Video Production Bases

Editing Suit

Today we had our first day of editing. After our introduction into how to edit, my group and I had a look at all the footage we shot in order to organize it into folders so that we can decide what we want to keep and what we probably wont use. However we have decided not to throw anything away yet just in case. We jumped right in and began editing and since then have already got a rough draft of about a minutes worth of footage. I understand the importance of just getting a rough draft of our general idea done so that we don't get stuck on the nit picky stuff. I am really proud of what we have so far, however we still have to include the various director and actor titles as well as the individual sound effects.

Evaluation of the Shoot Day

We began our shoot day late in the day due to some difficulties concerning the set. In order to create an effective and efficient thriller video we had to build the appropriate set which took us longer than we had expected. When building the office we felt that the white walls looked too much like a set so we had to put black curtains over the walls in order to create the right atmosphere. Another problem with these white walls was that they reflected in our stage mirror so we could no longer see the actor in the investigation room on the other side of the wall. Because we only had access to a school table we knew we needed to transform it into a more realistic looking prop. Thus, like the walls, we pulled a black curtain over the top of it. Once we finally felt that our set was to our liking, and the camera (a Sony 3X50) and actors were prepared we began our shoot. During the shoot we noticed some problems with our stage lighting. It became difficult to see the actors faces and so we had to incorporate some extra light. We did this by adding an extra spotlight which reflected into a white piece of cardboard so, along with the new camera exposure, the combination gave the entire atmosphere a colder and more blue tone, essential in establishing the vibe of tension we wanted to create. As a group we really appreciated that they actors were on top form, doing there very best, giving us time to shoot more shots that we could then use in the editing suit. We took various angles and shots - more than we had in our story board - because we suddenly had new inspiration such as shooting from the corner of the room so that it looking like our main actress was being watched in a security camera. As a group, Katie, Santi and I worked really well together. While we all tried the different roles, we each had our specific station which we felt brought out our best strengths. The roles we felt we most enjoyed were roles that fit our individual abilities: I was the set coordinator and director; Katie was on camera; and Santi worked best with the sound and lighting. We are all very creating minds, but I felt that I was still able to take charge at times and bring in creative ideas of my own. As an over all I think the entire process went really well. I am so surprised by how much I enjoyed the process of creating a thriller video and am thus even more excited to begin the editing process so that we can finally present our ideas to the world.

Props and Cast

Title of Production Caleidioscopio


Casting

Girl in custody (villain) - Paulina Keller

Main Investigator – James ( Theater Teacher), Mike

Policewoman - Darina F.

Extra Investigator - Simon (Media teacher)

Main Characters (speaking roles)

Girl in custody

Strong and independent

Flirtatious with the investigator

Slightly delusional

Confident

Cocky

Arrogant




Investigator

30 year old man

Smart and overpowering

Intimidating

Strong

(Power battle between him and the girl)


Props

Metal table and chairs

Modern tape recorder

Confidential file

Security camera

Cup of coffee

Investigation room glass mirror 

Handcuffs

Lamp

Costumes

suit & tie x2

office suit (female investigator)

main character - dirty T-shirt, leather jacket, ripped jeans, boots, lots of rings, bracelets, necklaces




Set

Tilled walls

Glossy floor

Metal door

Investigation room glass mirror

Pros and Cons about our Thriller Pilot

Pros and Cons about our Thriller Video

As previously stated, the execution of a pilot before the actual shoot day is vital. We found it effective to become aware of our faults as this would help us learn so that we could grow from our mistakes. My group and I shot the video without a clear plan, nor a script nor any idea really of what we were doing. This was exciting because it allowed for us to play around with our Thriller idea wile not having to conform to any guidelines yet. Some of the challenges that we faced therefore were finding a proper cast, finding a location, writing a proper script for the cast to use and knowing anything at all about continuity. However, due to the fact that we made these mistakes now, means that we wonțt make them again. A good thing that we got out of this process is that we now know how to effectively use our time and play around with various interesting shots. 

Thriller Pilot

Shooting the Pilot

A Pilot is a short film serving as a guide for the final product. It gives the producers/directors an idea of how long  every shot is roughly going to take and how it would look. Likewise it helped us realise what works and what doesn't, as well as what changes or improvements we would have to make to when shooting the actual product. To shoot our pilot we used Flip Cameras which are very easy to work with and suite a basic film such as a pilot.

        

When watching our footage, my group and I realised that we still have to sort some aspects of our thriller out, like our script. For our pilot we didn't have a clear script therefore when shooting the continuity was not as good as we  had previously anticipated. Furthermore, because we had shot the same parts more than once, we noticed in editing that the character's gestures changed every time. So this made it harder for us to edit with a consistent continuity. Shooting our pilot was very helpful in that it allowed us to make these mistakes in advance before the actual shoot day. It was so important to learn through trial and error because it means that we are able to learn and grow from these mistakes so that when our actual thriller shoot day comes we will have a more effective shoot day and thus a better made video.