Preliminary Task

Post-Production: Preliminary

Before we edited our preliminary task, a year 13 student explained to us how to use the editing suite and the 'Pinnacle' editing software. The software is relatively easy to use and we got the hang of it quite quickly, although we did encounter a few problems.
 Firstly, I made the mistake of cutting one of the shots so it only flashed up for a fraction of a second. It appeared so small on the timeline that we couldn't delete it, which wasted 5 minutes until Jenny realised we could 'zoom in' and delete it that way.
 We also found that there was no music on the Pinnacle software to really fit the task, which we thought might ruin the final product. The music we chose in the end actually made the film funnier, which in turn made it a bit more interesting. While we were looking through the sound effects on the system, we decided to add in a 'groan' sound when Emily walks in to Ryan. This added to the comic affect and I think it worked quite well. As we don't want our Thriller to be funny, the prelim made us realise that we need to take our time choosing the music for it as we want to establish a certain mood.
 We had lighting problems with our prelim as our camera was on the wrong setting and we didn't notice, and we also didn't think about the position of the sun in relation to where we would position the camera. As a result of this, some of the task -for example when Ryan walks out of the doors outside- is much too light so you can hardly see anything. We will definitely think about this when we are filming our Thriller as we want the shots to be of the best quality.
 Doing a preliminary task has definitely proved useful as it has introduced us to using cameras and editing software. It has shown us some of the obstacles we are likely to come up against whilst filming and editing our thriller, as well as the mistakes which are easy to make, but also easy to avoid if you know what you're doing.

Production-preliminary

After our planning using storyboards and being taught how to use the camera and tripod we then began production by going off to shoot our preliminary task.Before we began filming we were told to include a shot reverse shot and a match on action. We also had to keep to the 180 degree rule.

When filming our preliminary we didnt have our whole group with us which became a bit of a problem as we had to compromise on our location and the filming itself became a bit rushed. We also had to deal with other people walking through the shot or other noises from people. We also didnt include people sitting down and instead chose to have the two people standing having an arguement.
From filming the Prelim we learnt many problems that we may encounter and what to do differently when doing our thriller. As our filming was quite rushed as we had limited time, we would make sure there was enough time to film extra as we learnt this from the year 13s. Also in terms of lighting when filming Ryan walking out of the doors the sun was right behind him which meant the shot was very bright.
Before we filmed we hadnt anticipated the time it takes to film. This is shown especially when the camera has to change angles so the same action is repeated. Another thing that took quite a long time was making sure everyone was ready as people were getting distracted and walking off.
If we had to do the preliminary task again we would pick a different sitting and also when the two people are having a conversation use some over the shoulder shots.

Pre-Production (Planning the Prelim)

When planning our prelim pieces, we had to demonstrate we we able to use match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180 degree rule. In order to plan our prelim we created storyboards so that we knew exactly what shots we wanted. By doing this, it ensured we would not forget an vital shots and the audience would understand what was going on. Our storyboard consisted of quick sketches of the shots showing a girl walking down the stairs, across the room then bumping into a boy in the corridor knocking his paper out of his hand. It then shows the two characters having a confrontation then the boy walking off. Next to each sketch we also included information on how long each shot should last, the choice of mise-en-scene, the locaton of the shot and lighting chosen. By creating the storyboards, we learnt it is important to plan the shots we will take to save time when it comes recording the shots.
Once we had finished creating our storyboards, we were each assigned a Year 13 to explain the basics of the camera settings. We were shown how to turn the camera on, how to insert a cassette, how to record, and how to watch back the footage we have recorded. We were then shown how to connect the camera to a tripod. We were advised to use tripods in order to keep the shots steady.
As part of the pre-production task, we viewed examples of Prelim tasks in order to pick up erorrs and good examples of effective filming from which we could learn from. From doing this, it stopped us from making the same mistake they had made. For example, we ensured we would use a tripod whenever was possible so that our shots were steady. We also learnt to keep the storylines simple and not to be too extravagant with ideas. It is important we understand how far our skills will allow us to go.

Year 13 Advice

During our lesson we were given advice from year 13 a-level students on what we need to do to help us achieve the best grade. We then put it into three main groups; blogging, planning and filming.
Blogging:
- Use technology, like phones to add to the blog. This would include; Recording videos of us speaking and taking pictures of preparations and filming.
- Add extra blog posts which relate to our thriller
- Divide the work fairly
- Dont leave it until the last minute
Preparation:
- Plan what is going into the thriller, storyboards, location, props etc.
- Think of a creative idea
- Research other thrillers
- Get permission if using weapons
Filming:
- Film before the deadline, just in case we need to re-film
- Think of continuity; weather, mise-en-scene
- Film extra for editing
From this advice we think that the most important point is to make sure we keep up with the work and dont leave it till the last minute.