skills review
camera
For our film opening, we used a Canon 700D. We found this to be an extremely high-quality camera that gave us good results, filming in 1080p full HD. I first used this camera in my preliminary video. Although the camera was personally a little intimidating (as I had never used such a complicated camera before), I soon got used to it and felt confidence in using it. It was very simple to use, with the zoom being controlled at the front, and using the screen to focus (something we used quite a lot to get various shots, and was very impressed with). It also required a cap over the lens, which was fitted and removed easily. The camera felt very professional and gave use high-quality footage and images for our project. I would definitely use the camera again personally and it is not hard to imagine the camera being used to shoot an independent film that would be released officially.
digital technology
tripod
For the majority of our video, we used a tripod. This gave the camera a secure and steady platform to shoot from, as opposed to handheld shots we could have used. It also made the camera easier to use, as both of your hands are free to operate it. The tripod is capable of panning using the arm, which can be loosened and tighten by unscrewing it clockwise and vice versa. Angle shots can be achieved also, by unscrewing the platform the camera is sat on and lifting it. The camera is physically screwed into a plate which locks into the tripod platform at the top, making it safe and secure. The tripod was very easy to use, versatile and was also lightweight, giving ease of access in tricky situations. We had a very positive experience with the tripod, and felt that it benefited our video, as it gave steady shots and gave it a more professional feel.
light - godox led64
For lighting, we mainly used a Godox LED64. Like the microphone we used (an external with a deadcat), it slotted in on top of the camera, and could be turn on via a switch on the back. There is also a dial to control the strength of light it gives, adding to it's effectiveness. We used it for both lighting and as a prop (in the interrogation scene, which, when combined with an effect in Premiere Pro called ‘time echo’, gave the impression that Derek’s eyes were burning from the light). We found it very effective, as it gave a strong light source and also due to the fact that it was on top of the camera meant that wherever the camera was pointing, so was the light. The quality of light was good as well, giving enough required in the situation it was required in. Like the camera, it is not hard to imagine this light being used professionally.
post production
creativity
adobe premier pro cc
To edit our footage we used Adobe Premiere Pro CC. At first it seemed confusing and daunting, but we soon discovered it wasn't very complicated at all. We kept all of our footage in bins named after the shoots so we could find whatever we needed easily. We could view the footage there are mark in and out to cut the footage, and then place it in the timeline, where it be linked to the audio. Often, we would unlink the audio and remove it, or replace it with something different. In total, we used two video tracks and four audio tracks for the AS film opening. Effects can also be used in Premiere, on both video and sound, which we used to advance the quality. One of our favourites was 'Leave Colour' (the GIF is an example, which also uses a time echo), where we could select a certain colour to highlight and leave the rest of the shot in black and white. These effects were very easy to use and added a professional look to our film. The first time I used Premiere, it was very confusing and scary, and I didn't really know what I was doing, but as I used it more for the film opening and the A2 research tasks, it became very simple. I'm glad I have used this editing software, because it was uncomplicated and made our film look very professional.
Throughout our course we had many opportunities to take advantage of our current situation to be creative. Personally, I enjoyed this as it meant we didn’t need to keep just to conventional ideas and could experiment, which would contribute to the eventual overall look and feel of the film. For example, initially we were not planning to have the colour of the purple 45 isolated against the rest of the black-and-white film, but being creative we discovered the effect and found that it worked very successfully and gave the film a professional look, possibly adding to our final mark. Another example of creativity that can be experienced when watching our film is that we improvised a secluded interrogation room in a garage, which we felt working well as it added necessary atmosphere to the scene.
research and planning
Research and planning was a vital process to go through in order to reach the necessary mindset and gain the necessary skills that would help in making a film. The tasks required to complete at this stage would allow us to get a better understanding of our given genre - crime/gangster. Research and planning was very helpful, as without it I believe that I would have struggled considerably in making my film, as it provided me with a great opportunity to get engrossed in not just the given genre, but also in how films are actually created, the production stage. Because this stage was a considerable chunk of marks for my coursework, it was to be completed as best as possible to gain the best marks for my coursework. I achieved an overall mark of 9 out of 10 in research and planning, with each task achieving at least a Grade 3 out of 4, which I was rather pleased with. For planning, I achieved a mark of 5 out of 10.
using conventions from real media texts
We were inspired slightly from the film noir genre, conventions of which are the black-and-white cinematography with a heavy emphasis on the atmospheric lighting. This inspiration from this genre is evident in that our opening is in black-and-white (added in post-production) and at times uses quite harsh lighting, although in our case the harsh lighting is employed as a prop. I noticed as I was doing my research into the crime genre, a lot of the credits (i.e., ‘Goodfellas) are presented over a plain black background. We defied this convention by having our credits presented in a more creative way - handwritten on post-it notes to give a more personal feel.