Continuity task - the end product

This is the final continuity task, we filmed twice, as the original footage had a lot of technical errors that we wanted to improve on, like bad framing, with parts of the characters cut off, and some background noise that was overpowering the voices of the actors. We put this together quite quickly, so the editing is not perfect, and could have been finished to a much higer standard.





evaluation

Our final Continuity task was really quite poor, as there were so many technical incompetencies within it. firstly the positioning of the title at the very beginning is off, it is too far to the left, so some of it is cut off. this is an editing error that could be easily corrected, it more attention had been paid to detail. my next issue is with the transitions that were chose in the first few shots, they were used to slow the piece down and give the ilusion of time between the shots, but they are unneccesary and look quite cheap and amateur, so i would not have chosen them personally. i think this was one persons choice and we didnt work as a group enough when coming to some of the decisions. Next in the first shot, the character position in the shot is not right, it should either be central or not, but looks like it was supposed to be central. framing is a basic part of filming, and bad framing looks cheap and is less natural to watch. some of our framing was not right, and some of our positioning was simply not paid attention to, we have learnt from reviewing this that framing and positioning are more important than we originall thought, so we will pay more attention to getting them right in our opening. This is the shot where the positioning was poor:

the character would have looked better placed centrally, it would have looked much neater.

another issue we had was the angle we were shooting at, as we struggled with getting out tripod to be level, this gave some wonky shots that lookd unnatural and poorly filmed. looking back at this we now realise we need to check the spirit level on the tripod at all times to keep it level, this way it looks smoother and the change from shot to shot will be smoother and more realistic.

in this shot you can see clearly that it is not level, by looking at the celing and floor and the angle that they are at, this is poor quality filming, and we are going to make sure we dont do this in the final opening

A positive about our continuity task is the quality of the movement, the camera pans and tilts very smoothly, and ther is no jolts or shakes in the camera. This is sometimes tricky and something we are proud of, as the camera moves very fluidly. however, there is alot of background noise over the dialogue, and this is something we tried to avoid, but it was filmed in a noisy school so we must have been unlucky with timing, as there are certain times where the school is louder. this detracts the audiences concentration from the dialogue and makes it less enojyable to watch. the shot - revers - shot that we had to include as part of the guidelines was succesful, we did an over the shoulder on, which, while the editing was a little choppy, worked quite well. the end of the clip is the worse, as we left it un edited, we needed to cut it a bit shorter as their are some seconds at the end which weren't supposed to be included, and we dont have any outro transition, so this is another example of sloppy editing.

We have learnt alot from the continuity task, mainly what our groups strengths and weaknesses are, and that we need to communicate more as a group, a some of the elemtns of the continuity task were not decided on by the group but by one individual. we learnt alot about how to use the equipment, such as looking at the spirit level, and also about how difficult it is to get quality filming, because you need to take into account so many factors, such as positioning, noise levels, framing, angles that we didnt pay attention to whilst filming the continuity task. i think this has given us a greater knowledge because we have learnt from our mistakes that we made so frequently in this task.

Planning - The Continuity task

the continuity task is to help us practice planning, filming and editing, then reviewing and refining before we start the final product. It is going to help us know hwo to improve next time, and what our strong points our in the group, so we can use the team effectively.

storyboarding

we storyboarded our idea for the continuity task , which involved us sitting round together and deciding on the theme, the shots, angles and how we were going to include the tasks we were given. i have included here our drafted storyboard which we put together quickly. we adapted and changed it on location due to restrictions such as space availability. the first shot is a long shot of a man walking down a corridor, hooded. the camera pans as he turns the corner, we then got a mid shot of him opening the door. there is then another long shot of the man as he enters the room. the camera then pans him, at a mid shot distance, and tilts as he sits down. there is then a close up shot reverse shot of a conversation. and an extreme close up of the characters swapping goods. this is how it will end. the whole storyboard has been planned using an eye level angle, so we are keeping it natural. The narrative is of a man walking into a room and doing a shifty deal, as this si a simple subject to represent in a short space of time. We have marked on the stroyboard where the 180 degree line is in some of the shots, to help us know where we can film, and nto break through it, as this gives an unnatural feel.

