Using ICT to enhance your
teaching and pupil learning
Making a Short
©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2013
Planning for Planning
The secret of making a video or film is good
planning.
This series of slides covers areas that you need
to understand if you are to plan effectively.
©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2013
Session Content
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•
•
•
•
Some terms you should know.
Storyboards.
Choosing your locations.
Planning your filming.
Additional support for filming.
The outcome for the session will be that you
can construct a production schedule and the
notes to accompany it successfully.
©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2013
Terms That You Should Know
Short – ‘Short’ is the term used for making a short
film. A ‘Digital Short’, for example, is a short film
made using digital technology.
Script – A script is the written instruction and
process for an audio-visual project.
Scriptwriting is the construction of the ‘story’:
where it happens, who is involved, who says
what, what events occur and when.
©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2013
The Storyboard
‘Storyboarding’ allows you to plan every shot that
you intend to film. It enables you to film various
scenes that are set at one location, which but do
not necessarily appear in sequence in the film.
The Storyboard – a pictorial representation of
the shot, with brief description of the action.
Shot List – a concise form of the script, giving
camera and actor directions.
©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2013
Tips for Storyboarding
● Photocopy a set of storyboard sheets
so that you do not have to worry about continually
redrawing frame outlines.
● Draw in pencil
so you can make changes easily. If you are going to
photocopy the sheets, remember to ink them first as
pencil does not photocopy well.
● Make short notes
and add brief directions under each frame e.g. ZOË
enters from left or Camera to track BEN as he walks
through the door.
©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2013
Tips for Storyboarding, cont.
● Number the shots
so it is easier to find them when you are editing, and
so you can skip past unwanted shots.
● Use small frames
so that drawing the storyboard is quicker. Remember,
it is not your drawing skills being assessed, just the
clarity of your ideas. Drawing stick people is sufficient.
● Note the camera position
so setting up the shot is quicker and easier.
©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2013
Types of Shot You Might Use
The Long shot (LS): subject is distant from the camera,
surroundings dominate.
An Establishing shot (ES): often a long shot or wide shot, it sets
the scene by establishing where the action is happening;
generally used as the first shot of a sequence.
A Medium shot (MS): shot where the subject and the setting are
roughly in balance, so that both the person (what he/she is
wearing and the expression on his/her face) and where he/she
is situated is clear.
A Close up (CU): the subject dominates the frame; anything from
a head and shoulders shot to a giant image of part of the body,
or part of an object like an eye or a number on a clock face
(Extreme close up or ECU can be used to describe the latter).
©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2013
©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2013
Shot explanation and illustrations:
R Crossland – University of Bedfordshire
Storyboards
www.amimationtoolkit.co.uk
©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2013
• Sources of storyboard
templates and guidance for
completing them
• http://zadie.com/free-stuff/
• http://habitualfilms.wordpress.
com/storyboard/
• http://pizzabytheslice.com/scr
eenplay-format-and-blankword-template.htm
• http://www.animationtoolkit.co
.uk/storyboard-template-freedownload/
Choosing the Location
• Is it safe to film there?
• Do you need permission?
• Can you, your actors, props and camera get
there?
• Is there room for everyone?
• What things affect filming at the location?
Remember: if you are filming something from
history then the sound of cars, people in
modern clothes or aircraft trails in the sky
could ruin your filming – check them out and
make notes!
©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2013
Recording the Location
• Draw a sketch of the location – this might be a
view (you could take a photo) or a plan if you
want movement while you film.
• Note how to get there, the access and the
parking.
• Which direction does it face? North, South, East
or West? – where will the light be, and where do
you want it when you actually film?
• What things affect what, when and how you will
film there?
©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2013
The Shoot
The ‘Shoot’ is the location where you intend to
film, and ‘shooting’ is the process of filming that
element from the storyboard. When you are
shooting a scene, you start filming before the
‘start of the scene’ and finishing filming after the
‘end of the scene’. This is important when you
come to edit your film, so that you have some
spare footage.
©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2013
Planning Your Filming
• Before you can start to film, you will need to know
which scenes you will shoot at each location. If you
start and finish your film at the same location, you
may need to film the opening and closing scenes
while you are at the location. The reason for this is to
ensure consistency in the light. Come back the
following afternoon and it might be raining.
• A production schedule is used to show which scenes
are to be shot at each location and what props are
needed for that shoot.
©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2013
Shoot Templates
This type of framework will help
you plan your filming.
Two sources for templates are:
•http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernir
eland/myplacemyspace/downlo
ads/promote-your-dayout/production-schedule.pdf
•http://www.indefilms.net/html/pr
el.html
©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2013
The Clapperboard
• You will need a board of some sort on which you can
write the number of the shot you are taking (e.g.
blackboard and chalk).
• You will need to know which shot you are filming
AND how many times it has been recorded (The
Take Number).
• Shoot each scene at least twice and, if possible,
three times. This lets you use the best bits of each
when you come to edit the film.
• Remember, you are not filming in the finished
sequence.
©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2013
Additional support
A Scripting tutorial is available at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/write-a-script/
A Storyboarding tutorial is available at:
http://www.videojug.com/tag/movies-and-filmmaking
Film making guidance is available at:
http://www.cvisual.com/film-techniques/film-generalproduction-tips.asp
©Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2013