UNIT 33 - FICTION PRODUCTION

UBERNATURAL

Devise:
The idea came from the TV series Supernatural and the resulting activities online from devoted fans (sometimes, fans see potential relationships between certain characters and develop them within their own stories described as 'fan-fiction', or more specifically in this case 'slash-fiction'.
   The idea is supposed to be a humourous take on what occurs within online communities and, considering the possibilities within the Supernatural world, the effects the online communities can have on the characters themselves. Plus, as the short film is a parody, the genre is still the same as the original programme; (dark) fantasy.
   The intended audience for my short is potentially very niche; I imagine that it will attract fans of Supernatural, as well as fans of fantasy in general, plus it may resonate with the online communities (more specifically; those communities who are fans of the programme...Bloggers, Role-Players, Fan-Fiction scribes, etc.). The audiences for the original programme and the internet users also mean that my short may primarily appeal to people of a specific age range too; particularly the young-adult demographic (late-teens to late-twenties). As well as the aforementioned, I have been aiming to execute the short in a way that makes it accessible (and understandable) to other viewers who may not be as familiar with the subject matter as others.
   As a story setting, I formulated the idea to be entirely contained within one computer room of Bradford College that was also had windows to let enough light in for the camera. The benefits to this included; minimal amounts of travel for the cast, efficient shooting schedule and good use of the PCs that were crucial to the short. I already knew od such a room and if I was not able to book/reserve it, then I would have to use another in the bulding!

Pre-Production:
The first draft of the script was completed on the weekend of the 11th-12th of May. During the first few pages, one of the people I had in mind for the cast read what I had at that point and was particularly drawn to one particular aspect (power, abilities) of one of the characters. For me this was good feedback and I ended up writing the rest of the character's action based on that one aspect. I finished the script at ten pages with five characters in the story...The only major concern with the characters is that I may have too many for such a short space of screen time...The two actors I had asked to play the two brothers became increasingly difficult to get in touch with too. By the time of the read-through on the 17th of May, I had decided to drop the characters of the two brothers (who are ironically the only main recurring characters of Supernatural).
   The second draft appeared two days later; I rewrote it in a way that the two remaining characters' parts remained very much the same (save for a few dialogue tweaks). The only major character rewrite was for my character of the Angel, as he now had to be there on behalf of both brothers.
   I started to storyboard before the rewrite (as I had the rewrite already in mind), but when I had the rewrite down, I divided the script for where the 'edits' would be as the film progressed. I labelled each segment of the script with shots, essentially turning it into a shooting script. It helped inform the storyboard, as I could collate all the shots that are similar to each other into fewer storyboard panels. I believed that this would also streamline the shooting in terms of set-up and logistics.

Logistics:
As the script was redrafted and thus became shorter (and reduced the actor numbers), I saw that managing the direction of the action became simpler and also knew that less time would be needed. Therefore the majority of it was recorded in an afternoon.
   Even though the subject matter is as the original show title (supernatural), the style meant that very little was required in terms of location set-up, character costume and make-up (for which none was needed at all). In fact, I envisioned early on that most of the 'supernatural effects' would be added in post-production, including all the sound effects.

Legal and Ethical Considerations:
As the subject of the short is a humourous reference to an existing intellectual property, it's most crucial to at least note and give thanks in the eventual credits to the creator of the programme...Of course.
   The only permissions for the actual filming were both the hiring of the camera and the reserving of the computer room. Both of which were accomplished with minimal fuss (20th May).


Production:
Filming was very straightforward with the use of a single camera. For times when I was in simple shots, the direction for the actors acting as camera operators was just as straightforward. However for more complex shots (with specific movements of the camera, for instance), I thoroughly ensured that I walked either actor through exactly what I needed. The results of their operations were very pleasing.
   As the computer room used was a well-lit area, I had very little trouble with capturing decently-lit shots. The only drawback, which I only noticed after completing the filming, were the shots with the windows behind the actors. The glare would overtake the light and create silhouettes...! Had I known beforehand that this would be an issue I would've hired a few lights. This issue ended up being resolved in post-production.

