What have we learnt about technologies from the process of constructing our product?
The camera we used was the Samsung 42 Intelli Zoom which does not have high definition filming and a lower pixel resolution compared to the cameras used for professional film, such as a SONY Canon XL High definition camcorder. There are also limited options for lighting and focus for the camera, as well as a smaller screen. However, this was sufficient for us to capture the shots necessary but not to the highest quality we desired. We did face issues with the automatic focus pull but after a change of the settings, these were corrected quickly. Also, as all the shots we used in our piece were supposed to be steady, we needed a Tripod to avoid shaking the camera and prevent as much focus blur as we could when the camera panned or tilted. It enhanced our film as it's very difficult to hand-hold a camera when doing a steady shot and saved us a lot of time when filming our shots.
One problem we faced constantly during filming was the changes in lighting. As we filmed over numerous days and in various locations, the weather changed and caused the shots to change in brightness when they were supposed to all be around the same time of day. When filming Stacey, the bright sun, angle of the shot and Stacey's costume caused her to virtually disappear on camera and so we had to use a different door at the same location with darker, low key lighting. This took up time and made filming a bit longer than it needed to be as we had to create a solution. Also, when filming the shot for Stacey with the alarm clock, it was very difficult to time it so that the camera panned to the clock just before it went off. This took several times and we had to reset the clock and count in until we got it right. We also filmed things in different orders and for some shots, Stacey had her pyjamas on or her day clothes when she should be wearing the other costume. As we didn't realise until editing, we had to swap around the shots which made it difficult to follow our storyboard and correct the errors. Next time, I will make sure I pay attention to the mise whilst filming so that these problems can be avoided.
Originally, Stacey was to be wearing her pyjamas still when reading her book in the split screen, as seen in her first shot. However, because of the order we filmed in we didn't concentrate on her costume and had to switch the shots around to ensure we kept the continuity.
Like Stacey, there were also issues filming Bob. Since the original location planned was not totally suitable for filming because of the space, we had to use a different room in the same location. However, problems then arose due to the lighting. The first set of shots were dark and orange due to the artificial lighting and these were not correctable on the Mac so we had to film them all again a different day. We opened the blind a bit and turned off the lights resulting in brighter shots, with natural lighting. The actor also did not feel comfortable wearing boxers in front of the camera and so we compromised by allowing him to wear pyjama bottoms.
To challenge us, our group decided to use Final Cut Express rather than iMovie which enabled us to create the complex shots we needed, such as the various split screens. It also allowed us to be more precise with our editing and take the exact clips we wanted for our film. It helped me to learn that editing can be overcomplicated if the plot is unnecessarily complex and that storyboards are important in order to edit quickly and efficiently. In the future and if I had to do this task again, I would try to create a more simpler opening to prevent getting confused when editing.
As a group we worked well together. We split the work between each person fairly and nominated ourselves to do different bits of work as we also had to be weary of other subjects. However, problems did occur when some group members missed several lessons and editing sessions causing us to struggle to keep up with group blog work. The editing work became uneven between group members as some stayed after school and edited during free lessons so that we could meet the rough cut and final cut deadlines, whilst others did not. Though this did cause problems, we managed to finish the work on time and to the best standard we could.
Using blogger was an effective way to record our work and progress throughout the whole process. It prevented us from carrying around and potentially losing paper work and was quicker than writing. It also enabled us to add links and use footage and images in order to express our opinions and present our ideas and research was also easier to do as we could go onto Youtube and use clips from there to analyse. However, problems did occur when the site would crash or if the internet was unavailable as it would delay our work and put us behind when trying to meet deadlines. It was also confusing as to which posts should go on our individual or our group blog.
