Evaluation of Preliminary Task

Throughout the course of creating my preliminary task production I learnt various new filming and editing skills, the main one being how to actually use the camera and the Pinnacle Studios editing software, as this was something quite new to me.  While using the camera I was able to use many different shots and angles and learn about what effects they create such as close ups and long shots.  When editing my production, I was able to cut sections of film that weren't needed and arrange the clips in the correct order.

Looking back at the production we created, I found that we had achieved a good match on action shot Hannah walking through a door.  We managed to get the timing right so that the two bits of film flowed together in a way that made the edit seamless.  We achieved this by filming on two separate occasions and placing them close together in Pinnacle Studios.  Some other shots that we achieved as a group include shot and reverse shots using the 180 degree rule.


In some of the shots, the camera was slightly shaky and not as still as it could have been.  This could have been prevented but using the tripod correctly by making sure it was completely sturdy at the time of filming.  Another thing that went slightly wrong was the background noise in the shot where Hannah is stood by the lockers.  This could be seen as either a good thing or a bad thing; a good thing because it sets the scene and creates an appropriate atmosphere, however a bad thing as it is harder to hear her dialogue.  This problem could be improved by using an external microphone so that the main characters voice is heard more clearly.

When working in a group, there are many productive and less productive aspects.  For example, working with a group of people means that the production can be created quicker as different members can be taking on various tasks at different times.  This means that more time is left for editing and other things.  Another positive aspect of being part of a group is that everyone can input their ideas to achieve and final plan.  A problem however that can potentially occur when working as a group is that these members may not always agree on certain aspects of the production. 

The thing that pleased me the most about the whole process was how much I was able to learn in such a small space of time, specifically in Pinnacle studios for example using the editing ‘cut’ tool.  To think that I had never used a camera properly before the task began, and now I can create a short film, is very positive.  The thing that pleased me most about the production itself is the way it flowed from scene to scene without interruption.  As I mentioned before also, I was proud of the match on action that me and my team created.  We chose to use full screen overlay titles over the production as we felt they would generally create a more appropriate atmosphere.

My role in the production involved me acting and using the camera.  I played one of the characters in the production alongside Hannah.  Although this was my main role, I had opportunities to try filming and editing.  I enjoyed filming but I feel the editing aspect of the production interested me more in terms of using the different editing and transition tools for example a dissolve edit between two pieces of film.  This is because we were able to see the small clips of the production come together as a whole.