Preliminary Self-Evaluation

Preliminary self-evaluation

1)      I felt we completed the three objectives we were given (match on action, 180^o rule and shot-reverse-shot) very well and the whole video flowed very well. The editing, upon watching, feels very natural and not disjointed. I felt we had a wide variety of shot types, including mid shots, POV shots, close-ups and over-the-shoulder shots) and they were used effectively to allow the video to feel like it shows the viewer everything they need to know to understand the story. We feared the video may be too short with the footage we shot, but through re-shoots and clever editing we made it a good length. The actors we used to be in the video took their parts seriously and so we could get through the filming of scenes very quickly. The pacing of the video feels natural as if the conversation is actually happening and no scenes are missing or added unnecessarily.

 

2)      One part of the video I felt went well was the opening few shots of Matt walking towards the door, putting his hand on the handle, opening it, then walking through from the other side. We had planned how the scene would play out in the two storyboards we had made previously and so we knew exactly what angles to film at once we were on location. The whole match-on-action scene plays out so well partly because we edited it so well; we spent a few minutes cutting fractions of seconds off each time to achieve perfect continuity.

 

3)      One of the issues we had was we had to film some new scenes on a different day. This meant that we had to make sure the actors on screen wore the same clothes as they did on the original shoot to ensure the video is continuous throughout. We had a problem in one scene were Matt plays the guitar; as he wore a different shirt on both days. To avoid this, we set up a low-angle shot which focused on the guitar and below, so his shirt was not visible. We also had an issue with the size of the room we filmed in. This caused problems as it was difficult to manoeuvre the tripod into tight spaces, and sometimes this required us to move objects to accommodate the space. This itself caused mise-en-scene problems, as occasionally, we had framing issues and we had to make sure objects in the background remained in the same place. On the first day of filming, there was a drama class going on next door, and on the second, there was not. This was an issue as noise from the class could be heard on the footage. We solved this by turning down the audio on the scenes where background audio could be heard.

 

 

4)      We have gained the skills of shot composition, the importance of continuity, how to use the camera and the tripod, and how to edit our footage on iMovie (and what it is and isn’t capable of) and then how to burn the finished video onto a disc using iDVD.

 

5)      As a result of this knowledge, next time we will understand better what the camera can see, as we felt that the footage was not zoomed in enough as there was too much background showing and so the action was hard to focus on. We will plan our time better in order to film what we need in one day, which negates the need for the actors we use to wear the same clothes. We will also film more cutaways as when we edited the video down, there were some awkward transitions that could be made less awkward with a cutaway shot. 

 

 

 

619 words

 

  

Shutter Island opening notes

Shutter Island opening

 

 

The opening non-diegetic music adds mystery to the boat emerging from the fog. The exposition of the character’s backstory shows the human side to the two officers, and the death of his wife shows that his job is the only thing he works for. The marshal on the island seems glad they are there but is still uneasy, unsure o their ability to help. The setting of the wards is very upmarket, which adds mystery due to the dangerous people housed there. The amount of security leading to the wards, including the man sweeping being in cuffs, leads us to believe that these people are very dangerous, despite the viewer not knowing why. The second officer struggles to remove his gun from its holster, after being in the force for 4 years. There is only one way on and off the island.

Analysis of the No Country for Old Men opening

Analysis of the opening to No Country for Old Men

The film starts with a slideshow of long shots of a rural, desolate landscape, all with a narrator giving some back story to the scene. Straight away, connotations of a Western film have been conjured, despite no characters have yet appeared on screen. This is immediately questioned in the next low angle shot of the two men with the police car; and with the conventions of Westerns being laid out, it is obvious to the audience within the scene that one of the men will take the archetype “villain” character.

The use of the wide shots of the landscape gives the audience a moment to reflect on the narrator, which implies what he is saying is important. The non-digetic music also adds to this, with the wind blowing softly to emphasise the isolation of the setting, which just makes the placement of the characters all the more bizarre.

