angle however after shooting a close angle we decided that the location itself wasn't displayed enough and we ended up shooting from a establishing shot rather than a wide shot that was planned in the storyboard.

Storyboard scene 12

Here demonstrates one of the shots filmed from the inside of The Bare Alternative, as you can tell the storyboard planning and actual shot are nearly identical, in the shot we decided to pan across the canisters due to the range of ingredients stocked in the shop, the range of colours and shapes in the containers really contrasted and created a great effect as hoped in the planning process.
By shooting this scene from a medium close up shot it allowed us to include the huge range of ingredients and compose the shot to include other features of the shop.

LO2: Evidence of setting up equipment

Setting up equipment for shooting

Here is the crew setting up and doing an equipment check before going out to shoot, we wanted to ensure that all equipment was ready for filming and present, this including checking crucial elements such as battery level in the cameras and making sure we had all lenses needed.

Heres a picture demonstrating the camera being fixed onto the tripod in preparation of filming.
The camera used is a cannon 550D, by using a DSLR this created a professional atmosphere and a higher quality of shooting.
To accompany the camera we also paired it with both standard and a wide lens to ensure that we would have a varied quality of footage.



Here is a selection of the cameras used to shoot the footage, by having multiple cameras used by several crew members at the same time it allows more footage and different angles of the same footage.
This image also demonstrates the varied lenses that we used, and shot on, when we shoot the interview with Mathew we will take a camera that has a built in microphone to ensure the highest quality sound.

 Here demonstrates more tripod preparation and planning, its crucial that we use a tripod to ensure footage is straight and level throughout as this makes the footage appear much more professional.
It was important to make sure we took a tripod due to us planning to get panning shots which would need a tripod to ensure the footage stayed level throughout.

Here is a video to further demonstrate our filming practices, as you can see we are set up at the top of the amphitheatre this being a great view of the Sheffield cityscape. 

The tripod itself was placed on flat and stable ground this ensuring that nothing would topple or break, this demonstrating good practice of filming techniques and awareness of the surrounding environment. 

The four crew who are filming are all doing their designated roles, and ensuring that the footage gained is usable and fitting to the pre-production documents. 

LO2: Creating meaning in Climate Crisis

In the planning of my short film I ensured I would incorporate many technical elements that would connote the genre and create meaning to the audience.
To ensure that my short film is fit for purpose I wanted it to be really informative and engaging with the audience, this would hold audience attention due to the strong topic being covered alongside it being relatable due to it being a topic that affects all audience members making it a mass interest topic.

I wanted to accompany the strong topic covered with visuals in the short film that would also incorporate meaning throughout, this being done with the strong link to Sheffield that is shown often, this link in particular was shown by the Sheffield skyline that was used in the title scene.
The title scene showing the Sheffield skyline from a distance was placed to connote meaning as the scene was designed to have its speed duration increased, this meaning that the audience would see 5 minutes worth of footage in a couple of seconds. By including this scene with the sfx as the title scene it created meaning of the business of everyday lives that allows the problem of climate change to grow.

Another key element that we wanted to capture was the sun and hot weather in the b-roll clips, this would connote the heat of the earth rising that is a key symptom of global warming, by shooting all the shots with a very present sun (e.g purpose lens flare) and golden tones to create the meaning of heat, these subtle visuals will allow the audience to see a problem that is often only associated with the oceans and third world countries and how it is creeping into everyday life.

By including certain mise-en-scene and framing features this allows the short film to denote its genre to the audience for example, in the interview and vox-pops portion of the short film I was keen to film the clips with talking space for the interviewee's, by framing the clips in the style of a documentary this allows the films genre of a documentary to be denoted easier and quicker by the audience.

LO2: Test Shots

Test shots of Sheffield Amphitheatre

Filming date: 19/11/19

Sheffield amphitheatre is located near the city centre and is a walking distance from Sheffield train station, its height allows a good view of the cityscape. 

In the test shots we filmed it revealed that we need to practice the camera settings whilst filming establishing shots, in this instance the F-stop and ISO was too high this created a grainy and overexposed shot that was continuous throughout all the scenes shot.

In the test shots however we did discover the best angle to film from the Amphitheatre, we realised that from the top of the amphitheatre it was too zoomed out and the city scape didn't seem to be represented well therefore we moved into two more locations scouting the best position.

Highest point of the amphitheatre

Middle point of the amphitheatre











Lowest point of the amphitheatre 

*Preferred point for shooting

LO2: Following Production Processes

It was crucial for me to carry out industrial standard production processes throughout all stages of my Climate Crisis product, as I have followed 4 stages in production I will demonstrate on how I have followed processes suitable for that stage.

Stage 1: Planning

In stage one I ensured to have very high standard planning documents that would be relevant in all later stages this ranged from daily shooting schedules, this being crucial planning that allowed a strong structure whilst filming and other documents such as call sheets.
These all being documents that are present on the sets of high production short films such as The Red Balloon one of highest profile drama short films.



Stage 2: Pre-Production

In the second stage of production I followed processes by following safe work practices, this included a risk assessment and assessing any dangers that may occur during filming, this was crucial in pre-production and is a practice on all film sets due to it minimising risk for all crew. As well as this process I also ensured that I had prepared equipment and was prepared for the production stage that followed next.

Stage 3: Production

During the third stage of production this is where the project was filmed, this being arguably the most important stage I ensured I had documents such as footage logs to keep track of production gathered. I also began to start editing the footage in this stage, this meant that I had to edit footage and audio in premiere pro, by editing the film it enabled it to fit into its genres and follow conventions that are important to short documentaries.
In interview clips that had been filmed from a central focus on the interviewee I edited the footage to have the interviewee on the left hand side this allowed talking space around the subject and ensured a documentary style element to be incorporated.


Stage 4: Evaluation 

After the product had been created and finished to a high standard this stage I gathered feedback from target audience members and peers to ensure I would have a full evaluation for the film. As well as evaluating the film I also have given it a film classification in line with the BBFC's ratings, this allows me to think of the distribution process.