Post-Production:
The majority of post-production went into the editing stage. With the shots quickly organised into Adobe Premiere Pro, the only difficulty in putting the shots in order was selecting the most ideal takes! During the editing stage I got some very encouraging initial feedback from my tutor (and a few students).
   The editing stage, as I found on previous projects that I've done, provides the opportunity for a bit more creativity. For instance, during editing, I realised that there was a moment where my character must have physically walked past the other two, only there is no shot where I am seen to do that (perhaps due to only three of us being in the room at the time). During editing, I notice that there is a 'before and after' effect...So I utilized my character's angel status to create a mini-teleportation moment for him...He used it earlier in the film to attack the King of Hell, so I reasoned that he could do it at will. (Thankfully, even without the teleportation effect, the edit still works, I believe, as my character is facing in the same direction at the end of the first shot and the beginning of the second...To me this gives the two shots a visual connection.
   In terms of lighting, I used the editing software to dim the lighting for the pre-titles sequence (as I intended). However, there was still the issue with the silhouettes later on. As the silhouettes happen to occur on the character of the Archangel (Gabriel), I came up with the idea to really turn up the lighting and then fiddle with the contrast until I got a super-glare effect coming from all around (and whiting out the windows), whilst being able to see the characters' faces. As a result I turned up the lighting in the other shots whilst Gabriel is there, but not in frame. I felt it could create the idea that he's just come down from heaven itself. Soon after, I added a wind effect to enhance the idea further.
   Speaking of which, the sound track became a very crucial part of the post-production. Thanks to my tutor (again) I had access to a whole library of sound effects! (I saved them from earlier in the year.) By far the most satisfying aspect of the production was getting sounds to match and enhance the vision. I used the usual foley sounds for opening and closing doors, thuds, general ambiance, etc...But also added to the supernatural elements with low-level winds, thunder & lightning and even a fire extinguisher in the title! One of the best parts of listening to isolated sounds is that just a simple image, stretch or compression can change what is audibly perceived! Also for sound, I performed additional dialogue recording for myself, as I felt that during shooting, my voice was unusable (the other two actors I felt were fine...Their voices remained untouched). During ADR, I used a voice that I felt was more appropriate. I didn't have the footage to refer to during the ADR, so I had to rely on the script and memory for speed and such...Thankfully most of it synchronized to the footage well!
   The visual effects were very simple and used only to enhance the supernatural setting/characters...When someone teleports, bright white light appears. When the King of Hell plucks a list out of thin air, dark smoke appears around it (then again as it disappears), thanks to a friend who created that smoke effect for her own project! As for when my Angel prepares to smite, a close up of his hand is shown...I always intended this to be an after-effect, but never knew how to do it until the last minute. I created a simple image on Microsoft Paint (a spray-painted orb of white), so that getting rid of the black would give it some translucency. Then a fuzzy effect and presto! Smite! (For lack of CGI, I think it's better than nothing!)


