The project was a very strenuous task, and exceedingly complicated in relation to other clients I have worked with. Not enough information was provided before the event took place in relation to the setup and layout of the event and activities. Therefore, almost no planning could be done prior to setting out to film the video. Originally, the first contact relating to Skillset 2014 had referred to it as a 'Bricklaying Competition,' which would have been a completely different requirement and result.
What also hindered planning was the lack of a brief. Until the event day, we were working off of very little criteria to form even a basic plan. Being given the final brief on the day of filming meant we were working almost blind and forming a plan as we went along, which we were picked up on and advised against doing. The Skillset event was first and foremost a competition for participants, who won prizes such as Apprenticeships in the field they contended in. This, however, made it near impossible to get any interviews as all the dedicated contestants were busy focusing on the challenge at hand, not wishing to waste any precious time. The few interviews we were able to record were not particularly strong, nor did they edit well as is event from the video. Interviews with sponsors, on the other hand, are slightly stronger as they had time available to talk.
Skillset opened at 10am, running until approximately 4.30pm. However, a previously unmentioned task of filming the opening ceremony was brought forth, which, despite being told it would last no longer that 45 minutes, took 2 hours out of the day, and upon finishing at midday, we found that almost all contestants had gone on lunch break, leaving the competition rooms empty. This further reduced the time we had available to film material for the video, and when the event recommenced around 1pm, we had begun to panic and filmed whatever we could get close to in the hope of obtaining decent footage to play with post-production.
Much of the footage went straight in the bin, be it due to poor sound, picture or camerawork. The project was scrapped several times as we genuinely felt that there was no scope for a decent video. Thankfully, after several re-reviews of the project on the whole and the footage captured, we were able to edit a video of sorts, albeit far from the standard we would normally expect to achieve. The fact that we won the competition, however, is a major confidence boost, as we genuinely thought it would be disregarded (the video was completed just 2 hours before the screening took place!)
If the chance arose to repeat this project, and if it were accepted, then a lot more planning and finding out of information relevant to the event and video brief would take place, which hopefully would result in a video of better quality.
Throughout the project I have learnt the challenges of working to a client's brief, and the challenge of working for a client on the whole. I've developed my skills as a director also, this usually being my secondary role on a project. It has been an interesting experience having to think about the whole project from a director's angle.
In terms of the video, I'm far from proud of the final thing, but given the setbacks encountered, I am content. As mentioned previously, there are alterations to be made which could improve it somewhat. Changing the font used, as well as adding the names of the interviewees and relevant cutaways would be the starting point. Overall, I'm pleased with what Luke, as editor, was able to achieve.
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