Final Lesson.

This was our last lesson before we could go and shoot.
We mainly just made sure all the pre production was correct and ready so we could go shoot for nexted lesson. 

Lesson 3

After talking about our opening we finally came up with an idea that everyone liked and started to move on to our pre production stuff. At first we had to make up an Audience theory where set up a questionaire and asked people to fill it in, it was a bit bias as we mainly asked people in our media class. We then moved on to make ideas up about locations and who was going to be producer and director and who was going to be art director, we made our decisons and then started to think about where we could place our film opening, we came up with a few ideas we needed a bar like set but we had just found out that the student bar had been closed down so me and Vicky decided to ask if we could use the restaurant  at the college luckily they said yes and thats where we would shoot our first scence. Like the other projects everyone had set things to do, we all helped with the treatment and synopsis, also with the loacation sheet and the health and saftey sheet. We were giving things to do at home so we could bring them in next week and have one more group talk before we set out to shoot the opening of the film.

Lesson 2

In this Lesson we had planned to come up with an idea and started looking at locations and props that might be needed. At the end of the lesson we had to discuss the idea of our opening to the whole class. We took my main idea and tried to twist it a bit to make it more into what everyone wanted instead of what I wanted. We presented it to the class and the feedback we got helped us come up with nearly a final idea of what we were actually going to do. Still it was a bit difficult coming up with a rough idea and trying to persuade others to actually like our idea even though it was only rough and we didn't know ourselves what we were actually doing. The feedback we got was that we were drifting out of a Noir and into more of a psychological film and it would be good if we kinda of switched around the roles of the female and male. We took this advice on board and instead of moving on to the pre production stuff we took a bit longer on our opening.

Lesson one.

The first lesson of us talking about our ideas for the film Noir opening.
First we got into our little group as we found out that Kirsten had dropped out of Media meaning we were one down then all the other groups we did wonder how we were going to actually get on with out here because we needed at least two people to act and two to keep the camera and microphone up and make sure they were ok.
However we took it in and tried our best to explain to each other our ideas about each of our film openings. I went first and they kinda of liked the idea and then we decided to keep it all together and work on it a little bit more on the following week.

My idea for the film opening.

Well... My idea for our film opening.

I'm going to share this idea with the group when we get talking about it. There's this girl walking home after aruging with another one of her bits on the side. People know she plays guys but she would be our femme fetale, she's walking home when she's attacked when she decides to take a short cut home. She's knocked out not knowing where or what she's doing. The camera would be peering around so it makes it look like someones seen this but aren't stopping it, when this girl actually comes around we have a point of view shot from here gazing in and out. While doing this a voice over of hers comes along and tells us who she is and what she thinks has happened to her,  it goes into flash backs as well so we can actually see. The all of a sudden we come out of the flash back to where we hear footsteps, heavy ones where this guy comes in still the camera is of her point of view. She then asks out.. Who is it? Why am I here? Please, tell me... The guy apears from the shadows hold a bag with a brick like shape in. The camera is now a mid shot view where we can see both the charaters this would be following the 180 degree rule. She notices him and starts to panic, he tells her to hush her mouth and he explains his story about how she's broke his heart so now it's his turn to brake her skull. Before the end of the opening we go back to her point of view and all we can see is this guy about to hit her with the bag full of bricks and things.. The titles come in before we actually see him do anything.

The Exchange.

The Exchange went well although it could of gone a bit better. I was in a group with Victoria Chetley, Courtney Smith and Kirsten Day. Before we set out to do anything we all took part in getting the pre-production sheets that needed doing, we all worked as a group and put ideas in for the Treatment, synopsis and storyboard. We then had to fill in location and health and safety for where it was going to be set, again we all took it on together and decided where it was going to be so we had a fair idea of how everyone wanted to do it. I was very happy with the way we worked together as a group and made it so everyone could share their ideas across and we could adapt them into the making of our film.

I done some of the acting in the film and filled in the storyboard to get the rough idea of how the story was going to go and if we changed anything we could just simply write about it in here. Me and Courtney decided to act in the film while Kirsten and Vicky filmed it, if there was a bit when there was just one of us needed then the other would get to film so we all had a chance to film something. Everybody had something to do and we all tried to help where we could, instead of one of us bringing things in for the Mise-en-scene.

It was a very cold morning when we went out and shot the film and I was rather excited to see all of us their ready to head of. Our framing for shooting was rather good and the opening to the short film, the pan of Courtney was one of the best shots in the whole of the shoting which I was happy with as I done it and even though I didn't do much shooting, I was happy with that and the little I done it came out well. We tried to stay with a steady frame all the way in with the shooting however there is one piece where Vicky zoomed in and out to keep us all the frame, this weakened the film just that slightly and even though we tried to fixed it we didn't shoot enough to help ourselfs out. We should of shot more so we had enough footage just incase something like this did happen but sadly we didn't. When filming we tried to stay with the rule of thirds and the 180 degree line rule, I was rather happy that we did and that our technical skills when filming were actually quite good not including the zoom, which would of been good if we filmed our film as a fast pased film. Sadly this was Vicky's fault but the whole groups fault because we should of done it again and filmed more footage. There was also part of the master shot that went on for way to long when I was walking up the path to meet Courtney but we only noticed this when we got into editing the shoot. So we decided to try and put flashes back to Courtney waiting to make it seem that little bit faster comapred to just a plain boring shot of me walking down a path.  Also while we were editing we thought if we turned it into black and white and uped the contrast it would give it that little bit more of being closer to a film Noir.  We also picked some music which was Noir thriller kinda of music to go in so it gives the audience that feeling that something is going on.

