Treatment for 'The Yellow Tape'

'The Yellow Tape' is short film that focuses on the Sheffield based artist Yusuf Yellow, the short film will follow Yusuf around his surroundings and capture what he gets up to while being an artist in Sheffield. I will ask the artists some questions about himself and a bit about his music so that people will learn more about the up and coming artist, the viewers will also see what it is like to be an up and coming artist in Sheffield, they will hear what the scene is like from an artist in the middle of it all. This will be important to young musicians and the Sheffield audience as it will educate the young musicians and also give an isight to them while also showing the Sheffield audience what the youths of the city get up to. The narrative that ''The Yellow Tape' will follow is both educational and entertaining, I not only want to entertain the viewers but also give an insight into the music industry through a musicians point of view that could help certain viewers, I will achieve this by asking the artist questions about the subject.

To film the short film I will be working by myself, this means I have to have all my times organised and ready for recording. I will be using my phone to record the short film on as I am wanting to capture a gritty, cheap production effect, I will be editing the footage in the post production stage adding grain and other effects so this also saved me time, rather than having to carry around expensive equipment and setting up tripods etc.

For post production I will be using my laptop and Adobe Premiere Pro, I will be using this software as it is industry standard editing software. This will allow me to cut up clips for the parts I want, create my VHS effect, add grain and change the colour of the short film to yellow, because the short film is based on the artist Yusuf Yellow I will be recording the short film inside his flat and have some short clips around Sheffield, I will also involve a few clips of the artists friends to show who he has personal bonds with and who he enjoys to spend his free time with. Using the short clips of Sheffield will also be entertaining to the Sheffield audience as they will see familiar local locations to where they live.



Here is the production schedule I created, this will help keep me organised and to know exactly what needs to be done by a set date, this will also help when going to record with the artist we both know when to record by, I have laid out the production schedule by dates and tasks, also pre-production, production and post-production so I know where I am with the short film. I also have made a section for contingencies so that I have backups which will help if any files get lost.

L04: Editing and Review of Effects

Here is a brief logging rush of clips with the applied effects, I have used the first couple minutes of the short film in the logging rush as the effects are carried on through out the duration of 'The Yellow Tape' being the VHS effect, Warp, Grain and Colour Saturation

Here is the intro to 'The Yellow Tape' where the artist Yusuf Yellow spoke a bit about himself and how he started his journey as a musician before he is physically introduced so that he can be seen by the viewer, I took this audio segment from the interview I did with him and applied visuals from around his apartment and the entrance to the building while he spoke about himself so I could use it as a voice over. I had the audio playing on the audio channel while the VFX and clips were played, I unlinked the video of the artist talking so that I was only left with the audio from the clip which allowed me to create this introduction with other clips.

Here are the very simple steps I took while creating and adding my VFX to my short film/documentary and the tools that I used to make it possible, the first step I made was adding an adjustment layer from the start of the video and dragging it to the end so that it plays from start to end a long with the video. An adjustment layer allows me to add as many effects to it as I want, so here I added the dust & scratches along with the colour adjustments so that I had the grainy tone along with the soft yellow colour throughout the duration of the short film. I also added a warp to the adjustment layer which added a small line that warped throughout the production, this helped me create the closest effect towards a cheap production look as possible, I was aiming for a home made short film look on no budget as this gave the grittiest look as possible.






Here I downloaded an MP4 file that was a VHS glitch video on green screen, I had to use the ultra key tool to remove the green from the video so that I was left with the VHS glitch effect alone, this helped me get as close as possible to having a real VHS camera looking effect as the glitch is the main part of the footage when recorded on cheap compact camera. I am really happy with how this turned out because I have saved a lot of time and money doing it this way without investing in a VHS camera but still getting it to look like I have.

Now it is time to export The Yellow Tape so that this Premiere Pro project becomes a compressed video file ready to be uploaded to YouTube. The first step is to go to file down to export and then media, this then gives you an option on file types you can export the video in, I chose to export the video as H.264 because this is good for video quality when it comes to compressing the the project. I have exported the video with the normal measurements for every device, this means that the video size on different devices won't crop or change shape, this allows viewers on all devices to comfortably view the short film.

Here is my final short film/documentary with all the applied effects and the intro I text I have created for my visual effect using a typewriter font.




Here is my intro with the VFX applied, the same effect is applied through out the duration of the short film/documentary so I have only used a short segment to show both the intro with the typewriter effect I made on Adobe After Effects and the grain, VHS, tape warp etc created on Adobe Premiere Pro.

