Unit 1 Task 1: Understand Requirements for Specific Media

In this task, I will be talking about 2D side scroller pre-production and it's needs, like:

•  Type of production: eg film, television, video, radio, audio, interactive media, web, computer game, print, 
photo-imaging

• Finance: sources of finance; requirements, eg equipment, transport, talent, crew, materials, facility hire, clearances 


• Time: eg deadlines, availability of equipment, availability of personnel, timescales for clearances

• Personnel: size of team; roles; skills and experience; resourcing; availability; costs; team or crew CVs 


• Facilities: eg production equipment, post-production equipment, facility houses, outsourcing; availability; costs 


• Materials: type, eg original materials, archive and library materials, photo-library materials, sound library materials, internet, assets, audio, script, animatics, graphics, interviews, costumes, properties, recorded music; sources; costs; clearances 


• Contributors: type, eg specialists, experts, talent, public; contributor biographies

• Locations: identification; recces; limitations and risks, eg distance, access, cost, weather 

• Codes of practice and regulation: clearances, eg Mechanical Copyright Protection Society-Performing Rights Society Alliance (MCPS-PRS), model releases, location permissions; legal, eg copyright, health and safety; insurance, eg public liability, completion insurance; regulatory bodies, eg Ofcom, Press Complaints Commission (PCC), Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), Pan European Game Information (PEGI), Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), British Board of Film Classification (BBFC); trade unions, eg Producers’ Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT), National Union of Journalists (NUJ), Broadcasting Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU); trade associations, eg The Independent Games Developers’ Association (TIGA), Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers’ Association (ELSPA), British Interactive Media Association (BIMA) 

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Type of production

There are many types of pre-productions which would be dependent on the type of media on which we are working. They are; film, television, video, radio, audio, interactive media, web, computer game, print, 
photo-imaging.

Creating pre-production process for 2D side scroller game for example could be complex involving many different stages: staring with creating story to producing mood boards, sketches to producing final illustrations. The pre-production process will help in respect to producing the final game by eliminating unnecessary mistakes that can happen in production process. The pre-production process is all about good planning and is not necessary linear process. A good break down of the pre-production process is outlined by  Paul Sztajer  on Gamasutra. In this article Paul outlines the 15 step stage of pre-production process within game industry.

"http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/PaulSztajer/20130324/189171/The_15_Steps_of_Particulars_Preproduction.php"

Finance

Sources of finance:






































There are a lot of different types of sources of finance but usually for business are equity, debt, debentures, retained earnings, term loans, working capital loans, letter of credit, euro issue, venture funding etc. And choosing the right source and the right mix of finance is a key challenge for every finance manager but for beginners the most are used bank loan or bank overdraft as external sources but as internal source is personal sources.


Requirements:

First thing first, to start creating a game for Sony we will need a crew and equipment for them to work on. As we know this will be a computer game so most of things will be created on the computer but what we need is enough computers for the people that will be using them and we know that those days' computers are expensive and the operating system like windows; because it's a company we all need everything to be original and not cracked or else we will be in a court problems. Now going back to the computers, we will also need to buy a software that the crew can work on it like Adobe Illustrator and others to create animations and logic of a game on for example Visual Studio. Right now, programmers are quite expensive as there are not so many for games development. Also, we will need illustrators, designers and animators to make the game live and colourful. One more thing that I almost forgot, the most important and it's a place for the people to work, unless Sony will guarantee that place the we will not have to pay for it.

Clearance:
 It is very important for us as it gives us legal access from Police, The Council and The Government.

Time

Deadline:
Setting deadline is very important and specific thing to do when working on anything longer or in a group/s as it let you keep on the track and see how long approximately it takes you to completed given task and the others, we use deadlines to improve our skills but also to give as an objective and to make us try harder to make it on time but at the same time to make it work properly.
There are different types of deadline and we are surrounded with it because time is a cost.

Availability of Equipment:
There must be a time limit for most of the equipement that is being used, especially when bigger number of people is using it frequenly. Companies need to devide machine's operating time to maintain order and avaiblility of equipement so everyone have the benefit of using the equipement.

