Sunday 21 November 2010

Week 6:........Nothing

This week not much has been done for industry practice. Though there were little tiny things that I were done to help progress the production.

Firstly I was able to log the footage that had been filmed the week before. This is important as it saved doing paperwork later when this may have been rather awkward e.g. trying to find the original files when all the files have been moved and renamed.

The second thing that the group was able to do was to help edit the footage into a rough timeline. This footage was the only the interviews of two of the contributors though again it helped to save the work load of editing. Starting to edit as soon as possible is extremely important as editing can be an lengthy process which involve many hours of work, especially if special effects are being used.

“Time management and task management are closely linked and you are advised to try to strike a balance between the two”. (Portsmouth, 2001)

This talks about how one should organize their tasks and time to do them in. With few tasks to do on the production it means that there is a wealth of time to complete them though one should waste time in completing them.

“If you become too obsessed with time then you tend to think in terms of ‘hours put in’, rather than in terms of what you have achieved”. (Portsmouth, 2001)


If it were to happen that we spend hours completing one task then the production would lose momentum. This is why starting everything as soon as will help as this will reduce the number of tasks earlier to free up time for further development.

Portsmouth University. (2001) Information and study skills: Managing time and workload [Internet] Portsmouth University. Available from: ports [accessed 21st of November]

Saturday 6 November 2010

Week 5: A Meeting

Over this past week a lot of progress has been made with industry practice.

A meeting with the client had been booked for the Monday which was very important. It was in this meeting that me an my colleagues pitched to the client about the content we wanted to include in promotion video, but also about some of the legalities and how we would protect privacy of those who wanted to contribute to the final product (via interviews or personal backgrounds). The reason why we did speak about the legalities was to assure the client that we understood the sensitive nature of Lighthouse Project and that we are prepared to take the necessary precautions to protect the identities of those involved.

“8.2 Information which discloses the location of a person's home or family should not be revealed without permission, unless it is warranted.” (Ofcom, 2010, section 8 privacy)

The meeting had gone very well, so well that on Wednesday we were inform that the client had already arranged 2 interviews, one on Thursday and one of the 15th of November.

Though the first interview was very last minute, the group decided that it was best to do as we may not have had a second chance. Plus if we didn’t it may lead the client to question the group’s enthusiasm for the project.

“Be upbeat, positive and passionate about your idea. If you are not enthusiastic about the show, they won't be either.” (http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-pitch-a-tv-show, accessed 06/11/10)

Another problem encountered was that booking out equipment and editing suites was last minute. This could have caused the group to not go and film and miss the opportunity presented. Luckily however equipment was available to film with and an editing suite was available. For future reference it would be worth asking for more warning from clients (if possible) so that filming session can be better planned.

Thursday 4 November 2010

week 4: better late than never

A little late, but better late than never. Over the past week (25th – 31st of October) not much progress has been made for industry practice. This has been due to their being no initial meeting with the client which is slowing progress. Because of this we are unable to book equipment or avid suites.

However we have learned from the client that instead of them pitching an idea to us, they would us to pitch and idea to them instead. This will give the group more creative control of the final product. However this will require us to think carefully about the content and style of the video. Considering the sensitive nature of the subject the will have to be considerable focus on privacy of the contributors should they require it.

“8.7 If an individual or organization’s privacy is being infringed, and they ask that the filming, recording or live broadcast be stopped, the broadcaster should do so, unless it is warranted to continue.” (Ofcom, 2010, section 8 Privacy)

This may have to be addressed with pixilation of faces, false details, or altered voices. Also another area that should also be considered is fairness of the depiction of the Lighthouse project.

“7.9 Before broadcasting a factual programme, including programmes examining past events, broadcasters should take reasonable care to satisfy themselves that:
• material facts have not been presented, disregarded or omitted in a way that is unfair to an individual or organisation; and
• anyone whose omission could be unfair to an individual or organisation has been offered an opportunity to contribute.” (Ofcom, 2010, section 7 Fairness)

If facts and figures are to be used in the final product, they should come from the project itself otherwise misrepresentation will occur as the video will be representing the Lighthouse Project with facts that are not their own.

The aim for next week will be to have the initial meeting with the client and if possible organize filming dates.