bethl8765

[bethl8765]

oj, tato - poster drafts

Drafts of the poster that our graphic designer, Daisy, made with the input of me and Natalia. We really loved including the element of the removal of Sebastian from the images as this is something we see in the film. As well as this, we wanted to use either an archive image (as seen in the first draft) or one of Natalia's photos as they are both relevant to the final film. We ultimately decided to go with this photograph of Natalia's Gran, Ula, as it was more relevant than the image including Natalia's Mum on the bottom right since she is not as present in the film as Ula. We wanted a warm colour palette, which is why the yellow and orange are included here.

Working with Daisy was a great experience for me as I learnt about the process of working with a graphic designer and how to keep good communication between us throughout the process of her delivering drafts and me giving feedback.

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under the gorse - reflection

My Involvement

I found my role in this film to be very challenging due to the main producer stepping down at the early stages of the production and many other issues throughout. My role was co-producer, but I had stated early in the process that I would not be able to take on equal responsibilities as Jack, the other co-producer, as this was not my main project.

I did learn some valuable lessons which I will take forward with me in my future work, for example, how to overcome challenges on set and how to navigate difficult conversations with crew. It was very positive to have Jack come on board, as I do not think the film would have been made otherwise. His main responsibilities were to complete risk assessments, assist with permissions and agreements, and help with equipment bookings (I booked sound equipment, and he booked the rest of the equipment for the main shoot), as well as helping in whatever other areas were needed. I think we worked well together, especially on set where we needed to work together to overcome difficult scenarios.

There was clearly lots of research put into the story and aesthetics of this film, with Sam having a large amount of really detailed and beautiful inspiration for the story, visuals, and sound, which I think is reflected in the final film. Looking back, I think a lot of the challenges that arose throughout this production were due to a lack of strong communication, which we could have overcome by having a meeting where we clearly distributed tasks and made an action plan for how we would achieve a smooth workflow. This was something that did happen, but not to the level of detail that was needed.

In Conclusion...

This project was a massive learning experience for me, for many reasons. Producing is a challenging enough role that aside from anything I have realised is mainly about adapting to work with different people, especially directors. It can be difficult to achieve a harmonious relationship as the producer works with the production's best interests in mind (what is feasible, how can we look after our cast and crew etc) whereas a director is more concerned directly with the story, visuals, and acting. This is understandable. It is not their job to be concerned about the financial element of their film, for example. However, on this level, whilst we're still students and not in possession of large amounts of funding, it is crucial that it is taken into consideration what is actually achievable. This can be seen as trying to crush the dream of a director, but that was certainly not my goal with this project. I loved Sam's vision and believed that it could be a beautiful and unique film. However, I couldn't ignore the many challenges and elements of the project that were out of the realm of achievability. I think this wasn't clear, that I was in fact just trying to get this film to actually be made. I stayed on board for a number of reasons including a genuine passion and belief in the film, wanting to support Sam, and believing that the challenging nature of the project could be beneficial. I was encouraged by a number of people to take on this second producing opportunity, and only later did I realise that, considering everything else going on in my life at the time, it was perhaps not the best idea.

Despite the challenges, it was beneficial to work with children and follow the certain guidelines that are required when working with them (giving them appropriate breaks etc). I feel like I will be better equipped moving forward with how to organise a production that requires so many moving parts. I also learnt a lot about my approach as a producer and how to adapt to different people's ways of working. Having now reflected on this experience, I am able to view the challenges as learning opportunities and I now feel capable of overcoming pretty much any obstacle that presents itself in future projects that I produce.

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under the gorse - shoot days

Glencoe Shoot

Although I was not on set for the shoot in Glencoe, I secured the lodge in which the cast and crew stayed for the 3 days, and from the feedback I heard it was a very comfortable place for them to stay. There were cheaper options of accommodation available but due to the number of cast and crew, as well as the fact there was going to be children staying, I felt it was important to ensure that we secured something suitable. The lodge was a short drive from the shoot locations and had enough space for all cast and crew to live comfortably. I also researched the van hire and found the best deal on a van for the whole shoot which we ended up booking. I was present for the test shoot back in September which I think was beneficial as I had a general idea of the area and the type of land the shoot would take place on.

