Preliminary Task Evaluation

For this evaluation task, I will be looking at several different aspects of the clip, such as continuity, to see my performance as a team member and where I should make improvements to better my future projects.

Continuity is shown well in our piece through match-on-action and the fluidity of it. As an audience, you can tell what’s going on and it doesn’t jump between shots (or jump cuts) as seen with discontinuous film. The whole piece flows and it’s clear what’s going on. We also altered the levels of sound and lighting in the piece as some recordings were louder than others and different camera positioning meant that the lighting in certain shots differed. Correcting this made the film more continuous and more professional.

This is one of the match-on-actions used to demonstrate continuity in our piece:





Match-on-action (before)

Match-on-action (after)







 

All the exam board criteria has been demonstrated. Match-on-action was shown through two door openings and shot-reverse-shot and the 180 degree rule were displayed in the conversation scene. These editing techniques are vital to ensure continuity, make the film look more professional and to allow the audience to understand the message of the piece. Match-on-action is part of continuos film and without this (except when used for a desired effect), the audience can become confused, aware that they’re watching a film and reduces the amount of professionalism. Shot-reverse-shot is key for showing reactions, facial expressions and body language in conversational scenes. It allows the audience to understand the moods of the characters and their personalities. Finally, the 180 degree rule prevents the audience from becoming disorientated and allows them to understand the blocking of the scene; jumping the cameras around and ignoring this rule can be confusing and the clip will become discontinuous. 

This is the second use of match-on-action in our piece:




Match-on-action (before)



Match-on-action (after)







The conversational scene demonstrates shot-reverse-shot using the 180 degree rule:

Shot



Reverse



Shot







As a group we worked together well, spreading all responsibilities fairly evenly. Everyone put in ideas and suggestions when planning and creating the storyboard and script to ensure we were ready to film as quickly as possible. Whilst filming, we helped each other with equipment, camera angles and used good communication to get the task done as quickly as possible. There was little disagreement between us during filming and editing which made the whole process easier to complete. However, occasional absences from group members meant that the rest had to continue alone and hope that the other team member would agree with the progress made.

If we were to do this again, we would improve on the message of our piece. During the final stages of production our ideas became to change and we weren’t clear ourselves of how the piece should end and whether it would make sense. Due to interruptions, filming was cut short and we missed the last few shots causing our piece to lose meaning when we thought it wouldn’t. Because of this, the audience couldn’t understand whether the film was a dream or advert though it was both. In the future, we shall manage our time more efficiently and check that there will be no disturbances before we start filming. We will also  try to ensure the frame has all the objects/persons needed as in some shots heads were cut off at the top due to a lack of space. As well as the framing, we will also look at mise-en-scene. We were limited to filming inside the school and so it was difficult to find a location suitable for our film. Our location was the best it could be but in the future we will film outside of school to ensure our film is as professional as possible. Finally, we will address the sound effects. after entering the dark room, there is a shot of the man who is sitting patiently. There is a loud suspenseful sound effect which is cut short and this affects the mood of the scene and professionalism. This was due to our lack of experience with the Mac and to prevent this happening again, we will practice in our own time.



After this moment in the piece, the following was supposed to be after but was not recorded due to interruptions:

 

The boy screams





'long shot of boy laying down
and waking up'



'boy wakes laying on sofa,
close up'



'fade to black'



 



This is an example where the whole character was not captured in the frame and evidence of the school location:

Finally, in this shot there is a loud sound effect that cuts abruptly when moving cutting into the next frame:

Our idea was well thought out and we ensured that our planning was completed properly before filming began. When we first started producing ideas, we scanned the school and looked for suitable locations that would emphasise the message of our film, helping us to create the storyboard. We also planned how long the shots should last, where the sound effects should go and a rough idea of what the characters will do. This saved a lot of time as we were able to go from one shot to the next without worrying where to put the cameras and where to film. The script also reduced the amount of time spent on directing the actors of what they needed to do and where to stand. 

Only two transitionswere used in our piece: at the beginning to remove the razor cut from a long shot to backwards tracking and fade to black at the end of the film. As there was a slight jump here between the long shot and backwards tracking shot, adding this effect created professionalism and ensured that there was still continuity. We used transitions sparingly and selectively as we wanted our film to look as professional as possible.

