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Original poster

EPQ tech help, film making

49 replies

mastertomsmum · 27/05/2023 19:10

Anyone have recommendations for the best equipment - camera, mic etc. - for making a 30 minute film for EPQ ?

Feeling very out of our depth and not much help from school

OP posts:
GladysHeeler · 28/05/2023 09:37

Do you need the best equipment? Is the subject of the EPQ film making or something else that they are making a film about?

If you do need equipment can you borrow any from the sixth form?

Original poster
mastertomsmum · 28/05/2023 12:58

You can only borrow sixth form equipment if you are a film studies student at my DS’s sixth form.

We need something that will do the job well enough, isn’t too tricky to use. Hopefully not v v expensive but not cheapo no good either

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 28/05/2023 15:08

An iPhone will do a perfectly good job. Plenty of A level film coursework is made that way! There are now documentary and narrative films on release made on iPhone.

Original poster
mastertomsmum · 28/05/2023 18:47

Piggywaspushed · 28/05/2023 15:08

An iPhone will do a perfectly good job. Plenty of A level film coursework is made that way! There are now documentary and narrative films on release made on iPhone.

Thanks, what would the other supporting equipment be - microphone, tripod/stand??

OP posts:
AtomicBlondeRose · 28/05/2023 18:55

I agree that an iPhone is fine. The rest depends on what they want to do - any tripod would do for phone recording as they don’t have to support any weight. You can also get small phone tripods that rest on a table etc which might work. Or there are all sorts of grips etc that help. With sound, the phone mic might be ok. If it’s going to be dialogue heavy they can also record it separately in a quiet room and add it later.

Does it have to be 30 minutes? That’s very long! My media/film students would usually only make something up to about 5 minutes. I have a huge film buff who wants to be a professional who’s made a 10 minute film and that was a huge undertaking.

I would advise your DC to go out over half term with their phone and just record a bunch of shots. No narrative, just static shots/tracking shots/pans etc and then watch it back and think what works. Maybe get a couple of friends and practice filming a conversation using shot/reverse shot. Some close ups of eg someone getting something out of a bag. And then think of any extra equipment would be useful. Otherwise you’re running the risk of having “all the gear and no idea!”.

GladysHeeler · 28/05/2023 18:55

You don’t need any of those things. A phone or a tablet had an inbuilt microphone and you just balance it on something to hold it steady. Anything. Mug. Books. Bag of lentils

Piggywaspushed · 28/05/2023 18:57

What exactly is this film? Is the EPQ about filmmaking or is it just a film about the EPQ?

I'm not a filmmaker but I do know decent films can be made on phones.

Piggywaspushed · 28/05/2023 19:00

You can buy what's called a rig.
It has a stabiliser and a little mic. Mainly used by vloggers. About £40.

Piggywaspushed · 28/05/2023 19:01

Also agree that a 30 minute film is very long!

GladysHeeler · 28/05/2023 19:08

Piggywaspushed · 28/05/2023 18:57

What exactly is this film? Is the EPQ about filmmaking or is it just a film about the EPQ?

I'm not a filmmaker but I do know decent films can be made on phones.

I asked that this morning and got no answer. 🤷🏻‍♀️It makes quite a difference I think as to what it's being marked on.

Piggywaspushed · 28/05/2023 19:10

You did! Thought it was worth reasking!

AtomicBlondeRose · 28/05/2023 19:14

It does make a difference but even if it was being assessed on cinematography/lighting etc there’s a limit to what can reasonably be expected of A-level students, especially non-specialists - even my level 3 Diploma media students only have to use DSLRs/lighting rig in one unit; they can use phones or bridge cameras for the rest if they prefer.

GladysHeeler · 28/05/2023 19:36

Piggywaspushed · 28/05/2023 19:10

You did! Thought it was worth reasking!

Me too! Grin

Original poster
mastertomsmum · 28/05/2023 22:11

The film is the artifact it’s scripted

OP posts:
AtomicBlondeRose · 29/05/2023 14:07

Where have you got 30 minutes from? Do they have a 30-page screenplay written? I would strongly advise not trying to make something so long - I don’t know the requirements of EPQ but that’s a huge commitment. Also, the making of the film would be the important thing - research, influences, intention, rather than the quality, so no need to spend money on equipment.

Original poster
mastertomsmum · 29/05/2023 19:57

AtomicBlondeRose · 29/05/2023 14:07

Where have you got 30 minutes from? Do they have a 30-page screenplay written? I would strongly advise not trying to make something so long - I don’t know the requirements of EPQ but that’s a huge commitment. Also, the making of the film would be the important thing - research, influences, intention, rather than the quality, so no need to spend money on equipment.