      Justifying the edicts used: I am with how the effects helped bring meaning into 'The Yellow Tape' and how they working out during production, I used a tape warp, a VHS effect, Colour Balance and a filmic blend to create a cheap production with a gritty homemade aesthetic. I used 'Colour Balance' to create meaning while also linking to the artists name 'Yusuf Yellow' the colour yellow connotes sunflowers, happiness, summer and positivity. These are things the artists wants to spread to his listeners as he is a very upbeat artist and speaks from personal experience on how he is challenged with negative thoughts, emotions and experiences and how he views them in order to help him get through this. These effects were satisfactory for the artist 'Yusuf Yellow' as he really appreciated the gritty aesthetic of cheap production and how I helped portray his as a positive being through the use of these effects in the short film/documentary. I am more than happy with how the effects turned out and I would not change anything if I was to edit the project again, after showing some friends and family members they instantly asked if I had shot the film on a VHS compact camera which was the look I was aiming for since the planning stage. The effects are also suitable/satisfactory for the audience as I have also thought about the target audience in the production of this short film/documentary and had knowledge of some of the artists fans and the things they are into, being vintage clothes and retro aesthetic. Many of Yellow's friends are creative in some way and are inspired by the older equipment and grainy looking footage so I brought all these ideas in together to also attract an audience that are hung up on this aesthetic.

L03: Production

The effects/tools I will be using on the clips are an adjustment layer over the top of the other clips so that it is applied throughout the duration of the short film/documentary. I have add the VHS effect and the Dust & Scratches to get the gritty look of cheap home made production. I am editing the whole of this short film/documentary on Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2019 as it is a software used in the media industry when editing films and it also helps me towards reaching the best possible capabilities during the editing process. The visual effects I have used last from the start to the end of the short film/documentary, however nothing will change drastically inside of the effects as it is just a loop over and over.

   Here is the moodboard I created along with some screenshots of 'The Yellow Tape' I have taken the inspiration from the moodpboard I have created through the use of fonts and filters I have applied to my short film, such as the grain and VHS look, all these films/short films were either produced on a lo budget or made to look like they had. I felt a connection with this style of production and took it into my hands to add these production techniques into my own work.

      I have been meeting safe work practices through controlling situations that will keep me safe, for example while I was editing my short film/documentary I took regular brakes from my laptop, this resolved injuries such as a migraine, eye strain and damage to my posture. I also turned down the brightness of my screen to reduce any damage I could cause towards my eyes while working for long periods of time. I took a break every hour for about 10/15 minutes, I felt an hour was suitable to work for as I had positioned myself in an upright posture and had my brightness settings set up to keep my eyes comfortable. I will continue to use these safe working practices while working on my short film/documentary so that i don't come out with any serious health issues or bring any serious risks to myself while doing so.




Sourcing Assets: During the production of 'The Yellow Tape' I added a VHS and grain filter, I got this from
downloading a youtube green screen of the effect and looped it throughout the duration. To
remove the green screen from the video to be left with just the effect I used the 'Ultra Key' and set
my colour to the closest green of the video so that all of the colour was gone. I downloaded this
using a YouTube to MP3 converter, I checked the description of the video to make sure that the
green screen footage was free of use before downloading and adding it into my short
film/documentary.


Here is how I downloaded the VHS effect with a green screen, once I found the video was free to use I copied the link from the YouTube video and found a converter which transfers YouTube videos to MP3, I pasted the link in and chose the file type I wanted the video to be converted into, I chose MP3 128kbps and then pressed 'Convert' the website then added the video into my documents for me to then add it into the Premiere Pro project.

Here is the link of the youtube video that I copied so that I could paste the link into the converter website to have the video as an MP3 file to use.

This is how the website looks once the link has been copied into the converter, this screen comes up to show if it is the video you would like to cover and then it gives you a list of file types to choose from before clicking 'Convert'

The first image is a clip from 'The Yellow Tape' without any effects and the second is with effects, I have included these effects (VHS, Tape Warp, Grain, Colour Balance) to create a feel of cheap production, I took inspiration from some films like 'Permanent Vacation' and 'A New Place 2 Drown' due to there cheap production gritty aesthetic, you don't get films like 'Permanent Vacation' anymore, the closest to that was a recent film called 'The Lighthouse' that was released in 2019 all shot on film. I really felt a connection with it and a lot of friends I hang about with enjoy low quality, film/VHS films and some newer short films from artists use this effect, I decided to play my part in the scene to attract some of these film style fans. This helped improve the product for the audience as there aren't so many like this in modern times, however music fans love film and VHS, this meant I could bring in a new target audience as they are attracted to this style.

