Evaluation Question 6

Foundation Production- Evaluation

Question 6: What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

I have learnt that using a digital video camera has its advantages and its disadvantages. When we filmed our thriller we used schools video recorder that shot 480p SD video. We also used Laura’s 1080p HD camera to film the newspaper shots. Using Laura’s camera compared to the schools 480p SD recorder was significantly different. Laura’s camera had a much better quality and was better in terms of practicality. The schools video recorder was unclear and did not have the best quality to shoot our thriller with. When we used the tripod with the video recorder we found that it sometimes became hard to manoeuver the camera as the tripod sometimes became very stiff therefore, some of the shots were not as stable as we would have liked them to be. By using the video recorder we were able to zoom in and out of shots and to track movements of the characters. We also used close ups, long shots, mid shots and high angled shots to create different perspectives of the scene and the setting we were in. We used specific shots such as close ups and long shots to both withhold parts of the narrative and then also to show main parts of it as well. This was used to impact the audience making them question the surroundings the characters were in when we used close ups and then answering those questions when the long shots revealed more of the scene.

We used iMovie to edit our shots on Becky’s iPad at first and then the iMac to finish the production off. We found this to have many advantages. We were able to trim and cut shots down to the points we needed them to be. We were able to insert transitions into the shots and add fades and jump cuts to the next parts of the footage. We used titles in our thriller so that we could introduce the roles of our group and what each of us took charge in to create the thriller. We did this to make our thriller look realistic and to make it seem like something you would see in the cinema. We used these specific editing techniques to allow each clip to run smoothly and continuously together. We used the fade shots in between shots to cut to a different place in the setting or to cut to another character. We used the jump cuts in the same way. We integrated the white flashes at the end of the production to jump between the pictures of the murder occurrence so that the audience could get quick images of Laura’s murder without giving away too much. We wanted to impact the audience by including these transitions so that we could play with their minds yet make a consistently running thriller. We selected our footage by choosing the shots that would fit together chronologically and that would help to enhance the conventions we wanted to use such as tension, use of weapons and mystery.

I have learnt that using a tripod during my camerawork was difficult to do. This was due to the fact some of the movements we were trying to use with the tripod were hard to maneuverer into position. Also this then meant that when we were trying to create a pan movement, the camera was not moving in a smooth motion. I have learnt that the lighting is also important when using a camera. We had to make sure that we used the correct amount of lighting so that the footage would not be disrupted by the contrast of the light in the room. The location for us was not a problem as we shot most of our footage inside the Red Hall. When we shot the outside scene walking into the house the weather and the lighting did not affect the shoot at all. We knew that when we were filming we would have to stick to having continuity throughout our thriller. We made sure to use our storyboard to help us put each of the shots in order. I learnt that we didn’t have to shoot everything in order on the day that we filmed our footage as when we edited our thriller we could put the footage into order then. I also learnt that using different camera shot types was important so that our thriller would not look like one continuous scene that would bore our audience. I also learnt when the best time was to use them. I understood that by using the correct shot type such as a close up, helped to keep the enigma of the narrative and only reveal some parts of the shot to the audience. I learnt that composition and framing are important as we had some shots that had certain focal points in different places. I learnt that by including elements and excluding elements in our shots would both reveal and hide bits of information about the location, the characters and the setting the characters had around them. For example Scott was in the center of the frame in one of our shots, which made him the main focus in the scene at the time. I learnt that using rule of thirds would help us position the characters and props better for our camera movements and for the audience to see what was going on in that scene. Finally I learnt that by sticking to the golden mean divides up how much of something is shown in the shot. It also helps to increase the amount of tension there is by not revealing as much to the audience. I learnt that by using camera movements in our thriller such as the pan, we would be able to show more of the setting we were in and show more or less of the characters and their appearance.

I have learnt that editing on iMovie can sometimes be a little difficult. I have had recent

experience in iMovie when I did my preliminary task however, I have developed my skills on iMovie a lot more since then. I have learnt that ordering our shots together would be tricky as we did film a lot of scenes on filming day. Therefore we had to decipher what shots we would use and what shots we wouldn’t use. I learnt how to import the footage onto my iPad and arrange them chronologically in the order our storyboard went in. I learnt the importance of editing our footage to the image of the narrative we had set out in our minds. I learnt that by adding visual effects and colourisation to our thriller, this would interest and excite the audiences’ minds. It would look to them that our thriller was a dark and blurry vision that kept the mystery of our thriller at its best. I learnt that we could use transitions and filters to change the look of our thriller and make it look as close to real media products as possible. I understood how to input these effects onto our footage and where the best places were to add them into. I learnt that not having any diegetic sound was the best option for our thriller. This is because it increased the amount of tension our thriller had. By using the non- diegetic soundtrack in our opening it heightened the tension and built up the crescendo of suspense for the audience. I learnt how to input an ident into the start of our thriller. Our ident made our thriller look more professional and seem like we understood the requirements for our thriller to look like a real media product. I learnt how to export our media product when it was finished although I had experience of this when I did my preliminary task however, the process defiantly took longer this time.  Finally I learnt how to upload my finished product on my blog using YouTube which would have shown my further understanding of how to use media technology.