Preliminary sequence: feeding the fish

Preliminary sequence: Feeding the fish- analysis

The process: 
-Initially we came up with the idea of cooking the fish fingers covered in chilli powder as we felt it gave a comical edge to the sequence. This was counterbalanced by the serious nature of the conversation between boss and the employee. We decided to follow it with the end also being comical with the next task being to kill 'Nemo'.
-We met up one lunchtime and began filming the sequence. We tried to use different rules of continuity editing such as shot reverse shot to establish the conversation between characters. however, as we had a limited amount of time this proved difficult to incorporate all rules and do them effectively.
-Next we met up in class to edit the sequence. This was predominantly done by myself and group member Theo. We came across some difficultly when editing including the fact we had we had filmed some things in landscape and others in portrait. This was an issue as there was a black rim around all the portrait shots which we could not change. Furthermore, we could not effectively create a seamless visual as we had not filmed enough footage, therefore continuity was not great, but we now know to take as many shots as possible to eliminate this problem in future filming.

What went well:

-Moving with characters in the frame. For example, when the employee was asked to sit down by the boss (At 0:27)

-A variety of different shots were used, for example mid shot- used when both the boss and employee were in the frame (0:28-0:33), shot reverse shot- when the boss and employee are having a conversation (0:37-0:47) and close ups- for the fish finger scene.

-Good mise-en-scene, in particular the costumes, which were themed around the Mafia. 

What could be improved:

-When filming shot reverse shots we needed to stick to the 180degree rule, as the eye lines didn’t match for the first shot (0:34-0:36) If we had more time to film we would have made a conscious effort to adhere to the rule.

-Some of the shots were too long and didn’t flow as well as they should have; for example, the shot of the employee walking through the door (0:13-0:18). This could have been avoided by using cutaways to give the shot a smoother, more natural feel. It would have also added to the mise-en-scene, as it would have identified the setting more.

-Some of the shots were shaky and this could have been avoided by using the tripod more, however we had a limited amount of time and therefore had to work as quickly as possible. We have learnt from this though and will always use a tripod or steadicam to ensure a smooth, steady film.

-During editing we came across some difficulties as we had filmed some thing in landscape and others in portrait. However when it came to turning the portrait to landscape in editing, there was a black rim around it because the framing was wrong. This problem can be overcome by using a different editing system or by using only landscape shots. 

Conclusion:

To conclude I feel if we had more time we could have eliminated the issues stated above which would have made the film a lot better. However, as this was an introductory task it allowed us to make mistakes now and learn from them. For example, I’ve learnt to use cut always to make the filming more fluid as well as the importance of the 180degree rule. 

Dialogue to storyboard

In this task we were given a script and we had to put the visual to it. It could be anything that would fit with the script, and we had to example which type of camera shots and edits we would use for each different scene. For my storyboard I tried to use a range of different shots including high/ low shot, mid shots, close ups and over the shoulder shots. I used a wide range in order to establish continuity and  through editing create a seamless flow to the visual. From this task I have learnt about how to use different shots and editing techniques to create tension to a scene and make it flow well, making editing invisible to the audiences eye. I will use this knowledge when creating my own sequence as it will help me to use lots of different shots, so i have a great choice when editing.

Oceans 12 extract storyboard

The orignal of this extract was staged editing, meaning the characters simply acted infront of a mid or long shot. There were no close ups or shot reverse shot, therefore our task was to incorporate a selection of different shots and change it to how we would have shot the scene. In my edited sequence I used a varity of shots including mid, close up and extreme close up to convey the characters emotions. I also used lots of shot reverse shot in order to keep and follow their conversation.
By using a varity of shots it created an increased sense of atmosphere and established continuety within the scene, moreso than the orginal staged editing. From this task I have learn that it is best to use many different types of shots to keep the audience interested and to establish continuety and flow; it is an invisible art and should be seamless. I aim to create this when filming and editing my opening sequence. 

Spooks shooting schedule

For this task we had to create a shooting schedule for a Spooks squence. In lesson we learnt that it is not always best to shoot the shots in the order they come on the storyboard; for example all the shots from one place should be taken at once, so in regards to the spooks sequence, all the shots taken from the bottom of the stairs should be shot at the same time, even if they do not go in that order. From this task i have learnt that creating a shooting schedule will save a great deal of time when shooting as I will not have to keep moving the camera, lighting ETC. if we followed the storyboard. By ordering the shots in this way it will save time and the hastle of moving everything.

Spooks shooting schedule:

Cam No/Op	Shot No.	Shot description	Shot done?	Details
	1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.	Man walking along bridge towards camera. (Camera pans left when he turns to walk down the stairs. Camera positioned at the top of stairs) (Photo 1 on sheet) Youths attacking man (Camera positioned at the top of the stairs) (Photo 5 on sheet) Youths running away (Camera positioned at the top of the stairs) (Photo 10 on sheet) Man writhing in pain on the ground (Camera positioned at the top of stairs) (Photo 11 on sheet) Man walking down stairs (Track/ pan> side on view) (Camera positioned to the side at the bottom of the stairs) (Photo 2 on sheet) Man walking down the street (Camera positioned in front of the man- man walking towards camera) (Photo 3 on sheet) Mid shot of youths on street and man walking past (Camera positioned in front of man/youths) (Photo 4 on sheet) Youths approaching/ attacking man (Camera positioned next to the action- mid shot) (Photo 6 on sheet) Youths attacking man (Camera positioned within the action- close up) (Photo 7 on sheet) Youths fleeing the man on the ground (Camera positioned within the action- close up) (Photo 8 on sheet) Youths running away with briefcase (Camera positioned in front of the youth- youth runs towards camera) (Photo 9 on sheet) Man standing up, stumbling to bridge (Camera positioned in front. Pans as he falls) (Photo 12 on sheet)

Spooks non-diaolgue analysis

In this task we identified which different shots were being used and to what effect they were used. From this I have learnt that different types of shots establish different things. For example, close up shots establish facical expressions and the emotion of the character, and long shots can establish the setting. From this task I will take on board the understanding that different shots help to convey different things or aspects in a film. 

Movie screen shots of different types of camera movement

Type of camera movement:	Movie:	Effect:
Tilt	Payback (1999)	The pivoting of the camera vertically or on its axis can give an off balanced effect, which may foreshadow or suggest a danger or that something is wrong. This is used in Payback and does effective foreshadow danger as the character gets shot.
Canted roll	Warehouse 13 (2009)	The camera moves diagonally as well as side-to-side giving a disorientated effect or to show a character is off balance. This movement is used in Warehouse 13 to show the unnatural sci-fi world, which the two characters are entering. This unnatural movement adds to the idea of the genre, as it would not be normal on Earth.
High/ low angle	Kindergarten cop (1990)	With a high angle shot the camera is elevated above the action to give a general overview. A low angle shot is the opposite of this and can be used to disorientate and give powerlessness to the audience.  It however can be simply used to show the size of an object or character and its contrast to another object or character. This example is used in Kindergarten Cop where the new teacher is extremely tall compared to the young kindergarten children. These two different shots are used to show this stark contrast.
Pan	Bullitt (1968)	The camera is pivoted to the side to scan a scene or to follow a moving object. This movement enables the audience to highlight the speed of moving objects as well as to establish the background/drop of the scene. This shot is used in Bullitt throughout the car chase scene. As mentioned, it enables the audience to establish the speed of which the cars are travelling at.
Point of view	Halloween (1978)	The camera is as if the audience is looking through the eyes of the specific character or from the perspective of the specific character. This is used in many horror films including Halloween as it builds suspense and allows the audience to almost become the character and apart of the film world.