once we began filming we realised we needed to change a lot of different aspects of the storyboards such as the shot styles and the actual storyline. we wanted to mix up some of the shot styles, as we chose very safe uninteresting ones, and wanted to use the onctinuity task as a practice of different shot we could use, so we changed quite a few of the angles and framing when were on location. We also had a problem securing the location we originally planned the stroyboard around, as we intended to start in an open corridor, which at our time of filming was filled with students, which gave overwhelming background noise, something we felt was very amateur and made the narrative difficult to understand. we then used a different location, so had to change what was happening in the original scenes, as we couldnt get the angles we wanted from the new location.

we also assigned two members of the group to write a shot list, props list, and script for the characters. the props list was minimal, as the main focus of the continuity task is the filming, and getting familiar with the equipment, rather than the content.

I was important that we planned and storyboarded the continuity task properly before filming so we were all on the same page, and aware of what our roles were. working in a team is easier when we have a strict plan to stick to.

research findings - what i have learned and how this will help me

from my research i have learnt alot about successful thrillers, why they are successful and have broken them down and analysed them to give me an understanding of the editing, sound, mis en scene, and what effects these have on the narrative. it was useful researching into camera angles, sound etc. to give me a background knowledge when i was analysing them, it was also good to start to think about not only how they can be used, but what meaning and connotations they can give to a scene. this will help me know what to do and what not to do and will give me a background knowledge to shape our thriller opening. it will also be useful having more depth in my knowledge of filming, such as camera and mis en scene, to make our opening deeper, so that is it not simply aesthetically or narratively effective but has a deeper meaning and understanding, which is what makes film excellent, when all the elements are working together, so the sound and camera and mis en scene, together with the editing are working to make a piece that is conveying the same meaning, such as a soft focus combined with an off centre character placement, and low level lighting, to show the character is insignificant or unimportant in the scene.
the initial research was useful so our thriller opening will look more in the style of a thriller, as i understand the codes and conventions more than previously. it was also useful to look into the origins of genre, and how it has changed and developed over the years, so i can have an understanding of the freedom of genre these days, and the disintegration of the boundaries that used to exist. From watching the thriller openings i learned what the professionals have done and how they do it, what a good opening looks like, but also the mistakes that even professionals make. analysing and breaking them down helped me understand how they use elements of film working together to make them succesful, and meaning is not conveyed simply through the narrative. The most useful thing to help with planning our opening was watching the previous student openings as we could mark them against a mark scheme, and then we knew what we were aiming for, and the mistakes that previous students have made, such as shaky filming and cliched story lines, we will then steer clear of hand held filming and psychological thrillers that can end up stereotypical, it was nice to see what we were aiming for.we are now going to go on to planning and mind mapping our idea for the opening , thinking about what we learnt from research. we haven't made any decisions yet about it, and most of our research has been quite individual, so we are now going to come together to talk about what we've foudn out and make some agreements.

Questionnaire - primary research

we decided to carry out a questionnaire using specific questions to find out about what the audience expect, what they enjoy and what we should focus on. this will help shape our final piece using the audience's views, as viewers opinions are the most important thing. we decided it was important to ask whether they were male or female, so we can see if there are any differences or patterns in what either gender prefer. The age categories were split so that we have the opinions of those unable to watch an 18+ film in a cinema seperate from those who can, so we can easily seperate the questionnaires when they come back. we also asked if the audience preferred 15+ or 18+ films, including those who are under 18, as often they can watch them when they come out on dvd, so may still prefer them. we wanted to know what sub genres are most enjoyed, as we will have to base our opening on a sub genre and this will influence our decision. it is also important to know what thriller films they have previously enjoyed, i will then analyse the openings of the top films so i can see for myself what they have enjoyed, and what is succesful about them. we then asked a question on what viewers find most important in thrillers, so we can see what we need to think about including. lastly, we asked whether they like credits in the opening, as some opening just start the film, and some build up into the beginning with an intro, this includes credits and some information about the film. personally, i prefer openings without credits, but the audiences views are most important.

Are you male or female?

