Evaluation of preliminary task

I enjoyed filming our preliminary task as it allowed expansion of my knowledge not only in terms of the film industry, but in the general filming of a production. The filming acted as a way of helping the group to familiarise with shots and angles which will benefit us in our making of a thriller. Also learning the techniques was helpful as we were then able to apply our new knowledge to our media lessons which in the long run helps our overall AS grade.

Learning new techniques such as shot reverse shot, rule of thirds and the 180 degree rule made our film more visually appealing and varied in order not to bore the audience, but keep their focus. The 180-degree rule of shooting and editing keeps the camera on one side of the action. As a matter of convention, the camera stays on one side of the axis of action throughout a scene; this keeps characters grounded compositionally on a particular side of the screen or frame, and keeps them looking at one another when only one character is seen onscreen at a time. We used this rule when characters were conversing in order to ensure the spatial relationship between the two characters is consistent from shot to shot.

The set up for shot reverse shot 

Learning new shots allowed us to make a more varied and interesting production, for example we found using extreme close ups which focuses the audience's attention on a particular detail. It also has the effect of intensifying and concentrating an idea, emotion or atmosphere, for example we wanted to focus attention on Rosie calling Hannah so an extreme close up on Rosie dialling her number drew emphasis on this.

When editing the preliminary task, we found pinnacle studios enabled us to make a more smooth running and professional looking film, for example we were able to cut clips that were unnecessary to the footage for example when editing our match on action we cut the clips of Hannah walking through the door, managing to get the timing right so that the two bits of film flowed together in a way that made the edit seamless. 

We used shot reverse shot when Hannah and Rosie had a conversation, a staple edit in dialogue sequences. Utilising the 180 degree rule wherein one character is shown looking at another character, and then the other character is shown looking "back" at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other, thus ensuring our film looks professional and flowing.

When filming we decided giving each member of the group allows us to use different shots and different insights allowed for a more unique and varied production. However some of the shots when it came to editing appeared slightly shaky, this looks unprofessional and could have been easily resolved by correct use of a tripod, ensuring it is firmly down on the floor and sturdy. Another flaw of our production is the background noise, in which became a distraction to Hannah’s dialogue, however all these errors have acted as a learning curb for us and we now know what to avoid/improve when making our thriller.  To ensure we don’t make these mistakes again it is imperative we practice our camera shots and if necessary go over any impaired dialogue with a microphone.

Working in a group gave us an insight of how it may be in the film industry when working with a crew. Positive aspects of working in a group was that we were able to delegate different tasks to certain people thus allowing us to be more efficient when filming and focus on things that needed sorting when editing. Also having a group helped to improve the quality of our production as everyone had different ideas to contribute and we were then able to use everyone’s ideas to ensure our production was of the highest standard.  However working in a group there could be some disagreements within the group which may have an adverse effect on the finished production.  However delegating roles within our group for example having a director could help overcome any disagreements as the director would ultimately make the final decisions for the group.

The preliminary task helped me learn many things that will contribute to making my AS thriller opening. These new skills range from filming techniques such as shot reverse shots, over the shoulder shots, I also learnt editing methods, such as fades and transitions. Editing our production has taught me that attention to detail is imperative as in order to ensure the cuts run smoothly I had to make sure the footage didn’t look odd or jerk awkwardly, to ensure this didn’t happen we had to play the footage frame by frame to ensure the timing was perfect and the footage was smooth.

In my group I took on the role of director, I feel this went really well as I was able to take creative control, I am also very good at delegation so it seemed the most suitable role for me, I was able to control the productions artistic and dramatic aspects, and visualise the script while guiding the actors in the fulfillment of my vision. I had a key role in choosing the cast members, production design, and the creative aspects of filmmaking.

Overall I am pleased with our preliminary production and feel it went well, however I hope to improve on some of the skills I learnt e.g. camera shots, in order to make them look professional for my thriller. Also I hope to encourage my use of technical elements such as sound. Using pinnacle to its fullest potential for example using the filters available will also help me to produce a professional production when it comes to making my thriller. I would say the preliminary task has been excellent practice and has helped me improve my general film making skills.