LMW2 Production Checklist

PRE-PRODUCTION: PART I GROUP CONTACT INFORMATION Name:____Keith Hill______________________Phone:____970 708 0859_________ Email:____sonofabrit3@gmail.com Notes:____Director / Producer Name:__Lexi Alegria_____________________Phone:___510-712-1403_____________ Email:_____ jamilexialegria@gmail.com Notes:___ Swagger / Score-er / Producer Name:___Brett Hanson____________________Phone:___707-484-2194 Email:____brettahanson@icloud.com Notes:____ Shooter / Editor / Producer Name:___David Hornstein________________Phone:____808-220-2069 Email:____ davidhornstein14@yahoo.com Notes:___Shooter / Producer TOPIC DEVELOPMENT (GROUP DISCUSSION): What is the CORE CONCEPT of this film? (What’s this film about?) This film is about college in contemporary times, the merits of college nowadays, and what really matters when you attend a university. What are the THEMES of the film? Is College good/bad/appropriate and why and when. Growing up. Doing what you love. What it takes to grow as a person. Living life. College/University.

The film will inevitably be different from the topic. Explain how. Through using our standing in Expression College, we’ll branch out further to talk about trade schools vs all the other schools out there – coming to an overall look at the meaning of university/school. “” This documentary, more than others with clearly drawn out stories, is as much an

investigation as anything else, as we try to probe into the meaning of why students

chose this school (revealing an analogy to why students choose any school), why did

the founders create this school (hopefully being analogical to why do schools matter

and what can they bring to society), and why will people outside of this school hire

people from here? (which is the ultimate purpose for most everyone that enrolls

themselves here…to have a life of this).

“”

Make sure each group member has a basic understanding of the topic. Each group member: what’s the most interesting thing to you about this subject? Group member #1: Keith Hill – College is the biggest topic of my life right now, so diving into all the reasons why it’s good/bad and can be better, as well as what really is the meaning of a college in society. Group member #2: Lexi – I enjoy audio editing and experimenting with recording. The most interesting things about the project; the idea is great, but it could be improved with sound editing. Group member #3: Brett Hansen – The most interesting thing about this project is giving an understanding of how college educate students as well as those who self-teach themselves on filmmaking. Group member #4: David Hornstein – The reason why we go to Expression is to learn different types of media whether it’s cameras, audio and computers, we were born to do technology. What SUB-GENRES will your film fit under? Documentary. Short film. Investigative. Historical. Social commentary. What APPROACH(ES) will you use to make this film? Interviewing. Editing. Sound designing.

Assess each group member’s knowledge of your topic. Go through the blog and write down any questions you have, possible leads for film topics and any other ideas to research. Make sure everyone has a basic understanding of the topic. Consider dividing up the group and taking on different aspects of the topic to delve deeper. We all know that we mainly have to do interviews. We have interview questions too. (We’re sharing a google drive folder to do so)

Note each group member’s knowledge level, and what they know/are focusing on: Group Member Knows About Topic __ChiefKeith________ a lot some a little _____Shooting/Editing/Making Pasta_______ __Lexi________ a lot some a little ____Sound AF_________________________ __Brett_______ a lot some a little ____VFX/Shooting/Editing/Audio Production_ __David_______ a lot some a little ____Shooting/Animation/2D 3D Design_____ Potential leads and sources for media gathering (fill in this section as you discuss as a group): WHAT COULD YOU SHOOT: story footage (A-Roll): Interviews: (B-Roll): Ex’pression USF and SF State and Cal Berkeley Production houses Kids working The environments of every interviewee Statistics Animation WHO COULD YOU SHOOT: interviews:

Ex-Presidents Alumni (Marlowe) Professionals working in varied production houses. Freelance professionals. (Filmmakers, photographers, sound producers, designers, animators) A normal parent (or 3) living in the world, being normal. Normal college students Dropped out college students High school kids Graduated kids Teachers WHERE COULD YOU SHOOT: locations At the school In any of the professionals’ establishments (on location as much as possible) B Roll all over the bay. WHEN COULD YOU SHOOT: events: Any day. WHAT ELSE COULD YOU USE: archives Online archival footage of people talking about college. Online old archival interviews/documents of really old world leaders/presidents/luminaries speaking to the importance and purpose of University.

