Preliminary match cut task - Filming. (Fri 16th Jan)

In today’s lesson (Friday 16th January) our task was to plan and shoot our ‘Preliminary Match Cut Task’. In doing this we were told to include three specific features which were: Match cuts, a shot/Reverse shot and to keep the 180 degree rule. In order to do this, we were given a storyboard and were to use this to plan out our task. It was on this storyboard where we drew rough sketches of each scene, wrote in the amount of seconds that each scene would take and wrote in any specific dialogue or special effects that were to be used. As a group we decided on a storyline and came to a decision on who was to play what, myself and Ufuk were the two on screen characters where as Karess was managing the camera.

We got given the location of ‘The Store room’ although we were quite unsure at first, we put together our ideas and in all it became the perfect location for us, as it was quiet, small, and had an office theme throughout – perfect. It took us about 30 minutes to complete all the filming; we repeated the same scene quite a few times in order for us to move the camera around from in front of the characters to behind , we done this, so when we were to start editing it would become a match cut. We used a tripod to shoot everything, as we were afraid handheld would have made it too un-easy and perhaps confusing to the audience. We also shot from several different angles and used the function ‘Zoom’ to include close-ups and medium shots of the characters; we used these to help express the characters emotions more fluently to the audience.

After filming we moved to the editing suite where we were to start editing our film clip. At first we split up each of the scenes one by one, we then placed them in order and named them, due to lack of time we saved our progress and decided to continue next lesson.

Analysing previous Thriller clips (Friday 9th January)

In Today’s lesson, (Friday 9th January) we watched several clips from the Thriller movies made last year by the previous AS Media students. The aim of this lesson was to receive ideas on how to construct our own Thriller movies, we were to recognise their mistakes and prevent them from appearing in out own. We were also given a sheet of paper and were told to jot down anything used in the clip that came under the title ‘Mise en scene’. This included the likes of, Costumes, location, props, lighting, special effects, characters and many more important features.

From watching the clips I learnt several things. I learnt that a key element into having a successful Thriller is to seduce the audience into long term commitment, to not give to much information away enabling the audience to want to keep watching in order to find out, what happens next? To keep them questioning and gripped to the screen.
Another thing I learnt was to use your camera shots effectively, an example of this would be an establishing shot, in order to make this shot effective, I would use it at the very beginning of the clip and would perhaps have it from a birds eye view, to show and tell the audience the location, where the following scene, if not the whole film, will be set.

In conclusion watching the past A level students clips was time well spent as I learnt a lot and can take these new skills and place them in to my own Thriller movie clip

Sound Editing. (Tuesday 6th January)

In today’s Lesson (Tuesday 6th January) we learnt about Sound Layers and how they were put together to make a scene more realistic, exciting and more importantly to attract the audience’s attention and keep them on the edge of their seat. To do this we were given four clips from the film “The Casino Royale 007”. Neither of the four contained sound as we had to do that our selves. At first we were given just a picture and had to imagine what might have been going on; sound wise. We had to place on the different sound layers, for example: I placed Dialogue in front of the two men stood there and I placed the sound of a truck reversing on the truck.

After doing so, we were given an actual scene from the movie, this however contained no sound. We had to add the sound landscape our selves, in order to make the clip more exciting and once again – realistic. As the scene contained lots of action and fast moving vehicles, I added loud fast paced music, as well as the sound effects of ‘skids’ from the tyres of the vehicles and grunting as the characters were in a fight. All in all I didn’t have any difficulties in managing the sound track and thoroughly enjoyed doing so.

Filming the Thriller part 5(Tuesday 10th February)

As we were planning, we had started a bit of editing in todays lesson after finishing the log and capture in the previous lesson. I am satisfied that we have finished doing the filming early because due to the weather reasons some of the groups are having difficulties to do the filming.
We had a lot of shots, and we had to do what we were planning to do and it looked like it is going to take our time and it did because we are still not finished.
Firstly we had started to put the shots which has happened in the daylights, where all the story is happened, but then we've decided that we should put what happens at the end at the beginning. The reason we've decided this is because to get audiences attention and then show what has happened before and why is she 'tied' like that. Basically we will be using the technique from 'Slumdog Millionare' movie which has being released lately.
We went to the workshop on Wednesday in order to save a bit of time for our project because deadline is due on the week we are back from half-term. In the workshop I have learnt how to use some of the effects which we will be planning to use in our thriller i.e. the slow motion, the mountain fading etc. We have used the slow motion effect on the opening shots.
I will be planning to come to the workshop in the half-term in order to don't fell behind in my work.

Filming the thriller part 4(Friday 7th February)

Due to the snow, we have missed our lesson on Tuesday, so we did not started the editing yet. In today's lesson somehow we had to start doing the editing because less amount of time has being left for the deadline.

We were planning to start our editing today but our driver wasn't working properly so we had to keep changing computers. After about a hour later it had started to work so we had to get going on now. We have watched all the shots and I can say there were a lot of shots which were unusual, I think personally. It took us a lot of time to log and capture the shots which we were planning to use for the thriller. We only had time to log and capture the shots so we are planning to sacrifice our time in the lunchtimes and do editing then. We got Tuesdays lesson to do the editing, so it looks like we do not have much time for the deadline which is due in 27th February. I personally thinkg the deadline should extent to 6th March which is one week later because we had missed our lesson on Tuesday and it looks like we are going to miss our lesson on Friday lesson next week so this equals to a lack of media lesson for a week.

Filming the Thriller part 3(Tuesday 3 February)

In todays lesson we were planning to start the editing for the shots we have took from last week but due to the lack of transport link and weatheral reasons college was cancelled today. I am looking forward to Friday for me and the group to do the editing because deadline is coming soon.

Filming the Thriller part 2(Friday 30th January)

We have carried on doing the shooting for the thriller in todays lesson. Previously on Tuesday we have filmed the part which we were planning to be on daylight. In todays lesson we filmed inside the classroom and add affects from the dark curtains in order to make it more darker and gloomy. Firstly it wasn't working well because we were getting distracted by the lamp at the ceiling and that was adding a light into the scence. For to resolve this problem we called the technician guy and it was sorted. We've used props such as candles in order to have an effect of light in the dark lighting and mask for the hid the face of the murderer. Basically we have filmed Lauren getting tied with her hands and repetitively having flashbacks. As she wakes up she sees then course she gets scared and I start killing her through using the shadow skill in order to make it better for the audience. We have used match-cut and the 180 technique in this shooting. I think we are all over and only got editing to do for Tuesday, then to add a thriller music.