EVALUATION - QUESTION SEVEN

LOOKING BACK AT YOUR PRELIMINARTY TASK, WHAT DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE
LEARNT IN THE PROGRESSION FROM IT TO THE FULL PRODUCTION?
In this blog post, I will be directly comparing the prelim task to the thriller
opening using these headings of aspects of the film: Sound, Editing, Lighting,
Camerawork and Shot Composition.
SOUND
During the planning of the preliminary task, sound was an aspect that we kept
vague as we didnt really know how to portray emotions/moods through the use
of a score or manipulation of the clip sounds themselves. Examples of this was in
the final sequence where Joe and Bens characters
were having a conversation about the so called
missing Package, we used a royalty free track of
which we didnt put too much thought into yet it still
kind of worked due to how we unintentionally created
an eerie atmosphere through using it. However, in
the thriller opening, I produced a score in the
program Fruity Loops Studio of which gave me more control over the tempo,
pitch and overall effect of the clip itself, I added non-diegetic sound effects of
cars pulling up and police sirens, and cut them all together to give the illusion
that there are people outside of the filming location. This was a good way to
expand the world and also make out that there are more people involved that we
cast to film with. Another example of how we struggled with using sound in the
preliminary task is where, in the dialogue scene, the actual dialogue was nearly
inaudible as the score was far too loud for the audience to pick up what the
characters were saying. This was an aspect that we thoroughly thought about in
the thriller opening as we ensured that our actors raised their voices so the mic
on my bridge camera could pick it up clearly then, in post-production, we could
have a more obvious score of which would easily build up intensity in the final
cut.
EDITING
The editing of the preliminary task was rather impressive for a first try using
Premier Pro, however, it wasnt perfect and there was still a lot of room for
improvement. An issue that we faced in the prelim task was developing tension
through editing of which is a key feature, we didnt consider how to include all
the different editing aspects compared to the amount that we actually used. We
used the 180 degree rule, of which although is camerawork, to develop a well
structured dialogue sequence through shot reverse shots of which we saw great
work in therefore we used it in the thriller opening. However, L and J cuts werent
as smooth as we wanted them to be in the prelim task due the how it seemed
jumpy and un-natural. So, in the thriller opening, we worked on this more in
order to make them smoother of which worked a whole lot better than they
originally did in the preliminary task. Also in the thriller to build up tension, we
used pace of editing and an overlay to create a flashback idea, of which proved
beneficial to the final product as it made the world of which we were filming in
seem more in depth and open in terms of backstories. Furthermore, opened
from/cut to black at certain points in the thriller to add a sense of gloominess
and mystery of which subliminally added to the overall atmosphere and mood.
Overall, in terms of editing, the thriller opening was a more advanced product
than the preliminary task as we used more editing techniques throughout
developing a product of which has professionalism and style.
LIGHTING
We saw many issues with the natural lighting in
the preliminary task as it obstructed the overall
white balance which made the editing slightly
more of a chore, therefore, in the thriller
opening, we used non-diegetic lighting of which
we had far more control over. The lighting that
we used of which was a standard powerful bike
light gave the effect of a spotlight or a crack in
the wall where light was appearing to come
through, this connoted that the characters have
two sides to their personality and also have the audience something else to
closely analyse and engage with. We also filmed outside of which wasnt such of
a problem as the clips shot in daylight were being montaged into the flashback of
which created separation from the current time
clips and therefore gave the film depth. Through
the research for the preliminary task, we saw
how important lighting is in terms of creating the
mood/metaphors for the film. Therefore, unlike
the preliminary task planning, we came up with
forms of lighting and analysed what effect they
would have on the audience, which gave us multiple options for what to use.
Through this style of planning, we found the best form of lighting possible and
used it to its full potential. The lighting that we used, as I mentioned, we had
more control over of which allowed us to draw the audiences attention to
specific aspects of the mise-en-scene and shot in general of which engaged the
viewers even more.
CAMERAWORK

The difference of camerawork usage in the thriller compared to the preliminary

task isnt that vast. We used the fundamentals of camerawork such as close ups
to derive intensity and long shots to establish scenes or places. Apart from this
our camerawork in the actual sequence was incredibly like that of the preliminary
task. We saw in the prelim task how the shots were used well in terms of creating
and taking power for characters. Therefore, we used low angle shots to maintain
a level of power for my character and then mid to high angle shots to take away
Joes characters power and allow the audience to sympathise with him. We did
however include some shots in the thriller of which we didnt in the preliminary
task. The POV show placed the audience in the shoes of Joes character right off
the bat, this allowed the viewers to sympathise with him and instantly feel
inferior to the antagonist of the sequence. As well as this shot, we gave the
impression of a CCTV camera through using a high angle shot of which my
character moves/adjusts in the scene. This creates a sense of insanity as my
character seems to want to film the interrogation for some reason. Throughout
the thriller, we wanted to comply with the 30 degree and 180 degree rules to
make the opening seem more professional, we did this also in the preliminary
task of which gave it a higher standard.
COMPOSITION
Throughout both the preliminary task and the
thriller opening, we wanted to comply with and
use as many shot composition features as
possible to enhance the film as a whole. We
complied with key compository aspects such as the rule of thirds either aligning
faces with the vertical sections or aligning eyes
with the horizontal ones, as well as leaving space
in shots to create an unbalance, and filling the
frame to enhance the intensity of the shot itself.
With these features mainly being used when Joes
character is being shown gives the audience a
key character to focus on. As in the preliminary
task where Bens character was the point of focus and importance through these
compositions as well. Apart from this, we didnt use any other composition
features or shot types.
To conclude, the preliminary task was a platform of which we could use to
establish what we are good at and what we need to work on in the thriller
opening. This proved extremely beneficial as we learnt how to with the
assistance of the thriller research develop moods and atmosphere through key
features of shooting (sound, editing, lighting and camerawork). Through this and
the detailed planning that we did overall, the thriller opening in my opinion
maintains a solid sense of intensity and escalating moods of which craft it into a
professional and intricate piece of film compared to the preliminary task of
which now seems half hearted with planning that we didnt consider too much.