My Prelim Evaluation

                       Here is my video

Question 1: Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?

I worked in a group with 3 other classmates:

• Meera Nakrani
• Ayisha Futa
• Laith Lyster

The group.

Throughout the project we all took different roles in both planning filming and editing. As me and Laith did all the acting we had less of a presence behind the camera but both still played parts in directing shots as well as planning and getting behind the camera in shots where we weren't involved. During planning while we all contributed idea's for the main plot and the shots to include, me and Ayisha split with Meera and Laith so we made a scripts and a shot order while they drew the storyboard. During the actual filming Meera took more of a directors role in organising the scene while Ayisha would work on the actual camera, however this did change and me and Laith both also took turns in filming and directing shots.

Me and Meera, here I'm taking the directors role.

Question 2: How did you plan your sequence? what processes did you use? what theories did you take into account?

During planning we used lots of different techniques and things to help make it as easy as possible to carry out the filming on the day. One of these things was a storyboard which was essential across all the stages included in the production of the clip. The storyboard allowed us too plan out each shot in the room before shooting as well as plan the various different shot types we would use in our clip like close ups and so, we coded these with the use of different coloured post it notes to signify different shot types. The storyboard also helped us plan the general feel of the scene so we could make sure we didn't have any strange shot progressions, as well as this it meant during filming we could refer back it as well as during planning to ensure we achieved what we set out to at the start of the project and we achieved our shot properly.

Our Storyboard

As well as storyboarding we used other resources in the planning for example a top down plan of the room so we coordinate where various characters, props and the camera would be. We also created a simple script for our two characters to follow which meant things went smoothly on the day and there was no confusion.

Our shot schedule

Our top down diagram of the room

In terms of practical planning we also planned our shots beforehand so we had a clear and practical order that they would go in grouping all shots in one place together instead of doing it in the chronological order which would have taken a much longer time. While doing this we also coordinated with the other group when each group would shoot their various shots that required the hallway which was a space we would both be using, this ensured no clashing between the groups and therefore no wasted time. 

As it was a task we were working to a brief so we made sure we included various techniques while planning it, these techniques were:

• shot-reverse-shot
• 180° rule
• match on action
• 30° rule
• master shot
• narrative structure

Question 3: What technology did you use to complete the task, and how did you use it?

During the task we used various pieces of technology provided to us by the school, the most important pieces of technology were the camera, tripod and editing software.

The Camera:

The camera was a Canon Legria HFG-30 with a Canon DM-100 Directional Microphone. It was quite small and compact but relatively simple to use, this helped us because we had limited time and so we didn't to worry about getting right settings. Another useful factor about the camera was the auto focus setting which enabled us to work quicker and more efficiently.



Tripod:

The tripod was a Libea TH-650 HD Tripod. Using a tripod greatly helped our filming because it stopped shots from being shaky and it also had a spirit level which we could ensure all our shots were level. As well as this by having the camera always fixed to a tripod meant we did not have to worry about putting the camera down when getting multiple takes of one shot.

Editing software:

We used Adobe Premiere Pro to edit the shots and put them together to make the sequence. As a platform for editing it fulfilled all our needs because it was not only very easy and self explanatory to use for a first time user (like myself) but also enabled us to effectively edit our shots. By having a good platform to edit our shots together it meant we could put our shots into the correct order and cut them accordingly to achieve proper continuity, this also helped us to identify whether we had or had not achieved what the brief had asked us too.

Me and Laith using Adobe Premier Pro


Overall I feel that the equipment we had was quite adequate in our planning filming and editing of the sequence.

Question 4: What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?

During our production of the clip there were many factors that influenced it, these were too do with every aspect of it. The main and most obvious factor was the time we had to make this, we were allocated 1 hour for planning, 1 hour for filming and 1 hour for editing. Although we completed the task more time would have obviously made it much easier and we would have been able to make it somewhat better. There were also many other limitations and factors we had to consider, for example our location being in a school meant we had to link the story line of our video to a school in some way, as well as having to deal with school bells and children moving around the building. We had to work around another group as well which meant we were unable to use the whole building for the filming and had to organise who used which spaces, as well as this we had to factor in weather although because we only shot inside it only made difference to the lighting and as we shot in the morning it was not a major problem. The last real factors we had to account for were budget of which we had none and costume in order so that the difference in roles was obvious and it made more sense as a scene.

