Monday, 15 June 2015

Storyboard generator on Final Cut & Blocking App

Blocking is the act of walking the actors through the scene before it is shot in order to make sure the lighting is sufficient and the camera is able to get the desired shots required. Blocking is for all departments to be sure that they are prepared for the scene to be shot. 
These include cinematographic details, the physical relationship of the actors to each other, and the overall sense of where they are going. Simply put, what is the set-up, especially in terms of the action and how everything fits together.

This is typically plotted out in an overhead (birds eye view) diagram, with numbered cameras related to set ups from the storyboard.

Desktop version: http://shot-designer.software.informer.com/1.2/

App: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/shot-designer/id556342711?mt=8





Monday, 8 June 2015

Assignment 1: Interview Techniques Outline & Comparison Script

Interview Techniques Web Report Script (P1, P3)
As a class you will produce and present an instructional video to demonstrate your understanding of Interview Techniques and your skills in single or multi-camera interview set-ups. Example: https://youtu.be/kQJgJhDKp24

P Apply correct techniques and styles to the examples. Outline the techniques.
M Compare the differences between 2 examples, referring to specific details of the interview style, journalistic context, purpose, questions and structure
D Explain what is the effect/purpose and how the interviewer successfully (or not) used the correct style and techniques

Starter: Which type of interview, style and purpose would you describe these videos as?
Graham Norton
Tarantino


Extension Task Talking point/assess higher understanding = what was happening here (purpose and style) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1ngJnB4Tn8

Your class examples
·         Emmanuel: Louie Theroux doc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo_DuXWJgRM &
·         Hannah: Jonathan Ross https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7cme41o6tw
·         Chilapi: Russell Brand https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBA6qlHW8po
·         Melissa: CH4 News Russell Brand https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrVe7jJE__M
·         Micah: Newsnight Paxman vs Michael Howerd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwlsd8RAoqI
·         Lucy: Paula Yates and Michael Hutchence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHI_G1QFfIs
·         Laolu: Piers Morgan & Alex Jones https://youtu.be/gWQPZ-taYBs
·         Liam: Andrew Neil & EDL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opy5fXrTGEA
·         Tanim: BBC 3 doc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1oe9D2t_ZA
·         Niamh: Nick Broomfield https://youtu.be/O9a-YrYIuaY?t=20m41s
·         Simone: CH4 News with Pharrell Williams https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHP-_JbSP2c&list=PLXjqQf1xYLQ7m1xnNYh7PO4LTJQ7mjVVk
·         Aoife: Milibrand Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDZm9_uKtyo
·         Michelle: BBC Radio 1 Kanye West https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR_yTQ0SYVA (up to 20 mins)
Clifford: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYLepQQNQCU
Anthony: Downey Jnr Ch4 News https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALBwaO-rAsE
·         Lauren:




Task 1: Class Outline of Interview Techniques (presented)
Embed the video from Youtube and annotate on your Weebly on the following aspects for your video:

1. Introduce how the techniques and style used depends on the subject of the interview. What style did your interviewers use?
2. Discuss how the interviewer changes the type of questions needed to be asked, and the style of the interview.
3. Give examples of questions that are open, closed, single, multiple, direct, or indirect. Discuss the benefits in terms of responses.
4. Discuss how the interviewer will use a variety of these questions – and give reasons why? Control, manipulate answers, desired responses (provoking?) etc…
5. Discuss how the style of the interview is also adjusted depending on the intended feel of the interview, find an example of how they can be:
·         hard news,
·         combative,
·         light-hearted,
·         entertainment,
·         investigative,
·         promotional.
6. Discuss why interviews must be structured and why the sections are necessary. There is an obvious structure to most interviews, they follow this pattern;
·         introduction,
·         developmental questions,
·         confidence building,
·         key questions, soundbites,
·         summary, wind up.

7. When conducting an interview, it is important to build rapport with your interviewee. You can do this by listening to what they have to say and by making sure you keep an open body language, and to not act defensively while interviewing. Discuss why this is important and how the interviewer in your example did this.

9. Journalistic Contexts: 
What is the context and format of this interview, channel, programme, structure of the interview (ie multiple contributors, live studio audience, cut-aways, single camera or multi camera interview?)

