Missing People Ad - Production

Production Photographs

I ended up only using one light with a defuser when I was filming as it created a soft look and wasn't too bright. It looked like a natural light which I really liked.

1ST EDIT



This is my first edit, I have cut out some of the scenes I have filmed such as the shower and cutlery as they wasn't as powerful as the other shots and I found the less I did the more effective it was, so using a few shots of empty chairs and a bed was enough. I have used a blur and a fade to black to each shot and added some small pieces of text to clearly show the audience a person missing. I thought the text "empty bed", "missing clothes" and "missed meals" shows how the small things really matter and have a big effect on the family. The last shot of the chair was hard to get right as I did this handheld and it was really shaky. I tried to achieve turning around the chair but I found it really difficult to make this look smooth so I just cut a small section of it showing the chair and laptop. I slowed this down so it looks still. I am most pleased with the falling posters at the end; I used a few different shots and cut them together, added fades, slowed them down, adjusted the levels so the background was completely black and moved each shot a little to the left so they all fall together. I think it works really well with the music and looks really effective, especially how the people on the posters are actually missing. I am happy with the music track, which is Aphex Twin – ‘Avril 14^th’. I think I need to work on a good tag-line for the end and perhaps a stronger font.

2ND EDIT

In my 2nd edit I have completely changed the target audience so the advert is directed to the missing people to remind them they are missed and wanted home. I have used a simple tagline at the end "please come home" which I think is strong with the shot of the falling posters as those people are currently missing. If they come across my video they be reminded that they are missed terribly. I much prefer changing the target audience to those who are missing instead of using a tag-line of "please help find the missing people" as it wasn't strong or motivating enough for the audience. I have cut some of the last shot of the chair, slowed it down so its completely still and changed the font so its clear and bold. This makes my advert is more personal to me now as I'm directing towards my uncle if he ever comes across it and will see my YouTube name.

3RD EDIT

I tried adding more text such as "missed television programmes" on the shot of the sofa and television but I found it looked too much and I don't think the fact the missing person is missing TV is as important as something like "missed meals" with the family. I have changed the shot at the beginning of the empty bed to a wider shot so it shows someone missing more clearly. I think this shot looks more powerful and effective. With this I did it hand-held moving the camera higher and towards the bed but I found it too shaky so I cut the shot so its still and slowed it down. I think the fact the bed is so neatly made with a cover over the top works really well in showing someone who hasn’t been in it for a while. I am really pleased with this edit, I think even though my advert is quite simple its quite powerful because of the sad music.

Missing People Ad - Pre-production

I have changed my storyboard again so that there is no actors. I think the fact there will be no people in the advert will make the audience feel as if they are missing a character which really works for my missing people advert. I want the audience to look at the spaces such as the bed, shower and sofa and think about how someone should be there but isnt and feel a sense of loneliness.

I realised as well it would be more effective filming clothes hangers as if the person was missing they wouldn't leave their clothes behind. It also shows an emptyness, clothes show an identity and this is whats missing. In my other storyboards I was going to film a rectangle dinner table with a chair but instead I will be using a circle one which will work just as well. The table draws your focus to the empty chair and the fact a table is something that a group of people would sit round and socialise has no-one there makes this a powerful shot.

PRODUCTION SCHEDULE

Monday: Create posters on Photoshop from the adverts of missing people on the charity website and collect equipment.

Tuesday: Shoot in 19 Arthur Street after 2pm.

Shot 1: In bedroom close up of pillow.

Shot 4: In bedroom, close up of clothes hangers in wardrobe.

Shot 10: In bedroom, high angle of chair and computer, camera circles chair anticlockwise.

Shot 2: In bathroom, close up of shower head.

Shot 3: In bathroom, close up of toothbrush.

Shot 11: In bedroom, medium shot of bed.

Shoot in studio

Shot 12: Shot of falling posters.

Wednesday: Shoot in 162B Mansfield Road from 12pm.

Shot 7: In living room/dining area, high angle long shot of chair and table.

Shot 5: In living room, long shot of sofa and TV

Shot 6: In living room, close up of sofa

Shot 8: In kitchen, extreme close up of plates

Shot 9: In kitchen, close up of knifes and forks.

Thursday: Check footage in case there is a need to re shoot. Return equipment.

Friday: Import footage onto computer and begin editing.

CAST AND CREW

Chris Thorby – In charge of all roles of production.

