Production Stage 2: Production Schedule

Production schedule

Planning, discussion and procrastination

        Working in a group, quite difficultly, is the balancing of different schedule and contrasting ideas of each members. Our group run through the same issues, as we host too many discussions and meetups of that centers around the shot list and script and storyboard. We didn't progress in filming and test shots for a month or so. (as sometimes, clinging on personal ideals of creative work is much more satisfying and fulfilling than compromising with others). 

        The procrastination disseminates each of our motivation and further exacerbates our mood. The mock test early March didn't help, as it rushed us into written exam instead of doing coursework.

          Therefore, I took upon myself to revise all the production schedule we got, props and equipment list to enact into a masterplan. My approach is that we should set foot with filming, and any consequential steps would be undertaken, instead of stomping at the same spot and running in circles. 

•       1)      Our solution           Detailed masterplan

            It is told, in Alice in Wonderland of Lewis Carroll, the Cheshire Cat when faced with a confused and weary Alice, mumured some advice. ""If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there."

        And that retell of the story shook me to my core. As a melticulous and goal forward person, I'd usually have an extensive planning phase until the visualization of both time and space of the event plays out in my head, in that exact order. Therefore, the act of going into something, freehand and improvised, is quite scary to me. The preferred method was always analytical, nitpicking and look into each detail; and the frown upon was always taking a step back and synthesize a bigger picture.

        However, this production planning was becoming too detailed for itself, so that we're flipped around worried for its plausibility. Like "horseshoe theory" depicted (mechanism used lightly out of context of political science debate). 

        

•     2)  Our solution           Shot list

        Therefore, we sat down, synchronise the plot with the storyboard, to produce the shot list as detailed and melticulous as we could. The shot list would act as a fast, accessible descriptor on site for our camera operator, Zon Zon. 

        The shot list was proved to be very efficient and helpful for us, although arguably did not illustrate well the transition scene or editing note to be taken into account while filming. There were argument while listing the shot, of course, and I'm glad we did to prevent arguing on the spot. 

      

        A finding through watching various movie scene breakdown for the most convincing, dynamic running scene and especially falling/fainting down scene. At first, we would want it to be falling face down for accuracy, yet falling sideways was the more plausible and safe option for us. (It's pretty peculiar to observe how many fainting clips are falling backwards than face down).

 

    

  Getting on the filming site excited, scared and a bit worried is better than being wrapped up around back in the drawing board, for now. 

     Also, improvision is our best friend on site.