In terms of my awareness of what was happening, I was left out of the loop throughout most of the Glencoe shoot, aside from Jack giving me updates. This was very stressful as I became increasingly concerned for the safety of the cast and crew as I knew weather conditions were poor and the shoot was taking place on potentially challenging terrain. However, I was confident that Jack would adhere to the information in the risk assessments to ensure that everyone was safe and correct procedures were followed. On the final evening, I spoke with Sam after personal circumstances meant that Jack could not continue his responsibilities. I ultimately ended up allowing Sam to make a plan moving forward so I could focus on my main project, however, I still attended two of the shoot days after this.

Final Shoot Day

I was on set for the final shoot day in which the meteor scene would be shot. I was not involved in the preparation for these shoot days I had limited my commitment to focus on my main project. This was a challenging shoot day for a number of reasons - the weather conditions being the main one. We had a new team on this day, which consisted mainly of 3rd year students from the course and external crew members.

Along with Cara, I assisted in finishing the meteor as it still needed some polishing. Whilst the rest of the group set up for the first shot on Craiglockhart Hill, Cara took a large amount of soil to the top in preparation for the set dress, and then we both carried the meteor up. This whole process was very difficult and was not helped by the weather conditions. The weather got so bad that me and some other crew members collectively made the decision to get everyone down the hill and into a warm space whilst we re-evaluated a plan moving forward. The option to push the shoot to another day was not possible due to the fact that this was already a reshoot and the actresses could not commit any more of their time. The drone operator travelled from Glasgow but was not able to operate the drone due to these weather conditions, but we were able to shoot an alternative version of the final scene which was originally intended to be done by drone.

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under the gorse - PD and costume images

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under the gorse - crew and pre-production

Finding Crew

Another one of my responsibilities for this film was to help gather crew. I managed to find several key crew members including the costume designer and one of the production designers. Caitlin, our costume designer, was a great addition to the team and I knew would be reliable having worked with her on a previous project, 'The Last Landscape'. She mainly specialises in period pieces and therefore already knew how to make the scruff which was an essential element for Puck. She also made the ears which pulled together Puck's outfit really well. Caitlin also sourced the coloured jackets for both girls which are a staple of the film. After my initial meeting with her, communication was mainly between her and Sam, therefore I am not aware of the workflow that happened but I checked in with her several times just to make sure her work was progressing smoothly. I had also worked with our production designer, Cara, on a previous project and believed she would be a good fit to assist with this project. Cara had a vast range of props which really helped to elevate the rooms in the interior, and she also played a big part in creating the scene where the meteor landed. Once again, I was not included in conversations surrounding the production design, in terms of the vision or financial element.

On top of this, I helped to secure additional crew for varying days of the shoot - it was difficult at times to keep track of all of the crew members for this project as each day had a different crew, however, I tried my best to keep track of all of the crew members in a document that stated their role, duration of their attachment on the project, transport plans, and any dietary requirements.

Pre-Production Contributions

During the pre-production stage, I had many meetings with Sam in which we mainly spoke about the ever-evolving script. This film has an ambitious concept: shooting on film, working with children, shooting in Glencoe, all of which are exciting and enticed me towards working on it, however, after the main producer stepped down it became increasingly difficult to balance all of the elements that are involved. Thankfully, we introduced Jack to the team at the beginning of the year and he was able to get started on a lot of the more technical/logistical work such as researching how we would get permission to shoot in these places etc. This meant that my role became more centred towards the creative and people-oriented elements of the film. I started the social media account and the crowdfunding page, which I think are both very successful in terms of highlighting the aesthetic approach of the film and explaining why we want it to exist.

