Filming, Directing and Everything in Between!

Well, I did it! I filmed my short film! And what an experience it has been! On the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th of September, I filmed my end of year short film. I had an amazing time and enjoyed every moment of it - good and bad.

I spent the two weeks before my shoot preparing everything for the film. Neville Hayes from E. Hayes & Sons loaned me his Chev Camaro SS for my film. He had his van driver pick the car up and drop it off to my location. He left it there (with the keys in it) and just told me to text when I wanted it picked up! I was totally amazed by this as it is an expensive car and someone had spent a lot of time and money on it to restore it to the condition it is in. So, for the owner to leave it with virtual strangers was amazing and I am really thankful for their help!

I also went to the Pawn Shop to ask if I would be able to use their jewellery department to film in and the manager Keith Kennedy said I could use their jewellery department but also recommemded I go and ask his friend Ashley Skelt who owned Skelts Jewellers. I called in to Skelts Jewellers and spoke with Ashley (who knew I was coming because Keith had called him to let him know) and he was more than happy for me to use his shop to film my scene in. He even offered to give me a ring to use but unfortunately because I had another scene that had the ring shown in it at another location, I was unable to use one of Skelts rings. I did, however, get a shot of the outside of the shop (with the shop name and signage on it) to use as an establishing shot and also to provide a little advertising for Skelts by using this shot in my film.

So..... the things that didn't go to plan........The first thing that happened was that the owner of the house I was using (including the garage) had left his keys for the garage in his mate's car and the night before (at like 11.30pm) we were due to start shooting, he texted his mate to ask for his keys and his mate replied with, "sorry I am in Te Anau". This meant no access to the garage and so half of the shots we intended on doing on the first shooting day were meant to be done in the garage. I spoke to my 1st AD and we rescheduled in the hope we could get the keys for the garage the next day. Unfortunately, rescheduling meant that instead of only filming for three days, we had to film for four days!

Neville Hayes also forgot what time and day he was meant to loan me his car. This held my shoot up a little but he was very apologetic and explained it had been a really busy time for him so it had slipped his mind. That was all the main issues we had on my shoot!

I spent the first day standing back a little and watching Dan direct the actors. Dan gave me heaps of opportunities, guidance and advice on how being a Director works. By the end of my shoot, I was in the swing of things and was confident with the role of the Director. I am glad I made the decision to co-direct because I really had no idea what I was doing and this gave me the chance to learn and build some confidence in the role.

All in all my shoot went well and I am happy with what I have done so far! I am glad I chose the crew I had because they had my back the whole way and they were very strong in their areas. I am now getting into editing as well as catering and producing my other class mates film projects. I am only producing a couple but I am catering nearly everyone elses films from here on in which I don't mind because it is not a hugely stressful or a time consuming job plus I have my partner to help me with it too.

This past weekend I have completed some internship hours with SIT Productions. It has been a fun experience and interesting so far and I have been helping with the art department. I have only got another five hours left to complete for my internship paper! Well, everything is full on and busy but I am loving it all the same and onwards and upwards we go!!!!!

Producer! Producer! Producer!

I decided that maybe it was worth me writing a post in relation to my Professional Practices paper because I have been using the skills that I have learned from last years projects and also the skills I learned interning on Human Traces. 

I used the dropbox application for all the administrative stuff for Beast of Fawkes which is something that I learned on Human Traces. Previous to Human Traces, I had only used dropbox to store photos from my phone. Dropbox allowed my production team and I, to update the same file and always have the newest version of the file available to any one of us. It also meant that we could access the files we needed from any computer in any location. This stopped files from being left (saved) on any old computer and not being easy to locate.

I also created a production booklet which had all the equipment, crew and cast information and also all the emergency addresses and contact numbers. This meant the crew could contact people in charge of specific equipment items or other crew members directly. The production booklet was introduced to me during Human Traces and also acted as a kind of inventory list for equipment as well.

I enjoy producing and like it when I get to put the things that I have learned into play. Beast of Fawkes has given me the opprtunity to use those skills. Every project is different and I enjoy learning new things with each project I do. I look forward to the next project that I get to woprk on!!!!!

First Aid Assessment Results

I had my final assessment for first aid and I can safely say..... I PASSED! I will be the proud owner of a first aid certificate as soon as it arrives. The last module we learned about was broken bones and strains which I have had plenty of experience with as my daughter is accident prone and has had many broken bones before! We also learned about hypothermia and what to do if somebody is suffering from it.

