The document summarizes the key differences between the student's preliminary task film and their final opening sequence film. Some of the main things learned were improved use of shots, camera angles, lighting, editing techniques, effects, planning, and sound design. The preliminary task was very basic and unengaging, while the final cut made much better use of techniques like match on action, continuity, and montage to create a more professional, engaging, and effective opening sequence for their thriller film.

1. Evaluation Task 7
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have
learnt in the progression from it to full product?

2. When creating the preliminary task I had very limited knowledge in all aspects of filming and editing. This is
reflected in the prelim task shown in the first video below, all shots and editing used is very basic and
because of this, boring to look at. In contrast, the final cut of our opening sequence, shown in the second
video below, uses a wide range of shots and camera angles to create a much more effective opening. This
was also down to the greater knowledge of editing techniques that I had acquired over the months between
the two films. All of this together with detailed planning of our sequence lead to a much more impressive
and interesting final product.

3. One of the main differences between the prelim task and our final cut was the use of different shot types and camera
angles. In the prelim all the shots used were very simple and unengaging for the audience an example of this is the
establishing shot we used, shown in the first image below. The shots is poorly framed and you can see that is slightly
uneven. This straight away makes the shot look unprofessional. The lighting is also way to dark for the situation and
atmosphere we were trying to achieve. Since filming the prelim task I have a much greater understanding of the
different types of lighting and how they are used. In comparison we used a wide variety of shots and camera angles in
our final cut. An example of this was the use of handheld p.o.v shots, shown in the second picture below. This allowed
us to portray a sense of panic and danger in an effective way. This shot is also much more engaging for the viewer than
a static shot from the camera on a tripod especially for this situation. I have learnt in the time between filming the two
films that every shot used is important and can have a large impact on the outcome of a scene.

4. One area that we made a mistake in during the prelim task was executing the 180 degree rule. Without realising we
switched sides of the camera between two shots, it was only subtle so it didn’t matter too much but this was another
factor that took away from the professionalism of the preliminary task. However when filming the final cut of our
opening we didn't have any problems like this. This shows that I now have firmer understanding of the 180 degree
rule. One rule that we did follow correctly in the prelim task was match on action, we cut from Keziah pushing the door
open to cutting to a shot of her walking through the door. This is shown below in the first two pictures. However there
are still many improvements that could have been made. For example there is a dramatic change in the lighting
between the two shots, it looks as if the two shots were taken at different times. In contrast to this, we demonstrated
match on action in our final cut effectively and in a well executed way. By showing the characters movement through
three shots rather than two creates a much smoother transition of the character entering/exiting the building. The
position of the camera and angles used also improved the quality of the scene compared with the prelim task. This is
shown in the last three pictures below

5. Another big difference between the two films was the use of and style of editing. As I had such basic knowledge of
editing during the prelim task there was a limited amount we could alter about the film. Because of this it is a very simple
production which only consists of a short continuity sequence. However in the months between the two productions I
have learnt many new editing techniques that allowed me to alter each shot to exactly how we pictured it. Editing also
meant the pace and atmosphere of our final cut varied as it went on, we did this through a series of montages and
continuity sequences. I think the montage portion of our opening sequence which includes the cross cutting between the
flashbacks and the present is one of the most effective parts of our opening. I wouldn't have been able to put together
this part of the sequence if I hadn't gained any knowledge in editing. The first few pictures below are from the montage
part of our opening. Our montage was very effective as it includes many of the codes and conventions of thriller film,
because of this it is very important in order to attract our target audience. Unlike the prelim task we included both a
montage and a contiunuity sequence in our final cut. The continuity sequence allows the audience to familiarize
themselves with the main character and have a better understanding of what is going on rather than just a montage
sequence. This was especially important for our opening as it is made up of flashbacks and could get confusing
otherwise. Some images from our continuity sequence are shown in the second group of images.

6. Another aspect of editing that I have learnt since working on
the preliminary task is the use of different effects and
transitions. I didn't use any of either of these in the prelim task,
however in the final cut we found some were especially
effective in creating the effect that we wanted considering we
were doing a thriller opening sequence. For many of the
montage shots in our opening we added a darker effect which
added to the eerie and mysterious atmosphere we were trying
to create, an example of this is shown in the picture on the
right. In the prelim task we only used simple straight cuts
between shots, this isn't a problem as a straight cut is often all
that is needed, however since filming the prelim task I learnt
how different transitions can be effective depending on the
shot and the meaning you are trying to create. In the final cut
we used some 'flash' and 'blur' transitions during the flash back
parts of our opening. This added to the dreamy and confusing
feel we wanted to achieve. For the continuity part of our
opening we just used straight cuts.

7. One of the main reasons for our final cut being so much better than the prelim task was because of research and
planning. We had only one lesson of planning for the prelim task, in contrast we had weeks of research and planning
for our final cut. This allowed us to look into many different aspects of thrillers and plan in detail exactly what we were
going to do on the day of filming. In the prelim task we barely considered mise en scene, the only prop we used was a
mobile phone, we also decided on the setting for our opening on the spot. We also didn't consider costume or lighting
at all. This is expected as we had very little time for planning however it shows just how much more effort went into
the final cut and what a dramatic difference it had. For the final cut we planned every shot we were going to take. We
also had a much better understanding of the impact of mise en scene and all round media by the time we were filming
the opening sequence. Because of this there were many more aspects to consider. I have also learnt to better my time
management while filming.

8. The only sound that we included in our prelim task was two lines of dialogue. In contrast to this we included both non-
diagetic and diagetic sound in our final cut. We layered up lots of diagetic sound during the montage to create a
disorientating feel and a sense of panic. We also used quite a simple track in the background as contrapuntal sound ,
however this also creates quite an eerie effect. One of the main ways we added more structure to the final cut was by
adding in a voiceover this makes the opening easier to follow and keeps the audiences attention. All of this took a lot
of editing compared to the sound used in the prelim which we didn't change at all.