Properties

Props in the production

Contact list

Contact list

Crew emails

Yasmin Ally
10ay1@thebeaconschool.co.uk

Kieran Falzon
10fk1@thebeaconschool.co.uk

Rhys Painter
10pr1@thebeaconschool.co.uk

Varshini Yogaeswaran
10yv1@thebeaconschool.co.uk

Kundai Machaka
10mk1@thebeaconschool.co.uk

Legal, ethical and contractual constraints

Legal, ethical and contractual constraints

Constraint- a limitation or a restriction on something in order to prevent something else from occurring.

There are many limitations, laws and restrictions in the Media industry. Some regulations aren’t legal however these are just equally as important in some circumstances.

Employment legislation

Employment legislation refers to the laws which enable protection to employers as well as their staff from unsafe working conditions and unhealthy situations. In any job or employment situation, health and safety regulations need to be carried out effectively and properly assessed as well as ensure employee’s rights and opportunities are all equal.

Employees rights at work depend on:

• Employment status and rights
• Contract of employment

Worker

A worker is generally classed as this if they have a contract or another arrangement in order to carry out work or services personally for a reward however the contract does not have to be written. The employees' reward is almost always for money although it could also be a benefit such as a promise of a contract or future work. 

Workers only have limited right to send someone else to do their work.These individuals also have to turn up for work even if they do not want to. Their employer has to have work for them to do as long as the contract or arrangement lasts. These employees' aren’t doing the work as part of their own limited company in an arrangement where the ‘employer’ is actually a customer or client.

Employment rights

Workers are entitled to certain employment rights such as:

• Receiving The National Minimum Wage
• Protection against unlawful deductions from wages
• The statutory minimum level of paid holiday
• The statutory minimum length of rest breaks
• To not work more than 48 hours on average per week or to opt out of this right if they choose
• Protection against unlawful discrimination
• Protection for ‘Whistle-blowing’
• To not be treated less favourably if they work part-time

https://www.gov.uk/child-employment/minimum-ages-children-can-work

Performance licences

A child might require a licence if they are under the leaving school age and taking part in:

• Films, plays, concerts and other public performances that an audience will pay to view or that takes place on licence premises.
• Any sporting events or modelling assignments where the individual is paid

The employer of the child must apply to the child’s local council for a child performance licence.

Supervision for the child

If this individual will not be present with their parent(s), guardians, teacher or tutor, they will have to be supervised by a chaperoned which will be provided by the council. Chaperones can be applied for approval by the council.

Rules for paying children

School aged children are not entitled to the National Minimum Wage as they do not pay National Insurance so they only need to be included in a payroll if their income is over their Personal Allowance. Children who are 16 or 17 are entitled to at least £3.87 per hour. 

A registered employer will need a record for this individual and report their pay as part of running payroll, however, if they earn more than £112 a week they will also need to do other regular PAYE tasks like deductions.

Restrictions on employment

There are various restrictions on where and when children are allowed to work. Children are not allowed to work:

• Without an employment permit issues by the education department of their local council
• A factory or industrial site
• During school hours
• Before 7am or after 7pm
• For more than one hour before school
• For more than 4 hours without taking a break that lasts at least an hour
• Pubs, betting shops and prohibited in local bylaws
• Harmful work places that could affect their health, well-being or education
• Without having a 2 week break from any work during the school holidays each year

Term time rules

During term time children can only work a maximum of 12 hours a week which also includes:

• A maximum of 2 hours on school days and Sundays
• A maximum of 5 hours on Saturdays for individuals who are 13-14 and 8 hours for 16-15 year old children

School holiday rules

During school holidays 13 and 14 year old children are allowed to work up to 25 hours a week which also includes:

• A maximum of 5 hours on weekdays and Saturdays
• A maximum of 2 hours on Sundays

During school holidays 15 and 16 year old individuals are allowed to work the maximum hours of 35 a week. This includes:

• A maximum of 8 hours on weekdays and Saturdays
• A maximum of 2 hours on Sundays

The contract of employment is the agreement made between the employer and the employee. This is usually through a written agreement. The contract of employment will include ‘custom and practice’ agreements which will address how activities are usually carried out in the workplace even though this might not be mentioned in the contract.

Employers Liability Insurance

Employers are responsible for the health and safety of their employees while they are at work. Employees may be injured at work or become ill as a result of their job. They might try to claim compensation from an employer if they believe that the employer is at fault and is responsible for the situation occurring.

