Pre-Production Unit: Tutorial (27/10/15)

Today at 2:30pm I had a tutorial with my lecturer to discuss how my project is going.

The tutorial was very useful because it gave me an idea of how I could progress, some of the advice he gave was to flesh out a few of my ideas
- Describe why Elliott's character has been chosen.
- Provide a clearer story synopsis
- Tie up loose ends in a way that makes the story easier for the audience to understand

Right now I am working on re-writing my Treatment which describes not only the characters and synopsis but a very detailed outline of what will occur in the six episodes of the series. Admittedly I need to polish my ideas a bit if I want to create a clearer, balanced package.

Pre-Production Unit: Things To Include

For my Pre-Production Package, I am aiming to produce:

A Book featuring: 

A Pilot Episode Script

A Treatment

Character Profiles

Location Ideas/Production Design
Concept Art

My Pitch 

A Poster

Pre-Production Unit: Episode Amount + Time-slot

I've decided that I want Different Perspectives to be a series of six episodes running at around 25 minutes each. (6x25)

Programmes that inspired how and why I decided on this format include Spaced and Peep Show which are both two of the most popular shows on Channel 4, both featuring six episodes per series running at an average length of 25 mins. approx. These are two of my favourite shows and influenced me when developing my series.

I researched into shows in the comedy-drama genre to see what running times they had, and saw a recent example of this format. Ricky Gervais's series Derek, which Channel 4 describes as "a bittersweet comedy drama about a group of outsiders living on society's margins."
From this tag alone it comes across as quite similar to my idea which is also a comedy-drama about an outsider. (Elliott) Having watched Derek before I can see that it is quite bittersweet but a lot of thought has gone into how people care for these characters. This is something that has made me think about how important it is to write my characters in a way that makes people worry about what happens to them over the course of the series. Like Spaced and Peep Show, this also has six episodes per series.

Spaced ran for six episodes at an
average duration of 24-25 mins

Derek is a another example of a recently
successful Channel 4 comedy-drama that is approx.
25 minutes per episode.

I am happy to have resolved the time limit issue which admittedly is much better than my original idea of making a TV movie. I have now started writing a treatment describing the episodes which would have involved far too much story development to be ideal if I went with that previous format.

I'm glad that I've found a format that I am now happy with and in future will make sure I have a clearer understanding of the ideas behind the development my project. I feel that this will also lead to a greater level of quality now that I have the episode count down, and it allows me to tell my story without spreading it too thin or cutting out important parts central to the development of Elliott and Elena.

Right now I am working on my treatment which includes describing the characters, and a breakdown of the storyline in episodic format. I've decided to write this first, so that when it comes to writing the pilot episode script and designing and formatting the book, I know fully well the ideas I have previously set out.

Time-slot

The time-slot I want is around 8-8:30pm. This would suit the style of my show well, which is aimed at an audience of 18-36 year olds. It also means that young children would be less likely to be watching which is appropriate because of the older target group.

Pre-Production Unit: Channel 4 Information

Today I had a tutorial with my lecturer about the timing of the show because it didn't look like my idea for the shows formatting (time/episode amount) was very well thought out. So I decided to remedy this by looking into different Channel 4 shows for details relating to  comedy-dramas. I also wanted to get a response from them so I decided to try and contact them through their email address.

I sent an email to Channel 4 on their website to see if they could give me some advice on the time length. I didn't get a direct answer but they did link to some

"Hello, i'm a student at UCA working on a TV Production course. I am currently working on a pre-production Unit for a TV show idea.

I was wondering if you could give some information on what the channel is looking for in terms of comedy-drama shows and how you decide on choosing episode length? Is a 4 or 6 part series more preferable for the channel? 

If I could get a reply I would be very grateful, 

Thanks, Sam"

This was the reply I received:

Dear Sam,

Thank you for contacting Channel 4 Viewer Enquiries.

We get a huge volume of requests from students for information on their chosen project or assignment.

Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we don?t have the time or resources to answer individual enquiries but you may find the following useful:   

Information regarding animation, filmmakers etc:

The British Film Institute, 21 Stephen Street, London W1P 1PL www.bfi.org.uk (The BFI also offers viewing facilities whereby some programmes are recorded from the terrestrial channels and then made available to the public to view on the premises.

Telephone  0207 255 1444 for details).   

Information regarding violence/censorship/strong language/Ofcom guidelines etc:

Ofcom Contact Centre,

 Riverside House,

2a Southwark Bridge Road,

London,

SE1 9HA

www.ofcom.org.uk. 

