Prelim Task - Evaluation

We were set the task to create a short continuity sequence involving somebody opening a door, sitting down, and exchanging a few short lines of dialogue with another character. This sequence must demonstrate match on action, shot-reverse-shot and the 180 degree rule.

1. Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?

I worked in a group with Lewi, Megan and Charley. During the planning process, we had a meeting, in which we all discussed our ideas, and wrote up the storyboard and script together. When shooting, Lewi and I acted, whilst Megan and Charley did most of the filming. However we all had a go at being director, director's assistant, and cameraman / woman.

From left to right: Lewi, Megan, Me

2. How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use? What theories did you take into account?

We began by drawing up a rough storyboard and writing a script as a base to work from. This helped to visualize our ideas, and we were able to develop them further. We made sure to include a match on action, shot-reverse-shot, and the 180 degree rule in our sequence, aswell as using eyeline match and the 30 degree rule. After we had decided on a final idea we made a more detailed storyboard with annotations, and a script with more detailed stage direction. We then filmed the whole sequence on Lewi's iPod so that we could see what it would look like, and to spot any mistakes before filming the real thing.

Here is an extract from the filming we did on Lewi's iPod:

As you can see it is very rough, but it helped us visualize our ideas, and see what worked, and what didn't work.

Another theory which we took into account was Levi Strauss's Binary opposition. Lewi played an outgoing, talkative conversational character, whereas I was played a reserved and stand-offish character. We left long pauses between our liens to exaggerate the awkwardness of the situation.

3. What technology did you use to complete the task? and how did you use it?

As previously stated, we used Lewi's iPod when planning the sequence. For filming the real thing, we used a video camera, tripod, microphone and headphones. The headphones were helpful when filming, because we could hear what sound the camera was picking up so we knew if any background noise was interfering with  the filming. For editing we used a programme called Adobe Premiere Pro, where we captured our desired clips from the camera, then arranged them together in a continuous order.

Filming:

Editing:

4. What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?

We had to follow the brief, by including match on action, shot-reverse-shot, and the 180 degree rule, as well as having someone open a door, and talk to another person. This limited what we could do with our continuity sequence, so we had to come up with something simple.

Time was very limited when filming and editing so we had to work quickly and efficiently. This meant filming all the scenes outside the classroom, before filming the ones inside, so we didn't have to keep moving all the filming equipment from room to room. It also meant that we had to be very selective with what we thought was necessary to film, and not overcomplicating the sequence.

Where we filmed was important, as it would have to be somewhere that we had permission to use, and was suitable for the task. For example filming outside wouldn't be a good idea, as we'd have to take into account for the weather, as heavy wind or rain could ruin it. We also had to consider other groups filming their sequences, as we had to share some sets with them. 

5. How successful was your sequence? Please identify what worked well, and with hindsight, what would you improve / do differently?

Overall I think that our sequence was successful. We followed the brief by including the techniques already mentioned, and I think we used them effectively. The sequence flowed pretty fluently, and from our feedback we found that most people found it quite funny which was our intention. However there were a few of mistakes which should have been noticed.

There is a continuity error in the beginning of the sequence. In shot 1, Lewi's sleeves are rolled up as he walks towards the camera. Then in shot 2, his sleeves are rolled down, and in shot 3, they are rolled back up again. A few people noticed this when we had finished our task, as we didn't realise whilst editing.

Continuity error:

The punchline: "talking in class" was a bit quiet, and a few people had trouble hearing it. We tried to increase the sound when editing, but this also made the background sound louder, which sounded odd, so if we had more time, we would re-shoot it louder.

The detention sign falling off the door was cut a bit short. This is because the sign just refused to fall off even after we got Lewi to bang on the door from the other side, whilst me and Megan waved air at it with folders. After over 10 failed attempts we finally got it right and there was some excited yelping, forcing us to cut the scene short. So if we were to re-do it, we would have to try and contain ourselves. 

6. What have you learnt from completing this task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing the rest of your foundation coursework, do you think?

I have learnt a few things from this continuity task. Firstly, and most importantly, I have realised how crucial continuity is to film. It makes the narrative flow together, and helps the audience understand what's going on. It may not be particularly exciting, but without it, the film wouldn't make sense, so it is definitely needed, and I will use the continuity techniques in my foundation coursework. Especially match on action, as I think it is the most effective at establishing a scene.

I have also learnt that filming can often take a lot longer than expected, so you shouldn't do something too overcomplicated, especially if you have a short amount of time. For example our 'detention' sign scene took very long. To avoid running out of time in my foundation coursework, I will plan well, so that mistakes can be seen before they happen.

I have learnt that when filming, you should film a scene a few times at different angles and distances (without breaking the 30 degree rule,) so that when it comes to editing, you have lots of choice. This makes the scene  more interesting, and also means that if there is something wrong with a particular part of a scene, then you can use a shot from a different distance/angle.