1100 Meeting with Mike Johnston. Equipment and release forms to be picked up
1400 Meet with rest of group at Komedia for brief and liaise with manager of Komedia and sound engineers.
1700 Liaise with band manager, David Pears regarding setlist, interview and sound check
1900 Doors open
1945 First support act
2030 Second support act
2100 Third support act
2130 Interview band
2200 Kill it Kid
2300 De-rig equipment
Although all equipment has been booked I also need to get an extra long XLR lead to plug into one of the cameras and get a feed from the PA. The other three Z1's will be recording sound on their internal mic so we will need to create a sync point to make it easier in post-production. This can be created by an audio point, by getting the singer to tap on the microphone a couple of times before they play, or it can be a visual point, using a flash gun.
We also need to be aware that the set will last longer than the 60 minutes each tape allows us. Therefore, we need to schedule a tape change.
Today I went down to Komedia to chat with the staff with regards to filming there next Wednesday. They were very helpful and keen to let us film. I now just needed confirmation from the band. I had not heard back from Lucy Ray so I found the contact details for their management and promoter on the band's myspace page. I have been conversing with their manager, David Pears, who will also be managing the tour that day. He has also granted us permission to film the band and was suggesting maybe filming the sound-check and also an interview with the band which would be great.
I was unfortunately unable to get into the main venue to do a risk assessment and see where we can put the cameras but I will get a couple of the other guys to go down in the next couple of days to sort it out as I am going home for a few days tomorrow.
Kill it Kid were playing a gig tonight in Bristol that I suggested to the others that we should go to but unfortunately none of them could attend.
'Why did we have to go and make things so complicated?' The Canadian would whine. Never would I have thought that she was actually right in regards to this module. It really did dawn on us that we were over-complicating things in regards to this music video. We were at risk of being over-ambitious which is exactly where we went wrong last time.
So, another opportunity has arisen. Instead of filming a music video we are now looking to film a music gig in Komedia. Bath based band Kill it Kid are set to perform there on Wednesday 9th March with a few support acts. This give us a great opportunity for a film project. Kill it Kid site some of their many influences as Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, The White Stripes, Cold War Kids, Johnny Cash, Leadbelly & Otis Redding which I have to say I was glad to hear. When listening to their music you can definitely see where the influences lie and they also remind me of The Kills and Dead Weather.
In our meeting today we decided to draw up a list of what needs to be done and also try to sort a rough schedule for the gig.
I need to get in touch with one of the music lecturers who can put me in touch with the band, Lucy Ray. I have filmed Lucy Ray before at Komedia so I am hoping that she won't mind. Once I have the contact details for the band I can give them a shout to see if we would be allowed to film the gig. A few things I need to find out from them would be the setlist, a stage plan and also if there are going to be any additional guest members that may be joining them on stage. We also need to listen to the songs they'll be playing, that way we can work out which cameras need to be putting at who within the band. We need to be aware of any solos that we need to focus on.
I am planning to go to Komedia tomorrow to firstly ask for permission if we can film there and also to have a look at the stage and see where we can put the cameras. In our group discussion we decided that we would like to use 4 cameras but will obviously need to see the venue first. It would be great to be able to get a shot from the wings of the band, which can then also capture audience cut-aways.
We would also need to liaise with the sound engineer to see if we can plug one of the cameras into the PA system. We will also need to find out if there will be anyone introducing each act, that way we can get them to tap the microphone a couple of times before each act starts, creating a sync point for the cameras which makes it easier during multi-clip editing.
While at Komedia tomorrow I can draw up a risk assessment for the venue and can also contact Bath Film Office regarding filming an exterior shot.
A few other ideas we had were to maybe film people queuing up for the gig. Maybe even to have a camera back stage if the band allows it and maybe some vox pops of before and after. We will need to have release forms there on the day of shooting.
Once we have finalised the schedule of filming we can then go on to create a schedule for the edit. Baring in mind there will probably be about 5 hours worth of tape to log and capture.
