This document provides an evaluation of a student's film production project. It discusses the pre-production, production, and post-production processes. Some key points include: the pre-production planning went well but could have been improved by arranging filming times earlier; production filming went well in the studio but outdoor footage was too shaky and had to be refilmed; and post-production editing was successful but more time should have been allotted for sound editing. Overall the evaluation identifies strengths and opportunities for improvement in scheduling, team performance, and troubleshooting technical issues during the project.

1. PRODUCTION
MANAGEMENT
EVALUATION
FRANCESCA HALL
YOU SHOULD USE THIS TO EVALUATE YOUR FINAL FILM
PROJECT. EACH QUESTION SHOULD BE ANSWERED FULLY, USE
SPECIFIC EXAMPLES FROM YOUR PROJECT WHERE NECESSARY
AND EXPAND ON THE POINTS TO FULLY EXPLAIN AND JUSTIFY
YOUR ANSWERS. YOU MAY ADD ILLUSTRATIONS AND ADD
EXTRA SLIDE WHERE NECESSARY, BUT YOU MUST ANSWER
EACH QUESTION.

2. PRE-PRODUCTION
Overall the whole pre-production process went well. After I had come up with a concept and
an idea it was fairly straightforward and easy for me to plan what I need to do and how I was
going to achieve this. I found planning was allowed for me to explore my ideas and improve
them which actually allowed for me to have a much detailed plan and overall idea of what I
wanted when I was to go filming on location.
I could have improved the pre-production process by arranging a time to film earlier so that I
wasn’t in such a rush towards the end of the project date. By this is mean I should have
looked at locations and got in touch with the cast and crew before I started to plan in more
detail so that they where aware that I needed their help/assistance in the future rather than
speaking to them as soon as I planned everything in terms of writing it down, which meant
that I only had a week to two weeks to get everything together.
When planning and organising my film I took into consideration a variety of questions that I
had some of them related to my overall film and how it looked and others where in reference
to how I would be able to make the film. For example I wanted to test out certain special
effects on test footage before I started filming so that I was aware that I could make it look
how I intended and if not whether I need to film different footage to combat this or change the
special effect. I also broke down the pre-production process so that it was in sections rather
than chunks and what I mean and by doing this it made the whole process of organising my
film and concept much easier as I knew which parts where important and which weren't as
such a priority but also by breaking each section down into more detail then nesersaly it
meant that I could plan my film both not only how I want it to look but also how I would
achieve this without having to come back later and review this again, which I felt had saved
me time in my overall production schedule. It is actually a skill/habit that I picked up while

3. PRODUCTION
I went filming out on location over two separate days rather than one as my original
footage that I took was not at all to a standard that I was happy with and therefore I
went back with the cast and crew to film it all again on a separate date. The footage
that I filmed in the studio however was good and something that I could work with
and therefore that meant that I didn't’t have to go back and re-film anything again.
When I went and I filmed on location I found that all the footage more so on the slider
was awful, it was to shaky and nothing was salvable that I couldn't incorporate it
within my film. This meant that I had no footage and had to go back and film again on
a second day, however this does not mean that I had wasted a day because although I
couldn’t use the footage I did find out what shots worked well and what didn’t not
only in terms of how difficult or manageable the shots were to film but also how the
looked as well. So during the time that was between each filming date I worked on
creating a new and improved shot list which help make the process when I went
filming on the next time on location in York it meant that I was more prepared and
organise and I felt the day was much easier to have control over and I finished 40
minutes earlier then the intended time I had set aside.
I think that if I set aside more time on the first day of shooting that the process of
production would have gone at lot more smoother and as nobody will have felt as
rushed. I also should have set aside different costumes for the actors and labelled
them for each scene so that there was much more clarity not only for the narrative
and but also visual continuity as well as the cast and crew being able to understand
the course of action I am asking them to take, as I admit I did get confused in terms of
costume changes myself.

