WBL Unit: Production Day 3

I got into the studios early to upload the footage and to make sure the batteries were fully charged. Then I was off again to Newnham Court to do some exterior stores that are not part of the main centre.

I started at Model World, which was good for customers as this more of a hands-on store compared to some of the others. One of the employees requested not to be filmed when he was behind a certain desk as he was not doing work he was being paid for there, but when he was serving customers I could film to my hearts content.

Filming at Bricks Coffee House wasn't easy for two reasons, the first being that the amount of tables meant it was difficult for me to set-up the camera tripod, the second being the fact two women in the centre of the Coffee House didn't want to be on film but didn't necessarily want to move either.

The next place to film was Pure Hairdressing which is by-far the best place so far. They only had two customers there when I arrived, one didn't want to be recorded because she felt she looked awful due to the dye still being on her hair and the other was one of the employees. Whilst I was setting-up the camera the girls working there snapped straight into action without any prompting. First they moved the lady with the hair dye to the corner chair and put the large dryer around her so she could not be seen. Then two of them took to the seats whilst they had their colleagues pretend to "work" on their hair. Clearly they want to appear busy and popular for the advert which was perfectly fine by me (but I feel they have done this before).

When I went next door to Pure Beauty Essentials there weren't any customers but people were due to arrive fifteen minutes later so I disappeared to Cotswold Outdoor where once again customers were ducking the camera so as to not get in my way. It is surprising the amount of things you're meant to take  with you when you are hiking or camping.

Back at Pure Beauty Essentials two customers had arrived, one having a manicure and the other having a pedicure. The one having a manicure didn't want her face in the advert but filming her hands were fine. The lady having the pedicure was very happy to be in the advert, feet are just feet.

On my way back to Pure Beauty Essentials from Cotswold Outdoors the skies opened and I got drenched so when I finished I didn't go back to the studios to upload the footage, I went straight home to drip dry.

WBL Unit: Production Day 2

Today the production continued at Newnham Court, the memory card was formatted and the batteries were fully charged which made it easier for me. 

Today I was filming the main interior of Notcutts from the seeds and gardening tools in the greenhouse to the kids toys and wine near the check-outs. 

I also shot in the Coffee Corner Restaurant (finally customers to record). 

When I got to Edinburgh Woollen Mill I had to sign-in on their visitors sheet, I've had a bit of difficulty getting permission to film here, this is due to the fact that the company just rent the property, Edinburgh Woollen Mill is a successful without my help in advertisement, but as long as the health and safety was sorted and I signed the sheet they were more than willing for me to film. 

Filming in Nauticalia was simple, the woman behind the counter was very helpful and like a few other employees of Newnham Court was curious about what I was doing. 

I didn't think I'd have much memory space left but luckily I had a little bit which meant I was able to shoot in Hammonds Furniture, not great on lighting but very spacious. 

It got too late to go back to the studios to upload the footage so I will do that before I go back to Newnham Court to finish filming for the week.

WBL Unit: Production

The filming at Newnham court started today, due to weather and the fact that the person who previously had the camera had not recharged either of the batteries I was unable to film that many shops. I managed to get round to Sweatshop Sport Shop, Invicta Craft Centre, Ark Pets and Aquatics, Cotton Traders and The Emporium. The staff in each of the shops were very cooperative. 

In Sweatshop Sports Shop it was difficult to begin with due to the fact that I'm small and their main displays are taller than me. I ended up standing on the seating so that I could get a decent shot.

In Ark Pets and Aquatics the girl working there opened up the rabbit cage so I could get a better shot. She was also very curious about what I was doing and why I was doing it. The problem I thought I was going to have was lighting in the Aquatics room. Fortunately, the tanks were giving off enough light that there was nothing to worry about.

In Cotton Traders there was an awful lot of stock that was on sale, so what I could shot was the bare minimum, I did surprisingly get a few decent shots. 

When shooting in The Emporium there weren't any customers which makes it difficult for me to make it look popular. I've done an awful lot of close-ups on products to hide that fact.

The only problem I seem to have is that the customers seem to duck when they see a camera, with most of them it's not because they don't want to be filmed but because they think they're getting in the way of my shot. I've been getting bored of having to keep saying "It's okay, you can walk through".

I've uploaded the footage onto Final Cut and I'm making sure the batteries are fully charged so I can start afresh tomorrow.

WBL Unit: Photos

Here is a small sample of the photos I took for the storyboard of my commission.

WBL Unit: Confirmation

I've been round to the shops that I listed on the site of Newnham Court, they have all confirmed that it is okay for me to be filming their establishments. I've also taken a few photos to give me some ideas for the storyboards.

Work Based Learning Unit: The Footage

• I'll be making adverts for the website www.newnhamcourt.co.uk. Here is the list of shops I'll be filming in for the adverts. I have permission to film on the site but I will also get permission from the owners of each establishment so that they'll be okay when I appear to film. 
• 
  
• Ark Pets & Aquatics
• Bricks Coffee House
• Charterwood Mobility and NCSV Shopmobility
• Coffee Corner Restaurant
• Cotswold Outdoor
• Cotton Traders
• Edinburgh Woollen Mill
• Elite Hand Car Wash
• FineLine Windows Doors & Conservatories
• Granite Transformations
• Hammonds Furniture
• Invicta Craft Centre
• Johnsons Garden Buildings
• Model World
• Nauticalia
• Noble House Chinese Restaurant
• Notcutts Garden Centre
• The Emporium
• Pennies Day Nursery
• Pure Beauty Essentials
• Pure Hairdressing
• Sweatshop Sports Shop

