Preliminary Task - Evaluation

1. What camera and editing techniques and codes did you use in your film and how do they influence the audience's understanding of the film? (e.g. camera angles and shot types etc; Match on action, Shot/reverse shot; 180 degree rule) We kept our preliminary film fairly simple and easy to watch, with lots of eye level medium shots, long shots and close ups. We experimented with zooming in and out and using different shots, as this was our first time using the digital cameras. We incorporated the 180 degree rule when the conversation takes place, so that the audience doesn't get confused with who's talking at which point. We also used the match on action technique when the character was seen walking up to the door of the house from outside and then shown walking in from inside, to keep the sequence continuous and being the best way to change location with the audience being able to follow easily.
2. How did you use new technologies in your construction, planning and evaluation (e.g. digital cameras; non-linear editing software; Youtube and blog) and what skills do you have at using this technology? (Strengths and weaknesses e.g. steady/shaky camera; variety of shot types; smooth/clumsy transitions; independance when using technologies...)
We were able to use the digital cameras before shooting our Preliminary film, so had already learnt the basic camera shots and movements, however we were still very shaky when holding the camera, but we overcame this problem by using the tripod yet we still had problems when zooming in and out too quickly creating the clumsy transitions. During editing, some of our cuts became to quick, but we didn't realise till it was too late. However we had managed to cover some of these quick cuts up with transitions on Premiere Elements such as fade in and out. After completing the editing, we signed up to YouTube with our own group name, uploaded our film and then transferred it to our blogs.
3. How successfully does your final product meet the brief?
Overall, i think our Preliminary film wasn't particularly brilliant, but it was good for a first attempt. It was successful in terms of us including the 180 degree rule and the Match on action technique, however it could've been better if we had included a soundtrack and used some different camera angles. If we'd had time to re-do our film, we would have taken more time over it, and included a soundtrack and used some better transitions during editing.

Preliminary Task Storyboards, Narrative Sequence and Script.

Narrative Sequence

Camera follows Jack walking down an alley way.

Close up as he walks round the corner at the end.

Establishing shot as Jack walks towards the house.

Close up of door handle as Jack reaches for it.

Camera switches to inside view, close up of door handle and zoom out as Jack enters.

Establishing shot of kitchen as Jack walks through second door and sits at table.

Close up of Nicole sitting opposite.

-Dialogue, use of 180 degree rule-

Close up of Jacks hands as he pushes away from table.

Zoom out as Jack exits the house.

Script

Nicole: 'So, did you do it?'

Jack: 'No, i didn't have time.'

Nicole: 'And why not?'

Jack: ''Cos, they were coming.'

Nicole: 'Who?'

Jack: 'You know who.'

Nicole: 'I paid you to do a job, and i expect it to be done.'

Jack: 'Fine, i'll do it tomorrow!'

Nicole: 'No, tomorrow's not good enough! I'll find someone else to do it, or better still, i'll do it myself!'

Preliminary Task - Film

Continuity Editing

The 180 Degree Rule

A basic film editing guideline that states that two characters in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to eachother. If the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two subject, it is called crossing the line. The new shot, from the opposite side, is known as a reverse angle.



This diagram shows the 180 degree rule.















Shot reverse shot

A film technique wherein one character is shown looking (often off-screen) at another character, and then the other character is shown looking "back" at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other.

Shot reverse shot is a feature of the "classical" Hollywood style of continuity editing, which deemphasizes transitions between shots such that the audience perceives one continuous action that develops linearly, chronologically, and logically.


This image shows the Shot reverse shot.











Match on Action Technique
This technique is a cut that connects two different views of the same action at the same moment in the movement. By carefully matching the movement across the two shots, filmmakers make it seem that the motion continues uninterrupted. For a real match on action, the action should begin in the first shot and end in the second shot.