EVALUATION 7. Harriet Bibby.

LOOKING BACK AT YOUR PRELIMINARY TASK, WHAT DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE

LEARNT IN THE PROGRESSION FROM IT TO THE FULL TASK?

Evaluation 7.

RESEARCH AND PLANNING -

Preliminary task: No research and planning took place within this task – we simply created a rough script and storyboard to follow.

Main Opening: We spent a lot of time researching our chosen genre –we used the UK Film Council’s website and also box Office Mojo in order to learn more about the audience’s level of interest of the genre and to decide whether our chosen genre would be the best choice to make. We also interviewed our target audience members after choosing our genre. This allowed us to discover what they would like and dislike us to include within our opening. We also created a Target Audience member profile which included our TA general likes an dislikes as well as preferences within our genre – this allowed us to think further into what we could/should include within our opening.

These are some of the screenshots taken from when we researched our genre using the UK Film Council website.

SCRIPTS -

Preliminary task: When creating a script for our preliminary task, we were told only to include three or four lines. This restricted our imagination as we didn’t have much leeway to do as we pleased. This script was extremely basic and didn’t take very long at all.

Main Opening: When creating our film opening we were left with unlimited possibilities as there were no restrictions set for this. This allowed us to fully use our imaginations. We did experiment using dialogue within our script, however, we decided that to create more enigma by having no dialogue at all – this raised questions for the audiences and allowed them to focus purely on the visual of the opening.

Creating the script for our main opening. (Our script for our Preliminary Task wassimply written on some lined paper.)

STORYBOARDING.

Preliminary task: Storyboarding in the preliminary task was also extremely quick and simple to do. We had three main story boards which were simple and easy to create and replicate whilst filming.

Main Opening: Storyboarding for our main opening was much more complex. We used post-it notes to firstly create our storyboard, however, this also meant that we could re-construct our opening as we pleased – adding in/changing the running order of scenes and titles. We also created many more steps of this storyboard in comparison to our preliminary task and added in much more detail in order to make it easier for ourselves when filming and editing.

Story boarding our main opening.

TUTORIALS – CAMERA AND EDITING.Preliminary task: During the preliminary task we were only taught the basic rules, for example, the180 degree rule, shot reverse shot and match on. Within the editing of this task we simply trimmed the shots and placed them together, ensuring the continuity and ‘match on’ of the piece was in tact.

Main Opening: Again, within our main film opening we were able to experiment much more with the different shots and editing techniques we used. We still stuck to the basic rules (e.g. 180 degree rule), however, we chose to include a larger range of shots than in our preliminary task – for example, point of view shots (these were from the victim’s point of view and allowed the audience to connect with the character as they could put themselves in her place and imagine her emotions – resulting in an emotional attachment to that character), tracking shots and dolly shots. With our editing we also experimented with filters and edits over the top of some shots (this resulted in a more detailed, dark and spooky atmosphere which would intrigue the audience) – we didn’t use these within the preliminary task as they were not needed due to the simple format and storyline of the piece. We also used Photoshop to create the titling for our piece unlike the preliminary task where we simply used the titling available on movie studio platinum. Using Photoshop with our main opening allowed us to create much more detailed titles that fit better and added to the tone and genre of our opening.

Music and Sound.Matching action with sound/music.

Editing in the title.

Inserting the studio logo.

Laying the titles over the top.

MISE-EN-SCENE.

Preliminary task: Within the preliminary task we didn’t focus very much at all on mise-en-scene. As this task was planned extremely quickly, we had to use the actors, lighting, make up, setting and props that where available to us. Our camera techniques were also used on the most basic levels and the costumes and make up had no specific reference to the happenings within the piece.

Main Opening: Within our main opening we used a wide range of camera angles to excite and intrigue our audience. We also thought cautiously about our lighting – deciding to film within the daylight was a risk as the convention of our genre includes dark, night time scenes to create suspense and tension. The actors of our main piece was also carefully selected in order to fulfil their character’s characteristics. We used make up on one of the actors as well – to make her appear beaten and hurt – this was much more thought through than our preliminary task as we went in to much more detail.

Within the prelim task we used simple/day to day costume and mise-en-scene. We used:• Dark/normal clothing.• Neutral/high key lighting.• Actors that were available to us –

no real casting choices made.• No make up was used –

unneeded. • Simple props – folder and pencil

case to match the setting.• School setting – no choice.

Within our main opening we thought more about all aspects of mise-en-scene.We used:• Contrasting costumes to separate the characters’ personalities.

(Body = light/bright colours to connote innocence. Killer = darker suit to suggest that he is eccentric and odd).

• High key/neutral lighting to connote an uneasy atmosphere as this choice didn’t fit with the tone and genre of the film.

• Actors that fit the role they were playing so that the audience could suspend their disbelief to immerse themselves into the action.

• Make up wasn’t over used, however, we blackened the eye of the victim to suggest she had previously been beaten and accentuate the danger of the piece.

• We chose the props of a shovel and a bag – this suggested that the killer had either planned this murder or was experienced with killing.

• Setting was also thought about a lot – we chose to set our opening within the woods to connote an eery, creepy atmosphere that the audience would fear.

CONCLUSIONS/EVALUATIONS -

Preliminary Task: We created only created one conclusion/evaluation for this task – after creating the video we wrote a simple and vague conclusion about what skills we had learned and developed in the process.

Main Opening: For our main opening we have created and completed 7 questions which allowed us to evaluate the conventions of our piece, representations within our genre, which distribution companies may help promote our film, who our audience would be, how we attracted and intrigued our audience and the different technologies we have used and gained skills from. This contrasts greatly to the preliminary task as we made no conclusions with that task.