Data Anaylsis

I post my project online, and i collect 15 Chinese audiences and 15 British audiences to watch my project. i design a questionnaire and  they sign the questionnaire and give me some feedback.

Chinese audiences
Age: 18+
Job: worker and student
Don't understand English very well

British audiences
Age:18+
Job:worker and student
Don't understand Chinese culture very well



1.Do you think my sitcom is funny?

In British, 89.47% of audiences think funny.

In China,80% of audience think funny.

The simple logical of story makes audiences feel funny. 

Do you understand the storyline?

For British audience

The topic is very popular in China, and this topic is still popular in the British.

For Chinese audience
My sitcom is no Chinese subtitle, Do you understand the story?

The language of my sitcom is English, i reduce the line of dialogue and add more action, it makes audiences to understand the story.

Dark Times

Today, i finish editing for my project

Dark Time Second draft

 This week i do second draft for my project. I add some musics in my project, and i cut some shoots, i want to make the sitcom more smooth.

Shooting finial work

Last Friday and Sunday, my classmates and I shoot my final project. Before shooting, we face a big problem; the shooting location is closed on Sunday. Thus, I need to find a new shooting location or tell actors to delay the shooting time. Fortunately,  I find a new shooting location on Thursday.

Friday morning, we shoot in Toilet. The toilet is in Arkwright building. The supervisor gives us two hours to shoot film, So we need do everything quickly.  In the toilet, Setting light is a big problem. We have already borrowed the battery. Unfortunately, the batter is no power, we have to hold the LED light to shoot film. Our crews are excellent. Finally, we finish shooting before the deadline.

In the afternoon, we shoot the film in my flat. Shirley and Zoey play two customers in my film.  they only have two dialogues, but they perform are very well.


The primary screen is Jim pour the water on the phone. So we do rehearse many times. During shooting, I use the different angle to shoot this action.



Sunday morning, we shoot in the Boots library. This screen is talking about Jim and Tony. Colin is the perfect actor; he can understand Tony's behavior. During the shooting, he gives me many professional pieces of advice. Those advice help me to improve my work.


Now, my shooting is wrap. Thanks for my classmates to help me shoot film. Thanks for Colin and Alexander to play two major players.  They are professional actors. In the next time, I will edit my film.

Prepare

This week, I send an email to Katie and Julie, respectively. Katie agrees me to shoot the film in Arkwright building's toilet, and the shooting time is from 10:00 to 12:30.  In another way, Julie agrees me to shoot the film in the Boots library, and the shooting time is from 10:00 to 13:00. So the shooting location is already Prepare.

Actor

I send an email to Colin to check the timetable; he is busy from Monday to Friday, So I will shoot film with Colin on Sunday.



The other actor is called Alexander, I find him in casting call pro, he is interested in comedy. He has free time on Friday and Sunday so that I will shoot film with Alexander on Friday and Sunday.

Shooting list
Now I continue to write shooting list,
And it is close to finish

Script
I have some new idea about my script; I will add those ideas when I shoot film 

Prepare work

Tom's office

Today, I help Shirley to shoot her Broadway's work; her shooting location is No 17 office.  I find it is a traditional office, and I think it is suitable for Tom's office. So now I sent an email to Broadway to get permission.

Jim's office

In the beginning, I choice library's room to shoot my film. But I find there are many students in the library, So I think it 's hard to record the sound,.So, Today I find other room in Chaucer. The room is 3705.


I  have sent an email to university to check the timetable.


In another way, I take a picture in the Toliet. And I  have sent an email to university to check the schedule.

Broadway's work

This two weeks, we shoot our Broadway's work.

My classmates help me to prepare everything on Monday; my shoot location is Broadway's gallery, So I buy some props to decorate the gallery. We set two tables and some chairs in the gallery. We put some sauces on every table.


Tuesday, we begin to shoot the film, Mark focuses on the camera, Jin focuses on light, Zoey focus, Shirley is an assistant.


Before shooting, actors do rehearse.

