Preliminary Production Evaluation

The brief was met really well with our preliminary exercise as we achieved all the things required; the girl opened the door, there was a match on action shot, the girl spoke to another girl and exchange a few lines of dialogue, there were over the shoulder shots (which were not exactly achieved well) and there were also interesting other shots that we included to make it more interesting and visually appealing. The script we devised was really simple and it was easy to follow it, however the layout of our script was not exactly professional. The storyboard was very rushed but again it got the different shots across and it was really simple to follow the storyboard and the different angles and shots that had been written. Although, both the script and storyboard were not exactly detailed, they were efficient to use on this preliminary exercise, however for the real thing they must be more detailed and more in depth in order to create an even better production. In addition to this, the shot-list was again very simple, however we didn't refer back to all 3 pre-planning exercises so it meant our preliminary production was not exactly what we planned. Therefore, next time we would definitely have to refer to all our planning in order to create a more in depth and better planned production, which would potentially make it run smoother.

The dialogue in our production was very clear and presented a clear narrative. The timing of the music was cut really well and the choice of music was parallel to the narrative. The focus was also very good and the use of angles and different shots was really good, in terms of continuity editing too. Overall, the production met the brief really well.
The weaknesses however were; there was a humming sound in the background when the two characters were talking and when Aliza got up and left the room there was just silence, which made the production feel sort of incomplete and peculiar. The over the shoulder shots were not framed well at all, there was a lot of unnecessary space and the shot was more a behind the person shot as most of the back of the character was seen rather than just the shoulder. Also the focus on the character, who was the most important, wasn't great as she was not the main centre of attention. There was also a shot when Aliza sat down and it cut from that to an over the shoulder shot, which looked really odd and jumped weirdly. It didn't flow as smoothly as the rest of the production and it made it stand out like a sore thumb.

The genre of this production would be a friendship genre or revenge and the representation of the protagonist, Aliza, presented her as a sort of 'bitchy' character - the stereotypical jealous girl, the blunt one, who says what's exactly on her mind. The use of the hair flick, when she walks into the room, portrays her as that carefree individual, who would definitely not allow anyone to walk all over her. The audience are able to infer this immediately due to her character. The other girl, Ria, seems like more of the innocent character, the one who knows she can't get her own way. Her body language sort of speaks for itself, whilst Aliza sits quite confidently, with her back straight against the chair, Ria sits almost huddled up and cross legged, like she has something to hide and is holding her guard up.

Overall, the preliminary production met the brief and was very simple yet effective. There were many mistakes, which would be taken into consideration for next time and therefore would be much better next time.

Film Language Test Learner Response

WWW:

• A superb set of responses: clear thought and engagement with each question with a variety of possible interpretations discussed in depth. 

EBI:    

• Keep an eye on paragraphing and organisation. Loss of clarity in places. Some points could be taken further. Lack of depth in some questions. 

How is editing used to create drama and tension in the opening scene?

The use of the slow paced editing creates drama and tension in the opening scene, as it forces everything to happen slower and the audience to almost savour everything happening. There is not a constant transition from shot to shot, which shows the importance of the thing being filmed. Singer almost toys with the audience, especially during the conversation between the two characters as he does not allow the audience to see both characters as they speak. We, as the audience, are accustomed to wanting to see both characters and their faces, however because this is not done it creates much more tension and makes the scene very dramatic as we still are unaware of this mystery man yet we can hear him. The lack of editing here creates that dramatic atmosphere.

At the beginning of the scene, the editing is faster, showing the matches being lit and then the fire starting, the use of the faster paced editing here may represent the rapidness of fire. This may also represent just how quick a fire is started and the use of this editing captures that exactly. This is again reinforced by the use of the slow motion, when the villain drops the cigarette and a fire is started. The use of the slow motion with the fire slows down the pace of the clip and allows the audience to watch the fire burning away, just like the characters life will be. This creates more tension as we can see every detail and the rapid motion of a fires starting can actually be seen and savoured. This makes the scene more dramatic and on edge. Furthermore, we, as the audience, want to know what's going to happen, so the slow motion, again, creates more suspense due to the action code being so thrilling.

Furthermore, when the scene reaches it's climax, we would expect the editing to become more fast paced, however the editing stays exactly the same pace. The explosion is seen and everything is seen for the same amount of time, which makes it even more dramatic. The audience want to be thrilled by the fast paced editing to see the explosion at different angles and in a rapid pace, however the scene is still just as thrilling at the slower pace and it becomes all the more dramatic as we are focused on the one explosion. Because we are seeing the same thing, it becomes more dramatic as we don't see the character dying but instead we are just focused on this huge explosion, creating a very tense atmosphere.

