Esha Bhogal

gsaeshaas2014.blogspot.com

Looking back at your preliminary task,

what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it

to the full product?

Preliminary TaskWhen I began the Preliminary Task I had never before operated a camera. For both tasks I used a Canon EOS 550D camera. During the Preliminary Task I learnt basic manoeuvres such as turning the device on and off, switching between different camera modes as well as manual zoom and focus.

The tripod was also a new challenge when setting up and added a new dimension to our footage with pans and tilts.

In addition to equipment we tried to include as many techniques in the Prelim Task as we could, using a variety of shot types, including a shot-reverse-shot sequence.

Preliminary TaskEditing was also new territory. We learnt the basics during the Prelim Task, such as trimming dailies and sequencing them in order.

We filmed multiple takes and this allowed us to be able to pick the best takes we had available.

We also experimented with various effects, colour corrections and transitions, but we thought it best to keep the project simple. We incorporated fades at the start and end of the sequence and dissolve transitions to signify the passing of time.

The sound editing was also somewhat basic, as we lowered the ambient sound of the wind and overlaid our music track.

Once finished, we went through the upload process on YouTube also for the first time.

Preliminary TaskWe ran into issues with time and experience. We were unable to distort the soundtrack like originally planned. We initially wanted to change the music when the protagonist walked into the room, to make it sound like it was being played out of speaker inside of the room. However this was not possible.

We also wanted to fill the café with other students, acting as extras, to make the location serve its purpose better.

There was also some oversights in terms of light and sound, which were only somewhat rectifiable in post-production. One half of the shot-reverse-shot was overly saturated due to excessive natural light. Both actors’diologues were affected due to the ambient noise of appliances in the background.

Looking back, these problems could have been solved with extra planning, artificial lighting and a separate microphone. This was taken into account for my final product.

CameraMy use of the camera was quite basic during the Preliminary Task. Before filming my final product I researched into manual settings that could enhance my footage. By the end of this foundation portfolio, I am now able to manually set the white balance and can competently manoeuvre the manual zoom and focus.

Editing

Sound

Mise-en-scene

Final Product