Main Task - Introduction

Brief: The titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes.

The Genre We Have Chosen

We have chosen to do a teen horror film for our main task. This is because it allows us to use a range of different camera shots and sound as well as offer a wide variety of ideas for the mise-en-scène. A horror film gives us an opportunity to show the techniques we have learnt and create a film suitable using the equipment and location necessary. Also, we chose to do a 'teen horror' instead of just a 'horror' which we thought was appropiate and understandable since we are teenagers ourselves. We understand the ideas that would be effective for this type of genre.

Preliminary Task Evaluation

For our preliminary task, we experimented with the camera to produce a short clip of action. We shot our preliminary task in our school reception area, including a corridor and a meeting room as we felt this was an appropriate location to film our clip. The concept was to have a character distributing a mysterious package to another character, in suspicion, whilst still considering the brief we had to follow. The brief stated that we had to have one character opening a door and coming through the door before crossing the room to meet with another character, and so we fitted our planning around this brief. After completing our planning process, including our storyboarding, we continued to the filming stage since we knew exactly what we were doing and how to use our time wisely.

We started the scene with a long shot of our location, which was clearly a school reception area because of the register rack chairs and rooms. This was a good opening to our clip. It showed Tabby walking towards the camera, and entering a door, passing through the door to meet another character. The other ch444;">

As well as unnecessary people interrupting our filming, the diegetic sounds of voices, telephone ringing, slamming of doors and photocopiers could all be heard whilst we were filming. Although this kept a more naturalistic environment, the voices that could be heard would put the audience off from focusing on the action and so we knew this had to be a part of our editing process. However, when it came to editing, we could not seem to separate certain sounds, long shots and close ups when necessary to focus on location, facial expressions and body language as well as expressing good camera skills in advance, before starting our main task. As we only spent 2 hours filming, it was easy to keep the surroundings and costume consistent as the filming was complete in just one part of the day. However, the only problem we had with filming in a school corridor was that it was busy with people interrupting which slowed down our filming process, taking longer than we had planned as we had to ensure that no-one would walk in.

As well as unnecessary people interrupting our filming, the diegetic sounds of voices, telephone ringing, slamming of doors and photocopiers could all be heard whilst we were filming. Although this kept a more naturalistic environment, the voices that could be heard would put the audience off from focusing on the action and so we knew this had to be a part of our editing process. However, when it came to editing, we could not seem to separate certain sounds from the whole background and therefore just had to quierious about it, as well as the character distributing the package. This, as well as the cookie involved in the package were the only props used when filming.

Even though the film was short, a lot of editing was involved. The editing took longer than the time to film the clip, since we had made many mistakes and had to cut each shot to fit in with the continuity. Fortunately, we did not need any text or additional non diegetic sound in our film and so the editing process was simple. The editing took longer because of the amount of importing we had to do and since the shots were short and sharp, we had to fit the correct shots in order whilst making sure the continuity was smooth to look professional. At the end, since a group of people accidentally walked into our shot, we had to cut them out of the film. We used a ‘fade out’ effect at the end not only to block out the people from walking into our footage, but to demonstrate that our filming was complete, as most movies and television programmes end with a ‘fade out to black’ elope with a ‘?’ printed to indicate a sense of mysterious about it, as well as the character distributing the package. This, as well as the cookie involved in the package were the only props used when filming.

Even though the film was short, a lot of editing was involved. The editing took longer than the time to film the clip, since we had made many mistakes and had to cut each shot to fit in with the continuity. Fortunately, we did not need any text or additional non diegetic sound in our film and so the editing process was simple. The editing took longer because of the amount of importing we had to do and since the shots were short and sharp, we had to fit the correct shots in order whilst making sure the continuity was smooth to look professional. At the end, since a group of people accidentally walked into our shot, we had to cut them out of the film. We used a ‘fade out’ effect at the end not only to block out the people from walking into our footage, but to demonstrate that our filming was complete, as most movies and television programmes end with a ‘fade out to black’ effect.

From watching back over our finished footage, we noticed small improvements that could be made. We could have been more aware with our sound at the beginning and end of our filming since there were unwanted sounds that had been captured. Also, there were some slight pauses in transition between a numbers of shots which could have been sped up so that we would not notice these. This was due to moving the different shots around and experimenting with the continuity. However, we did use the 180 degree rule, reverse shot and match on action in our filming and therefore successfully produced our preliminary task, to our standard. Although there are improvements that could have been made, we experimented with using camera and are proud of our work so far.

Preliminary Task Final

This is the final link to my preliminary task.

