Preliminary Task: Vlog and Written Evaluation of the Filming Process

Here is an evaluation of our filming expedition for our preliminary film. I also made a Vlog to give an extra insight into how our afternoon went and the problems we came across:

Plot and Narrative

The idea for our preliminary was to have Calum introduced as a mysterious character, he crossed the room and sat opposite Felix. We constructed a script which consisted of a few lines of dialogue, and then we moved Calum making his way downstairs to an unknown location, later showing the viewer to be Amy tied up and hidden in a cupboard. We liked this as an idea and agreed immediately as a group, as it meant we had the ability to incorporate a large number of shots. Not only that, the plot allowed suspense to be created and when edited, the sequence of shots would flow excellently.

Mise - en - scene

Make-up was very important in our preliminary task, as we had to ensure that that Amy made a believable victim. I applied white face powder and smudged her black eye-makeup, to make it look as though she had been crying. I then applied fake blood to her forehead and tied her up to she that she was a vunerable character. Calum and Felix had no need for a wardrobe as much, so we just required them to wear suitable attire to add to the 'school environment gone wrong' idea.

Equipment

All Matt and I needed was a fully charged camera and a suitable tripod, and despite the lack of necessity for equipment, we still managed to charge the camera wrongly, which meant we only had 15 minutes of filming time. It took about half an hour for the camera to be fully charged again, so there was not too much time wasted and we still finished on time. Also, another group had accidently borrowed the tripod we had intended to use, but we soon found another one that fitted the base of our video camera just as well so there were no issues in the end.

Script

I briefly drew up a script on the day of our filming, and as it was unrehearsed we were worried that it would sound really disjointed as Felix and Calum hadn't had practise time. However, after 4 or 5 takes, we had take the perfect shot which was a positive sign.

Roles within the group

Matt and I took it in turns to film, and we each came up with great ideas and got to film what we came up with. For example, Matt had the idea of lying on the floor and taking shot of Calum's feet as he walked through the corridor, and I had the idea of leaning over the stairwell and getting a well aimed aerial shot of Calum walking downstairs. Also, I found that if I got into the cupboard where Amy had been hidden, I could get a brilliant point of view shot from Amy's perspective of Calum's face, looking up at him, and giving him a domineering disposition and making him look all the more intimidating.