Future Plans

After numerous email exchanges with Drew Roper and after inviting him to the degree show , I thought that I would ask him to comment on my finished portfolio. He kindly did and wrote a lovely paragraph which can be seen in my Portfolio Comments Page and after he had seen my portfolio and showreel he emailed me again to ask if I wanted some work experience .

“What’s your availability like now by the way? I was wondering if I could ask you a favour please Documenting the work we’re up to?…. Basically, come in a couple hours a week and simply capture behind the scenes stuff as we’d love to make a documentary about it one day…..So…if you’d like to help, I’d welcome it Laura. More stuff for your reel/portfolio. And we’re working with a BIG name at the moment.” – Drew Roper via email

Theres more detail about what I will be documenting but I cannot disclose that information , all I can say is that because of my work on my portfolio and showreel I now have the opportunity to gain some great experience. Although it’s not paid I really couldn’t pass up this opportunity to network with more industry professionals and be part of a company that is on the rise.

---

After posting my updated showreel on Facebook I was also contacted by Brendan O’Neil again asking me for my CV. In which he replied that I have a good CV and went into more detail about the projects he needs help on.

“Do you have anything lined up once you graduate?…I’m on the look out for a good producer with time to spare… I want to do a signature short or two that I can get into BAFTA/Oscar qualifying festivals or perhaps a nano budget feature” – Brendan O’Neil via Facebook

The projects he wants help on do sound interesting and I am really excited about one of them but it all depends on scheduling and when he needs help, especially since I am now committed to helping Drew. However, at least I now have options to improve my CV and get more experience , it’s also really nice to know that people are impressed by my work and believe in my skills enough to offer me opportunities.

---

I am no longer worried about the future and the development of my career as I know that as long as I continue to network and continue to accept opportunities then the only way is up really!

I know it’s going to be tough and I have to stay head strong but I do believe that as long as I don’t give up then I can achieve the career that I want.

 

Portfolio Comments

“I’m very impressed with the professionalism shown here with the website and also the work. The portfolio show’s high levels of production values and understanding here, all displayed in a user friendly webspace. A very talented filmmaker here. Well done!”

– Richard Wood (Media Producer and Educator)

---

“This is an impressive portfolio of work that demonstrates both a dedication to your craft but also a passion for your subjects. It promises a great deal for your future as a documentary filmmaker and photographer.”

– Andy Conway (Shooting People, BFilm Micro, BCU)

---

“Laura has shown a real passion for her film making abilities by taking that first big step, quite simply, just approaching people about projects and to inform them about hers. That not only shows really confidence, but gumption and determination to want to achieve something in the industry, which, in my opinion goes very very far. I guess, she’s one for the future! Not only does she focus on capturing the beauty of story within her documented films, but her stories shine through her photography also. A skill everyone wishes for! I certainly look forward to seeing more from her!”

– Drew Roper (Director/Producer/Animator at Yamination Studios)

 

Portfolio

www.lauramobbs.com

At the beginning of final year I knew that I needed to have an online platform for myself to show off my work and provide a space where people can understand who I am and what I do.

I am not talented in website design or coding but my dad is so I decided to enlist his help as I knew that he could collaborate with me easily and he would be able to work on it constantly. So while I came up with the design ideas and the content, he would manually develop it.

Referring back to my initial post (Mobbs 2015) about my website I needed to update, change and polish my site to make sure that it would be of a professional standard.

---

Not a great deal changed on the home page besides the addition of ‘Women of Yolanda’ menu option as this is a page to my current film (FMP) so I wanted it to have it’s own section. The contact page was also added to the bottom of my media links so that it is present on every page instead of just the ‘About ‘ page.

When I gathered feedback from my class about the homepage they said how much they liked it and how professional and prestigious my logo is. My logo is something that I have worked a great deal on over the past 2 years and I am really proud of the end result.

I wanted a coherent theme throughout my branding and website so I chose the colour grey because I liked the simplicity of it and how it feels really slick and business-like. The wreath around the first letter of my name seems quite royal and carries connotations of success due the the laurel wreath being presented to winners as a crown. My name in latin refers to the laurel which is a sign of victory, fame and honour so I felt that it was a strong and powerful symbol to use.

