If I hadn’t have done the preliminary, I would have lacked confidence about the film-making process, and would probably not have realised the importance of shooting a master shot! Both tasks have been very interesting, and I feel I have learnt a lot about film-making, which will undoubtedly benefit me in the future.
For the preliminary task, we were asked to make a short continuity sequence that included a conversation, someone entering through a door, and using the 180° rule and other techniques such as shot-reverse-shot. We were given one hour for planning, one hour for shooting, and one hour for editing. For the main task, we were asked to make the first two minutes of a film, and make it an opening, i.e. with titles, music, introducing characters etc. Of course one of the main differences between the two is the duration; the main task was much longer, and we had to include much more content. We had longer to do it, but it was more difficult and time-consuming, so all-in-all, more challenging. Thanks to the preliminary task, I had refreshed my mind on all things to do with film-making, and so when it came to getting the film brief, I found it easier to respond quickly and start thinking up ideas. I learnt that creating a simple sequence was much better in the long run, because we are being assessed for things such as editing, shooting, and branding, whereas acting and original effects/shots are just bonuses. This made me start my process differently, and I was more continuity-conscious when thinking up what shots I wanted to include in my sequence.
The planning process for the preliminary task was much more concise and brief, and we rushed things a lot. For the main task, we had more time, and did masses of research before even starting to think of ideas, so we could find inspiration and not copy existing films. For the preliminary task, we did absolutely no research, because it wasn’t targeting anyone, it was just an exercise to practise continuity. The planning for the preliminary task had a huge impact on my planning process for the real task, and without it I would have been very under-prepared. In the preliminary, we weren’t clear about when we wanted to book a room, and there was a misunderstanding as it had already been booked by other A-level students. Luckily, they were able to do their photo shoot somewhere else. Also, we didn’t think we needed to book the entrance hall to the media block, but it turned out that all the groups wanted to film part of their sequence there, so we had to wait a long time to film there. In the real task, we booked locations and actors well in advance, and documented all of this on our group blog as evidence. This proved to be much better, and I am grateful for the lesson I learnt from the preliminary.
The production process for the preliminary task was extremely rushed and very stressful due to lack of time, whereas with our real film brief, it was mostly calmer and more organised. We used the clapperboard for almost every shot, as we found it easier when it came to capturing and importing clips. I kept the shooting process the same as in the preliminary task because I found the way I had done it worked well; we all shared roles as evenly as possible, and all gave our opinions on framing and directing the actors. From the preliminary task I realised how useful our walk-through was, so on our test shoot, Amelia and I walked through every shot we intended to film. I also learnt the correct jargon in preparing to shoot, “Camera ready? Sound ready? Camera rolling” and this proved very helpful. We shot every conversation/action fully from all angles to make it easier to attain seamless editing.
Post-production for the preliminary task involved only cutting the clips together; however in our final task, we had to do a lot more editing and ensure it made sense, using careful continuity sequences and techniques. This was a lengthy process, but enhanced its professional look. Thanks to our clever grouping system (since we filmed the same lines from about ten different angles) it made it easier to choose which takes and angles to use for certain lines. I learnt it was better edit intuitively rather than trying to pre-conceive a result. Often, what I thought wouldn’t be that great, turned out really well. In response to the film brief, we edited many different versions of our sequence on different timelines. This allowed our whole group to be creative and give our own input in a way that could be easily removed or adjusted.
It was easy to reflect on the preliminary task because it was short and we didn’t spend that much time on it; therefore we weren’t too attached to it. Reflecting on this task has been more complicated because of all the time and effort we’ve put into it. I am very happy on the whole with it, but it has been a long and tiring process, with a few disputes along the way. Luckily, our group got on well, and managed to talk through any problems, however awkward it got, and we compromised to make everyone happy. I think my preliminary project was very good for the time we were allotted, however I made mistakes, which was good because it meant I didn’t have to make the same ones in the actual film task. For example, I learnt to leave a pause between dialogue lines because in the preliminary task it was too quick. I have really enjoyed this project, even though it was hard, and I felt like a real film-maker; being professional and organised on shoots and at group meetings. In the past I have made several mini-films with friends, and we have never even considered continuity, we just filmed it and checked if it looked right, so this has been a real learning curve for me.
I have learnt a lot from the preliminary task, in all stages of filmmaking, and I am extremely happy that it has resulted in me producing such a successful and well-received opening sequence.
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