Role Of A Production Designer

WHAT DOES A PRODUCTION DESIGNER DO?

What does the role of a production designer entail?
Read the scripts and understand how the director reads the scripts to understand what he visually wants to accomplish. They're given the script and the budget to make the sets. They're either given a practical location or build it from scratch. Make your vision fit with the restraints with any budget. 

During a production, what other members does the production designer co-ordinate with?
They work with a group. They have a lead-man who runs the crew. They also have set dressers/designers that move everything around, they can have two buyers and a coordinator. Location department who picks the locations.

What issues can occur for a production designer?
The timings, Schedule changes, script changes, actors availability, If an actor drops out.

What skills, education, experience and training are beneficial for a production designer to have?
Some can do a theatre design degree (10 years) Involves designing sets and building costumes. Often most production designers have a theatrical background.  Some skills required are multi-tasking, social skills, be able to fit in to any situation and feel comfortable, how to control a budget. Get as much experience as you can in the field of the film making business. Training in these fields is helpful: art, history, interior design, production courses, internships with a set decorator. Tips: Be respectful of the stories/scripts you read, listen to your director.

Time Constraints & Personnel

Time Constraints 

• Final deadlines
• Interim deadlines (project often built backwards from this)
• Availability of people
• Availability of equipment 
• Days/hours that people can work
• Relying on volunteers
• Holiday/seasonal issues
• Childcare
• Weather
• Budget
• Deadlines
• Limited time to use locations

Personnel

• Skills
• Number of people 
• Experience of your personnel
• Audit of knowledge
• Some may need to be provided with training (eg. sound technician)

TV LICENSE

1.What is the TV License?

A television licence is a payment required in many countries for the reception of television broadcasts, or the possession of a television set where some broadcasts are funded in full or in part by the licence fee paid.

2.What is the name of the Act that requires the BBC to issue TV licences and collect a licence fee?

The Charter and the Framework Agreement provide the constitutional basis for the BBC.

3.Who approves the amount each year?

The government approves the amount annually.

4.How much is the current fee?

 It costs £150.50 for a colour and £50.50 for a black and white TV Licence. In some cases, you may be entitled to a reduced fee TV Licence (see table below). You can pay for your licence all in one go or spread the cost.

5.How many households watch TV without a valid TV licence?

TV Licensing visits properties that don't respond to their attempts to make contact. Every day more than 700 people are caught – with 256,600 homes found to be watching TV without a licence last year. In 2016, 1 in 14 people didn't pay for their license. 

6.How much in licence fee revenue is lost because of evasion?

Each year, the BBC spends £100 million chasing licence fee dodgers. In 2016 they lost £250 million in revenues from people who refused to pay charge. Figures also show that the corporation spent £16 million sending threatening letters and emails to people who refused to pay.

7.How many people are imprisoned for licence fee evasion?

Its been an alarming uptick in the numbers of its inspectors sent to hospital after being attacked, the BBC reports. In 2015, the revenue collection company reported 95 physical assaults. In England and Wales there are 180,000 prosecutions a year for failing to pay the licence fee, and dozens of people are jailed each year. In contrast, 32 people were put behind bars in 2013 alone in England and Wales for refusing to pay court fines imposed for the same offence. 

STORYBOARD AND SCRIPTS

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO ADVERTISE ON UK TV

• Facebook revealed a new TV APP that hosts video content becoming a new competitor with platforms like Youtube and traditional TV channels.
• eMarketer predicts that by 2020 online adds will account for 60% of marketing budgets while TV will represent just 21.5% 
• Both YouTube and Facebook have come under fire for issues around data and brand safety. 
• the Broadcasters Audience Research Board (BARB)claims that the average UK viewer watches 45 TV ads a day without skipping.
• The effectiveness of TV is still likely to be a hot topic over the next 12 months

The figures provide a guide to the average cost of a 30-second slot on each network, though pricing can change throughout the year

