Main Task - Evaluation

http://prezi.com/lss9opo63tku/rebecca-thompson-as-media-evaluation/ 

Main Task Video

Main Task - Reshoots

   We decided that the piece needed some re shoots, especially when the girls are in the dark room and say their lines. We decided to have the light brighter and to have the match closer to the girl, as well as having the camera closer to the girl and the shot only being of their face. We went to the dark room and filmed all of the girls. This was easy as the girls knew what they were doing and we finished quite quick.
   We had time to record a voice over of Zak breathing to put over when he is running. We then uploaded all the new clips and then added them to the film. The breathing over the part where Zak is running added to the tenseness of the piece.

Main Task - Voice Over

   We decided to let our class wtch our video and asked them what they thought of it. What we got back from it was that our piece was very confusing and that they didnt understand what was happening. To stop the confusion, we decided to add a vioce over which is describing what is happening and why it is happening. This is the voice over:

Leodina: This is Leo Mcgee, he is 17, and an average student, he has an average social life, every now and then he drinks too much. He had a girlfriend.

Hayley: And another

Becky: And another

Becca: And another

Leodina: But there is something wrong with him, he's just not quite right. We control his dreams, we how him whats going to happen in the future.

pause

Leodina: He thought he was safe. He thought it was fun, he doesnt know that we know. But now, we are going to get our revenge. He. Will. Pay.

Main Task - Editing

   This week we started editing. To edit our piece we used Adobe Premiere Element 3.0. Hayley, Leodina and myself went through all the clips and chose which ones we wanted to keep and which ones we did not want. Once we had decided what clips we wanted we put them all together just to see a basic idea f what our finished product would look like. We soon realised that the piece was very jumpy an that it need a lot of work to make it run smoothly. We started with the four girls talking first. Because we used matches we had about 40 second of each girl waiting for the flame to be big enough. We used a technique called 'split clip' which allowed us to spilt the clip in to the part we wanted and the parts we didn't. And then letting us delete the ones we didn't. We then added the four colours for the girls. To do this we adjusted the colour balance and then added the colour we wanted to the balance. We used red, green, white and blue, the colours were used to add and emphasise the emotion of each girl.
   We then had to add the titles of our piece. We decided that we wanted the credits to flow in and out throughout the clip so we added them in, in between each shot. We also had to come up with a production company name. We decided to call ours T20 Productions as the classroom we work in is called T20. We researched some production companies logos and decided to base ours on Film 4's logo which is simple but bold.
  We then had to find music to go over the top of the piece. This was very difficult as every website we found, you either had to pay, or our computer wouldn't allow us to preview the songs. After a lot of searching, Leodina found a track that fitted in perfectly with our piece and help to add tension to it.

Main Task - Construction

   This week we started filming. However, we had to start filming from the end as we were unable to get in touch with one of our characters. So we started filming in the dark room. This created an eerie environment, adding to our piece's feeling. We started filming the four girls saying their lines in front of a black sheet and holding a lighter to light up their face. However, after a couple of takes, we realised that the lighter would not light easily and would then blow out when the girls were talking, it was also not light enough as you could not see the girls faces. To overcome this we used matches, which were easier to light and would not blow out as easily, but we found that this also would not light up their faces. So, we then used an overhead snoop light, shining directly on the girls faces, we then asked the girls to hold the matches up to their faces. After that we decided that the matches and the light looked good together and filmed the girls with this.
   The next lesson we went up to the library and filmed the beginning of our piece. We decided to film our piece in the library as it is quite and adds to the tense atmosphere of our piece. We had our actor, Zak, sit in the corner of the library, while we tried to film a pan shot from the opposite side of the room. To do this we used a tripod. However, the tripod was very rigid and would not move smoothly. To overcome this we decided to hold the camera while doing the pan and then attaching the camera on to the tripod to do the zoom. We each had a turn at filming the pan to see which of us had the steadiest hand, which allowed the pan be smooth and the transition in to the zoom to not be jumpy. After we had filmed this we went to the next shot in the library which is of Zak picking up the book. We thought of lots of positions we could have filmed this in, however we ended up with Hayley lying on the ground behind the table, creating a low angle shot of Zak picking up the book and then putting it back on the shelf.
   After we had filmed the parts in the library, we had time to film the shots of Zak running. We found a pathway between two buildings that looks closed in, again adding to the feel of the piece. At first we had the camera on a tripod at the end of the path in the centre, and asked Zak to run towards us. I thought this was very effective and looked good, so we took a couple more shots to make sure we got it perfect. After this we had to film the part where Zak fell done the stairs which wakes him up from his dream. This was hard as we had to get the position of the camera right to make it look like he was falling down a long distance. To do this, I had to crouch on the floor and had the camera on a tripod which was a small as it could get. I then position the camera so that you could only see the top stair and then I made the camera tilt up in a low angle, creating the effect of a greater height. We filmed this a couple of times and then decided that we had got a decent shot.
   Once we had the dreaming bit completed, we still had time to film the bits of Zak in the dark room. To make the room seem like a hostage situation we had Zak sit on a chair with his hands behind his back to look as though they were tied there. We used the snoop light again, and placed it right infront of Zak's face. This added to the intesity of the scene. It also helped Zak to act as though he was just waking up and getting used to the light. We then filmed a close upof his eye of his eye getting used to the light and then a mid shot of his face and shoulders, still getting used to the light, to show the location.

Main Task Storyboard