Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Above is a video for my preliminary task. Since my filming of the preliminary task, I feel I have made progress and developed my understanding of editing and camerawork during the process of making the final product of my film 'The Vengeance.' Some key areas in which I feel I have improved on include: continuity editing, flow, editing to make the meaning clear, framing composition, variety of shots and finally the use of sound.
Firstly, one area which I have developed is the continuity editing. My preliminary task involved making a short video from a Casualty episode, which included continuity and one of the ways in which I tried to portray continuity is through the use of match on action. For example, match on action can be seen when the characters of 'Jordan' and 'Dean' enter the room. To carry out a match on action shot, the first scene that had to be filmed was when the characters turn around the corner into the frame, the second scene was when 'Jordan' opens the door handle and the last scene was when the two characters came through the door (see screen shot above). Once these three shots were filmed, I then had to edit the footage using Final Cut Pro to portray the continuity of the scene. Once I had completed a rough cut of the whole preliminary task, I found that the door scene didn't fit very well as one shot showed the door opened half way and the other shot showed the door not even half open. Therefore, I had to edit this scene a few times to make sure that it looked good in portraying the continuity of the scene. However, even after the final edit, looking back, I still feel that the match on action scene looks too staged and over emphasised.
In the final cut of my final product 'The Vengeance,' I also used match on action at the end of the scene to try to make the scene look tense and choppy. In the screen shot on the right, you can see that I have used more shots to have one big match on action scene. Using more shots makes the continuity even more apparent because the action looks like it is all happening in one sequence. Also, in juxtaposition to the preliminary task, the full product looks less staged and portrays more urgency and speed in the scene which makes the overall effect more tense. The preliminary task, on the other hand, makes the scene look slow and dragged out in comparison. Therefore, not only have I developed my understanding of continuity through the use of match on action, I have also managed to been able to demonstrate my progress in the full product and have also learnt how to alter the continuity to create an overall effect (in this case creating an overall effect of tension by editing the scenes to make them flow at a faster pace).
Another area in which I have developed since my preliminary task is that of the 'flow.' In my preliminary task, I was able to portray a perceived 'flow' by editing the shots together so that they matched together and carried on well. However, looking back at the preliminary task, it is clear that the 'flow' isn't quite apparent throughout the whole task. For example, in two scenes, there is a jump cut where one shot has been filmed and then a second shot has been filmed which is supposed to carry on from the first but there are some changes either in body language from the characters or a different camera height, angle etc. This causes a jump which ruins the continuity as it is then obvious to the audience that the two scenes have been filmed separately and then put together in the editing stage. This can be seen in the two screen shots in the top left which shows the change in the first and second shot. The top screen shot shows a change in camera angle and change in the body language of the two characters seen in the shot. The bottom screen shot shows a change in all the character's body language. Although this looks subtle when comparing the two screen shots, when it is viewed in the context of the whole episode, it spoils the flow and continuity of the task. 
Furthermore, another area in the preliminary task where the 'flow' is lost can be seen in the screen shot on the right where I tried to use a reaction shot. However, the reaction is slow and isn't edited 'tighly' enough for it to flow on from what is said. This makes the scene look staged and drags a little.
In contrast, the final product of my film flows a lot better than in my preliminary task. One area where the flow is good has already previously been mentioned when I used match on action. Another scene in the film where the flow is also good is the car scene when girl 1 drives past the camera and then the camera pans around to show the killer following in the second car. This could have been filmed in two shots but as the second shot follows straight on from the first shot, I decided to film this using a panning shot so that there were no jumps to emphasise the flow and continuity. The scenes that follow on from this also flow well such as when the killer watches girl 1 leaving the car to go to the party and then when the killer steps out of the car to follow her. The way these shots are edited makes them flow well because it is clear to the audience that the killer is looking for a victim. If these scenes were jumpy, the audience could be distracted by this and their attention could be diverted from the storyline. Therefore, as regards the flow of the filming, I have been able to demonstrate my progress from the jump shots in the preliminary task to the smooth flow and transitions in the different scenes in my full product. Also, I have been able to use 'flow' effectively in order to make the scenes look continuous but also to help the audience to understand the storyline better.
