Evaluation- Part Six

Evaluation Question 6
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Throughout the processes of editing and filming, I have learnt a great deal about film- making. The hardware used when shooting included:

• A Canon HD DV camera.
• An external microphone, attached to the camera.
• A tripod.
• Headphones.

I learnt about personnel management during the course of the shoot: for most of the filming, the same person operated the camera and wore the headphones at the same time, as hardly any diegetic sound was going to be used, and the sound quality was not that important, which left the rest of the group free to focus on other things. The tripod also came in useful for stability; several times when the camera was moved while filming, e.g. the P.O.V. shot just before the private eye is assaulted, the tripod was held by the cameraman for extra stability.

I also learnt how to use the camera to get innovative shots, such as the overhead shot of the private eye's desk, achieved by slowly swinging the camera through the air, holding onto the tripod. We also filmed many high- angle and low- angle shots in the interior scenes, and one shot from an upstairs window that captures the entire setting, but with hindsight I would use even more unusual angles to emphasise the strangeness and suspense, while making the antagonist look even more evil.

We also had the benefit of a professional three- point lighting system, using three large lights on stands to illuminate the scene. However, in the interior scenes, only one of these was ever used, as the lighting in the protagonist's office had to be as low as possible. The superior light strength was not without its drawbacks; in the confined space of the room where we were filming, it was difficult to position the light without drastically overlighting the set, blinding the cast and crew and stop the stand from getting in the way of filming.

For exterior filming, only two of the lights were ever used at any one time. Using blue filters, we were able to get a film noir style to the lighting, making the film more authentic. Despite the relatively even ground, we realised that there was a risk of the lights falling over and suffering damage. For this reason, two members of the crew had to constantly hold the lights in place, costing the team two members while the others had to film the shot by themselves. Also, the metal casing of the light heated up extremely quickly, and presented a possible health and safety risk as the cast and crew were in danger of severe burns, although in the cold night air, the lamps cooled down very quickly after turning them off. However, the lighting system offered us a vastly superior lighting quality, and ultimately they were a positive aspect of the production.

Moving into the editing suite, I used editing software for the first time, primarily Adobe Premiere Pro. Using this software, I learnt how to:

• Cut and re-order shots.
• Delete unwanted footage.
• Remove individual frames to tighten the sequence.
• Add new audio and video layers.
• Add titles and credits to the image.
• Lowering the treble to remove camera hiss.

Also, problems caused when filming could be solved in the editing process: The final shot, of the sihlouette of the hand with the gun also contained a forearm and sleeve, so we cropped the image to remove these, and stretched the rest of the picture to fill the frame. In another shot, one of the lights could be clearly seen, so using the same method as used to create titles, we created a block of black to cover it up. The image now looks perfectly natural, with no sign of the light.

I've also learnt how to achieve effects through editing such as shot- reverse- shot, and match on action, a good example of which can be seen when the villain is exiting through the gate, which was perfected through tightening the sequence.

Also in the editing suite, we were able to create a poster for "The Case" using such programs as Photoshop, and also use the internet for downloading the music for the sequence from freeplaymusic.com, and also downloading sound effects such as the gunshot at the end. The moment where the protagonist has his head slammed into the desk was orignally enhanced by a sound effect, but through emphasising the actual sound, we were able to further enhance the brutality of the action. I also, of course, used Blogger, operating a blog for the first time, using it to blog information about what was going on in the group and my reflections on the occurences when filming and editing.

Much of the technology used in the process I had never used before, and I learnt many new things about how to perform tasks which served to further the quality of the sequence and my understanding of the process.