Contingency Plan

Problems and solutions (P:S)


Nuisances -

P: Remembering the script
S: Spend time revising, at home, in free lessons in-between shots

P: Arguing about how we look in the videos
S: Just get on with it and agree not to argue about it

P: Recording the sound effects
S: Record them to get the done and out of the way quickly as possible

P: People messing around
S: Tell them to grow up and take it seriously

Minor Problems -

P: Callum going to France on the 12th of January
S: Work hard to complete work before he goes and use extra time in free lessons if needed

P: Finding the right music for the background
S: Spend free time researching

P: Someone we need might not be here for the lesson we need them (e.g. extras are ill)
S: Find someone to replace them quickly

P: After Effects editing
S: Watch tutorials to help

P: Premier Pro editing
S: Watch tutorials to help

P: Lighting
S: Try to get as much natural lighting in the shots as possible

P: Making sure actors from the other groups are available when we need to shoot them
S: Inform them the dates of when we want to film them in advance

P: Effects not looking realistic
S: Keep working and re-doing them and watch tutorials

P: Photoshop editing
S: Watch tutorials

P: Locations are too busy to shoot in
S: Find simular locations, eg a different corridor

P: Bad acting
S: Practice and be enthusiastic

Major Problems - 

P: The weather
S: Go to an alternative location where there is shelter or film another day

P: Lose footage
S: Re-film in free time

P: People not being here (main characters)
S: Film when they come back and film/edit something else

P: Commitment
S: Threaten to kick them out, warn them etc

P: Finding costumes
S: Discuss about where to look in free time and borrow clothes from each other

P: People being ill
S: Ask to come in just for the filming

P: Getting the sound effects
S: Use a microphone to record the effects

P: How to get the kitchen scene done
S: Ask politely about using the staff room

P: Not filming all of the shots and completing the task to the deadline
S: Make Media the priority of all lessons and film in free time etc

Casting Notes

Students vs Zombies

Henry - Bully

I am looking to cast a boy, aged around 16/17, for the part of 'Henry' in 'Students vs Zombies'. He will need to have short hair, a british accent, a slight build, and over 6'0.

Potential actors for the part - alternatives -

• Charlie - short ginger hair, 6'3, british accent
• Matt - short brown hair, 6'2, british accent

Matt fits the part better because he is better at acting the bully and being intimidating.

Reece - Nerd

I am looking to cast a boy, aged around 17, for the part of 'Reece'. He needs to have short hair, be around 6'0, and has to have a british accent.

Potential actors for the part - alternatives -

• Callum - short, mousey brown hair, 6'0, british accent

Callum is suitable because he has the suitable acting experience for the role.

Lauren - Indie/Hippie

I am looking to cast a girl, aged between 16 to 18, for the part of 'Lauren' in 'Students vs Zombies'. She will need to have long hair (or be willing to have extensions put in), a british accent, and she needs to between 5'0' and 5'4 in height.

Potential actors for the part - alternatives -

• Georgina - long brown hair, 5'3, british accent
• Katie - mid-length ginger hair (will wear extensions), 5'1, british accent
• Maia - long brown/ginger hair, 5'1, british accent

These actors all potentially fit the part because they meet the requirements of the character casting note and have the relevant acting experience to fit the role of the character.

Rizzo - Fashionable/Glamorous

I am looking to cast a girl, aged between 16 to 18, for the part of 'Rizzo'. She needs to have medium-length brown hair, and should be 5'3.

Potential actors -

• Georgina - long brown hair, 5'3, british accent
• Katie - mid-length ginger hair, 5'1, british accent

Georgina is most suited for the part because she is taller and has the most relevant acting experience.

Kiera - Chav

I am looking to cast a girl, aged around 17, for the part of 'Kiera'. She needs to have hair that can be easily tied up, and should be around 5'l.

Potential actors - 

• Katie - mid-length ginger hair, 5'1, british accent

Katie is the most suitable for the part because she was the most successful candidate as she had the best accent for the role.

Peter - Bully's friend

I am looking to cast a boy, aged between 16-18, for the part of 'Peter'. He needs to have short, blond hair, a british accent, and should be around 5'11.

Potential actors - 

• Alex - british, blond hair
• Sam - british, brown hair

Alex has been cast as Peter because he is blond and has the relevant acting experience.

Paul - Bully's friend #2

I am looking to cast a boy, aged between 16-18, for the part of 'Paul'. He needs to have short, brown hair, a british accent and should be around 5'11.

Potential actors -

• Alex - british, blond hair
• Sam - british, brown hair

Sam has been cast as Paul because he has brown hair and has the relevant acting experience for the role.

Zombies #1, #2, #3 and #4

I am looking to cast four zombies, of any age, two girls and two boys. They need to be at least 5'6 and have to be willing to have lots of make-up on and can play a persuasive role as a zombie.

Potential actors -

• Alex - british, short blond hair, british accent
• Sam - british, short brown hair, british accent
• Katie - ginger mid-length hair, 5'1, british accent
• Georgina - long brown hair, 5'3, british accent
• Callum - short mousey brown hair, 6'0, british accent

Even though some of the actors are under the required height, they are considered because of their convincing zombie acting skills.

Production Meeting

Meeting started at 11:15. 

People present, Myself, Georgie, Katie and Callum. We discussed several things during this process. This meeting was to organise a schedule for filming and different parts of the film we're creating, for example special effects, and to try and fit in everything we need to work on up until the deadlines we have been given. 

Deadlines:
13th January 2014- The day we get the camera and start to film
29th January 2014- The rough copy of the film deadline
30th January 2014- Feed back and working on what needs to be improved
14th January 2014- Final piece deadline

We have worked out a schedule that enables us to complete all the work need to be done up to this point and we have discussed the fact that we need to book certain times with characters in the script that are not part of the group, so it fits around there schedule.

The first few days of the first week we have decided to work on the special effects, the filming and the computer special effects. This is due to the fact that we all need as much time as possible to get the special effects perfect and because there the main part of the piece, they need to be as good as they can be. The special effects will take the most times.

In the group we need to still decide the costumes needed in the piece. But because theres not enough time to get the costumes organised in lesson time we will get together out of the lesson on a free and plan the costumes for the piece. 

The audio we have decided to do near the end. So we can incorporate the other special effects sounds. With some of the shots the audio will be in the shots. 

Because we have 56 shots we need to work fast, organised and we all have to focus. This is because if we don't the rough copy will not be completed to then me analysed and we won't know what to improve on to make the work better.