The police car can be used to date the film to the 1980's, which makes this a modern Western. This may have been done to exploit the locations that Westerns use and use some of the typical scenarios, but the film can still take advantage of using modern technology to explore new areas films set in the late 1800's couldn't.

There is almost a match dissolve between the villain sat in the darkness in the back of the car and when he's in darkness at the back of the prison wall. This gives me the impression that this process is one he is used to and has experience with, as he is very calm up until he kills the policeman.

The policeman is the first character we hear talk, which builds audience empathy for him as he is killed as we can see the killer walking up behind him, and through dramatic irony we feel somewhat sorry for him. The lack of any non-digetic sound at this point increases the tension as he walks up behind him as if you could physically feel him getting closer.

Again, the lack of a soundtrack when the killer chokes the policeman shows the lack of perceived importance the film shows for the character's death, as it doesn't warrant the need for one, which mirrors the lack of empathy the killer shows for killing the policeman. The lack of emotion he shows when killing his first two victims (the policeman and the man whose car he steals) builds up a reputation in the audience's mind of him being heartless and has no empathy for his actions.

The scuff marks on the floor and a slow pan up, stopping before it shows any gore, gives the viewer a moment to think about the brutal way this man has just been killed, which is more effective that if the killer had just shot him. The oxygen tank that the policeman talked about is used immediately following this scene, which tells the audience that the killer had used before killing the man in the car at least once before.

Prelim. Planning - Mise-en-scene plans

SoundIn our preliminary task, there will not be any use of non-diegetic sound. we feel that it won't be appropriate for the short film and it would not fit into the film.

Diegetic sounds in the film will include the sound of the door closing and the placement of a glass on a table will also be included.

Props
Props in the film will include:- Books - on the table to add something to the setting and will take away the feeling of emptiness from the setting. A close up will be focusing on one of the books and it will be used as the main conversation point of the film.
- A glass - will be drank by one of the characters and a close up on it will be featured. It will add something to the film and will provide a pause in the conversation, allowing a change of topic for the conversation or it will add tension to the scene.
- Chair - one of the characters will move the chair towards the table whilst sitting on it. This will clearly show the character sitting on the chair and will feature just before the conversation starts.

Editing
Most of the editing between shots will be straight cuts. It is a very simple edit but it is very effective.

Cinematography
The film will feature several 'Over the Shoulder' shots. Mainly,they will occur during the conversation part of the film. they are useful because it shows where the character is placed and also shows what the character is looking at. an 'Over the Shoulder' shot will also be used as the first shot to show what the character is looking at and will show the setting inside the room.

A 'POV' shot will be used in the second shot to show the view from the other characters perspective. It will also show the rest of the setting.

A 'Wide Angle/Low Angle' shot will be used to show the two characters in the same shot and will also show one of the characters walking across the room.

A 'Birds Eye View' shot will be used to show a book on the table. This will be a main topic for the conversation so it is an important shot to feature in the scene.

'Noddy Shots' will be used to show the characters reactions to various parts of the conversation. They are important because they show how the character feels and would show what parts of the conversation are very important.

Prelim. Planning - Shot Demonstrations

Prelim. Planning - Shot Demonstrations

Match On Action
The match on action shot will be demonstrated when the first character opens the door. It will show the character reaching for the door handle from one angle, a mid shot, and then it will cut away to a shot from a different, closer angle, a close up, on the characters hand on the door handle.



Shot/Reverse/Shot
A shot/reverse/shot will be demonstrated during the characters conversation. Over the Shoulder Shots will be used during to show the shot/reverse/shot. We will make sure to stick to the 180 degree rule so the viewer will not be confused by the changing shots and character position.



180 Degree Rule
We will demonstrate the 180 degree rule at the same time as the shot/reverse/shot, during the conversation scene. This is a good time to demonstrate it as the shots are constantly changing between two characters, therefore it is important to stick to the 180 degree rule so it does not become confusing.