Evaluation of Preliminary Task

Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?
-Working on the preliminary task, my colleagues were Ben, Selina, Hannah and Mel. We all took a part of the task and kept this role throughout; Ben and I shouldered the burden of acting the scene, Selina directed the task, Mel monitored sound, and Hannah operated the camera throughout the scene. This saved time for the crew, as they knew exactly how to operate their equipment.

How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use?

-An idea for a basic piece of interaction between two characters was thought up, and Ben wrote up a basic script, which was then fine-tuned. We then storyboarded the sequence, thus deciding what was actually going to happen, and what types of shot we would have. Then we wrote up a shooting script, giving us the order in which we needed to film the scenes.

What technology did you use to complete the task, and how did you use it?

- The equipment used while filming consisted of a camera mounted on a tripod, with a microphone and headphones attached. After filming, in post production, we used Adobe Premier Pro to edit the sequence together. This enabled us to cut out the outtakes, re-order the shots, and edit them into a continuous scene, with match on action and similar techniques.

What factors did you take into account when planning, shooting and editing?

-With a limited amount of time for our task, we organised our meetings carefully, making quick decisions between us. The location had to be in a place easy to arrive at, a place that we were allowed to film in and empty at the time that we wanted to film, so we decided on one of our media classrooms. Also, everything on the brief had to be included in the piece.

How successful was your sequence? Please identify what worked well, and with hindsight, what would you improve/ do differently?

-Overall, the sequence worked well. The shots were smooth, and the 180 degree rule remained unbroken. However, we did not get a shot-reverse-shot, and there is no real master shot, as each shot is slightly different. The different levels of the two characters works well, as does the Student's P.O.V. shot. The match on action is very good as well. If I were to it again, I would include more shots from the Student's side of the room, e.g. an over the shoulder shot.

What have you learnt from completing this task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing the rest of your foundation coursework, do you think?

-The task has prepared me for using the camera and similar equipment, as well as translating ideas onto storyboards and shooting scripts. This first encounter with editing software has familiarised me with editing techniques, and we have learned the different tasks involved with filming, and if it is best to keep to the same task or keep switching. (There are pros and cons for both, but keeping to the same task is more efficient for the group.)