Pre-lim Evaluation

Evaluation of preliminary task

For my preliminary task we were put into groups of four and told to produce a short clip on a narrative which was to be no shorter the one minute but no longer than two minutes. We were told to use all the camera operating skills we had first learned whilst starting the A-Level Media Studies course. In my group was Janelle who took the role of director, Heena (me) who took the role of camera operator, Abdul who took the role of an actor and Alex who also took the role of an actor. One initial idea of a narrative was to include a homosexual character however since none of us had much background on homosexuality we thought it best not to use that idea as we did not want to offend anyone. Eventually we came up with an idea which was to have a football manager asking a player to “fix the game” as the manager was in desperate need of money. We chose to use this idea as it seemed current in society as this has been happening around the world and has been broadcasted via the news.
Firstly, we had to produce a storyboard, as we all had various ideas we sat down together as a group and discussed each shot and each idea. We noted down each idea as well as the dialogue we thought would suit the narrative. We then took out one hour and separated ourselves. There was me and Janelle who produced a complete storyboard containing each shot and the description. Then Abdul and Alex who produced a completed version of the script. We then came back together as a group to make sure everyone was happy with the ideas and began to tweak some of the script and storyboard until we had the finalised product which everyone was satisfied with. A storyboard is a very important element when producing any type of film or in our case a short clip. It details every angle of every shot and the dialogue that goes with each shot. This helps us plan out step by step exactly what needs to be done. Also, a script is very important in pre production as it outlines everything the actors need to say. This directs them and guides them when they are acting and it should be rehearsed before hand so the actor can practise the way in which they are going to perform this and the facial expressions and body language they are going to use.
Organising a time to suit everyone was difficult as one member of a group (Alex) was on the football team and therefore had training when rehearsal and filming times planned to take place. We therefore had to complete as much work as possible in a shirt space of time. The first time we began filming was on Tuesday 12th October. We were allowed to take our lesson times to begin filming. During this time we had 2 hours and thought that it would be easier to film of Alex’s shots first as it was hard for us to find a time which suited him due to his training. Therefore we completed all the shots of Alex first and began shooting the two shots and over the shoulder shots of which both characters were involved. Unfortunately, we did not manage to complete much of the filming. This was mainly due to us having to set the location and move around objects to make it look as we wanted. Also, we were far to slow when we were filming as we ended up discussing each shot over and over again and problems that arose with it. This had a negative affect as it took out far too much time from our actual filming time which therefore put us behind schedule. Another problem which we faced whilst filming was that we were unaware that all our filming had to be completed in those 2 hours and that any other filming that needed to be done had to be arranged out of lesson time. We thought these 2 hours were simply a part of our filming time which meant we were not rushing whilst filming we were taking our time. After our 2 hours had passed we packed away our equipment and took it back down to the storage room when our teacher told us that we will not have any more time to film during lesson times. We were all able to continue filming however our location was out of use for us as it needed to be used to hold a meeting by the school which therefore meant we were unable to do any more filming this day. This set us even further behind schedule. Fortunately for my group we were all free at the same times the next day therefore agreed to meet up then and continue filming. We also made sure our location was free for us to use and that it did not need to be used for anything else. However, one other problem we faced when filming the second day was that Alex had a football match half way during our filming time. Unfortunately the rest of the group were unaware of this until the day of filming which meant we needed to be quick with our filming.
I think my group managed to deal with these problems very well as we did not make a fuss about the issues we faced we simply pulled together and agreed on how we were going to resolve these issues. For example, when we found out that we would have no more lesson time to use in order to continue filming, not one of us was disappointed that filming would have to take place during our free time. We simply got together as a team and completed it.
When planning our sequence the first step we took was agreeing on everybody’s roles within the group. As me (camera operator) and Janelle (director) wanted to do our roles as well as each others we thought it best to carry out our specific roles as camera operator and director individually however take times out when we wanted to carry out each others roles as well. I think this worked in our favour as both of us had input on how we wanted the shots to be directed which meant a more successful shot. Whilst Alex was happy being an actor Abdul also wanted to carry out a small part in directing which we were happy for him to do. He therefore directed some of the shots of which Alex was solely taking part in.
Our next step was to come up with a narrative which we could all agree on. There were many initial ideas which eventually came together to create one final narrative. The narrative was about a football manager asking one of his players to “fix the game” as he was in desperate need for money. The player was agreeing to “fix the game” as in return he would be getting a higher job in a better team abroad with a huge salary. However, the twist at the end was that both characters were to be shown caught on CCTV shaking hands and exchanging contracts.
After producing a final narrative we began producing a script and storyboard which initially used only 12 shots. After analysing this with the script we managed to plan out 20 shots to suit the dialogue and to also use the camera skills we had learned in class. Some of these skills were to carry out continuity, shot reverse shot and 180 degree rule. Continuity is making sure that all elements stay the same throughout each shot to maintain the aspect of realism. Shot reverse shot is making sure that when characters are having a conversation the audience are able to see the first character talking to the second character and then showing the second characters reaction. Put simply, it is showing action – reaction. 180 degree rule is making sure that the camera movements do not go 180 degrees out of the area of the first shot. This makes sure that the narrative is told properly and does not make it confusing for the audience.
Whilst completing our task the equipment we used was a Libec tripod and a Canon camera. When setting up the tripod and camera we needed to make sure the spirit level was correct otherwise our shots would not have been level and therefore would have given an unreal aspect to the audience. Also, the Canon camera had a lot of settings which we were unfamiliar with. Initially we had forgotten which setting we needed to be using in order to record our shots and therefore thought we should figure out ourselves without any help which setting needed to be used. After going through each setting we eventually found out which one we needed to be using in order to film and record and which setting we needed to use when we had to play back what we had just filmed.