Question 5: How successful was your sequence? Please identify what worked well, and with hindsight, what you would improve/do differently?

Overall I feel that the scene contained good flow throughout and we fulfilled the various tasks of the brief. These tasks were to:

Incorporate shot reverse shot-

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This is an essential device in portraying a scene with dialogue. It gives the audience the right perspective of the person receiving the information and therefore means they can engage better with the scene.

Match on action-

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This ensures that the video makes sense to the audience as everything makes sense, one character looks up towards the door as its opened, the timing of the first characters hand coming up is at the right time compared to when you see the close up. This is an integral part in giving the sequence continuity.

180° degree rule-


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This is also critical in retaining continuity because it means the audience's perspective remains the same throughout and so they don't get confused as to where characters should be.

However, there were a few aspects that were also not what we wanted. During filming there a few shots that do not quite make sense and we were unable to fix while editing. One of these is a jump cut when the "teacher" is receiving the work.


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 This is a jump cut because we did not follow the 30 degree rule, this says that the camera angle must change by at least 30 degrees between shots of the same subject and therefore creates a jump in the video.

Another flaw we found was when the "student" character went to open the door, after reaching out with his right arm he proceeds to open with his left.


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This was particularly frustrating as it was things like this that we went to great efforts during planning to avoid planning. Overall though I feel that we did achieve everything that we set out and it was successful as a continuity sequence.

Question 6: What have you learnt from completing this task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when the completing the rest of your foundation coursework, do you think?

This task as a has been a great learning experience and will come in a lot of use when doing further coursework pieces which require continuity. Many aspects came in useful for me in terms of learning, I think for me effectively planning out what we do in advance is something that will prove very valuable in  being successful in further coursework's. Specifically things like storyboarding and scouting out the areas where we would film proved very important and not something I would have done beforehand, the storyboard was useful across all phases of making the sequence as it was a blueprint that we could constantly refer back to. Also learning the various pieces of technology like Adobe Premiere Pro or the camera was very useful meaning that with limited time none will be wasted in trying to work how to use these pieces of equipment. Lastly, the cinematic rules and techniques we learnt and used we can apply to all further coursework's as they will always be relevant, things like the 180 degree rule or shot-reverse-shot.This as a group project will be very useful in looking ahead to our next coursework piece which is to produce a 2 minute opening for a fiction film as all the skills we have learnt will be transferable.

HW 4a- Plan your prelim video

HW 3b- Existing continuity sequence analysis

This scene tells the story of another very close call for the infinitely lucky Ferris Beuller who is unknowingly coming close to getting caught on his infamous day off throughout the film. In this case he is at a baseball match and as his principal is by coincidence in a diner with it on tv the ball gets hit into the crowd where he catches it and gets on television although is only in shot when the principal is wiping his face.

In this continuity is achieved incredibly effectively in a number of ways. One of the first examples is in the sound, in a close up of the principals face you can hear a commentator slightly muffled in the background before it gets clear and the shot cuts to a tv with two people around it before the principal steps into the shot, this shows how the audience is introduced to the television and it then makes logical sense that with a few steps the principal is by the television. It also shows his arm reach out before a close up of him taking napkins, this makes sense because it shows the start of the movement before cutting to close up where you see him finish the movement. The scene also uses a shot-reverse-shot technique when the principal converses with the cook, this involves the camera changing perspective from each character when the other is talking, this makes it obvious they're conversing with one another and adds to a smooth scene from an audiences point of view. The camera then cuts to the baseball game being shown on tv where it shows the main 3 characters who had just been shown in the tv shot, this makes sense to the viewers because the timeline of the film works because they would still be at the game at that time in the film. When the two male leads are conversing you see them glancing towards the other who is out of shot when they say their lines before the shot cuts to a close up of the other, this makes sense to the audience because it means they're directing their words in the direction of the person they're talking to so makes the conversation more believable. Then when they talk about how they "would be in gym right now" it immediately cuts to the gym class that the two characters were meant to be attending, this gives the audience the context of the statement made before and means they understand why its undesirable.