Evaluation of Finished Product:
For a short that is supposed to parody a well-loved television series, I firmly believe that it does just that. I aimed to show as much respect the source material as possible and I did that by using research into the programme to inform the events and dialogue. After I showed the film to others who were familiar with series, I received positive feedback, generally for the characters and their representations. What I found equally as pleasing was the feedback from individuals who aren't as familiar with Supernatural, but still followed the story of my film. For example, a YouTube comment (from somebody I do not know) stated that they found it amusing with a 'surprising twist' at the end. (Another aim was to get a humourous angle in my short, so I found it uplifting that different people recognized it.) But with regards to the original programme, if I had done more research into the characters (and started to watch the programme properly earlier), then I believe that I would've written Gabriel's character with more strength. In hindsight, I do feel that he was the weakest of the three. Had I done more research into his part (his character arcs, his motivations, his relationships with other characters, etc.), then I believe he would've reflected the Supernatural Gabriel more effectively.
   For the production, I was intent on using just the one room for my shooting. I was pleased that I was able to make efficient use of time, organisation and co-ordination. Unfortunately it was due to the fact that my idea was developed later than I (now) would've preferred. As such, I tried to make the best of a tight situation. However I do feel that I did the best I could do with the time provided. Had I developed the idea earlier, I would've had more time to scout more of the building for possible/contingency rooms (I did in fact find one much later which probably would have been ideal). Also it may be the case that I could have been able to obtain a light (or two), as there were some shots that I had originally intended to have an extra light source and dimmers to control some of the light in the well-lit room, but reasoned that I could enhance the effects in Post Production. I also believe that the film may have looked more professional if I had used DSLR cameras...So again, with more time, I may have been able to practice more with manual focus (which I do with stills photography, but hardly have done for film-making before my short...Save in-session projects).
On top of that, time permitting, I would've also been able to organize one or two other film production students to help with equipment.
   As there was an original script, with time (again) permitting, I would have had more chance to organize and arrange times for the other two actors to become available. Thankfully, the two remaining actors (the two Stephens) were very readily available, which is partly why I was able to rewrite the script easily. I was happy that they both did a read-through meeting within two days of the rewrite (and within a week of shooting). They again proved their reliability with the shooting day(s) by turning up at the agreed time(s), with the costume I requested and with lines more-or-less learned! However, looking back on it, I would have certainly made more effort to have Crowley wear a tie (as Supernatural's Crowley always has a distinctively decorative tie). And I would have really wanted Gabriel to have footwear...I only noticed in the editing process that there is a prominant shot or two where his feet are seen only in socks... 
   The editing process was one of the my more favourable aspects of the production. This was due to both confidence during the editing process and the feedback given during (and also after the final product was shown). The editing was mainly dictated from how I had written the story (linearly) and how I shot the project (mostly chronological). I aimed for the pace of to primarily occur at a steady pace, cutting where necessary and increasing during the confrontation. For a sense of immersion for viewers, I also wanted to leave long takes intact as much as possible. From feedback I was ensured that the editing mostly accomplished what was needed for rhythm and emphasis. However I am certain that there are some moments that could have done with tighter edits. For instance, the shot where Castiel appears behind the demon Crowley, which I feel lingers too long at the start...Although I did want to leave it to establish that Crowley has to turn around before he is thrown back. If I could I would have directed Stephen to turn around much more immediately, which would have resulted in a tighter edit.

   An example of a long take I wanted to leave intact was during the shot when Crowley suddenly appears; the majority of the shot is framed around Castiel. I decided I wanted the long-take, early on in the process, on a subject away from Crowley before he appears, and then pan across to him. I felt that it would’ve been very easy to simply cut to a close-up of him when he appears and therefore not much of a composition challenge. I personally believed that moving across to Crowley would’ve proven to be a more powerful effect than a cut. In the film, I was relieved that it happened as I wanted. The only thing that didn’t go as originally planned was the actual end of the take; the ending frame position on Crowley was originally supposed to be longer, but towards the end of the take, the camera was accidentally zoomed in and resulted in an effect that I felt was very unprofessional and ‘cheap’. This is also why, in the final film, the sound of Crowley’s laugh and comment continues into the following take...Which I also felt helped bridge the two shots together (which actually breaks the '180-degree rule').

   The rest of the film was fairly straightforward to edit together. In reflecting Walter Murch’s Rule of Six, I believe the film followed the editing objectives of pacing, emotion, rhythm, eye trace and 3D Space of Action. However, I felt that it followed the 2D Plane of Screen (including the 180 rule) less so. Although during filming I was aware that the 180-degree rule would be broken more often than I would’ve preferred, therefore I tried to restrain the position of the camera to one side of the action/room as much as possible. With more time, I would've like to have been able to plan the shooting so that the resulting action would be more grammatically consistant. However, this is only a minor flaw and I am pleased that I ensured that the majority of the action stuck to the 180 degree rule.
   Through the editing itself, I received encouraging feedback as I went along. For instance, upon viewing the part where Castiel was thrown against the door, my tutor saw the moment and complimented it. Happily he also asked if I did performed enhanced techniques such as speeding up the action in post-production and querying whether I was actually pulled by something (during filming) to achieve the effect. It was pleasing to me that, even during a rough cut, a short sequence could provide such interest & I’m certain that the timing of the edit contributed to the positive reaction (it was always intentional to perform simple in-camera effects as much as possible, which then the edits would assist). My tutor also went on to compliment the final product.