10. Purposes of interviews:
There are many reasons for an interviews:
·         to research,
·         to enhance an audience's understanding,
·         to present information,
·         to interpret or explain,
·         to be accountable allowing the audience an insight into a situation.

11. Discuss the purpose of the interview, and comment on how the interview did (or did not) successfully conduct the interview based upon this purpose. What techniques did they use?
In your groups, now put together your work onto your weebly. Share in your groups based on different techniques and styles, and present your responses in a brief discussion


Task 2: Peer Teach & Script Production
Prepare your comparison with your group partners to discuss the different interview techniques and style across the your group’s examples
You are preparing for your Interview responses during the next task, so think of this as a script. Split this into the following sections:
·         Techniques (include variety of questions, style and structure)
·         Context (type of interview, programme format)
·         Purpose (aim and success in achieving this)

Example response: Interview 1
Techniques: The types of questions used are usually closed questions, but as it's a chat show, the questions are specifically vague, so they leave room for Saoirse to carry on talking. This interview is a very light hearted and casual style - Graham Norton gives Saoirse some laid back questions and they go back and forth just creating conversation and comedy, but there's also quite straight forward answers to his questions. At the beginning of the show there is an introduction by Graham Norton, but the main interview comes later. Seemingly because she's already been made comfortable and settled into the casual theme of the show during the other guest's interviews, Norton just jumps straight into the developmental questions, in order to continue the light hearted environment and generate laughs.

Context used: This was a televised interview on BBC One on The Graham Norton Show. The interview included a clip of the movie, as well as a shot of the promotional poster for it.

Purpose: The purpose of this interview was to promote Ronan's new film 'The Host'. Due to the comedy nature of the programme, the purpose was also to create conversation with Ronan and tell stories etc., to make the audience laugh.

Example response: Interview 2

Techniques: The interview is almost entirely comprised of open questions, giving Tarantino room to answer however he wants. The interview appears to have identified as investigative and promotional, but it quickly becomes confrontational when Tarantino becomes defensive and aggressive. There is no introduction in this interview, as Krishnan Guru-Murthy (interviewer) just opens with "Firstly, congratulations on the movie, now..." and then just jumps into the questions. There doesn't seem to be any developmental questions, as he just goes straight into the real hard-hitting questions. Context used: This is a televised interview for Channel 4 News, which includes references to film. The clip of the interview went viral online after it was broadcast. Purposes: The purpose of this interview was to promote Tarantino's new film 'Django Unchained'. As Guru-Murthy says in the interview, it is also to create conversation and voice opinions on some of the topics of the new movie, including slavery, violence etc. 

Friday, 24 April 2015

Homework: Interview Planning


 1. Quiz on Thursday 1st thing. Watch the videos in your groups and prepare to answer 'how would you' questions based on the following advice.

1.     Simple questions
2.     Treating interviewees fairly
3.     Getting the first question right: Stephen Sackur
4.     Getting guests to open up: Victoria Derbyshire and Eddie Mair
5.     Researching an interview: Jon Sopel and Libby Purves
6.     Arts interviews: Mark Lawson
7.     TV interview tips: Jane Corbin, Jon Sopel and Jim Fitzpatrick

You will be exploring this advice in your instructional videos (Mini-assignment 2)
  
2. Having had your Interviews Format and Topic agreed complete your full proposal for your interviews ready to be signed off/agreed by the Commissioning Editor of Factual Programming (Me)

Include:
  • Format of your production (doc, news, studio, panel)
  • Outline of your interview proposal/question 
  • Who your expert will be (name, job/role and contact details)
  • What they will be able to contribute/opinion/expert or specialist knowledge & experience
  • Locations that will establish the credibility/relevance of the contributor
  • A summary of research into the subject matter - stats and facts, previous studies/docs etc
  • 10 proposed questions based on your research for your contributor


email this to r.barton@ctksfc.ac.uk

By next week you need to have all the planning completed and uploaded to your blogs: 
  • Format (which, what the topic is)
  • Research (for each contributor and rationale why this authority), 
  • Structured questions (for each interview), with annotation on rationale/purpose
  • Contact details & profile for each contributor (who they are, role & background), 
  • Telephone Contact (recorded)
  • Courtesy Email sending questions in advance
  • Acknowledgement of fairness/ethics,  
  • Arrangements for locations (recee/permission release) and dates for the shoot (shooting schedule, email ) 
  • Equipment list and 'set up' notes

The expectation is they will be calling them (recording the conversations of their phones) and sending the questions to their collaborators in advance during the lesson and writing up your individual report on the organisation of the process. 