Tick the age category that you fit in to –

15 – 17 □     18 – 25   □   26 – 35 □     36 - 45 □     46 – 55  □   55+ □

do you prefer 15+ or 18+ thriller films usually, if you are under 18 you may still vote for 18+

15+  □

18+  □

What type of sub genre within thrillers do you enjoy? Tick as many as apply

Action- thriller □

Western-thriller □

Crime-thriller □

Film noir – thriller □

Religious thriller – such as Da Vinci code □

Gangster thriller □

Psychological thriller   □

Please tick the thriller films that you have really enjoyed from the list below – as many as apply

Jaws □

Paranormal activity □

The godfather □

Inception □

Pulp fiction □

The Dark Knight □

Psycho □

Se7en □

Die hard □

Memento □

Silence of the lambs □

What do you feel is very important in a thriller film? Rank from one to eight with one being least important and eight being most

A feeling of suspense □

Fast paced music □

A plot twist □

Action □

Gore □

Science  □

A sense of reality – not too farfetched □

A clever storyline  □

Do you like to see credits in the opening of the film?

Yes □

No □

Don’t mind □



we will give these questionnaires to people that fit our target audience and gain some feedback to shape our thoughts on our opening.

Analysing previous Media openings

we watched some openings from previous years at different levels to give us an idea of what we're working towards and also what not to do, such as bad editing or cliched storylines. we also looked at the mark scheme and what sort of grades we thought the opening would have got. this will help us know what is expected of us, and the mistakes that previous students have made that we shouldn't repeat.

opening one - room to breathe
this was a psychological thriller and i thought it derved a medium level 3 because:

• the opening felt like more of a trailer, as it had an ending and the title at the end
• it had good use of camera angles, from below, above, over the shoulder, eye level.
• it had music that fit the mood and helped set the scene, however it was quite badly edited
• the editing was a bit jumpy, such as the sound not fitting the scene exactly, when the girl screamed, the sound of her scream came after the visual of it, this is simply poor editing and could easily be fixed.
•  the end title was misspelt which showed poor editing and attention to detail

overall it was fairly good, the idea was interesting and captivating and not too conventional which is difficult when most ideas ahve already been explored. some of the editing was not so great however, so the pre production and production have been much more successful than the most production.

opening two - unrequited love
level 2/3

• wasnt an obvious thriller - not much of a genre within the opening
• camera shots were fairly repititve - no variation or exciting shots. mostly cu's and high angles
• typography - credits- was too quick, so not very easy to read
• editing wasnt great - shots were badly put together
• the colour red was used a lot - connotes danger
• very cliche stroyline - paper cutting - like in se7en
• good font - interesting and fitting

this opening was successful at it was loosely copied from the opening of the film "se7en" which is a very successful film with a well known opening, as it so good. however, the idea had already been done, and is now conventional for a psychological thriller. A succesful opening cannot simply mirror another one, as originality is something audiences expect.

opening three- root cause
i gave this a high level 3 or low 4

• film noir - clear genre
• good use of camera to establish setting as well as a variety of shots, making it interesting
• good music - fitting.
• black and white - fitted film noir genre
• attention to detail - props, costumes, to make the genre work
• a little cliche on the storyline

I really liked the clear film noir genre in this opening, and the attention to detial when setting the genre. they made good use of the semantic conventions of the genre within the mis en scene, by using props and costumes to familiarise the audience with the genre. However the plot line was not so succesful
from analysing these opening the thing i found out over anytthing else was to make an opening that whilst fit the codes and conventions of a thriller, was not cliche at all, and not been done many times before, as this makes the opening very similar and boring. i also learnt that attention to detail is important, especially within the mis en scene and props, as this is what makes the openings proffesional looking and believable, and sets the scene better. the opening that scored best all had smooth camera panning and tracking, a variety of shots, a variety of angles, were smoothly edited and had music that fit the mood.

Camera , Sound and Editing

i feel i need a better understanding of some of the elements of film before i can analyse their use in openings, and use them myself in our opening. i am going to look at a few different camera, editing and sound effects and what meaning they give.

the camera

in films and TV there are different things the camera can do that gives us different effects. as well as different shots there are different ways of moving and turning the camera.