Preliminary Task Storyboard

Together, our group devised a storyboard to plan our preliminary task. We drew brief images alongside an explanation of the shot, containing information about the angles, types of shots and what will happen in the shot.

This is our completeted storyboard...

Preliminary Task/ Script

Brief: Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue.This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.

Concept: A character walks through a door to come across another character who is already seated. This preliminary task consists of a conversation between two people about how one was looking for the other character in order to recieve an important parcel. The parcel comes across as mysterious and the object inside the parcel is soon discovered.

Character one walks down the corridor towards the meeting room, placing a hand on the handle and opens the door. On the other side of the door, another character is seated.

CHARACTER 1: Where have you been?

CHARACTER 2:(puzzled expression) What do you mean?

CHARACTER 1: I have been looking for you for ages!

CHARACTER 2: Oh I see, I apologize. I was working on ''the thing.''

CHARACTER 1: ''The thing'' is of great importance, I understand.


CHARACTER 2: I think you should leave now.

Character 1 picks up the envelope and swiftly departs. Once the character is outside, they turn the parcel over where it says 'DO NOT OPEN' and opens it to reveal a cookie. Character 1 looks surprised and begins to eat the cookie.

THE ENDCharacter 2 slides a brown parcel across the table. The parcel has a ''?'' mark on it. Character 2 gives a knowing look.

Mini clip Analysis of Camera - Gossip Girl

So here's a little analysis for the first 52 seconds of the opening pilot to 'Gossip Girl'. I chose this clip because there is a good use of camera in this short scene and was interesting to analyse.
I have not been able to find a link for you, so if possible, please view the opening to 'Pilot' of 'Gossip Girl' season one.This is the analysis to match.

Instantly, we see an establishing shot of the location where the programme is set. We know that we are looking at an overcrowded city...with all the buildings which could really be any city. From this, we can guess it is maybe New York.

Then, to confirm our location, it shoots to a wide shot/ long shot of the statue of liberty, and so we can now tell that it is set in New York. It is a wide shot because it is quite broad and shows the whole of the statue of liberty as well as some setting in the background which looks like a river. But instead of being shot from the front, it is a side view because maybe you can see more of the setting from this view also because you can probably tell that it is the statue of liberty from any angle as she is still holding the torch high.

Furthermore, we see a montage to view more of the location.

We get long shots wide shots of different areas of New York that the episode will focus on, such as the water fountain, the park, ‘Bergdorf Goodman’ – which is a famous American designer brand (suggesting that the characters in this programme are quite rich and show they shop at these kinds of designer brands often, which gives a slight clue as to what the characters are like) and finally a wide shot of the ‘Metropolitan Museum of Art’ with the famous ‘Steps of the Met’ to also see. It shows we are getting into a bit of history in this programme and again, that the programme will focus in these main areas of Manhattan.
This is then followed by close ups of the road signs to further prove that we are in Manhattan, New York. -- More establishing shots from high angles - looking down on New York to show it is a big city.
Eventually, we follow more establishing shots of the location different areas before the camera uses a mid shot toshow a train passing by quickly before slowing down to show a close up of a character's face.

Before the close up, the camera uses a swish pan to brush past the train, making it appear slightly blurred until the vision clears up and a slow pan is used to build up to the character's face, who we can tell looks maybe worried or thinking about things as the close up reveals her expression, in which she appears to be staring into space, in the camera’s direction - on eye level.

After a few seconds, the camera comes out of nowhere and side tracks (tracking shot) the character we have just seen on the train. This gives us the impression that is maybe the main character to focus on as the tracking of the camera shows that we are following her life, she is important.

The camera stops tracking and lets the character walk off whilst we have a mid shot on another character. After a few moments, the camera tracks once again and then we shoot to another wide shot of the blonde character we were first introduced to.

So in this scene, we are using a two shot to focus on two different characters – shooting from one to the other.

At this point, the camera is now at a low angle to look up to the blonde character to represent her high status and importance in this episode. She looks quite superior in this shot and so the audience realise she is the main character.

We then see a camera phone slowly lift up to the main character, and the camera is taking a close up of the camera phone to view the same image as the actual camera itself would see, if the camera phone was invisible.

In the background, the main character is blurred out so that we only focus on the camera phone as it is important. Straight after, the camera gradually zooms in slowly which produces a blurred image again, but resumes back to its high quality. This time, the camera blurs out the phone to show that the camera is looking at the exact same image as the phone was.This was the intended effect though to zoom back in to the main character to show the focus is all on her.

The camera produces a mid shot of each character before they both exit off screen.