The document discusses what the author learned about filmmaking technologies from creating a two-minute film opening. It describes using a Canon 550D camera that allowed HD filming and zooming to get close-up shots. Final Cut Pro was used to edit the film and add effects like flashbacks. Problems encountered included a lack of creative filming locations and technical issues with the camera stopping recording. The author proposes improvements like adding a knife to the serial killer to make them seem more threatening and filming in a real police interrogation room.

1. What have you learnt about
technologies from the process of
constructing the product?

2. Camera
• To film my two minute film opening my group and I used a Cannon 550D. A function on this camera was it
allowed me to film in HD. By filming in HD my shot were of a better quality as supposed to filming with a camera
which is not HD. Zoom was also a useful function in constructing my film because it allowed me to zoom into the
characters faces in to show the tension, frustration and fatigue on the officers face due to a long interrogation
and no positive result and the to show the serial killer giving off a shameless look. An important feature that had to
be consistent and I had to be mindful of was making sure whenever I was filming that the camera was in focus to
keep the consistency of my shots and makes it clear who I want the audience to pay particular attention to.
Adding to that it adds to the professionalism of the overall film. Using the tripod with the camera it helped to
make some shots still and improve the framing. This idea was introduced after my group and I tried free hand and
discovered it would not be suitable to use for the majority of our shots. Free hand was mainly effective for when
showing the character point of view i.e. in our film showing the serial killer point of view when hunting down he’s
victim.

3. These three close ups shots of Daniel (Officer 1), Volkan (Serial killer) and myself (officer 2) I am proud of
because its shows there emotions at that particular time. As well as that it was useful to portray what we
wanted which was to show the officers as frustrated and fatigued after they have struggled to get a
confession or any key information to help with the investigation of the murder without the characters
verbally saying it. Also through out those close ups there is a the sound of a heart beating to add
suspense.
These are shots I’m not particular proud of and which had to be changed. Starting with the first image of Volkan it
was meant to portray a flashback but the effect used made it seem like a film from the 1960’s and it also makes it more
obvious that its in a school environment and doesn’t really show off my group and I’s creativity. The second image
which was meant to be an interrogation room was a really bad shot because a music poster of Louis Armstrong and a
teacher walking is visible which automatically puts in the audience’s mind that its in a school. The third image
defeated the whole point of our idea which was originally that Martin would come to work and nobody would be
there but in the back you can see somebody walking.

4. Music
• YouTube was a key tool in finding music to add in my two minute film opening. For instance because we included
New Line Cinema as a production company that would distribute our film we downloaded their intro music and
made it fit to the 16 seconds logo.

5. Final Cut
• To edit my film I used Final Cut Pro on a Mac. This editing software helped my group and I in putting together
everything. Final Cut Pro allowed us to add a effected to represent flashback of the serial killer really
remembering where he was on the night of the murder of he’s victim. Another effect I used was making the
majority of the interrogation in black & white and a camera effect to portray a CCTV camera.

6. Problems
• Problems I had with my filming was the creativity side of it. It was difficult finding a location to portray an
interrogation room so we used a small plain music room. As well as that the location was based around school
which didn’t really portray the creativity within the individual s in the group and also came across as basic. A
technical difficult I encountered was at times during filming the camera would bring a message saying
“Recording has automatically stopped” this was a big issues due to it was hard to get the actors to perform at
the level they were when we was recording. Another similar technical difficult I encountered was the battery died
on me on two occasions which was very time consuming because we then had to go back inside and wait for
the camera to charge.

7. What I Would Improve
• To make my media product I would of equipped the serial killer with a knife to make him come across more
menacing, threating and dark to the audience. I think this would have conformed more to a typical Crime Drama
and the audience it would have had an impact on the audience more compared to without. As well as that the
use of fake blood would have made the killing look more gritty and realistic which would of improved the
professionalism of my media product. I would of also liked to film my interrogation scene in a real police
interrogation room if it were possible to add to make it come across as more realistic and to show my group and
I’s creativity of going to such lengths of actually filming in a real interrogation room. Adding to that it would have
been better if real police officers could have acted in my media product as the officers which would have made
the audience engage more due to the officers do what we would like them to do in our film for a living.