4. POST-PRODUCTION
My overall post-production process went well, I managed to get all the footage into a
sequence, on a timeline, that I felt would make sense to audience members. The editing in
terms of cutting down the footage also worked really well because I not only started
recording on the three count rather than the one count, a habit I have picked up and starting
using from other projects, but I also recorded longer afterwards than I needed. This for me
meant when cutting the footage I had a clear indication of where the clip started and where
it ended.
Something that could be improved for me in the future would be to give myself for time for
post-production, I think that because I had already tested the special effects that I wanted to
use and therefore already had a sense of what I need to do that it would be much quicker
process, well I was wrong. It was still a slow process because the effects didn't work on all
the footage as well as I had hoped and not only that but as well as special effects I also used
Premier Pro to editing the lighting and expourse of the clips so that they all looked the
same, this is because some of the footage used in the final piece where shot outside and
inside therefore the lighting of the inside footage had more white noise, grainy and also the
artificial lights inside also made the footage slightly yellow so therefore I had to edit and
change that so that it resembled to same as the majority of the footage which was shot
outside.
To complete the final editing and production of this piece I had to add the music as part of
the post-production and more me this was the most tasking part because I had an idea of
what I wanted for each clip but finding that online as part of it being royalty free or even
trying to make the sound myself as part of Foley sound effects was very taxing and
frustrating as I couldn't always find what I wanted I felt that I had less control over it all, but
in the end with what I produced and how I matched/layered the sounds with the footage I
think it worked well. However in the future I think that I should also spend more time on
sound, what I mean by this is collecting or even creating sound effects that I could use
within a project.

5. SCHEDULING
In terms of planning each part of production for my film, I found that it wasn't complicated to arrange where to film
and how, as there where only two different locations to film at and one of them was a college the only issue came
when trying to arrange a time as part of a schedule to film outside of college. The cast and crew as well as myself
can to the conclusion that because we were both going to be filming at the same location that it would be easier to
arrange a day for us to film together so not only would I be able to help and assist with there film but they would be
able to be apart of mine as well. This meant that I would still be filming for half a day but would be on location for a
full day. I thought at first this wouldn't work in case they ran over their time and it meant that my own time for
filming would be cut short however this worked out perfect for me because when there were breaks during filming
in the first half of the day it allowed for me to look at the location and visual within my head more about what I
wanted to do when I started to film and therefore I believe it made the filming session in the afternoon more
productive. I did the same for filming in the studio at college, one of my peers within my class also wanted my help
for filming their own film within the studio, they were using the green screen and I wished for their input for my film
but I need the screen within the studio to be blank/white. This worked out well because it meant that I wasn’t taking
more time out of my written work and production after I had finished filming later on, so it meant that I could plan
and schedule what parts of my project I wanted to complete more accurately it meant that I would be able to film on
that day because I knew that they, cast and crew, would be in college and able to film on that day that we agreed.
I also broke down my post-production into sections so that I knew what I would be doing and when for example I
stated that I wanted to have my footage in a timeline so that I knew that I had all the shots done before I started to
edit and make a start of actual post-production in terms of editing for my film. Once the timeline had been made as
part of my schedule I wanted to edit/create the special effects first so I knew what they would look like and if they
would work. This would also be the longest and for me the hardest part of the process and this is why I set aside as
part of my planning and schedule to do this first so that I had the most time, not only that but because I would be
using special effects it would mean more time on software such as after effects and premier pro then I would have
used for a different project.
The problems for this project that I had with scheduling is that I was didn't give myself enough time on certain
aspects such as the sound for the film or even the post-production with Premier Pro and gave myself far to much
time of the pre-production aspects. Therefore towards the end of project I was feeling slightly rushed with the
schedule that I had created for myself and due to this I noticed that I was making mistakes because I felt under
pressure and rushed more which made more work for me when I had to fix said mistakes more so in post-
production. This is something that I will take into consideration for the next project that I undertake however.