Son has been working on 20-30 mins as the length. He has screenplay, storyboard, script etc.

The EPQ final artifact is only one element of the whole project - as you say - he’s done all those elements.

OP posts:
Original poster
mastertomsmum · 30/05/2023 17:54

Bumping this thread up in the hope of some more input.

Hoping for kind words and film experienced replies

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 30/05/2023 18:07

I think we are giving you kind words OP but the film experienced on the thread are trying to understand what the brief your DS has set himself is, what he is being assessed on, and where the 30 minute length comes from - that length is massively in excess of what an A Level film student has to do, for example, which you and your DS may not realise.

Who is supervising the EPQ? Do they know anything about filmmaking? I find at my school any available Tom, Dick or Harriet teacher supervises EPQs and often gives quite poor advice when a student suggest they might make a film. As would I if asked about biochemistry or textile design.

A few years ago, one of my students made a coming of age short film for his EPQ. Not sure what equipment he used but nothing special. More to the point it was 8 minutes long.

Original poster
mastertomsmum · 30/05/2023 18:42

Ok, so the message is coming through that 30 mins is too long. The EPQ supervisor is the form tutor. The film and photography departments don’t offer equipment and advice is there but their priority is their own students.

NB the sixth form college is one of the top 5 in the country. So hence why I’m eeeek at how we can feel out of our depth in this process

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 30/05/2023 18:55

I think the EPQ can be quite bewildering and very different from standard A levels, with only mild and unspecific encouraging noises from teachers. What has driven him to make a film? Does he want a portfolio for a uni application? Is it the editing or the creative writing he likes? I'm still not quite getting what his artefact is meant to showcase.

But, yes, 30 minutes is too long!

AtomicBlondeRose · 30/05/2023 19:03

Really to give advice we need to know what his aim is: is it to tell a story? Perhaps to raise awareness of an issue?

Is it to plan and run a film shoot? To achieve some high-quality cinematography and editing? To ape a film style such as film noir?

The thing is that for media and film coursework a student is never really assessed on all of these things at once as they’re all discrete skills. So a short film that’s showing a narrative style might not have great filming or editing, but still get a good grade for what they’re trying to do. Or an immaculately-filmed sequence might have no narrative (and be very short) but get a high grade for showing a great eye for shots and good editing technique.

To write, film and edit a 30 minute film is a massive job if you’re also trying to get the highest quality footage and edit it well. Buying a load of equipment doesn’t really deal with any of these issues as it’s about skills rather than gear. But if there was one specific thing a student was aiming to do we could advise if there was anything that could help with that.

AtomicBlondeRose · 30/05/2023 19:05

By the way, if a non-specialist student came to me asking for help with their filmmaking EPQ these are the first questions I’d ask them! I agree with @Piggywaspushed that people don’t realise how hard films are to make, even at student level. They’d never blithely advise a student to write a novel or stage a 30-minute play!

knackeredmumoftwo · 30/05/2023 21:12

That's a huge undertaking - can I ask if it's a Cambridge sixth form
And if so please pm me:)?
I would say that he could focus on making a short film - say 3/5 mins as part of the script - trying to render and colour grade a 30 min film would take a ridiculous amount of IT processing power - and too much for an IPhone or even upload to YouTube to share it!
A shorter snapshot would be a lot more accessible and watchable
Does he have mates that can act / be his crew - what lighting does he need? Indoors / outdoors etc
Does his sixth form have students on a media course that could help wtx

MBappse · 30/05/2023 21:19

I am not a film expert.

But I understand the EPQ for a creative project is somewhat about the wrote up of the process, the learning and the way a project is tackled (I tried x and it didn't work because of y, so I adapted and tried z).... so in addition to the actual film there might be a big accompanying write up ... in which case 30 minutes is definitely too long.

I think you need some better advice from school.

Cathpot · 30/05/2023 21:33

Also not I’m not an expert as my first brush with EPQ was when my daughter did hers this year ( not film) . It was all a bit of a nightmare as the original teacher really didn’t have an handle on it and then left so by the time she got to a teacher who did know what was what it was late in the L6th. Anyway- the issue for her was that until the second teacher was on board she hadn’t really understood what the project needed to look like. In fact most of the marks in her case came from the process, rather than the product. Lots of documenting plans, trial runs, keeping a reflective diary on how it was going, noting conversations she had with people she went to for advice, referenced research and a presentation for feedback etc. this was something if a nightmare to sort out in a short time frame and while she did manage and it was overall a useful process , it was a bit fraught.

Do you think he has a clear idea of where the marks will come from- can you find and download the relevant syllabus? Can he corner a teacher and get a breakdown of what he needs to do?