evaluation, question 7

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt from it to the full product?

The preliminary task was used to practise using the camera equipment. We had to film a conversation between two people in order to gain an understanding of how to use the camera and the tripod efficiently. It allowed us to try out the various forms of cinematography, in particular shots such as a reaction shot, a long shot and an over the shoulder shot. It also allowed us to understand the ways in which final cut pro was used, as we had to cut and edit the clip.

There was a very large learning curve in the process of the preliminary task. This was seen as we learnt from our various mistakes throughout the process.
One problem we had was the camera being unsecure on the tripod, this lead to the footage being bumpy and jagged. We soon discovered how to screw the camera on properly and this was avoided throughout the progression filming the opening sequence. Evidence of this is shown through our steady filming towards the end of the process. This is shown with the zooming in, over the shoulder shot showing the picture of the victim; the filming was very steady.
Another problem consisted of the positioning of the camera. We found it hard to find the correct positions for the camera in order to complete specific shots, resulting in characters being out of focus or facial expressions hard to see. Through trial and error we discovered how to do this and were able to successfully complete all the required cinematography. Examples of this improved cinematography is shown through the scene showing the antagonist obsessing over his victims in his bedroom. This included various shots consisting of mid shots, panning and a close up all used to present the deranged and unstable mentality of the antagonist.
Finally, we struggled with the zooming on the camera. Firstly not knowing where the button was and secondly struggling to do a gradual zoom instead of it being jittery or too quick. Although we mastered how to use the zoom button, getting focused shots and creating the reaction shot, showing the characters facial features; we still struggled when creating a gradual zoom. This was evident from the first few shots in the filming of the opening sequence as the zooms were slightly too fast and jittery. This was improved as the filming went on, we got a far better understanding of how to slowly zoom in, creating a much better effect for the audience. Again evidence of this is shown mid way through the sequence through the over the shoulder shot showing the picture of the victim held by the antagonist. Within this shot is a successful gradual zoom.
In addition to this, although we only had to cut and drag the footage to create our preliminary sequence, we still gained a rough idea of how the final cut pro software worked. We gained experience in using the cutting tool and uploading footage which proved very helpful in adding to the efficiency of editing our opening sequence. This cutting tool proved very useful as scenes were cut and shuffled to emphasise the clarity of the narrative.

When contrasting this camera work to the filming of our preliminary task, it shows the progression of our filming as we had conquered all the problems seen within the task and developed them into having a lasting effect on the audience.