This is the dissolve transition used 20 seconds into our film:



Long Shot



Dissolve








Backwards Tracking



Fade to black was used at the end of our film to create the desired effect and make it seem like an advert, as fade to black is a common trait of film trailers:



Final shot before 'fade to black'



Shot after 'fade to black'





Though I have a Mac at home with the editing software, I still went to the editing session with the others to see if there was anything else I could learn to help me build on what I already knew. I was already aware of the basics of uploading the footage, selecting bits to use, adding transitions, credits and sound effects. I also knew how to steady footage and remove shaking (though it was not necessary for this task) and manipulate the volume levels and lighting. I learned how to crop shots and adding black, still frames, reinstating techniques I had forgotten. This experience put my skills to the test by teaching others and creating more of an understanding of the programme for myself. I learned to adjust the viewing of the raw footage from 5 seconds to 2, for example, allowing us to be more particular of which bits of film to use and which editing techniques would make our piece original and which wouldn’t. After this task, I feel more confident with the iMovie programme and will continue to use the skills I have learned for future projects. 

From the process of this preliminary task, I have learned that the better quality equipment (in both filming and editing) the more likely the film is going to look professional. However, I also learned that it is not just quality of the equipment but the quality of the shots and editing, including mise-en-scene and continuity. Creating this short piece has shown me that this will probably not be the end of technological advances and as media becomes more popular, the industry will grow. Technological advances are important in modern day society to give an audience the best possible media experiences, whether it be in film, television or industries such as radio and magazines.

The Film

This is the final edit of our preliminary task starring Scott Collins and Minur Ali. It's an advertisement for medication hidden in a dream incorporating match-on-action, shot-reverse-shot and the 180 degree rule.

The Filming

Preparations

Due to our detailed storyboard and script, our group was fully prepared for the filming. We knew exactly what we had to do, how much time we had to film it and had permission to use the rooms necessary. However, we were not expecting the staff meeting and should have checked prior to filming if there was going to be any disturbances. This would have saved time and ensured there was no background noise for a more professional piece.

The Equipment

As a class we had been shown how to use the equipment prior to filming and so it enabled us to set up cameras quickly and efficiently. It was fairly easy to use although the cameras were not always level and they had to be held in place several times to prevent a dutch shot. They were also occasionally stiff and so smooth panning and crane shots were difficult to achieve without jolting the equipment. The dolly, however, was easy to use but it caused the camera to wobble along a hard floor.

Problems and Difficulties

A major problem on the afternoon of filming was a staff meeting and the cleaners. Our location was near a large meeting and so our filming was often interrupted by talking and people passing. This delayed our filming and caused us to rush the start in order to move onto the next shot and location. Cleaners in the school also often interrupted and created unwanted background noise and so we had to repeat the same shots many times. This put us behind and we struggled to finish filming in time.

Another difficulty we faced was with the equipment and props. In the trail scene, there was a lot of rubbish in the hallway and it caused problems with the backwards tracking shot as we had to avoid the rubbish but not move it for continuity when it appeared behind the character. It took several tries to get make sure we got the right shot with as little shaking as possible and without making noise shuffling the rubbish. Though it held us back, it was not the largest factor for delayed progress.

When it came to the first match-on-action, our group stumbled on the 180 degree rule. We couldn’t decide whether we could swap sides as the character walked through the door and this debate wasted precious time we no longer had because of the previous interruptions. Eventually, we agreed that it was okay but had to shorten our piece in order to finish it. Luckily, we had nothing to re-film.

Changes

The time we had to film was short, especially with the interruptions, and to compensate we needed to cut unnecessary shots to save time. We removed a point-of-view shot and the scene when the boy sits up from waking from the dream as this will still make our piece understandable with all the requirements set by the exam board. Also, we did not have the equipment to do a steady crane shot that appears at the beginning of the film when the boy picks up the can. Instead, we had the can being picked up in one frame and the boy standing up in the next. This gave us the same effect without the crane shot. Apart from these, no further changes were made.

Working Together

As a group of perfectionists, it became frustrating at times when the desired shot was not achieved. We repeated filming certain actions several times until we were happy. This caused a loss of time but a strong basis of film when we come to edit our piece. Our teamwork was good and we helped each other by communicating well. I thoroughly enjoyed filming our preliminary task as it taught me how much effort is provided to put into producing a film. It was also satisfying to know that the filming we had done was ours and that it should hopefully produce a good final product.