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under the gorse - NQ location images

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under the gorse - interior location

Finding a Location

As a co-producer on this film, one of my agreed responsibilities was to search for an interior location, whilst Sam and Jack focused on exteriors.

My family live in a small village called North Queensferry and I knew instantly that this would be an ideal setting for the interior section of the film. I asked family friends who live around the village if they would be open to allowing us to shoot in their homes and got a positive response overall with several of them more than happy to help. There was one in particular that stood out due to its unique location and interiors and has also been seen in several BBC dramas beforehand. It is positioned directly underneath the Forth Road Bridge and has an amazing view over the River Forth.

We had offered payment as we would be using the whole house and facilities for several days, however, they were very kind in refusing the payment which we very much appreciated.

The location was ideal as the owners were not in the house for the duration of our shoot which gave us the freedom to use it as we wished. I was very cautious about certain rooms being used as there were a lot of precious items belonging to the family, but thankfully the production design team were very respectful of this and helped me to keep track of everything that we moved so it could go back to the appropriate place.

Shoot Days

The day prior to the shoot, I met with the production designers, Cara and Antony, and dressed the main rooms with the numerous props they had gathered. The rooms looked great and it was clear that they both had put a lot of thought into how they could represent each character with the production design.

Unfortunately the living room, despite being dressed and lit, was not used due to scheduling issues. However, the shots in the final film that feature the house are visually stunning. Aside from the house, we also shot some scenes in the surrounding area of the village.

Whilst the rest of the crew departed for Glencoe, I took down all production design and made sure the house was back to its original state. I would have appreciated more help with this take down, but it was made difficult due to time restraints and the fact that the remaining crew on the final day of the interior shoot needed to collect a prop (the bathtub) very last minute, leaving me to clear the set around 10pm.

In terms of the actual shoot, it was chaotic and we unfortunately did not get all of the shots that we needed. I had stated clearly prior to my departure to Poland for my main shoot that I would not be able to assist with scheduling. When I came back I was disappointed to find that there was not a realistic schedule in place. This meant that there was a lot of tension between some of the crew, especially the 1st AD and director. I felt it was crucial to keep this tension away from the girls and their chaperone as it would not be a good idea to start the shoot with the crew presenting themselves as dysfunctional, considering they had committed to what ended up being a 7 day shoot. We were able to pick-up the shots we needed in Edinburgh in a different location that Sam secured, however, I feel disappointed that such a strong location was partly wasted.

[bethl8765]

oj, tato - april updates

The edit progressed well throughout the end of March and into April. There have been several versions of the film over the past few weeks due to the fact that there are so many routes we could take with the amount of footage we had. We received feedback from several lecturers and trusted peers which was very helpful in allowing us to gain a new perspective of the film.

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I have nearly finished distributing all of the crowdfunder rewards and have been working closely with a graphic designer who is making a poster for us. She designed several versions which we all really liked, and ultimately ended up with a final product which I think highlights several elements of the film in a subtle way.

We are currently in the final stages of post-production, with the colour grade now complete and sound aiming to be done by the end of this week. I have been working on formatting and correcting any errors in the subtitles. We have also been working with a composer who has been in communication with Natalia and Jenny and has already submitted a draft of the score which Natalia has given feedback on.

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oj, tato - shoot photos

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oj, tato - march updates

We wrapped the shoot for Oj, tato on the 14th of March. We had over 20 hours of footage with an extra 10 from the archive we found (CDs, DVDs and physical photos) which Natalia managed to get digitalised. Eva and Natalia began a paper edit straight away and then Eva began her first cut of the edit. I gave advice where needed and occasionally went into SA to see the progress, but I felt it was important to give Eva and Natalia space to work through the edit themselves until they felt other opinions were necessary.

