Evaluation (7)

LOOKING BACK AT YOUR PRELIMINARY TASK, WHAT DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE LEARNT IN THE PROGRESSION FROM IT TO THE FULL PRODUCT?

In our preliminary task we learnt about the 180degree rule, match on action and shot reverse shot. From this continuity task I have learnt a lot more about how to make a thriller from looking at the conventions and researching from other thriller opening sequences and how to make meanings. For example from looking at Thriller openings such as Se7en and how it used fast pace editing and seeing how it made the audience feel I would have never have thought to use that idea. Or even from watching the opening to Homeland I wouldn't have realised how effective colour correction is or I didn't even know how to use it.So I have developed picking up on ideas from other productions and making it my own.

I have also developed how to use the camera effectively and how to use the tripod correctly and how important it is if you want your media production to look professional, as before I would have just hit the record button without thinking about the rule of thirds or thinking about keeping the camera steady on a tripod.

I also learnt about the importance of planning what you are going to film. It is important because you will know exactly what you want to film and how it can work in the sequence. Rather than going out and filming anything then comming back and it not looking good in the film, or it simply doesn't work and then you have just wasted a big chunkof filming time. I also learnt about the importance of getting more clips than you need because even if you get 8 more minutes of filming more than you need, I found you need so much more than that. If you have loads of filming it gives you the ability of picking and choosing the best possible shots and choosing what clips best fit rather than working with rubbish ones and trying to make them better.

I have also expanded on my terminology. For example I have learnt words such as engima code, low-key lighting or contrapuntal sound. This has helped me explain why I chose to do things. For example we used contrapuntal sound in our title sequence, this means that the sound does not match the action on screen. As in our title sequence there is grave stones and churches, but the sound plays people laughing and you don't normally hear people laughing in graveyards. Low-key lighting is light that produces shadows, our opening sequence also feautres this in the grave yard and when it flashes on a persons face. We also use an enigma code, this is making the film mysterious and not know 100% what is going on. Our film does this by not having a clear narrative, as in our title sequence it is just a string of clips that some how link together but at the moment it is unclear how.

I have also grasped new technologies such as sound track pro, as I quickly put the sound together. I decided to use a classical piano sound which is fast pace to match the fast pace editing and then also contrapuntal laughing sounds and then also parallel choir boy music for when there is shots of the church or grave yards. I also tried to match certain clips of sounds with certain imagery such as the eye has its own sound for when it opens. Before I did not know how to do this and what sound track even was because I have never used it before.