I am very excited for this and hope that permissions are granted without any problems.
The lineup of the band is similar to that of a few bands I like for instance, Dead Weather and so I am now researching different ways and styles of how they have been filmed live.
And also, The Pixies
Both of these bands, like Kill it Kid, have various members singing different parts. So I think it is vital that we film each member of the band when they're doing something like singing or performing a solo etc.
Long over-due was this meeting. Finally managing to find a time when everyone could make it, we settled at Costa where there were no distractions. We now have a basic outline of the storyline and have assigned roles within the group and different jobs that we need to take care of before our next meeting.
It was surprisingly easy to get settled on the storyline once we were all in the correct frame of mind. It goes as follows:
A brief run through... • Main guy wakes up next to his girlfriend. • Looks at time, looks at calendar. Job interview! Running late. • Goes to take a shower and the water doesn’t run. Flannel wash. • Picks up dirty clothes and does some unorganised dressing. • Goes downstairs, lots of bills clutter the floor. • No food in the fridge, milk gone off. • Goes out to his car, won’t start properly, finally does, woohoo! • Stops at a garage to get some food. Old lady at the counter taking ages counting pennies. • As this happens, he’s looking out the window and sees the ticket man approaching his car. • Shots of him looking very angry and indecisive as to whether he should ditch the food or not. • He opts to take the ticket. Not happy. But eating. • Starts the car, it stalls again. • Then gets it going. • Can’t find a parking space, parks in a disabled spot. • Rushes into the building, into the interview room. • A very intimidating businessman sits at the head of the office table. • Main guy very nervous, very flappy and flustered. • Shot of interview check list: Appearance, fail. Punctuality, fail. ETC • Doesn’t get the job, heads back to the car. Has another ticket. • Then bird plop on his head. • Gets home to find his wife in bed with another guy. • He smashes a picture of them together. • He screams, which fades into a yawn and him waking up, lying next to her. • The picture is still smashed on the floor, giving the impression that although it was a dream, something has occurred...
The End
The endless bad situations reminded me of the film Acid House based on a collection of short stories by Irvine Welsh. This one inparticular focuses on 'Boab' who one after another loses his job, his girlfriend, his house and much more.
He ends up being turned into a fly and gets his revenge on everyone who made that day his worst. Although we are not following the same conclusion I think that the audience really starts to feel for Boab. Although you are kind of aware of how ridiculously bad this guy's day has been and it is quite unrealistic, you do still empathise with him.
One of the ways we figured that we could get around this endless bad luck is to film in a comical, almost slapstick manner. The target audience would be around 16-24, the type of audience that would be interested in the drum & bass genre but also who like the slapstick style. So this may appeal to young men more than women.
While researching slapstick comedy I came across a very early short film by Buster Keaton, The Boat, which demonstrated some classic 'Everything that could go wrong, does' ideas which we are interested in portraying in our film.
Looking over slapstick over the years with The 3 Stooges, through to Frank Spencer of Some Mother's Do 'Av 'Em to Bottom, to Men Behaving Badly, I would say that the audience is primarily male, so I feel that we ought to target that specifically but give it a modern day edge.
I have decided to take on the role of producer, so have specified different jobs for the rest of the guys to do in regards to shot-lists, shooting scripts and storyboards.
In regards to casting, we have specified that we would like Tom to play the main character and have Rachel Sowden as the girlfriend. Edem has also said that he will be happy to play the job interviewer. So we are currently on the lookout for someone to play our old lady and the guy who is caught in bed with the girlfriend. I personally don't think the latter will be the problem but I am going to send out a few emails to see if we can find an old lady,or old man if need be.
We also need to organise a location for the interview and the shop scene and to make sure all permissions are granted in time.
I have asked my landlord if we can film the interior shots in my house and I am currently awaiting the reply. However, my housemate has filmed in our house last and permission was granted no problem.