The Employers’ Liability Act 1969 ensures that the employer has at least a minimum level of insurance cover against any potential claims of compensation that are made against them. Employers' Liability Insurance is compulsory to possess. Employers’ Liability Insurance enable employers to meet the cost of potential compensation for employees’ injuries or illness whether they are caused on or off site.

Any injuries and illness relating to motor accidents that occur while employees are working may be covered separately by motor insurance.

Public Liability

Public Liability is separate to Employer Liability Insurance. This liability ensures cover to employers in case claims are made by members of the public or other organisations. Public Liability Insurance is generally voluntary whereas Employers’ Liability Insurance is compulsory.

Employers can be fined if they do not hold a current Employers’ Liability Insurance policy which complies with the law. It is important to possess Public liability insurance if filming is taking place in public. If any aspect of production causes injury to a member of the public, or damages property during the production, Public Liability Insurance will be able to cover the production company and this insurance organisation will pay out the required compensation.

Copyright and Trademarks

Copyright applies to work that is recorded.

Copyright gives the author specific rights in relation to the work. It prohibits unauthorised actions and allows the author to take legal action against instances of infringement or plagiarism.

Trademarks are registered at a national or territory level with an appointed government body and may take anywhere between 6 and 18 months to be processed.

Registered Trademarks may be identified by the abbreviation TM, or a symbol.

Intellectual property

This refers to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, symbol, names, images and designs used in commerce.

Intellectual property is divided into two categories:

Industrial properly which includes inventions, trademarks, industrial designs and geographic indications of source

Copyright, which includes literary and artistic works such as novels, poems, plays, films, musical works, artistic works such as drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures and architectural designs.

Rights related to copyright include those of performing artists in their performances, producers of phonograms in their recordings and those of broadcasters in their radio and television programmes.

Exclusivity and confidentiality

A non-disclosure agreement is a legal contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material. This is knowledge or information that the parties wish to share with one another for specific purposes, but wish to restrict access to by third parties.

A non-disclosure agreement creates a confidential relationship between the parties to protect any type of confidential and proprietary information or secrets of production.

A non-disclosure agreement in a contract may also include exclusivity between the parties involved. Often, a person signing a contract provided by a company is agreeing to limited and exclusive employment for the company, the production or any other details the contract states.

Ethical constraints

Ethics are the Moral Principles that define how a person or group acts. There are ethical issues that TV producers are affected by including:

Trust

Liability

Truth

Privacy

Serving Public interest

The BBC follows a Charter.

The Charter sets out the public purposes of the BBC, this guarantees its independence and outlines of the BBC Trust as well as the BBC Executive Board.

BBC Editorial Guidelines

Trust

Truth and accuracy

Impartiality

Harm and offence

Fairness

Privacy

Conflicts of interest

Accountability

Trade unions

Trade Unions

• Producers' Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT)
• National Union of Journalists (NUJ)
• Broadcasting Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU)

Broadcasting Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU) is essentially the British media and entertainment trade union. They cover many sectors which include:

• Broadcasting
• Film
• Theatre and arts
• Leisure media
• Digital media
• Independent production

The BECTU represent staff members, contract and freelance workers. These individuals are based in the United Kingdom.

BECTU provide many services to their members which include:

• Negotiating conditions, pay and contracts with their employers
• Representation and advice on health and safety
• Personal advice and representation for each of their individual members within the organisation
• Courses and training support
• The benefits and services that the organisation provide to their members
• Career development opportunities
• Network events
• Union journal (Stage, screen and radio) published six times per year
• BECTU's website is designed to improve access to the union's advice and support

BECTU's representation is important for individuals and organisations within filmmaking as they are able to protect and support their members as best as they can. BECTU cover so many different areas of filmmaking such as independent production and broadcasting that each one will have some sort of significant benefit to each of their members. The areas they cover are to maximise their success and work conditions. The organisation ensure that their members are being treated correctly and create positive productions.

Regulatory bodies

Regulatory bodies

• Ofcom
• British Board of Film Classification (BBFC)

Ofcom is the communications regulator that works in the UK. This organisation regulate:

• Television
• Radio
• Video on demand sectors
• Mobiles
• Postal services
• Fixed line telecoms

Ofcom also regulate airwaves over which wireless devices operate.
Ofcom ensure that people in the United Kingdom receive the best from their communications and technology services and are protected against scams and sharp practices. They also ensure that competition can thrive whilst all of this is proceeding. Ofcom operates with and under a number of acts and laws such as the Communications Act 2003. Ofcom must limit their actions within the legislation of the Parliament when intervening in laws such as this.
Ofcom's main legal duties are to ensure:

