Prelim Evaluation

Tom Trouble

Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?

I worked with Ella, Alice and Alicia. Together to begin with, we began a brainstorm for ideas but quickly agreed on the a narrative. Immediately we wrote a script and mapped out a plan for our shots. Later, Ella and I drew out a storyboard and in the lesson before shooting we all planned our different setups and shoot schedule. Then we filmed: I was directing; Alicia was on camera and Alice and Ella were acting although we did all try and get a go behind the camera. For editing however, I worked only with Alicia, and we worked together cutting the sequence together and sharing the mouse-time.

Shoot schedule

How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use? What theories did you try to take into account?

We planned our sequence with scripting, scheduling and storyboarding which proved very useful in keeping track of what was needed in shooting and especially editing. When brainstorming, we picked the idea which had the potential to utilise the most continuity techniques effectively, as it was, afterall, a continuity task. We also tried to incorporate some narrative structure to our film: beginning (Ella revealing her love for Tom Jackson); middle/disruption (Alice telling Ella that Tom Jackson has asked her out) and end (Ella drops the diary in shock) leaving a cliffhanger and some enigma for the audience - will Alice read the diary?

What technology did you use to complete the task, and how did you use it?

Me editing

For the shooting we used a Canon DV30 camera and microphone as well as a tripod which worked well for our shots as they were mostly static or required a steady pan. It would have been overly ambitious to shoot manually and the tripod helped keep our framings tight and accurate. To edit, we used Adobe Premiere Pro. We used simple tools like the razor to cut our sequence up and layered alternate shots in different tracks as well as adjusting our audio suitably. Although I have used Premiere Pro before, it was over a year ago, so it was useful to refresh my memory before the final project.

What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?

Our original script

There were several points to consider in the process of generating our film. In planning obviously we had to bear in mind time and setting constraints so we kept the idea short sweet and set in school and in shooting we had to work around the other groups for camera time in the lobby and watch out for technical issues. However the factor most prevalent in our minds was inclusion of continuity techniques. Working out how many techniques we could fit in was important in our planning and then making sure our plans worked logistically in shooting all built up to cutting the sequence together and constructing our parallel edits, eyeline matches etc. as planned. We had to diversify from our storyboard a little for example we had originally planned a shot of Ella in between Alice opening the door and coming into the room, however the match on action without Ella's shot in between worked so well that Alicia and I decided to go with that.

How successful was your sequence? Please identify what worked well, and with hindsight, what would you improve/do differently?

Storyboard

Overall I am very pleased with our sequence. Our narrative was simple but effective and allowed us to include several continuity techniques. I thought the parallel editing with Ella writing in her diary and Alice walking was good because it built up anticipation that something was going to happen. We had to film several takes of each shots to make sure we got our continuity techniques right which paid off especially with the eyeline match when Alice comes into the room looking at Ella and Ella looks up at her to greet her. We also used shot reverse shot in the conversation and on some of the shots we trailed Alice's voice on to the shot of Ella's face, which I thought helped the sequence run smoothly. We also had to be careful with the 180 degree rule however we spent time working out if we had the shots from the right angles and ended up with a good conversation scene. There were, however, some changes I would make if I could do it differently. Firstly, when planning, we were convinced that we needed to alternate every shot between Ella and Alice, however, when it came to editing, we realised it worked better with some variation. Also, although we were very careful with our continuity techniques, there was a shot we had to take out because we weren't careful enough with continuity between shots and there was a door opening even though it should have been shutting.

What have you learnt from completing this task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing the rest of your foundation coursework, do you think?

This task was very useful for learning about continuity techniques. I learnt a lot about planning and shooting bearing these in mind, especially about using angle rules. It was helpful because we actually got to put our knowledge into practice and it was a lot harder than we expected. It was also interesting constructing a sequence with a narrative, which we had not done in media before. I think for the remainder of our foundation coursework, I will put a greater focus on storyboarding, since unlike scripting and shot orders, storyboards actually give you a chance to envision what your sequence will look like edited together, and the task helped me realise how important this is in planning. I will also spend more time on my shoot schedule, as having a really well thought out shoot schedule would have helped us shoot more efficiently.

DYM Dexter Title Re-Edit Evaluation

This is my evaluation of our remake of the Dexter opening sequence. We had to insert our own credits for the show without watching the real opening first, using only our knowledge of the show and the genre.

Relevant Title Sequence Conventions
We tried to make the creation of our credits coherent with the following appropriate conventions used in title sequences:

• Synergy between titles, credits and branding with font and colour
• Appealing/unusual visuals
• Titles/credits in sync with images

Planning

For initial planning we watched the sequence without titles to get an overall impression of the sequence and mood and our first ideas for where to place the titles. We then came up with a list of the cast and crew we needed to credit in congruency with what we felt were appropriate points in the sequence to put titles. After this we tested out different fonts, colours and effects on our first credit and decided where on screen to place them and then put in all the different credits we could in the time once we had worked out the style.