ITV

• For ITV's breakfast schedule between shows like Good Morning Britain or Lorraine costs between £3,000 to £4,000 on average. 
• A daytime slot can come in at £3,500 to £4,500 
• Peak rate alternative can cost anything from £10,000 to £30,000

Channel 4

• On average Channel 4 is cheaper than ITV
• Daytime slots cost between £1,000 to £2,000
• Peak rates during shows like Hollyoaks cost £10,000 to £20,000

Channel 5 

• Cheapest ex-terrestrial channel to advertise typical cost day rate £800 to £1,600 
• A peak time slot during programmes like Neighbours can cost between £2,500 to £4,500

Sky 1

• The approximate cost to advertise during the daytime shows is between £150 to £250 
• Adverts during peak time is between £650 to £1,150

Sports channels

• Rates vary widely depending on the type of sport, the type of advertiser and even the team thats playing
• Average estimated cost on Sky Sports can fall anywhere between £60 to £750  
• Daytime rates come in at £10 to £50 
• Eurosports peak rates come in at £100 to £150, day rate campaigns cost between £50 to £100
• An early peak time slot will cost between £20 to £200 
• A night time slot, like those during the NBA action cost a modest £5 to £30

Other Digital Channels

• Away from the more popular channels that big brands buy spaces for, there are a few digital alternatives that offer ads at lower rates for those on a budget. 
• Slots on the Horror Channel start at £50 to £150 for a day rate
• A peak rate ad goes up to £150 to £300 
• Day rates on Animal Planet, E! and Hum all come in at between £0 to £50

TOP TEN TIPS FOR CROWD FUNDING

Sponsorship

Sponsorship

When companies show products or their brand within a media text (film, music video, magazine) They get recognition for their company.

OK GO music video

What is the purpose of this video?
To make a video sponsoring Chevrolet for the Super Bowl but still in the style of their channel which involves crazy concepts, stunts and many props. Their purpose is to make a video that has a incredible end result and a fascinating look into what went in to making it. It was also to make a music video for their new song "Needing Getting".
Who is it sponsored by?
It is sponsored by Chevrolet car company, which is the car they use in the video. 
Why did OK GO agree to this? What is their view on music videos?
One of OK GO's friends worked at Chevrolet's press agency informed the group that the company were looking for new advertisement opportunities and set the wheels in motion for the advertisement/opportunities. Which companies have sponsored OK GO's work so far?
State Farm Insurance and Samsung.How much sponsorship did they receive from the company?
Around $500,000 and $1 million for the production of the video.What did the sponsorship buy?
Chevrolet's sponsorship included 2 Sonics, including he modifications to add extender bars and pneumatic, warehouse space for the band and an acoustic engineer to work out what would make suitable instruments and how they could be played by the car and sending Kulash to a three-day stunt driving school to avoid having to use stunt doubles during filming. Where was the filming location and how many separate location set ups did the production team need to create?
The location was set up on a private ranch property located between Los Angeles and the Mojave Desert.How long did the video take to film?

The planning of the video took about a month due to the extreme precision they needed to complete the video. The filming took place over a four-day period due to them having to do multiple retakes as Kulash had to drive at particular speeds throughout the whole course to match the melody. They were also held back by them having to replace the extender arms as they broke off from over-use. Also additional time to be held back on occurred from high Santa Ana winds that would tip over the instruments such as the pianos. Although, they completed several takes, the band realised they were going to need to post-edit the various shots to make the complete final video. 

Revenue

REVENUE

(An introduction to film budgeting youtube video)

budget

creative tool to help you make your movie

talk to director to know what they want

before budget know story and script

know how many wardrobe changes you have

find out how much everything costs

make phone calls, negotiate 

flow of money

don't forget about anything that costs money eg. food, sound, light etc.

see if you can figure out a way to do expensive scenes cheaper

think of every possible outcome when taking a shot especially in an action scene when you only have one take

compromise and balance

crowdfunding

what is the film called? 

UNSOUND

what was the kickstarter project for? 

