This is a vital element of the overall coursework as it gives you the opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them without it impacting on your grade. However, we also strongly advise you to create a preliminary exercise that is linked to your real coursework concept - this may give you additional material to edit into your trailer later in the year.
Preliminary exercise: TV drama scene
Task: Create a scene from your TV drama (either family or crime drama as per brief).
Length: 30-60 seconds
Equipment: Your own camera, smart phone or sign out a Media department Canon SLR from Mr Shepherd (recommended).
Groups: None. You MUST work individually. However, other people can act in the film or operate equipment (e.g. camera, sound) as long as they are directed by the candidate submitting the work. Keep a note of who you use and how you directed them.
What your TV drama scene needs to include
Content: Your scene must include at least two characters that either reinforce or subvert stereotypes.
Camerawork: You must include an establishing shot, long shot, medium shot, close-up, extreme close-up, over-the-shoulder shot and either a high or low angle shot. You also must include both fixed camera (tripod) shots and camera movement (e.g. handheld, tracking, pan etc.)
Editing: You must include match-on-action, shot-reverse-shot and adhere to the 180 degree rule.
Sound: You must include dialogue and/or voiceover, non-diegetic sound (e.g. music), diegetic sound (e.g. dialogue, ambient sound, foley sound/SFX).
Mise-en-scene: iconography to establish genre - actor placement/movement, costume and make-up, props, setting etc. Only one setting should be used for this preliminary task.
Deadlines
Planning deadline: Wednesday 2 October
Filming deadline: Friday 4 October
Final deadline: Friday 11 October
Research and planning tasks
Create a blogpost called 'Preliminary exercise: Research and planning' and complete the tasks below. First, watch this clip on the mistakes beginner filmmakers make - it will help you identify the errors to avoid when planning and shooting your film.
There are loads more tips and tutorials from Darius Britt (D4Darius on YouTube) that we would recommend watching as part of your research and planning. These include:
- How to brainstorm ideas for a short film
- How to write a short film - principles of drama
- Nine things to check before pressing the record button
Now complete the following tasks:
1) State the genre you have chosen for your TV drama - family or crime drama.
2) Choose at least three TV dramas similar to your concept and watch the trailer and one scene from each. Make bullet-point notes on everything you watch, commenting on camerawork, editing, sound and mise-en-scene.
3) Write a script for your TV drama scene. You'll find guidance for writing a script in the BBC Writers' Room (click on the Script Library to read real examples of professional TV scripts).
4) Write a shot list containing EVERY shot you plan to film AND additional shots to create flexibility when editing. These additional shots are often close-ups, cutaways, alternative angles or similar. I advise using a simple table on Microsoft Word to set out your shot list - you can find an example here.
5) Plan your mise-en-scene: what iconography are you including to ensure your audience understands the genre? Plan your cast, costume, make-up, props, lighting and setting. For this preliminary task, use just one location to keep it simple.
6) Plan a shooting schedule that will ensure everything is filmed by the deadline. Include when, where, who is required and what shots you will complete at each time/location.
Optional additional planning: Storyboard key shots from your scene. What visual style are you trying to create? Storyboard sheets are available in DF07.
Research and planning deadline: Wednesday
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