The Script

This is the final script for our preliminary task. Though the camera shots and extra details are not necessary for a script, we incorporated them to help our understanding of what we had to film along with the storyboard.

______________________________________________________________________

Preliminary Task Script

______________________________________________________________________

^{DEVON DALTON | SCOTT COLLINS | CHARLOTTE MORRISON | JESSICA FOSTER}

Shot 1          A clock is ticking on the wall

Shot2           A tap is running in a toilet

Shot 3          The bottom of a door opens and the main character steps out. A peculiar object sits before the door. The shot only displays his feet and the object in front of him.

Shot 4          Camera slowly rises to reveal the rest of the character.

Shot 5          Shot zooms out to show a hallway littered with a trail of rubbish.

Down the middle of the long hallway, a trail of rubbish leads up to a pair of glass doors and continues round a corner.

Shot 6          Backwards tracking of the man curiously following the trail. He stoops down and examines the first two pieces of rubbish, confused.

Shot 7          The character continues to follow the trail through a set of doors and down 2 sets of staircases.

Shot 8          The camera follows the character and pans from left to right as he approaches a door, where the trail ends.

Shot 9          The character hesitantly reaches to open the door, wary and unsure. There is a match-on-action as the character proceeds through the doorway.

Shot 10        After the character enters the room, he closes the door and faces away from the entrance. The camera faces him from a distance.

The room is dark and the only light is streaming in from the hallway through the glass window on the door. The light is coming from behind the character and only his silhouette is visible, making it difficult to see his facial expressions.

Shot 11        The main character reaches hesitantly to his right to turn on the light switch.

The room lights up and a strange man is perched on a table in the back corner of the room.

Shot 12        Scott: Uhh, hello?

                        Minur: (jumps up in excitement, shouting) Ah HA! There you

are! The man of the hour!

                        Scott: (wary) Do I .. know you?

                        Minur: (changes from jolly to curious) Can I ask you a favour?

It’s really important to me you see..

                        Scott: (tense) Sure?

            Minur: Can you help me clean my rubbish? It’s all over the

floor, and I can’t .. I can’t ..

The man’s voice breaks, and his lips begin to quiver. He releases a sob, and begins to cry hysterically. As he screams, the camera razor cuts to a close up shot of the main character screaming as he awakes from a horrible nightmare, and quickly jolts forward in shock.

The camera changes to a high angle shot and slowly fades to black, where a bottle/tube appears on the screen.

SleepTight

Chase your nightmares away with SleepTight!

The Storyboard

Idea Descriptions and Exam Board Criteria

When we first began producing ideas, as a group, we decided that we needed an original and creative preliminary task whilst including all the exam board requirements. We went through several ideas from safe, realistic situations to crazy, surreal ones and decided on the genre of comedy to accommodate our dialogue and bizarre storyline. 

At first we experimented with romantic-comedy ideas action and drama but came to the conclusion that these were not appropriate for our task and the mood we wanted to portray. We also discussed a mixture of arguments, drug deals, and interrogation for the dialogue. However, our final idea is a dream where a boy follows a trail of litter into a dark room where he meets a strange man. The man approaches the boy hugging him and crying and the boy screams. It then cuts to the boy waking up on a sofa and a slogan will appear advertising a sleep remedy. This idea was chosen because of its originality and it gave us the chance to experiment with quirky camera angles and shots. In order to film our piece, we will be using two cameras with tripods to ensure the camera does not shake with a first-person perspective look and a dolly for stable tracking shots.

To demonstrate the 180 degree rule, we will be filming a short conversational scene between the two characters towards the end of the film. The camera will be placed on one side of both characters as they exchange the dialogue. This will prevent the audience from becoming disorientated and confused as to the positioning of the camera. Without the 180 degree rule, a jumpy effect would be created and make the scene discontinuous.

Match-on-action will be used to show a door opening and closing from both sides. Due to our desired location, we will be filming two match-on-action door shots which we must edit accurately to ensure the shots are continuous. If not a jump cut will be produced and therefore, discontinuous media.

Another criteria set by the exam board was a shot-reverse-shot of dialogue exchange over a table. However, we wanted to be original and will have a few shots over a table before the character moves out to use the space in front of it. This will prevent the scene from being dull and ordinary with the other character standing, facing the seated character. We can also use a variety of camera angles and shots to show superiority and body language.

Candidate Information

Charlotte Morrison

5272

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