P4: Present the exported extract to an audience, obtaining feedback
Audience Feedback
Focus group feedback - I presented the exported extract to a group of six students to obtain their feedback in a focus group
Timecode Questions/Discussion
What did you think of the show? 0:00 - 0:46 Who would/will watch this? 0:47 - 1:32 But you think old and young people will enjoy it? 1:33 - 1:43 Did the sound work for you? 1:44 - 2:23 What did you think of the camera movements? 2:24 - 4:10 The genre of the show is family based but with a dark eerie undertone - do you think the show fits that? 4:11 - 4:52 What did you think of the quality of the production, would it be fit for TV? 4:53 - 5:18 Yeah, you think there's a place in the market where this could thrive? 5:19 - 5:24 Can you see this being a series that could continue? 5:25 - 6:57 Yeah I was thinking of the story being non-linear, so you can see flashbacks. So you think i've created characters that you could care abut? 6:58 - 7:20
M3: Evaluate feedback from the audience, identifying strengths and weaknesses
Feedback I received from the questions and my response to it The overall feedback I received from my questions were that everyone enjoyed the TV drama and said that they would watch it if it were to be done professionally. Which is very nice to hear said because, I really liked my idea and the way I presented it so it's cool to hear that others enjoyed it as well. It was also said that both old and young people would enjoy it, which is good because it means a larger target audience. My audience said that the sound was good coming from the mother and Rob however on James, the audio was not good at all. This is not good at all because if the audience can't hear the characters, then they can't get immersed in the action and it ruins the effect of the show. So, it definitely needs to be changed because otherwise the viewer will spend the whole time trying to hear what is being said rather than enjoying the show. My response was that it could definitely be improved the next time round, especially if it were done professionally. They also thought the music was good and fits the genre, which is important because it is relatable and doesn't confuse the audience so is fantastic they thought it worked well. They said camera movements were a little boring when in the studio however, on the title sequence it was better. My response to this is that yes I can improve that, I found it hard to find good shots in the small studio that we had available. It is important to change the shots and make them more interesting because, if the audience get bored, they'll just turn it off and viewer ratings will go down. My audience said that the show fits the genre of a dark and eerie family based drama, which is good because I really liked how the themes in my product turned out. Finally, they said that the series could definitely continue because of the characters and their backstories, which I like because I worked hard to figure out plausible motives and reasons as to why they are who they are, so it's nice to see that appreciated. It's important to have a series that could continue as it is then more likely to be picked up by producers because there is more money to be got from it than if it were just the one series.
Ways to improve my piece
Sound - They all said that the sound needed improving and although I worked hard to salvage the sound I had by making it stereo and boosting it as much as I could, it still was noticable. Sound is one of the areas of production that I find extremely difficult and need to improve my skills on. The change to the sound needs to be made because otherwise the audience won't hear and there fore won't understand the action taking place so will quickly turn it off or become bored. I want the viewer to stay immersed in the action and the characters and if they can't hear what is being said then that can't happen and the entire project will be looked at as unprofessional.
Blocking - I feel like after the feedback and watching it again that there is very minimal moving around from the actors to keep the drama going and at points can be boring. For most of it, the main characters are just sat down talking and after watching it with a harsher eye, I have to say some parts are quite boring. I didn't realise this when filming it because I was so determined on getting it done and making sure all the jobs were being professionally dealt with like sound, lighting, camerawork that I forgot to really look at the action and critique my actors and myself. But this is something I can improve on and will have to if I want to be a better director. I think this is important to change because if a show is boring, people will turn it off, then ratings will drop, it will be taken off the air and won't make any money.
Camera Shots - This sort of ties in with the blocking in that there are moments where I could've really made the piece more exciting by maybe doing a low shot looking up to show Rob's 'man of the house' ego and how he has power now, or looked down with the camera on Susan to show how weak she has become being married to her alcoholic, angry husband. However, I just kept it so simple with mid shots and wides because, I was afraid that I would miss a shot or it would turn out not looking the way I wanted. Again, I think this is very important to change because if the audience gets bored as all the shots are boring, it will get taken off the air and won't make any money at all.
