6) What have you learnt about the technologies from the process of constructing this product?
For both the main task and preliminary task we used Adobe Premier Pro software, I feel that it enabled us to edit as proficiently as possible. We had one editing session even before we had scripted our preliminary. When it came to editing our preliminary task for the first time it was difficult adjusting to the software as it was so advanced compared to the I movie software I had used in the past. However this was good practice as we had many editing sessions on the preliminary task. This meant that when it came to editing our main task it was much easier, and meant that we were able to edit it more efficiently.
Adobe Premier Pro allowed us to crop, cut and paste a clip. It enabled us to change the speed of the clip whilst maintaining the speed of the sound. It also enabled us to import sound from other sources. Essentially it allowed us to add all these components to make a scene, with the most important ability was being able to cut one clip and paste it to another clip, or simply just cutting a clip down where there was unnecessary footage that was not relevant.
In order for me to learn and understand the technologies that enabled me to construct our product I researched how editing was achieved before software's such adobe came into being.
I found that around the 1970s Analogue audio editing has been used. Which involved locating the points where editing was needed by rewinding the tape to the desired location. Then the playback motor has to be disengaged, then the reels have to be manually rocked back and forth until the editing point is heard to be lined up. Then this point has to be sliced off carefully with a razor blade. http://emusician.com/special_report/brief_history_editing/
In terms of planning I feel that the use of the electronic diary via blogspot.com is of very efficient use as a film producer it is better than using a normal pen and paper system in that corrections can be made. For example when I was documenting my planning for main task, many changes were made to the narrative and blogspot.com allowed me to create new posts whilst keeping the old posts which contained my old narrative structure. This is good in that I was more inclined to keep this evidence of planning and logical thinking if the diary was via a word format or handwritten then it would have been easier to not keep this evidence of planning . I feel this is good so you as the examiner can see my progress.
I have also researched on the effect of recent media technologies such as digital editing. I found that new and improved digital editing enables film editors to creatively work and rearrange a narrative and all the components within the narrative.
Enabling them to be essential in the film- making process. Why new digital technologies are important is that it less expensive and is beneficial for independent film producers like myself. For example in the past picture editors only dealt with picture editing. The new technologies enables editors to develop their creativity and interlink all the components that used to require separate editors with specified abilities.
Overall I have been able to see that technologies have come a long way since the strenuous and time consuming methods of Analogue Audio editing. I can also see that the preliminary task enabled me to improve the technicalities needed in order to construct our main task. I also learnt new skills in a different sense of technologies for example through learning how to create a website simulation and uploading my progression through the production on a more modern form of a diary, a blog.
7) Looking back at your Preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
In the preliminary task we recognised the restriction, that involved the match on action, shot reverse and 180 degree rule. However this was determined through camera angles, props and mise en scene to construct a production that did not just follow the production but that was creative and reflected meaning. In the preliminary task we experimented with high angles, and low angles but still incorporating a shot reverse shot, but when it came to editing individually I decided that it was best to leave it out due to the fact that the preliminary had to be about one minute in duration. This did not stop me from being able to do more creative thinking so when I was drawing the storyboards I decided that tracking would be a good choice as it is not prescribed and so I felt it demonstrated the ability to think outside the box even though the restriction did not allow us to use a wide range of creativity. From filming the preliminary task I the problems faced was the 180 degree rule, as it was our first time doing handheld filming we sought to address this as much as possible in the main task. We addressed this by ensuring that we experimented with different camera angles within the technique of handheld. For example in the last scenes of the main task we used panning in the form of an establishing shot.
In terms of mise en scene the art room in which we used was very constricted, it did not allow us to move with the camera and so we had to keep starting and stopping to change to another shot. However I feel that we were able to efficiently create the child character through make-up, but I feel that this was too time consuming and so we overcame that by constructing a character that make-up was not needed for the desired representation to be achieved.
The props that were used for the preliminary task (the painting and the paintbrush) was too simplistic in that, we didn’t realise that it would be more realistic if the character would be painting as we filmed it as opposed the painting being pre-painted. In the main task I feel that proficient planning took place as we created the letter weeks before we knew we were filming. I feel that all the preparation for our preliminary task was taken seriously on my part so that it enabled us to prepare for the next step in the coursework. I learnt how careful planning and time management is so vital.
I feel that part of our ability to create the main task was because of our choosing to do a thriller for the preliminary task as an experiment to the genre. It enabled us to recognise the difficulties we faced in representing codes and conventions and develop this. The fact that our main task had no other specified requirements other than being two minutes long, meant that I had freedom when deciding on narrative and most importantly camera angles. I feel that if the preliminary task did not have a specification then it could have lacked evident progression. But because of this specification it meant that we were sure to construct a film that was in complete parallel to the preliminary task. We did this by ensuring that we had different locations and so it wasn’t stagnant as we felt the preliminary task was. On set, we both set out to check the framing ensuring that the shots were steady and there was nothing within the shot that could destroy the shot. Creativity was in evidence when on set we experimented with camera angles, added new scenes which we felt would be appropriate for the representation we were trying to portray. For example the shot were the unknown character was stoking the dog. I feel that during our preliminary task, we had thought that we had planned scheduling and props efficiently but it was the little mishaps that effected us slightly. For instance the first shot where the character has to cross the room, because we wanted to use a photography room, as it was dirty and reflected the passion the character has for art, we didn’t realise until filming that the room was not big enough.
This meant that we had to change the mise en scene to the main art room. And so this was not a reflection of creativity but minor insufficient planning. However this meant that when it came to our main task we had planned things out more sufficiently.
In terms of soundtrack in the preliminary task I looked for one song that resembled a creepy music box, however before the main task I had completed my case studies meaning that I had watched a number of thriller films. What I learnt from this was that suspense can be created with subtle non-diegetic sound in the concluding scenes and thus what fuelled me to obtain two forms of suspenseful music was wanting to show the progression from preliminary task to main task.
We chose a company name to put in the opening titles called ‘Chillier Media’, I feel that this makes our film more professional and shows how we thought about beyond the end of the production, unlike the preliminary task where that was not taken into consideration.