Information regarding viewing figures:

BARB (British Audience Research Board)

Glenthorne House,

Hammersmith Grove,

London

W5 0ND

www.barb.co.uk

Information regarding Channel 4 News:

ITN (Independent Television News)

200 Gray's Inn Road,

London

WC1X 8XZ

www.itn.co.uk or visit the Channel 4 News website www.channel 4.com/news.

Channel 4 is not responsible for third-party websites.

Information regarding our target audience etc visit: www.channel4sales.com. 

For information about programming from 1982-2000 you might want to take a look at the BUFVC website as they have, in conjunction with Portsmouth University, launched a website with all Channel 4?s press packs from 1982-2000http://bufvc.ac.uk/2013/10/10/channel-4-press-packs-1982-2002 (these includes write ups about programmes and films broadcast on Channel4 during this period).

Your own school/college library may have a section on the subject of television and broadcasting where you will find some of the many publications and professional directories that are published annually. Additionally, the television trade newspaper, Broadcast, is available from newsagents.

For information about Channel 4 have a look at our corporate site where you?ll find things like our Annual Report, details of awards and our remit:

www.channel4.com/info/corporate

Thank you again for taking the time to contact us here at Channel 4 and for your interest in our programming.

Regards,

Damien McCandless

Channel 4 Viewer Enquiries

For information about Channel 4 have a look at our FAQ section at http://www.channel4.com/4viewers/faq

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I was able to get some useful statistics and figures using the BARB and Channel 4 corporate reports which told me how much they spent on new content for 2014 as well as an analysis for the market shares for different genres.

Channel 4's annual report gave an idea of
how much they are willing to put into original content.

The BARB information above was really useful when it came to seeing statistics for what the most popular genre's were which plays a big part in the types of programmes that networks like Channel 4 will be looking for.

Pre- Production Unit: Developing my Production Package

I have been looking further into my research to try and gain a better understanding on what I am developing and to make my intentions for the project clearer.

To clarify, the main elements I am focusing on for this project are:

- Treatment

- Script

- Book

I have decided to not shoot a trailer as I feel this would take away too much time from developing other aspects of the project.
I was slightly concerned about whether this was enough or not but I received some feedback from my lecturer in which he felt that as long as the work was substantial and featured enough on the concept than it would be fine for the unit. I have also had a lot of good designs made which will be included as a part of the books design as well as on my blog.

I am currently writing my treatment which is going well and I feel I am getting a deeper understanding of what it is I am creating. I'm glad that i've made a project that I find interesting to write about which I feel is largely due to using a format that I am familiar with. I will update when I have finished with my treatment which I plan to have finished by Friday.

Pre-Production Unit: Relating Different Perspectives to the Modern World

In my dissertation, Being Human: Doctor Who in the Post-Modern World, I have talked a lot about the influence of different aspects of capitalism on a post-modern society.

When creating my idea for my , I decided that I wanted to comment on the medias ability to create a 'false reality'. Being quite politically minded, it effects how I see capitalism so I feel like aspects of my personality came out when developing my idea. Being a democratic socialist I want to input some of my political views into the show and how I see it reflects the show. Capitalism in my view largely encourages mass media to control aspects of society and effects democracy to the effect that many feel like certain choices are forced upon them. This is something I want to convey in my idea, how Elliott is being filmed as part of the show against his wishes and how he gets ignored by people who don't want to upset the balance of their world or question what they've become used to. This is something that I have become interested in talking about in my project.

I want the show to convey how from a sociological and demographical point of view, Different Perspectives shows how people react when confined to a level of observation which they can't escape from. This links it closely to Big Brother which was originally started by Channel 4 (now Five) as a 'social experiment'.

I found this quote on the show, which I found quite interesting as it explains audiences motives for watching as well as its large popularity -

I've been looking at how Big Brother is used as a 'social experiment'
and immerses audiences into the lives of others.

"For viewers, the main attraction of the programme is that it offers unprecedented closeness to the lives of other people. Also, what is fascinating about people in the house is that they are not two-dimensional like soap opera characters. They can surprise us and often themselves. They are a constantly changing kaleidoscope of images and this turns us into part-time detectives. We are fascinated by other people and their motivations.

At its base, Big Brother is a psychological show. It is no coincidence that the producers selected psychologists to take part. The viewers are amateur psychologists and the programme's psychologists act as catalysts in a sense, drawing viewers' attention to things they might not have noticed."