Areas I need to personally improve on
Directing - Based on the feedback, I was alright at directing, I planned to an extent and was good with time and I got the job done however, I still need to be more confident and forthright with my choices and ideas. Maybe if I was a bit more 'on it' with the crew I could have fitted more time in or got more shots that I liked however, for my first time at directing I thought it went okay. Being more confident and 'on it' are things that need to be changed so that I can be confident with trying different shots and getting different angles to choose from so that the episode does not get boring for the viewer. I want my actors to trust in my ability as a director so they can put in their best performance and be confident in what they are doing.
Sound - I myself need to train more on sound and make sure I know how to get good sound because, my peers did say that it was one of the bad parts of the finished product. It's important to get good sound and know skills on sound so that I know what's good, pure sound is and where the levels should be as well as how to fix problems and change stuff if I need to. If a show has bad sound, or if you can't hear, maybe there is hissing, people are going to turn it off and not watch.
Planning shots -To get the better shots that my peers were talking about I should've made sure I could get all the good shots I wanted before it got to shoot day. This could've been done by measuring if the three person shot was possible on the middle camera (Susan, James and Rob all on one camera shot), whether I needed to move the sofa round to achieve a certain look, those sorts of things just to give my TV Drama that extra edge and make sure that my crew all knew what they were doing. Maybe it would've been better to have them all on one of the side cameras and have a close up on the middle camera but still, I feel like that would've thrown the shots off balance. I just needed to work it our earlier and move my set accordingly rather than have the actors come in and not be ready to film. Being more organised and planning things is really important because it makes sure that you have everything ready and lessens the chance of something going wrong.
Key strengths during the making of the production During the making of this production I feel my key strengths were
Script Writing - One thing I was really proud of during the process was my script, I feel like I created characters with believable backgrounds and had a lot of people say they thought it was a good story. It was important that I got this right because the story is the thing that drives everything else. People can often forgive off-lighting, bad camera quality or sub-par acting, but the story is something everyone strives for, if there's not a good story, everything else is futile.
Storyboarding - I was also proud of my storyboards because it they were very simple to follow and I think the finished title sequence really reflected my storyboard well and matched each of the shots planned. This is important because a storyboard allows you to really think about your shots and get them right without spending any money. You can try different shots and angles by just drawing pictures and then once you're there, you know exactly what you're doing and won't waste any time trying to figure out what looks good or what to do because you already have a clear plan.
Title sequence as a whole - I thought my planning and delivering of the title sequence was really good, I storyboarded the shots with real detail and made sure I had the means to shoot them, so gathered all the props I would need. I really liked all the shots I took and editing them together with the names of the crew and cast was really fun and rewarding. It's important to have a good title sequence for the production because it's something that's consistent for the audience to latch on to and remember. It's good for the shows promotion because both the visuals and music from the title sequence can be used to spread on social media and keep people looking forward to the show.
Key weaknesses during the making of the production
During the making this production I feel my key weaknesses were
Getting Actors - I found finding actors/actresses really difficult because I'm not good at emailing or asking for things, I only got the actors I did because I knew Charlie and Joseph from college and they take drama, so I thought they'd be good of the role. And then Lynne, Susan in the show was a friend of my mums, sort was easier to contact her and ask for something because I know her. I think if I were to do this professionally, I have to work on getting proper actors in however, I thought they did a stellar job regardless. Getting professional actors is a change that would have to be made because they can be on a contract and get paid so that they have to stay for how many episodes and/or series' as well as giving a more 'professional' job. If the show got fairly famous actors, yes it would cost more, but it can then be promoted on that famous person's social media using 'star power' to reach a better following to tell them about the show, this would enhance the production greatly.
Directing - I found directing really daunting and I really did not know what I needed to do to get everything ready, I organised my cameras with a shot list and talked with my actors, but I still didn't have that knack of knowing what needed to change or why something just didn't feel right. I think I just need experience and it was fun being able to see what I'd written down on a page become an actual thing but still, I feel my skills need a lot of work. As I said before, it is important to have experience as a director to get he best out of the show and make sure it is not boring for the viewers.
