Katie and I learnt a considerable amount during the planning, research and production of our 2 minute opening. This rather extensive list can be split into small categories: Planning, Camera angles, Research, Editing, Sound, Continuity and the need for back-up plans.

 

During the planning stage of our project we started to learn the intense need for organisational skills. Alongside this, the importance of time management and other such skills were highlighted to us. If an organised, time realistic schedule was made early on (please refer to the schedule section on my blog) then the steps to creating a finished product became a lot easier. This also links into what we collectively learnt about the importance of both script and shot list. The preliminary task was given to use with a list of possible shot types we could use; for our projects we had to create our own. However, while a difficult and time consuming task, the creation of a shot list meant that the days spent filming were a lot smoother than they would have been had we ‘winged’ the day. The script was also important for the inclusion of dialogue while filming. Our preliminary task contained only two people, both of which made up their lines on the spot to match certain angles. When using a cast and extras in the production of a 2 minute opening, the use of a script is handy for everyone to have; that way the production team AND cast know what is taking place that day.

 

Also during planning we encountered problems with contacting cafes in our search for locations. ‘Café on the Square’ took 3 weeks to reply to my email, and by then I had already sent another email to Mark Bennett asking to use his café instead. During the preliminary task we were never required to organise and communicate with other people, let alone companies that are well known within our home town. This again highlighted how effective the location scouting was; we were able to get as close as we could to our ideal café and alley location.

 

We both developed our knowledge and understanding of camera angles HUGELY as the process of film making unfolded. A number of difficulties became apparent, for example the difficulty involved with filming a point of view, hand held shot. In order to create a realistic effect, the director (Katie Johnson) must place the camera at the same eye level as the actor and film in sometimes constricting spaces; she also had to imitate the natural movement of eyes, which in itself is tricky. Steady hand was another factor that was difficult to re-create when filming; while most of our shots were using a tri-pod, the occasional point of view or tracking shot was handheld. Our overall variety of camera shots has also increased. The preliminary task required a limited number of simple shots which worked together to create a scene. We used a variety of switching shots to create a 2 minute opening; not only did the difficulty of filming increase, but the technique involved in planning the individual shots pushed us to our creative limit.

 

Research was always highlighted to us as being extremely important, but we both didn’t realise how helpful it would be in the long run. Planning shots, creating the script and location scouting were all made easier by the frequent reference to our research. We also learnt that this particular part of our coursework was a lot more intricate than we first assumed.

 

Editing was a huge part in the learning process Katie and I went through. It is highly likely that we learnt the most in this particular area when it comes to producing our main product. Firstly, editing took a lot longer than either of us ever anticipated and it is also highly complex and specific. We quickly learnt that as the length of film increases, so does the overall amount and  intensity of the editing.

Through trial and error, we learnt that editing can make or break the film. The entire genre can quickly change if the editing is slightly tweaked. The preliminary task was very ‘black and white’ with simple cuts and transitions; our main media product used a number of different transitions and editing techniques. Due to the genre, editing became quicker as the action continued and therefore our project is more complex than the slow paced preliminary task.

 

Between our preliminary task and final media product we learnt how to successfully: match on-screen action with a non-diegetic soundtrack, match on-screen action with recorded speech and edit the specific waves of music to extend a soundtrack. We also developed our knowledge on how a soundtrack has an important role in the emotional feel for the movie. Choosing the correct background sound is vital to establishing genre. It wasn’t necessary to use a soundtrack for the pre-lim therefore all skills used in the sound department were developed leading up to our final media product.

 

Continuity was an aspect of film making that both Katie and I were aware of, but came to realise the true importance of ensuring that it had to stayed constant throughout filming. We also learnt that this is actually extremely hard to achieve with multiple people involved in a film production. An example of where we had to apply this was the amount of coffee in the cups of the cast and extras. The idea of continuity can be seen in pick-up shots as well. A big development point for our film would be the unfortunate light changes between our main days of filming and pick-up shots; the weather was different and therefore the natural lighting was either dim or brighter in the occasional shot.

 

Finally, the constant need for a backup plan was something that we unfortunately learnt the hard way. After filming we realised that this was a crucial part of our production. This can be highlighted in our change of location for filming the river scene. Because the weather on our filming day was stormy, the river was too high, meaning that our original river filming location wasn’t accessible. We had to move upstream and find somewhere else. This is prime example of where a backup plan is always needed!