Preliminary Task Review

Preliminary Task Review -

We decided to film our preliminary task about a girl called Kayleigh who goes for a job interview as a teacher but the criminal record she thought was in her past comes back to haunt her and as a result is denied the job she always wanted.

What went well? -

• We were able to use different techniques such as 180 degree shot, over the shoulder shot, close up and tracking shot.
• Also, we showed we could use Adobe Premier by using basic cut transitions and adding text. This is something we hope to develop for our main task.
• We worked well as a pair and split the work up well so we both played an equal role in the creating and development of this task. 
• Finally, we were able to learn the basics about both how to use and work the camera and the fundamental techniques you need to use Adobe Premier Pro.

What we could have done better? -

• Firstly, our time keeping, due to the misplacement of the SD card we filmed on and then having to re film we now have learnt to use our own memory cards and save all our media files to the computer right after filming to ensure nothing goes missing.
• Next, a more detailed and descriptive storyboard would have allowed us to have a cleared idea of the precise camera shots and positioning of the actors participating at all times. This would have allowed us to have a more concise and well structured end product.
• Finally, our editing process, I believe we could have been more experimental with the transitions and effects we used. This would have allowed us to gain more skills and confidence using the software. However, after spending more time on Adobe after editing our preliminary task and watching many tutorials is safe to say that we have definitely learnt new skills that we will apply to our main task.

What We Will Do Differently Next Time? -

• First we will be more careful in the uploading and storage of our original footage to ensure it doesn't go missing like with our original preliminary task.
• Second, we will divide the work fairly between ourselves from the offset so we both have a clear idea and understanding of exactly what we will be doing throughout the process's of pre-production, production and post-production.  
• Last, we will keep a more detailed record and log of all thoughts and ideas we have relating to our filming and the task in general to ensure our blogs are as informative as possible.

Overall -

• Our preliminary task demonstrated our basic knowledge and understanding of the functions and uses of Adobe Premier Pro and the way in which you work the camera and the equipment that comes along with it. I feel we learnt many valuable lessons from this task both positively and negatively which overall will benefit our future projects due to the extensive knowledge and skills we now have.
• Additionally, we also learnt the importance of planning a precise and intricate story board and shot list that would make the running of out filming more smooth. As a pair we now know that planning, filming and editing all require the same amount of effort and none should be understated or brushed over.

In conclusion I feel me and my partner worked we all as team distributing tasks evenly and both using our skills to benefit and aid the task brief. I believe I contributed as an director, producer and editor. During the planning process I wrote the screen play, did the shot and prop list and helped with the planning of the storyboard. When filming my partner and I took it in turns each filming little sections to get a feel for using the camera. Finally, editing I contributed by importing the footage and cutting the clips down in order to piece them together.

Screen Play For Criminal -

Kayleigh steps out of her car and collects her belongings from the backseat. Cuts to the door or Miss Jones’ office and she knocks twice.

MISS JONES

Come in Miss Brown.

KAYLEIGH walks through the door and simultaneously sits down along with MISS JONES

KAYLEIGH

Hi, nice to meet you, I am Kayleigh Brown and - - -

MISS JONES

(Interrupts) Stop blabbering and let’s get into this, I have wasted far too much time today on interview candidates for this post. I see you have a degree in English

Camera tilts down and tilts back up at a different point in the interview

KAYLEIGH

-    -  - and due to this I have had a lot of experience working with children in a classroom set up.

                               MISS JONES

Everything is looking good so far (pause, close up on documents as she turns the page) so when were you planning on telling me about your criminal record, before or after you got the job?

Close up on KAYLEIGHS face to show her emotion

KAYLEIGH

Urmmmmmmm (clears throat) but it isn’t going to affect my chances of getting this job (pause) - - - will it?

MISS JONES

(Raises voice) You will have a huge influence on these children of course it is going to affect this! (pause) I am sorry but this isn’t acceptable - - - your application has been denied.

Prop List (Preliminary Task) -

What We Will Need? -

• Documents
• Criminal record written on a sheet of paper
• Table
• Chair
• Teacher's office chair
• Folder
• Pen

Shot List (Preliminary Task) -

Shot List:

·         Tracking shot – when she is walking along the corridor

·         Over the shoulder shot – when she is grabbing the door handle

·         Match on action – when she is opening the door

·         Two shot – when both the interviewer and interviewee sit down

·         Shot reverse shot – conversation between both people

·         Tilt – downwards

·         Over the shoulder shot – onto interviewers face when seeing the criminal record   document

·         Zoom – onto documents

·         Close up – onto ‘criminal record’

·         180 degree shot – when interviewer is talking about the criminal record

·         Close up – on Kayleigh’s face when she didn’t get the job

Basic Treatment For Preliminary Task

1. Working Title:

Criminal

2. Synopsis

A woman goes for a job interview as a teacher but the criminal record she thought was in his past comes back to haunt her.