Editing - I just found the editing process so laborious and tasking trying to get everything to look its best. There were so many aspects including the sound, saturation, shots that just didn't look good and really made editing quite hard. One bit of editing I did enjoy was doing the title sequence because I found putting names on the shots and finding the right music really exhilarating and exciting. Editing is really important for the production because it can make or break a show. The shots need to flow nicely and work together in harmony so that the viewer barley notices the editing. If it is clunky and unrefined, the editing can become irritating and mundane which makes the audience bored and irritated causing them to turn off the show.
Performance during the project
I feel like I performed well, I was able to plan out what I needed to do quite well, and everything was where I needed it to be on the shoot day. For instance, I had all crew members and cast arrive on time, so that we could sort everything quickly and get started on filming. I could've maybe been more on top of the actual look I wanted for the shots and feel of the piece however, all in all, I am happy with my performance and proud of the finished product.
Overall four things I could develop in my skill set
Audio/Sound - I could definitely improve my knowledge of sound and making sure I know how to record good sound and how to effectively fix sound if it is going wrong, or is recording badly. Sound is important because it is incredibly irritating to the viewer, possibly to the point where they'd turn it off, if they cannot hear what's being said because it is too low or is being distorted in some way (by a hiss or crackle.)
Working with actors - I need to know how to tell them what I want from a scene instead of just hoping they do a good job, I need to explain the character they're playing and what their motives and background is, so the actor can empathise with the character and play them with more depth and feel. This is again important to the entire piece because if the scene is especially emotional or serious, you need a genuine and feeling performance to carry the emotion to the audience. If it is sloppy or not directed well, then the performance can turn comedic very quickly, because there's not enough substance and realism behind it.
Working with crew - I need to be more assertive and know straight away what exactly I want from a shot or sequence, so that my crew know exactly what they need to do. Instead of just saying 'do a pan form there to there' I need to be more adventurous and detailed in my explanation, for example 'I want a right to left pan starting on a close up of the clock and ending on a mid of Rob' That sounds a lot more professional and like I know what I'm saying. This is important for the overall production because if your crew don't trust you or your judgement, they won't care so much about putting a good performance in. If you have a clear idea about what you want and how it's gong to look, they are more likely to become invested int he idea and strive to get it with you.
Planning - I really need to work on planning skills and making sure I know the ins and outs of my production instead of just doing the bare minimum and winging it on the day. Planning is a really important part of production and my attitude to it needs to change because the more a show is planned, the less is bound to go wrong. Once everything is thought of and done, it leaves free space to be creative and time to try things and get the scene just right. If the show isn't planned and everyone is rushing about with no time, the scenes are rushed and it's impossible to get the most out of them. In reference to other questions, what personal development would I need to go through to address the points above? I said I need to improve my sound/audio/recording knowledge, I said this because my peers in the audience feedback session said that the audio on the dialogue was not good at all and could be improved. To remedy this, I will research how to record sound and what to look out for. I will also research tips like how to fit a mic on someone, so that the sound is the best it can be. Finally, after this, I will go into the studio with a couple friends and record some dialogue using the equipment in there, so that I can test it out and know for next time. As I said before, I think sound is important to learn inside out because, it is such. crucial and unforgiving part of a film/TV show, without the sound, it is irritating and difficult to understand the action.
I also said I need to improve on working with actors and crew, I said this because I felt that I didn't do as good a job as I could've done, looking back at some of the shots and the way I went about recording the show. To help improve this, I think the only thing I can do is get experience however, because of college work, I might not have the opportunity to work with actors for a while. So instead, I will watch interviews with known directors about how they like to work with people and what to do as a director, what the title means exactly. I think this is important to do because I really would like to enhance my skills and people who do the job day in day out, and to a professional level, are the best teachers.
Finally, I said that I wanted to improve my planning skills. I said this because I feel that I was lazy and only completed the bare minimum, and even that, took me a while to complete. To improve this, I think I just need to work on my procrastination problem, which is being remedied by just having lots of college work to complete. I will also research what real production companies plan when they have a shoot coming up and how different people get their jobs done efficiently. I think this is important to research because, although I myself most probably won't go into producing, it's part of filmmaking and part of the process, so is always good to learn.