What questions about the topic do group members have? For Spencer Nielsen / Alumni:

History of their involvement with the school?

Why this design of an art school?

What were you doing before? Why did you get involved?

Why this type of school? What ideas drove it to be the way it is rather than any other

way?

Why an art school over business/lawyer/doctors, etc?

Do you support this school over all other art schools? Why? Why if not?

Is this your dream come true of an art school?

What's the point of this place? If Ex’pression College got out of bed everyday what

would it’s reason for living be?

If you could tell one thing directly to the hearts of any Ex’pression or SAE kid, with

hindsight or straight experience advice, what would it be?

Have any closing thoughts?

Begin with every person:

Hello there and could you please introduce yourself as if we were at a dinner party.

What do you do?

Do you work with teenagers? Kids right out of college?

What do you care about? What gets you out of bed?

What helps kids develop the most?

For Industry Professionals:

Hello there and could you please introduce yourself as if we were at a dinner party.

What do you do?

What do you care about? Why do what you do? What gets you out of bed?

Do you work with teenagers? Kids right out of college?

What's lacking in most all artists/teenagers you see?

What do you look for when you're hiring a new person?

What do you like most about the collaborators you work with regularly?

What makes a good collaborator?

Do you know many people who work entirely alone? On their own production

companies, releasing their own stuff and being able to support themselves completely by

that?

Would you suggest college? Would you not? What would you suggest as a big picture

thought?

What would you teach kids in an art school if it was one thing? If you could go fill some

void that you think a lot of professionals, amateurs or even that you or your peers have,

what would you teach kids if you could teach them something?

For Current Students (Attending Ex’pression or any other University)

Hello there and could you please introduce yourself as if we were at a dinner party.

What do you do?

Where are you currently right now? (college, not college, working, etc…)

What do you care about? What gets you out of bed?

Why do you like your school? What don't you like?

Do you feel like you're working towards what you want?

Do you know what you want?

Did you come here straight after high school?

What did you did you do before school?

How long have you been into this (this being whatever they are interested in)?

How come you're not at a traditional school(or traditional school why this type o

school)?

What do you like most about the collaborators you work with regularly?

What makes a good collaborator?

Do you know many people who work entirely alone? On their own production

companies, releasing their own stuff and being able to support themselves completely by

that?

What needs to be researched? Who/how will this be researched? Statistics:

Amount of kids that go to college. Amount of kids that went to college in decades from 1900 to Present. Primary majors of most kids. Average cost of college. Average scholarship help. Amount of first year dropouts Amount of two year dropouts What were the very first “majors” in the first colleges

GROUP SKILLS: What skills do group members have?

Group Member

Video Camera

Still Camera

Audio Field Recording

lighting

Video Editing

Sound Editing

Motion Graphics

Music

Producer

Keith Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Nope Nope Yes

Lexi Yea Sure Yes Yes Sure Yes Nah Yep Eh Yea

Brett Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

David Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

What would team members like to do?