HW 3a- Continuity task evaluation

Story:

The video tells the story of two characters walking down the stairs, discussing homework when one of them accidentally pushes the other down the stairs. In doing this the person who falls down the stairs is momentarily unconscious and then dazed for a while. At first the person who accidentally pushed her is helping her but when the person who was pushed down the stair's friend arrives the other character runs off like a hit and run sort of situation.

Continuity:

We made continuity in our video by making sure out characters maintained there appearances throughout shooting, this meant that in each shot it was obvious to the audience it went in chronological order. We also had a shot in which you see a character start running followed by a shot of the character starting behind the camera and then running into shot and down the corridor. We also had a low angle shot in which the characters walk down towards the camera and keep walking further down so the next shot being a high angle shot makes more sense to the audience as you see the perspective of the characters change.

Success in continuity:

The majority of the time I feel we did not achieve great continuity, this can be seen in many different areas, for example it shows characters walking in one shot and still in the next before they continue walking in a shot where it should be continuous, as a result all the momentum of the shot is lost and the flow is stopped. Another major problem is where we have shots which change the perspective of the same scene but characters were shown to move place which also kills the continuity of the shot. Lastly, in the video it looked like certain parts were repeated when we filmed something twice, this also ruins the continuity and flow of the scene.

What we would change:

In hindsight we would storyboard the scene extensively before we shot it, this would aid us in deciding which shots we were going to do and where, this would also mean that everyone we are working with has a clear idea of what we are going to do and avoids confusion. By doing this we could achieve more continuity because we would know at which point to start and finish shots and where the characters are meant to be positioned so that it makes sense from shot to shot. This would in turn achieve better continuity which the video. 

 

HW 2c- Sound in Film openings

Dialogue:

The opening sequence to The School of Rock contains very little dialogue, however the dialogue it does contain does give clues to the genre and style of the film. The sequence shows the main character played by Jack Black and one of the few lines he has is him asking for his guitar to be turned up, indeed this gives the impression he is a hard rocker and wants to have all his music loud which in turn gives a high energy feel to the film. Another bit of dialogue is after he does a stage dive when you hear him say "that was lame", this sets up the opening theme of the film of a washed up "wannabe" rocker who's chasing a dream of pulling off a once in a lifetime show, by this I mean it shows the crowd to not taking him seriously and it not being the type of show he envisions.

Sound Effects:

Throughout the opening scene which is set as the environment of a live music show you can hear a constant hubble of sound effects associated with this most prominently the low level noise of the crowd which to the audience signifies the live rock music environment. There's also some loud feedback from the main characters amp at one point which is also a signifier of the music being too loud and always associated with rock music. Lastly, when the main character attempts an ill advised stage dive you hear glass smashing, this also has many connotations with live music but also to the audience will immediately trigger a sense that something has gone wrong, in this case the main characters attempted stage dive.

Soundtrack:

The soundtrack to this intro is a hard rock song, this is an immediate of the genre and style of film for it to be music related as well about rock music in particular. The sound starts as non-diegetic sound but then moves to be the diegetic when the picture moves to a venue where the main characters band is playing the song to a small crowd. This also is relatable to the genre with it being about someone who makes a band so to show them in a band at the start is realistic, it also sets the context for all that goes on in the first in terms of the characters failed stage dive as well the small crowd showing their lack of popularity, this therefore makes it some of the most important part of the soundtrack.