During shooting. In the beginning, I use the long shot to shoot three characters.
Then,  I use close up to shoot every character.

In this shooting, I learn some knowledge. Firstly, I find that rehearse is very important when actors do rehearse, I can find some problems, and we can think about an idea to deal with it. Secondly, shoot list can help me to remember every shot. When I edit the film, the shoot list can show which shot is G and which shot is NG.

This is my shoot location

   Mark Jarvis as labourer 

  Colin Wells as smart Man

Scarlet Hazeldine as waitress 

Script

Today, my language teacher help me to check my script. We change some words and grammars. In the next step, I will continue to contact with actors. I have already contacted some actors before, but they said they don't have free time in this month and next month. So, I will change other agency to find actors. In another way, I will prepare props in next week.

Shot list

Today, I write a shot list about Broadway's script.  In this film, I use many long shots and close up.

Long shot
Because I need characters communicate with each other, For example, when Businessman talks with Waitress, I need workman just look for their communication.

Close up
In my film, characters have many face expression. For example, waitress meets business person; she is smiling. Waitress meets workman; she is the poker face. I use those face expression to show their emotion.

Broadway‘s script

Last Friday, Rajor invite some actors to rehearse my script. During rehearsing, I found some problems in my script, in the end, actors give me some advice. Today, I do a little change to my script.

The main problem is that actor doesn't understand why workman wants to help waitress. In my views, I want to show a workman is a kind person; he hopes everyone is happy, So when he finds waitress sad, he decided to help her. Thus, I decide to write some action to show waitress is very sad.

I think that rehearse is critical for my script because I can find some problems in my script.

Friday Sessions

Last Friday, Rajor gives us schedule for shooting film. I will shoot between 23/05 and 24/05. Then Rajor needs us to check the shooting location,  I will shoot in Broadway's Gallery.

Then Rajor confirms actors for every short films.  In my short film, i need three actors.
Colin Wells as smart Man
Suit
Smart shoes
Brief case
Golf umbrella

Scarlet Hazeldine as waitress
Plain polo top
Jeans
Trainers
Apron

Mark Jarvis as labourer
High vis jacket
Old tracksuit bottoms/workman trousers
Old black/white t-shirt
Workman boots
Builders hat

Props
In my short film, i need one table, two chairs, some suger and two cup of coffee.

Reece Shooting

Today， I do reece shooting for my sitcom.

Seminor Room：Boots library study group 10

Toliet

Office Room：Boots library Teaching Room

Park: Arboretum Park

EXHIBITION CENTER 

Stupid man, Smart phone

Today, i watch a documentary called Stupid man, Smart phone. i watch episode one.

The location of episode one is Morocco, Russell Kane is tasked with taking a camel across the dry, unforgiving North Saharan terrain. 

There are some reason can explain why this documentary is very interesting.

1. When audiences watch this documentary, they can use phone to switch on twitter, leave their own comments and @ Stupid man , Smart phone. When Russell Kane face some problem, he can watch audience's comments, Sometime he can use FaceTime to communicate with audiences.

2. Sometimes, Russell Kane uses phone to make a short video, he talks some own idea.

3. Staff calls Russell Kane, and gives him a new evidence.

4. Director post some tips to audience. Those tips are survey datas, it makes audience to understand easily.

BBC (2016) Stupid man, smart phone, 1. Morocco. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p03rvchl/stupid-man-smart-phone-1-morocco#group=p02q32p1 (Accessed: 10 May 2016).

Screenwriting book

Today, i read a book , it called "Your Screenplay Sucks", many people recommend me to read this book, the writer is William M. Akers.

William M. Akers is a teacher; he teaches screenwriting at Vanderbilt University. This book is very useful, especially when people don't know how to write the script. There are three chapters in the book; chapter one is conception， chapter two is characters. Chapter three is structure. Today I read chapter two: characters.