Availability of personnel:
For a manager, it is important for him/her to know and remember the personnel availability so it's possible to use this information to predict the deadlines and improve their and manager work.

Timescales for clearances:
We will need the correct waiver forms secured to be able to start any production. So, in other words on the end before airing the product we will need it to be cleared by the Police, The Council and The Government. Timescale is how long it will actually take to cleared before airing it.

Personnel

Size of Team:
Actually, size of a team is hard to decide when you don't know the deadline for a final product to be completed and without setting specific roles that will be needed to produce the product. So, there will be more people working when deadline is short or opposite; then less people but deadline is longer.
However, is this scenario we are creating only 2D side scroller so there will be not so many people working on it. Then let's say 5 programmers, 5 animators, 3 illustrators/designers, 2 cleaners, 4 people that thing how to improve game or make the story of the game better and of course one manager/producer and vice manager. So together about 20 people + manager/producer.

Crew:
To recruit the right people for their CVs you will have to find the people to the given position for a software or programming language that will be used on the computers, the best will be to find a people already with experience of using them or even working with them in the other company; however, it is only a 2D side scroller where doesn't need too much of professional experience but still some will be required. The recruit skill will be check on the job interview of after on the test so we know how we are hiring.

Facilities

Facilities are very important due to its possibility to hire some of those facilities to do different kind of jobs that are needed at the given moment like photography studio or sound studio to make a sound effect or song/music to the project. Good thing about facilities is that there are a lot of different facilities for nearly everything. Also, it's important to know the time those facilities are available and their cost before hiring as there are somethings better to do yourself than paying too much.

On this picture you can see game production facility where all people can work together in a single room.

Materials

There are a lot of different types of materials and the places we can take them from even for free without any copyrights issues or just made them by ourselves. One of materials we are going to take/use from are:

• Sound Library Materials where are already recorded sounds that we can take small sound clips so we can put together to make an original music or sounds.
• Script which are words/sentences for our main character that will read it out for player; usually, it supposed to be made by ourselves.
• Graphics materials from Internet to take some ideas for environments or buildings or even character and make it our own original thing.

 Contributors

Specialists/experts:
Those people are the ones that were taught in what they doing and they know everything about the job they do and are interested in doing this job.

Public:
They are the audience of documentary and those who pay to watch/play.

Contributor biographies:
This is at the end of every project like credits, so everyone who were involved or helped in the project they will be named at the end of the project.

Locations

Identification:
There is a better version of it is called Automatic Location Identification(ALI); it is an enhanced electronic location system that automatically relays a caller's address when they call an emergency responder service such as 911, responders can locate someone who dials 911 even without any conversation.

Recce:
It is basically going to the location you are going to film for example, and it's thinking about any possible problems and creating risk assessments to prevent any danger or issues when you will be working in that given spot. Like you should consider weather or people passing through.

Limitations and Risks:
Actually, the tittle just above explains everything; it's just preparation for any limitation or risks in the future to prevent issues or at least be prepared for it, like possibility of weather or cost.

Codes of practice and regulation

Clearances, eg Mechanical Copyright Protection Society-Performing Rights Society Alliance (MCPS-PRS), model releases, location permissions:

• Mechanical Copyright Protection Society-Performing Rights Society Alliance        (MCPS-PRS): PRS is organisation that pays the members when their works(musics/songs) are the on TV, Radio, Played in public, Live, Streamed or Downloaded. MCPS is also organisation that pays music compositors and song writers when their songs/musics are being copied as physical product, used in films/TV/Radio/Games, streamed or downloaded.
• Model releases: "Model and property releases are signed documents which ensure that the people or property (works of art, trademarks, brands or buildings) featured in an image or clip are safe to use."                                                                                                                           Ref: https://www.alamy.com/help/what-is-model-release-property-release.aspx
• Location permissions:When you want to film some of places in the public you will need to get Location permission to be able to film usually so you can film more the effectively, efficiently and flexibly and safe so the police don't take for taking public place for yourself.