3. Characters

There is the interviewer called Miss Jones who is a strict and unforgiving head teacher of a well-known comprehensive school. The interviewee, Kayleigh Brown, is a recent university graduate with a degree in English.  

4. Film Techniques

We will film this with a DSLR camera using a variety of different techniques including; tracking shot, over the shoulder shot, two shot, match on action, tilts, zooms and close-ups and 180-degree shot.

5. Production Considerations

We intend to film this in our school; we will use a classroom set up and will make use of simply a desk and a chair. Additional props will be used including, folders and paperwork to make it more realistic.

Introduction to DSLR

This blog post will be an introduction to DSLR cameras and some of the ways they work and the settings and functions they have.

DSLR -

• It stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex.
• This means when a camera with one lens and a mirror which reflects the light, pictures are recorded on a digital card instead of a film.
• Automatic settings are advised to be used at first while you are still learning about how to use the camera properly. To do this your must ensure that the lens is set to autofocus (AF) not manual focus (MF), push the shutter button down halfway and it will automatically focus on the subject.

Key terms -

• Exposure: This is the amount of light a digital camera's sensor captures when a photo is taken, too much light results in a washed out photo that is overexposed, and too little light will end up with an underexposed photo.

• Aperture: This controls the size of the lens opening that allows light into the camera, you can blur the foreground and background that bracket your subject by opening your aperture with a low f-stop number. Or you could keep your photo sharp from the foreground by closing the aperture down with a high f-stop number.

• Shutter speed: The speed setting controls how long the shutter opens to expose the image sensor to that light, open it for just a millisecond and you can freeze a fast moving subject. Alternatively, you can show movement of a fast moving subject by keeping it open longer with a slows shutter speed.

• ISO: This is how sensitive your image sensor is to light, a camera's image sensor can be adjusted to detect more or less light as needed for good exposure. If you are shooting in low light you will need to boost your ISO and if you are shooting in bright light you will have to lower your ISO.

Media Language 2

Media language refers to the ways in which meaning is created in media texts. Below are some more of the terms we have been learning about in our AS Media Studies lessons.

Camera -

• Extreme long shot: A wide view of the complete setting, a person would be barely visible in the scene. It gives a sense of scale and provides watchers with a location, this is very similar to an establishing shot.

• Long shot: Closer than extreme long shot but still shows the complete scene, a human figure is clearly visible and fits easily within the frame. However, the background will still dominate the human figure.

• Medium long shot: A great deal of information about the setting is still visible, human characters can be seen in detail and everything above the knees is in shot. A common purpose of this type of shot is to provide both dialogue and action.

• Medium shot: On the human body, a medium shot would start at around the waist and include little space above the head to allow gesture and expression to be clearly visible. This shot is ideal for dialogue and some very limited action.

• Medium close up: Frames the subject moderately closely, the head and shoulders fit comfortably in the frame with little room above the head.

• Close up: Shows the detail of the subject and may only show the face of the person, this is often used in narrative to show emotion.

• Extreme close up: Shows only a portion of detail and magnifies something that is very small. It can be used to create a sense of mystery and can be very effective in hiding what something is until a dramatic pullback.

• Crane: When the camera is attached to a crane and we are shown the scene from above it, this can act as a sense of scale or provide information.

• Dutch: When the camera is titled to one side so the horizon is on an angle, it creates an effect that is disorienting and unsettling for the audience.

• Rule of thirds: A photograph in some people's opinion should never be placed in the centre of the frame, instead the focus should be at the intersection of imaginary lines that divide the frame into thirds.

• Depth of field: A filmmaker can use focus to make the audience pay attention to certain details, the background and other details can be downplayed by keeping them out of focus. The area of the frame that is in sharp focus is called the depth of field and this is determined by the length of the lens.

Editing -

• Straight cut: Creates a natural movement between shots and in many ways emulates the audiences' own eye movements.
• Fade: Where the old image gently disappears, usually to a black screen before the new image appears in its place.
• Dissolve: Bringing a new shot into focus as the old one disappears from focus, at some point in dissolve both shots are on the screen at the same time.
• Wipe: Where the new image comes onto the screen with a distinct shaped edge and seemingly ‘pushes’ the old one off screen.

Lighting -

• Coloured lighting: These are often used to give a particular effect the scene, less natural lights again can be used to give a different effect.

• Diegetic lighting: Lighting that appears to emanate from a source within the scene.

Mise en scene -

• Set dressing: How the setting is presented to the audience via the use of décor or the landscape shown of an external location.
• Casting: The choice of actors is an important part of the creation of the text, an actor needs to have the right look for the character that the director wants to create.
• Body language: The style of acting and the way the actors respond to the action is part of the meaning of the text.
• Framing: The relative positioning if actors and objects within the frame.

Special effects -

• Green screen: This is used to superimpose images onto another and can be used to place an actor into a location.

• Computer generated technology: This is used to add to what can be created on film, some films are created using only CGI and it makes up the whole of the mise en scene.