Practical Planning

1) Choose at least three TV dramas similar to your concept and watch at least one scene from each. Make bullet-point notes on everything you watch, commenting on camerawork, editing, sound and mise-en-scene.

Breaking Bad
  • Camera work: Extreme use of the 180 degree rule while switching between Walter White and his wife. End of the scene includes a panning out shot of Walter lying down spread eagle in the crawlspace - a parallel to the ending scene of the show, where a panning shot is used to pan out from Walter as feds surround his dead body.
  • Minimal editing is used for this scene, as the openness and emptiness of the scene is what is meant to make it suspenseful.
  • Sound: No music is played during the scene. Diegetic sound is used to create more suspense and better immerse the audience into the scene, creating a wave of anxiety.
  • Mise-en-scene: Little to no mise-en-scene is used here. Walter and his wife are both seen in normal clothing and Walter appears to have been in altercation before this, as he had a bandage on his nose and has a black eye. 

Better Call Saul

  • Camera work: Like Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul also implements heavy use of the 180 degree rule; as again, it's done to create suspense and keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
  • Editing: Post effects are used at the end of this scene when Howard Hamlin is shot dead. These effects mostly consist of blood splattering and gunshot flash and smoke. Apart from this very minimal editing is used in this scene
  • Sound: Diegetic sound is used once again in order to create suspense and help immerse the audience in the scene. Examples being - Jimmy, Howard and Kim talking together frantically and the gun shot and body drop after Lalo shoots and kills Howard.
  • Mise-en-scene: Howard looks dishevelled as his clothes are all dirty and roughed up, his tie is pulled loose and his shirt is unbuttoned twice. His hair looks messy and dirty and he also looks visibly tired. Kim and Jimmy look reasonably dressed and formal, contrasting with how Howard is and looks. Lalo is dressed in a luxe suit and gloves to mask his finger prints while handling his gun.

Peaky Blinders

  • Camera work: Quite shaky to resemble the main character's deteriorating mental state. There isn't a single established shot, it all feels erratic and spontaneous.
  • Editing: Shots are cut at different times and the same shot but from multiple angles are put together.
  • Sound: A dramatic soundtrack is played during this scene, with footsteps and the main character also being heard in unison. Some of the sound featured in the scene is also cut off.
  • Mise-en-scene:


2) Write a script for your TV drama scene. You'll find guidance for writing a script in the BBC Writers' Room (click on the Script Library to read real examples of professional TV scripts). Lay it out like a real script (see right) - it will add a level of professionalism to your production.

Script


3) Write a shot list containing EVERY shot you plan to film AND additional shots to create flexibility when editing. These additional shots are often close-ups, cutaways, alternative angles or similar. I advise using a simple table on Microsoft Word to set out your shot list - you can find an example here. 

CLICK HERE



4) Plan your mise-en-scene: what iconography are you including to ensure your audience understands the genre? Plan your cast, costume, make-up, props, lighting and setting. For this preliminary task, use just one location to keep it simple.



5) Plan a shooting schedule that will ensure everything is filmed by the deadline. Include when, where, who is required and what shots you will complete at each time/location.

When: In the next couple weeks. UPDATE: FILMING STARTED AND ENDED ON MONDAY 30TH OCTOBER.

Where: outside the school (on Lady Margret Road)

Who(AS OF RIGHT NOW): Me - Main Character/Director
                                             Bradley - Camera man
                                             My brother - I'm going to bump into him
                                             Seerat - supposed to play the role of the
                                             secretary, however she couldn't make it
                                             due to an earache - HAD TO FILL IN FOR
                                             HER PART MYSELF.




PRELIMINARY PRACTICAL TASK


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