Post production

After we had finished filming we uploaded all our footage onto computers so that we could begin editing.      

We used Adobe Premier Pro as our editing software and so as to speed up the process we edited simultaneously on two computer's with George and Leah cutting together the first half of the film up until the point of the match on action of the case being placed on the desk and myself and Martin editing the second half of the film. Although there was the risk that the rhythm of the film could be displaced by editing on separate computers and with different editors we wanted everyone to be able to have the chance to edit and by being aware of how the two different parts of film were being edited together by communicating with one another we were able to create a smooth transition from one to the other when we eventually joined the two sections together.

I found that because i'd used the editing software before I was fairly confident at making basic edits and having a feel for what worked and what didn't. However Martin deserve's most of the credit as he did a really good job at editing the majority of the transitions, the shot reverse shot of myself and George's conversation flowed well and had a good rhythm to it, neither holding shots too long which would have made the exchange of dialogue lack purpose, nor too short, which would have ruined the natural pace of the film and made it look disjointed.

The match on action proved harder to get right and we found we had to be more precise about were to cut each shot. I learnt that sometimes, even if technically the match on action is edited almost perfectly from a continuity of the positioning point of view the edit can still not appear smooth. for example the walking to the desk and the placing of the case match on action shot didn't seem to match the rhythm of the rest of the film. No matter how smooth the match on action, the overall sequence still appeared slightly rushed compared to the other sequences and shots.

One of the main things i had to do in the edit was to put in the music over the top of the last sequences. The track we used was 'Prince Charming'  in keeping with our idea of an 'Adam and the Ants' parody. Rather than just using the beginning of the track, I cut to a section halfway through the track where you get a guitar bridge (to be played over the close up shot of myself putting on the white streak of makeup) which then goes into the chorus. I managed to crop and cut the track so that the chorus came in just as it cut to a wide shot of myself dancing on the corridor. 

We decided it would be a good idea to end on a freeze frame so that the audience were left with the comic image of the ridiculous pose of myself doing an 80's dance move. We couldn't find any straightforward way of doing this as we weren't able to extend the longevity of the individual frame to make it last more than a second and so using a copy and paste method we were able to get the freeze frame effect we wanted. It was then up to me to put in the credits that appeared at the end, we decided we didn't want anything gimmicky and so I chose a simple font with our names appearing in a white text, simple yet classy.

I was fortunate that I was in group containing two already very skilled and competent editors in George and Martin and i great learner in Leah which meant that all our match on action shots were spot on and there were no jerky transitions or cuts. I felt I learnt a lot about the importance of remembering to keep a clear narrative when editing and of establishing a rhythm. I improved in my ability to edit together both audio and visual content and the role music can play in helping to convey an atmosphere or mood. I think next time I get the chance to edit a film I would like to take on more responsibility as I felt I could have improved more if I had volunteered to edit more of the footage.

Production Process

Once our storyboards were completed we were ready to begin filming, normally each member of the team would take on specific roles and duties but as this was our first filming exercise we decided everyone would have a go at the various technical and creative duties, camera operation, directing and continuity management and George and I would also be the actors.
First we gathered and set up the equipment we needed, a tripod which is vital for the framing of shots and instantly makes footage look more professional because it stops the camera from jerking which happens if filmed handheld, a camera of course which we attached a dynamic microphone with windshield to. We also used the dolly for the tracking shots but found that because of the carpet in the English corridor the shot was too jerky and so we ended up shooting handheld, in the end the shot was better for it (the shot was a tracking behind the shoulder shot of George which moves into a close up of George's head which deliberately breaks 360 degree as it tracks round into a close up of George's face) as the handheld 'style' used in Bourne and Bond films is in keeping with the thriller style we were trying to create. We also tried to be creative when working out how to film shots for example Martin and George had the idea of using a skateboard to get low angle tracking shot of George's feet.
I think we did well at taking our time over filming, making sure we had at least 3 good takes of each shot and playing back the footage before moving on to the next shot to make sure the framing was correct, that there were no unintentional camera movements and that we had captured clear audio. By not rushing the filming process it meant that when it came to the edit we would have an easier time fitting clips together because of the choice of footage and less likely to need to re-shoot certain scenes because of unusuable shots that were crucial to the narrative and shot sequence.
 However our methodical approach did mean that we had to complete filming over 4 or 5 sessions and from a continuity perspective this caused various difficulties and problems in terms of the weather conditions on different days and how this could affect the lighting continuity of the film and also in terms of appearance of the actors and having to remember to wear the exact same outfit everytime we filmed as well as potentailly the little things such as keeping the same hairstyle.
We did fairly well at working around the problems we faced in terms of location, for example when we couldn't film inside a classroom we shot the corridor walking sequnce although we made the mistake of shooting with a camera that didn't have manual focus or manual white balance control, we replaced it after we had filmed the first shot but because of the complexity of this shot and time concern we were never able to re-shoot it. We were lucky in that the white balance didn't differ that much between the two camera's but potentially it could have been a continuity concern.
Whilst shooting we constantly had to use our storyboards as reference to make sure we were capturing the right shots and that could fit together, specifically for shots we would use for match on action sequences as we didn't want to have to make jump cuts when it came to editing the shots together. We also didn't constrict ourselves to filming in complete chronological order instead filming shots in terms of location. Although this may of saved us some time, we could of potentially been quicker if we had created a specific shooting script.
Overall, we worked well as a team as we were able to be efficient and get on with filming and distribute responsibilities evenly. Perhaps if we had done more preparation we could have completed filming in less time as our storyboards weren't perfect and we often had to think on our feet to come up with different shot angles during filming to get the shot reverse shot we needed while keeping the rule of moving the camera by at least 30 degrees. However it was also to our credit that we didn't just follow the storyboards exactly but instead we made changes and thought up new shots, considering the look of the film as a whole and making improvements to our initial plan where needed.