My ‘About’ page has been simplified somewhat as we took the contact box off the bottom of the page and I rewrote my paragraph. Comments from people who have worked with me in some way are still below the paragraph and I hope to add more to this section. Someone mentioned in the class feedback session that I should change the banner photo which is a good point , however at the time of creating this site I didn’t really have any good quality professional pictures of myself so I felt that this image showed my travelling (to NASA) and work ethic.

 

The contact page is simply a box where people can send a message directly to my email but my email address is also below along with the media links to my Vimeo, WordPress blog and LinkedIn pages that are on every page of the website.

My Photography page is my favourite as the banner is captivating and the photo albums are laid out in an original way. I wanted to incorporate the laurel wreath in other aspects of my portfolio so that my branding echoed throughout.

I chose to have a photography page as it’s something that I love to do and it shows all of the countries that I have worked in. Although I do not have the skills of a professional photographer I feel that this page shows my versatility and other talents that I possess which also tie in with my film making.

When someone clicks onto an album they are presented with a slideshow of photos each with their own descriptions. During the feedback session a student suggested that I present the photos in a way so that they all can be seen and certain ones can be chosen. I originally thought of doing this , however, when structuring photos that way, the impact of each image is diminished so as of now I am satisfied with the layout. However , I do understand his point and can adapt this page at a later date.

My filmography page has undergone the most change as I took certain projects out and put lots more in. The same theme is carried out as seen in the Photography page to keep up a coherent structure. My showreel is presented first as that has clips from all of my work and should be centre stage for those looking to see what I can do.

The banner image shows me working as a producer on the documentary we made about NASA while in Florida (i’m the one holding the clipboard). This was a good choice of photo as it shows me working on a set, taking control of a crew.

When a film is selected the website will take you to a page with either a trailer , images or information about that project. A description of the film will be presented below along with my role on the project. Some films are not yet finished so I had to use a few images instead of a trailer and use the phrase ‘Coming soon’ on the page.

My page for my FMP documentary firstly presents the poster along with an option to scroll through behind the scenes photos. There is also the option to view videos that were taken during filming and also a link to the ‘Women of Yolanda’ Facebook page. I also made it possible for people to download the EPK for the film so that anyone who has interest in it can have the details straight away.

The text underneath is a statement by myself about the film and why I made it , so it is a place where people can go to know more about the documentary.

---

I am really proud of this portfolio and feel that it really shows off who I am and what I can do in a simplistic yet effective way. After hearing people’s thoughts and opinions in the feedback session and getting comments from professionals about it, I feel really positive and delighted that my hard work had paid off. Just by putting effort into my portfolio I have already lined up some work experience for myself so it just goes to show how effective a good portfolio can be.

My next step is to optimise my web presence so that when people search for my name, they can find my website easily. This will be part of my development into going into the real world and a result of all that I have learnt in this module and degree.

 

 

References 

Mobbs, L (2015) My Plan for Becoming a Producer [23 October 2015] available from <https://lauramobbsyr3.wordpress.com/2015/10/23/my-plan-for-becoming-a-producer/>%5B12 May 2016]

Contact List

Andy Conway: Screenwriter who works at Birmingham City University , Shooting People and recently the BFilm Micro project – Email and Facebook

Brendan O’Neil: Filmmaker – Email and Facebook

Carl Timms: Producer and on the board of Producer’s Forum – Facebook

Christopher Townsend: Visual Effects Supervisor for Marvel – Email

Chris Walters : Works for Netflix on show ‘Marco Polo’ as a rigger in Malaysia – Facebook

Drew Roper: Animator at Yamination Studios  – Email, Facebook and Twitter

George Keats: Filmmaker based in Coventry , currently teaching – Email and Facebook

Isis Thompson: Documentary Filmmaker – Email

Kelly Lappin:  Works at Aardman Animations – Email

Ludo Fales: Documentary Filmmaker – Email

Matt Cannon: Photographer – Email

Pip Piper: Documentary Filmmaker at Blue Hippo Media and crowd-funder – Email

Richard Wood: Media Producer and Educator – Facebook and Email

Sam Lee: Director and Producer based in US – Email and Twitter

Stephen Reynolds:  Director who has worked for Lionsgate and WWE – Twitter

 

 

 

Tutorial Sheets

I filled out both my tutorial sheets in one document, written in blue is the first one and the alterations for the second tutorial are in red.