William teaches how to design characters. He said to compare with dialogue; the action is easier make the audience understand character‘s characteristic.  when scriptwriter writes character, they need to write more detail about characters, for example, character's culture background，character's job and so on. When scriptwriter writes character's emotion, they need which emotion, why characters have this emotion. Becasue it can help the actor to understand the character.

In the next day, I will continue to read this book.

Introduce characters

Today, i watch epsoide one for IT crowd 

IT crowed，there are three main characters, Maurice Moss，Roy Trenneman，Jen Barber. In the epsoide one, Director introduce these characters separatly.

The title of epsoide one is Yesterday's a jam.
At beginning, Jen Barber go to manager room to interview a job, Denholm ask Jen, which experience with computers she has. Jen say she can sending e-mails, receiving e-mails, deleting e-mails and so on. Finially, Jen's job is IT manager. Through these diolgue, we can find in fact, Jen and Denholm don't understand the knowledge of computer.

Denholm say Jen's colleagues are standard nerds. Then location change to IT department. 
Maurice Moss say a lot of professional words，and he find the other people has already has hung up the phone. 

Roy Trenneman is easy to angry,because he think they looks like Yesterday's  a Jam,  becasue other people 're pally-wally when there's a problem with their printer but once it's fixed They toss Maurice and Roy away like yesterday's jam. In fact they don't know how to communicate with other people.

IT crowed use dialogues to introduce characters. For my script, Sara love Jim, so her dialogues is about how to care about Jim's work and life.
Tony is a manager, So his dialogue is about how to sent case to Jim.
Jim is a worker. So his dialogue is about how to show his skills.

series concept

Today I research about how to write series concept.


Mark Hughes,  have written 17 screenplays for feature films, TV movies, and TV pilots.
he give some best advice.

1. Never hide things when pitching a show/film.
2. With character bios, again don't hide things.
3. For your hero and his wound 
4. Some additional tips and thoughts that might be helpful



Then i research same topic on Chinese website，series concept need include four elements

1.Topic 
2. Drama
3. Short introduction
4. Long introduction

《Dark time》is a sitcom, it is talk about a man lose his phone, how he live for four days.  because the man will face many different questions in everyday. this sitcom want to show phone is very important in people's life.

Jim, male, 24 years old. graduate from university for two year. Now he work in a small company, his job is Corporate Planning. everyday he use phone for about 10 hours.  He need to record customer's information, He need use phone to do a Reece shooting.

Last year, he meet Sara, Sara is 23 years old, she had already work 2 years in this company. at beginning, they are colleague,.Now, Sara goes to other company, So that they have to sent message. Sara love Jim very much, she sent message to Jim everyday, and she demands Jim sent message to Sara everyday too.

Day one, Jim meet Tony. Tony, Jim's Boss, 40 years old. male. he always talk joke on some anachronistic, and he think his joke is funny, in fact, other people think his joke is boring. Tony gave Jim a important case, and demand he finish tomorrow. At first, Jim use phone shoot location. Then, he go to meet some customers and use phone to save the customer's number.

When he finish the case, he find he loses his phone in the park. And he through three days of darkness.

Day two, Jim lose the customer information, and Boss fired Jim unluckily, Jim goes to the toilet; he finds no tissue in the room.

Day three, Sara goes to Jim's home, ask Jim why yesterday he don't sent message to she. Jim said forgot Sara's phone number, Sara and Jim break up.

Day four, he finds a beautiful girl, but he forgot the phone number.

Day five, he sees the girl again, and the girl gives him a new phone. Jim finds phone is very important in his life.

Audition

<<DIRECTING film Techniques and Aesthetics>> written by Michael Rabiger,  It is talk about the process of filmmaking. 

Chapter 21 is talking about Casting,  it is said how to audition.

Michael Rabiger state that before audition, director have two ways to search for actors. 

Passive search for actors

Active search for actors

Set up the first audition

In this audition, Time commitment and remuneration is very important.  because if actors no  commit the time, it means that they don't like the script.  when i choice actors, i will tell them me timetable.      

After the first audition,  actor take a  video, it takes three to five mins. actor can monologues and cold reading.
During the cold reading, directors can found which actors is suitable for script.