Whilst the edit was happening I continued my work on the social media page, regularly posting updates about the progress of the film. I also began organising crowdfunder rewards by printing and packaging postcards, prints, and tote bags to give to people who donated to certain reward tiers. Part of my role during this time was also to make sure communication between the group was clear and we were getting input from lecturers where necessary.

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oj, tato - 03/03/24

We have now arrived in Poland and have begun shooting with Janusz and Ula. Thankfully all of the travelling went very smoothly and there were no issues regarding transporting the kit. This was a main concern of mine and I did lots of research regarding the best way to transport equipment, ultimately we ended up booking the larger items as 'special equipment' which meant it was taken to a separate section of the plane to be transported. We bought trackers to insert into all of the cases and equipment which allowed us to follow all of our belongings and if they were to get lost, would aid us in finding it. We have spent our first few days here settling in and getting to know Natalia's grandparents therefore we did not shoot anything on the first 2 days. This has been really beneficial as it has allowed us all to get comfortable with each other before the more intimate aspects of the shoot which will be happening soon.

We have been capturing a mixture of planned and sporadic shots so far that have allowed us to test different tones and every evening we intend to sit down as a group and talk over what is working and what isn't.

I am also filming behind-the-scenes footage to edit it together at some point soon to create a full BTS to post on our social media, which I have been updating whilst we have been on the trip so far.

The following days will be more intense in terms of their structure and the subject matter but we aim to keep a positive and relaxed atmosphere amongst the group and with Janusz and Ula :))

[bethl8765]

oj, tato - 11/02/24

Last week we held our fundraising event at Home Bar in Tollcross, which was a big success! We raised over £300 through ticket and merchandise sales. I think the lineup of films and poetry was very cohesive and emphasised the themes of our film very well, and we got great feedback. It was really nice to have the presence of the charity we are collaborating with, Richmond's Hope, at the event too. Rebecca (whom I have been communicating with) gave a small talk about the charity and had a stall with resources and information about the work that they do. We are very thankful for how open-minded and kind Rebecca has been so far!

I have been running the Instagram account which has been a great way to highlight our aesthetic vision and share photos from the event etc. Eva has acted as our graphic designer by adding text and graphics to most of our posts.

Our crowdfunder ends tomorrow, and once I have taken into account the money raised at our fundraiser we will have exceeded our extended goal of £2500 - this allows us to donate a substantial amount to Richmond's Hope, cover our travel expenses, and also allow us to invest in any equipment that isn't available through the university. I have been keeping track of donations and who will be receiving a reward (tote bags, prints, and postcards were on offer to those who donated a certain amount).

I have set up a meeting with Sana this week so the girls can talk through the structure of our film and get any advice before our departure in just over two weeks.

Things are going very smoothly - the main things on our agenda for the next week is confirming equipment, creating a shooting schedule/plan of structure, and completing the kit risk assessment.

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oj, tato - january updates

We have confirmed shooting dates for Oj, Tato and have booked our flights to Poland for the 29th of February to the 14th of March!

This month we have mainly been focusing on our crowdfunding campaign and promoting the film on social media. The crowdfunder was set up and has had great success so far! We hit our initial target and are now working towards a goal of £2000. We are so thrilled by this, and hope we can keep raising funds at our in-person fundraiser which is happening on the 5th of February where we have organised screenings of several films we have all been involved with, as well as poetry readings of poems with similar themes to Oj, Tato, and ending the night with some karaoke! We will also be selling some merchandise (handmade tote bags, prints of Natalia's work etc).

I have been in contact with a charity named Richmond's Hope who we are collaborating with, and have chosen to donate a portion of the money we raise to. They have been super nice so far and are going to be present at the fundraiser event to share some information about their work. Me and Jenny will be meeting some of the charity team this week. They are a bereavement charity who specialise in working with young people between the ages of 4 to 18 who are experiencing grief.

Our next steps are to start formulating a more solid and tangible structure for our shoot days so that we all have a clearer idea of how we will spend our time whilst in Poland!

