preliminary Task

Peliminary Task

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The purpose of this task is to provide the group with a greater understanding of how the equipment i.e camera, can be used to create an effective film. Also, though this initial introduction to the equipment, it provides us with a clear understanding of what difficulties we may be faced with, allowing us to alter our over all narrative in order to suit our groups strengths and weaknesses.

We filmed a brief encounter between two characters in a music room. The characters played with the piano and then parted. The film was only required to be around a minute or under, this is because the activity is only a short burst of filming and editing, slowing exposing us to the challenges of filming. Once the we had finished filming all of our clips we then went on to use final cut, to edit and join of of the fragmented clips into one sustained short video. This proved easier than expected but this was mainly due to the lack of transitions needed, special effects or non diegetic sounds such as, music. Although the clips linked together easily we had to watch the clips as a whole back many times, searching for unnecessary content such as, verbal fillers (i.e. urm, or general hesitation) or moments in which the characters would look directly at the camera.

Within our clip we used a variety of camera angles in order to grasp a greater understanding of each one and what would be suited for us. A long shot was used to introduce the clip and close the clip. The repetition of the start and finish demonstrates a sustained tone, enhancing the normality of the situation by not shocking the viewer with a break in the prevalent everyday theme. The long shot displays the character entering the building, and the other character exiting. A tripod was used for the shot to maintain a steady flowing pace, as the camera follows the character casually walking from different locations. The tripod made it easy to control the camera and kept it in the same location. This is extremely helpful because, as we are amateurs in regards to filming, we are prone to mistakes, therefore the constant stance of the camera means that each take will be exactly the same image. Making it easy to analyse our mistakes and reproduce the same shot as many times as we need.

A close up shot was used during the conversation between the characters. The close up of the face was included because this angle is extremely conventional of a thriller film. It is therefore very important we explore this camera angle and familiarise ourselves with how an effective close up is achieved. When using this angle it can be difficult not become to close to the characters, causing the camera to briefly unfocus, ruining the sustained quality of the clip.

An over shoulder shot was also featured, during conversation between characters. This angle is used so that the audience can view the action,through the perspective or point of view of the character. This builds a relationship between character and audience which is essential when hoping to produce a film that an audience can immerse themselves in and become enticed by enough to make them want to watch more of the film.

Panning, another camera shot was used within the clip, which means the camera moves from side to side, usually capturing a moving object. In this case it followed the characters as they entered or exited the building. This is a good way of displaying a lot of the background and setting the scene for the viewer. Also this is a great angle to use for the chase scene. I found that the tripod not only makes this shot very easy, but the steady pace of the camera whilst following a character is extremely effective, especially whilst a characters is frantically running, in regards to a chase scene.


What went well was, the strong sense communication prevalent whilst filming, this created a ordered and controlled environment, ensuring that everyone was well aware of their tasks and where they would need to place themselves. The sharp conviction of the sustained clear image during filming was well displayed. However, I have learnt through a few mistakes during filming that, if at any point the camera becomes blurry and unfocused, a sheet of white paper can be placed in front of the camera lens, helping the camera to become focused. Evaluating and analysing all of the footage many times is crucial, in order for us to become completely satisfied with the final product. This helped me become aware of the main faults and successes of the clip, something I could not determine during filming, for example, slight glances into the camera lens and not at the character, a major fault as it ruins the illusion of the characters realistic conversation. I feel the clip as a whole withheld a good flow and, although a minor fault with the lines towards the end, threatened the simplistic stitching of shots, they all edited well together. The simplicity of the shots meant that, not a great deal of editing was needed and the finalised clip was joined well by, swift simple transitions. What I have gained from this task is the knowledge that, to create a successful clip the dialogue must be clear and precise. Towards the end of our clip it becomes mildly apparent that the scene wasn't as rehearsed as was necessary; upon revisiting filming I will ensure that the dialogue is well rehearsed and precise, allowing the shots to be easily edited together, with out the use of intricate trimming of snippets. As well as this, I found the location for filming, was perfect for dialogue as it is a partially sound proofed room, meaning that there is no unwanted background noise interfering with the quality of our clip. However, the room we used proved to be challenging; the small structure of the room meant there was not a lot of room for us to move around in, making it very hard when altering from different camera angles. I believe when we next begin filming, a larger room or spacious location would prove easier for filming; our chosen narration is mainly set outside/ within a forest, therefore we are provided with plenty of room to film, as well as simply stepping back from the action and making sure everything is in its rightful place.

In conclusion, this task enhanced my understanding of basic filming and the variety of shots that befall this. Also, my brief exposure to final cut has provided me with the confidence when editing clips; before this task I was extremely worried about the complexity of the software, but I was relieved to find that it was extremely accessible, even for an amateur such as myself. In addition, I have developed an appreciation for each individual camera shot, connecting each one to a particular character or emotion that may be featured in our opening scene. For example, a close up was used in the clip, simply to present the piano in more detail, with focus on the piano keys, but it could also be used in our opening scene to present the face of the killer. By doing so, it would immediately follow the main conventions of a thriller by leaving the audience in suspense, as they analyse the detailed and close image, for more information into the extremely ambiguous scene we are hoping to achieve. For future reference I will use this experience into filming and editing, as a basic guideline and inspiration for my opening thriller film, reminding me of the successes I should aim to include, and mistakes I have learnt from .