Preliminary Exercise Evaluation

Our task for the Preliminary Exercise was to create a continuity sequence of a person walking into a room, sitting down and having a short conversation with someone else. 



 
1. Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?

I worked with Alex E, Olivia and Zenia for the preliminary exercise. We all brainstormed ideas; Alex E was mainly in charge of drawing the storyboard although we all contributed. Olivia came up with the final idea for our clip and I noted down actions which were to be used in the script and storyboard while we acted out the sequence. Zenia wrote the shot list, referring to the storyboard and script. Me and Alex E took turns editing our version of the final clip.


2. How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use? What theories did you try to take into account?

We planned our sequence firstly by coming up with an idea for our continuity clip. We discussed different possible narratives and created a brainstorm. After brainstorming, we decided on a Romantic Comedy genre and also agreed on the key events in our narrative. Our next step was to decide who the characters would be in the clip, what was going to happen visually from the audience's perspective and the dialogue for each character. Using our ideas we wrote up a script. From there we planned the shots individually and drew a storyboard, taking into consideration framing and camera movement. Next we created a shot list including the technical codes for each shot. Finally we came up with a shooting schedule, sorting them into four 'set ups' to save time in the shooting stage.

We tried to take into account several theories when shooting. The '180 degree rule' was important to keeping the audience oriented throughout the conversation between our two main characters. We also tried to incorporate a 'shot reverse shot' during the conversation. During both the filming and shooting stages we also had to take into account the 'match on action' to ensure we had continuity in our clip. For example, a shot of Olivia opening a door is followed by another shot from inside the room, with the action continuing from the same position.

3. What technology did you us to complete the task, and how did you use it?

During our shoot we used a camcorder with a mic and tripod assigned to our group. The tripod was important for holding our camcorder steady, and in order to create a tilt for one of our shots. To edit our clip we used the computers in the Edit Suite, with the 'Adobe Premiere Pro' software. Having some experience with the software already, we found it quite easy to use. We also briefly used a camera to take a few pictures of us editing. The lighting was natural for all of our shots, so we didn't need to use any other tools for lighting.

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

We had to take into account several factors. During planning we had to consider the location where we would be shooting, who would act for each character and what sort of dialogue and actions our script would include. After deciding on our shots, we also had to agree on a logical way to group them into set-ups for shooting.

When shooting, we had to get the continuity techniques, framing and camera movement how we wanted, which proved difficult at times. Time management was also important, so we decided to focus on getting all of our shots taken at least once before doing any extra takes. Due to our effective planning of our set-ups we didn't run into any problems, however.

Our aim when editing was to make the clip look smooth and continuous. In order to achieve this we often had to experiment with timing. We also had to ensure that the narrative was clear and easy to interpret, and that the overall atmosphere of the clip was created how we intended. Again, we had limited time to finish our edit, so we had to work quickly.

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

Overall our sequence was quite successful. We achieved the continuity effect that we wanted, both by following the techniques correctly when shooting and also through our editing. Although we did run into some continuity problems during the editing stage I think we managed to resolve them well. Our final clip flows smoothly and the shots seem to work well together. The awkward atmosphere that we wanted to create between the characters also worked very effectively; the reactions and facial expressions of the characters also gave the clip some comedy value.

We could have improved the clip by framing more carefully while shooting, and by filming a few more takes of each shot so we had more footage to work with during editing. If we were to re-shoot, I think we definitely would have focused more on cinematography and maybe make the acting more believable - but there were no major problems.

6. What have you learnt from completing this task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing the rest of your foundation coursework, do you think?

From completing this task I have learnt how to film a clip by considering continuity techniques such as the 180 degree rule and the 'shot reverse shot'. I've also developed my skills in shot framing, editing and filming under timed conditions. I've also learnt how to plan shoots according to set-ups rather than focusing on taking individual shots, which is more time efficient and a more conventional way to film in the media industry, as it minimises the time that the actors are on set.

I think this will all help me when completing the rest of my foundation coursework, as I'll be able to manage time more efficiently and plan, shoot and edit to a higher standard. It has also prepared me for the coursework as I'll know what to expect and will be able to apply the same processes that I have used in the preliminary exercise.