[bethl8765]

final project research - 28/11/23

Since my last update here, we have pitched our project, the girls shot our test shoot and the edit is currently being worked on by Eva and Jenny.

I was really happy with how our proposal turned out, I think it is a really cohesive and informative document highlighting our intentions for the film. I was also happy with our pitch, I think we all felt a certain pressure being the only documentary group and a little bit of uncertainty regarding what exactly was expected of us. However, we all made a conscious effort to articulate what we want this film to be, and how we are going to achieve it.

Although I wasn't able to attend the shoot day, I was told by the girls that it was a success. We were able to test the more experimental aspects of the film as well as the observational, and Eva was able to pull both of these elements together really well in the edit! Jenny is currently working on sound, and I am especially excited about the idea that Natalia suggested about using her own personal archive to incorporate the sound of her Dad's voice in the edit.

We had a meeting yesterday in which we spoke about our approach towards marketing/crowdfunding, and we decided that although we will keep the conversation going we will put this on the back seat until we have submitted our dossiers....and dissertations.

The project is progressing well and I'm looking forward to seeing how the test shoot comes together this week!

[bethl8765]

final year project research - 25/10/23

This week our group met to discuss ideas for our test shoot, and to start thinking about the upcoming pitch and proposal. Due to the feedback we received from our pitch, we decided that the best approach would be to select 2 or 3 different aspects of our film that we would like to explore and show how we will connect them together successfully. For example, observational footage with archive and perhaps a more experimental set-up.

We want to focus on the connection that Natalia feels with her Dad now, after his passing, which she describes as being stronger than it perhaps did when he was alive. In order to do this, Natalia is going to write a script to express these feelings, which we will use as a narration. We will potentially use Natalia's home in Glasgow, which she describes as having a 'haunting' feeling (and is the place where she found out that her Dad had passed away) as this will allow us to explore what we can do with the setting of a home, prior to us going to Poland.

The idea for the test shoot is still forming, but we have set ourselves a deadline for which we will have a more formed idea. Our aim is to have the test shoot shot by the 20th of November in order to give Eva and Jenny sufficient time for the edit and sound.

[bethl8765]

'Oj, Tato' film proposal pitch document

https://www.canva.com/design/DAFw4iPJdcI/7c1zubadn4zawIGRkeyAfA/edit?utm_content=DAFw4iPJdcI&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

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final year project research - 12/10/23

This week Natalia, Jenny, Eva, and I met to discuss our initial ideas for the documentary. Natalia already has a vision for the opening scene, based on a real experience that happened to her which we all agree would be a very solid opening to the film. We discussed some filmic references such as A Ghost Story, and a short documentary called Love, Dad.

Natalia also discussed the general tone and atmosphere she hopes to achieve, using words such as 'haunting'. In terms of the camera, we want something 'gentle' and 'fluid'. The film will most likely use a mixed-media approach to tell its story, using observational footage, archives, interviews, and potentially more experimental elements such as using miniatures of her grandparents' house and animation.

We spoke about the logistical side of the shoot, but do not see any particular issues regarding that at this moment; we would be staying with Natalia's grandparents, for a minimum of one week (two would be preferred). Ideally at the end of February/beginning of March so to be there whilst the weather is still cold and feeling like winter. We would be using Eva's personal camera equipment and would only need to potentially book sound equipment from the university. Since we are having a particularly long shoot though we might look elsewhere. Therefore we would mostly be raising funds for travel costs.

Jenny brought up the idea of going on a 'sound walk' whilst we are in Poland, where we would all go on a walk, silently, and note any particular sounds that we all think would be relevant for our project. We also brought up the idea of making a 'style guide' so we are all on the same page in terms of a stylistic approach to the film. Natalia and Eva are going to make a start on this at the weekend.

Overall we are feeling confident and excited about this project, and I look forward to seeing how it progresses over the coming months.