• Zoom: The subject is magnified, and attention is concentrated on details. they are not common, but can be very dramatic.
• Following pan: The camera swivels to follow a moving subject.. A pan usually begins and ends with a few seconds of still picture to give greater impact. The speed of a pan across a subject creates a particular mood as well as establishing the viewer's relationship with the subject.
• Surveying pan: The camera slowly searches the scene: may build to a climax or anticlimax.
• Tilt: A vertical movement of the camera - up or down- while the camera mounting stays fixed.
• Crab: The camera moves (crabs) right or left.
• Tracking (dollying): Tracking involves the camera itself being moved smoothly towards or away from the subject. Tracking in draws the viewer into a closer, more intense relationship with the subject; moving away tends to create emotional distance.
• Hand-held camera: A hand-held camera can produce a jerky, bouncy, unsteady image which may create a sense of immediacy or chaos. Its use is a form of subjective treatment.
• Process shot: A shot made of action in front of a rear projection screen having on it still or moving images as a background.

Editing

• Cut: Sudden change of shot from one viewpoint or location to another. On television cuts occur on average about every 7 or 8 seconds.
• Matched cut: In a 'matched cut' a familiar relationship between the shots may make the change seem smooth:
• Jump cut: Switch from one scene to another which may be used deliberately to make a dramatic point. Sometimes boldly used to begin or end action. Alternatively, it may be result of poor pictorial continuity, perhaps from deleting a section.
• Motivated cut: Cut made just at the point where what has occurred makes the viewer immediately want to see something which is not currently visible.
• Cutting rate: Frequent cuts may be used as deliberate interruptions to shock, surprise or emphasize.
• Cutting rhythm: A cutting rhythm may be progressively shortened to increase tension. Cutting rhythm may create an exciting, lyrical or staccato effect in the viewer.
• Cross-cut: A cut from one line of action to another.
• Cutaway/cutaway shot (CA): A bridging intercut shot between two shots of the same subject. It is often used to shortcut the passing of time.
• Reaction shot: Any shot, usually a cutaway, in which a participant reacts to action which has just occurred.
• Insert/insert shot: A bridging close-up shot inserted into the larger context, offering an essential detail of the scene.
• Buffer shot (neutral shot): A bridging shot (normally taken with a separate camera) to separate two shots which would have reversed the continuity of direction.
• Fade, dissolve (mix): Both fades and dissolves are gradual transitions between shots. In a fade the picture gradually appears from (fades in) or disappears to (fades out) a blank screen.
• Superimpositions: Two of more images placed directly over each other (e.g. and eye and a camera lens to create a visual metaphor).
• Wipe: An optical effect marking a transition between two shots.
• Inset: An inset is a special visual effect whereby a reduced shot is superimposed on the main shot. Often used to reveal a close-up detail of the main shot.
• Split screen: The division of the screen into parts which can show the viewer several images at the same time. This can convey the excitement and frenzy of certain activities, but it can also overload the viewer.
• Stock shot: Footage already available and used for another purpose than the one for which it was originally filmed.

Use of Sound

• Direct sound. Live sound. This may have a sense of freshness, spontaneity and 'authentic' atmosphere, but it may not be acoustically ideal.
• Studio sound. Sound recorded in the studio to improve the sound quality, eliminating unwanted background noise ('ambient sound'), e.g. dubbed dialogue. This may be then mixed with live environmental sound.
• Selective sound. The removal of some sounds and the retention of others to make significant sounds more recognizable, or for dramatic effect - to create atmosphere, meaning and emotional nuance. Selective sound (and amplification) may make us aware of a watch or a bomb ticking. This can sometimes be a subjective device, leading us to identify with a character: to hear what he or she hears. Sound may be so selective that the lack of ambient sound can make it seem artificial or expressionistic.
• Sound perspective/aural perspective. The impression of distance in sound, usually created through the use of selective sound. Note that even in live television a microphone is deliberately positioned, just as the camera is, and therefore may privilege certain participants.
• Sound bridge. Adding to continuity through sound, by running sound (narration, dialogue or music) from one shot across a cut to another shot to make the action seem uninterrupted.
• Dubbed dialogue. Post-recording the voice-track in the studio, the actors matching their words to the on-screen lip movements. Not confined to foreign-language dubbing.
• Wildtrack Sound which was self-evidently recorded separately from the visuals with which it is shown. For example, a studio voice-over added to a visual sequence later.
• Parallel sound. Sound 'caused' by some event on screen, and which matches the action.
• Commentary/voice-over narration. Commentary spoken off-screen over the shots shown

