Planning was helpful for the production stage by creating a production proposal, mind map, and shot list. The planning documents outlined the film's genre, ideas, and achievable scenes to film. During production, tasks were split equally between planning, filming, and editing. The individual brought different skills, with one more comfortable acting and the other knowledgeable about composition. Technical elements like camera shots, sound, editing, mise en scene, and location were effectively used but could be improved with more time. Key skills to improve for A2 productions include developing editing skills and knowledge of the Adobe Premier Elements software.

1. Evaluation
1. How did planning help in the production stage?
Planning for our preliminary task proved to be extremely helpful when creating our film
trailer. We started by making a production proposal in which we discussed what our film
would be about, which genre it would be for and how we would make it successful. We
also made a mind map for the key ideas and themes that would be included in our
production. Doing these helped us to develop our ideas and consider how we could
effectively translate them to camera. We then made a more concise list of our ideas that
would actually be achievable - step outline. This list helped us to think about what we
could film and if it would look effective and conventional. We were then able to refer to
this step outline when we began to construct our shot list. This shot list was vital when
we came to film our trailer; it allowed us to consider the best angle for each specific shot
and it also meant that we knew exactly what we were doing when we began filming (e.g.
the correct location, actions and other small details). Although our trailer does not
feature any dialogue, the script was still important as it meant we knew exactly what
was happening in each scene, so we could include each and every detail.
2. What was your individual contribution to planning, production and post-production?
We each made pretty equal contributions to the project as a whole. The planning was
shared between us both which was an effective way of doing it because it meant we
were able to give different perspectives and ideas for our trailer, therefore allowing us
to have a wider, more creative range of content. I am in the trailer and so Georgia did a
lot of the camerawork – these roles worked well because I am more comfortable in front
of a camera than Georgia is, and Georgia is a Film Studies student so she could use
knowledge from the course to help with composition and other elements. The post-
production stage was also quite equal, we each contributed to the editing process and
also other tasks such as finding useful sound effects. Overall our contributions were
mostly equal, however we made sure to use our own personal skills to our advantage;
which worked well.
3. How have you made effective use of the technical elements?
I think that we did make effective use of the technical elements in our trailer. For
camerawork, we thought carefully about composition of shots and we also tried to use a
range of shot types, such as an establishing shot, and over the shoulder shot and a close
up. We also used a high angle shot and shallow focus to show a range of techniques.
Sound was an important element of our trailer, for example the sound builds throughout
the trailer to build tension – which is important for the genre. We also used
asynchronous sound and various sound effects to make the trailer seem as conventional
as possible. For editing we used various transitions, such as fades and cuts, which also
makes it seem more conventional. Towards the end of the trailer we used fast past

2. editing, with lots of short takes/fast cuts to increase tension and build the trailer up to a
climax. We thought carefully about mise en scene, with props such as the crucifix, the
music box and the swinging lightbulb. We also thought about the location, with the old
house at the start which looks like a conventional horror film setting. We included
different costumes that suited the different scenes, such as the towel in the bathroom
scene and the black clothing which is a conventional colour for the horror genre. I think
overall, considering we completed the project in a week we did make effective use of
the technical elements. However, I do think that if we were given more time we would
be able to use even more props and a wider range of locations and make the most of
each of the technical elements.
4. What skills do you need to improve upon before you begin your A2 production
work?
Although we did consider all of the technical elements, I think that we should go into
further detail to ensure that everything in the video looks conventional and effective. As
neither of us had ever used the editing software “Adobe Premier Elements 13” before, I
think that we managed to get on quite well during the post-production stage. However
before beginning the A2 production I think we should both improve on our editing skills
and develop our knowledge of the software to ensure we can value from the post-
production stage.