Directors decisions after the first round and give first callback



For me, because my budget is limited, So i will passive search for actors, and i will research on website and then communicate with them.

During the audition, because my project is sitcom, so i will ask actors to perform some short comedy,  i need the actor looks funny or the body language is funny.

                                                                                                                                       

Rabiger, M. (2003) Directing: Film techniques and aesthetics. 3rd edn. Amsterdam: Focal Press.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Friday session

Last Friday， we study in Broadway. In the morning, Rajor and we talk about our scripts.

Rajor told us to write some informations about characters.

For me, there are three characters in my script

Businessman
Male
wears a suit, and carries a briefcase
30 years old
a thin person
speak  like gentleman

he looks very clean and decent, but he is poke face, in fact he is very rude.

Workman
Male
wear handle
his clothes are smeared with oil and dust
30 year old
a fat person
he looks very dirty and poor, but he always smile, in fact he is very kind.

Waiter
Male
20 years old
wear a suit
a little fat
he believe rich man always kind, he like communicate with rich people, he want to improve his life

Then, Rajor ask us to think about storyline，and think when actor ask some question how to answer them.

In the afternoon, Rajor invite three actors join in our class, At beginning, they read our script, then ask us some question and told us which point we need to change or improve. For me, they said i need write more detail about Businessmen, and i need think about the location.  Finally, they perform our script.

The office

The office (UK) is a mockumentary sitcom that was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 9 July 2001. Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the programme is about the day-to-day lives of office employees in the Sloughbranch of the fictitious Wernham Hogg Paper Company. 

The Office is an American television comedy series that aired on NBC from March 24, 2005 to May 16, 2013.^[1] It is an adaptation of theBBC series of the same name.

I watch two episodes of each sitcom. Same topic but different perform.

Same

The significant characteristic for the office copies documentary to produce. 

 1.A director like using following shot in the office.

 2.When to talk about main characters, the director like do the interview with them.

 3. Character always looks like embarrassed.

In American, audiences think that the office (u k )is better than the Office (USA). Because they think the office (USA) try to copy the Office (UK), However, some plots are funny in the UK, but when they happen in the USA, the audience thinks it is not funny.

In China, audiences have a different idea. They think The Office (USA)is better than the Office(UK).because they use a different way to narrate the story. 

The Office (UK)

A character like to use dialogue to make other characters feel embarrassed, For example, they talk about many jokes in the office.  American audiences can understand the information of joke, so they feel funny. However, Chinese audience look this joke; they feel the joke is too boring, and they will think why it is funny.

The Office (USA)

Characters like to talk joke too, but that joke is easy to understand. Because in American, sex and racial discrimination is the popular topic. In the office( USA), characters always talk that topic.

In other aspect,  characters do some actives to make embarrassed.

In fact, in China, audience like watching the american sitcom. Because the story. 

                           audience like watching British sitcom, because the actors.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Office_(U.S._TV_series) (Accessed: 18 April 2016).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Office_(UK_TV_series) (Accessed: 18 April 2016).

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TV series bible

It is a handbook of guidelines that allows the writer [or writers] and the creative team to create a consistent universe over some issues or even years of issues.

Essential

The overall concept
Ongoing characters - main, supporting
Sample Episode Synopses
Setting/Location


The overall concept

it is talk about the core series idea.


Ongoing characters - main, supporting

It talks some information about characters. 

Main character

Age, background information and so on

Supporting character

The  Relationship with the main character.


Sample Episode Synopses
Because I produce one episode of the sitcom, so I do not have synopses for each episode. 

Setting/Location
Setting often on the same page with “Location”, 
Location plays a big part of the story and even be a character in its right. Not every audience know what the hell scriptwriter is talked about.  Especially if they ’ve never been to the location. So, a few element help the audience to understand.


My script

The overall concept

Jim work in a small company for two years. His girlfriend called Sara, At begin, they are the colleague.Now, Sara goes to other company, but they still alway send the message. Jim job is Corporate Planning, So, his phone saved the customer information and Sara's phone number. 

