Evaluation Task 7: Looking back at your preliminary task what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Over the course of the academic year I have learnt a range of different skills that enabled  the opportunity to produce our final thriller opening sequence. Alongside our inspiration for the sequence and access to more resources, the skills I have learnt for the filming and editing processes have meant that I have come along way. 

The actual shooting day took a lot more planning than expected. We created a timetable for the day, a shot list and a script, which are only a few examples. This level of organisation meant that my group used the most of our time being productive. We learnt that it was important to have too much footage, rather than too little because in the editing process you may want to change your ideas, which is what we definitely found to be true. Whereas for the preliminary task we were given the task and shot it all in one, one hour session, so it took no planning at all. 


Prelim Set

Thriller Set

When shooting the sequence we were not restricted about what shots we could include and we were able to experiment with our shot list. When shooting our preliminary task we were given a set number of shots that we had to include, and afterwards we could add other shots. When going through the script of the thriller sequence we highlighted moments where  we could use possible shots. Originally we going to use an over the shoulder shot to show the girl looking in the mirror with the inspector's hat on, instead we used a pan. Using a wider variety of shots added to the detail of the sequence and made it more interesting to watch. A pan shot also turned out to be one of the most difficult shots of the day because it was important to have a steady hand and to keep everything in focus all the time. It took a few takes to get that shot right in the end. 

We learnt that it is important to always dress the shot appropriately. It makes it more clear to the audience where the location is and adds to the realism of the sequence. My group had only planned the desk in the office of the police station to have only a computer and the investigation file. However, this was too bare so we collected more equipment from all over the college, such as files and paper and other stationary. For the prelim we used the location of our classroom and we used no props. 


During the editing process I learnt about adding non-diegetic sound, credits and transitions. For both the preliminary task and the opening sequence we used the non linear editing software, Final Cut Pro. When editing the preliminary task my group grabbed the basic skills of the software, which made the process of editing the opening sequence a lot easier. The hardest part about the process was the sound. It was important to always make sure there were no gaps in the sound, and the most challenging task I had to do was make sure a sound clip was in time with another shot.
 

Overall, the level of intensity from the preliminary task and the final opening sequence increased. And the skills learnt over the process are clear from the opening sequence. Both tasks can be found below from YouTube. 

Preliminary Task 




Thriller Opening Sequence