Evaluation

For my media I had to work in a group and create a small clip to show that I knew basic skills on how to use a camera effectively. To show that I had some basic skills I wanted to include a number of Camera shots to show that I have an understanding of what different types of camera shots and angles there are. I also wanted to add in a few effects to show that I had the knowledge on how to edit the video as well as filming it.

The Filming went well, as in 1 hour we had filmed all the parts we needed and were ready to edit. We tried to use as many camera shots as we could, without making it look unprofessional. The main shot we used was the Over the Shoulder (OTS) shot, as we were filming a conversation and when doing this you tend to use an OTS shot. We also used mid shots and close ups, as well as taking these shots from different types of angles. I think we used the correct amount of shots, as by using too many the clips would have looked very messy and just chucked together. One problem that occurred was when we filmed down the corridors. The first day we filmed down the N corridor which has green doors and the second day we filmed down the S corridor which had blue doors, so it did not follow in continuity. To solve this, we scrapped the first days filming and filmed the first part down the S corridor.

After filming we had to edit everything we had done together to make it the best we could make it. It was the first time I had used the editing programme on the computer, but after 20 minutes of confusion, it back relatively easy to use and we started to have a bit of fun with it. We managed to add in a couple of cross-fades and we cut our filming which concluded in us having a clip just under a minute long. The other 2 people I was working with decided to add some music to the clip, as they thought it suited it and made the clip more exciting. In my opinion, I don’t like the music as I feel it ruins the clip and doesn’t really add anything to it, but at the end of the day its a group effort and I was overruled by my group.

Overall, I am satisfied with what we have produced. I think it displays that we know how to use a camera and that we have a clear understanding of how to cut and edit what we have filmed. I think the clip is of good quality, as the camera is steady throughout the whole of the clip, which also shows we know how to use a tripod effectively. If I had to improve our clip, I would have decided to make it a bit longer. I am not sure whether we have filmed enough to show what we can do with a camera, but at least it shows we know the simple aspects of it. We could of used more close up’s to show the characters reaction I would have also changed what the conversation was about, as it doesn’t really make any sense and it wasn’t really thought about and it was just made up on the spot. The last thing I would change about the film is the music. I think it is important to have music in the film, but I think we could have used something more effective and perhaps more dramatic to build up tension.

The Editing

This was the best part in my view, cutting the shots and putting our video together. we edited the video by using the software Ulead VideoStudio 8, which was a programme i had never used before. It took me a while to get used to it, but once i had understood how to cut different clips from the video we could experiment with different types of effects and cuts. we decided to put in a cross fade when Josh was walking down the corridor, as well as a fade to black at the beginning and end of the video. We did have a 0.1 second clip of a peacock to add some humour, but we decided to get rid of that as we wanted our video to be taken seriously. One thing i don't like is the music we have used. I don't think it suits are video at all, but the others like it and so i was overruled. The end result was a video just under a minute long. I think its ok, but i also believe that it could of been much better.

The Filming

So, the day of reckoning arrived, the filming. At first we were really excited, the prospect of getting some actual filming done. We took the camera and headed over to the IT corridor, so we could record the start of our clip.

. When we finally got the camera ready and set up, we realised we couldn't turn it on. The camera hadnt been charged, so i had to go back and get a new camera while i left the others. After getting a new camera and actually checking if it had been charged this time, i went back to the IT corridor.

This next bit might confuse a few people. After day one of filming, we had filmed Josh walking down the corridor, as planned. But on the second day, we filmed down the english corridor, which we thought wouldnt make a difference, until we realised that the doors were a different colour. So we decided to film the whole corridor part again, this time down the English corridor, so that it looked right.

The conversation

After filming the corridor, we decided to film the conversation between me and josh. We werent too sure what to say, until Mrs Hall suggested we just read lines from a book. So we did. For some reason, we chose to say lines from the play Frankenstein. I dont really think the conversation makes much sense, but the others liked it. We got the converstation done quickly and the filming was finished. We used a lot of over the shoulder shots for the conversation, abiding to the 180 degree rule. At this point, i was happy at what we had done

The Beginning

To start of, we created a storyboard of what i thought our clip could be about. It involved a person walking into a room and having a conversation with someone. We thought of different camera shots and angles that could possibly be used for each shot, before we started the actual filming.

At this point everything was going to plan...it seemed like it was going to be the best clip we had ever made, mainly because it was our first.