• The UK are accessable to a wide range of electronic communication services and technology that also include high-speed services such as broadband
• The public are offered a wide range of high-quality television and radio programmes that appeal to all different types of tastes and interests
• Various television and radio services are provided to the public by a range of different organisations
• Individuals who view television programmes and radio broadcasts are protected against offensive and harmful material
• People are protected and are to be treated correctly in television and radio programmes as well as protecting and preventing their privacy to become invaded
• Audience of video on demand services are protected against any harmful content
• A universal postal service is provided to the United Kingdom. Each individual household can receive letters, packages etc each day of the week excluding Sunday.
• The radio spectrum is provided and effectively used in the best possible way. This can include airwaves used by individuals from taxi firms, boat owners, mobile phone companies, broadcasters etc.

Ofcom may get involved within a production if they feel that these viewers are at risk of harmful and distressing content which they should not be watching. For example, this could be a child at the age of ten viewing a short film that is based on abuse, self harm and suicide. This production includes scenes of blood, sharp objects and other significant features that the child should not be watching. Ofcom may decide to put a specific age rating on this content such as twelve and up or fifteen plus. Ofcom want to ensure that young people and individuals that are not suitable to watch content do not do so to the best of their ability.

British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is an independent, non-government body which classifies cinema films. They have done this since it was set up in 1912. Videos and DVDs where later introduced when the Video Recordings Act was passed in 1984. BBFC is a not for profit organisation which means that its fees are adjusted to only cover its initial costs.

The BBFC are responsible for rating and classifying cinema films so that the public are aware of the correct age rating that you need to be in order to view the production. It is important that the organisation ensure that their audience understand what rating is suitable for each film production, failure of the public to follow these rules and regulations can lead to consequences such as a fine against the individuals going against the classification.

The impact that the ratings of the British Board of Film Classification can have on my short film can decrease the amount of viewers that I receive. Due to the potential harmful content and footage that my film may contain; the rating will be increased. Although my content will not cause severe distress toward viewers, it will contain shocking and upsetting scenes and images. I have chosen to include these in my film so that the audience are more attracted and acknowledge the severity of the abuse.

Public liability

Public Liability

Insurance within this section covers damage and costs that could potentially happen to a facility, property or individual that is not either working within the production or owned by them. It is essential to purchase insurance in this area as they can have serious consequences and costs that the production team will not be able to afford. You need to ensure that you are covered as best as you can for possible severe financial liabilities incase anything was to go wrong on the film set. Another important factor to remember when accessing your insurance is to read the exclusions that apply so that you understand what is protected and what is not.

Employers liability

Employers Liability

This type of insurance ensures that employees and members on the set are protected at all times, however if an injury, illness or death was to occur due to the film production whether it was on set or off set; they would be paid a sum of money that is called compensation. If death was to occur to this employer; their family would be paid the compensation on behalf of the individual.

Footage

Footage

Insuring your production film and footage can be a benefit. If your footage is damaged, lost or disrupted and needs to be reshot; this will enable you to do so. Although this will delay the production and short film many filmmakers find that accessing footage insurance is a benefit as it ensures that if their footage was at risk of being destroyed they are able to at least gain something back from this whether it is money or an increase of time to complete the footage and filming.

Equipment

Equipment

Filming equipment that is hired out can become damaged and broken very easily as many of these can be fragile which is why it is essential to gain access to insurance that is able to cover each individual piece of equipment. Filming equipment can cost a huge amount of money, especially when you are having to replace this for another company. Sometimes theft or fraud is not included in the insurance cover. If equipment is left unattended in an open or unlocked equipment van or facility; it is the production teams fault and will be held fully responsible for the blame and cost. Furthermore damage to equipment such as mechanical or electrical breakdown may also not be included in the insurance cover.

Insurance

Insurance

• Public Liability
• Completion insurance

Every production needs some sort of insurance especially regarding the health and safety of your cast and crew. When hiring film equipment it is important to research and identify how much everything is worth and insure these incase something happens to them such as being broken, faulty or stolen. You can access all different types of insurance such as bad weather insurance which covers the production if this disrupts the shooting and you have to postpone the filming. This insurance will allow you to reshoot at a later time however this does not normally apply to short films as it is beyond their budget.

You should at least ensure that you have insurance for:

• Equipment
• Footage
• Employers Liability
• Public liability

Legal

Legal

• Copyright
• Health and Safety

Copyright is defined as a legal right for the original owner over something such as a piece of music or photograph. This is fixed for a number of years and allows the owner to print, perform, publish, film, record, etc. Copyrighting ensures that the owner is protected from their work being 'stolen' and from another person taking credit for this piece of work.