The resources we used in class will help you structure and organise your process and questions, and include in your production log/report.



Interview techniques: He's only gone and done it again!

Wednesday, 22 April 2015

Student Report on Interview Techniques

http://rijd-medial3y2.weebly.com/




Interview techniques:The interview techniques differ depending on the subject of the interview. This changes the type of questions needed to be asked, and the style of the interview. The questions can be open, closed, single, multiple, direct, or indirect. Many interviewers will use a variety of these questions, some try and sway the answers to their desired outcome.
The style of the interview is also adjusted depending on the intended feel of the interview, they can be hard news, combative, light-hearted, entertainment, investigative, or promotional. There is an obvious structure to most interviews, they follow this pattern; introduction, developmental questions, confidence building, key questions, soundbites, summary, wind up.
When conducting an interview, it is important to build a rapport with your interviewee, to ease the tension. You can do this by listening to what they have to say and by making sure you keep an open body language, and to not act defensively while interviewing.

Journalistic Contexts:
When reporting, there are many ways of publishing the context. You can publish in print, on television , radio, online, in the news, sport, feature-writers, and editorials.

Purposes of interviews:
There are many reasons for an interviews, such as to research, enhance an audience's understanding, presenting information, interpreting or explaining, and the accountability of emotions, allowing the audience an insight into a situation.








Techniques: The types of questions used are usually closed questions, but as it's a chat show, the questions are specifically vague, so they leave room for Saoirse to carry on talking. This interview is a very light hearted and casual style - Graham Norton gives Saoirse some laid back questions and they go back and forth just creating conversation and comedy, but there's also quite straight forward answers to his questions. At the beginning of the show there is an introduction by Graham Norton, but the main interview comes later. Seemingly because she's already been made comfortable and settled into the casual theme of the show during the other guest's interviews, Norton just jumps straight into the developmental questions, in order to continue the light hearted environment and generate laughs.
Context used: This was a televised interview on BBC One on The Graham Norton Show. The interview included a clip of the movie, as well as a shot of the promotional poster for it.
 Purpose: The purpose of this interview was to promote Ronan's new film 'The Host'. Due to the comedy nature of the programme, the purpose was also to create conversation with Ronan and tell stories etc., to make the audience laugh.



Techniques: The interview is almost entirely comprised of open questions, giving Tarantino room to answer however he wants. The interview appears to have identified as investigative and promotional, but it quickly becomes confrontational when Tarantino becomes defensive and aggressive. There is no introduction in this interview, as Krishnan Guru-Murthy (interviewer) just opens with "Firstly, congratulations on the movie, now..." and then just jumps into the questions. There doesn't seem to be any developmental questions, as he just goes straight into the real hard-hitting questions. Context used: This is a televised interview for Channel 4 News, which includes references to film. The clip of the interview went viral online after it was broadcast. Purposes: The purpose of this interview was to promote Tarantino's new film 'Django Unchained'. As Guru-Murthy says in the interview, it is also to create conversation and voice opinions on some of the topics of the new movie, including slavery, violence etc.




How many types of interviews are there and how do they differ?
You have four types of interviews; celebrity, sports, political, and talking heads. Celebrity interviews tend to be more intimate and personal, asking questions about their personal life - the Graham Norton Show interview with Saoirse Ronan is an example of this, as it is very relaxed and they talk about her personal life as well as the films she's in.
Sports interviews are generally shorter and are conducted soon after an event. Political interviews are confrontational and their aim is to extract information - the Tarantino interview can fall into this category as well as the celebrity catergory,  as the interview becomes confrontational about Tarantino's views on violence, etc. Talking heads are a type of interview in which a specialist is spoken to about a specific topic to provide extra information.

