AS Media Studies

Production Unit
Research and Planning
 Film Promotion - All groups
• Poster, website and/or DVD analysis
• Must be completed using audio visual
techniques
• Must use relevant terminology and engage with
Institutions, Audience, Genre and
Representations. This means that it must
examine the visual and text elements with these
Key Concepts as focus.

• Design your own poster/DVD cover/website for

your film
 Animatic – All groups
• Create an animatic using your storyboard.
• This means setting up and taking still images
from your storyboard
• Uploading them to the iMacs
• Importing them to iMovie and cutting them into a
sequence which tells the story of the movie
• Add dialogue, titles, sound, music appropriate.
• Share to YouTube and upload to blogs in your
group.
 Preliminary task
• Using the Demented Picture site as a
template create a file which shows the
thinking processes and planning required.
• You will need to have the script,
storyboard, plans.
• Create a commentary in which you explain
your understanding of the 180 degree rule,
cross-cutting and continuity editing as
evidenced by your Prelim Task
 From Script to Schedule - all
groups
• To create a film schedule for your film you must first
break the script down into a scene by scene.
• Use a cards or post-its for each scene:
• Write on them: the scene number, location, time of day,
cast, props and costumes.
• Think about how many separate shots it will take to film
the scene and how long each shot might take to do well.

• NB. Remember that you will need to set the camera and
lighting, design the set and place the props, rehearse the
actors, rehearse camera and actors together and then
shoot. A good rule of thumb is 4 shots an hour.
 Scehdule
• Once your have broken everything down into
separate scenes and shots it is time to plan
which order you will do them.
• As a general rule you want to shoot similar set
ups in the same location at the same time, even
if they are from different points in the story.
• However, for actor continuity you also want to
shoot complete scenes.
• Your planning needs to take account of all the
factors in the script.
 Example of a scene breakdown
• SCENE 1 EXT. GARDEN. DUSK.

• Characters: Smith, Jones, Markham, Sally

• Synopsis: Sally pushes Jones on swing – Markham and Smith look
at the painting while eating fruit.
• Props: walking stick, bottle of water, basket of fruit, painting.
• Action props: toy gun, swing.

• Health and safety issues: character uses swing, will practice in

advance, toy gun looked after by design only to be used when
filming.
• Page length: ¾ page
• Number of shots: TBA
• Equipment: camera, tripod, portable lights, tracks and dolly
 Scene breakdown template
• Scene
• Synopsis
• Characters
• Props and costumes

• Page length
• Number of shots
• Time anticipated for shooting
 Schedule
• With knowledge of each scene as a breakdown
you can now arrange these on a wall or table in
story order.
• Now write down the days and hours you are
shooting on cards and identify when the sun sets
or rises.

• Example:
• Wed 1st Dec
• 3.30-7.30pm
• Sunset: 4.25pm
 Schedule
• Now allocate specific scenes for specific days
and times.
• Arrange these visually and discuss how long it
might take to film: what you need to do to
prepare before filming, the time taken to
rehearse and film, the time taken to clear up.

• Be prepared that it takes time and the detail

which you get into each shot in terms of choice
of camera movement, shots, lighting and mise
en scene will make a significant difference to
your end product.
 Call sheets
• If you are filming on two days you will need two call sheets.
• The reason for a call sheet is to let everyone know when
they are needed on set. It is a mini schedule for the day.
• DON’T call people to set until you need them, but also make
sure that they are there when you DO need them.
• You have to think about how long it takes to do the filming
and also for the actors to get ready. You don’t want to be
waiting for them or they waiting for you.
• Put contact numbers on the call sheet as well as addresses
of locations and details about how to get there.

• EVERYONE MUST HAVE COPIES THE DAY BEFORE

YOUR FILM