Evaluation: Question 7) Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product? - Mrs. Quinlan

What was the preliminary task and what were its main aims?

The preliminary task consisted in shooting a sequence long 30 seconds using a variety of shots and movements. The aim of this task was to familirise ourselves with the members of group as well as our skills with the camera and also with the program Final Cut X Pro. While filming our product I learn how to shoot and edit a sequence while experimenting with different options available in Final Cut. I have never used this program before, thus I was not confident with the techniques and how to elaborate our shots. Therefore, the preliminary task encouraged and helped me to produce a professional opening thriller with the support of my members of group. 

My Preliminary Task:

From this preliminary task we learned to cooperate with each other, we also distribute our roles based on our skills. Therefore having a professional group to work with. 

I AM NOW MORE CONFIDENT IN:

Filming: I am now more confident on capturing different angles while filming. At first I was not aware of the spacing surrounded the character, therefore I needed someone to guide me while filming to record a proficient shot. Thus I asked a teacher for help, and after practicing I have developed new skills and how to shoot new angles professionally, in order to create a professional opening thriller.

Editing: I am now more confident in adding various filters to my shots to ensure they look thrilling and making the audience react fearfully. I have used various filters such as red to connote danger and to make the audience have a fearful response. Also I have used a negative filter to alert the audience of the identity crisis of the antagonist. These sinister filters also ensure my production reflects the thriller genre, as they foreshadow the eerie events to come.

Filming: Moreover, I am now more comfortable on handling the camera when filming. In my preliminary my hands were shaking and I could not film a steady footage. However now I am able to work with the tripod therefore when filming the footage, the sequence can be clear. 

Editing: It was the first time I used the Final Cut X Pro program to manipulate my footage, therefore when editing the preliminary task it was difficult to attaching the shots with the sound so the scene will have more effects. To improve, I gave more attention to my footage timing and analysed the shots in order to plan which sound will go to a frame, thus allowing me to create natural and professional product.

COMPARISON FROM MY PRELIMINARY TO MY FINAL PRODUCT:

Camera movements:

Preliminary Task

In Her Scent

My panning shot improved from my preliminary to my final production as they initially lacked professionalism and were at a high speed and the image was shaky. However, in my final product the panning shot was filmed with more care and less speed with the use of the tripod which created tension for the audience.

Framing:

In Her Scent

Preliminary Task

My framing during the preliminary task was unstable, preventing the characters from having equal space surrounding them and the characters had large amounts of irrelevant space around them. However, during the final production I ensured I positioned the camera effectively with the characters taking up most of the space, and I also ensured that the characters were filmed away from windows to inappropriate light sources from interfering.

Handling the camera:

Preliminary Task

In Her Scent

Lastly, in my preliminary task the camera handling was unstable and distorted. This is because during the preliminary task we did not use the tripod, therefore ending up with a unprofessional sequence. However, during the filming of our final product we planned our shots to a have clear idea of what were going to film. Also ensuring that the the shot sizes, angle and movements were not repeated, but using different frames. In addition we used the tripod to shoot some of our footage which also improved the quality of our sequence.

Reflection:

In conclusion, I think I've created a successful thriller and there is a clear progression from my preliminary task to the final product. I really enjoyed filming and editing the production as it involved various skills including leadership and IT skills. By completing the task I gained new experiences such as editing, filming and creating an original soundtrack which were essential for the production stage. This allowed every group member to participate and take responsibility. In addition, I believe that the planning and research tasks were crucial in order to create a proficient feature, however during the production stage we improved our teamwork and working at a fast speed in order to meet deadlines.

I have most enjoyed editing and filming the project throughout, where my group and I got to fully engage into the production and constantly debate about the best options for our product. It also allowed us to work together as a team and identify each individuals strengths and weaknesses. I found it interesting to work with programs such as Final Cut and Logic Pro because it allowed us to try out new ideas and assorted edits and sounds before making a final decision. I was really absorbed by the informations I have gained about the process because I enjoyed putting the product together to produce a successful, final production of high quality.

However, I could improve on spending more time on the soundtrack which accompanies my opening thriller. I think that the non-diegetic music could be developed  by making my soundtracks more eerie in order to make my thriller more conventional to the genre, also emphasise on the most significant moments of the opening and draw audience response. I also think that my edits could compliment the sound more precisely in order to cause a bigger effect on the audience. Overall, by making these improvements my thriller would be more of a success as it would reflect the thriller genre more effectively and create more tension for the audience.

In conclusion, from completing this production I have learnt how to create a thriller opening, including the stages thorough research and planning. I have also learned how to become more independent by taking  responsibility of being the producers, which enabled me to conduct the characters ensuring their acting was precise and realistic. Furthermore, during this task I was able to work with different technologies which enabled me to gain experience in using professional programs including, Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro making my thriller production more effective and professional. From this process I am now aware of how to create an opening and what is necessary to create a good product.