Wednesday, 8 May 2013

Evaluation - Part 8 : Preliminary Task.

What do you feel you have learnt in the progression from the preliminary task (continuity editing exercise) to the full product (opening sequence)?

The Preliminary Task = Continuity Editing Exercise


The preliminary task's evaluation = http://lorellethompson.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/edit-workshop-evaluation.html

Digital technology

During the preliminary task, the digital technology used included a camera and an iMac computer. The strengths when using the camera was that we could explore a range of shot types as we knew how to
operate the camera as we had previous experience using this device. For example, at 0:10 a close-up, at 0:08 a long shot and at 0:13 the use of an over the shoulder shot. It had been a while since I had done any practical work, so I had not used the cameras for a while, but this exercise really refreshed my memory.We also used the iMac computers to edit our footage in iMovie, as I had taken media for one of my GCSE's I also knew how to do the basic editing using this software. However, we had used a newly updated version of iMovie and it had taken me a while to get used to it. Although we used the camera to produce a range of shot types, we forgot to implicate the rule of thirds in all of the shots. We had remembered for some of the shots in our preliminary task, but not consistently. For example, we had not applied the rule of thirds from 0:07-0:08 and at 0:12. Therefore, this makes our camera work less successful as we could have paid more attention and been more precise.

In the main coursework that was set - the production of a British Social Realist film, we had again tried to include a range of shot types, but each one had meaning depending on the content of the shot. For example, in our film's opening sequence 'Maze' we used a mid-shot from 1:11-1:19 because we wanted
to show our main character looking out of the window at the council estates as she is travelling on the bus. This was to connote that she is leaving the life of poverty behind as she travels past it. My partner and I tried to improve on our awareness of the rule of thirds, as we tried to apply it to the best of our ability. Unlike in our preliminary task where we had not acknowledged it. For example, from 0:51-0:54 in our opening sequence you can clearly see that the rule of thirds has been applied. The preliminary tasks weakness had made us much more aware of this rule for our main coursework. Next year I would like to feel much more confident using cameras and digital equipment, as I would like to be able to remember the media language skills consistently.

Creativity


180 degree rule
180 degree rule
The brief given for our preliminary task had asked us to create a very short sequence of events in which a conversation had to occur, showing understanding and knowledge of match on action, shot reverse shot and the 180 degree rule. My partner and I decided to add a creative touch to the brief by making the conversation quite heated, as one of the characters was supposedly having an affair with the other characters boyfriend. We made sure we included the three techniques the brief had specified. For example, match on action is demonstrated from 0:04-0:06 (first action) and 0:06-0:08 (continued action action). Shot reverse shot is shown at 0:13 (shot), 0:15 (reverse) and 0:16 (shot), in these shots the 180 degree rule is also clearly demonstrated as the first actress - Ellie is always on the left of the screen and the second actress - Kalkidan is always on the right of the screen. This is a strength of the preliminary task as we have managed to show all of the specified techniques through our creativity at some point. However, in the second action of the match on action the 180 degree rule was broken as the actress was on the left side of the screen in the first action but on the right side of the screen in the second action. This was due to the positioning of the camera, this made our continuity editing exercise slightly less successful.

180 degree rule
180 degree rule

My understanding of the 180 degree rule was developed in the main coursework - in my British Social Realist film, when there was more than one character on screen each character would have a side of the screen that they are always on whether it be left or right. For example, from 0:58-1:04 we see the main character - Leah and her neighbour. Leah is on the right side of the screen in both shots and the neighbour is on the left to prevent any confusion within the audience. In our British Social Realist film - 'Maze', we also included match on action. It can be seen in our film from 0:36-0:40. The first action happens from 0:36-0:38 and the continuing action happens from 0:38-0:40. If we did not do this preliminary task I would have no knowledge of the 180 degree rule or match on action, therefore this task really did improve my understanding of these techniques and proved beneficial for me in my British Social Realist's opening sequence. Next year I really want to be more creative with my practical work and think more outside of the box to produce something really unique and catchy.

Post-production


Match on action (2)
Match on action (1)
The post-production stage of the preliminary task was done individually, so my partner and I edited our footage separately. I think I used iMovie well to edit as I found all of the cutting and trimming tools reasonably easy to use after a some time playing around with them to understand what to do. Putting all of the footage together in iMovie was easy, the hardest thing that had to be done was cutting the two match on action shots precisely, to create an accurate continuous flow of action. The match-on-action in my preliminary task was eventually edited together well after much cutting and trimming of the shots to make it as good as possible, to meet the brief in demonstrating clear understanding and knowledge of the match on action technique. The match on action in my preliminary task can be seen from 0:04-0:08. In post-production I also included graphics of the title and production credits, this was very easy in iMovie.

In our British Social Realist film editing all of the footage in iMovie proved even easier this time as we had already used it to edit our preliminary task. The preliminary task was very useful as we gained at good idea of how to use the iMovie software during post-production. As match on action was also used in our British Social Realist film, editing it was much quicker than the editing of it in our preliminary task, because I already knew what to do and didn't need to waste time trying to get an idea of how to use the software. However, we had to produce our film's graphics in Live Type and therefore we could not edit our graphics into our film in iMovie, we had to complete our film's editing without graphics in iMovie and then import our final film to Final Cut. In Final Cut we then had to put all of our graphics into our film. As we had not used Final Cut before, it was very time-consuming as we had to work out how to use the software first. Next year I would love to be more confident using Live Type to create graphics, so that I can create graphics quickly and effectively. I would also like to be able to use Final Cut better in post-production so that editing footage is not so time-consuming.

Research and planning

In order to complete this preliminary task to the best of my ability, I needed to conduct some research prior to the practical side of the task, as I was unsure of some of the media language skills including; the 180 degree rule and match on action. I used YouTube to find video's of examples of the 180 degree rule, match on action, shot reverse shot and the composition of the rule of thirds. All of these videos exampling these skills can be found in an earlier blog post - http://lorellethompson.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/continuity-editing-exercise.html. My partner and I planned our preliminary tasks scenario using a storyboard. Planning via a storyboard allowed us to see exactly where we would use each skill and when. However, my partner and I are not great drawers and therefore at times the storyboard was difficult to understand. My storyboard can be found in the following blog post - http://lorellethompson.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/continuity-editing-exercise-storyboard.html.

The research and planning stage for my main course work was developed because of the preliminary task. This is because I knew that research into what you had to actually do, really does help your final outcome and therefore I also conducted lots of research into the British Social Realism genre and the themes included in it. For example, I analysed a film of the same genre (http://lorellethompson.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/analysing-fish-tank_22.html), I analysed the conventions of an opening sequence in general (http://lorellethompson.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/analysis-of-conventions-in-opening.html), I looked at how themes are used in British Social Realist films (http://lorellethompson.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/use-of-themes-in-british-social-realism.html)(http://lorellethompson.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/how-british-social-realism-themes-are.html) and I conducted some primary audience research (http://lorellethompson.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/primary-audience-research.html). In pre-production for my partner and I's British Social Realist film, we used a shooting script to plan our film instead of a storyboard used in our preliminary task (http://lorellethompson.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/shooting-script.html). The use of a shooting script really developed my planning skills for the main coursework as I felt that this allowed me to be more organised in production. Next year I would like to be able to conduct even more research covering different elements of my assigned task so that I can increase my understanding and knowledge of the set task in hope of a better outcome. I would also like to be able to use a shooting script again and be able to stick to it more, to make the production stage of my task faster and organised.



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