 

Click here to view : 364MC Tutorial Preparation Document

Networking Event: Filming my FMP

While filming my FMP in the Philippines , I happened to stumble across a very useful contact . I was actually at a bar in a beach resort (working hard) and got chatting to some expats . I used to live in the Philippines so they were asking me about it and when you are abroad other English people tend to talk to you just because you are English.

I ended up playing pool with these people and just casually chatting when one of them, Chris Walters from the UK, asked me what my plans were after University (such a horrible question). I replied that I hated the question but mentioned my internship with Aardman , he then said that I should get his contact details as he is currently working for Netflix on the TV show ‘Marco Polo’ as a rigger. He works in Malaysia where they shoot the show and said that he can put me in contact with Netflix . Obviously this is an amazing opportunity that I acquired just by socialising with people and connecting with them on a personal level. I therefore made sure that I got his contact details before I left and messaged him on Facebook straight away.

“Really nice to meet you safe travels back and stay in touch” – Chris Walters via Facebook

Experience: Aardman Internship

An amazing opportunity presented itself at University in the form of an internship with the famous Aardman Animations.

This opportunity arose because an former Coventry University Media Production student, Kelly Lappin, now works at Aardman and kindly presented 10 internships to our department because of this connection.

---

The advertisement was as follows:

Aardman Animations are looking for interns for Nick Park’s new animation film to be shot in 2016 for 2017 cinema release. These are NOT placements for animators but for people to work on the production team.

The basic details are as follows:

– There will be 9 placements (but there may be more/longer ones offered depending upon the laity of the interns) 
– Each placement will last for two weeks
– They will run back to back from 18th April 2016 – 19th August 2016. 
– Aardman would pay £100 per week expenses to each student, so a total of £200 per placement.
– Interns will work as a part of the Runner team on Early Man, our new stop motion feature.

How we will select interns / what would be involved during the 2 week placement:

– Students interested in a placement should submit a CV, covering letter and showreel/portfolio link to Steve by Monday 7th December (see below) 
– Aaardman will come and interview students in Coventry on either January 13th or 20th (Date to be confirmed so put both of them in your diary now), 

What would be involved during the 2 week placement:
These placements are a real opportunity – we hope to be expanding the size of our Production department over the next few years and need to start identifying potential candidates for entry level / junior roles on future productions.
· We are looking for people with a genuine passion to work in production.
· If the number applicants who match our needs don’t cover all the available spaces that’s fine – we want the right people not just to fill the spaces.

During the placement successful candidates will work with the Production Runners – the work can be physical, dirty and at times menial (collecting mugs / cleaning) but it is at the heart of the Production. Also worth noting that all of our current team from Production Manager downwards have started their careers in this type of role.

What we are looking for in successful candidates are individuals with the right attitude and approach – organised, helpful and positive. Production (at all levels) needs to be focused on supporting the creative process and in order to move in senior production role (such as PM or Assistant Director) individuals must have experience / understanding of all tasks involved in making a Project work day to day – starting as a runner helps to build this knowledge and develops to right approach.

---

I could’t pass up this incredible opportunity as although I wasn’t really into animation, it was a chance to be part of the production team and network with amazingly experienced and talented professionals.

I had to make sure that I presented myself properly so that I had the best chance of getting the internship. I set up a meeting with Central Careers and went through my CV with Ruth Guy which was extremely beneficial as she gave me documents on how to improve my presentation and told me what to take out and expand more on. I ended up with an impressive looking CV and ever since that meeting many have commented on how good my CV is , even Kelly herself.

Click here to view CV

I also had to make a showreel which was something I hadn’t yet managed to put together. I was unsure of how to approach this so I set up a meeting with my lecturer Ross to give me some ideas . He said how important it was to take time on choosing the right backing track as it really needs to grab the audiences attention. He said that I needed to show off all the countries that I have filmed in as that unique footage will make me stand out and show how adaptable I am.

I took all of his advice into account and worked tirelessly on it as I knew that I had made good work, I just needed to present it well. This is what I came up with:

I showed Ross my finished product and he replied with this:

“This is great Laura – your choice of music works well and from your draft version this is leaps and bounds ahead. The range of work displayed is impressive, nice use of the international locations without over-relying on them and I like how you’ve connected shots by cutting on movement and therefore creating new context/meaning…There are some detail changes I’d suggest that I think would improve it further but its looking really good – you should be proud of it!” – Ross Varney via email

I really felt proud of my work and felt that the music worked really well with the editing , it made my work look exciting and professional . I believe that I have sold myself in the best possible way that I could and think that this showreel shows my versatility and capability.

