Question 7

“Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel that you have learnt from it to the full product?”

The Equipment, Growing in confidence.The equipment that we used during our tasks was simply just a video camera with a cassette tape insert, on a tripod and a hand held LED light while on location shooting the footage. The other equipment that we used was a Apple Mac laptop that was loaded with IMOVIE, which is an editing software.

As a group, we had many difficulties with using the camera during our preliminary task, such as the footage was blurred and out of focus after our first attempt. Then when we filmed the preliminary task again, the footage became mixed and thick bars appeared on the footage. We found out that it was partly due to human error and partly to do with a fault in the camera. We over came this by changing the camera. This worked and we became more confident in using the camera as our main task progressed.

The Equipment. (continued)

We were confident with using the tripod from the start of our preliminary task right to the end of our main task. The tripod was used to capture all of the steady footage and also to help keep the continuity consistent in our preliminary task as well as in the main task . In addition to this, the tripod also captured some of the unique footage, like, when only the kid-napers lower legs and feet walked past the camera. In conclusion, the tripod was an essential piece of equipment while we filmed our footage for both tasks.

The Equipment. (continued)

The hand-held LED light box was another piece of equipment that we used during the production stage of our thriller. As our opening was set in a warehouse that was turned into an interrogation/ torture room, we used the natural darkness of the workshop and used the hand-held LED light box to create the effect of a swinging light. However, while shooting our footage we found out that we needed another hand-held LED light box to provide the extra light needed to enhance the visual quality of our footage without over exposing our footage to light, therefore losing the common convention of most Kid-nap style thrillers. We didn't need to use a light to create the lighting effect in our preliminary task, so we only used the hand-held light in our main task. The light was easy to use, the only difficulty was finding a way of positioning it effectively.

The Equipment. (continued)

The editing software IMOVIE brought its own problems in the beginning because a few of the effects that we wanted to achieve, we couldn’t achieve simply. But we compromised with was available and what was achievable within the time we had allocated. Each member of our group had their own input into the editing and we each tweaked the other members editing work.

Our use of specific shot types.Type of shot we used Where the shot was used Reason for using that shot

typeWas it effective in fulfilling the task

Mid shot Preliminary task To strengthen the continuity editing

Yes, the mid shot was effective as it help to create a sense of continuity.

Mid shot Main task To keep the identity of the kidnapper secret.

Yes, as it fitted in as one of the convention of a thriller

Close up Main task To highlight the ring, which shows that the Kidnapper is the one with power

Yes, because it showed the power arrangement like most classic thrillers.

High angle shot Main task To highlight the ring, which shows that the Kidnapper is the one with power

Yes, this shot shows the classic convention of power in a thriller.

Long shot Main task To show the vulnerability victim when on the floor

Yes, it makes the audience sympathetic for the victim.

Tilt up Main task To show how trapped the victim was, as well as how weak he is.

Yes, because is it a classic thriller convention.

How planning and research helped.• The planning and research that we did helped us establish

what type of thriller we wanted to make, because we thought about making a bank heist styled thriller opening but we realised that none of us knew of a bank styled building, which meant that are opening would not be convincing. Then we thought about a prison break styled opening . Although we had many possible locations available, none of the members of our group could agree whether the opening should just be one character, plotting in his cell or if it should start out in the exercise yard. This only left us with the classic kid nap thriller.

• The planning and research stage is the biggest stage in the production process. The planning for our preliminary task was more or less on the spot because we had to plan and shoot in a vary restricted time. This mean that the planning for our preliminary task was basic in comparison to our groups planning for, the main task. The planning that we did for our main task was far more detailed and went into a lot more depth because we had around a month to research and plan for our opening . Essentially the planning and research that we did was the back bone of our opening success, because if we had not done the scale of planning that we did, it would not have been as successful as it is.

Did the end product fulfil the task?• Our opening did fulfil the task of creating a thriller that is no more than two minutes long

because ‘UNTRACEABLE’, (our opening) ticked all the boxes in the check list of thriller conventions. The first convention that it showed was the power arrangement like most classic thrillers, where hero is the one who has the weakened power at the start, while the evil kid napping villain is the one who enjoys the an immense amount of power, which he exploits it.

In addition to this, the way that we shot the footage, it makes the audience feel sympathetic for the victim.This is also helped to fulfil the task because the audience have a character that they know will be the hero.

Another reason for why our opening fulfilled the task was that we squeezed the most out of the equipment that we used, as well as the location and the characters’ acting. By getting the most out these, it meant that our opening fulfilled the task because it made our opening more effective.

The final reason for why our opening fulfilled the task was that our opening received great audience feed back from our focus group and everybody who was able to see it. Because our target audience thought that our opening was like every other kid nap style thriller, it is proof that our opening fulfilled the task.