In the short film I also used a filmic blend technique, this makes the footage I have recorded slightly richer and warmer in tone. Filmic blend technique is used to fill in the little lines that are gapped between each other which add up to create the video, using this also makes this look a lot more like film as this effect was developed to fill in the gaps that are inside the original video. We can also see this from the photos with and without effects, the one with the yellow effect looks slightly softer and warmer as I brought the adjustments in together to create this look. Even though I was aiming for a cheap and gritty production look I wanted the core of the shot film/documentary (the bare bones of the videos with no effects) to be warmer and run smoothly throughout the duration.

This is where I made the into using the typewriter font, I used this because I could create the effect of an actual typewriter, each letter appearing after the other till it reads out the production title. I have done this as it still has the cheap production look we are going for while also looking retro and keeping it all similar through the vintage 90s aesthetic.

Here are the steps I have made into adding the warp line effect, this is an effect that has a line running down the screen like when recorded on VHS. I have done this as it allows me to get the closest to a VHS compact camera recording effect, the adjustment layer on the top of the clips (pink bar) is where I can add al my effects to, this helps when rendering the clips and exporting as it is all in one file, this also helps keep everything organised if I choose to change the effects further down the line while editing. The reason I have decided to apply all these effects, such as the tape warp line, the VHS scratches and the grain is so that it makes the production look as cheap as possible. This is exactly how films on music and music videos were recorded for old school hip hop in the 90s, this also links to the genre I have been looking at as it has small clips recorded on a cheap camera.

This is where I have changed the adjustments of the colours in the colour panel bar, this allowed me to change the actual video to yellow, I am really pleased with how the yellow has come out as it looks really soft rather than sharp, this makes the video look friendly rather than intimidating to the viewers. I have done this because the video is titled 'The Yellow Tape' for Yusuf Yellow, it is a short film/documentary about the artist and his new album that is released soon. I have decided to change the colour into yellow as it all has a connection together and will also make the artist instantly recognisable for his distinctive image towards his name.

L02: Planning

In my short film/documentary I am going to add very few effects, the first effect I will use will be a VHS glitch/static effect. This gives off the old tacky look of cheap home made produced films which I am really inspired by, I will then add a tape warp effect which is a line that runs down the screen and warps around the video it is running along. The last effect I will use will be inside the colour, I will be changing the whole of the short film/documentary into a soft yellow and in order to do this I have to adjust the colours inside the videos until it is all yellow.

Budget considerations: Planning to use a VHS effect, I can download this from a free of use YouTube video. The channel add the terms of use in the description boxes of the videos on YouTube, as the one I am wanting to use is free to use and download, being the VHS green screen, I have to convert this video to MP3 using a YouTube converter by copying the link into the converter website and selecting my file type, being MP3. Once this is done the video will be downloaded onto my Mac.

The target audience for my short film/documentary will be 16+, these people will be music lovers and supporters of up and coming artists when promoted right. I have decided to make this the target audience as hip-hop is usually picked up from ages 16+ and then the support will also come from the local Sheffield music supporters. The VFX will appeal to my target audience as they will appreciate the grittiness from the production, they will also be attracted to the fact the whole of the video is in a soft yellow as bright colours attract the eye and will keep them viewing as they are keen to see more.

 

The stock footage I will be using will be a green screen VHS effect from YouTube, there is a tone of playlists full of green screen effects free of use. The description of these videos in YouTube explain how they are free of use so there will also be no hassle in using them. As the content is free I need to use a Youtube converter where I copy the link fo the video and download the footage to a format of my choice, I usually choose MP3 unless the video comes with sound and I want higher quality but as I'm aiming for a cheaper look I went for a smaller size.

Feasibility of effect: The legal issue I need to be aware of during the production of 'The Yellow Tape' is copyright, I should take this into account while editing and releasing the short film/documentary so that I don't breach the copyright infringement laws, meaning using work created by someone else without permission. If this was the case I could face a fine if the publisher wished to do so. However; as I have done my research into the owner of the channel and his shared content, the footage he has released is free to use, this makes the short film/documentary easier on my behalf as I am not working illegally without permission. The footage of the VHS green screen effect is free to use, this makes the post-production stage easier and cheaper as I don't have to pay the creator for this effect in order o use it, this also makes the short film/documentary a real college project as most college films are shot on a budget of £0 from free and easy access to equipment and software.

