Tutorial Four and Five: Video production sessions.

Task one was to work in a small group to plan and produce and edit a 30 second short film around the Otago Polytechnic campus. Once we had completed this task we were asked to set up a YouTube account if we did not already have one. From opening this account we needed to upload our short films and post them on the website.

YouTube: YouTube offers a range of videos, channels and communities you can watch and be a part of. You are able to become a member to this service and contribute to its resources, allowing you to connect with others from around the world.

Storyboarding was a technique used to help us create our finished 30 second short films. It all started with Sergei Eisenstein using the technique. Walt Disney and his staff developed a storyboard system in 1928. For our purposes a storyboard is a series of drawings of the proposed film, as it will appear on screen. These drawing play an important part in the production of any video or film It is a plan of the end product and is often referred to during production. Each scene of our film was planned carefully. This was so that when filming begins everybody knows exactly what is to be done. This allowed our group to manage our time well and have a clear understanding of what needed to be done.

Scripting the is basis for everything that is both heard and seen on the screen. It allows the author to describe the thoughts and ideas of the film to his audience. A script should cover the following points:
- Moods and expressions
- Facial expressions
- Vocal expressions
- Movement
- Interaction with other characters
- Special effects
- Sound track instructions
- Lighting
- Camera angles and types of shot
- Background sound and setting
- On screen graphics and titles

The more detail put into these scripts the closer the end product will be to the directors intention. The script should include enough technical information to enable to director to create the visual and audio picture the author wants. Some point we covered when writing a clear script are as follows:
- What is the major aim of your film?
- Is this idea relevant to the audience?
- Develop your lead character/subject for documentary
- Come up with a set-up. Some interesting situation or objective. This will help set the plot.
- Map out a beginning middle and end for your plot.
- Include subject movements and major activities.
- Include in the script any special lighting, sound or camera effects.