We then showed the class our 'Exchange' and they gave us feed back on what they liked and what they didn't. We all knew that the zoom was going to come up and it did, also we knew about the master shot and how it was a bit too long however they liked how we cut it up with it going back to Courtney. Our audience was to make people who like Noir like this and from what the feedback from the class was I think we made that clear. They liked our location and said it was picked rather well, they like the smoke and the icicles that were hanging from the pipe. Also our costumes and how we made Courtney look shady and me like a femme fetale went very well and they noticed it. However we could of added that little bit more and made it a bit more dramatic and more like a thriller. Someone also said about having a close up of mine and Courtney's face we had it planned but I guess we just forgot about it as it was so cold outside, we could of gotten a close up of the exchange to make it more clear to the audience what they were actually exchanging over. Even though there were some faults with it I think we done rather well and I am very happy with the outcome because we are still getting use to the cameras and the skills that are needed to use one.

Evaluation of the Preliminary Exercise.

Evaluation

I am evaluating the Preliminary Exercise that I have just done with my group and another. We had a group of three me, Kirsten Day and Victoria Chetley, for our actors we joint up with another group. All three of us helped with getting the story board correct, we all done one each and took ideas from each to make a final story board so we knew roughly what we were going to do. This is the same for the script, even though it's simple as anything we all looked over it and sorted out what they were going to say. We all had a go at shooting, recording sound and writing the shot number and takes down on the shot list.We all also had a go at editing the film and making it look better and pefessional in a way. I did the over the shoulder shots and the wide shot of them looking at each other.I also recorded the sound for the middle shots, the beginning shots I took down the shot list so we knew where we were at and what shots we were going to keep and the others that need to be done again. We all carried and looked after the gear when it was out and helped each other set the equipment up. I think my contribution was as fair as the others contribution, we shared it out fairly and even so we all had equal amount to do. I think my shots where good and I especially the other the shoulder shots, I was happy that I got their eye contact right so it matched up when they spoke and didn't look out of place. I enjoyed the editing even though there are a few bits that could of done with a bit longer time limit if I look back now. Also when shooting the film it would of been nicer to have a bigger space because as you can tell when the actor is walking down the hall when he gets closer to the door it begins to cut out his head and I think it would of looked alot better if we could of had his head into the shot. I also think that the actors could of said their words a little slower so it would of acutally looked like a nie relaxed coversation and not something that looked rushed and so quick when they talk. Also when the actor who walks down the corridoor walks into the room he does this slight laugh that I picked up on, if we could go back I would re shot that scene and try and get it so he doesn't laugh because it just makes the film look a lot better that way. There is another spot I noticed witch I would change and thats the same scene where he sits down, he just relax and when it snips to the other shoulder shot he is relaxed and it just looks odd. I would re do this scene andmake sure when he sits down he's not moving or swinging on the chair I think we picked up on the editing quite quickly and I feel confident with it.

I learnt a bit while making the film, I learnt how to work together with other people and sort things out between us and how it's better if everybody has a bit to do not somebody taking it and trying to do it all so no one else gets nothing to do. My knowledge on how to pan and getting the correct angle on a camera has improved a lot from this film it helped me understand a lot more when getting the perfect view point. Also I learnt about the 180 degree angle and the rule of thirds, these helped create believeable shots and we did stick to the 180 degree line and I was rather happy about that and putting these in use. I also think learning about the different angle shots helped us a lot and the different camera shots helped such as close ups and wides shot. Once we knew what each shot does to emotion and how it helps the audience view that character we could use it to our advantage and I think this did help when we made our film.  I think the hardest thing was the 180 degree line because we were all aware of it and we tried so hard not to try and cross it. However if I was given a camera at the beginning of the course I doubt I could of done most of these shots and getting everything ready like we did for this, if someone said do an over the shoulder shot I wouldn't of known what to do but know I do and it makes me feel confident in knowing what i'm doing. I think the overall technical quality was good for our first go, I think I would try and give and little bit more time on the film at the beginning and end so theres enough time for us to edit so it doesn't seem like one of our actors is cutting the ends of his words. If I done it again I would try and improve the sound quality at least, it sounds a bit muffly at the begining of the film. I think the camera work was rather good for our first go, I think there are certian pieces we would need to clean up a bit if we were to shoot it again. I think the use of our editing was rather good, if we didn't get to edit the film then I would believe it would be in shambles and it wouldn't look that good, we had to shoot this film in the college in a corridor. I think we could of had a better place in the college because our actors looked like they should of been at college which was good.