AS Media Preliminary Task Evaluation

1. E V A L U A T I O N
' L O O K I N G B A C K A T Y O U R P R E L I M I N A R Y T A S K , W H A T D O Y O U F E E L Y O U
H A V E L E A R N T T H R O U G H O U T T H E P R O C E S S F R O M P L A N N I N G T O F I N A L
P R O D U C T ?

2. D U R I N G T H I S P R E L I M I N A R Y T A S K , I
H A V E R E A L I S E D J U S T H O W M U C H
P L A N N I N G , A N D W O R K G O E S I N T O A
S H O R T O N E M I N U T E F I L M . I W A S A L S O
A B L E T O T R Y F I L M I N G , A N D U S I N G
I M O V I E T O E D I T T H E F I L M , W H I C H W A S
A F U N A N D I N T E R E S T I N G E X P E R I E N C E .

3. P L A N N I N G P R O C E S S E S
• I never really realised how meticulous we had to be during the planning stages.
Before this project, I always just assumed that we got an idea, and we just ran with it.
• However, we had to create in depth story boards to guide our experience, which was
actually really helpful in the long run, as we sometimes forgot how we wanted to
frame the shots, or what we needed within them, and the storyboards served as
reminders of the original film we wanted to make.
• During the filming, our plot changed slightly, and we edited our story boards to reflect
these changes.
• It was also interesting to realise that one of the most difficult parts of the journey is
actually figuring out what the journey should be about. As a group, we found it
difficult to decide on what we wanted to happen within the film--we had a lot ideas,
but many of them were actually quite complicated, and difficult to execute. We had to
learn to aim high, yet be realistic about what we could and could not do in the given
time period.

4. STORY BOARDING

5. STORY BOARDING

6. S U M U P
• Story boarding
• You have to edit your story
boards as your idea changes
• It’s difficult to come up with
an idea—need an adequate
amount of time to brainstorm
• Also important to know what
type of shots we want

7. U S E O F T E C H N O L O G I E S
• During this task, I have realised that every scene needs to be taken from a variety of
different angles, and with a variety of shot compositions. It was also difficult to take
smooth shots with the camera moving--as a group, we spent a lesson or two trying to
figure out how to shoot the original introduction walking scene, which we ended up
cutting from the final product. I have learnt that a steady hand for panning and
movement is key, and that we also need to frame shots correctly in order to achieve
the wanted effect.
• Directing was a lot of fun! It was really interesting to see how different people
interpret different shots, and how all the actors in films need the background support
that directors provide. The actions on screen are an accumulation of both the actor,
and the way they interpret the scene, alongside the director, who provides the
direction needed for a smooth, and believable production.
• I also learnt that I am not a particularly good actress (hahahaha). While I do have fun
in front of the screen, and while I do enjoy public speaking, I don't think I will be the
next Gene Kelly, and would probably prefer to direct and edit in future projects.

8. • I learned just how much footage is wasted during the production process, and how cut
down the final production is. We probably had around ten minutes worth of footage by
the end of the the project, but we only ended up using one minutes worth of the footage.
This--once again--showed me just how important camera work is, and has enlightened
me upon the hard work many people put into a few minutes worth of footage. I was
surprised that one of the most intensive moments in this project was actually the
production of the footage, and placing the footage in the correct order to create a film
that made sense.
• Editing was also an interesting experience. I learnt about a variety of iMovie features,
such as the 'white balance' changer which was crucial to equalise footage taken on two
different days. I also learnt about freezeframes, speeding up/down, as well as some of
the limited sound and transitions available on iMovie. Overall, iMovie was quite easy to
use, and the editing process wasn't as strenuous as I expected.
• It was amazing to realise just how important sound is for the ambience of the film. We
tried a variety of different royalty-free sound files, and settled on our final one because
we felt that it best suited the mood we wanted to portray. I now know that music and
sound editing plays a key role in the creation of mood. The shot composition only does
half the job alone.
• I also learned about the different tools needed for filming, like tripods and dollies

9. iMovie was the main editing tool

10. A shot that we ended up not using

11. We got our royalty free music from this site

12. S U M U P
• Scenes need to be taken from
a variety of different angles
• Lots of footage must be
taken—much of it is wasted
• Tools like dollies and tripods
• iMovie features
• The importance of sound

13. W O R K I N G I N A G R O U P
• I have learnt that it's absolutely crucial for everyone to be on
the same page and to be working for the same outcome.
When it comes to film making, it's important for every person
to know what's happening in a scene, or else the process can
become inefficient and convoluted.
• Our group worked together decently well, but there were a
few moments of confusion, where we weren't on the same
page.
• On the flip side, we were good at providing different ideas,
and this played a key role in the development of our film.

14. S U M U P
• It’s key for people to be on
the same page
• Good for a variety of ideas
and opinions

15. O V E R C O M I N G C H A L L E N G E S
• This film task was quite difficult, as we felt as if we didn't have enough time to do it as
well as we could have. We had set up a really high standard and a semi-complex idea,
and therefore found it difficult to complete the task on time. We didn't realise how long it
would take for us to decide on an idea, and we also used the first 2 lessons or so trying
to figure out the logistics of filming.
• In the end, we were able to get it together and finished filming by Thursday. I used my
study periods to cut the film together, and Maddy and I met up on Thursday night to fine
tune the editing.
• We also had some trouble with venue changes, but we just had to make do with what we
had, and it is not noticeable in our final product.
• I have learned to adapt to changes, and that sometimes, you have to settle for the best
product you can produce in the given time period. Next time, I would make sure that we
plan better, as well as set a timeline for everything that needs to be done, as well as
when they need to be done by.