Raising $15,000 for attorneys fees, professional sound mixing, professional colour correction, travel and lodging, film festivals, submission fees

how long did they spend developing the concept?

3 weeks

how many days do the most successful campaigns run for?

30 days typically 

what figure did they decide on?

15,000 dollars

how did they promote the project?

Through a pitch video and posting it on as many social media outlets as possible. Private message as many people as possible to help promote it. Facebook groups, forums. Find a group based on the theme on what your film is going to be about. Link anything previously you have created to prove your skill. Easier when you have a big following.

what is the pyramid marketing structure?

90% lurkers (passive majority). 9% who like and share it (intermittent contributors) 1% creators who will actually contribute and support the campaign (heavy contributors). 

Enemy of man...

How much money were they asking for?
$250,000
How much did they get? 
$255,564
How many backers were there?
2,712
Who is the director and why is this important?
The director is a well-known actor Vincent Regan, who has a history of directing and acting in London. Helped bring attention and exposure towards the film.
How else is the project being funded?
The proof of concept trailer and short film were made with their own money, favours and a lot of elbow grease.
What was the funding for?
Why do you think this was successful in gaining funding?
It had big actors bringing fame and popularity which would encourage people. They had a big fan base and a large amount of followers, making people hope it was successful. Director speaking to you in the concept trailer intimately. It involved all the cast and showed off his camera and editing skills and ability.
What has happened since it was funded?

Divergent Research

RESEARCH TASK:

DIVERGENT 

• The BUDGET was 85 Million USD
• The BOX OFFICE GROSS was 290 Million USD (WORLDWIDE)
• The LOCATION was set in Chicago, Illinois, USA
• Based on the trilogy of books written by Veronica Roth

STAFFING

Director: Neil Burger

Writer: Veronica Roth (author of the original book)

Script writer: Evan Daugherty, Vanessa Taylor 

Producer: Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Pouya Shabazian

CAST

Main: Shailene Woodley and Theo James 

Shailene Woodley will be paid $250-500,000 for the first film alone

Neil Burger directed the first film and was going to continue with the sequel however, due to still working on the post-production of the film he had to reluctantly let it go. 

SYNOPSIS

"In a world where people are divided into distinct factions based on human virtues, Tris Prior is warned she is Divergent and will never fit into any one group. When she discovers a conspiracy by a faction leader to destroy all Divergents, Tris must learn to trust in the mysterious Four and together they must find out what makes being Divergent so dangerous before it's too late."

FILMING

Filming began on April 16 2003 and concluded July 16 2003 (3 months). Almost all filming was taken place in Chicago however reshoots were taken place in Los Angeles from January 24-26 2014.

Scenes were filmed in Wells Street, Franklin Street and Adams Street.

Neil Burger (director) on filming the train jumping scene: "I wanted it to be as real as possible. I didn't want a train sitting stationery with them jumping on and off the green screen. So we built our own train track and laid out hundreds of metres of tracks so that they are really running along that train, jumping off a moving train which is paired together with some visual effects."

(LOCATION & SETS)

Almost all was set in Chicago, Illinois however reshoots were taken place in Los Angeles, California.

The Hub, one of the main sets in the film was a prime location for the story line. It was where the characters chose their factions and to delegate themselves for the rest of their lives. The government that controlled the faction, had control in The Hub. This scene was an external set filmed in the Sears Tower in Chicago. 

LEGAL COSTS

Initially, the budget was $40million but was increased to $80million by 'Lionsgate' after seeing the success that The Hunger Games got.  

The marketing campaign for the film cost at least $50million. 

Veronica Roth, the author of the original book, sold around 6.7million copies in 2013, earning her around $17 million from print and ebook sales between June 2013 and June 2014. 

Summit Entertainment purchased media rights to the book in 2011

TRANSPORT

RESOURCES (CAMERAS, COMPUTERS, LIGHTS, MICROSCOPES, PROPS)

audience response, finance