Creative Decisions

We chose the credited people based on our prior knowledge of television opening sequences, however, unusually we decided to put the lead actor as the last credit, since we wanted it to come when the audience first sees Dexter's face. The other credits came in when the shots cut to a slightly different camera position or suddenly to a new shot. We chose similar fonts and colours to the 'Dexter' title for synergy with the title and brand and also because we felt it best represented the crime genre and matched the violent undertones of the sequence. The effects we chose were a sudden static appearance to match jerky editing of the sequence and to catch the eye of the viewer and we inserted the fade out at the end so the titles weren't jarring and disappeared subtly and so they seemed more professional.

Comparison with Original
Our choice in credits were fairly similar to the those of the original title sequence. For one thing, the font was similar as well as the dark red colour - reminiscent of blood and the 'Dexter' title. Where we chose to place them was also similar since the original credits also appeared when shots cut suddenly. The originals also appeared suddenly on screen however some of their shots jumped around the screen a little whereas ours were static. Additionally the originals simply cut out of the screen without effects whereas ours faded out. Overall though we were pleased with having a majority of similarites with the real sequence.

BLK Reflections on Film Still

Representation of the Genre and Achieving the Effect
My film still is of the horror genre. Several factors went into representing this:

• Lighting and setting: Shadowy lighting and concealment are often used in the horror genre. I used a harsh light from a low angle to create shadows on the character's face and darkness in the background. For this I used a PAG light and shot in the basement which is an ominous setting and one in which I could turn the lights off.
• Character: The girl in the shot is angry and seen from a low angle, making her seem imposing to the audience. She could be a horror villain or perhaps possessed. She is looking into the camera so the audience sees from the victim's perspective.
• Costume: The girl wears a black wig which makes her look dark and slightly manic, which reinforces her role as villain or antagonist. She wears all black which makes her blend into the background, creating almost a floating head effect which you would mostly expect to find in the horror genre.

Successes of the Shot

Overall I would say the shot is fairly successful. The lighting is effective in making the girl look unnerving - the way her body blends into the darkness would make the audience uneasy as well as the unflattering effect on her face. The black background creates mystery around where she is coming from and has dark, scary connotations. The POV perspective is also successful in making the audience empathise with the victim: they would feel as if she was coming from them themselves and her manic face makes her look as if she is possessed, the unnaturally black, askew hair only adding to this effect.

Improvements

Although the overall effect was good, there are a few things I could improve if I did it again. For one, although the actress' facial expression is scary, it is also slightly comical so perhaps I would redo her expression. Additionally, she has a tag sticking out of her top which is of detriment to the effect of her body blending into the background and a little bit of the top she's wearing under the black is visible. It is also slightly blurred so I would make sure I got it in focus if I did it again. Also, since her face is so close I would make it even more low angle so it would seem like she was right over the audience.

DYM Sound Analysis

Serenity Opening Sequence

The film opening I chose to analyse was Joss Whedon's sci-fi film Serenity (2005). The film starts silently with the title 'SERENITY' which transforms into the 'SERENITY' written on the side of the ship. With this transformation the music begins. The opening commences with a zoom out to a master shot of the spaceship static in the galaxy, the music is calm and peaceful until the engines start and the engine sound effects come in. Subsequently it becomes faster and louder as the camera pans across the spaceship to the window at the front. The scene cuts to inside the ship and the music cuts out. The sound is now diegetic - only engine sounds and dialogue, creating a contrast between the fantastical space setting and the real people inside. Mal and Wash argue about the engines failing and crashing and rumbling sounds follow, creating tension for the audience. Mal goes to the infirmary and is given an injection by Simon, we hear the sound of the fluid going in slightly too loudly which could make the viewer uneasy. As they enter the main room of the ship, the sounds echo, giving us a sense of the immensity of the space. The music comes in at the end when the scene cuts outside the spaceship again and they are landing on a sunny day, which has the effect of changing the mood from inside the ship and moving the sequence along.

BLK Continuity Techniques Analysis

The scene I chose to analyse is from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 (2010), in which Harry, Ron and Hermione escape from the Ministry of Magic.

Eyeline Matches
This is used when Ron looks up and we cut to a shot of the dementors. This allows us to cut to new shots smoothly and the viewer to understand exactly what Ron is looking at.

Master Shot
This shot shows an overview of the action so the reader knows what's going on and the scene can cut to closer shots. In the scene it is used when the escapees run down the corridor.

30 degree rule
This is used when we see Harry and co. running down the corridor starting to pass the camera, then a cut to them running from behind. This means that when we see the same sequence of action from different perspectives, the angles aren't too close that they confuse the viewer.

Cutaway
A cutaway is used to show what else is happening in the scene. This scene starts with Harry drawing his wand and then cuts away to Umbridge, allowing us to preempt the action to come.

Shot reverse shot
This technique is used in the beginning of the clip where Harry is talking to Umbridge. It allows us to see the conversation going on between the two.

Match on Action
We see this used when Harry and co. are standing in the lift and the lift door starts closing, then cuts to a POV shot and the lift slams shut. This allows us to see different perspectives in a scene without breaking up the flow of action.

