Evaluation Part 7: Reflection

Evaluation Part 7: Reflection

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

Initially when I started my media production with my Prelim task I had little experience in the editing techniques that needed to be used in order to make my footage seem professional. With my Prelim task i used editing to the best of my knowledge to make my footage look as good as it could be. I applied a variety of effects such as colour correction and de-saturate on final cut, as well as adding credits to the opening of the footage to show that it was my Prelim task. Furthermore my skills in use of the actual technology that was used for filming was moderate. I had little experience in camerawork and filming before carrying out the prelim task and this led me to improve my skills following up to the film production task. Whilst working on the prelim task I enjoyed many things. I enjoyed learning about how to edit my footage as well as how to shoot the right angles and get the right camera movement for certain shots. I also enjoyed engaging ideas with my group in order to make our prelim different from other groups. I especially enjoyed my acting role within the prelim and helping to come up with the short story ideas for it.

From the prelim to the final film production I learnt many things and improved my skills both in editing as well as conducting filming. Through watching tutorials and being given guidance I learnt a variety of editing techniques as well as how to use other editing programmes such as After effects and Live Type as opposed to always using Final Cut. Through studying in class and watching other tutorials and research, I learnt what sort of camera angles and movements were used in conventional thrillers in order to encode things for the audience to decode from the sequence. My camerawork skills developed and my understanding of what angles to use or what shots to display in my sequence improved as well. Whilst working on the main film task I enjoyed many things. I enjoyed working with my group and putting forward production ideas to make our thriller appear different to others but still abide by the conventions that these thrillers have and develop upon them. I also enjoyed the actual filming part of the production work. Being out with my group pitching ideas to our main actor and actress as well as having some fun whilst filming was a great part of the task. I also think that we worked well as a group sharing our ideas and thoughts effectivly thorough blogger or by email as well as each contributing and playing our own individual roles to the production of the film. e.g my role was as editor of the footage.

There would be various things that I would change and do differently if given the opportunity to do this task again. Firstly I would maybe change the plot of the story but still keep to some of the ideas that we came up with, primarily the idea of a voodoo doll inflicting damage on a female victim as this isn't what is apparent in conventional thrillers/horrors but the ideas of a female victim does stick to this convention. For what I would change for example I would change the location that we set our production in. Instead of having a disclosed isolated location where our victim is alone I would make her location more open in a busy place such as a high street or in London to show a juxtaposition. Despite the fact that she is no longer isolated, she is still a target.

My final reflection on this whole task is that my skills have greatly improved since working on the prelim I have developed my editorial as well as my camerawork skills. Moreover I have worked efficiently with my group and we all have contributed great ideas which has led to the final product of our production film.