Pre Production Process

After we were set our preliminary task, the first thing to do was to come up with an idea. We discussed a couple of different ideas in our group and soon settled on a thriller spoof that focused on some kind of deal transaction being made between two people, the idea being that we would build up suspense and tension and the audience would presume it was some kind of drug deal. Then there would be a comic twist right at the end.
Once we were clear on our narrative, we started to consider the shot sequences we wanted and the types of shots which could help create the 'thriller' style mood and tense atmosphere. I think we did well in really thinking about using imaginative shots 'such as the tracking shot of the feet' and from an editorial point of view how different shots would fit together to create a sense of rhythm. For example we came up with the idea of cross cutting between George's feet and my hands tapping the desk with the same rhythm as George's walking stride.
After our initial ideas on the different shots we wanted,  it was important to start getting our ideas on paper and create visual prints of the camera shots and the chronological order of them in the form of Storyboards. In the boxes we drew pictures of each shot, annotated with type of shot (e.g. Over the Shoulder) and it's framing(e.g. mid shot). We also annotated the camera movement. Generally we were successful in creating a clear plan of the shots we wanted to film that hopefully would help us to be efficient in the production process, however we did have some problems in drawing accurate pictures of each shot because of our lack of illustrative skill this meant that sometimes there was some slight confusion over how each shot was meant to look but mostly we were able to re-draw and eventually get on the same wave length for the film in how we want it to look.
Although our planning and research process may have been limited, we didn't create a shooting script or dialogue script and we probably could have discussed location in more depth. Generally we went into the production process with a clear idea of how we wanted to film our preliminary and an understanding of each others strengths and weaknesses.

48 hours of media consumption

As a first task to introduce us to what constitutes media and better are understanding as media consumers we were asked to record a diary covering 2 days that gave listings of every piece of media we used and consumed.
Thursday
7:45AM:   Woke up and checked phone for time and any new texts.
8:15 :  Flicked through fourfourtwo (specialist) magazine while eating breakfast.
8:30 : Listened to music on ipod while walking to school.
9:00 : Checked school emails during tutor time on school computer.
10:15 : Logged onto an online learning resource website for science using a computer.
12:20Pm: Learnt lines from a play script.
3:30 : Sent text on mobile phone.
4:35 : Listened to music on ipod while walking home.
5:30 : Logged onto Facebook on home computer and listened to podcast on itunes.
8:20 : Watched episode of Mad Men, online.
9:45 : read a few chapters of the novel 'A Handmaid's tale'.
Friday
7:50Am : checked for time on mobile phone.
8:15 : looked at local newspaper while eating breakfast.
8:30 : listened to music on ipod.
8:40 : glanced at advertising billboard on the side of a bus.
10:45 : completed pieces of work through online learning resource website.
11:40 : Shown PowerPoint in lesson.
12:20Pm : given pieces of drama text to work with during drama class.
2:05 read through printed out newspaper articles in English class.
3:30 : Listened to music on ipod on way home.
4: 00 : watched 10 minutes of Bargain hunt on the tv.
4:30 : logged onto Facebook and checked emails on home computer and listened to music through music sharing site 'spotify'.
6:30 : Sent and recieved several texts.
9:30 : Listened to music through ipod dock speakers while socialising.
10:45 : Listened to music through mobile phone.
12:30Am : started watching beginning of the film '4 Brothers'.

Introdution

Hi i'm dan and i'm currently studying media studies at AS, film and the media has been something that has really fascinated me for a long time. I have enjoyed creating films in and outside of school in the past and every aspect of the production process from storyboarding your ideas through to filming and editing your shots i find equally interesting.
I hope to use this blog as a place to post not only my own filmed material and work but also as a place to express my views and opinions on media pieces both current and old.