1. Evaluation
Q7) Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
What I learned from the Preliminary Task:
Achieving the 180 Degree Rule:
During the preliminary task, we’d just learnt about ‘filming principles’ like the 180 degree rule. These kind of ‘principles’ allow the viewer to keep up
with the action, not feeling disorientated by the visuals. The 180 degree rule was something that I learnt can be purposefully maintained or
purposely broken. The director choosing to create a different effect depending on their choice
Match on Action:
Another continuity principle I learnt about during the process of my preliminary task was ‘Match on Action’. This means to cut from one shot, to
another which continues the pace of the previous shot, creating continuity between shots. This creates a visual bridge, linking scenes together.
The preliminary was a learning curve, compared to our thriller where I was refining the techniques. Once again, our characters aren’t in the same
shot, however, the use of match on action could be seen to apply in our first walking scenes, where our male character’s intense walking pace is
maintained due to the sound-bridge overlapping the female scene. Ensuring to maintain the atmosphere and tone of the piece throughout the
thriller film opening, my work with match on action during the preliminary task helping to establish my knowledge, then the thriller production
refining my knowledge.
Shot Reverse Shot:
My knowledge of shot reverse shot was improved by work during the preliminary task, allowing the viewer to assume that the characters are
looking at each other, the camera placed behind the shoulders of the characters. This process of refining my skills of the continuity principles
through the process of my more complex thriller production, when compared with my preliminary task, have helped me improve my camera shot
knowledge, as well as making decisions which will influence how the audience portray my production.
Soundtrack and Sound:
During the edit of my preliminary task, I used a soundtrack in order to enhance the dramatic atmosphere of my preliminary. The process of editing
the sound of my preliminary task involved both adding non-diegetic sound and having to mix this with diegetic sound. We had to experiment a lot
during the preliminary task with the choice of our soundtrack, enhancing my understanding of sound in my production. The choice of sound was
refined in my thriller, where I edited our own soundtrack, able to enhance the atmosphere of my thriller film.
Where the two characters always have the same left or right relationship to each other. Being
aware of this was a helpful progression from our preliminary task to our final thriller production, the
research of my preliminary task allowing me to have an understanding of what we wanted to
achieve in my final production. During the shoot for our thriller film, we were careful to maintain the
180 degree rule. Although our two characters aren’t in the same scene together, their positions
remain consistent, in order to not throw our audience into complete confusion about our characters
situation,due to our audience having to assume our male character’s approaching our female character. I think that due to our production being
the opening of a thriller film, breaking the rule would be making it too confusing.
2. Camera Angles:
During the preliminary, although there were a variety of shots, the camera angles during our thriller production were
more ambitious.
We used a low-angled tilt shot, connoting the masculine power and dominance in the situation. Having camera angles
which connote status, and can visually explain as aspect of the character to the audience was important for us to be
able to develop. The skill to be able to visually story-tell to the audience, allowing them to understand the plot without
directly displaying it.
Another shot we used was an over-the-shoulder shot, where it’s established the two characters appear to be in the same
building, at this point, the tension building for the audience. Held in suspense by what the fate of the female will be. We
filmed this angle with the camera on a tripod, in order to create a smooth movement when turning. Also, the focus is
drawn from the foreground male, to the background cupboard door. We shot this multiple times, in order to get the
drawing focus right, this was something we didn’t do in the preliminary, but it adds tension to the atmosphere and is a
more complex shot, which paid off in terms of being more creative with our choice of camera shots.
We used multiple tracking shots in our thriller, I learnt that you have to think about all aspects of the footage when you’re doing
this, as when filming our male’s footsteps, the diegetic sound included our crew’s footsteps who were walking with the camera.
We had to all walk in time in order to ensure the sound wasn’t ruined. We also tried to film with the camera on the dolly, but the
path was too bumpy and the image quality was therefore because of this. We settled on a way that fitted us, and were able to film
the shot. This process was complicated, and often lasted a while, but we had to remain patient and keep trying before we got the
right shot. I learnt when filming the tracking shot, it was helpful for our actor to walk slower, and we could speed up the visual
during the editing process if it was needed, but in the end, very little alterations were needed.
Also, the shot of our female punching the door, the camera having to move very quickly in order to keep up with her fist, this was
stabilised by a tripod, but we had to shoot multiple times to keep the focus and action in shot. This is progression from my
preliminary where the tracking shot wasn’t stabilised and could have been done better. I think we achieved our outcome of the
shot in our final production.
The progression from the tracking shot in our preliminary to final production reflects the hard work we put in as a group to create
a product that we’ve put a lot of effort into and the outcome of the planning towards our shot list, challenging ourselves with fast-
paced movement.
Evaluation
Q7) Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Use of Technology:
During the process of filming the opening to the thriller film; I improved my camera work skills and developed a
greater understanding how to properly use the camera. During the filming process, we used two cameras (Sony
RX100 and a Canon 1100D), having to use them with tripods and on a dolly, with sound equipment.
As I hadn’t used some of the technology before; it was good to try-out the equipment on trial-runs, practicing before
shooting the real footage. I think my technique of using the equipment has improved from this task, I feel more
confident with my ability to film from more ambitious angle which weren’t explored during the preliminary.
Camera Movement:
Tracking character movement is something we did during the preliminary, however, for our thriller production we wanted to achieve a higher quality of shot.
