Georgia Film Project
FILMUGA
09.06.2016
Did you know that Georgia is tied for №3 in worldwide film production?
The Team
Kara Templeton
Joe Youorski
Will Segars
Vanessa Afful
Brittany Bowes
Overview
Our group will be working with Melissa Jackson and the UGA Department of Marketing and Communication to develop promotional and informational material to showcase university locations for film production. We will develop a website and a mobile app to show a number of potential filming locations around campus, shot with 360 degree video.
Goals
- Showcase UGA filming locations with 360 degree video.
- Develop a site and app to make the office’s procedures more efficient.
- Include and make more accessible useful and already created material from the office in the project, such as contracts.Specifications
Specifications
Schedules
- Test and gain experience with technology
Sept. 13 to Sept. 20
360 degree video is a new technology with a great deal of obstacles we may have never encountered before. To practice, we will shoot an exterior scene, similar to what we will do for the actual footage, and then explore editing the scene in Adobe Premiere’s recently added VR mode.
2. Scout and prioritize locations
Sept. 20 to Sept. 27
Our client has a number of locations that they are interested in. However, we have a limited window of time for production. Before production, we will have scout the most film-friendly and appealing locations from her list and make a priority list of shooting.
3. Preliminary work on website and begin production
- Quads
- Libraries
- North Campus
- Interior vs. Exterior Spaces
- Classrooms
Sept. 27 to Oct. 4
During this period, we will begin to develop a layout and design for the website as well to make a wire frame. At the same time, we will begin to shoot our top priority locations.
4. Expanded work on website and continued production
Sept. 4 to Oct. 25
We will continue to work on the website and the footage in conjunction, leading us to a beta of the site. By the end of October, we should have a functional site with edited 360 degree footage of our top locations.
5. Adapt and fine-tune beta into finished product
Oct. 25 to Nov. 29
After beta presentations, we will take criticism and shortcomings into account as we take the project to a finished stage. If time is allotted, we will shoot and edit second tier locations or requests from the client. By the end of November, we will have a fully functional, sleek website with a working mobile component and final edits on our footage.
The Problem:
The Office of Marketing and Communication receives numerous inquiries and requests from filmmakers, both large and small, on using university locations for production. There is currently no online component for the process, meaning that all requests must be handled over the phone or through email.
Filmmakers often want to see a number of specific locations, such as classrooms or quad areas, and the office has found a number of them that the scouts tend to respond well to.
The Solution:
Our team will develop online material, such as a site and a mobile companion, to better the office’s communications with filmmakers. The office will be able to direct filmmakers to information, contracts, and 360 video showcases of the locations available to expedite the inquiries.
Our Client: UGA Office of Marketing and Communication
The Office of Marketing and Communication’s Melissa Jackson has been looking to get a web presence for UGA film locations as well as 360 degree video to showcase the locales. She approached the NMI for help with the 360 degree footage, coinciding with the Georgia Film project that Jay Hamilton has proposed.
Our project is aimed at UGA, but we have incorporated research on the Georgia film industry to better market the product and better understand why the department has had an influx of inquiries.
Our Vision:
Our project will result in a clean, accessible way for filmmakers of all statuses to explore UGA’s locations for production. We will effectively market campus as a attractive base to shoot on, as well as offer helpful information and material to facilitate the process. Our vision is to have a product that proves useful to filmmakers, UGA, and the office’s employees themselves through one medium.
Research:
- Tax Breaks — The State of Georgia grants up to 30 percent tax credits to companies who are producing films, television shows, commercials, and music videos within the state. The Georgia’s Entertainment Industry Investment Act provides a 20 percent tax credit to companies that spend $500,000 or more on production and post-production within the state of Georgia
- Why film in Georgia?
Existing movie franchises. Sequels will be made for existing projects that were filmed here in Georgia. Examples include Taken 3, Catching Fire, Vampire Diaries, Walking Dead, Magic Mike XXL, and Guardians of the Galaxy 2
Biodiversity. Western films required Hollywood’s desert areas, but those types of movies are no longer prevalent. Georgia has downtown Atlanta, the world’s largest aquarium, the world’s largest inland swamp, Appalachian Mountains, The world’s largest airport, Stone Mountain and much more.
Major Studios: Atlanta Media Campus and Studios and Moon River Studios are major works in progress and will be among the largest studios in the country upon completion. Other successful studios in Georgia include Turner Broadcasting and Pinewood Studios.
3. Production incentives and resources
The Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act provides up to 30% of production expenditures in transferable tax credits. Additional benefits include site and building services, location data, community contacts and facilitation, cost environment analysis, coordination with state agencies.
Georgia has a Camera Ready Communities program that connects the film and TV industry with knowledgeable liaisons from each county in order to find what they are looking for. Athens is a Georgia Camera Ready Community, meaning its provides local, one-on-one assistance in every aspect of production.
4. 360-Degree Video
Standard cameras used to shoot 360 videos are the Ricoh Theta, Kodak SP360, and IC Real Tech Allie. The 360Fly, which we will be using, shoots in 4K and uses one large, wide angle lenses so it does not have to stitch in post. It shoots what the single lense can capture, so it does not capture the full 360 degrees.
The standard for editing is Kolor Autopano, as it can automatically stitch your footage, but Adobe Premiere expanded its capabilities in 2016. The program can now host 360 degree footage, with a VR mode that allows for panoramic editing with live playback.
The Plan:
Reach Goal: Develop an iOS app and website that both feature campus maps and 360 video of prime filming locations
Realistic Goal: Develop an interactive website with mobile compatibility for potential filmmakers that features 360 video footage of prime filming locations and other resources
Base Goal: Get 360 degree footage of UGA campus filming locations as well as the framework for an interactive website
Obstacles:
Our client has a great number of locations that they need footage of, which will be difficult to complete due to time and production constraints. We will need proper permissions to shoot in each location, so as not to disrupt class or work on campus, and we will have to bear in mind that difficult locations for us to film in will be difficult for filmmakers as well.
We also will have to learn 360 degree video and VR editing in a quick time frame. Due to a tight production schedule, practicing with the gear and software will be vital for keeping on track.
