“How to construct and apply creative film making techniques in corporate, low-end & Non-Fiction Production.”
The main question has been divided in an array of smaller questions to consider all aspects of the query not only in relation with each other, but to also consider these components for their individual derivation. Aiming for a deeper understanding of all individual stakes to encourage a broader starting point with more creative handles for the final product concept.
Below you find the summaries of each Sub-Question chapter, as well as a summary on the Test Results and Distribution & Digitalisation chapter. You can press the Sub-Question header to quickly navigate to the corresponding chapter for the full conduct. The summaries are also available at the end of each research page.
Sub-Question Summaries
1. – Theoretical Research | What (innovative) visual techniques can we identify?
There are 4 key techniques with great visual impact: Movement, Light, Colour and Composition & Framing. All of these technical considerations can be looked at from a more creative stand point for a more cinematic look.
Innovation in the application of visual techniques is partly obtained through the use of new (digital) tools and equipment, but is also obtained through creative application of the more matured key techniques. Following trends and daring to experiment with unconventional means of applying key techniques leads to new ideas and challenging the status quo. However, to successfully apply such unconventional means, mastery of the fundamental ideas which motivate the key features is a must.
2. – Theoretical Research | What are the important components and stakeholders of a Non-fiction, corporate-style production?
Many people are perplexed about the state of the world. Objective facts are fragmented and instead people are looking for a narrative which appeals to personal believes and emotions. This is were Non-Fiction productions enter the stage; delivering fact-based entertainment which does not only inform, but makes the audience feel what is going on.
There are 5 fundamental tendencies seen in Non-fiction productions: 1. To record, reveal, or preserve – 2. To persuade or promote – 3. To analyse or interrogate – 4. To express (aesthetically) and 5. To start a conversation about ethical consequences.
There are 4 important stakes when using a Non-Fiction approach to corporate productions. At first it is key to know your audience and their expectations. Secondly to work with story structure for a sensible narrative. Thirdly to look for Story components/plot points for added drama and at last to implement the latter not only in the production as a whole but to consider the individual scenes as stand-alone stories. Contributing to the greater whole while also telling their own structured tale.
3. – Conceptualization | Can the discovered techniques be applied (or made applicable) in a low-end production?
The discovered techniques are often left untouched in the Low-End field due to lack of time for visual complexity, and misunderstanding about the value of narrative structure. However, visual complexity is an actual fundamental of the 1Camera mission and the addition of narrative components can save a lot of expensive post-production hours.
The most thought and time consuming part of applying new techniques is the decision making part of which techniques have to be considered. To map and identify which cinematic language and narrative structure is needed for the product at hand.
However, through quick and dirty match-making techniques this element of the ‘which option to choose’ can be decided for the producer. With elaborate research packed, chunked and simplified to 9 Story techniques and 11 Visual techniques, the discovered techniques become more applicable, even in the Low-End field.
4. – Design, Testing & Developments | How to make the implementation of narrative- and visual techniques more routine?
To translate complex ideas to practical moves, text-book format conduct has to be replaced by interactivity and creativity. A system has to be designed which uses and introduces narrative and visual concepts and applies those in the root-system of production planning. In the case of 1Camera, this means an adaptation to their current production planning with the Soft Script.
For this, a Creative Concepting method called ‘Get2‘ has been designed. This card-game based method introduces mature techniques in a playful manner, daring the user to construct creative ideas through interactive match making and a fresh look. Applying gamification to challenge creativity and to learn new techniques.
To find out whether the developed plan makes the implementation of narrative- and visual techniques more routine and fun, an observational usability test is developed. A hypothetical case will be presented to different film-industry specialists, for which a production planning has to be developed using the Get2 method.
After the observational usability test a short interview shall be conducted to discover whether the designed Get2 method leads to application of creativity. The amount of creative thinking will be validated through categorization of the answers within the four Ps stakeholders. An additional question should help explore what potential for digitalisation could be implemented.
Additional Summaries
Test Results | What can we learn from the Test Results?
The decision to apply the four Ps technique to measure creative thinking through interview questions was a miscalculation, as these indicators turned out to be better identifiable during an observational method than through interview questions. With each participant, the four Ps were identified as positive during the out-loud thinking while interacting with the product, therefore the interview questions were refocused.
Each participant was able to work with the card-game, however, participants with a background in fiction-writing and/or cinema production planning performed significantly better. The ability to apply creativity through the ‘Get2‘ card-game depended a lot on familiarity and understanding of presented narrative jargon and given techniques, such knowledge differentiated more than expected between the participants.
Additional guidelines could be added for the application of cinema cards. The test pointed out that a minimum of 3 applicable styles was too high of a number as this would introduce too many contrasting styles to the smaller low-end production. To make the product more broadly employable, this number should be narrowed down to 1. There is a need for additional guidelines on how to play the game with the minimum of drawing 1 cinema card, or potentially leaving out cinema cards after earlier implementation.
Results from the interview discouraged a digital version of the product, as the participants believed that several elements of the game of cards as is led to creative thinking.
Testing the cards as an addendum to the current Soft Script might have been a disparaged assumption. Test results pointed out that the product could prosper on a broader market, adding value not only to low-end productions, but to higher-end productions and freelance film makers alike; designed to make space for creative ideas in film. Interest has been shown to additional cards and broader product packages.
Distribution & Digitalisation | How to distribute Get2, and what are the opportunities for digitalisation?
Opportunities for the card game format as a practical instrument to improve a skill by activating creative thinking through playful suggestions and encounters are rising. There are many successful examples of similar products on Kickstarter. Most of these kickstarter products were able to transform their mindset to a business model, positioning themselves on the market as entrepreneurial, creative and/or technical workflow and brainstorm professionals.
Even though not all of these products chose for a digital pathway after raising funds, an in-depth look to the raised concerns in the Results chapter led to the discovery of two underlying Pain Points.
The first Pain Point is the “larger than expected differences in knowledge per specialised field”. A solution for this Pain Point is to add varying specialised card decks, so that each professional can work with a set of cards challenging their expertise. A partnership with selected film making brands, professionals and influencers would help to distribute and diversify the product.
Another solution would be to add a learning component to the cards, contributing more information to those who find certain cards too challenging. A digital link such as a QR or AR code could link to a digital environment in which more information can be communicated.
The second underlying Pain Point: “the expected method of interaction is too limited” could be solved with an interactive platform. By saving and distributing data about interaction with the product, a more detailed and personal guideline can be designed. A search engine based on Get2 components could connect creators based on creative application of the product. Setting up lines of communication and accessing inspiring examples to learn and expand the consumers view on creative applications of the product.
A digital prototype of the interactive platform has been developed to better illustrate the concept. The prototype can be accessed through this link.
Graduation Report Roos M Jansen 