Work Based Learning Unit: Finding work

To find four weeks worth (150hrs) of work experience for this unit has been extremely challenging. Everytime I thought I had found something it turned out that they would prefer someone with proper experience rather than a student. In the end I contacted a family friend, Michael Ryan, who is high-up in the production company Handmade Films (Life Of Brian, The Long Good Friday and Time Bandits). Unfortunately, he was in Greece during the summer and has been back and forth to Paris in the past couple of weeks so communicating with him has been difficult. He did manage to give me details for another production company called Midsummer Films and had informed them that I was looking for working experience and given that they are working on the film Tomb of the Dragon it was work worth experiencing. On Monday 17th September I went up to Camden Town to their base but due to the fact that they are coming to the end of the post-production they would be stretched to find me work to experience. Luckily, on the same day a phone call with Newnham Court Shopping Village turned out a better result. 

I researched the website for Newnham Court and found that they didn't have an advert on the website to highlight the many different shops that are in the Village. I contacted David Saunderson through the DSH public relations and he was enthusiastic with the idea of an advert to put on the website. I suggested to him that there are two possibilities; 1 being an advert for Newnham Court in its entirety (showing everything it has to offer, and the 2nd being collective adverts for each shop - this has been left to me to decide (once I have the footage) what would look best.

Worked Base Learning Unit: Possible work experience

I have possibly got some work experience with a production company called Midsummer Films up in Camden Town. I'm on my way up there today to see if it's any good. They're not sure if they have any work for me but I won't know if I don't try.

Major Project Unit: the inspiration

I've been a long-time fan of country music, with its upbeat music and quirky plot lines. Goodbye Earl has always been a song that I've found has both a fun and serious side to it. This is the original video by the Dixie Chicks...

Major Project Unit: Character profile

To save face on this project the characters names will have to change from the ones used in the song "Goodbye Earl" especially when the song is written for Country and Western and I'll be filming in the  Kent countryside. So, Mary Anne becomes Kira, Wanda becomes Gertie and Earl becomes Michael.

Character Profiles:

Kira (a.k.a. Fizzgig) - Independent, adventurous, optimistic, loyal, resourceful and bubbly. She is determined to live life to the full. Good for a laugh and loves getting attention. She knows everyone. Her best-friend is Gertie who she has known since starting secondary school. Still doesn't know what to do as career but has brains for anything. 

Gertie (a.k.a. Elliott) - Quiet, loyal, pessimistic, attractive, clever, does try to see the best in everybody. Feels she can loosen-up around Kira and only Kira. Librarian. Moved into the countryside with parents when she was 11. She loves her husband because he does "what's right for her"! Wishes she was as brave and independent as Kira.

Michael - Average height, average weight - plain (just average). Short temper, controlling, yet quiet in public so as to not draw attention to himself. Appears to not have many friends. Self-employed plumber. Favourite hobbies are drinking and wife-beating. He moves around a lot.

Major Project Unit: Genre research

I looked into the many different genres of online british programmes so that I could see whether or not there is a need for my online programme.

Comedy	Entertainment	Drama	Horror	Reality	Mockumentary	Teen	Sketch Show	Sci-Fi	Teen Drama	Animation	Comedy Drama
All About The McKenzies	Bad Girl Guides	Being Human: Becoming Human	Blood and Bone China	Bryony Makes A Zombie Movie	Can't Stop Acting	Celia and Chlöe	Channel Hopper	Doctor Who: Pond Life	Eastenders E20	New Eden	Rent a Friend
All In The Method	Carpool	Far Out	Bloody Cuts	Paranormal GI	Deaf Faker	Chelsey OMG	Kash Flo'	Primeval	LOL	The Chronicles of Humanity
Andy and Chaz Bugger Off to America	David Mitchell's Soapbox	Ghost Class	Girl Number 9	The Great Football Experiment	I Am Tim: A Monster of a Documentary	Dubplate Drama	LiveSexGirls
Anyone's Game	FWA Front Line	Heart and Soul	House Party of the Dead	The Specials	In The Mix	KateModern	Misery Bear
Brothers With No Game	Meet The Cosplayers	Kirill	Meat... The Series	Year Dot	Legion of Fire: Croydon Branch	Sofia's Diary	The Crabstickz Show
Captain Dandy	Talking Who	Neon	The 'S' State		Promoted	THMBNLS	The Fast Show
Dead Man Working	The A-Z of Sex	Persona	Twisted Showcase		Stars of the Future		Things and Stuff
Divine White's Introduction To Hollywood		Self Centered	Zomblogalypse		The Only Made In Aylesbury		Vic and Bob's Afternoon Delights
Donald Newman...		Shadazzle			Toyboize
Eaten By The Wolves		Spinning Jenny
Eddsworld		The Secret World of Sam King
Euro 2012: One Of The Lads		The Syndicate
Expectation Management		Tube Tube
Freshie Prince		Venus Vs Mars
Hand Island		Who Killed Summer?
Harry Hill's Little Internet Show
Hit The Big Time
Invention With Brian Forbes
Licensed
Liquid Lunch
Living with the Infidels
Meet The Adebanjos
Mid-Morning Matters with Alan Patridge
Mind My Brains Darling
Open Mic Night
Ramblers The Show
Raptured
Svengali
Tempting Fates
The Actors
The Pro Show
The Splott Division
The Traffic Patrol Tapes
This Is Steve
Trinny and Susannah: What They Did Next
Unlocked
Vultures: Private Investigators
Where Are The Joneses?

As you can see, there are many comedy programmes available online, but in comparison there are very few dramas/comedy drama which is what my programmes genre is.