Question 7 essay

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

 I have improved since my preliminary task. This has been shown by my ability to keep the camera steady when filming a tracking shot. In my preliminary task I found it especially tricky to film a tracking shot, this was because of my inability to use the tripod properly. However, after my familiarisation with the equipment I was able to use the tripod properly which is seen in the production because all shot are taken properly without shaking.  I have also developed in editing the production. In the preliminary task I was only able to use the cut option on the editing software however after constant practise and familiarising myself with the editing software I have now been able to use transitions such as flickering and, I’ve been able to make the production into a film noir. I have also developed as a film maker by being able to add suitable title into the production. In the preliminary task I was only able to use the transitions that were provided on the software however, in the final production I was able to add the title from an external source.

One of the strengths of the preliminary task was extensive planning and the inspiration we took from other opening. For example where the title come and the order in which they are displayed. We planned this task carefully and made sure we had a checklist of camera shots that we were going to use, all of the shots are what most thriller openings use. Before filming, we also gathered inspiration from other preliminary tasks that were of a high standard and made sure we emulated some of the techniques they used that made their preliminary task successful and of a high standard. One of the failure of the preliminary task was that we didn’t and the mise en scene of the task and how it affected the overall production.  I didn’t feel the mise en scenes of the preliminary task were suitable and this would have been improved if we planned this aspect of the task more carefully. I the final product we made sure that we planned the mise en scene properly and use props and costumes that fit well with the genre of the film. We were able to build on the short comings of the preliminary task by making sure we focused on a specific genre and made sure that we used props and costumes that are suitable to the genre.  We also made sure that the lighting and sound were appropriate for the production. This meant extensive research on different thriller movies and television programmes in order for us to have a successful product.

We  used  skills in the preliminary task but they weren’t executed well because it was our first time using these skills. We included the 180 degree rule, mid shots, a tracking shot, over the back shot, close up, low angled shot and a long shot and the use of a graphic match is two places. The shot types that we used were useful because we used the again in the thriller. This was useful because the preliminary gave us practise in filming these different shot types which meant when filming the thriller were able to implement what we learnt in the preliminary into the thriller.  This was especially useful when we filmed the graphic match at the en d of our thriller. Continuity was am issue towards the end of our preliminary task however; in the actual thriller we made sure the editing was perfect. The shot reverse shot didn’t apply to our group because we don’t

have any interaction between any of our characters; this is because it gives the thriller a colder, lonely approach.  Throughout the thriller we were able to successfully use the match on action technique. This was because through our thriller the audience are able to determine the chronology of events in the thriller. Match on action wasn’t a problem in the preliminary task because the chronology of events was clear after the editing and we were able to repeat the success of match on action in the thriller.   These skills were useful when shooting the thriller because we were able to practise these sills in the preliminary, then based on the performance of the preliminary we were able to improve when shooting the actual thriller.

 

I believe our thriller opening captures the film noir genre well, while also being able to distinguish the difference between a flashback and present time. We targeted the detective thriller genre and I believe we have successfully been able to create a production that clearly shows the detective aspect while being a thriller. The opening has been able to achieve what the audience expect from a thriller by captivating them through problem solving and questions. The soundtrack fits well with the events in the thriller; the soundtrack makes the opening have a sense of suspense and at times, especially when the detective is nearing the isolated railway bridge, this also creates a thrilling atmosphere by targeting the audience’s emotions. The weaknesses of the opening are that we could have broadened the techniques used in the opening. For example we could have used the shot reverse shot through interaction between actors. We could have also reduced the amount of flash transitions we used during the thriller, this is because at times the flash becomes distracting and makes the detective robotic however, and the reason for this is because we needed the footage of the detective to look like a flashback.  I also believe the use of the graphic match could have been used better because it wasn’t very clear in the thriller we produced; this could have been because the flashing transitions masked the graphic match.