Preliminary Task

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Above is mine, Harry and Matt's preliminary task. I feel like this isn't the best piece we could've produced, however we learnt a lot about the process of creating a short task and the elements and time contrasts of editing etc.

LOCATION
We quickly learnt our ideal location, an abandoned hotel, was too difficult to film in. Not only was there health and safety issues, but the interior was very dark and controlling the lighting was very difficult. Therefore we had to restart the filming in a new, easier to access location. Through this we've learnt to take more care in location planning for our assessment, taking in to fact the manipulablitity of the location based on our control of lighting and other factors.

CREW
Across the three weeks given, someone was on holiday for a week, and two members had to revise for a GSCE retake so this task unfortunately wasn't given top time priority. We now know time management is vital for planning to film/edit. With another member not available over christmas, for our assessment we must work round this and so will likely try to begin filming earlier.

SHOTS
Our shot-reverse-shot was between 00:33 and 00:48 with it taking place over a phone call. This would've been better pulled-off if we used more dynamic cameras in this shot, such as fast cuts between the cameras and a slight zoom out to convey tension or anger. This would be easier to convey if we showed the two characters to be in the same location, something we will keep in mind for our assessment. I feel the cinematography ended came out very well. Particularly the dutch angle at 00:22, which was used to convey power to Matt's character and also a sense of unease as to way Matt wants to know where "it" is and what he is going to do to Harry. Also the focus on Matt walking from behind the fence which signifies he's in a inaccessible location, creating an enigma of where is it and why is he their.

MISE-EN-SCENE
The mise-en-scene could've been greatly improved, the captive should be wearing worn, damaged clothes to show he's been held captive for a while. the bike shed setting also wasn't very intimidating and is something we definitely we should take more time in. Going out of our way to produce better clothing and to take more time perfecting the items in the frame would add real credibility to our piece and also make it more interesting for the viewers. The hacking software seemed real, however didn't really fit into the plot, but possibly created another enigma. The background of the last scene also let down the piece. The Halloween decorations really killed the mood and juxtaposed the sincerity of the situation. This again highlights how we should pay more attention to what is in-frame for our main task as it can make or break a piece.

SOUND
The sound turned out ok. The didn't really music fit with the mood of the movie, it seemed more horror then action as it was in a major key that sounded tense and almost sad/depressing. The change in music with the introduction to the unknown character was a positive however, as it emphasized his presence. We used music from purpleplanet.com, however next time will have to make our own dolly sound effects and potential music. This would add identity to our piece with unique music and it means we could tailor it to would we deem perfect, rather than using royalty free samples.

EDITING
The editing again wasn't awful but could definitely be improved. The fade after the punch should have lasted longer to add effect, and make the piece seem less messy with the music starting instantly afterwards. The darkness at the end would ideally be filled with titles, but the lack of throughout really let down the piece as such things are vital in opening sequences, particularly our assessment and so we will make sure to include them in that. The whip-pan at 00:12 we feel was a highlight of the piece, with it consisting of two separate clips and is some sort of invisible editing we are keen to involve in our assessment. The shot-reverse-shot was between 00:34 and 00:39 and the action match was in when the characters were in the bunker (bike shed).