Collaperture -Film Production App
App designed for amateur filmmakers that aims to streamline the production process from planning to shooting to editing.
Usability Engineering | Prototyping | User Research | User Testing
10 min read
App designed for amateur filmmakers that aims to streamline the production process from planning to shooting to editing.
Usability Engineering | Prototyping | User Research | User Testing
10 min read
Collaperture, our dedicated application for amateur filmmakers, is a holistic solution that transforms the filmmaking journey from inception to completion. Designed with the collaborative spirit in mind, it equips directors, writers, on-set crew, actors, and editors with a suite of indispensable tools, ensuring seamless coordination and organization throughout the production process.
1. Universal Accessibility: Collaperture is accessible across various devices, offering tailored interfaces for distinct user roles, making it a versatile and user-friendly tool.
2. Empowering Creativity: Directors can effortlessly plan and share shot lists and production schedules, fostering efficient communication and alignment among the team.
3. On-Set Efficiency: On-set crew members can capture crucial shooting details, provide valuable take feedback, and contribute to the streamlined organization and labeling of footage files.
Collaperture's ultimate aim is to elevate workflow, enhance communication, and boost productivity within the world of amateur filmmaking, empowering enthusiasts to bring their creative visions to life with ease.
Our mission is to create an application tailored to the needs of amateur filmmakers, with the Filmmakers Club at Virginia Tech serving as our primary client and a representation of our potential user base.
1. Inclusivity: Our goal is to cater to the broader community of amateur filmmakers, irrespective of their budget constraints. While our focus is not on single-person teams, our product can still offer value to them.
2. User Diversity: Our solution aims to benefit filmmaking teams, whether they have a formal club setting like our client or not. However, our design will primarily align with the needs of users like our client, as we haven't extensively studied the requirements of other team structures.
Our project's scope is clear: crafting a versatile application that empowers amateur filmmakers and accommodates a range of user scenarios, all while building upon the insights gleaned from our collaboration with the Filmmakers Club.
In collaboration with the Filmmakers Club at Virginia Tech, we delved into the world of amateur filmmakers. By conducting interviews and observations, we aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the diverse roles and tasks within the film production process. Our semi-structured interview questions, co-developed with club officers wearing both facilitator and user hats, allowed us to tap into their expertise and experience, providing valuable insights into the nuanced tasks of various roles.
We transformed the WANs into a virtual sticky for each data point after creating the work activity notes from the user interviews. Instead of keeping a record of their observations individually. We chose to separate the categories depending on the user work roles of our users, such as directors, editors, writers, cinematographers, and more. As a result, given that our interviewees played multiple roles during the filming process, our observations were divided into categories depending on user roles.
The flow model of a general filmmaking process for smaller filmmakers. We start by identifying three stages of film production: pre-production, during production, and post-production. These stages are framed with pink dash rectangles. Everything outside of the rectangles stays out of the production. We organized the model this way because these productions do not currently have a well-defined “system” in use.
Hierarchical Task Inventory represents the break down of the first level of tasks by phases of the production, as the tasks in each phase are mostly mutually exclusive, and each phase happens after the previous is done. Within each phase, the next level breakdown then loosely corresponds to the work roles in that phase. We included all tasks we could think of, even ones that were out of the scope of the project, and color coded those in pink.
In the current mental model, shot list creation lacks structure and critical details. The proposed model guides directors through the process, ensuring comprehensive information is readily available. Our app manages notifications, enhancing communication during production. Additionally, it introduces data recording, including scene, shot, take numbers, director feedback, and ratings. This data streamlines post-production tasks, optimizing efficiency and organization. Our aim is to elevate film production by refining existing processes and introducing innovative features.
Our production record-keeping system incorporates mobile and physical interfaces, employing intuitive UX metaphors. The mobile interface uses a clapperboard for data input and emojis for ratings, while the physical device simplifies data entry with buttons and displays. Post-production, our system organizes footage into structured folders with take numbers and ratings, aiding editors' selections. A preview screen showcases the transformation, fostering trust. Our goal: Enhancing efficiency and organization in film production.
We brainstormed new film production tool concepts using task sequence models. We employed generative design techniques, refining ideas through feedback and critiques. Key features included auto-organizing footage files and scheduling with notifications. Client interviews garnered positive feedback, leading to design updates before progressing to conceptual design.
The wireframes illustrate the shot list creation process within a web or desktop application. Users input script and storyboard details, such as settings, actors, and shots, and make scheduling decisions. They select shoot days, assign shots, rearrange sequences, and set concrete dates based on various factors. The final shot list provides a comprehensive summary of this information, simplifying the process for users.
Our wireframes demonstrate the automatic organization and renaming of footage files within a desktop application. Users choose the folder containing unorganized files and preview the impending changes. They can access ratings and notes recorded for each take during shooting. Additionally, an alternate representation in the wireframes highlights differences to address in the prototyping phase, ensuring a seamless user experience.
Objective: Efficiently onboard users and assign roles within the crew and cast.
Key Metric: Achieve a 90% completion rate for user role assignments.
This KPI addresses the critical initial step of user engagement. Efficiently inviting users and ensuring they understand their roles are essential for a smooth filmmaking process. It ensures that users can quickly get started and collaborate effectively within the app.
Objective: Streamline the shot list creation process for seamless filmmaking.
Key Metric: Reduce the average time spent on shot list creation by 25%.
Creating a shot list is a pivotal task in filmmaking. By reducing the time spent and providing a user-friendly wizard, you enhance the creative process. Success in this KPI means users can effortlessly plan their shots, promoting efficient filmmaking.
Objective: Enable convenient and efficient mobile recording of production notes.
Key Metric: Achieve a 95% user engagement rate with the mobile recording feature.
Filmmaking often requires capturing spontaneous moments on set. Mobile recording ensures users can quickly document insights, enhancing the quality of production notes. High user engagement indicates that users find this feature valuable and easy to use.
Objective: Optimize the organization of footage files for post-production ease.
Key Metric: Reduce the time required to organize footage by 30%.
Efficiently organizing footage simplifies the editing process. Users should be able to access their materials without hassle. Reducing the time required indicates the effectiveness of the organization system, contributing to overall efficiency.
Objective: Provide a user-friendly interface for viewing production notes.
Key Metric: Achieve a 95% user satisfaction rate with the production notes viewing feature.
Accessing production notes is essential for decision-making during filming and post-production. A high user satisfaction rate reflects a well-designed interface, ensuring that users can easily refer to their insights when needed.
1. Empowering Creative Collaboration: The application's core focus lies in facilitating seamless communication and collaboration among key creatives like directors and cinematographers. Features like visual storyboarding, video conferencing, and chat functions foster the effective expression and realization of their creative visions.
2. Striking the Creativity-Practicality Balance: While nurturing creativity, the app also acknowledges the importance of practical considerations such as budget, logistics, and timelines. It provides tools for budget tracking, scheduling, and resource management, ensuring that creative ideas align with project constraints.
3. Streamlining Revision and Feedback: Recognizing the inevitability of revisions and the value of feedback, the application promotes easy collaboration, tracks changes, and manages revisions efficiently. Features like version control, feedback tracking, and annotation support the iterative creative process.
