Preliminary Task Evaluation

The set brief evaluation
In the preliminary task we were asked to produce a continuity task involving the filming and editing of a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom he or she then exchanged some dialogue. In order to do this we needed to use  This task needed to demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule, long Shot, mid shot, close up, extreme close up, level shot, POV shot, establishing shot and the over the shoulder shot. On my storyboard, we are shown to have used an establishing shot, match on action, the 180 degree rule, the long shot, mid shot, shot/reverse shot and the over the shoulder shot.

Here is are some reasons as to why some of these techniques were chosen.

The 180 degree rule was used to show the action on one side of the actors face and was useful for expanding the frame.
The match on action shot allowed our cuts to look smoother on screen.
The shot/reverse shot was utilised for my groups conversation scene. It allowed as to have some variation as opposed to a static shot, and show the expression on the faces of the actors. 
The over the shoulder-shot was necessary to provide a different view when different people were talking in a conversation.

Pre-Production

In pre-production we used storyboards to plan out how we were going to go about filming. These were very basic, and though they were in chronological order they lacked detail. This is evident because we had to rely on hand drawn images. This was more difficult because they were much less accurate to where we would be actually filming. I learnt that taking several pictures of the filming location beforehand would have been more beneficial. A positive was that we were able to note down the angles and camera shots we would use in each scene and this made including the key techniques much easier.

Production

We used an I-phone four to film, and our location was Kettering Buccleuch Academy. Using our storyboards we took some time to attempt replicate what we planned on the story board. This was due to location difficulties inside the building sometimes. The lighting during filming was adequate regardless of the lesser camera quality, and we were sure to take many takes of the same scene. The reason why was not only to do with good practice, it was also because there was sometimes a lack of clarity between the camera-man and the actors. I learned from this, good communication is required in the filming process for the best results. The control with the camera was not so big a problem though when we next film we will use a tri-pod to reduce shaking. This was apparent in the POV shots, and the establishing shot especially.

Post Production
With the correct clips we imported them to "I movie". This is a simple program that is used for creating short film clips. We used it for the editing of our production. I included the use of sound by using a website with sound clips. The green bar at the bottom is the music in the background. After my editing I made changes to some transitions and altered some sound clips.

 Conclusion

In conclusion I think my first preliminary task was substandard. Though this was expected because it was new to me with all the different techniques to apply, and also taking part in the practicality of filming. Furthermore I think the mistakes I made were important, so I would learn from them and know how to overcome the problems I faced in the task. This would then better my next piece of filming. For a beginning film, I am satisfied with the result of how the film turned out knowing if I was to re-do the task I would be more confident having analysed and learning from my previous experiences.