Whist creating the opening of the film I implemented
different knowledge and techniques I had learnt since shooting my preliminary
task. There are certain key elements that I feel like I have gained
strength and improved from before shooting the opening. These are things like
the addition of music and different camera shots and editing styles to
communicate with the audience/viewers.
Camera
My preliminary task was shot with a Sony HD camera and the
stability of a tripod. This gave the essentials to film our footage. The camera
work within the preliminary task was fairly smooth, we really did have the most
control of the camera, even the tripod did not move as it was stationary so we
had to give out the illusion of movement during our tracking shots. This then
taught me to have more control when shooting even when hand holding a camera,
one thing when shooting that we could not entirely control was the lighting,
the natural lighting that came through the windows, the lighting was
penetrating the shots and blocked the visuals. Therefore, the way we avoided
this was by shooting in the opposite direction we had intended to do so and we
used different angles to try and avoid the brightness. This was also amended
during the editing stage also. When creating our opening scene, we had a tripod
and the same Sony model camera. This meant I learnt how to smoothly pan and
tilt whilst recording. Looking back at my preliminary task in comparison to the
opening scene I we created, you can see the change in quality from the
preliminary task to our final opening credits. This is because we had learned
to use the cameras to our advantage and when we came to doing this, we had the
ability to control and bend the lighting to our own advantage. At this stage as
a group we had become more familiar and comfortable with iMovie and how to
actually use it and this is clearly shown.
Continuity Editing
As it is shown in my preliminary task, we had a change in location in order to show the continuity. This shows fluidity within the clip. The shots were shot separately, however when edited it shows a continues motion that was intended. Because we changed locations during filming, the lighting also changed. However, this was not particular visible or significant after editing. Since finishing the preliminary task and creating our final project I have learnt that with planning, you can ensure you will gain a continuous style throughout; by creating a call sheet we ensured that our actors and crew would be on site when needed and through hours that provided us with the same amount of available light. We also organised ourselves so that we were sure we to be able to gain access to the site, unlike when filming our preliminary task as we were removed from two locations. Having minimal knowledge of our editing program Final Cut Pro when compiling our footage of the preliminary task together, the standard of editing is poor. You can see this as we have not cut some clips short enough and some cuts are untidy. Since doing this, I have learnt how to successfully edit on Final Cut Pro and ensure the finished cut has as much as professional look as is possible. I also have learnt how to show a relation between two characters through placing cuts together. This was especially important within our chase scene as we needed to show to the viewer that the antagonist is chasing the protagonist. We omitted use of transitions and used quick cuts between the clips as we felt this increased pace. With transitions, the speed of the chase was lessened.
Mise en scene
In our preliminary task it is clear that we have not considered everything within the scene. The location does not suit the situation and the costumes change due to lack of good continuity editing. Since creating the preliminary task, my knowledge of how to create a successful mise en scene has grown. Within 'The Syndrome' opening sequence, you can see we have clearly thought about the location, the costumes, the shot types, the lighting and appearance of the characters. This was not portrayed within our preliminary project. In our final project we ensured that the costumes worn by our two characters represented their roles; the victim dressed in red to signify her as a fated protagonist in danger and the antagonist dressed in dull colours to emphasize his stealth persona. The location increases the idea of 'no escape' within the chase scene and the shot types heighten pace and allow the viewer to identify with different characters. Comparing the preliminary task with our final opening credits, it is easy to see the impact of which mise en scene can have on a clip.
Soundtrack
Producing our preliminary task was the first time we had used Soundtrack
Pro. Being beginners we included a lot of gaudy sound effects that added comedy
to the video. Despite this being suited to what we intended, it only added to
the amateur feel of the production. The sound quality of the dialect is also
poor. I know now that if I am to record dialect I should use a recording
attachment to the camera, or record it separately to the footage.
When creating our final opening sequence, we decided that to gain the utmost
sound quality available for our ambient noises, we should record
these separately to the footage. We did so using a microphone and a
recording software. We also researched into soundtracks to ensure ours suited
the genre of our film opening well and then created this, ensuring it fitted
timings well and enhanced a feel of tension.