It is important and significant to ensure that individuals involved within the production are protected and at low risk of hazards regarding health and safety during the filmmaking process. Producers need to be aware of potential dangers that could cause harm to any individual on set. Poor lighting within a filming facility such as a warehouse could become a potential hazard as it will make it difficult to determine where objects and equipment are. This could lead to a brake in the health and safety check and could become dangerous to people within the organisation.

It is important to have at least one experienced member in the organisation who has identified potential hazards and is aware of these health and safety risks. Genres such as horror and action may pose a bigger threat to the production team, therefore these risks and hazards need to be discussed before the filming begins. The producer needs to identify the issues and a resolution of how to work around these, ensuring that the members within the production are at low risk and are kept safe to the best of their ability.

The Health and Safety Commission is responsible for the health and safety regulations in the United Kingdom. The Health and Safety Commission identify hazards and issues that could be a potential and serious threat to their team. After exploring these problems they provide different strategies and solutions in avoiding and working around them.

Talent

Talent
Talent are the individuals who specialise in being in front of the camera or recording equipment. Also known as actors, dancers and singers.
Talent is often used to refer to celebrities and specific people that feature in principle roles. These individuals achievements naturally stem from experiencing high performance and developed skills.

Public

Public
Sometimes in the recruitment process the public and public bodies will be invited to be part of the team and become involved in a key role within the production. A city or area where the film is taking place may decide to support the production by allowing them to film here although it will have to stay within its limits.
The public can sometimes become involved in the filming by congregating for crowded scenes that may be introduced.

Experts

Experts

It is common for producers in film industries to hire experts in a specific field when basing their production on a specific event. They want to be able to reconstruct these events and facts as accurate as they can; hiring an expert who has researched this and possess significant knowledge of this would be able to support and improve the creation.

It is important that producers hire experts when researching and digging deeper into the facts and historic events that they want to include within the production. The reason for this is because they do not want to give inaccurate information and material to their audience as this will anger/ confuse viewers. It is important to remain within boundaries that are historically correct according to the academic fields.

Specialists

Specialists

Specialists are individuals that are advanced and have significant knowledge about a specific area.

Specialists can be hired for many different purposes and reasons. For example;

• Overseeing advanced, technical operations that may take place on set
• Training individuals that might need to learn skills that they would not be able to adapt on their own. These specialists would also train these people in a shorter amount of time.
• Undertaking roles in the production that are vital and key

There are different types of Specialists that might be required in the production such as:

• Technical specialists
• Specialist trainers
• Production specialists

Property rights and copyright

Property Rights and Copyright

If you ask permission from an individual/ company to use their material that they have created themselves; you have to be prepared to pay for it.

It can be extremely time consuming to refine sounds and the sound designers. Foley artists and effects editors who invest that time will receive the appropriate money when their work is used.

The most important thing to remember when using any media related material in your production is to ensure that you have written permission from the owner of the chosen material as well as a contract that has been signed that evidences this.

Sound effects that have been created by an individual have the right to an appropriate form of revenue when their materials are used by third parties. It is their own property and need permission to have these used.

Internet

Internet

The internet is one of the new and easier ways to get copyrighted sound and video effects for your chosen production.

Freesound

https://freesound.org/

Freesound is a website that allows the audience and its viewers to be able to gain access in using these sound effects in their work or production.

You could use this site to build your own sound library by identifying what sound effects you need and want, downloading them and storing them away into a specific folder that you can create to use when needed.

Library material

Library material
Library material refers to material that is stored in libraries of sound or video effects.

Focus: Sound libraries
When a film is complete, the wild tracks of non-dialogue sounds are usually collated by the production company for further use in future projects.

After the vast amount of productions that have been created a library of sounds and sounds effects have been built up.
Large production companies, such as the BBC, have a vast library of various sounds that can be tweaked and reused that are available to the public.
These can contain anything from raindrops to whispering voices.

Focus: video libraries
The BBC also have libraries of video materials that are available.
Collections of different video effects are often referred to as action essentials.
These can include anything from a landscape of a rainy day to a beach with the sun up in the sky.

Archive material

Archive material
An actual film that have been incorporated into a documentary that was originally taken for another purpose. 
Archive material is old footage used in previous productions from various genres and mediums.
Documentary filmmakers often use this footage to create and authenticate their production.

An example of a film which uses archive footage is Senna, a 2010 British documentary which was directed by Asif Kapadia. In this production it depicts the life and death of the great Brazilian motor-racing champion.

Self generated materials

Self generated materials
Original materials that you have generated for your production which can include anything from creating your own sound and video effects in the process of the making of your own props and costumes.