   In tandem with visual editing, I also utilised an extensive sound library that my tutor had provided earlier in the year. As mentioned earlier (Crowley’s laugh), some of the sounds were used in conjunction with the editing, either to audibly bridge shots together or emphasise when a cut occurs (such as the title card transitions).
   I firmly believe that the sounds used between edits really added to the immersion of the story. However, given more time, I may have wanted to control the background noise more effectively. As I had only worked on a computer for the editing, the audio seemed quite satifactory...Although, when viewed in a theatre space, the sound becomes much more amplified and more detailed. Therefore it is easier to distinguish and hear when the background noise 'stops' and 'starts', when it is supposed to be continuous. I had performed ADR on my own character, as I thought my original voice recording wasn't strong enough at all. But the dialogue from Crowley and Gabriel were the original recordings from the camera. Again, time permitting, I really would have wanted to do a couple of ADR sessions for the two Stephens. This would have eliminated the primary 'background noise' inteference and their voices would have been clearer.
   Having said that, the ADR I did for myself was done without a visual aid, so that I had to rely on memory and estimation to reclaim the correct tempo/rhythm for my character. I know that in professional productions, ADR is done whilst the actor(s) can see the footage of themselves (or their character) so that they can achieve the correct synchronization. Facilities, equipment and time permitting, I would have much preferred to do my ADR whilst watching the footage. But, as with most aspects of this production, I did the best with what I could, so for ADR I took inspiration from voice actor James Arnold Taylor to mock-up as much sound-dampening material as possible to record the clearest sound possible. Unlike him I didn't have ready access to top-quality microphones and such, but I did use an Ediroll positioned on an array of cushioned seats in the quietest room I could use at short notice. In terms of making the best out of what's available, I believe I reached that particular goal effectively.
   In order to combat the background noise issues (I knew they existed), I made sure that I put extra effort in to work on a prominant sound mix. Therefore, the sound library I had access to provided many suitable effects. I also worked on stretching and compressing some of them to create more distinctive effects. I focused primarily on the supernatural abilities of the angels and demon. But in doing so, I neglected some other basic sounds such as footsteps and clothes rustling, etc. I did reason that the angels (for instance) would not have much effect on the human realm...However, when I viewed the film after a while, I noticed several moments, such as when I sit down (twice), that there are no sounds connected with the highly-movable chairs. Because even if the angels have a disconnection with humanity, they would still have a physical presence (after all, I also made sure I inserted the computer key tapping and mouse clicking).
   On the other hand, some sound effects I purposefully exaggerated (akin to using cannon-fire for the revolvers in the Dollars Trilogy). Two prominant moments in my film show this; the first is when I hit the door. I initially inserted a simple body-on-wood 'thud'. However, I was very disinclined to keep that, as I felt it had no effect whatsoever, didn't last (as a sound) and actually took away the powerful sound effect of Crowley's throwing-motion, which it immediately follows. I had the idea that, because of a powerful throw, it should result in an impact that carries on the 'energy' of that throw (almost like a good punchline to a joke). As such, I inserted a much more powerful-sounding metal-based impact. The result was a deep-toned smash that lasted longer and could give a viewer the sense that it's more than  just a human body that hits the door (as angels are much more powerful beings). And I carried that same idea into the second moment, when the demon hits the table. I believe both moments ended up serving their purposes well.
   The choices I made to shoot the film mostly chronologically, with a linear story and a singular location, helped to inform the Post-Production process a great deal. From the feedback I have received (both in person and from online comments), it’s reassuring to know that people have enjoyed the story and how it was made.

   Despite the aforementioned aspects that I could have improved upon, I am very pleased with what I accomplished as a whole. Overall the film performs the functions I intended it to do and each initial drawback brought up a new challenge that required working around quickly and making the best of what was available, which I would confidently say that I did. This is, of course, despite the one thing I really desired most (and that worked against us); time.

AM