STUDIO SHOOT PRODUCING TONY BARROS

 As of COVID-19 university has been a difficult operation in terms working abroad. We were asked to do various projects with different themes and unfortunately one of our projects has not come to fruition as of yet - our first studio shoot for FDA's  second year. We were tasked as a group to write, produce and direct a short to our liking with the help of our wonderful tutors Anne Parisio and Rosie Gunn.

Although we didn't manage to produce work based on our studio shoot we were tasked with developing a production pack to ensure we were prepared (are prepared) in case we do eventually possess the chance to produce and shoot a short film to our liking. Our story was based on mental health during the New Year's in the new millenia. Our protagonist is a white male that is mentally disturbed whilst trying to overcome the obstacles presented to him during the passage of a new decade and millenia stemming from 1999 to 2000. Our protagonist suffers from not only anxiety but also paranoia,

On a long day after work we are introduced to a man which we know nothing of except for the fact that he is mentally disturbed and is awaiting the arrival of extraterrestrial visitors as we the viewers could supposedly imagine given his nature and the set design. 

As a producer I was tasked with helping the camera and lighting department:

In the lighting department I suggested mood lighting which could mean various meanings - lighting to set the mood or lighting based on the circumstances presented which we learned via Parisio's demonstrations on her powerpoint and ZOOM lessons. I suggested we not only use candles but also poor lighting that merely illuminated the protagonist's face and surroundings whilst also giving an eery feeling to the whole scenery that was supposed to be maintained by the art department assessed by the other producers and overlooked by the director. In terms of camera I presented an example of an actor portraying a character that suffers from anxiety like one of the main characters on the show "Deadly Class":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OV_pCU4dJU&ab_channel=RottenTomatoesTV

The video referenced above shows various angles that fully represent a character in distress and for a short film that is something we want to bring emphasis to in order to fully grasp our character's emotions and drive - something we discussed about in order to bring notice to various emotions and feelings from a character.

A producer who I highly recommend is that of that particular series as she knew where to set up and shoot the scenes in order to allow the viewers a view of her perception of the 80s pop culture and difficulties that the characters encounter/encountered in the 1980s and early 1990s which showed a distinct but also broad knowledge of the comics the show was based on (Maggie Bandur).

In order to fully understand this I not only researched camera angles and scenery I also researched how to get this done via previous work I had done by helping the second year of film production on their exercises in the G20 studio in 2019. It was not only a fun environment but also quite an educational outcome given their knowledge that they attributed to me and also the level of such. I suggested the use of black pro mist filters along with the Sony cameras to give the digital look an old school feel to accommodate the date and environment in order to grasp the viewers' full attention.

An additional help I provided was in the risk assessments in aiding the main producer that was supposed to be present on the allocated shoot dates. I referenced various dangers for the cast and crew and provided the indications on where to get the numbers for the emergency services, buses and train stations in case COVID interrupted our fluidity and also in case any member got injured during shooting.

In conclusion, by giving out information on how to shoot and what to look out for I guess I provided my colleagues with the basics on how to get a studio shoot in G20 done since I also indicated where to get the permissions and what to look out for.