Editing to make the meaning clear is another development I have made since the preliminary task. For the most part, the meaning of the preliminary task is quite clear as it is mostly based on dialogue and therefore the audience is able to make sense of the scene through the speech. However, there is one scene where there is no dialogue but rather, there is just a camera shot with of a phone with a reaction shot showing the reaction of 'Jordan' to what has been shown by 'Dean' (as can be seen in the screen shot on the right). In this shot, it is unclear as to why the character of 'Jordan' reacts to what is seen on the phone. One way in which the meaning could have been made clearer is by adding some speech. Alternatively, I could have used a different camera shot when showing the phone to make it clearer as to what is being shown as the lighting also makes the phone unclear. This shows how important editing to make the meaning clear is because if this happens a lot throughout a long episode, the audience could start to lose interest if the can't make sense of what is happening.
When it came to making my film 'The Vengeance,' I had to make sure that the aspect of editing to make the meaning clear was a top priority as there was only one line of dialogue throughout the whole of the opening scene. It was essential, therefore, that I ensured that the meaning was made clear in other ways as the audience wouldn't be able to make much sense of the whole opening from just one line of dialogue. For example, in the car scene, I had to make it clear that the killer was following girl 1 into the party to find the others. To make this clear, I edited the different shots so that it looked like the killer was actually following her. As can seen in the screen shot on the left, I made sure that shots such as point of view were used to show the perspective of the killer and then I edited shots of the killer stepping out of the car and the walking up the driveway. Therefore, since completing my preliminary task, I have been able to edit my work in order for the meaning to be clear by putting different shots together to drive the storyline and plot.
Framing compositon is a feature that I have been able to develop from my preliminary task to my full product. In the preliminary task, some of the framing composition didn't look effective and even looked amateur. An example of this can be seen in the screen shot on the right where the characters of 'Jordan' and 'Dean' come through the door and then sit at the table. However, as can be seen in the screen shot, when 'Dean' goes to sit down, she is almost completely out of the shot and the scene just shows the door. This is poor framing composition as it completely cuts out any action. One way in which I could have changed this is by refilming either from a different angle so that the scene can be continuous from when the two characters enter and sit down. Another way in which I could have changed this is by filming using a panning shot so that the camera moves with the main characters so that they are not out of sight. Apart from this one mistake, the framing composition was quite good but wan't used for any particular effect. For example, when the character of 'Jordan' is stood up, I could have filmed from a lower angle so that his figure takes up most of the screen to make him look authoritative.
Nevertheless, when it came to making the full product, I was able to use framing composition well in order to have an effect on the audience. For example, in the scene where the killer is in the car following girl 1, I used a tracking shot of the first car and then the second car but when filming the second car, it was from a lower angle (as can be seen in the screen shot on the right). The overall effect of composing the frame in this way is that it makes the identity of the killer a mystery and also makes the killer look more imposing as he is usually above the camera. Other shots where I have used this framing compostion include when the killer steps out of the car, when he walks up the driveway and when he enters the house. All of these shots have been framed to make the character of the killer sophisticated and mysterious as the audience won't be able to see much of him. Therefore, since my preliminary task, I have not only understood how bad framing compostion can make the scene look wrong, I have also been able to demonstrate in my full product how I can use framing composition to have an effect on the audience and alter their opinion of the main characters in the film opening.