Group Member

Video Camera

Still Camera

Audio Field Recording

lighting

Video Editing

Sound Editing

Motion Graphics

Music

Producer

Keith This This This This This This I’ll Try Not This

Lexi Sure Sure Yes Yes Sure Yes Hell Nah Yes Yes

Brett Yes Yep Yes Nice Fo Sho

Yesser

Yeps Tots Abso Yes

David Thumbs Up

Yes Yeah Yes Yeps Yes Get me on it

Yes Yes

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES Nominate a producer: this person manages the project planning and schedule. Everyone must pick a primary role and secondary role. Producer:________________________________________ (project planning and master schedule) Cinematographer:____Keith/Brett/David______________ (video and still production, media management) Sound: ____Lexi/Brett/David/Keith___________________ (field recording, leveling, mixing) Music/Score: ___Lexi/Brett/David____________________ (composition, production) Editor:____Keith/Brett______________________________ (assembly, rough cut, final cut) Motion Graphics:____Brett/David____________________ (title sequences, information graphics) Animation:____David/Brett__________________________ Other:_____Max (AKA Shaman AKA Rob Schneider)_____________________ TEAM NAME AND LOGO: Team Name: The Dreamers Logo design notes: Rainbows/Space/Trippy/Positive Energy/Glowing Orbs/3rd Eye/Sunsets/Aladdin Logo design complete

INTERVIEWS Subjects: Who has something to say about your topic? List as many as you can - not every subject works out! You need to schedule TODAY - shooting takes place in the next two weeks.

Subject Name interview about

realistic / fantasy?

contact / lead information phone, email, address

availability / dates

confirmed?

Vince DeQuattro (Head of Production)

Experiences in film Industries

real It’s personal Available Yes

Spencer Nilsen (Ex-President)

Experiences as Ex-President/MSV teacher

real spencer@illuminastudios.com Available Yes

Elmo Frazer (School President)

Experiences as School President

real efrazer@expression.edu Available Yes

Drew Waters (Student Dean)

Experiences as Dean/Counseling

real dwaters@expression.edu Available Yes

Nick Bizzack (Motion Graphics Students)

Experiences as Student Alliance President and Student

real nbizzack@expression.edu Available Yes

Marlowe Anderson (Student Sound Arts Alumni)

Experiences as a DJ in music

real (707) 628­1173 Available Yes

Jenny Stovell (Digital Film Teacher)

Experiences as Digital Film

real jstovell@expression.edu Available Yes

Ryan Reichert (Digital Film Student)

Experiences as Digital Film

real (510) 427­1651 Available Yes

Sean Rodriguez (Counselor)

Experiences as Student Affairs/Counseling

real srodriguez@expression.edu Available Yes

Cat Murphy-Bevan (Sound Arts Student)

Experiences as Sound Arts/Librarian

real (925) 822­8279 Available Yes

Toni Hill (Keith’s sister)

Experiences as a student in a university

real (970) 708 3917 Available Yes

Brian Andrews (Animation & Visual Effects/Digital Film Teacher)

Experiences as an AVE and Digital Film

real bandrews@expression.edu Available Yes

Preliminary Interview Questions What do you want to know about? How will you get people to talk about the things you want them to talk about? Remember, people don’t always think about things in a very clear way and rarely talk in “film ready” sound bytes. Write provocative questions! Open with them talking about themselves (Background) Talk about college

EQUIPMENT PLANNING An equipment reservation for an LMW camera kit must be made with the Equipment Room (ER) by Session 2. An LMW camera kit includes: () Equipment Needed for Production: video camera(s)_____ still camera(s)_____ tripod(s)_____ lighting kit audio recorder(s)_____ interview mic(s)_____ shotgun mic lavalier mic kit boom

The Equipment Room info sheet lists available equipment.

PRODUCTION SCHEDULE Commit to a production schedule by the end of Session 2. Rough Cut is due for the MIDTERM (Session 8). EVERYTHING TAKES LONGER THAN YOU THINK Look at when your projects are due and make sure you are giving yourself enough time to work. OPTIONAL: Create a Google calendar for your group. (easier with a Google account) Include:

due dates Feb 2nd - Mar 1st ________________________________________________________

shoot dates_Feb 2nd, 4th, 5th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 17th, 18th, 22nd _____________________________________________________

recording sessions_Feb 2nd, 4th, 5th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 17th, 18th, 22nd_______________________________________________

editing sessions_Feb 15th - Mar 2nd _________________________________________________

group class schedules_Feb 2nd, 4th, 9th, 11th, 16th, 18th, 17th, 18th, 23rd, 25th, Mar 1st & 3rd____________________________________________

other____________________________________________________________

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

SATURDAY

1 2. FILM SHOOT INTERVIEWS with Marlowe Anderson 1pm. WaterFront CLASS 2­8pm. Editing