---

All this hard work paid off as I got the internship !!!!! I start on July 25th and work until 5th August .

I am so thrilled and excited for this opportunity and believe that this experience will give me so much knowledge and experience. I plan to learn as much as I can from as many people as I can and to show those at Aardman how serious and committed I am to the film making process.

Networking Event: Producers Forum 2

Following on from joining the Producer’s Forum , myself and Sam Long continued to go to the networking events and keeping in contact with those we had previously spoken to. This proved useful for me as an animator I met called Drew Roper, who is currently working with SkyArts, told me that he passed my documentary funding page onto Sky in hopes they would generate interest for it. Although nothing came of this , it showed how opportunities arise due to simply speaking to others and supporting each other.

“Hi Laura. Good to see you yesterday! Good luck with the project, keep posting it out there, perhaps with different images for people to look at to tease them. I’ve passed this onto the ladies at Sky in the hope it can get circled round…and maybe, you might get a bit more than just finding, you never know! Good luck and see you soon!” -Drew Roper via Facebook

I also made a connection with Andy Conway , a screenwriter who works at Birmingham City University who is also on the board at ‘Shooting People’. He is currently working on BFilm Micro , a serious of micro budget films made in Birmingham, so he is a useful person to keep in touch with in terms of local projects. After meeting him twice and making contact online , I invited him to the degree show.

“Hi Laura, Great to meet you again. I’ve got a tentative trip to Prague planned for that date, but it’s not definitely booked yet, so if I’m not heading to the airport i’ll be heading to Coventry.” – Andy Conway via email

I also met Brendan O’Neil , a filmmaker whose production company is called ‘Stickleback Productions’ . He is based locally in Birmingham and is constantly working on new projects and trying to get them into film festivals so I thought he would be a good person to keep in touch with and perhaps collaborate with in the future.

“Hi Laura , It was nice to meet you last night. Here’s a link to iFeatures event I mentioned” – Brendan O’Neil via Facebook

I then met George Keats who is new to Coventry and currently working as a teacher but he is film making on the side , so due to his locality I thought he might be useful for help on future projects. I also invited him to the degree show and he said that he would come and bring some friends.

“Hi Laura, Thank you so much for the invitation. I would love to come. It was very interesting talking to you and I look forward to seeing your work.” – George Keats via email

I also came across a photographer called Matt Cannon , who has a great deal of experience in commercial work and is currently working on a script for a feature film.

Production Folder

Budget:

Actual Budget

Copyright:

Copyright paolo

Editing:

Shot Log

Translation script

Equipment:

Equipment Insurance Policy

Ethics:

Ethics Low Risk Projects

Schedule:

Schedule 1

Schedule2

Schedule3

Schedule4

Travel:

Charley Flight Ticket

Laura Flight Ticket

Flight Itinerary

Travel to Bantayan Plan

Risk Assessment:

Impact

I made this film so that it could impact people’s lives in some way as I hope to inspire others and perhaps promote change. After doing initial research (Laura Mobbs Wix 2016) into the impact of my film I knew I needed to expand on my initial ideas for distribution and marketing.

Festivals

I plan to put this into film festivals and have chosen them according to their themes so that I may have the best chance.

• London International Documentary Film Festival (London International Documentary Film Festival 2016) is interested in films that question and have a critical attitude to the cultural, social and political issues of the day. Deadlines : Around March and July (yet to be announced) , Online Entry £24. – This would be a great festival to enter into as my documentary focuses on the social and cultural issues of economic empowerment and women’s rights. However, I’m not sure if my film has a ‘critical attitude’ so I may need to take a chance with this one.

• Athena Film Festival (Athena Film Festival 2016) in New York celebrates women and leadership, looking at the themes of courage, strength and resilience. Deadline : September .Cost of submission is unclear. – This would be perfect for me to enter into as my film is centred around a group of women with one particular woman leading the way. They display their courage , strength and resilience after having to survive and rebuild after the typhoon. I believe I have a good chance of being accepted into this festival .

• Moondance International Film Festival (Moondance International Film Festival 2016) likes films that raise awareness about vital social issues, and that inspire postive action. Films with the themes of social and environmental change focusing on the contributions of women.Deadline: January 1st-May 31 and June 1- 30. Entry Price: $50-75. – Again , a festival that focuses on women is prefect for my documentary and it also meets with their requirements of films that inspire positive action. My film raises awareness of the importance of female empowerment and how providing working opportunities to women can have tremendous repercussions. 

