Evaluation

Our preliminary task was to create a brief film of two people having a conversation, the
opening of a door and walking towards the other character. The main purpose of
producing this film was to provide us with certain knowledge on making a successful
preliminary task. The task itself had to consist of a variety of camera shots, match on
action, shot reverse-shot, continuity and it was compulsory that we adhered to the 180
degree rule when filming a conversation between two characters. It was extremely
important that we included continuity successfully within this short film in order to create
more realism; we had to make sure there were no mistakes that could easily be noticed.
The narrative predominately highlights a subtle argument between two friends, as one of
the friend begins to tells her something that is of importance, however refuses to share
further details, which makes her friend short-tempered and this results into her leaving.
I believe that our preliminary task is successful as we present many different camera
shots, which keep the audience entertained. When it came to filming the dialogue, it was
fairly easy and simple to produce, however we had to do more takes as we forgot what
we had to say and do. One aspect I think the group encouraged was abiding by the 180
degree rule; this was easy to uphold because we made sure the camerawomen was
filming on one side and never crossed over, so the audience do not become
disorientated. However there were some challenges that we all faced when filming this
video which was having a few continuity errors, this discouraged us slightly, but we
overcame this by re filming these shots and taking in more notice of what weve already
filmed. Also we took into consideration of how the mise en scene is framed / positioned.
These continuity errors were mainly hand movements and some props. When creating
our storyboard it was said that we didnt have a wide variety of camera shots, therefore
we had to increase the amount significantly, which evidently made our preliminary video
much longer and effective. Due to more camera shots, we were able to enhance the
connotations we wanted to be perceived such as when Chloe walks away from the table
in an irritable manner as the camera pans/tilts towards her face. This signifies the chaos
and tension that took place beforehand. Unfortunately we struggled with panning across.
This camera technique was relatively difficult as the iPhone camera was very shaky and it
wasnt as secure as we hoped. This panning shot ended up looking unprofessional and
irrelevant; therefore we did not incorporate this camera technique in it.
When we had to start filming, we had a choice of being able to use a DSLR camera or we
could utilise our phones. We used an iPhone 6 which is in fact great quality. Also the good
thing about using an iPhone than the DSLR cameras were that we were more educated
and knowledgeable on using this phone because we are on these types of devices every
day. However when uploading it on YouTube the quality had deteriorated for some
reason, this made the group very cautious and we then had to re edit and upload the
video again on the apple Macs. Owed to the fact that an iPhone 6 was used we lacked in
some shots such as tracking and it was also quite challenging to zoom in and out
because the camera was much lighter than a normal camera so it would wobble and
shake much more, making these shots substantially useless and amateur like. The
compositions of these two characters were kept the same throughout to maintain and
prolong the continuity that is necessary for a successful preliminary. We did this to make
the shot reverse shot and over the shoulder shot look more valuable and entertaining.
We had filmed this in a school, which meant that we had to use their artificial lighting
which had some imperfections such as making the framing look flat and dull, however we
managed to foreshadow that something negative between these two characters were
going to occur, due to the camera shots showing off the facial expressions and gestures

within the lighting. This was displayed when Chloes hand slams harshly against the
table.

The quality of our editing was done successfully as we were able to use the software;
iMovie correctly. On the other hand, at the start we were unsure of how to edit
professionally as no one in the group had used this method of editing, we eventually got
the hang of it as we were told how to do specific things such as cutting the clips, and or
making it longer in terms of seconds. As the editing process continues we learnt how to
embed soundtracks and also include certain effects for example, superimposing to shots
together, this was to accentuate the two shots and form a link between them. This
section was very time consuming because we didnt want our video to look rushed and
lack in good quality. When it was time to insert the soundtrack we had been looking for
happy music to use in the beginning, however it was difficult to choose the ones we
found as we felt that it didnt suit the situation. We then came up with the idea of our
favourite songs, and we as a group came up with John Legend- Tonight. We believed that
the sound would be more effective if it was just an instrumental instead of the lyrics as
well, so its more synchronised as Chloe walks through the corridor. We used YouTube
converter to download the link and then we were able to use and experiment with it. The
instrumental makes it more faint and convenient to the scenario. I would say that as a
group we overcame our struggles of achieving continuity because we spent a lot of time
taking in precise details such as our surrounding in the framing of the shot. Whilst we
were filming there were lessons taking place behind us, for that reason when we would
film on different days we would ensure that there was another class in the same room, so
that continuity is sustained.
We had many accomplishments throughout our preliminary video; this includes the
continuity, match on action, shot reverse-shot and the 180 degree rule. When trying to
achieve continuity, we found some areas reasonably difficult to film. This was owed to
certain things being shot in the past and we were therefore unable to remove these
mistakes without having to film again. Fortunately we got passed this stage, and made
sure the characters looked exactly the same way the day we first recorded. This made
the clips run smoothly and nothing was inconsistent. The elements we had to replicate
were makeup, props, costume etc. The match on action was quite simple as we just to
make sure our shots matched previous actions. This is shown when I exit the bathroom
and make my way towards the table. To improve this, we could have included another
shot for when I pace towards where chloe is seated as this part becomes quite tedious to
watch. It would be more appropriate if a camera shot of my back was taken whilst Im
walking to add a wider variety. Shot reverse shot was included which allows the audience
to distinguish who is talking at the time, these shots were used when point of views of
the characters were demonstrated. We did this successfully because over the shoulder
shots were incorporated during the dialogue of the two characters. The 180 degree rule
was followed and justified in this short clip to clarify who is one which side, thus it would
make it harder for the viewers to become confused due to the positioning of the
characters. To ensure that we followed this rule, the camerawoman stayed on the same
side at all times.

The most successful feature throughout our preliminary is the sound. The instrumental
(John Legend Tonight) sets the atmosphere and also offers the tone that we wanted to
connote. The sound is upbeat yet it is a gentle undercurrent that flows at the beginning
and is also in sync with a characters footsteps. I believe that sound allows certain events
to be foreshadowed which is effective and informs the audience. When the conversation
between these characters change into a more aggressive and petty discussion, the music
alters dramatically which is suitable for the current scenario that is shown. Also digetic
sound is used to add realism within the video; however we made sure that digetic sound
was not the only components used, as it is more likely for the viewers to become bored
and uninterested. The aspects that I would improve would be the mid two shot that is
presented, this is shown for too long and becomes quite dreary, consequently if we had
another chance to re-shoot it, we would make sure that we decrease the seconds of this
shot. Also it is evident that some of the dialogue is lost and unclear because the dramatic
music is louder than Chloe speaking, so we would then turn it down in the editing
process.

We all learnt many things from filming and editing our short movie. This would then
advocate in helping us to create a successful thriller opening. From filming I learnt how
panning was quite difficult so I would make sure we had the dolly next time or even try
out the DLSR cameras, so it doesnt give off the wobbly motion as we try to pan across
the room. This would make our thriller opening look more presentable and would give the
impression that the film is completed skilfully. I learnt various things from iMovie that I
wasnt aware of before, such as cropping clips, extending the seconds, featuring
transitions etc. I would also make sure that the lighting associated with the scenario at
the time; in addition, I hope that we are not as restricted from using certain lighting (low
key) due to us filming in a school and we were then incapable of changing the artificial
lighting that was already provided. When it comes to the production of the thriller
opening we would make sure the lighting would be more low -key as it upholds the
portrayal of enigma.