Evaluation Task 7

EVALUATION ACTIVITY 7
Looking back at your preliminary task (the continuity editing task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

I have learnt many different things since doing my Preliminary task and feel I have improved and progressed while learning a wide range of things during the production of our final product.

When we was producing our Preliminary task I learnt what shot reverse shot was as it was an important technique we had to use. This helped me to understand what this was and how to use it effectively. Since filming our preliminary task I have learnt how to use this shot more effectively and in our final product was able to use an over the shoulder shot when using shot reverse shot so that it was more clear that the two people were in a conversation and we were not cutting between scenes. We were also able to apply this technique to a genre of film as our Preliminary task was not of a specific genre. We were also able to use mid-shots to emphasise the importance of this conversation as it is the first time the male and female lead roles meet. I also made progress in the different camera shots and angles I learnt to use, this is shown as in the Preliminary task we used basic shots and did not move the camera often, especially when inside the room. However in my final product the camera was moved much more which is evident in the getting ready scene as we used a range of different shots. In our Preliminary task we paid attention to what was in the immediate back ground of our shots and some of our shots had other things such as recycling bins in them. However we were much more observant of this when it came to our final product and we tried to make sure that the framing of our product did not contain anything that it should not have as this would of ruined the final product.

I also think our planning has improved since we filmed our preliminary task, this is evident in the costumes the characters where using in the opening. As our preliminary task had no genre the costumes were not vital as the people in the film were ordinary people so we did not think this was necessary , however costumes were much more essential in our final product as we needed to find a way to portray these characters so that it was easier to tell which characters had which personality's and characteristics therefore we  had to make sure that the costumes fit the stereotypical conventions of a teen angst film and the characters involved. Our main character Chanel had more dark, provocative clothing compared to Holly who wore innocent clothing that covered her up. Our final draft of our opening also used titles which is something we did not consider in our preliminary task. This was something new we learnt so we were able to experiment with different types of fonts and colors. Using this in our final product is effective as it made it a lot more realistic like other teen angst films and it helps the audience to be able to quickly identify genre.

Framing Of Shots

In the preliminary task I did not worry about what I was including in the foreground and background of each shot. Therefore this lead to some irrelevant and random things being in shot which could ruin the mise en scene of the shot and potentially look messy. However in our film opening we were very conscious about the framing. We therefore had to check that everything you could see in the scene was there for a reason for example to set the scene or mood of that shot. For example in our end party scene we used a close up shot in order to include our props which were the alcohol bottles left over from the party. This helped to connote our genre and therefore attracted the correct target audience. In conclusion I have learnt that irrelevant objects in the frame of a scene can have a huge impact on creating the mood and atmosphere of a film opening.

Camera Shots in our film opening 

In the preliminary task myself and my group didn’t use a wide enough range of camera shots and this therefore lead to lack of interest which left the audience not wanting to see more of our film. However in our film opening we have tried to used a wide range of camera shots such as mid-shots, long-shots and close ups to either help the audience to understand the setting and to help feel involved in the action. For example when Holly is crying at the beginning of the film we use a close up shot which emphasises her emotion of worry to the audience and makes them feel more involved in the film. We also used a close up shot during the getting ready scenes the night of Holly's party. We used close ups as it showed the dramatic makeup the teenagers were wearing. This is stereotypical of our target audience as most teenagers would wear a full face of makeup for a party which teenagers would be able to relate to. In conclusion I have found that using a wide range of camera angles makes the audience feel more involved. During the party scene we used mid shots which focused mainly on the alcohol which connotes underaged teenage drinking which is stereotypical of teenagers. Our target audience would be able to relate to our film opening as they enjoy going to parties so would want to carry on watching. 

Camera Movement

In the preliminary task me and my group didnt use any form of camera movement at all therefore this lowered how good the content of our video was. However in our film opening we made sure to include a wide range of camera movement to help add depth to our opening. Firstly we used a low angle tracking shot of Chanel as she is walking out of the classroom to help show her power and dominance over the other characters. We used this type of tracking movement as it helps toinvolves the audience more due to the fact they are moving with the person who is walking. In conclusion tracking shots can help to make the reader feel more engaged with the film opening.

Mise en scene

In our preliminary task we didn't use mise en scene very effectively at all due to a lack of understanding. This is partly due to we had no time to prepare or plan and we had no costumes or props so it was unrealistic. However in our film opening we used mise en scene very effectively to help gain a wider target audience and connote our genre. In our opening we tried to use as realistic costumes as possible. As for the classroom scenes we had typical casual teenage attire and then there was a huge contrast to the party scene where the characters were dressed in provocative and revealing clothing to further connote the genre of teen angst. Me and my group also used a range of different lightings to help portray different moods within our film. For example when there is tension between the two main characters in the classroom its dim and gloomy to portray the atmosphere further and help the audience understand whats going on. Also our different settings like longhands academy school  helps to connote our genre due to the fact the majority of teenagers go to school and spend most our there time there. In conclusion I think that our use of mise en scene helped to attract the correct target audience and appeal to them more. In our preliminary task, we didnt have much variation in the lighting of our opening. However, in our film opening there is as for the party scene we used dim lighting to set the atmosphere. This lighting makes it more obvious that they are at a party as it is the type of lighting that would be at a real teenage party which helps to further connote the teen angst genre and how they enjoy going to parties.

Editing
As a  group In our preliminary task we used lots of shot reverse shot and match on action. We decided to use less of both of these editing techniques in our film opening as it was't necessary, however we did use shot reverse shot of a conversation as it was most effective during a tense argument between the main characters Holly and Chanel. Match on action was only used once in our opening and this is when Holly's mum is leaving and walking out the door at the end our our film opening. An editing technique that we didnt use in our preliminary task but we incorporated in our film opening is transitions. We used a range of different transitions throughout our whole film opening to add effect and it helped to make some of our shots flow smoothly and flow better into the next scene. We used the dissolve transition when the main characters are getting ready for the party. This transition helps give our teenage audience a better insight into teenage life as it adds excitement and makes the audience want to see more.