HW 2b- Analysis of Titles in Film Openings

The two film opening sequences I chose to compare are Juno and The Blues Brothers. Both are quite different films, made in very different times which can be reflected in the differences but also both show some similarities

Running Order:

In Juno the running order of the titles starts with the film company, the film title and then the actors starting with the main character and progressing as the roles get smaller, it then moves to the various members of the crew which builds up in terms of what is seen as is most important climaxing with the director. In The Blues Brothers its much more simplistic simply showing the two main actors alongside their characters followed by the film title and then showing the writers, producers and finishing with the director. This could be especially reflective of the period in which the film was made and how there were less obligations to show all people involved, it also reflects how the film is so solely centred around the two main characters. In contrast Juno shows many more actors to be show which shows the many more important roles that are present throughout the film. In terms of similarities though they both finish with the director which  shows there significance.

Placement:

In the Blues Brothers the titles are placed under a closeup of each of the characters consecutively, this gives the impression that the characters are being captioned and being introduced to the audience, this is then followed by the film title which is placed in between the two main characters in a wider shot of them both, this adds to the feel that the film very much follows these two characters, this is helped the by the actual title "The Blues Brothers", this shows that the "Brothers" in question are these two characters on screen. In contrast, Juno is quite different, with a much longer title sequence it shows continuous different titles and shows them all around a constant image of the main character walking alone, it shows them in various space around the main character.

Stylistic Choices:

In The Blues Brothers, the titles of the actors and the film are done so they appear on screen alongside the climaxes on the song playing in the background, they're also done in a font that looks much like a sign and is very bright and stands out which contrasts the writers, director and producer which is done in much more low-key font maybe showing how they're not as important in introducing the audience to the film. In Juno the title sequence is done as an animation that looks like a drawing and all of the shots are jumping to give a kind of old school home made impression, this is in keeping with the films general genre as a family teen drama. 

HW 2a- Existing Opening Sequence analysis

This is the opening scene from the music drama Whiplash. It shows the coming of age of a young jazz drummer in musical college in New York. The story is centered around the particularly harsh environment of the senior jazz band at the school and shows the evolution of the rocky relationship between the main character and the conductor of the jazz band. The opening scene shows the beginning of this relationship and the domination of the conductor is immediately clear to the audience.

The opening scene immediately lets the audience in to the start of the story with small dialogue between the two that reveals how the conductor Terence Fletcher is looking for players and the player Andrew Nieman is new and fits what Fletcher is looking for. The opening also indicates that the film is set in Niemans college years and so will probably progress over the coming term.

The scene starts black with single snare hits slowly increasing in pace building in pace, then the film title comes onto screen followed by black and once the snares have hit fever pitch it suddenly cuts to a long shot down a dimly lit corridor with a drummer and kit in a room at the end under lights. This then goes to the drummer adjusting his kit and starting to play with the camera slowing going down the corridor, this starts to set up the start of the story by showing a young drummer practicing hard while everyone has gone home. Once the camera gets to the room the drummer gets up and apologizes to what appears to be the camera but is in fact Terence Fletcher the conductor, this then immediately tells the audience of the relationship and how Fletcher is in control. This relationship is reflected throughout the rest of the scene in which Fletcher is always in control while Nieman is always apologising and stumbling on his words.

Terence Fletcher and Andrew Nieman are introduced in this opening and are an example of Levi Strauss's opposites. Nieman is the protagonist while Fletcher is the antagonist and they also have a teacher apprentice relationship in which Fletcher is always dominant. This is found out from the way Fletcher dictates the scene constantly and is control while Nieman seems very overawed by his presence and this tells us how their relationship will develop over the duration of the film.

The musical elements of the film are immediately obvious and the main goal of Nieman which is too be accepted into Fletchers Jazz Band. This is made clear in the actions and dialogue of the scene. Other parts are deliberately withheld though for example why Fletcher is in this deserted practice room and Niemans background. The scene shows the two main characters and reveals the mentoring relationship they will hold throughout the film but doesn't fully give away what the true plot will be about and it seems fairly normal about the idea of a drummer trying to get into a jazz band.

I think at the start of a film the audience does not need to know large amounts of the story, I believe its important to introduce them to a main character wether its a protagonist or an antagonist or even both. I think it should give a fairly indication as too the genre of the film and the setting and lighting should set the general themes for the film but the story should be more withheld and given away slower.

