Looking back at your preliminary task (the continuity editing task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

In our preliminary task, our task was to practice basic filming and editing skills, to help us get used to the software (Adobe) and equipment for when we had to film our final production assignment, it was our first try at filming and editing actual footage.
The basic filming included, a character opening a door, crossing the room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom the character then exchanged a couple of lines of dialogue. 
In the task we had to attempt to demonstrate shot/reverse shot and the 180 degree rule, we also used simply low angle, and medium length shots.
Since the preliminary task I have learnt how to improve shots by the use of camera work, how to use Adobe properly, as in learning how to use all the different effects, adding titles and credits etc and also music. 


In our final product, we used a numerous range of different camera shots, angles and match on action, to do this we had to improve our editing skills to make sure that it completely matched and flowed when each camera shot changed. 
In our final product we still included the basic rules of filming, such as the 180 degree rule. My group and I were a lot more creative with our shots and angles than our first task, we did this by filming close up shots, high angle shots, panning and zooming in and out. We also expanded on our location by filming at Kate's house and also filming outside of her house too, to give the film different effects and meanings. 
My group and I still managed to use basic shots like in our preliminary task for example, medium shots, close up and over the shoulder shots. 


Since the preliminary task we have improved on editing sound, by managing to download music from free legal music sites and then editing it into the final piece. We did not have to include music into our preliminary task so this was a challenge that we had to take on as it took us a while to find out how you edit the music into the film at the right places and fading the music in and out when we needed to.


We experimented with titles and transitions to make our opening sequence look like a realistic horror film. We used a shot reverse shot, whereby we looked at a certain scene, and then looked away at a different scene and then looked back again. Some types of shots have different meanings to show what is happening in the film, for example Emma the main character who plays the vulnerable teenager, is set in the bedroom and whereby she wakes from a nightmare, but is it really a nightmare? and a different shot is where the killer is outside getting closer to the house. 


I have also learnt how angle shots show which characters are the ones with the most power, if the shot is looking at the person from below it shows they have power and if it is from above them it shows they are weaker as it is looking down on them. Close up shots show important objects and long distance and establishing shots show the location of where the film is taking place. 


Since the preliminary task I would say that my group and I have improved in many different areas of filming, such as the camerawork and editing. Looking at my preliminary task to my final assignment, you can see how much of an improvement my group and I have made in just over a few months. By doing the preliminary task, it shows just how little we knew about camera work and editing, but now looking at our final film it shows how much we have improved in our camera and editing techniques.

Screen Shots from the preliminary task:

 

Screen Shots from the final assignment:

Preliminary Task Video;

Final Assignment Video 'Paranoid':



Since the preliminary task I would say that my group and I have improved in many different areas of filming, such as the camerawork and editing. Looking at my preliminary task to my final assignment, you can see how much of an improvement my group and I have made in just over a few months. By doing the preliminary task, it shows just how little we knew about camera work and editing, but now looking at our final film it shows how much we have improved in our camera and editing techniques.