Evaluation Question 7

Looking back on the preliminary task, what skills do you think you

have learned through your progression from it to your final

product

Skills I have developed:I have developed a number of skills through the progression of my product.

I have firstly developed my research skill. When doing my preliminary exercise I did little research which mainly included looking at shot types and how many titles generally came up on the screen. When doing my final product I looked closely into codes and conventions of a film opening and then again closer at the specific genre conventions for my product. I was then able to apply these into my work. I also widened my sources for research through my main product. When doing my preliminary research I only used the source YouTube, however when doing my final product I used many resources such as conducting surveys, art of the title ect.

Skills I have developed:I have developed a number of skills through the progression of my product.

I have also developed my planning skill. When doing my preliminary exercise I only did a very simple storyboard to plan. However when doing my final product I did a much more in depth and detailed story board for every single shot I planned to compose. I also did a recce of location and looked at each place in my location that would be suitable to film. I also did model release forms and ensured that I had models consent for those who were to star in my film. I did not do this for my preliminary. Finally I did a health and safety assessment to make sure that where I wanted to use would be safe.

Skills I have developed:I have developed a number of skills through the progression of my product.

Finally I developed the skill through the production of my product. I developed my skills on final cut express as I learned how to add effects such as a cross dissolve, speeding up the shots, and how to adjust the colours on the shots. The cross dissolve benefitted my product as it helped to create a smooth opening which fits with the genre conventions. I was able to change the speed which helped me because some of the shots looked too quick to fit in with the other shots so by slowing it down it helped sustain the same pace. By changing the colour I was able to make sure my shots matched up colour wise. I did not know how to do this during my preliminary.

Shot composition:In my preliminary I used few shots with a couple different types such as an extreme close up and a medium shot. When filming I did not do retakes and then pick the best shots in editing where as I did this in my final product. I found that this was better because I could find which shots fit best together and looked the best together.

In my final product I used a number of different shots with different angles to add depth and make my product look more professional and more interesting.

Holding a steady shot:In my preliminary I did not use a tripod for all of my shots. I did a tracking shot and therefore had to walk with the camera. I later decided that I did not like that as it made my shot look wobbly, therefore I did not use any tracking shots in my final product. I used mainly static shots which allowed me to use a tripod to make sure it was steady. I also used panning shots or tilts which the tripod also enabled me to do. It looked better with the tripod because it looked more professional and like a real opening to a film because the shots were a lot more steady.

Lighting:For my preliminary it was filmed in the college hall and therefore the lighting was artificial and also looked too dark. On reflection I did not like this therefore when planning to do my real product I decided to film outside with natural lighting. I think that this makes it much more realistic and also professional looking. Also, the sunlight fits in with my genre conventions.

Location:For my preliminary location was not thought about and I just used the college hall as it was free. For my real product I thought a lot about the location and which place would fit best. I thought Hardwick hall would fit well because my character is high class and the hall looks posh and fancy. Also I thought the little statues and features of the park would fit nicely and look interesting for the opening. For my preliminary when I filmed there were other people sat In the hall and I did not want that for my final product so I made sure I was there early enough for there to be no other people there.

Actors:For my preliminary I did not think about who my actors would be and what they would wear. Where as in my final product I thought carefully who would appeal most to my target audience and fit the role best. I also thought about costume as my film is set in the 1940s and I needed something that would suit that time period to let the audience know that it is a period film. I also thought about the colours on her costume to relate and suggest the theme of the film or the personality of the character.

Titles and sound:For my preliminary I did not add any sound or titles. I left the sound on that was there whilst filming. For my final product I added titles as this was a convention of a film opening. I also created a soundtrack which enhanced the diegetic sounds and also made it more interesting. I muted the sounds from when I was filming as it made it more professional and there was some talking on there.