My Prelim Evaluation

My preliminary continuity sequence

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

I worked with Hugh, Ayisha and Meera. In the majority we shared the responsibility of each task equally, such as story boarding and shoot boarding. Me and Hugh acted in the video while Ayisha was on camera duty and Meera directed. Due to me and Hugh acting we did little directing, however Hugh did help direct and shoot the first few shots as we was not required to act. In contrast, I acted in every shot was therefore unable to direct, because of this I took up a more major role in making the script, designing the floor plan and creating the shoot board. Hugh and Ayisha also took major roles in making the storyboard. Overall, even though we all contributed to each step of making the video, members of our group did step up and take more control in areas they felt more comfortable in.

Our Group

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

During the planning stage we used many different techniques to help make the filming and editing stage as simple and easy as possible. One of the techniques we used was story boarding and this was extremely useful for not only making the shoot board but also for capturing our footage as we color coded each shot for different shot types. This allowed us to efficiently film due to our knowledge of exactly what we needed to film. The storyboard also helped us to plan the general outline of our video and then allow us to make changes depending on how it looked as a whole. Overall, the storyboard was very useful was we could constantly refer back to it throughout the entire process in order for us to achieve the best continuity video possible

Our Storyboard

With the help of our storyboard we chose to produce another resource which was very useful whilst filming; this was the shoot board. The shoot board was a condensed version of the storyboard and the shots were in order of set-ups rather than the number order. This made the process of filming much easier as we could capture all the footage at one set-up at one time, with knowledge we would not have to return there at a later date. This was key as we did not have much time to film; efficient use of time was extremely essential.

Our shoot board

Whilst planning our video we had to take into account many theories that would help us achieve a clear narrative flow and continuity, hence helping to stick to the brief. These include the:

• 180 degree rule
• match on action
• shot-reverse-shot

Other theories we took into account to make our sequence even better were, master shot and 30 degree rule. Overall, all the techniques we chose to create during the planning stage were extremely useful in helping make our filming and editing processes as smooth as possible.

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

To help us complete the brief we used many different pieces of equipment, such as:

• Canon Legria HFG30
• Canon DM-100 Directional Microphone
• Libec TH-650 HD Tripod

The tripod was very useful due to it being height adjustable, easy to use and maneuverable. This enabled us to film our shots with relative ease due to the versatility we were provided; also, the camera was lightweight as well as very easy to use, therefore making our options during the filming stage vast. We also connected headphones to them in order to monitor the sound we captured and make sure it was of a high quality and that there was no background sound which interfered with our footage. For editing, we used PCs running on Windows 7, we also used the Adobe Premiere software to edit all our clips together (which were uploaded by the media technician). Before we actually began editing, we renamed all of our shots by there shot number and take number; this enabled us to quickly search through the footage in order to find the best.

Adobe Premier - editing software

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

We had to take into account many factors when planning, shooting and editing in order for us to finish with highest quality video which also matched the brief. One such factor is that we had to shoot in a school which also had lessons taking place; also a bell would ring every 40 minutes. This meant that we had to plan our shoot board around the plan as it would have ruined the audio of any shot being filmed during the bell. To avoid this issue we just made sure that we weren't filming at 15:05 as this was the only time during our scheduled shoot that the bell does go off at. We also had to deal with strict time limitations. For example, we only had 1 hour to plan, edit and film. This meant that we had to take fewer takes for each shot during the filming stage. However, since I had quite good experience with Adobe Premiere the editing time limitations we not as severe for me and Hugh, who I partnered up with for the editing stage. Whilst filming we created a top down plan as this enabled us to restructure the room we were using to film in very quickly. This ensured we had the maximum time possible for filming and therefore provide us with enough time and the best chance to capture high quality footage.

Our top down plan

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

Overall, I think my group's sequence was relatively successful as we met the majority of the demands of the brief; with the 30 degree rule being the only demand we did not meet, this therefore lead the the creation of a jump cut. I believe this could have been avoided by capturing the entire scenes footage from each angle. As you can see in the GIF below Hugh, the teacher, reaches for the paper with his right hand but is immediately seen in the next shot holding it in both hands:

Furthermore, during the first few shots it is noticeable that the actor (me) reached for the door with his left head but in the subsequent shot, pushed the door with his right hand. This breaks rules of logic and therefore disrupts the continuity and narrative flow of the video. I believe this could have been avoided by not only paying closer attention whilst filming, but also capturing this footage in a Master shot of this set-up, as this error could then have been removed during editing and replaced by back-up footage. This continuity error can be seen below:

However, apart from these two small errors I believe that our sequence was successful. Examples of some of the demands of the brief that we met, such as shot-reverse-shot and master shot, can be seen below:

Master Shot

Shot-reverse-shot

Overall, I believe that by include theories such as master shot and shot-reverse-shot we were not just meeting the demands of the brief we were making a professional continuity sequence that I can be proud of.

6. 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?

From completing this task I have learnt that planning is the most essential process in the task as it is the building block to capturing good footage and editing it together. By making a storyboard you give yourself and your group a great outline from which you can refer back to throughout the entire process; it has everything you will need during the editing and filming stages on it and also allows for changes to be made relatively easily due to the simplicity of its design. I have also learnt that spending more time to capture more footage from different angles is completely worth it as it helps to avoid jump cuts in your final edit (which is against the brief as it breaks the 30 degree rule).

Looking ahead, I believe that all the skills and techniques I learnt from this preliminary task will be very significant and helpful in completing my next project which is to create a 2 minute long opening sequence for a new fiction film. For example, the various cinematic techniques and theories that I learnt, such as the 180 degree rule and shot-reverse-shot, will be extremely relevant as they are the essentials to creating a high quality and professional film sequence.

HW 3b - Existing continuity sequence analysis

The continuity sequence I have chosen is from the 2015 blockbuster film, Jurassic World. This scene consists of a worker in the raptor habitat falling into the cage and then the male protagonist rushes into save him by risking his life.

The sequence begins with a birds eye view shot of the worker attempting to catch a pig with a net. His attempt ends with failure as we are then taken to a mid-shot of one of the raptors catching the pig and in turn bringing the man of his bridge. His fall from the bridge is captured in three shots and in perfect continuity; it starts with an extreme low angle shot, but then transitions into long shot which is face on to the falling man and then a high angle long shot of the man lying on the floor. This transition portrays the diminished power that the man experienced in his fall as a high angle shot implies vulnerability.

For the next 10 seconds the sequence cross-cuts between the action of the man being surrounded by deadly raptors and the protagonist rushing from safety into danger in an attempt to save him. The majority of these shots are long shots however one of the first shot in this 10 second area is a close up of the protagonist face in order to capture his emotion. Following this we witness many shot/reverse/shots which follow the dialogue between Owen, the protagonist, and the raptors' screeching.

In order not to break the 180 degree rule the camera always stays on the right side of Owen as this keeps the logic of the sequence in check. Furthermore, this is done by the camera facing the front of Owen to capture his dialogue and emotion, in close-ups and mid-shots or behind him to capture his movement into new areas of the raptor enclosure, in long shots and mid-shots.

The 30 degree rule is also not broken as this would create jump cuts which would cause the narrative flow of the sequence to be interrupted. In order not to break this rule the camera constantly cross-cuts to other charsets instead of solely focusing on Owen for the entirety of the sequence.

In addition to all this, the camera also keeps a constant eye line with Owen or if necessary a low angle shots as this ensures the audience is always confident he is not in a vulnerable situation while also making the audience feel as if they are apart of the sequence by following part of Owen's POV.