Prelim task + evaluation

The film

Planning

These are our two storyboards that we made before filming so that we could plan what types of shots we would use in the final clip. The storyboards also helped us during filming as it acted as a guide of what the chronological order of the shots were as we did not film the individual clips in the order that they appear on the storyboards. The first image is the original and rough copy of the storyboard for our film and was drawn just before we went to shoot the raw clips of our film. The second image is a neat and more professionally drawn version of the original storyboard.

Evaluation of planning 

• In the planning/story-boarding stage we didn't think through the actual dialogue that was going to be spoken, we just decided a general idea of what was said
• This led to confusion during filming and we had to think about what the actors were going to say but we should have thought about that earlier
• Also, we were quite unorganised as for one shot we needed an old ‘chubb’ style key to fit the door we were using for the shot. However, we didn't bring one and ended up wasting time trying to find one
• This was also a problem as we didn't have a lot of time to shoot and ended up not getting the shot we wanted
• Also, we didn't get to shoot some of the shots more than once which is something we wanted to do, to ensure we had sufficient footage
• So, mainly we were a bit too unorganised which led to disruption during filming.

Evaluation of filming

• For the task we decided to make our short sequence on a couple having a confrontation about the woman staying out overnight with her friends
• We used this as there was many different camera angles we could take advantage of whilst keeping the audience interested with the plot. 
• The first thing we did well is we chose the actors we wanted to use quickly and efficiently as we knew they were in a free period and where to get them from as we had used them in a previous task for taking photos
• We also knew that they were reliable and would do what we asked them to make our video come out the way we wanted it to
• Also we managed to find a room in the school which had sofa like chairs and a television which matched our storyboard as we wanted a setting with a living room atmosphere. 
• We had a member of our coursework team missing for this task which put us at a disadvantage but even so we worked very well together as a team, making sure we asked each other what shots we thought looked best and what angle to place the camera to make sure we got the best footage possible for editing in the following lesson.

What could we do better next time (during the filming process)?

• Make sure there are no continuity errors. In our final cut, a few examples of these errors can be seen such as where the actors have their hands on the table in one shot but not in the following shot. We could do this by keeping track of props and the actors' positioning to make sure they are continuous throughout following shots. 
• Seek a location. Before getting all of the equipment and actors ready, it is important to find a suitable location to shoot in prior to going out to shoot. Although we would make sure to do this in future film shoots, on this occasion we were very rushed for time which meant we had to improvise with what was available at the time. 
• Plan a specific order of when the different shots are going to filmed. If an order of when the shots are to be filmed is planned, it makes it easier to film as no additional planning is needed on set which usually causes confusion. Also, making an ordered plan makes the filming process a lot quicker for the same reason. 
• Take the opening title(s) into account. While filming, it is important to take the title of the film and when it will be seen in the final cut. This means that if you wanted to superimpose the film's name and perhaps other details such as who is involved in the production of the film into the shot, it is important to take it into account when planning different shots (mainly at the beginning of the film). 

Evaluation of editing
Strengths:

• The title card of the film name was introduced at a right time, giving the audience a good introductory to the clip.
• Sounds effects such as the key opening the lock worked well. The sound effect contributed well in making sure the sound was realistic and synchronous.
• Cuts were made effectively and joint well, systematically. This ensured that the clip had a clear storyline and was understandable for the audience.
• Our editing also created humour. An example of this would be the sound effect added to the dialogue "Where were you?". This effectively built the character of Lucas even further, as a possessive husband.
• The closing credits gave clear detail as to who contributed in producing the video, the casting etc. This made the clip seem more professional.

Weaknesses:

• The cuts were a bit too short, making the clip seem quite quick.
• The sound effect of the door shutting was rather loud, like a smash. The sound was not very suitable, as it juxtaposed how the door was actually closed.
• The music for the closing credits did not match the overall mood after watching the clip - being contrapuntal.
• No music apart from the music for the credits was used. Music could have been used at the beginning of the clip.