When using the cameras I learned that a lot of care needed to be taken care of them to prevent them from damage. I was told that each camera was worth around £2000. Also, as I was camera operator I learned that a steady hand was needed when filming, even when the camera was positioned on the tripod. This was to prevent any jitters or slight movements which broke the element of reality in the narrative.
When planning, shooting and editing many factors needed to be taken into account. Time being a main issue. As I have mentioned before one of our group members had either training or a match when we needed to film. This meant that all the things we needed to do in the allocated time we had to film needed to be rushed in order to be completed otherwise we would have been set even further behind task than we already were. Another issue was money. Obviously we did not have any money to produce this short clip which meant that any extra ideas we had in mind were to be thrown out the window.
In my opinion I think my groups’ project was very successful however, in hindsight I would change a few things. One of the things I would change would be the continuity throughout the shots. Unfortunately as we had to film on different days the location and characters looked slightly different. On the first day of filming the location was set to exactly how we wanted it to be. The tables were positioned how we needed them and everything else was out of frame. On the second day of filming the room had obviously been put back to normal again which meant that our location looked different. We played over the shots we had taken on day one of filming and tried to recreate the exact same look. As much as I can notice I think we managed to recreate the same look however I think in the second day of filming a chair was only slightly in the foreground which only came to light when we were editing, which by then it was too late to change. Also, on the second day of filming some elements of Alex’s (actor) costume had changed. On the first day he was wearing a white watch with black trainers and shorts. However on the second day he was wearing a blue watch with red and grey trainers and trousers. Luckily for us we managed to correct some elements as on the second day he was able to roll his trousers up so it looked as if he was wearing shorts. Also, you are able to see the different watch in one shot. We eventually noticed that you were able to see the different colour watch and therefore told him it would be better to remove the watch altogether and pull his sleeves as far down as possible. However in hindsight I think it may have just been better to keep the watch on as this now meant that he had three different looks – one shot with a white watch, one shot with a blue watch and one shot with no watch at all. This would have broken the element of realism as we did not keep continuity throughout the shots. Also, on day one of filming we filmed a long shot of Alex walking through the door. In this shot he had on pure black trainers, however the next day of filming he had different colour trainers on which meant we had broken the continuity in another way. When we realised these issues we had no time left to re film therefore had to leave the shots as they were. One final issue we faced was the clock in the background. On the first day of filming the time read something close to 3 o clock however on the second day read 12 o clock. We noticed this would be an issue on the second day of filming and attempted to remove the clock from the wall to change the time however it was screwed on to the wall and was not able to be removed. This left us no choice but to leave the clock as it was and try to keep it out of frame whilst filming.
Although we faced many issues with continuity we also had our good points when filming. One good point was that our second actor Abdul managed to wear the same clothing on the second day and tried his best to keep his hair the same as well. This worked very well as it meant that Alex’s character was less noticeable with his changes. If Abdul had looked different it would’ve broken the entire element of realism. Another good point was that we remembered to look over the shots from day one to see how the room was set up so we could try our best to reproduce the same thing.
If I had the chance to reproduce this project I would definitely make sure we planned out our time effectively and did any preparations before hand rather than on the day set for filming. For example, the discussions were not necessary on the day of filming and should have been done before hand to save time. I would also make sure all characters knew they needed to wear or bring in the same costume if filming was carried over to another day to keep continuity. I would also make sure the timing of clocks was changed or if they were not possible to change then I would make sure they would not be in frame at all.
From completing this task I have learned that time management skills definitely need to be set out well before days set out for filming or rehearsals etc. I have also learned that many elements need to be considered when producing a film or a short clip to keep continuity in order to withhold realism. I have learned that when working in a group it is very hard to be able to set out a time to complete each task that needs to be done as different people have various things going on some days. I have learned that working in a group is beneficial for both individuals and the project. I see it as beneficial for individuals as it means we get to socialise with people we generally wouldn’t if in any other situation and we get to know others. I see it as beneficial for the project as it means the project gets elements from every member of the group. This is good as we all have different ideas and which we inject into the group to try and make our project better. Finally, I have learned that high technical skills are needed in post production as when switching from shot to shot the same dialogue has to be maintained otherwise the shot would be breaking the element of realism.
Whilst editing I learnt many things. I learnt that to keep continuity very precise editing must take place. For example when a character is having a conversation with another and the shot changes during the middle of the dialogue, the dialogue must remain within the same sentence or speech as the previous one. This is very tricky to get right as when editing it is hard to get the same sentence to continue into a different shot. To do this I think characters need to speak slightly slower which I will bear in mind next time I film. Whilst making decisions in editing we needed to hear what the whole group thought instead of just one person doing it all. This meant everyone’s ideas were incorporated and everyone would be happy with the final product. We planned out how we were going to have the finished product in the end therefore when editing we didn’t find it that hard as we already had the basic idea of what we were going to do. We made sure that everybody had taken part in the editing process therefore we were coming back in our free periods and staying behind after school to finish it. This meant that we could take our time whilst editing and make sure that every decision we made was the right one as we spent a lot of time editing the clip and adding effects and transitions in the beginning and end. My weakness within the editing process was that I wasn’t the most experienced with using the programme we were using to edit the clip. Although no one of my group members had much experience I felt that if I did something or changed something I may just ruin the entire project and we would have no time to re shoot. Therefore I thought carefully about my next move just to be on the safe side. Next time I would make sure that I had played around with the editing programme a bit more so that I was familiar with and, also so that I knew what other options I had when finalising the editing.

Heena Safdar