Rachel Clements - Evaluation

Evaluation

For our preliminary exercise we made a short, one minute sequence, trying to create it within the thriller genre. It was composed of cross cutting between a man in a small room and a woman walking towards the building then into the room and them meeting. We tried to add suspense by not revealing their identity and keeping their faces out of the shots. Our location was outside the building and then outside a small office which we got the key to from reception.

Using the relevant technology and Software

Through using the video camera I improved on my framing, making sure the tripod was level and learned to check the white balance before shooting at each location to ensure that the colour was accurate and realistic. I also would make sure that when doing a pan shot that I used the handle steadily and smoothly. Before shooting I would warn the rest of my group that I am about to do so by saying “Speed, Roll-over, Action!”. When editing on the Apple Mac I learned how to trim and rearrange shots to put them into the right order for the sequence and control the sound; controlling the volume of particular parts, removing some parts and using garage band to create an appropriate soundtrack.

My personal Input at each stage of the production

I contributed to the group by firstly producing the storyboard; deciding with the group how the basic sequence should be constructed and then sketching it on the storyboard templates, including the shot type, length of shot, sound (dialogue) and editing (whether there would be any fades, dissolves or just straight cuts). This is what we followed whilst shooting the footage and whilst editing, trying to keep it as close to the original idea as possible but adding in new ideas or re-thinking some parts as we completed the final piece. When filming, I took part in filming some shots. In some shots I attempted a more interesting composition by arranging the subject to the side of the frame rather than directly in the middle. I tried to make sure that all relevant images were captured within the frame; when filming Amy opening the door I framed it so that the door handle was in the right hand of the frame and her hand could come into the centre of the frame. I also filmed a shot where I panned upwards slowly, revealing Amy’s identity then a shot reverse shot of Chris and Amy looking at each other, making sure that it was within the 180° line, maintaining the continuity of the sequence. I also edited a particular part of this sequence, the part that I filmed where Amy comes through the door into the small room with Chris in, where she opens the door from the outside and it cuts to a shot from the inside of the door opening and her walking through; I tried to make this work as a match on action, keeping the cuts smooth and in time with each other so that it was not as noticeable. I think that I could have helped more with the sound created in garage band and that we as a group could have planned more precisely. I also could have helped more with the filming and it might have looked better if we’d used lighting and tried out a wider variety of shots such as canted shots or dollying.


Continuity Editing

My group demonstrated an understanding of continuity editing by researching and watching clips from films and television programmes and seeing how many shots there actually were, the techniques they used and attempted to understand how and why they used these so that we would not notice the editing. We also saw some clips where the continuity was not accurate and saw how mistakes can be made. We made sure that we filmed within the 180 degree line and that our actors wore exactly the same costumes for each day that we filmed. We tried to make sure that the shots of the second door opening from outside then inside matched up in time and that the editing was not too noticeable.

Use of Mise en Scene and camerawork

We used a small confined room as one of our locations that had red walls. This was because red is a very strong colour and has connotations of anger and danger; we used a small room because it was more claustrophobic and more of a feeling of entrapment. We found an old looking door with pieces torn from it which was very rugged looking and set the scene of a grimy sort of mood. We also shot outside when it was a murky day which also gave a grimy setting.

Points we plan to improve on for the Coursework

• Use more camera movement (dollying, panning, tracking or even some sort of interpreted crane and jib shots)
• Use a wider range of camera angles (low, high, very low/high, eagle/worm’s eye, canted shots)
• Use more interesting use of the editing such as fades or dissolves, possibly even manually altering the colour.
• Ensure that the tripod is steady
• Make sure the white balance has been corrected for each different location we shoot in.
• Create a more intense atmosphere with use of Mise en scene such as costume, hair, make up to create particular characters and locations that give a better understanding of the narrative.