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/why-i-think-big-brother-is-more-than-a-game-show/164059.article

In a world in which we are constantly being filmed
I want to comment on the level of control over
individuals lives it can hold.

I find this useful as it deepens my understanding of how society can get so immersive into other peoples lives in these types of situations. I want to show how I think someone would react if it wasn't all planned out and they knew people were watching them as I feel they would react quite differently.

The way in which privacy has been lost and in which people are being monitored has been referred to as "worse than Orwell" by the UN's privacy chief in a recent Guardian interview which is a reference to George Orwell's work, primarily 1984 and how social elements are being controlled by use of propaganda, surveillance and misinformation.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/24/we-need-geneva-convention-for-the-internet-says-new-un-privacy-chief
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/30/government-surveillance-privacy-internet

Two books I have been reading recently have given me a lot of insight into how the level of control that can be used to control society. The first is very well known of course, 1984. A story about a dystopian society under a level of control and manipulation it wants to escape from. The second, The Establishment: and how they get away with it is similar in certain ways and relates to the issue of political control in modern establishment, this relates very much to Orwell's work however and the use of propaganda, a society strongly influenced by capitalists and out of the control of most of the public. All of these concepts have been very influential and explain how I came to the conclusion to develop Different Perspectives using these concepts.

Pre Production Unit: Show Research & Influences

I decided to research further into some of the shows that have influenced me as well as programs that are similar in design to my project.

The first show I researched was The Truman Show since the concept of being watched my TV cameras was highly important in helping me conceive of my idea. The concept is almost a reversal of the film with the main character, Elliott being the only one aware that he is being filmed. It is somewhat similar to mine in that it is also a comedy-drama although I have many other elements I want to include in my idea.

When I thought about how I wanted the show filmed, two shows immediately came up: Spaced and Peep Show. The former was because I am a fan of the Directing style of Armando Iannucci and the quick paced camera work he is known for implementing in his work. A fast pace will also give the show a lighter tone that might somehow me swallowed up by the darker tone of the story. I also wanted to create a show that has comedy elements which will be clear in its over the top aspects.

Peep Show was influential on me because of its camera POV shots that it is often known for. This gave me the idea of including this type of camera work as his mindset becomes more erratic, leading him towards self destruction as we see how paranoid he is getting. 

Because of the concept of being followed by Television cameras and the dominance of media in todays society, Big Brother and other similar reality shows were highly influential. It helped me when coming up with messages about control and watching clips also helped me to understand how much it can drive people to levels of insanity.

The concept of science fiction was also drive into my research, as this is something I have also been incorporating into my dissertation. The Twilight Zone has been useful as an example of a program that has been largely influenced by its creator, Rod Serling. It manages to show how he and the shows writers could incorporate social commentary throughout which helped to convey there own views under the guise of a popular fantasy/horror show. Besides the elements of distressing situations that occur this allows its creators to incorporate parts of their own personality into their show. Something that I have set out to do with my show.

Pre-Production Unit: Production Roles and Designing a Package

The elements of production that I want to partake in are primarily writing based for my Pre-Production project, Different Perspectives.

When making my high concept Pre-Production package there are a few things I want to include to convey my ideas -

Treatment 

One of the things I want to include as a part of my production package is a 3-5 page treatment for the idea. This will not only lay out exactly what I want from the show (concept wise) but it will also help when it comes to writing out the dialogue for the first episode script and designing the book. I am currently planning out the six episodes I want to tell my story.

Script

A script for the first episode will also be written as I have decided to make it a six-part episodic series following the advice I received in my pitch towards its formatting.

Book

The main thing I want to focus on is the book concept, this can include a detailed synopsis, characters, design choices, influences, style, tone, message etc. This will be a 24 page book using the 'blurb' website.

Pre-Production Unit: Pitch Presentation

Today I was able to present my idea as a powerpoint to half of the class as well as Laura and my lecturer, Simon.
I was a bit nervous when I got up to presenting but I happily it went very well and I got some useful feedback in the process. Andre and I were the only ones in our group to present high concept ideas.

Different Perspectives - Pre Production by Sam McKeown

When I got my feedback after I had pitched I was advised by a few people that the TV movie idea would work much better if I kept it as a short TV series instead. I could see why they would come to this conclusion as it is a lot to take in for a one off special. I will focus some of my efforts into reimagining the show in this context.