I have enjoyed gaining this knowledge that could potentially help save somebody's life but in saying that I am glad that I have succesfully completed the assessment and do not need to return to do those first aid classes, mainly because it was a long class (all afternoon every Tuesday) in a horribly stuffy room. 

This week, I also completed my internship proposal which outlined what I intend on doing for my remaining internship hours. It was kind of strange writing a proposal when I have already completed so much of my internship. I would really like to complete my remainig hours on the Human Traces feature shoot later on in the year. This is because I want to be able to be here while I produce the big collaborative project and because I would love to work with the Human Traces team again. They are from New Zealand, professional and just amazing to work with - they are more or less like one huge family. Well, fingers crossed that I will be able to complete it with them and lets hope I won't need to use my new first aid skills!

Lemon Doctor

Assessment Time

In first aid, the time has finally come for the class to be assessed for our certificates. We spent our last class learning about responsiveness, asthma, convulsions, diabetes, poisons, how to apply bandages and slings to victims and learned about strokes and concussion.

Convulsion Management

The two main things that interested me the most were how to apply bandages and slings and about convulsions. My brother suffers from convulsions/seizures and it's scary when it happens. It was interesting to see what different kinds of convulsions there are and how they are meant to be managed. I was interested in how to apply bandages and slings as well because my daughter is constantly injuring herself while playing sport or just generally playing with her friends. This skill could come in handy for the next time she hurts herself (which will hopefully be a long time away).

Our next class on Tuesday, we will be learning our final unit on bone breaks and fractures as well as our final assessment where in groups we will role play a situation where first aid is required.  We will be placed in scenarios where all of the skills that we have learned over the past four weeks are tested to make sure that we are competent. I am hoping that I have practiced and studied enough to pass this assessment and by the end of Tuesday next week, I will hopefully be the proud new owner of a first aid certificate.

First Aid

First aid is sometimes the only reason that somebody pulls through and survives an accident. It is a valuable skill to learn and just like many other industries, it is definitely something that every film member should learn.

Bandage Man

The first aid course that I am taking is four hours a week for four weeks. We have learned how to slow down or stop external bleeds, putting a person into the recovery position, the meaning of the acronyms STOP and DRS ABCD and this past week we learned how to administer CPR. This post will be talking about what I have learned about CPR and will also explain the two acronyms STOP and DRS ABCD.

STOP
When you come across a person who has had an accident or is in need of first aid the first thing you should do is remember the acronym STOP and carry out each step carefully to make sure that you as the first aider, are protected from any potential harm or dangers.

S - Stop
T - Think
O - Observe
P - Protect

Stop - Stop and assess the situation before rushing into anything.
Think - Think about whether you are capable of managing the situation by yourself and also what equipment you need such as a first aid kit and protective clothing. Last but not least you need to think about ringing 111 to call for an ambulance.
Observe - Check for dangers that could put you at risk while trying to help the victim.
Protect - Protect yourself from any body fluids from the victim that might cause you harm by infection or cross contimination of disease or illness. Take measures such as wearing face masks, full face shields, gloves, rolling down long sleeves, keeping cuts covered with waterproof dressings and washing your hands thoroughly after treatment.

DRS ABCD
The next acronym to remeber is DRS ABCD and these are the steps to follow when administering first aid to a victim.

D - Dangers
R - Responsive
S - Send for help

A - Airways
B - Breathing
C - Compressions
D - Defribillator

Dangers - Check for any dangers that may harm you and check that you can walk right around the victim without coming across any hazards.
Responsive - Tap the victim a few times while calling loudly asking them to if they are alright.
Send for help - Send somebody to call 111 and ask for an ambulance to be sent. This can only be done if you are not alone. If you are alone, then carry out the next few steps for a minute and then put the victim into the recovery position while you go and call for help.
Airways - Move the victim so they are lying on their back and position their head, so that the end of their nose is pointing upwards. This is to give their airway the best possible position for breathing.
Breathing - Check whether the victim is breathing by feel, sound and sight. Place two fingers under the chin or a hand on the chest. Check to see if you can see their chest rising and put your ear to their mouth to see if you can hear the victim breathing.
Compressions - Start compressions on the victim.
Defribillator - Connect a defribillator and follow the prompts on the machine.