Insurance, eg public liability, completion insurance:

• It's another legal requirement for companies and organisations who are involved in creative media production, particularly when they are recording on location where members of the public may be at risk from the production activities. Commercial companies will also have a range of other forms of insurance to cover their employees, their equipment and even the products that they are working on.

Legal, eg copyright, health and safety:

• Copyright: When creating an original project, you always make sure it really is original that on one else has done it or by taking some of ideas from others without changing it differently to make it yours or without asking for their permission is a copyrights issue that you can have court with that person and easily lose it with a lot of money for breaking the law.
• Health and safety: "All workers have a right to work in places where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled. Health and safety is about stopping you getting hurt at work or ill through work. Your employer is responsible for health and safety, but you must help"              Ref: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/law.pdf

Regulatory bodies, eg Ofcom, Press Complaints Commission (PCC), Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), Pan European Game Information (PEGI), Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), British Board of Film Classification (BBFC):

•  Ofcom: Is responsible for the UK communication services that we use each day like TV, Radio sectors, Line telecoms, Mobiles, Postal services and Airwaves. It works with Departament for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport.
  
• Press Complaints Commission (PCC): This regulatory bodie had been closed in september 2014 and replased by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). PCC was resposible for newspapers and magazines.
  
•  Advertising Standards Authority (ASA): It checks that ads across UK media stick to the advertising rules.  ASA is also responsible for writing Advertising Codes. They conduct research to test public opinion and identify where they need to take action to protect consumers.

•  Pan European Game Information (PEGI): Gives content rating like use or age recommendations or content description about video games to help customers make more informed decisions when buying games or apps.
•  Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB): It is basically the same as PEGI; it is to warn people and especailly parents so they can make informed decision about age restriction on the given films and video games and apps, making the game industry more resposible and save for others.

Trade unions, eg Producers’ Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT), National Union of Journalists (NUJ), Broadcasting Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU):

Most typically, they set out the terms and conditions - eg pay, benefits and working time - to be included in the employment contracts of the workers in the bargaining unit.

Ref: https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/role-trade-unions-and-their-representatives

There are few types of trade unions like:

• negotiate agreements with employers on pay and conditions
• discuss major changes to the workplace such as large scale redundancy
• discuss members' concerns with employers
• accompany members in disciplinary and grievance meetings
• provide members with legal and financial advice
• provide education facilities and certain consumer benefits such as discounted insurance 

 

• Producers’ Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT): It represent independent animations, television, feature film and new media production companies.

• National Union of Journalists (NUJ): NUJ "is the voice for journalists and journalism", this trade union represent jurnalists and people working in a broader variety of roles like photographers.

Ref: https://www.nuj.org.uk/about/

• Broadcasting Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU): Key aims of Bectu are to protect jobs, increase membership, win new recognition agreements and to improve pay and conditions of service, including pensions. BECTU had been elected amongst its membership.

"BECTU is the UK's media and entertainment trade union, representing more than 40,000 staff, contract and freelance workers in creative industries."
Ref:  https://www.bectu.org.uk/about


Trade associations, eg The Independent Games Developers’ Association (TIGA), Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers’ Association (ELSPA), British Interactive Media Association (BIMA):

It's an organization funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry. They are used to set laws and provide extensive knowledge to companies within the industry. Trade associations are non-profit organizations whose primary purpose is to provide different learning tools for businesses in a particular industry.

• The Independent Games Developers’ Association (TIGA):

Their main purpose is to support the games development and digital publishing sector by campaigning for industry in the corridors of power. Also the defend the industry in the media and help people commercially. So basically TIGA is the network for trade associations and game developers.

•  Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers’ Association (ELSPA):

ELSPA works to protect, promote and provide for the interests of all its people, as well as addressing matters that affect the industry.

Also, before PEGI, ELSPA was responsible for putting ratings to the video games in the UK.

Unit 1 Task 2: Be able to prepare pre-production documentation for a specific media production

 Procedure: 

• Identify finance available

At the moment the finance will be not needed.

•  Identify personnel needed

I am going to build by project using only my own set of skills and maybe some help from the teacher.

• Identify personnel available

Personnel will be available all the time as it is just me doing only when I will need some help I can just email my teacher to help me or do it in lessons.