I will make a list of the elements that I would like to form in my Pre-Production package. This will make it much easier when it comes to my idea being marked. I'm looking forward to seeing what I can make and feel that the positiveness I received really helped in my confidence towards my own ideas.

Pre-Production Unit: Art Design

A few days ago I asked my girlfriend if she could draw out some character designs for my idea as well as draw out a logo which she was happy to do. I knew from the start of the project that I wanted a drawing element to feature prominently in the shows opening and through the shows advertisement. This will help its own distinctive look and style of branding.

Since the character of Elliott is a cartoonist I thought it would be cool to incorporate that aspect of his character into the shows style and credits.

This was the first logo which although I quite like it
wasn't very eye-catching. 

The designs for the Agent characters
(Vince and Gary)

For the logo I decided that I wanted to implement the shows title into a Television camera, this helps to convey that Elliott is being followed.

This is how I intend for the logo of the show to look,
featuring the main character; Elliot

I am pleased with the results I have got so far as it is helping to shape the high concept idea I have in mind for this project.

Pre-Production Unit: Making Character Profiles

When it came to creating my characters I decided that I had to look into my influences for Different Perspectives.

Elliott: He is a pessimistic illustrator in his mid-20s. He has a great love of TV and Film. Despite this he is shy and neurotic, which makes it very easy for him to panic at a moments notice. Despite this he cares a lot about his girlfriend and making sure that everything in his life is going well. Which means he will go to any lengths to look after others.

A Sketch of Elena
- Elliott's girlfriend

Vince: A bitterly, sardonic agent hoping for a promotion, he has a gravelly voice and works for the Television show's producers. He is very professional and will do anything to please his bosses. When I was coming up with his character, the actor that I had in mind was Peter Serafinowicz.  

Elena wearing glasses

Elena: Elliott’s girlfriend, she works in the media industry and is more level headed than Elliott. She finds it hard to believe that her life has become a part of a TV show and thinks that her boyfriend is losing his mind. Despite this she remains his closest contact whist he all of this is happening.

K

F  
I am happy with the characters that I have started to develop although they could still do with some tweaking before I write up there character profiles for the treatment + book. I will continue to research further into my characters although so far I am happy with the way it is progressing.

Pre-Production Unit: Development

I spent some time researching different films and TV show concept when making my idea. When I had a meeting with my lecturer Simon, one of the best pieces of advice he gave me was that no matter the concept, think of something that I would find appealing and actually want to sit down and watch.

I thought about some of my favourite movies and The Truman Show came to mind, suddenly I was thinking about the concept of a Television show within a show. I then came up with the idea of a guy being filmed, except that everyone else around him is oblivious to the cameras. In my mind it became almost like a reverse Truman Show.

I scribbled down notes and thought about what plot I could use for such a concept and how to develop it into a fuller idea.

Truman show was a large influence on
developing the "show within a show"
concept, as was Big Brother and other
reality shows.

• I knew that I wanted it to be a post-modern comedy-drama
• Possibly a series or a feature length TV movie (75-80 minutes)
• Aimed at 18-34 year olds 
• Likely pitching it as a Channel 4 show
• Using elements of The Truman Show, Peep Show, Spaced
• A satirical comment on the medias ability to mold a false reality through brainwashing.

Developing The Story

A young character named Elliott is woken up one morning in a panic. He feels a sudden awareness that no one else possesses. He realises that he is on a Television show. After noticing that everyones he meets is oblivious to this he notices that everyone he knows is acting strange, almost as if they have been replaced by actors following a script(?) Elliott is however able to keenly predict some future events due to his knowledge of typical TV tropes and idioms. This leads to getting a reputation in the shows media at which point he starts getting followed..

Edgar Wrights directing style has
influenced how I want to develop this
concept.

Conflicts

At some point our character hits upon a few questions; is he real? If he isn't, why should he care about trying to help the people he cares about? What constitutes reality in his reality, and how does he know for sure he isn't just dreaming?

Designing Characters 

I know that I would like to put strong emphasis on designing interesting characters, especially since this idea is a high concept one. I have asked my girlfriend to design some drawings to my specifications for the idea. This is something I would like to include in the general aesthetic of the show. I will talk more about this at a later point.

Developing Style

 

When coming up with my concept I thought a lot about the tone I want to create. One thing i've always been a fan of is the style of Directing that Edgar Wright implements in his films, this means essentially fast cuts that can change to something unexpected at the drop of a hat. I feel that for my concept which is designed to be quite comical in a quite over the top way a quicker pace of Directing would stop it from getting too overly dramatic.