Preliminary Exercise - Planning

Location: School D Block
Sequence of events:

• Girl walking up the stairs 
• Girl opening door 
• Girl going through the door 
• Girl going into classroom
• Girl sitting down opposite another girl 
• Other girl starts talking 
• Conversation between two girls 
• Girl stands up and walks away 

Actresses: TBC 

Script: 

Girl walks up the stairs and opens the door. She enters the classroom 

and sits opposite her friend

Girl 1: I was expecting to see you here

Girl 2: Were you now? 

Girl 1: I need to talk to you

Girl 2: Go on I'm listening (fiddling with nails)

Girl 1: I saw you the other day with Sandra. So I never knew you liked that girl, when did you become friends ey?

Girl 2: I swear it's not like that. It's not what it seems

Girl 1: K (rolls eyes and gets up and walks away)

Shot List: 

• Close up of feet walking up the stairs 
• Medium shot of her walking 
• Medium shot of her back 
• Medium shot opening the door 
• Close up of her hand as she opens the door (match on action)
• Long shot of her walking through the door 
• Medium shot of her back 
• POV shot of her looking at her friend in the classroom 
• Medium shot of her about to sit down 
• Close up of her hand pulling out the chair 
• Medium shot of the two 
• Over the shoulder shot over girl 2
• OTS over girl 1 
• Medium shot of them both exchanging 2 lines of dialogue 
• OTS of girl 2 
• OTS of girl 1
• Low angle shot of girl getting up and walking away  

Storyboard:

Media Awards

The Experiment

The background information setting the scene of the programme was very interesting as it made it explicit as to what the whole concept of the programme was about. In terms of lighting, it was low-key, making it seem quite tense and interesting as we see the names of different people and the one name circled, highlighting the sort of crime genre element. The fast paced editing combined with the low-key lighting are stereotypical conventions associated with the crime genre as it creates quite a tense atmosphere. The use of the non-diegetic sound, voice over, made the audience understand the thought process going through our protagonist, who we have not yet seen. But the fact that we have heard her voice, shows her importance and also makes us focus on everything that is happening. The use of the hand held camera and the shaky camera work again stereotype the crime genre and also create that tense atmosphere. The opening scene is a sort of montage and the use of the flashback showing the protagonist when she was younger and within a happy environment indicates the contrast between the past and the present. I also liked the use of camera work, especially during the end when the protagonist stops and looks around, the camera pans around her instead of panning around the area. This shows her facial expression, one of panic and fright, and really makes us empathise with her as we see her in a close up. This was a creative shot, which highlighted a lot in terms of mise-en-scene, both the setting and character. 

Labrat

The flashback element to this piece of work was particularly interesting. It begins with the protagonist setting up his camera equipment to record a sort of diary. The use of close ups and the switch to the camera actually recording him makes the audience empathise with him and feel part of his story as we are watching him explain his life to us first hand. The direct eye contact is particularly interesting as it engages the audience. The flashback shows the protagonist working hard and then getting punched, which indicates that he is quite a smart person who alienates themselves from others. The stereotypical 'geek' is presented here through the use of the setting, the library. The use of the close ups in the lab alongside the fast paced editing are very effective as we see the experiment being set up in a faster pace and it seems more engaging, due to the close up shots. This was also very creative. The protagonist gets closer to the camera, like he is addressing us personally and we, again, empathise with him and like the fact that he is talking to us directly and sharing his story with us. Also, the voice over through the flashback is another element that is similar to 'The Experiment' which is intriguing and engaging as we see what happened as he recites the narrative. The camera work throughout was very professional as every angle was thought about and shown clearly. The editing was also to a high standard as the fast paced editing complimented the parallel non-diegetic sound.

What Makes A Good Practical Media Production

A good media production, most importantly, should be engaging for the audience. It should be creative and unique to allow the audience to be compelled and interested in the piece. The camera work should be to a high standard, if there is a tracking shot for example, the camera should move steadily and cleanly and not be unsteady and shaky. The editing should be relevant, the shot cannot stay on the same thing for too long unless there is a purpose for it; all the editing should be done for a purpose. The editing and camera work should both be relevant and if there is sound, it should complement well, either contrapuntally or being parallel. The acting must also be good, there should be close ups or medium close ups for the protagonist, in order for there to be an audience connection. The dialogue should also be clear and the camera work must be relevant in terms of conversational dialogue, so there should be over the shoulder shots or close ups and medium shots of both characters. A good media production must also flow, everything must juxtapose purposely, there cannot be one shot that stands out looking peculiar next to the previous shot, unless it is a montage. In terms of transitions, they should only be used to make the production appear better and not be thrown randomly into the scene as it will not make the shots flow well. Overall, a good media production must flow well and the content must be interesting in order to keep the audience engaged.