What are the different question types?

The different question types are; open, closed, single, multiple, direct, and indirect. In The Graham Norton Show where he interviews Saoirse Ronan about her part in The Host, he uses mainly open questions to allow her to talk about the film about it has affecter her life.

How are the interview styles chosen?

The interview styles wee chosen depending on the topic of the interview and the style of the show. The Graham Norton interview was light-hearted and entertaining, whereas the Tarantino interview was confrontational and promotional.

How is the structure of the interviews laid out?

There is an obvious structure to interviews, they follow this pattern; introductions, development questions, confidence building, key questions, soundbites, summary then windup. Both of the interviews follow the same structure, except for there was no introduction for Tarantino.

What kind of communication skills are needed when interviewing someone?

When conducting an interview, it is important to build a rapport with your subject to ease the tension, you can do this by listening to what they have to say and by making sure you have an open body language and to not act defensively while interviewing. In the Saoirse Ronan interview, Graham Norton built a rapport by having a fake fight demonstration to link with Saoirse's previous movies.

There are various types of journalistic context, can you talk about them?

There are many ways of publishing the content. You can do it through print, television, radio, online, news, sport, feature-writers and editorials. In the Saoirse Ronan interview, the audience was shown a movie poster and later on, a clip from the film, which helped inform them on the topic of the interview.

The purpose for holding an interview differs for every interview, so could you explain some of those purposes?

There are many purposes for an interview, such as to research, enhance the audience's understanding, presenting information, interpretive or explaining and the accountability of emotions allowing the audience an insight to a situation. The Tarantino interview was conducted to get information from Tarantino about his beliefs on violence, although Tarantino wanted to use is as an advertisement for his new movie 'Django Unchained'.

What is the rule of thirds, and why is it used in interviews?

The rule of thirds is important as it helps to create a more balanced and interesting composition for the audience watching. In both of the interviews, the interviewee is positioned on the right on the right vertical third - occasionally they will be just off the center of the frame.

What equipment would you take to shoot an interview?

You should make sure you at least take the basic equipment; tripod, camera, mic, and lights. It's also useful to scout your location before the shoot, to make sure you have the right equipment for the area as well as the ability to set it up quickly, not to waste your interviewee's time.

Any pointers that you would give to people who want to shoot an interview?

Make sure you're prepared, reap up on the topic you are going to be interviewing about. This will help you to understand the answers being given to you. In the Tarantino interview, Krishnan Guru-Murthy asked questions which Tarantino had previously answered in other interviews, so Tarantino became confrontational and refused to answer the questions.

Process & Type - how to Prepare for your interview


1st  Research
Research is crucial. The strength of your questions and your capacity to resist being manipulated/overpowered and respected depends on how good your research has been.



2nd Making contact beforehand
Making contact with the person before the interview should give your interviewee a better understanding of  what is expected of him or her, and in what context the interview will be used. It also means you can assess whether or not someone will make a good interviewee. Once you have shortlisted your questions you should give them a copy to prepare their answers. 



3rd Preparing the questions
How you prepare your questions will depend on two criteria:



a) Who am I interviewing?
A politician, a colleague, the man in the street, an expert, a celebrity. You will tailor your questions in quite a different way for each.



b) What is it for?
A news bulletin, a current affairs programme, a general interest broadcast. The format and the atmosphere should be adapted for the different types of programme.



4th Preparing your equipment
· Make sure your recorder is working properly (microphone, cable, iphone, batteries, etc) by doing a quick recording and listening back to it.
· If the interview is to take place outdoors, place the iphone inside the collaborators pocket.


There are five different types of interview:


Explanation’ interview. Get information from your interviewee about his or her expert subject, or about something he or she is well-positioned to talk about.

‘Portrait’ interview. Bring out the personality of the interviewee on the air.


Witness’ interview. Have a witness to an event.


’Declaration’ interview. Ask the reaction of someone involved in the news, or of a politician for their immediate reaction to a story or meeting in which they have taken part.


’Vox Pop’ interview. Survey a slice of the population to give a reflection of public opinion about a news story.