Preliminary task evaluation

For our preliminary task we had to organise ourselves in to groups and shoot a 1-2 minute sequence to show a person entering a room and speaking to someone else. In this task we had to demonstrate the 180 degree rule, match on action, shot reverse shot and continuity.

I think that our camerawork was good overall; however there were parts that we could have improved on quite a lot. We used a variety of shots including long shots, mid-shots and close ups. We used a close up on the antagonist’s face during this scene which I think was effective as it showed his expression and created a tense atmosphere. As well as that, we used a long shot as the two protagonists were entering the room to show location. It was also shot using a high angled shot to show that the protagonists were at the antagonist’s whim. I think that this shot could have been done better if we had a tripod that worked as we could have held the camera steadier so that it looked more professional. I think that the shakiness throughout this whole scene detracted from the overall quality of our finished sequence, as it made it look more amateur. During the start of this sequence we chose to leave out the antagonist’s face to add a sense of mystery to the scene. If I were to film this again, I would put some shadows across the antagonist’s face to make him seem more evil like Norman Bates has in ‘Psycho’ during the parlour scene. We met the 180 degree rule criteria as we did not break it. Furthermore, we used a close up of one of the protagonist’s hands to show his finger tapping. This was effective as it showed the viewer how tense the character was feeling. However, we could have made it better if we used a match on action to show which character’s hand it was. We could have used a shot of the character before we used the close up. In this sequence, we also weren’t very careful when positioning the tripod as you can see it in the reflection of a computer. If I were to do it again, I would make sure to compose my shots more carefully.

I think that our editing was effective as it didn’t show any jumps or glitches between scenes, it all ran relatively smoothly. If we had more time to edit, we could have made the shots run more smoothly together. We managed to stick to the 180 degree rule during filming the conversation in this sequence. As well as that, I think that we effectively used match on action during this scene. As one of the characters goes to open the door, we successfully edited the shots together so that the motion looked smooth as he was pulling down the door handle and entering the room. However, we could have made the match on action better towards the end of the scene, as one of the characters taps his finger; however it is unclear whose hand it is. As the characters are talking we showed a shot reverse shot which was effective as it links the characters together and makes the conversation feel more natural. I do not think that our use of titles was particularly effective as it was rushed and looked quite boring. If we had managed our time better, we could have spent more time making the title sequence look more interesting and thriller like. We could have used some sound effects as the names came in to make the sequence look more dynamic and professional. The only visual effect we used was a CCTV like one as the characters were walking in to the scene. I think this was effective because it added some variety to the sequence; however we could have made it look better if the camera was on a tripod so it would be less shaky.

I do not think the lighting was very successful or effective during this sequence. At the start we chose for the room to be dark to add a tense atmosphere; however I think it was ineffective as the viewer can’t really see anything. If we had access to more lighting opportunities then I think we could have made this scene look more effective, however was just had the main lights in the room. After the beginning of this sequence, lighting didn’t play a major role in creating an atmosphere. If we were to do this again, I would create more shadows in this scene to fit in with the thriller genre.  

During shooting and editing this preliminary sequence I have learnt that I need to be more time conscious as we spent too much time on certain things, and didn’t leave enough time for things like the title sequence. As well as that I have learned that I need to compose a shot more carefully so that there are no mistakes in the final edit. I also need to use a tripod more effectively so that the camera keeps steady, so that the final product looks more professional. We also learned how to effectively plan shooting a sequence through the use of story boards and shot lists. I wish to improve on making sound more effective and thriller like during my final thriller task. I also want to include more transitions so that it is a bit more visually appealing and interesting to watch. When planning my final thriller task, I also want to work more on the script so that we have an exact plan on what we want to shoot.