3 4. FILM SHOOT INTERVIEWS. Ryan Reichert 12:30pm (Crew Call 11:45) BTS. Elmo Fraser walking on stage for practice grad (Crew Call 2pm) CLASS: After Effects

5 FILM SHOOT INTERVIEWS with Vince DeQuattro 11am­2pm

6

7 8 9. CLASS. Editing Nonfiction Storytelling 2

10 FILM SHOOT INTERVIEWS with Jenny Stovell 3pm DF Office and Mike Russell 4:30 pm DF Office

11. Class not til 5pm. LAB: Previews

12 FILM SHOOT INTERVIEWS with Brian Andrews 9am & Sean Rodriguez 3pm

13. Keith Historical Research.

14. FILM SHOOT INTERVIEWS with Keith's Sister, Toni Hill Interview. 12pm.

15. Editing 16. Rough Cut Critique

17. FILM SHOOT INTERVIEWS with Nick 10:30am, BTS Student Alliance Meeting 12:30pm, Kat 1pm & Elmo Fraser 6pm

18. FILM SHOOT INTERVIEWS with Spencer Neilson @ Sound Room12:30­3pm. Class: Sound for Nonfiction

19. "Power of Lighting" with Bill Holshevnikoff @ Meyer Hall 1pm­4pm FILM SHOOT INTERVIEWS with TJ @ 4pm

20 BTS Open House: Sean, Kat and TJ. Tyler Cash Music Video

21 22. FILM SHOOT INTERVIEWS with Drew Waters @ 11am

23. Class: Polish

24 25. Class: Final Critique

26 27

28 29 3/1/2016. March. Wrap up.

March. 3. Screening. Final Day.

PRE-PRODUCTION: PART II PREPARATION AND RESEARCH Confirm equipment reservations. Confirm travel arrangements. LOCATION SCOUTING Identify good locations for your shoot(s).

Location Purpose: (interview, scenery, event)

Distance from Campus

Sound Conditions

Lighting Conditions

Access Times

Ex’pression College All over campus Near Ambient Sounds/Silent

In the FCX suite room and sound stage

10am-2pm

Athena Studios Indoor studio environment

10 mins away

Silent Indoor studio environment

10am-2pm

Waterfront Outdoor park Close by

Windy/Train Sounds

No lights 12pm-2pm

Excelsior Neighborhood SF Outdoor park 35 mins away

Windy/Plane/Dog Bark Sounds

No lights 10am-12pm

Contingency Plan. What could affect your shoot? Weather? Noise? Lighting? What will you do if an interview cancels, event cancels, etc.? EXPECT THE WORST. FIGURE IT OUT.

TRANSPORTATION How do you plan to get to your locations? David and Brett both have cars. That’ll be how we do it. RESEARCH Research your topic deeply before you start. The more you know about your topic, the more you have to discuss with interview subjects. Take notes. Reading (Books, Magazine, Website) Post Reading notes to blog Viewing (Movies, Videos, News) Post Viewing notes to blog Listening (Radio, Podcasts, Conversations) Post Listening notes to blog INTERVIEW: Topic(s) Place(s) Person(s) Your interview is a conversation with your subject. Your role is to listen and share with your audience. Review preliminary questions. Update questions/talking points based on research findings Practice asking questions in group before interviewing subjects. Topics for discussion:

PRODUCTION Each day of production needs its own checklist. Equipment Checkout: Do you have everything you reserved? camera (s) tripod mic blimp batteries cables zoom H4 mic(s) lights zoom H4 lenses headphones mic stand lights Batteries charged for the shoot? Lighting kit lamps working? Consumables: Storage Media consent forms pens/pencils ZOOM H4 batteries (disposable snacks/meals beverages/water bottles Equipment Setup: (annoying (we know whassup w/o all the little steps)

