Task 7

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product? 

 What We've Learnt Since the Prelim Task

At the beginning of the course, we didn't know a lot about the process of making a short movie. In fact, before this course, most of us probably believed that writing, producing, directing and editing a movie was quite simple. I have realized the progression that I have made since the beginning of the year. Now we know about the process of drafting an idea, redrafting an idea, storyboarding, getting a props list and cast list together, making sure everything planned is achievable, setting up and using a camera, final cut pro, sound cut pro and various other elements that create and produce a movie which were before, inscrutable.

Before getting right into shooting our thriller video, we tested our knowledge and skills on a "Preliminary Task". Within this task we were given a general storyboard and asked to just run free and explore the various paths of shooting a movie. We began by learning how to handle a camera. We were given a tutorial on the buttons and workings of a camera as well as how to set it up and pack it away. The idea of the pre-lim was to get used to how the camera looks and works and to help familiarise ourselves with it before shooting our important and final Thriller Video at the end of the year.

 

We didn't have to prepare and to organize much for this Prelim Task. We just had to decide each person's duty within the group. I n contrast to our thriller which took several months of redrafting and brainstorming, running ideas past the officials and coming up with the props, screenplay and actors for the shoot day.


By experimenting with the pre-lim, we were able to improve our techniques and use the camera with more advanced tactics which ultimately led to my development and growth as a media student. Since the pre-lim, we have also learned more about shot angles such as panning and tilting, where as in our pre-lim we had only focused on wide shots, mid shots and close ups. Knowing various shots and angles helped our thriller be more visually interesting while likewise adding more range to our storyboard and plan for the thriller video.

As for mise-en-scene, the pre-lim didn't require anything specific, it was simply an exercise, while for our thriller we hired and used much more miss-en-scene elements such as a recording machine, a CCTV camera, a Mac Book Pro, and a two way mirror, a clip board, etc. As for the lighting aspect, for our pre-lim task we didn't need a specific light, we were lucky enough that we had the chance to film in the media suite where the lights are bright enough in order to get a clear view.


Indifferent to our thriller, when recording sound for the prelim, we used what was recorded with the camera. Therefore the sound was often inconsistent, echo-y and rough. When recording sound for the 'Caleidoscopio', we used a specific boom microphone so that the audio would be recorded at a high standard. Likewise, we made sure that the audio was constant while furthermore hightening  the sound of the dialogue especially, and the little details such as pressing the button on the recording machine or, opening the file, footsteps as well in order to add effect to our video. These sounds enabled the audience to feel as though they were right there in the video while simultaneously creating a sensory response, expected in a thriller.

In the editing stage, our pre-lim lacked creativity and interesting elements, for we were just following a general storyboard which specifically told us which shots to cut together.  In our thriller video, however, we had the chance to use and cut shots that are able to intruige the audeince and make things more visually intersting for them. Although perhaps such shots did not add anything to our story line in any way, they enabled the audience to stay engaged. In the editing suit, Katie stepped up to the challenge and came to the front, leading many of the editing sessions for she was more familiar with final cut pro than both Santi and myself.

Because I will be continuing on with Media for my A2 year, I am thrilled to dive into next year having a better understanding of how to operate final cut pro, flipping footage, deleting footage, checking in and out, creating a soundtrack and various other elements I will need for next year. As a whole our group worked very efficiently together, Katie taking the lead in the editing stage, Santi enjoying the write up of the script, plans and making the set come true and myself being an important vote for various decisions, creating a storyboard, coming up with the costumes, and overall take control of the creative side of it, and last but not least come up with the Thriller Idea. Though specifically I missed the opportunity to learn how to add titles and make music, I am sure I will be able to familiarise myself with them next year. Overall, I am happy with my contribution to the project and believe that my contribution easily matched anyone else's in the group.

 

 

Prelim Task https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmWc5jXQ4iY

Final Product https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlBZHvR8ROo