Prelim Task and Evaluation

Prelim Task and Evaluation

1) Who did you work with and how did you manage the tasks between you?

For our preliminary task i was grouped with Pip and Renae. We were all allocated jobs to do within the group to contribute to the final product. I had the job to plan the film and create a storyboard that we would refer to when filming. I also portrayed a protagonist role in the short film, as did everyone in the group.

2) How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use?

We decided to use a storyboard as we felt we needed visual elements in our plan to create the exact shots we wanted. The storyboard is detailed showing how precise the shots needed to be. We finished with a total of 17 shots including the credits:

 Shots 1 - 6

Shots 7 - 12

Shots 13 - 17

3) What theorists do you think you could apply to your task?

I think there are many theorists who could apply to our film. Firstly, Roland Barthes and his discovery of enigma codes can apply to our task, this is because the audience is constantly asking questions such as - why is the evil teacher after the yound girl? or - Who is the suspicious looking man? 

Furthermore, the theories of Claude Levi-Strauss can be applied to our task. His theory was that there are binary opposites in our world that define what we make of it. One opposite used in our film was the use of male and female characters and also the opposite of old and young. The victim in our film is a young schoolgirl which immediately represents innocence and purity. Whereas the evil character in the film is a male who has no conscience and ends up killing the girl.

4) What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?

We had to choose appropriate locations when planning and shooting our task, for instance we chose a school as our location therefore we chose areas such as the diner, a staircase and a gate to show the audience that it was a school environment which adds even for enigma codes for the viewers. 

When editing we had to decide on an appropriate soundtrack for non-verbal scenes and also had to choose a suitable and intensifying backing when the plot was carried out. 

5) How successful was your sequence? Please identify what worked well and with hindsight what would you improve/do differently?

Our final sequence was successful because we included all of the specified shots that were required of us, these included a tracking shot and an extreme close up. If we could have improved our final product I think we could have worked more in terms of editing, maybe we could have alternated the lighting to create a more intense atmosphere at certain parts.

6) What did others say about your production?

Others enjoyed our film because they admired how the narrative built up right up until the end therefore suspense was constant throughout. Many viewers praised one shot in particular where the teacher answers the phone and then the evil man can be seen walking into the diner.

7) What have you learnt from completing this task?

I have learned that the most important element when working in a group is communication. Without communication ideas cannot be transmitted into the project therefore it is vital that everyone in the group is treated equally and no one should dominate a group because it leads to disagreements and a lack of time management. 

8) Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing your final film opening?

The preliminary task is a good learning curve as I learned new features of Adobe Premiere as well as learning new camera techniques which are used by professionals such as the 180 degree rule when filming a conversation.