In comparing their preliminary task to the final media product, the document discusses several areas where the skills and techniques improved, including: - Using a greater variety of shots and camera movements in the final product. - Employing a more sophisticated editing style in the final product, including parallel editing to convey two storylines simultaneously. - Applying storytelling techniques like lighting, costume, color, hair and makeup to distinguish between the two storylines during parallel editing. - Better understanding and not breaking the 180 degree rule during shooting of the final product. - Achieving smoother match-on-action editing in the final product. - Improving the use of shot reverse shot, with shorter

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

2. The Preliminary Continuity Task

3. Our Final Media Product: Down in the Woods

4. Camerawork
 In comparison to the preliminary task, the variety of shots that we used in the final product
increased dramatically. This is also true for the number of camera movements.
 For example:
 I feel that I have become more confident in using more complex shots and movements.

5. Editing
 The editing in our final product is much more sophisticated in comparison to the
preliminary task. In the preliminary task, the events occur in chronological order –
employing a linear narrative. As not much happens (plot-wise) in the preliminary task, the
result is quite boring.
 In our final product we use parallel editing to convey two storylines at once. Compared to
the simple linear narrative structure of the preliminary task, the use of a more complex
editing (and narrative structure) helps to intrigue the audience. We realised that we would
have to explicitly emphasise the fact that the scenes with Ally in her bedroom and Ally
and Tyler were occurring at different time, in order to make the parallel editing work. We
achieved this mainly thought mise-en-scene elements. For example:

6. Here you can clearly see the differences between the
two frames, thus making the parallel storylines clear.
• LIGHTING: the lighting in the forest scenes is high-key,
it’s very bright and connotes happiness and tranquillity.
However, in the bedroom scenes, the lighting is lowkey; it is much darker. This connotes danger, grief and
mystery.
• COSTUME: in the forest scenes, Ally is wearing bright
colours, and form fitting clothes. In utter contrast, in the
bedroom scenes she is wear loose, drab clothes that
are very plain, washed out colours (white and grey).
This connotes that the Ally seen in the bedroom scenes
is very different to the Ally seen in the forest.
• COLOUR: (connected with lighting and costume) in the
forest, Tyler and Ally stand out against the forest
because of the bright colours they wear. However in
the bedroom scenes, Ally stands out against her
colourful bedroom, littered with photos and mementos,
because of her plain dress.
• HAIR AND MAKE-UP: in the bedroom scenes Ally wears
no make-up and looks tired and worn. There is also
substantial scarring on her left cheek. Her hair is tangled
and messy. However in the forest scenes, Ally is wearing
subtle make-up and her hair is styled.

7. 180 Degree Rule
 In our preliminary task, there was one shot where
we broke the 180 Degree Rule:
 I feel whilst producing our final product I came to
understand the 180 Degree Rule much better: as
a result in our final product the rule is not broken.
Here the rule is broken because previously,
throughout the sequence everything has
been shot from the right-hand side of the line.
However in this shot you can see the shot is
more to the left side of the line rather than
the right.

8. Match on Action
 The match on action used in the preliminary task is rather rudimentary.
 Whereas in our final product, the match on action is much smoother. For example:

9. Shot Reverse Shot
 I feel that our use of shot reverse shot improved greatly, in
the final product, from what we produced in the
preliminary. For instance in the preliminary, the shots linger
for too long (on each subject respectively) and the
framing is too wide.
 In our final product however the shot reverse shot
improved greatly, the duration of each shot is much shorter
– meaning the rhythm of the sequence feels right. Also the
framing is much tighter, not only allowing the audience to
be engaged, but ensuring the focus is on the characters.
 However, there are some instances where the over the
shoulder shots could have been improved [in the final
product] as at times the framing could have been
tightened.

10. Shot Reverse Shot
 Another issue we had with some of our over the shoulder shots in the preliminary task

11. What have I learnt?
 Overall I feel that our final product is much more visually engaging than our preliminary
task. The wider range of camera shots, movements and angles combined with the fasterpaced editing and parallel editing create something that is far more interesting, dynamic
and sophisticated. Unlike the preliminary, which feels stagnant and lacks
 I have learnt that rhythm and pace is particularly key in achieving something that will
engage your audience and avoid