AS Media Preliminary Evaluation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L07jYvqPtzw

By Amber Needham

What have I learned during the making of my preliminary task?

Technical Aspects:Tripod:Me and my group had never used a tripod before the task, we quickly adapted and after being shown quickly by our teacher we were able to go outside to our filming location and set it up to the appropriate height. We used the camera when we were filming many off the walking shot, so me and my fellow actor Jake walking through corridors and outside. It was easy to manage, and Georgina and Ellie ( who were primarily the ones to use it ) didn’t have any issue moving it from place to place.Camera:Using the camera was not complex for me, as I own my own Fujifilm finepix and often film things when I go over to visit my dad in Australia. The camera we used was quite basic, which made it easy to just film what we needed to, for our main task I would like to use one where I can adjust the aperture and focus, so I can blur out backgrounds when I am converging on a particular character and their emotions

Editing:On the first day off editing, I was the one to put all the clips together as I knew I would be missing 3 editing lessons due to work experience, therefore I tried to do as much as possible. I used the Premier Pro software which at first seemed daunting and complex, however after my teacher, Mr Welch, showed us how to work it, it became much simpler. I am used to using Windows Movie Maker, as it was commonly used in my GCSE ICT, and I thoroughly enjoyed editing and trimming videos, and adding sound in the programme. Therefore I knew that Premier Pro would be exciting to use, and as I started to add all the clips together in the correct order after importing them, I was able to do this within the hour. I then deleted clips that were no longer needed, and sped up clips that were proving to be too slow. I thoroughly enjoyed my time editing, and know that if I got carried away I could do it for hours.

How to manage time:Time was definitely a key point when making my Preliminary piece, as one of the people who ‘starred’ alongside me was only available on certain days. Jake, kindly volunteered to be in our piece however was only available on 1 of our Media lessons a week, therefore all the scenes with him in had to be filmed during them lessons. We also had to inform him, and myself to wear the same outfit on that day, to avoid bad continuity, which slightly irritated him but fortunately he agreed and we kept our piece as smooth as possible, with no obvious mistakes with continuity.

Group Work:I found working in a group much easier than working on my own, as we all had various different ideas to contribute about where we would film and what shots we would use. I was worried that, working in a group, I would snap at my group and cause them to become agitated and annoyed. I often become very focused and involved in my work, for example when I was younger I would make music videos with my friends, and I was always the person who would say “Right next part!” causing people to become annoyed, that is the only con to working in a group, as I get frustrated when the work is not being done. I enjoy working with my friends however, as because I see them a lot, we can discuss the project in a more relaxed environment but still make a lot of progress.

Storyboarding:Upon writing our storyboard we came up with some good ideas for shots, however our biggest mistake in my opinion is that we didn’t stick as clearly to it as we should have done. We included shots of my feet however, which worked out very well, see below.

Continuity issues: The only continuity issue we found was that one of the actors, Jake, wore his hair in a different style, so halfway through the piece, it clearly has changed. We only were able to realise this afterwards, so we could not do anything about it, however we have recognized that next time we must write down details so that if we film on a different day, everything is the same. See the change below.

Areas of success:Finished version:When watching the finished version back, their are certain aspects thatI really feel like worked well and looked fitting with the film. Forexample, one thing i noticed was that the music fits in very well with the walking sequence, and although it is perhaps more upbeat than sad, it suggests mystery and the unknown as it consists of the same beat throughout. I also think that the title was placed in exactly the right part, to make the film run as smoothly as possible. If it was placed at the beginning the film wouldn’t flow as well, so the idea to place the title in the middle of the film was a good one as it makes the film more unique as well as keeping up with the pace of the piece.

Planning stage: When planning our movie we thought carefully about the sort of shots we wanted

to include and what we wanted our film to be about. We quickly fired ideas about the kind of camera angles we wanted to use, and due to all of our concentration, we became one of the first groups to start filming. We knew how crucial planning was to the piece, therefore we focused on it and managed to complete our storyboard to where we were contempt with it. Then we were able to capture high quality recordings using the shots that we had planned out.

Group Dynamic:As I worked part of a team of 3 with Georgina Brough and Ellie Lester, Iam proud of how we all worked well together and managed to get theappropriate shots. There was no arguments or fall outs, and we all contributed in different ways. I definitely think they were excellent to work with, Georgina took on the challenge of editing whilst I was awayand she made an amazing job of the finished product. Ellie also helpedwith this aspect, and they both managed to choose appropriate music, andsend it off to be uploaded, i was happy to be in a group with them.

Effective shots: The shots that I am predominantly pleased with took time and patience to get, for

example the shot of my arm sliding up the staircase, I personally felt was effective, as it showed mystery, and didn't give away any emotion as to what was happening. As well as this, I felt that it showed the calmer side to the piece, as hands are soft and intricate. Another shot I thought was effectual was the mid-shot showing me and Jake, as he is about to sit down, this reveals the setting and also the distance between us, showing that we are not friends but merely acquaintances. See both stills from these shots below.

A final shot that i was very pleased with was the Over the shouldershots used between the conversation of me and Jake. This shot I found effective, as each time the other was talking it would show their emotion, then cut back to the next subject who began talking. It movesthe audiences focus on to the person who is speaking, dragging their attention to the key conversation taking place. See the insert of stills from the over the shoulder shots we took during filming.

Areas for improvement: What went wrong? In our piece the main areas I am disappointed in, is first of all that our storyline was

not very strong, therefore it was hard to film appealing shots, the dialogue was not very attention-grabbing, as it was unplanned and improvised on the day. In future i would definitely plan it. As well as this I wish we could have got a few more shots during the conversation scene, such as using the 180 degree rule more, perhaps using a few more match on action shots as me and Jake walked into the room to show a different perspective of us entering the room. I feel like throughout filming the characters weren't portrayed any differently, Jake could have been portrayed more mysteriously, perhaps with what he was wearing but also through shots, so we could have filmed camera shots of his feet, and slowly worked up until we saw his head, just before he walked through the door. This would have represented his character better. Next time I have learned that the planning stage is crucial to planning shots and portraying the characters.

How did we meet the brief:• We used a match on action shot at the beginning of our piece, as Iwalk through the corridor and then come out the other end

• We also used a shot/reverse shot, when the conversation between me and Jake was going on.

Others feedback:Brandon Hoults feedback on our peice:

3 things I enjoyed: The use of music was interesting, and really fit well with its purpose The over-the-shoulder shot shows clearly the folder on the desk, revealing the reason the characters are there well. The use of scene changes to show both characters getting to the location at the same time. It shows linear time, and is cut very well.

3 things that could have been improved: The audio wasn't clear when the characters were talkingWhen there was a close up shot of Jake stood still it didn't make senseThe continuity mistake of Jakes hair changing when the characters are in the room talking

My contribution to the group:

Within the group my role was to act in the film, as I was the only one of us three willing to do this. As well as this I edited, and helped with some of the camera shots when we were filming Jakes entrance. I feel like I made a valid contribution to the group, helping whenever I could. I was flexible when it came to filming, however we planned out our filming schedule so we could film on a Tuesday, when both me and Jake we’re free. From our preliminary task, I feel i have learnt a lot about getting effective shots, what works and what doesn't. I also think that I got an insight into the editing process and that I will really enjoy editing when it comes down to our real task. Our group worked well together, and I have no complaints except some work ethic was more obvious when it came to filming and editing, however I don’t know whether this was only due to the fact that this is only a preliminary and the work ethic would be stronger if it was the real task.