Recorded music

Recorded music

There are a few common elements within the three courses such as:

• They all offer their students and audience courses that focus on composing for film and television
• All courses include practical work
• They evidence what qualifications, skills etc that you require/ they are looking for

There are various facilities within my school environment that I would be able to compose and record my own music. We have many cameras and sound recording equipment that we would be able to use to capture the sound and music on. Quiet rooms are also accessible such as the recording studio within the music facility in my school. After the capturing and recording the creation can then be edited using computers and editing software that can be accessed in the media rooms and departments.

Costume

Costume

Some of the skills you need for costume making are:

• Time management
• Resource management
• Budgeting and scheduling
• Working with and close to other students

The school has a few facilities that could be used to create costume for my short film such as:

• DT department
• Textiles facilities

The costumes that could be feasibly made for my film are:

• The school uniform that the victim is seen wearing (scruffy and untidy look)
• The outfit that the abuser (father) is wearing when in front of the camera (this will be a casual, untidy look)

Props

Props
Some of the skills you need for prop making are:

• Sculpting skills
• Casting techniques
• Welding
• Carpentry
• Texturing

The Beacon School has many facilities for creating and producing props such as the:

• Design and Technology (DT) departments
• Fashion and textiles departments
• Art and photography departments

Props that I could feasibly make for my short film are things such as:

• Objects found in the victims bedroom- furniture, technology, jewellery, school appliances.
• Objects found in the household- furniture, food, technology, photographs.

Graphics

Graphics

ACME GRAPHICS have served many productions such as:

• Hot Fuzz
• 4 Lions
• Attack The Block
• World War Z
• Worlds End

ACME have produced graphics such as:

• Publications
• Posters
• Logos
• Photos
• Packaging

The skills that are required are:

• Experience in design
• Creating digital work
• Creating drawings
• Producing paintings
• Creating illustrations
• Being able to use pencils and paintbrushes

Facility houses

Facility houses
This refers to companies that are able to hire out a variety of different equipment that can be used for film production.

Post-production equipment

Post-production equipment
This phrase covers various technical aspects that come after the actual production. These put the film altogether and make it ready to be seen by the audience. These phrases can include:

• Picture edit
• Sound edit
• Visual effects
• Grading/ colouring
• Titling

Picture editing package

• AVID Media Composer
• Apple Final Cut Pro
• Adobe Premier

Sound editing facilities

• Steinberg Nuendo
• AVID Pro Tools
• Audacity

Facilities

Production equipment
Post-production equipment
Outsourcing
Facility houses
Availability
Costs

Timescales for clearances

Timescales for clearances

Ensuring you have the correct waiver forms for the production is essential although you have an estimate time of four to six weeks to get these. You need to be able to possess waiver forms for potential music you use in the short film. Waiver forms are needed if this piece(s) of music is not original; if it has been created by someone else you need to be able to produce these forms. It is also essential to have actor release forms for all talent used in the production.

Minor release forms are required for individuals who are under the age of eighteen which will also need to be signed by a parent or guardian. Location recce forms are also important and essential to have within the production as this ensures that the location has been thoroughly checked regarding health and safety and the area/ facility is ready for use by the film production.

The final form that is needed for the short film is copyright waiver forms. This is for each individual that is working on the set and involved within the production that is either volunteering or working for free.

Availability of personnel

Availability of personnel

When recruiting for your production it is important to gather relevant information that can have a significant impact on the procedure and period of time it will take to complete. It is important to communicate and recognise potential barriers that may cause setbacks with the creation of the film. You need to be able to identify specific dates and times that will be set so that this individual ensures that they are able to work at the chosen period.

It is essential to ask questions and gain understanding of when individuals involved within the production are available. Ask questions such as:

• "When are you available to work?"
• "Do you have any holidays booked?"
• "Do you currently have another job?"
• "Are you able to travel easily to the production destination?"
• "Are you able to make time to be included within the production?"

Asking these sorts of questions enables you and the production team to determine whether they are willing to hire this individual and whether they will be reliable as well as meet the requirements and needs of the production.

Availability of equipment

Availability of equipment

Deadlines

Deadlines
Deadlines need to be met when creating and producing your short film. Some of the deadlines that productions experience and need to meet are:

• Shooting
• Picture lock
• Sound lock
• Visual effects
• Sound mixing
• Music
• Colour correction
• Delivery

Shooting
Shooting is one of the most important features that needs to have accurate timing. On the first day of principal photography all pre-production has to be complete before this date. The final day of shooting all footage must be secure by this date.