mis en scene

mis en scene is everything that is happening inside of the screen, and it used a lot to convey meaning to a scene. it is the most obvious for the audience too. i am going to look at a few, as there are too many to fully explore.

1. the dominant - this is where our eye is attracted to first and can connot alot. the dominant contrast can be shown by lighting, colour, focus etc. something that is dominant in the shot is given high importance and status, if it were a two shot of a male and female, and the male was the dominant, through the use of light and focus, this could connote that males were more important in that context.

2. colour - the use of different colours can apply a mood or tone to a scene, such as dull grey tones giving it a serious, sombre mood. colour can also be used as symbolise, such as excessive used of red connoting agression or violence.

3. position - the position of subjects can give a shot meaning, a circular compositiong suggests security, a vertical one might suggest strength, and a horizontal one might suggest anxiety.

4. framing - a tight framing where the characters fill the frame and there is little room to breathe might suggest confinement, whereas a looser framing, with empty space gives the shot a sense of freedom.

5. depth of field - a single plane in focus, such as the foreground, will isolate objects in the foreground from the rest, whereas a depth of field where all planes are in focus will unite the shot.

6.  character placement - placement in the top third of the shot connotes importance and authority. contrastingly, placement in the bottom third connotes subservience. the middle of the frame will show the character to be the focus of the shot, so connots importance too.


this information has given me a better understanding of the different things i need to consider when making my opening, and will therefore help me to plan, make and direct the opening as i have a better understanding of the different things i can do and the correct terms for it. I am now more aware of the connotations associated with different uses of camera, sound and editing and can therefore apply more meaning to my opening.

Camera Shots + angles

I am going to look at some of the camera shots and angles that are commonly used in film, and what they are used for. I will also look at what they might connote, so i can use this research when I'm analysing previous openings, and also when i want to add connotations to my piece.

ELS - extreme long shot - like a shot of a city or countryside, people and detail rarely visible. These are used to establish the setting, they also might set the mood and tone of the scene, such as a woods setting would me quite mysterious, a city setting would be busy and exciting. An extreme long shot of these settings would show the audience what to expect from the scene. They are usually used at the start or end of scenes.

LS - long shot -subject fits the whole frame, but none of them is cut off, so a whole figure will be in the shot. These show the audiences things about the character such as height, stature. often used with groups of people, and when there is large scale action.

MS - mid shot - most of the subject is in the frame, such as his head down to his middle, often used for small groups. The medium shot can be used to focus attention on an interaction between two actors, such as a struggle, debate, or embrace.

CU - close up - focuses on a certain feature , such as a face. good for focusing on facial expressions, so often used for reactions and important facial gestures that need to be seen. can also be used to give significance to a certain object, or to direct the audience to some other important element of the film.

ECU - extreme close up - much closer such as eyes or mouth. these are less common but can be used for minute details that are important to the plot. They are often quite mysterious and surreal.




Angles


eye-level - day to day angle, this is how we see in real - life, so it sets a laid back realistic angle to the shot, it is best used for point of view, as it really establishes the audience as part of the scene. This is often filmed just below eye level for males and just above for females, as it looks unnatural otherwise.

high angle - camera is positioned above the subject looking down on it, can connote insignificance as the subject looks belittled.

low angle - this is filmed from below, looking up at the subject, can connote importance as they look empowered.

birds eye - shot from on top, looking down. it is a very unnatural view of the world, and is quite a dramatic way of filming, often used in action thrillers.

I found out the most common angles, and which were most natural, so this will help our opening flow as best as possible. I also found out that high and low angle shots can connote certain things to a shot, so i could use these if i wanted to give meaning to a scene. I will use my understanding of shots and angles when i look at analysing the camera in previous openings.