Camera: Audio: Lighting

LMW settings on White Balance Iris Gain shutter zebra neutral density filter

mics connected mics turned on (if needed) mic settings checked camera inputs set gain levels set channels set headphone volume set

backlight check lights focused shadow check

timecode focus/zoom

mic proximity tested

Location Setup: interviewee placement lighting setup equipment placement electrical outlets lighting sources background setup - (move clutter, decide what works in camera frame) crew positions Location Teardown: interviewee given a fat high five and thank you equipment packed forms signed clean up any trash or mess return moved items to where they were check space before leaving for items not packed Equipment Check-in: Make sure Keith puts the memory cards away in his case. And then gets to school / home and immediately backups all of it to the hard drive. Make sure everyone gets their equipment back. (probably will include each other's’ cards after shooting with good multiple cameras each shoot)

POST PRODUCTION Logging Material: Log and Capture/Log and Transfer Backup footy twice. A disk and B disk. Set the Final Cut Scratch Disk to project directory (defaults to Media Drive) Save the Final Cut working file organize clips into bins capture media to project directory scratch (capture batch preferred) make notes save work (so so damn often. I don’t trust final cut breh) Motion Graphics Group Discussion: Using Motion Graphics in the Project How can motion graphics work with your project? Dope slick titling for people’s names. Statistics animations Map animations Maybe a funny animation cutscene, but probably not What style of graphics fit your topic best? Slick. Modern. Dope. Not in your face. Not corny. Maybe funny / goofy if we need a certain thing for a certain scene. Collect Images Collect Facts and Information Produce motion graphics in After Effects Export for use in Final Cut

c Design your lower 3rds. Make sure your design is consistent with your overall theme. Be mindful of what titles you use for your subjects- these words affect how your audience will respond to them. worked out in edit

WORKSHOP FEEDBACK Ask for specific feedback about your work (editing, story, tone) Take notes of feedback from peers Do your peers understand your story? Discuss as group Decide what feedback requires attention - things that should change in your project. Make adjustments to post-production schedule Schedule editing suites for continued rough and fine edit work needed ASAP Ask for feedback after the workshop. Talk to classmates, friends and instructors MUSIC/SCORE COMPOSITION Create music that works thematically with project Make short, ambient soundscapes that move your project along Share progress on blog FINE EDIT Refine project editing Add b-roll Add lower thirds Add other graphics and sequences review entire project for completeness PICTURE LOCK Picture lock is the end of visual editing on the project. The project is visually “locked” and no more changes will be made to the edit sequence from here. Review edit Do you need to make changes? Make them now. All changes done. Group members must agree that the project is at Picture Lock

POST-PRODUCTION AUDIO Audio editing is usually done after Picture Lock (though with today’s tools, it’s possible to go back and forth). Remove any duplicate or unused audio from project Dialog to mono audio, centered in pan Separate dialog onto separate tracks Make a track for ambience and background sounds Apply limiter or compressor to dialog aux if needed Adjust background sounds and ambience Add music or score to the project Adjust the level of the music to dialog Listen to the complete project and readjust any levels if needed VIDEO POST PROCESSING Create a nested clip for final processing. Color Correction Adjust individual sequences or clips by applying color correction directly as needed. Adjust overall look of video by nesting the fine edit sequence into a containing sequence. Titles Add beginning and ending titles to the master sequence Export project in high quality (ProRes 422) Test the finished file Verify the file settings are correct Upload finished work to the class dropbox for the project. Create H.264 version for Youtube, Vimeo, etc. Upload compressed version to Vimeo or YouTube Embed video on project blog.

FINAL REVIEW Does the project succeed in communicating its message? What kind of feedback has it received? FINAL REVIEW Make changes and submit ProRess 422 version for PUBLIC SCREENING. FINAL DISTRIBUTION Places to show work Online_____________________________________________________________________ Festivals__________________________________________________________________ Distributors_________________________________________________________________ Wrap! Party! Don’t forget to save your receipts and turn them into Jerry Smith (forms available from your instructor) for a $50 reimbursement.