One day, he loses his phone in the park. And he through three days of darkness.

Day two, Jim lose the customer information, and Boss fired Jim unluckily, Jim goes to the toilet; he finds no tissue in the room.

Day three, Jim forgot to tell Sara, Sara and Jim break up.

Day four, he finds a beautiful girl, but he forgot the phone number.

Day five, he sees the girl again, and the girl gives him a new phone. Jim finds phone is very important in his life.

Character

Jim
24years old, work in a small company, his job is Corporate Planning, and he need alway use the phone to communicate with the customer, So, his phone saved the customer information. However, one day, he loses his phone in the park. Moreover, he through three days of darkness.

Sara
Jim 's girlfriend, at begin, they work in the same company, they are a colleague.Now, Sara goes to other company, but they still alway send the message. After Jim lose his phone, Sara cannot find him, So she goes to Jim's home, Jim tells her that he forgot Sara's phone number. Finally, Sara and Jim break up.

Boss
he is a poker face; Jim loses the customer information, so he fired Jim.

Beautiful girl
Jim find she in the park, Jim questions her phone number; the girl tells Jim, but Jim forgot the number later, Lucky they see again in the next day, and she borrow Jim a new phone.


Location

Bedroom 
small and dark, only one bed inside.

Toilet
clean and light, many sets in the room.

Park
many chairs in the park

seminar room

one chair and one table in the room. 

Hathaway, K. (2013) WHAT IS A SERIES BIBLE?. Available at: https://assethub.fso.fullsail.edu/assethub/WhatisaSeriesBible_d54e9b7b-adfa-4daf-a077-cadbdf8feb08.pdf (Accessed: 9 July 2016).

shooting practise

Today, we do some shooting practise.

Firstly, we borrow one tripod, one Canon 6D, and one Indie Dolly System Curved Track and Dolly.
Jin, Mark and Shirley install tripod and Dolly.

At first, i as the subject, Mark shoot video and Jin push the tripod.

Then, Mark and Jin as the subject,  Shirley shoot video and i push the tripod.

Finally,  Mark shoot about i am walking.

I think this shooting practise is very useful, because, when we do practise, we can find some mistakes.

For example, when i push the tripod, the speed is slow, So, in the future, i need faster to push the tripod.

One script, Two sitcom

This week ,i  watch two kinds  of American sitcom, one called " The Big Bang Theory."
Other called" Two and a Half Men".

The Big Bang Theory created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady. The show premiered on CBS on September 24, 2007.^[4] The ninth season premiered on September 21, 2015.

Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that began broadcast on CBS on September 22, 2003, and ended on February 19, 2015 after twelve seasons. 

Chuck Lorre  is an American television writer, director, producer, composer, and production manager. He has created a number of successful sitcoms such as Grace Under Fire, Cybill, Dharma & Greg, Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, and Mom.

When i research The Big Bang Theory  and Two and a Half Men, i find a phenomenon that The Big Bang Theory is famous in China, But in American, there are less of people watch it. Two and a Half man is famous in American, But when i quest my Chinese friends (They like watching American sitcom), None of them watch Two and a Half man.  i confuse that they are created by the same script writer, But why they famous in different countries.

When i watch those sitcom, i find the reason of that phenomenon. Two and a Half Men many dialogue is talk about sex. When american audience watch those dialogue they feel very happy. Because in american culture, sex is very popular, everyone can agree it. 
However, in China, Chinese audience own tradition culture, they think sex is limit topic.  So, in Chinese sitcom, topic is always talk family or friends. and this is one of reason that Chinese sitcom can't famous in american.

Chuck Lorre (2016) in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Lorre (Accessed: 16 March 2016).

88, C.M.– (2016) ‘Two and a Half men’, inWikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_and_a_Half_Men (Accessed: 16 March 2016).

The big bang theory (2016) in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Bang_Theory (Accessed: 16 March 2016).

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