Here is my storyboard for my short film/documentary 'The Yellow Tape' I have a few clips I am wanting to open up with such as the artist stood in the lift inside his apartment building to give him an entrance, this instantly shows the viewer/audience that the is Yusuf Yellow after the intro title. I also have a few more clips of the artist making a cup of tea, in an interview and playing his keyboard. The effects that will be applied to these clips will also be applied throughout the duration of 'The Yellow Tape' which will be a grain effect, colour balance, VHS and a tape warp to capture the aesthetic of cheap homemade movies recorded on a VHS compact camera

Once it came to reviewing my short film/documentary on Yusuf Yellow and his music, I decided that a 12A certification was suitable because the guidelines for the BBFC rating were almost too similar when reviewing them next to my film. I believe music is a thing young people can fall in love with, I started heavily getting into music around 5 years of age and I never look back on doing so, for this to be seen by younger ages would massively inspire me to make more short films like this, however there is a scene in the film where Yusuf Yellow swears but it is only subtle and happens once, besides that there is no fighting, no drugs, dangerous behaviour, sex or violence.
While I was reviewing my age rating, I contemplated making the documentary slightly higher with the age rating but I believe one swear word shouldn't be too offensive as long as the parents are there to tell them not to repeat it if they even pick up on it. However, this swearing could be taken to heart if seen by the wrong people, we had to make sure that this was the right decision in the end as if the swearing was taken to heart we could receive a lot of frustrated complaints.

      

I decided to analyse my short film/documentary along side Johnny Cash's 'Walk the Line' which was a film in 2005 rated 12A, in this film Cash is seen throughout with subtle uses of language, sex and violence. These things are approved with the chosen certificate and I haven't used any nudity or violence, there was very mild use of language during the Yellow Tape so I decided that 12A was the suitable certificate to give before being released. If film companies failed to go through with a BBFC Certificate rating they could face complaints from the public until it it reached the BBFC, leading the situation and film publishing company to court.

Production Schedule

The Yellow Tape Script

Yusuf Yellow: Started writing poetry and erm, and from then on met some people like met some rappers while I was out in LA for a while and erm, they kind of got me on some hip-hop I guess and just free styling together, writing together and it kind of just naturally went from writing poetry to hip-hop and I've always loved hip hop so it was something that naturally worked quite nicely.

Question 2: What do you like about the Sheffield scene?

Yusuf Yellow: Unity man, like everyone that is doing it just seems to show a love to everyone else that's trying hard so yeah, just everyone uniting and working together to make good music and help each other man, that's what I love about the Sheffield scene definitely.

Question 3: If you could change one thing about the scene what would it be?

Yusuf Yellow: I don't know man, maybe more promotion put into hip hop events you know, it seems like everything, well not everything but. A majority of the focus is around indie and rock and the crowds at them sort of shows are always huge because there's so much promotion and focus behind it, which is great but it would be great to see that sort of promotion be put in to hip hop too you know...

Question 4: Where do you see yourself in the future?

Yusuf Yellow: Hopefully somewhere much further than I am now you know, but I don't know man you never know what's gonna happen really, but I like to hope if I put in hard work now then by next year it should have paid off some how, you know. Even if its just learning to become a better producer, but yeah just get somewhere from the hardworking I'm putting in.

Question 5: Have you got any hobbies?

Yusuf Yellow: I like making music, I like skating. Skating is kinda fun, nothing really, I don't know. Nothing too crazy, I like drinking tea, think I might be addicted to biscuits but I don't know, I think that's about it to be honest.

L01: Explain how special effects are used to generate audio visual content.

Special Effects

Stunt Props

Sugar glass is bottles made to look exactly like bottles of alcohol but made out of sugar, they can be used to hit someone over the head with one as it looks exactly like a real bottle. They are made sugar and other ingredients until the sugar caramelises then using food colouring of choice to then be modelled into the real shape of a bottle. An example of how sugar glass has been used is the Grinch where the Grinch eats a bottle as food, he bites straight into the bottle and eats it as if it was a meal. This makes it safer for the crew and actors as it is pain free, they won't be getting hit by a real glass bottle over their head which is not only safer but pain free.

Props / Costume

Why do filmmakers use more than one prop? Filmmakers use more than one prop as it allows them to have more than one action happening in an environment at once, it doesn't limit the team to what they are capable of during production. An example of how this is used is in Star Wars, R2D2, C-3PO and the guns used by the Stormtroopers. These are all props as they can't use real guns during production down to obvious reasons, This gives the effect of realistic action. This gives the audience an effect of tension and suspense when the guns are being fired and shot around the place as if they were real guns during the fighting scenes.