Dan Bissill – Assistant with lighting

EQUIPMENT LIST

Panasonic 151 Camera

Tripod

ARRI Light Kit (3 Lights and Gels)

Memory Card

I will be filming without sound so I do not need a microphone, instead I am adding a music track afterwards when I'm editing.

RECCE SHEET 1

PRODUCTION TITLE: Say Something Political - Missing People Advert

PRODUCER: Chris Thorby

DATE OF RECCE: 7/11/11 and 8/11/11

TIME OF RECCE: From 10.00AM

LOCATION: 19 Arthur Street

HOW TO GET THERE: Walking distance. 5 minutes from the Waverley building

PERSON IN CHARGE OF LOCATION
CONTACT NAME: Chris Thorby

POSITION: Owner of house

ACCESS & PARKING/HOURS AVAILABLE: Parking is available at all times when requested

POWER AVAILABLE: Power sockets in bedroom

SOUND/AMBIENT NOISE/PROBLEMS: Sound is not a problem because I am using a music track throughout the whole advert. Only problem I really have is people needing the bathroom as I will need to film in there but I will have to work around that.

PLAN OF THE LOCATION:

 

Bedroom 

Bathroom

OTHER INFORMATION(TOILETS, CATERING ETC): Toilets and kitchen are available

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF LOCATION: Large bedroom right from front door with a double bed, drum kit, desk, speakers, wardrobe of clothes, bookshelf and TV with stand.
Bathroom is small with a potentially slipplery plastic tiling floor, ceramic tiles around the walls, shower/bath with curtain, basin, toilet and cupboard.

DESCRIPTION OF ACTION: Close up of pillows on bed, close up of hangers in wardrobe and high angle of chair next to desk with a laptop with the camera turning anticlockwise around it.
Close up of the shower head and toothbrush in bathroom.

HEALTH AND SAFETY NOTES: Potentially tripping over from power leads, electrical hazard from power sockets and water in bathroom which could damage equipment and be slippery.

RECCE SHEET 2

PRODUCTION TITLE: Say Something Political - Missing People Advert

PRODUCER: Chris Thorby

DATE OF RECCE: 9/11/11 and 10/11/11

TIME OF RECCE: From 10.00AM

LOCATION: 162B Mansfield Road

HOW TO GET THERE: Walking distance. 15 minutes from the Waverley building

PERSON IN CHARGE OF LOCATION
CONTACT NAME: Daniel Bissill

POSITION: Owner of house

ACCESS & PARKING/HOURS AVAILABLE: No parking

POWER AVAILABLE: Power sockets in living room

SOUND/AMBIENT NOISE/PROBLEMS: Sound is not a problem because I am using a music track throughout the whole advert. Only problem I have is people walking in front of the camera to get to kitchen but they will be told when I am filming.

PLAN OF THE LOCATION:

Living Room

 Dining area

OTHER INFORMATION(TOILETS, CATERING ETC): Toilets and kitchen are available

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF LOCATION: 3 sofas in living room, TV and stand, long work surface for kitchen, small round table and chairs.

DESCRIPTION OF ACTION: Long shot of sofa and TV and close up of sofa. Extreme close up of plates, knifes and folks in kitchen area.

HEALTH AND SAFETY NOTES: Power sockets could be an electrical hazard, knifes in kitchen and fragile items such as plates.

Risk Assessment

For 19 Arthur Street, 162B Mansfield Road and Studio

I have created 6 Missing People posters on Photoshop using people who are currently missing advertised on the Missing People website. I have made them quite basic but bold with large text saying "MISSING" at the top in red. I think the fact they are advertised on the website in hope that people will spot these people I am doing a good thing in using these in my advert. I will drop these high up in the studio with a black backdrop so I can slow them down when editing. I want to capture the faces and the title "MISSING" on each poster as they fall slowly.

Say Something Political - Production Planning

In this storyboard I have a character who fades at the start and fades whilst sitting on the sofa to clearly show that my advert is about missing people.

These 2 shots below is an alternative to the first 2 shots on the above storyboard. I think it would look really good to get a close up of the pillow, capturing the texture of the fabric.

In my final storyboard I have cut it to only show the person fade at the start as I think showing more empty spaces would make it more hard hitting and effective.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7126738.stm

Interesting article about middle aged men going missing with some information on reasons they go missing. My uncle was an adult when he went missing so this is something I would like to focus more on with my advert.