Parallel Editing
This occurs when Harry is escaping the room and Malfoy is lying on the floor looking evil. It shows us the two events which are happening simultaneously.

BLK Continuity Sequence Analysis

Shot 1: We started with an establishing shot panning up from Matt's feet to see him being chased by Anjana. This was a good idea however it was difficult to time knowing we wouldn't be able to edit or reshoot and the shot was too fast and tilted which made it confusing.

Shot 2: One problem with this shot is that the camera focuses on Matt's feet again, having just panned up from his feet in the last shot. The repeat of Matt's feet makes it seem like we're redoing the shot and doesn't move the action on. Additionally the sudden slow motion breaks up the fast-paced feel the last shot sets up and makes the sequence seem stilted - we lose the sense of action.

Shot 3: The next shot was effective because it matched the action of the last shot - in the last shot we see him turn into a room and in this shot we see him coming in - so the action makes sense for the viewer and makes it slicker to watch.

Shot 4: Although the idea for this shot was good, we managed to break the 180 degree rule. This shot was supposed to continue the falling action of the last shot, however, we crossed the line by filming it from the other side of Matt so it appears that he is falling the wrong way. Another problem was the setting we chose: since the locker room looks the same from both sides the falling shot looked even more confusing and wrong.

Shot 5: This shot was fairly effective as we return to the foot shot of before and we see Matt from Anjana's point of view as a victim, however we didn't follow her feet closely enough and her kick ends up slightly out of shot.

DYM Barthes' Codes

The opening I chose to analyse is from the neo-noir film Sin City (2005).

Enigma Code

• Who is the woman?
• Why does he kill her?
• How does he know so much about her?
• Why does she trust him?
• Why are they on a roof in the rain?

Action Code

• He kills her - which suggests that he is likely to kill again.
• He is planning to 'cash her cheque in the morning' which suggests that he was paid for her murder, making him a bounty hunter.
• He tells her he loves her and that he can make her safe right up until the shot is fired: he is a liar as well as a murderer.
• He finds her alone on a deserted roof: the fact that he knew she was there suggests he knows a lot about her and has perhaps been following her.

Semiotic Code

• That they are on a rooftop towering over the city below suggests they are powerful - the peak of society.
• The grim weather is a portentous opening to the scene (it ends with a murder) and the intensifying of this towards the end suggests the worse is still to come.
• Her red dress is the most standout feature of the scene, the colour is symbolic of both the passion and the blood in the later part of the scene.

Cultural Code

• The voiceover, clothing and urban location call to mind elements of the film noir genre, although modernised.
• The scene is on a rooftop, a common setting used by characters trying to escape something, reinforced by their clothes which suggest they are hiding from a formal event.

BLK Film-making Conventions and Cultural Codes

This is a clip from the family fantasy film, Willow (1988).

Film-making Conventions:

• Zoom in from long shot to mid shot - establishes setting and character, i.e. set in a forest and the man is clearly a wizard
• The wizard looks towards something, we see a shot of two people turning to look at him then back to him - they are standing in front of each other
• Camera pans down with the wizards hand so we follow what he is picking up
• Landscape shot of bird flying through the landscape - camera follows it then close ups and mid shots of people watching the action
• Cutting between people and what they are looking at to keep pace and interest, i.e. the people watching the wizard, then his hand and then the bird
• Sound effects - jingle of wizard's cane, footsteps of people, magical twinkle in wizard's spell

Cultural Codes:

• Setting - magical forest
• Wizard's cane
• Backpacks and music suggest quest
• Olden days robe clothing - fairytale
• Dwarf actors, mix of age, gender and race
• Stereotypical - old, bearded wizard, men packed to go on a quest, women and children seeing them off, however there is a mix of races of the men going off which you might not expect of a fantasy film from three decades ago
• The twinkle of the wizard's spell is typical of a fantasy film
• The wizard is wearing lots of chains and pendants compared to the plain dress of everyone else - indication of character, position and status

DYM Film Still Analysis

The film still I chose to analyse is from the black comedy Heathers (1994).
The shot is set in a forest which is an ominous setting. It connotes secrecy as if they don't want to be found. The gun she's holding adds to this effect and suggests they are doing something they don't want to be found out about. Her clothes and jewellery are not what you would expect of a planned shooting so the viewer can infer that the situation is not well planned and her shocked face confirms this as well as suggesting she is not used to handling a gun. We can guess she has been forced into an unexpected scenario.

The shot is fairly dark and the colours are a little unsaturated which is a little unsettling for the reader, because instead of bright and cheery lighting we often see in comedies, something is a little wrong, which embodies the dark undertones of a black comedy. It is a mid shot which allows us to see the character's face and identify with her. We cannot, however, see where who she is aiming at which creates intrigue and affiliates us more with her than with her victim although the side on framing leaves the viewer on the outside of the events so we feel helpless, as if we cannot help her or the victim, we can only watch her fire the gun.

I chose this shot because I thought there was a lot to say about it. The lighting is unusual which is interesting for analysis and the framing generates an intriguing viewpoint for the viewer. Additionally the setting is even more enigmatic, altogether creating a rich effect ripe for analysis!