Makeup / Prosthetics

What are prosthetics? Prosthetics are artificial body parts, used to be made out of wood or metal but down to todays technology they are made from a realistic looking rubber. They are used in films to be shot at or cut in action scenes when they are caught by bullets.They are used to also keep safe and look as realistic as possible when the actors are showing they have been shot. This creates an effect on the audience through making them believe what is happening is real, for example if an arm was to be cut off, they would be grossed out. Even though it is not real, the prosthetics have made it look real.


Pyrotechnics

Pyrotechnics are things such as explosions, flashes, flames and smoke. These things can be used inside many things, such as music videos, films, theatre etc. These are made by professionals through science, knowing exactly how to make them and how to use them properly depending on the environment they are in. Pyrotechnics are used on live stage performances, such as Travis Scott that uses smoke throughout his sets and sudden bursts of quick flames to make the setlist/live performance more exciting and surprising, this helps keep the audience entertained and more interested with the set. Travis Scott keeps himself safe through practice sets, they will run through warm ups so that they know exactly where the pyrotechnics will be happening so that it keeps everyone safe from burns, pains and damage etc.


Mechanised Props

Mechanised props are machined devices used as props, they are used to get as close to the real thing down to their motions in the engineering/mechanics. An example of a mechanised prop is the shark from the film Jaws (1975). This shark was has skin made of polyurethane rubber which not only made the shark look realistic but also stopped the electrics getting wet inside. This takes an effect on the audience as it looks so realistic in the look and the movement of the shark they forget its not a real shark through out the film, the shark was able to swim, jump out of the water on to the boat and also lunge itself to bite the men on the boat, leaving the viewers scared and tense about the action happening.


Scale Models

 A scale model is a smaller version of a real object, for example on a movie set they could use a small version of a painted plane made from hand so that is also saves themselves money from having to get an actual plane out and fund the costs to run in.An example of this is the plane used in Thundercats, baring in mind it is animation they still use a scale model to capture the plane in the sky to look as realistic as possible. The advantages of this is the fact that is saves the production company a massive amount of money while still being able to capture the essence of a real looking flying plane in action and motion.

L02: 2.3 Viability of Visual Effects

The skills required to crate and complete my visual effect are skills inside Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe InDesign. This is the software I will be using to create effects such as grain, VHS, colour saturation and the typewriter effect. I will need to understand how to create a motion graphic inside InDesign and add VHS in Premiere Pro, I will need to learn where to locate certain effects and the adjustment measurements for personal preference of the effects.I intend to learn these skills via my teacher or YouTube tutorials when working outside of lesson, I have seen short clips on how to create these effects to the capabilities are limitless. To complete my visual effects I will need a laptop with Adobe InDesign and Adobe Premiere Pro as I can access editing features on these softwares that I can't on others, I have chosen to use these as they are media industry standard editing software so I can create my effect to the best of my ability. There will be no cost in providing computer equipment as I have my own personal laptop with software already downloaded, I have access to this software as my dad works in the media industry so I can get Adobe software for free through his company. I believe that a month is long enough to create my visual effect due to the endless amount of videos available on YouTube and the support from teachers at college, these things are very helpful when you are wanting to learn and create specific graphics and visuals etc. I am likely to encounter a few minor issues while creating my graphic such as the software freezing or closing down, this can happen unexpectedly through files being large or just down to minor faults in the hardware, I will be sure to frequently save my files and back up an extra file just in case.

L02: 2.2 Evaluation of feasibility Visual Effect

2.2: Feasibility of visual effects.

Working in the visual effects industry requires workers to work long hours on computers and sat in the same position for long periods of time. When creating my visual effects I would like to avoid risks to my health and consider safe working practices.

Risks to working with computers:

- Cause migraines
- Can cause issues with eyes resulting in eye tests
- Discomfort
- Repetitive strain injury
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Posture problems

How to protect workers:

- Take regular breaks when working at the computer
- Provide eye tests
- Provide training and information for workers
- Checking the screen is positioned well and properly adjusted
- Making sure lighting conditions are suitable

To meet these guidelines I will take regular breaks and sit with my posture upright, in doing this I won't have any chance of getting a migraine or repetitive strain injury. I will also not hurt my back if I sit up right as my posture will be in the best possible position. I believe the creation of my visual effects is feasible as I am only working on my effects for 2 hours a day with one break. The effects can be completed in this time if the computer functions correctly and there are minimal glitches / errors in the softwares used that could take more time.