Evaluation of the Preliminary Coursework Task

1) Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?
In my group I worked with, Catharrin, Ciara and Bianca, we split the task up as equally as possible between the four members sharing out the tasks of filming acting and editing. However there were some people that had greater strengths in some areas so we allowed them to contribute most to these areas. Such as, the group decided that because Ciara and Bianca both did GCSE Drama they should take the main roles in the sequence therefore Catharrin and I took a more technical role operating the cameras and editing. This allowed us to have a quicker production process as we were not constantly changing sound a camera technicians allowing us to get a better finish on each of the shots.
Overall I think that our group worked well together and we got on great. The atmosphere was relaxed however we still managed to get the task finished
2) How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use? What theories did you try to take into account?
We initially had one meeting in which we discussed the plot of our sequence and who would play what role. After deciding the plot we had to choose a location, and the media office sprung to mind. We all chatted about it and went and had a look around the office to see if we could get it to work, and finally decided it would be the ideal place to shoot the sequence. We finally laid out a rough script with everyone contributing and planned a final meeting for later that week so we could finalize all our ideas.
During this final meeting we ran through the script making final changes depending on what we thought would sound more realistic in the sequence. From this run through we could decide the final script and how it would fit together.
On completion of the script we could begin to plan the storyboard. We knew that we had to include some of the continuity theories that we had learnt about, in our sequence and the techniques that were essential were ‘match on action’ ‘shot/reverse shot’ and ‘180 degree rule’. It also had to have someone coming in a door, crossing a room, and sitting opposite another person and exchange couple of lines of dialogue. Bearing this in mind, we discussed the different shots we could use, taking into account the space we had in the room, and how they would all fit together. We decided to use a vast range of shots in the end to make the sequence look more professional and increase the continuity of it. For instance, we decided upon using a pan shot to track a character. We made sure our shots had eye line match to ensure the characters’ gaze stayed the same. We used mid shots, close ups, long shots, Point of view shots, reaction shots and over the shoulder shots. Also when doing the storyboard we thought about the 30 degree rule so that our footage didn't look like it had a glitch. Each of us completed a page of the storyboard so it was equally shared out. The importance of the storyboard was so the director can visualise the shots and it also creates a narrative flow. Therefore to get a narrative flow we had to have a beginning middle and end including characters and some sort of event to happen, which in our sequence we planned the awkward moment.
We then used this storyboard to quickly work out what shots needed to be recorded for our shooting schedule as some shots were done twice. We grouped shots together according to setups therefore made the shooting process much easier.
3) What technology did you use to complete the task, and how did you use it?
Before we attempted filming anything, Mr. Deans, the media technician, taught us all how to use the boom mics, the camera, the shotguns mics and the headphones to a level which allowed us to operate them with no assistance. We were also told the purpose of a clapper board and how we would be using one in our sequences.
To film the arranged pieces, we were given Sony HD video cameras and used Mini DVs to record the action. The equipment was extremely user friendly as we simply had to hit the red button to record and then press it again to stop the camera. Each group was assigned their own camera and edit-suite so there was no chance of our footage getting corrupted by another group, and this also allowed us to know exactly where all out footage was in case we needed to find it and further edit it. To ensure that we had the right shot that we were looking for, we did a couple of takes on each shot until we were all happy with the shot.
We were given some attachments to the camera, being; a shotgun microphone, headphones and a tripod. The shotgun mic fitted easily on-top of the camera with a quick wheel release mechanism, the mics were ideal for the sequences we were shooting as they only picked up sound from the source it was pointing at, in this case, the actor/actress. The headphones allowed the sound technician to check the quality of sound being recorded without sending feedback back through the mic. We were also given a tripod so we could place the camera on it. We used this to make all our shots steady and increase continuity.
We used dry-wipe clapper boards so that we could pinpoint each shot once it had been captured to the computer, which made the footage easier to edit.
To edit the captured footage we used Adobe Premier Pro, which is installed on the edit suites located in the media block. The program was really easy to use and fairly self explanatory, it allowed us to easily cut and move bits of footage around with no real problems. Adobe Premier Pro has two screens that we use to edit the actual video, and another that has an output monitor which displays what the sequence looks like from start to finish. We found it easy to cut up our sequence and drop the correct shots into the correct place with the razor tool. The hand tool that allowed us to drag out the video segment so that we could almost hide bits of the footage if they were not needed, this tool was helpful as it meant that if we made a mistake we could easily correct it by simply dragging out the sequence rather than dragging another copy in from the source monitor. We used 2 video tracks so that we could break up our clips making it much clearer to edit. The two tracks we use allowed us to easily see where one shot finished and the other began by switching from track to track as the video moved along.
4) What factors did you take into account when planning, shooting and editing?
While planning our sequence we had to consider who was good at what and based the script and everything around that. We thought; what’s the point in having two great actresses and putting them on the wrong side of the camera. We made sure that we had the room we would be shooting in was free when we needed it as all the other media groups were also shooting in the media block at the same time that we were.
To plan the shooting of the sequences we had to re-organise the furniture in the room in order to fit both characters in our establishing shot. We also tried our best to keep the lighting in the room a constant, however we did not have full control over this as the light was natural and weather conditions are prone to change.
We did not plan the edit much but just tried to fit it as well as we could to the storyboard we had sequenced, with appropriate match on actions.
5) How successful was your sequence? Please identify what worked well, and with hindsight, what you would you improve/ do differently?
My Coursework Preliminary Sequence involves three characters, two entering a room and one in a fixed position always in the room. The sequence starts with a master shot of the room with Bianca typing. The shot then cuts to Ciara entering the room from outside. The two girls in the sequence, Bianca (right) and Ciara (left) are engaged in conversation about a party that is to take place that Friday evening. However, Bianca is not invited to the party thus creating an awkward moment; this situation is only worsened when a third character, Spencer enters the room.
In my opinion I think our sequence went really well. Although it isn’t exactly what we wanted, whether due to lack of acting ability or silly mistakes in continuity during shooting, it is similar to the original script and story board and what we were aiming to achieve. However, there were some mistakes, while shooting, one of the actresses forgot which hand she had previously used to open the door entering the room. This meant that when it came to editing we had to drop a shot that was key to the sequence. Although, this doesn’t mean that the film was a complete failure as there are several other good examples of match on action in the sequence, mainly during the exchange of dialogue. But, I would still aim to improve my skills on the final coursework piece, if I were to pick one point to improve the technical side of things it would be the lighting in the two rooms, because the camera is digitally focused it takes a couple of seconds to adjust to the new conditions once it has started recording, meaning that in a couple of shots the light dramatically changes within the first three seconds. We could correct this by allowing the shot to role for two seconds before the action actually starts. The acting could have also been a lot better, however this is not a key element that we get marked on so it is not essential but if the acting is good the shot seems more realistic creating a better feel to the sequence.
Overall I think the task went really well and we all managed to gain something from the experience. The sequence is not perfect but can be easily improved with some re-shoots.
6) 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?
As this was my first media studies task at any level I felt that I had a lot to learn, which I did. Actually going away and doing a task has taught me better than I feel sitting in a classroom and learning about it could ever do. I had to learn to deal with new challenges in the subject and feel as if I coped extremely well. Not only have I learnt about the processes behind creating a short film but the continuity techniques behind making a film look life like.