QUESTION 7

 Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression of it to full product?

PLANNING: Filming over multiple days allowed me to understand the importance of time management and planning. Making sure we had planned out what we were doing for filming in advance was key in a) finishing our project on time and b) ensuring we had a successful product. The main tool we used fir planning our preliminary task was a shoot schedule and production log. The shoot schedule helped us keep of what we were doing and what needed to get down, while the production log was effective in documenting what had been done thus far.There are a few similarities, in terms of planning, between the preliminary task and my thriller opening 'Dark Room'. One similarity was that before we produced the film, we set aside some time and thought about who we wanted our target audience to be an researched ways in which we could reach out to them so we could find ways for our film to appeal to them. Also, creating a storyboard to follow made the task easier and quicker to film as we had a clear plan, this made it less likely for us to stray away from the story we wanted to portray, which might have made it look confusing for the audience.


CODES AND CONVENTIONS: In the production of my preliminary task, I did not consider the codes and conventions of a typical thriller, which in part explains why it didn't have the 'feeling' of a thriller film. When filming my final project, I made sure to research these codes and conventions, so I could add them in. Examples of these codes and conventions are: narrative, use of the enigma c code and low key lighting. Lowkey lighting was effective in setting an ominous ambiance, giving our work a professional look.


LIGHTING: For the preliminary task, we relied on just natural lighting. This meant that the video had a restricted amount lighting, which a some stages made it difficult for faces to be seen. For example, the faces of the two girls laughing at the boy was hard to distinguish at first, this could have been improved by making sure more lighting was focused was on them; this could have been achieved by making use of the extra lighting equipment. Throughout the course I began to understand how important lighting can be, especially in terms of effect and setting the scene. For the final project, we had full access of the lighting equipment and made us of it, an example was the lighting we used in the hostage room: a spotlight on Maylita, to highlight her body language and facial expressions, while also outlining her importance as a protagonist.




CAMERA ANGLES: We had little knowledge about shot types.Therefore, we were only required to make use of very basic camera angles, such as the 180 degree rule. The shots utilised in my preliminary task, were simple in the sense that they didn't incorporate a large variety of shot types and camera angles. As a result, it is mostly close-ups and establishing shots that can be seen throughout our preliminary. In between my preliminary task and final task, I was able to gain a rich understanding of the camera angles used within camera; because this, there are a variety of shots in my thriller opening, 'Infliction'.
These include POV, close ups, high angle and over the shoulder. An example of how I effectively used a camera angle, is the high angle shot in the cupboard. Using this camera angle not only allows the audience to see where the girl is but also what state she is in, in this shot she was gagged and bound. This angle is also effective in portraying the girl as weak and helpless.This is something I wouldn't of been able to do prior to my preliminary task.


EDITING: The preliminary task gave me an opportunity to use final cut pro, the editing software I also used to edit and produce my thriller opening. At the time of my preliminary task, I had little knowledge of Final Cut, and as a result our final piece was very basic in terms of editing. There wasn't any transitions or smooth cuts, which meant that the video did end up looking quite choppy. The editing skills we had when producing our final project were significantly better, we were able to make use of production logo's, smooth transitions amongst other things. An example of the editing skills is enhancing the diegetic sound of Maylita trying to break free from her restraints, by  tension and suspense for the audience.

From the creation of my preliminary task to now, I've learnt a great deal about editing and things that are needed in order to create a realistic and professional looking media product. I was able to develop my understanding of things such as camera angles, shot types, sound and editing. I now have a new understanding of things I need to do when filming and editing any piece of media.