Another develpment I have made is the variety of shots I have been able to use since the preliminary task. Throughout the preliminary task, the most prevelant shot used was a medium shot as this fitted all the characters in the frame. Medium shots are good for establishing the scene and revealing the characters and some of their expressions but can sometimes be overused. However, other shots were used such as the over the shoulder shot of 'Dean' looking at her phone to show the importance of the message and finally the tracking shot of 'Jordan' and 'Dean' leaving the room (as can be seen in the above screen shot). Although there weren't many oppurtunities to use different camera shots, I was able to vary them to make the scene interesting and to reveal the important scenes. However, I could have used some more close-ups to reveal the feelings of some of the characters and their reactions.
When it came to my filming 'The Vengeance,' I was able to have more of an oppurtunity to use different camera shots. Some of the camera shots used can be seen in the screen shot on the left and include: close up, extreme close up, medium shot, panning shot, focus pull, tracking shot and point of view shot. All these varied shots makes the opening more intriguing to watch and more gripping and makes the scenes less boring and predictable. I chose to use a close-ups and extreme close-ups for the bottles which had stickers which were part of the title sequence so that it was clear to the audience who had what role to play in the film. I used a medium shot of the party as an establishing shot to show what was happening in the house and to set the scene and theme of the film opening. I also used a medium shot from a low angle when the killer pulls out a knife to firstly make the killer appear as being dominant and forceful, making the audience look up at him, but to show the sillouette of the knife as well as it is a pivital point in the opening scene. A panning shot was used when the killer was driving the car, following the first car to show continuity and to make the scene flow. The focus pull was used to show the perspective of 'Ellie' and to portray her vulnerable state being drunk, allowing the audience to perhaps empathise with her. I used a tracking shot at a low angle to show the killers feet to show to the audience that the killer is walking towards the party, following girl 1. Finally, I used a point of view shot from the killer when he is in the car because it allows the audience to see through his eyes and reveals that he is looking at the girl and is following her. Therefore, since my preliminary task, I have been able to use a greater variety of camera shots in my full product to make it interesting but to also have a different effect on the audience.
Finally, the last area of filming and editing that I have developed since my preliminary task is that of the use of sound. In my preliminary task, there was only one use of non-diegetic sound used and that was the music at the start and the end of the episode. The diegetic sound in the task was the dialogue, the sound of the door being opened and the sound of the chairs being pulled out. Therefore, it is clear from this that I was not able to use sound (apart from dialogue) to have an effect on the audience. This is mostly because it was an episode of Casualty and therefore would not have lot of mood music (if any at all) or stings. However, I could have perhaps added some non-diegetic sound of a phone ringing or the noise of a busy office to add realism to the scene. Also, another area of sound that could have been improved was that of the sound of the dialogue as some of the speech isn't very clear to hear. To combat this problem, I could have recorded the sound using a separate microphone and then added the speech over the top of the footage in the editing process.
In contrast, when it came to filming the full product, I was able to use a wider variation of sound for different purposes. An example of this is the use of tense mood music when the killer enters the scene in the car. This is an alternative to a sting but still allows the audience to recognise how the mood has changed due to this mysterious presence. Another use of sound was the non-diegetic music of 'Bangarang' which was played over the top of the party scene to make it more realistic as the song is well recognised as party music. Non-diegetic sound was also used for the scene where 'Ellie' pours the drinks out in the kitchen scene due to some noise in the background. This was not planned but was still effective because the sound is subtle yet can still be heard over the music. Most of the sounds such as the car door slamming, the locking sound of the car, the bedroom door being kicked in etc. are all diegetic sounds that were recorded using a microphone added to the camera to enhance the sound. When these sounds are intesified, it makes the scenes more tense and as a result, it is more likely to captivate the audience. Finally, the scream was another diegetic sound that was recorded separately and then added to the footage to ensure it was a good, clear sound that would hopefully make the audience jump. Since my preliminary task, I have been able to use both diegetic and non-diegetic sound effectively to have a desired effect on the audience.
In conclusion, I have managed to develop many skills in editing and filming from my progression from the preliminary task to the full product and have also seen what influence and effect it can potentially have on the audience. Below is my full product 'The Vengeance' which shows the progression from the first task to the last.