I would like to start filming the week starting 7th February so would like to have cast and locations confirmed by Sunday 30th January. I am suggesting that we log photographs of locations a couple of days prior to confirmation and also have some back-up suggestions in case any fall through. I would like to have shot lists and storyboards done by this date so that we have plenty of time to discuss as a group any changes we need to make. I would also like to have all equipment booked out prior to filming days, probably Friday 4th February.
Once all actors are confirmed I can draw up a call sheet and once all equipment and locations are confirmed I can get on with risk assessments.
I have asked the rest of the group to research any material that may be of use to us and bring to the next meeting so we can discuss the aesthetics of the film at the next meeting which I have proposed to be in a weeks time, 23rd January.
So only Simon responded to my post regarding the Bear Hunt. He said he liked the idea. However, apparently there was a group meeting that I knew nothing about. As far as I know now, the song has been changed to the following...
And there is an idea which is incorporating a bad dream into reality. I have called for another meeting within the next couple of days to make sure we're all singing from the same song book. I'm a bit concerned at the lack of communication within the group. I would have liked to have had this filmed before Christmas but I can't really see that happening. We all need to be a lot better on the communication front and stick with the one idea and just go with it.
Endlessly thinking of different ideas for our chase sequence I wanted to try something simple but something effective. In opting for simplicity I decided to research some children's fiction, very early years to see if there was a way that we could adapt that into modern times. I came across the story 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'...
We're goin' on a bear hunt,
We're going to catch a big one,
I'm not scared
What a beautiful day!
Oh look! It's some long, wavy grass!
Can't go over it,
Can't go under it,
Can't go around it,
Got to go through it!
I then thought we could easily adapt this into a modern style using adults who go on a hunt to find something with a cash incentive. I thought that there could be a team of about 3 or 4 people and they all need money, one of them comes across an advert to find 'the bear' or a yeti or some other mythical creature, with a cash reward. So they all get there exploration gear and decide to hunt it down. I thought it is a simple idea that could probably be filmed in the woodlands around the university campus.
I then remembered something I saw in the cult TV series, Spaced, which was a mimed gun-fight. By overlaying sounds of artillery with the mime it looked really effective. I then tried thinking of ways we could incorporate this type of thing into the bear hunt idea and thought that perhaps the main group of hunters could bump into a rival group who look quite similar and then have the mime gun-fight with them. Perhaps while they're fighting, they are oblivious to the fact that the creature they are trying to hunt-down sneaks past in the background.
I also came across this music video for the Art vs Science track 'Parlez Vous Francais' which incorporates mime. I have sent my ideas to the rest of the group so hopefully they will be on board.
Unfortunately due to Simon being unable to complete his tracks in the studio we were left with no other option than to not use one of his songs and opt for someone else. Harry then suggested that we use one of his housemates tracks. Harry lives with a couple of drum & bass DJ's who have been doing very well on the drum & bass circuit so we decided to have a listen through some of their tracks and choose one to use. We decided on a track called 'One of These Days' because we liked how their was a hip-hop esque intro and middle 8 meaning that we had much more dynamics to work with.
We thought that we would like to involve a chase scene because, although being a very simple idea, it can prove very effective especially with the pace of a drum & bass track. So we tried to come up with different ideas for the chase:
We thought of having a guy chasing another guy for no apparent reason, making it look as though their was a violent undertone but at the very end have him shouting something like "Mate, you left your wallet" only for the guy being chased to turn around and say, "That's not my wallet"
Then we thought of having a guy reading a newspaper who was being stared at by another guy. Feeling uncomfortable, the guy carries on reading the newspaper, only to turn the page to see a 'most wanted' picture of the man who is staring at him. Feeling scared, he runs off and the most wanted guy chases him.
We brainstormed some more ideas but decided it would be best to adjourn this meeting and have a think on our own and come back to the next meeting with some more ideas.