• Underwire Film Festival (Underwire Film Festival 2016) celebrates female filmmaking. Deadline: 31 May and 30 June. Duration: 20 mins . Entry Price: £10-15. – Underwire looks to be a promising festival for me to take part in as it celebrates everything to do with female filmmaking. My whole crew , besides one member , is female and all my characters in the film are female. I feel that my documentary is one big celebration of women and their talents. My film also falls under the duration of 20 mins, at 19 mins.

• We the Peoples Film Festival (We The Peoples Film Festival 2016) focuses on the three pillars of Freedom and the UN’s millenium goals. With themes of ‘A fairer world’ and ‘Conflict and peace’. Duration : 20mins max. Entry Price: Free. Deadline : June – Not only doe sky film fall under the duration of 20 mins, at 19 mins, but it also deals with issues that the UN are looking into such as economic empowerment for women. I happen to include the UN logo in one of my shots as they helped the relief effort after the typhoon. 

I feel that theses are the best choices initially for my documentary and I want to see how they do in these before I even think about approaching others, especially more high profile ones. I feel that I have a good chance of being accepted into a few of these options as my documentary meets the criteria and requirements of them.

Screening

At a later date I will also set up a screening for the women but this is a difficult thing to do as they don’t have Wifi access there and it is near impossible to get access to a big screen and projector so that they can all watch it together. I will work with James , who created the project, to sort out a screening for them as I want to make sure that all of them can see it.

I will also have a screening for family and friends in the near future , I had originally planned to do this as a joint event with Charley , whose film has the same themes of female empowerment. However, she has had difficulties with hers and we will have to continue filming hers after the University deadline. I want to wait for her film to be properly finished before I have a screening of mine as we both worked on each others and want to celebrate women and their achievements together.

Website

I already have a website for myself www.lauramobbs.com so I thought I would just add a page onto it for my film project. I didn’t create an individual website for it because of time restraints but I felt that it worked quite well as a subsidiary of my main site.

I made sure that the poster was the main focus of the page and that the trailer was also present . There is also a link to the Women of Yolanda Facebook page , making sure that all forms of social media are tied in. There is a slideshow option to look through some photos from the filming process , each with their own descriptions.

I included some text about myself and the project as it gives a detailed description of how the film came about and what it’s about. There is also the option to look through the Vlogs that we made during filming process.

Although I would of liked an individual website for my film , I feel satisfied with this temporary solution and am happy that it’s a place where I can put my behind the scenes content. It would look more professional with a different background theme, instead of following the theme of my main website , maybe in the style of my EPK.

Social Media

I managed to continuously update my Facebook page throughout the filming and editing process which proved very useful in keeping the interest in my film. I got many support comments from people and my constantly uploading meant that ‘Women of Yolanda’ was always present on peoples timelines.

I continue to use my Facebook page to promote my film but I’m not getting any more followers , so it still feels as though it’s family and friends based. I need to continue to get in touch with bloggers and individuals to generate interest for the page as I feel that Facebook is the bast way to keep people updated on the film and for them to see more content from the film.

I haven’t been using twitter as much as I should do as I felt that I lost momentum with it and was only getting a response from users on Facebook. I therefore need to revisit this platform and find more ways for it to be effective for the marketing of my film .

Social media will be a crucial asset when I start entering my film into festivals so I need to make sure that both accounts are updated and constantly in use.

 

References

Athena Film Festival (2016) About Us [online] available from< http://athenafilmfestival.com>[30 March 2016]

Laura Mobbs Wix (2016) Women of Yolanda: Impact [online] available from <http://lauramobbs.wix.com/womenofyolanda#!impact/qgohm&gt; [30 March 2016]

London International Documentary Film Festival (2016) About [online] available from <http://www.lidf.co.uk&gt; [30 March 2016]

Moondance International Film Festival (2016) Home [online] available from <http://moondancefilmfestival.com&gt; [30 March 2016]

Underwire Film Festival (2016) About Us [online] available from <http://www.underwirefestival.com/about-us/&gt; [30 March 2016]

We The Peoples Film Festival (2016) The Festival [online] available from <http://www.wethepeoples.org.uk/festival_aims.html&gt; [30 March 2016]