The document discusses what was learned about technologies from creating a film opening. It describes how a blog was used for research, filming logs, and feedback. Digital cameras and tripods were used to film shots, with tripods providing steadier footage. Fade ins/outs and adjusting contrast were used to ensure consistent lighting. Countdowns and delays were used to coordinate actors during filming. Adobe Photoshop was used to create text titles. Sound effects were added in post-production to emphasize impacts. An overall production process similar to films was followed from inspiration to treatment to pitch.

1. Question 6
What have I learned about
Technologies from the process of
making a Film Opening?

2. Technologies
Blog
The Blog was a useful tool in the
following ways:
Post Research – i.e. Audience
research
Film Log – Tracking the actual
filming sessions
Feedback – I posted constructive
comments on the work to date, in
order that the group Blog could be
updated and improved. This
facilitated collaboration allowing
suggestions as to where extra clips
or posts might be added.
Here you can see a
comment from Andy left on
one of my posts for ideas of
sound , Allowing us to
share our opinions with one
another

3. Technologies
The work was filmed principally on a digital
hand-held camera, though a tripod was
used for shots requiring a steadier hand.
The tripod was, apart from the camera, the
most vital piece of kit. For example ,when I
first filmed the shot where the protagonist
picks up the keys just before he leaves the
house
I did not use the tripod it was very ‘wobbly’.
However when I utilised the tripod the shot was
improved as follows:
It was clearer, the camera was lowered which
allowed a greater depth of field
The shot was more professional and individual
Here you can see the picking
up of the key shot using the
tripod and how steady the
camera is.

4. Special Effects
We used few special effects. Fade in and out were used when the titles were displayed
as this denotes the light going out when you are unconscious and it also blended well
with the titles coming towards you.

5. Technologies
Lighting
Lighting was a small problem, but a problem nonetheless! This was due to the fact
that some of the shots were taken on different days and therefore different light
exposure affected the shots. We overcame this effectively and swiftly, achieving a
continuous level of lighting by dragging the contrast effect onto the shots that needed
to be adjusted then set the levels of contrast so that they matched.
This screen shots shows
how we used effects to
create a consistent light
throughout our opening.

6. Over coming problems.
• We used a non-verbal communication system to indicate when the camera was
operating; the Cameraman counting down from 3 with his fingers. This overcame
initial problems with spoiling shots where the actors were unaware that filming
was taking place.
• To aid preparedness after our count in we left a further 3 seconds before the
action commenced. This meant that all actors were ready and it improved our
footage and decreased our re-take percentage considerably.

7. Creation of Text
To create the text we used Adobe Photoshop. Previously we had selected a font from
the internet site ‘Dafont’. We used a text suitable for our teen horror genre but at the
same time complimented the content of our film ‘Lurk’
Sound
We used sound effects in the opening sequence to emphasise digetic sound, for
example ,when the antagonist kicks the protagonist in the face, we took a kicking
sound effect, dragged it and placed it on top of the shot. This delivered a more
‘meaty’ and dramatic sound.
Our title Lurk fits well with the
horror genre and resembles
the title from brick.

8. Production process
• Our production process was very similar to how a film is produced in the sense
that it started originally through inspiration. In our case researching successful
films in the horror genre and looking at the aspects that made them great films.
• Secondly, we wrote a treatment to initially see the reaction of our ‘employer’, in
our case, teachers.
• Finally we had to present a well thought out ‘pitch’ to the class in order to be given
the ‘green-light’ and therefore film our opening.
The pitch we created on prezzi
was given the green light first
time and contained our
treatment and showed
background research that had
been put into the idea for our
opening.