6. INDIVIDUAL
PERFORMANCE
My roles in this project were that of both editing as part of post-production and directing
in terms of actual production. I had help during the production stage when filming so
therefore the it was easier to have more creative flow as I could bounce my ideas back
and fourth but also it meant that I had another person over see with the exposure and
the focus of the shots which I admit was something that at the time of production slowed
the whole process down slightly but we worked through it and managed to finish with
time to spare. I think that I performed well with both the roles that I had given myself I
think that with both roles there were elements in which I could improve but overall I
worked well and got the job done. For example I think the fact that I brought the shot list
with me when filming and ticked each shot of as I did it as well as shooting the same
shot more than once in different angles and even with a different amount of
exposure was something that worked well for me and something that I will also be using
in future projects. However in terms of production when filming I do think that I could
have been more organised in terms of getting the actors/cast together more efficiency
when changing rooms and location, what I mean by this is the fact that I should have
marked on the ground were they originally stood so that when I came back to film that
shot the continuity would consistent with the pervious shots. Another thing that I would
improve would be costume changes, I think that I should have had more creative control
over this then letting the cast do it themselves as it didn't work out with the visual
intentions that I had. I think that I should have brought the costumes with me as part of a
contingency plan so that if the actors intentions and there own costumes didn't work out
I would have a back up, this is something that I would look into in future projects as
something to improve. I do think that because I was in charge of the project and
therefore overseeing the whole of production that I should have been more clear in
terms of what I wanted from them and I also think that communication with the cast and
crew is something that I need to improve and focus on in the future more so with future
projects.

7. TEAM PERFORMANCE
Overall my team that helped me create, produce and edit the film worked well
together. There were a few problems that occurred during the process however in
terms of how each team member fitted into given roles, they worked well and
efficiently.
In terms of how they could have improved their performance I think that they could
have worked better with issues such as costume changes which I also explained
was an issue for myself personally as well, if that had worked better during the
filming process I believe that filming could have gone smoother and the overall
product would have looked better. Other than costume changes everyone worked to
their given roles with professional standards whether that be as part of being
behind the camera, helping me make key editing decisions such as well angle of the
same of clip to use or being in front of the camera, even though if we are being
honest they aren't actors. But they were both really accommodating and were able
to take instructions and directions well. I am very happy with how everyone worked
together to make this project work.
Also due to the cast and crew being in my class and therefore my peers, they have
the same level of understanding in terms of the software and the equipment so this
meant that I could trust their opinions more but not only that but because they are
my peers they are in my class as well which meant that it was a lot easier to talk to
them and communicate when in the post-production stage.

8. TROUBLESHOOTING
Technical issues within this production mainly occurred when editing the final piece. The main
issue that I had was that I was working from home for most of the film, one because of
personal issues but also because I had the newest software update of Adobe Premier Pro
which I needed for the special effect that I used within my film. So due to working at home I
had all the files saved on my memory stick so that I could work back and forth from college. I
didn't save the Premier Pro file on OneDrive because I linked all the footage to my memory
stick and if I moved the footage from their than the final piece wouldn't work. For some reason
though when I came to college to show my peers the work I had done the file had currpted and
this meant that I did not have a film.
Thankfully I had saved a spare version of the file but it was an ealier version so all the
pervious and update work was unassailable and I lost all of that. This was very disheartening
and frustrating more so because I was already feeling like I was behind schedule anyway.
However due to have a earlier version saved it did mean that I didn’t have to start the whole
final piece again.
In terms of personal related issues that I had during this project the main concern/issue was
scheduling due to the fact I was ill and in hospital and then my grandad got sick meant that I
had time away from college and therefore this meant time away from my schedule in terms of
post-production and editing. I did however make up for this, due to the fact that I have the
necessarily adobe software at home to allow for me to continue editing the footage and my
film sequence, so it wasn't an issue in terms of gaining those hours back for of the fact that I
was behind by a day or so because I wasn't able to get access to the software that I need to
complete the work I intoned to do set out within my schedule. I resolved the issue like I stated
by working from home rather than from college and using OneDrive and my memory stick as a
back up copy, so that I would be able to continue working/editing in both locations.
How this related to my contingency plan was the fact that I saved all my footage and work in
more than one place, on a online forum in this case it was OneDrive, but also on my memory
stick as well, in case I wouldn't be able to access the internet and therefore get my work from
OneDrive.

9. RESOURCES
In regards to resources I did not encounter that many issues. This was because
when booking out equipment I made sure that I not only booked out everything I
need and checked with another person to ensure this but I also booked the
equipment as advance as possible so that I would be more likely guarantied to get
the equipment that I wanted. I also made sure to check that the equipment was fully
functional and working before leaving the building and going to location with it as
well just to ensure that everything could run on schedule.
The only issue I came across which I have mentioned beforehand is costume, I feel
like for my film this could have been addressed better to set the tone and the style
for the film. I think that it is something that I should have addressed and been more
aware of and that I should have brought the costume with my to set/location for the
actors themselves rather than giving them direction to sort it themselves, not to say
that the final version didn't work for the concept I intended it for but with better
costumes it worked have further enhanced the idea visually to the audience more.