• Identify resources needed

To be able to build my game I will need a computer, keyboard, mouse and a software like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to create logic and digitise my ideas that I am going to draw, in which case I will also need a notebook or sketchbook, pencil, rubber and sharper.

• Identify resources available

All the equipment is only available in school but it still doesn't make it harder as I can transfer all my work to Google drive and retrieve it at home using my laptop and do my work at home as well as in  school.

• Prepare budget

The only thing I will need to buy I think will be only the drawing equipment I talk about so it will be  notebook or sketchbook, pencil, rubber and sharper.

• Contract personnel

In the time being for my school project I don't have any contract personnel but maybe in the future I will need some when I will work for a client or someone for me, like in Ubisoft I will have long contract with a client and Ubisoft to inform me about all my rights about the project and possibilities.

• Book resources

I will not need any book as I got Internet that I will use to read and gain knowledge about different stuff like how to use Adobe Illustrator.

• Prepare schedules

I am going to work 100% in school to use all my time and also my time at home i will use as efficient to be able to complete my work before deadline. I always have sleep at least 6 hour per day to have rested body and brain ready to work. At home I will probably work after lunch so I will not be hungry while working and I try to keep minimum 4 hour of work at home per week. If four hours is not enough then I will increase it to more hours.

• Identify health and safety implications

As I have said before I always sleep minimum hours and eat but healthy food like apples ones a day at least and different fruits to keep myself health. I will make small breaks to take my eyes away form the monitor to give them a little rest especially in school as monitors are 4k and huge which can damage my eyes quite easily for longer time looking at it.

• Identify legal implications

I will need to care about the usage of references and trying to change them into my own so they will not be able to be identified as a copy 

• Identify risks to project

The only two risk I can think of right now is just loss of work, so I will accidentally delete or lost my work and to prevent this from happening I will

Documentation: 

• Production documentation: eg scripts, storyboards, mood boards, thumbnails, properties, contact lists, location recess

1. Scripts: I will make a little script saying and explaining given storyline and the storytelling situations.
2. Storyboards:I will use probably the environment that I am going make to create on Adobe Illustrator and transfer into storyboard.
3. Mood boards: Everything I research will be put into mood boards to show my research and the ideas takes and used.
4. Thumbnails: I will make sketches of my work, simplified by readable so I can see how my work will look like when put into computer and even those pictures that I haven't used I will keep them in case it will give me any idea and also I can put them to my portfolio.
   
5. Properties: All my work will be done on my laptop and school computers, nothing more nothing less. However in other hand if I would do different project like making a movie I would need like few cameras, lights, location, computers and people.
6. Contact lists: The only person I think I would need to contact, is my teacher and no one else, unless I would create a movie in which case I would need contact to every person that I work with and London council to ask for a location permission.
7. Location recess: Like I said before I do all my work on a single computer so there will be no need for location recess; only if I would make a movie then that will be quite crucial to reserve a location to use in London place as things are for public use and not only for me.

• Production schedules

All my schedules will be given to me by my teacher and I try to keep my work to those deadlines to see how I am doing compered to the time.

• Budget:

As I have said before, probably there will be no need to spend money for this project but when it does everything will be recorded and see how much small project can cost.

• Clearances

Before releasing my project maybe I will need to get Model Releases clearance to secure my work from any people trying to copy my work.

• Plans: eg location plans, studio plans

1. Location plans: All my work will be made in the school and my house.
2. Studio plans: I don't think so I will need any studios to my game unless it's sound studio to create sound effects to the game.
   

• Health and safety assessments

I am going to control and record my time on the computer, and try to keep my eyes healthy from the monitor and eat healthy food on breaks. Also control my sleep time as I said before.

• Risk assessments

Throughout my whole work I will be assessing any possible Risks to me and my project but at the moment I can't think of anything Risky except accidentally deleting my work.
When creating a movie there goes a lot of risk assessment put into account like location danger, weather, equipment safety, people, money and time.

• Contingency plans 

In case of any eventuality all my work is being save on USB and Google drive so my work is always save and secure in different places and copies.