3. Sound:
Through this process of creating the production; it’s become clearer to me how integral the soundtrack is to a film, something that wasn’t
included in the preliminary task. Having different soundtracks can completely change the mood and tone of the piece. I haven’t edited
music together properly before, so it was interesting to try it. Although it was quite a long-winded process to ensure the edit made the
sound seem continuous, I think the outcome was worth it. The soundtrack working alongside the visuals, building intensity and adding
something more to just the diegetic sound. The choice of keeping the diegetic sound and having to mix this with the non-diegetic
soundtrack was the more complicated option, which required much more handwork to get the best results, something that was refining my
skills learnt from the preliminary soundtrack.
Cliffhanger:
The cliffhanger of the thriller film opening was something essentially important to create both an engaging piece and something which
didn’t feel too final, leaving the plot open to be continued in the film. Due to a lack of plot-line structure in the preliminary task, having a
more detailed and in-depth plot in our thriller film opening, the process of matching up clips; cutting between the male and female sections
which took a lot of planning to ensure the footage connects the two different scenes together. The idea of keeping the cliffhanger as strong
but maintaining something the audience can be connected with and are genuinely intrigued in seeing the resolution.
Our preliminary task didn’t have such an intense cliffhanger as the one in our thriller film, so the improvement between the two can be
clearly seen.
Lighting:
During our preliminary task filming, we had no specific lighting design, we just used the ambient light that naturally occurred when we were
filming. However, for our final thriller product, we had an in-depth plan of our lighting design, due to the more complex style we wanted to
achieve, we needed to be prepared for when we film.
For example, to create the effect of chiaroscuro lighting, the contrast between light and dark, shadows created. The non-ambient lighting
design of our female character in her scenes allowed a harsh contrast between light and dark, her face palely lit, connoting the vulnerability
of her situation, but challenged with the darker shadow behind her figure as she fights against her entrapment.
Evaluation
Q7) Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Refining Thriller Conventions:
I think I had a good understanding of the thriller genre conventions before we shot our film. The preliminary helped me establish some camera
angles and be able to carry out shots to a specific brief. This was a skill which was then transferable to my final thriller task, working to a specific
brief of the thriller genre, ensuring we achieve our identified conventions.
The Shoot:
During the preliminary task, myself and the group worked to a deadline. This time-scheduled work was a skill that was transferable to our
actual filming process. Where we had to work both quickly and efficiently to meet deadlines. This occurs for both the shoot, edit, research,
planning and evaluation. I think I have improved in my effectiveness of organising the shoot to be efficient, due to having to fit in enough time
to record every shot multiple times, as well as altering the angle of the same scene, allowing us multiple choices when it came to the edit.
4. Evaluation
Q7) Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Responding to Feedback:
Another important thing was to respond to feedback from my teachers throughout the research, planning and filming processes. Using
knowledge from those with a wider range of experience in the thriller genre, having feedback helped to guide our ideas, getting feedback
where we can alter planning and research was important before the shoot. We refined our ideas as much as possible, trying to go through
every detail of the clips, using location and lighting example stills, in order to ensure the shoot would go as smoothly as possible.
After identifying our audience demographic, the next step was to allow them to watch our thriller film opening and get their feedback on it.
It was good for us to collect feedback from our potential audience, this highlighted what was successful about our rough edit of the
production and what can be improved for the final edit.
I did this in the form of questionnaires, asking people from our audience demographic their opinions on the 2 minute opening:
This feedback was essential for the development and progression of my thriller film opening final edit, I aimed the audience feedback at our
targeted demographic; young adults.
The questionnaires would help highlight specific areas the audience liked, or think could be improved.
The feedback group all agreed on the cliffhanger being one of the best features in the production, reflecting that the ambiguity of the situation
is a hook for the viewer.
5. Evaluation
Q7) Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Planning:
For this production, I put a lot of time and work into the research and planning aspects. Doing multiple case studies, multiple case studies
being independent research from thriller films I’d watched myself, for inspiration was something which helped us establish the thriller
conventions we also wanted to include in the opening of our thriller film.
This was progression from our preliminary task, allowing us to focus more on our own interpretation of the thriller genre, creating our own
thriller opening which is inspired by others.
The level of organisation that I did had to increase for my final thriller production, due to one of our actors not being a student, we had to
plan in advance to ensure that our crew, actors/actresses and locations were free and prepared for us to film.
The quality of my research and planning has also improved from the duration of the preliminary task to my final production. My preliminary
task wasn’t done with the same high level of detail, analysis and explanation of our choices. I was really happy with our consistent level of
planning done for my thriller film, we were more ambitious in our intentions and although this was considerably more work, the final product
would have benefited from it.
Editing Software Effects:
The process of editing this production was considerably different from the preliminary task, which
mainly consisted of just cutting and arranging clips, while the editing of my thriller opening was much
more complex and therefore a lengthier process.
I used PremierePro when editing my preliminary task, but used Final Cut Pro to edit my thriller. I found
Final Cut Pro to suit me more as an editing software as I’ve used it multiple times before, and I feel more
comfortable with its layout and tools.
During my preliminary task, I used no colour correction during the edit. In my final thriller production,
most scenes had been colour corrected in some capacity. This showed my progression in editing
technique and confidence in being able to alter the visuals slightly. For example, as I’ve discussed in
previous questions, some of our male character’s scenes have a slight red tint to them, connoting his
dangerous intentions and character trait.
Preliminary Planning; Basic Shot-List. Thriller Planning; Storyboard, Individual Shot Explanations, ShotList and Character Profiles.