CPR being practiced on a CPR dummy

CPR
CPR stands for Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation. This literally means restarting the heart and lungs of a person. The ratio is thirty compressions to two breaths. The compressions are done at the base of the sternum in the middle of the chest and the pressure you use is one third down. If the victim is a baby the compressions are administered using two fingers, a child's compressions are administered using one hand (or two depending on the build of the child) and for an adult two hands are used. Compressions need to administered using a nice even rhythm. After thirty compressions are done, then two breaths need to be given to the victim. The head must be put in the correct position so that the airway is nice and clear. For a baby, you must place your mouth over the nose and mouth creating a seal and small puffs are used. If the victim is a child or an adult, you must pinch the nose and place your mouth over the victim's whole mouth creating a seal and give two full breaths. You will see the chest rise if these are given correctly. Too much air will full up the diaphragm and will need to be expelled from the victim, so that the breaths given can be effective and the victim can use their diaphragm muscles to draw air into their lungs by themselves.

I am enjoying learning first aid and just hope that I never have to use it. However, if I am in a situation that requires me to use it, then I feel as though I am well equipped to deal with the situation. I will be able to use my first aid skills to try and give somebody more of a chance to survive.

First Aid

Human Traces - Internship

I started the year working as an intern on a professional film shoot. I worked on a test/teaser shoot for a feature film called Human Traces and fulfilled the role of Production Assistant/Production Runner. The test/teaser shoot was filmed in the Catlins at Slope Point which is the southernmost point of the South Island of New Zealand. It was a three day shoot which was used as a test run but also to create a trailer for the feature film that will be shot later in the year.

Overactive Imagination is the name of the production company that is producing Human Traces. Nadia Maxwell is the Producer for the project and she has many years experience working as a Producer and a Production Manager in both New Zealand and the UK. She has worked across many different genres such as short films, documentaries, factual series and television commercials which have aired on TVNZ, TV3, National Geographic, FilmFour (Channel 4 UK) and Al Jazeera International channels.

Nic Gorman is the Writer and Director of Human Traces. He has worked in creative industries for over fifteen years in theatre, fiction writing and film. Nic has gained many awards and nominations for his films and scripts and has had success in receiving funding for the development of scripts from the New Zealand Film Commission including receiving development funding for the Human Traces script.

Nadia produced a short film that was written and co-directed by Nic called Here Be Monsters which was the winner of Best Short Film, 2013 Rialto Channel New Zealand Film Awards, in competition Best International Short, Fantasia Film Festival 2014. Nadia and Nic have put the same team that worked on Here Be Monsters to make Human Traces.

Human Traces is a psychological thriller set on a sub antarctic island and the Catlins' landscape came close to that of a sub antarctic island without spending loads of money to get an entire crew, cast and equipment to an actual sub antarctic island.

Slope Point, Catlins, NZ

Slope Point, Catlins, NZ

My role as Production Assistant was to assist the Producer (Nadia Maxwell) with any jobs that she needed my assistance with, so that she was able to get other important jobs done. I helped with pre-production as well as helping out with production jobs during the shoot. I assisted with making contact lists, putting information into call sheets, sending cast and crew e-mails with important information or to get information from them, shopping for unit supplies and also for production supplies such as stationery, hard drives and any other items that were required. I also helped to create a production booklet and sourcing items such as RTs (handheld radios/walkie talkies), a portaloo, an ezy up tent and few other unit requirements such as coffee urns and hot water urns.

As Production Runner, I helped pick up rental vehicles, picked up crew members from the airport and was a driver of vehicles whenever I was needed. When on set, I was in charge of unit which meant making sure that the cast and crew were getting plenty of water and snacks and if required I would lend a hand wherever I was needed. I assisted the art department on the second shoot day to create one of the props needed. Some of the other running jobs I did were transporting cast and crew from accomodation to set and back, running the Data Wrangler back to unit base offload footage and on the first day of shooting I had to get a hard drive to the courier to send off.

After the last shoot day, I assisted with getting cast and crew to the airport and with the packdown of the hut at Slope Point that was used as the film set. I was also responsible for returning hired and borrowed items and rental vehicles as well as general clean up of rubbish and stuff that was left at the accomodation and filming location.

I enjoyed working with the crew on this film as they were like one big family. They just worked together without any issues and got the job done. They were all down to earth people and treated me with just as much respect as they did with any of the other crew or cast members. I learned a lot from Nadia about pre-production and she taught me quite a few things like how to make a production booklet, how to deal with petty cash and how to complete call sheets. I feel I significantly developed and strengthened my skills as a part of a production team and learned valuable lessons as well as learned what a real industry Producer is required to do. All in all my time as an intern on this shoot was a brilliant experience that showed me how a real industry crew and shoot is organised and carried out. I enjoyed every step of it and I am keen to apply to finish my internship hours on the feature shoot of Human Traces.