10. PRODUCTION
TECHNIQUES
During pre-production I wanted to learn and test out new VFX skills and techniques so I
knew that would work well and what wouldn't for my film concept/idea that I had. The reason
I chose to test the ideas at the start of the pre-production stage rather than post-production
is because I wanted the standards to be set at a high level and therefore having the practice
at the start of on old footage wouldn't enable me to not only have a better understanding of
the technique but also ensure that I works well visually in my film. The VFX all took place
within Premier Pro and while I had some background and understanding with the software I
had to go and research more into it to get more equipped with said software. I watched a lot
of YouTube tutorials on each affect and found ones that I didn’t like and ones that I liked, I
also found several ways to create the same effect which was helpful. For example I wanted
the screen to slowly turn from colour to black and white, I found a tutorials online that made
it go gradually and yes, it worked but it wasn't visually had in mind but they I talked to my
peers in my class and we found I way using layers and keyframes to create the except look
that I wanted, this was something that I felt was the most successful. I say this because it
was the most predominant VFX in the film in my opinion and it helped to visually tell the
narrative to the audience which Is something as part of my planning that I really wanted to
have due to the film having no dialogue.
Audio was something that I found more challenging than I original intended and is
something that did not go as I expected. I think that because I knew what I wanted and it was
all visually in my head about how I wanted it to go that I felt I was less lenient to change the
audio and therefore this made it harder for me to find the audio or even make audio, Foley
sounds, that would work with the final piece. I just didn't understand that audio was just as
important as the visuals.

11. MONITORING AND
REVIEW
As mentioned before I had a schedule that I broke down into mini deadlines
such as when I wanted filming completed by, when I wanted stage one
completed for example. I made sure that each deadline I set was done and
allowed me to move on to the next stage so that I not only had a clear
understanding of what I was doing as I moved forward in this project but
also so that I wouldn’t have to come back and finish parts of later on
towards the end of the project.
I also made sure that I asked peers in my class about what they thought of
what I had done so far in terms of ideas and editing so that I had some else
review the work for me as I went along.

12. EARLY VERSIONS OF
YOUR FILM
I created two early versions of my film, one version was just a complete timeline, the
clips were cut done to the right size and the film was within the timeframe given of 5
minutes for the project. I then showed the film to peers in my class and family
members as well and asked for their thoughts and did it overall make some sense (I
knew it wouldn’t make complete sense due to their being no sound or VFX) I overall
feedback was positive which I was happy about as that meant now changes needed
to be made.
The second and only other draft version I had I then added sound in places not
completely though and I added the VFX. I then showed the film again to peers and
family members and asked for their honest opinions. The critiques I got back was
that helpful and gave me considerations of what I would change later on for my final
piece. This was more to do with the VFX and the lighting.
Although not a version of my film I did find useful that when testing certain ideas
and effects it was beneficial to ask peers and tutors the work and so what they
would improve but also how they would create the effect as well because they
usually are able to create the effect I want in a smaller amount of time with less
steps. For that reason I find feedback very helpful and beneficial rather than
comments about what they liked and/or disliked.

13. FINAL FILM
Overall my film was made to a high standard and can be understood by audience
members, due not only to editing but the footage obtained as well. The VFX and the
sounds work well together to make the film flow from each different scene to help
tell the narrative. When looking at my plan for how I wanted the film to turn out I
think it was worked well and close enough to the original intentions that I had,
there are elements mainly in the filming process where for reasons out of my
control I was unable to film the shots that I had original wanted I have had to work
around that to create a similar shot but considering the fact that the audience has
understanding of what the film is about in terms of the narrative and visually I think
it all flows together this is not something that I would consider a weakness as for
the most part the plan was followed.
The different VFX as well as camera shots help to break down the film from
becoming reparative, which was something I was afraid would happen with my film
as it is a collection of montages in a sense.
I think that although the sound worked well it had it weaknesses and that it is
something that with future projects I need to be more aware of. I could have spent
more time of the sound effects to help make the film more dramatic.