HW 1b- Reflections on my film still

Reflection on Film Still

The film still shown here can be identified as a form of horror film for a number of reasons. Firstly, the still shows a victim unconscious and two threatening shadows, the idea of a shadow gives a threatening feel to the still because the audience isn't able to see the "attackers" therefore giving a fear of the unknown. The fact that it shows a victim knocked out also gives a sense of helplessness to the audience because the victim is unable to defend them self against the potential attacker. Lastly, the fact that there are glasses on the floor next to the victim is an automatic give away to the audience that there has already been physical violence and will make them worry more.

I made sure that only the shadows were seen of the "attackers" in this scene to create a fear of the unknown among the audience, I also made them to look threatening by raising there arms, therefore making the audience feel worried towards the unconscious character because they feel he is in danger. I made sure that there were glasses on the floor next to his face in order to look like they had come off when he had attacked and therefore signify to the audience that he had been attacked and would be attacked again to help signify the horror genre. The fact that the character seen lying on the floor next to a wall also helps to show the helplessness he is facing by having nowhere to run because he has "his back to the wall" meaning he is essentially cornered. All of these combined help to concentrate sympathy and worry by the audience to the unconscious character in the scene which was the desired effect.

In order to make all of these effects I did a number of things. From my perspective the most important part was to ensure I got the camera angle correct so I could get the shadows into the shot, the shadows being to me the most important part of it. Another important part for me was the prop which was the glasses and for them to be positioned next to the victim, this also playing off the stereotypical bullying victim who gets his/her glasses knocked off. Lastly, it was important to ensure that we had the victim on his front sprawled as if he had been knocked from behind which makes the attack seem more merciless.


The successes of the scene are in conveying the danger that a certain character is facing from two other characters who aren't actually in shot. I believe I have achieved this through the various subtle and less subtle devices used in the scene for example the shadows and their pose as well as the placed glasses.

To improve my shot in future I would have put the victim in a more sprawled position because to me I feel the position he is in looks to placed. Secondly, I would have changed the time of day to night time or early evening and had it lit by street lights, this would achieve an eerier feeling especially if its a dim yellowy street light, also the fact that its at night would add to the spooky feel of the still. Lastly, I would have changed where I had the camera as you can see a small shadow at the bottom of the shot which I do not want as it could take away some of the attention of the other two shadows.

HW 1a- Existing film still analysis

Ferris Beullers Day Off - 1986

HW 1a- Existing film still analysis

Here I have chosen a film still from the film "Ferris Beullers Day Off", this is a cult feel good comedy set in 1980's America

The film still shows three characters two in the foreground one in the background. You can identify the comedic side of the film from the relationship shown by the characters, it shows the two in the foreground a "happy go lucky" teen couple wandering carelessly along while in the background the troubled teen on his own looking down. This suggests to the audience that the contrasting attitudes throughout the film of the main characters leads to a comedic love/hate relationship.

  The attitudes of the 3 characters is accentuated by the body language and posture of them, the two ate the front with their heads up and looking forward while the single at the back eyes firmly on the ground with slouched shoulders, this suggests trouble and uncertainty for the character. The lighting also comes into play with the light centering on the two at the front giving off a happier vibe to audience while the character at the back shrouded in shadow with a hat on, to the audience that makes it immediately obvious he is a more downbeat pessimistic character. Finally, the use of costume with the characters is used to help retain the impression of contrasting attitudes, the charcter at the back is wearing a flat cap and black leather loafers, this gives connotations of someone older and could give the idea of lots of responsibility, in contrast the two at the front are wearing much flashier clothing, the male wearing a leopard print waste coat and white leather jacket with the girl is wearing a white leather jacket with big shoulder pads, synonymous with the 80's. The leopard print and leather especially is always associated with younger people and gives off a sense of coolness, as well as the character wanting to stand out like many youth do unlike the other who has his head down and is looking to do the complete opposite

To the audience all of these things give clear idea's of the films genre. It is clearly a comedy teen film which is shown through the costume and character representation, this also shows the relationship between all of the characters which shows very clear contrast and sets up many potential comedy points later on in the film.