End Of Preliminary Task

We have no more lessons on the Preliminery Task now. Friday's lesson was the last one, so we will need to edit and complete it within our own time.

Friday's Media Lesson

On Friday's Media Lesson, Alice and Dulcie weren't in. Me and Tim got on with editing the footage. We did quite well and got it nearly completed. We worked well together and were focussed, so worked quite quickly and got most of it done. It was a shame Alice and Dulcie weren't in to pitch their ideas, but I think 2 on one computer worked well. With 4 around one computer, I don't think it would have worked as well, there would have been less focus and more banter, but with two it did work quite well! 4 people on one computer isn't very productive either because 2 people will just be sat watching whole time, even if we did rotate and all have a go at using the computer.

Tim used the computer most of the time whilst editing, because I didn't feel too confident using the program, and Tim has used programs like these before. However, Tim ensured I had a go and helped me learn to use the program properly and assured me it everything was undo-able if we didn't like it. Tim and I worked really well together, and I hope next lesson is just as productive when Alice and Dulcie are here.

Capturing Our Shots

On Wednesday's lesson, we were yet again stuck with an unuseable camera. However, we did manage to get around that minor obstacle. Whilst we were waiting for a camera that would capture the shots, we logged the shots. Dulcie wasn't in the lesson, and I haven't heard anything from her, so am unsure why. But Tim, Alice and I, finished logging the shots we were happy to use in the Coursework.

We obviously didn't log the shots of the cast laughing too much, as this had no relevance to the project, but it would make an amusing out-takes roll. After we had logged them, a camera that captured became available and we began capturing the shots. This was an easy, simple process because we worked together and it didn't take us long. We thought we would have to stay behind in our free lesson to complete it, but we managed to get it done! Hopefully Dulcie is here tomorrow, so we can all edit the shots together. This should be done in the lesson, maybe Monday's too, but hopefully we would have finished the first draught tomorrow!!

Mondays Media Lesson

Mondays Media Lesson wasn't particularly productive in terms of developing our project, but it needed to be done. We didn't manage to get any capturing done, but we did have a tutorial if you like on using the editing program.

Tomorrow's lesson should go smoothly, because we have logged our shots and now just need to capture them. We couldn't do this yesterday because we ended up with a camera that didn't capture. So, hopefully, all 4 members will be here tomorrow morning and we will have a good camera, and a productive lesson. We will need to spend more than lesson time on this piece of coursework, because the class is aiming to have it finished by Friday's lesson, which won't happen unless we get sorted tomorrow and FOCUS. Which, of course, we will do!

Re-Shooting Our Footage

The first lot of footage we filmed wasn't good enough, so we had to re-shoot it. This wasn't too much of a problem, because we planned ahead and made sure we had enough time to re-shoot if necessary, so I think our time management was quite good. In the first bit of footage, there was not enough head space at the top of the frame, and there was too much space in the frame; the characters didn't fill enough of the frame, and there was too much of a gap between them.

We re-shot the footage in today's media lesson. It took us approximately 40 minutes to find a location and shoot the scene again. We took advice given to us beforehand and tried to fix the problems by making sure the characters filled the frame right and there was enough head space. The scene is definitely better, but there are still some improvements that could be made. Unfortunately, we don't have enough time to re-shoot for a 3rd time, so we will have to work with what we have got, which is a lot better than the first lot we filmed.

I was happy with the first lot of footage we shot, but I haven't ever tried to shoot a scene before, so am a complete novice. After we spoke to Reno and he pointed out the flaws to us, I could understand and saw how we could improve it. I have learnt quite a lot today. This will help with our Main Task because now we all have more knowledge about what is expected when making a film.

All of our group were here today, and so we all worked together to complete the coursework. We worked quite fast and I am happy with today's lesson. Tim and Dulcie were in the shots, acting, and me and Alice were behind the camera, shooting scenes. Tim and Dulcie also helped and gave me and Alice input on where to position the camera, on the angles etc. We worked quite well as a group today. We are yet to log and capture the shots we need, but this can be done in Monday's Media lesson, as the whole group should be there.

Filming

We were due to start filming today, as we arranged on Monday, but Alice wasn't here. She text me with a reason why, so we can understand the reason, but it was still hard to start filming because ideally, Alice should have been here to help with the technical side of things.

Tim, Dulcie and I sat and wrote the script at the beginning of our Media lesson, so unfortunately Alice couldn't take part in that. Alice was also supposed to play a part in the footage, as the Pupil, so Dulcie stepped in and played Alice's part. We used an empty classroom (with permission) to shoot the footage after we had written the script. I was behind the camera shooting scenes, whilst Tim and Dulcie played their parts (convincingly so!). Both Tim and Dulcie helped me with getting the camera angle correct, and the positioning of the camera too. I think we all worked exceptionally well as a group today and we got all the footage shot.

We had a good laugh whilst filming the footage, it was really quite funny. Tim played his character really well, and Dulcie was good at playing a stroppy pupil too. We will have quite a bit of editing to do, because we had to re-shoot several parts because we kept laughing, but this should be achievable because I think we did quite well with the shots we managed to record.

Hopefully Alice should be here on Friday's lesson, so we will be able to edit the footage all together, the whole group, and learn how to use the program properly. I am looking forward to seeing the final outcome of Tim and Dulcie's fine acting skills once the footage has been edited and finalised.

Storyboarding

Over the past week in our Media Lessons, we have been building on our ideas. We have become more knowledgeable about the Preliminary Task and what is expected, to what standard. This will help us create a good, strong Preliminary Task which will help us with our Main Task later on.

Yesterday in class, all 4 members of the class were present. This helped as we were all able to update our blogs to the same point and were able to talk about filming. We have now arranged the day for filming, which will be tomorrow in our Media lesson and a little after if necessary. This gives us the option of re-shooting on Thursday if we have to, as we should ideally have finished filming by Friday's lesson, so we can be taught how to use the editing program. We have all discussed and made the Storyboard together so we are all up-to-date and understand what needs to be done. We are yet to write the Script, but this can be done in tomorrow's lesson as we know what is being said, it just needs to be finalised. We have cast Tim and Alice to act in the footage as we think these roles will suit them best. Me and Dulcie will be behind the camera filming, and in between takes, Alice and Tim can help too. I'm looking forward to finally shooting our first piece of coursework after planning it all. Should be good!

Communication

Today, 2 of the group were off sick (literally) and so Only Me and Dulcie were in the lesson and able to work. Alice text me at 9 this morning telling me she had a doctors appointment and would miss the lesson. I text Tim and told him about Alice, and he replied instantly saying he had a stomach virus and also wouldn't be in.

As I didn't have any of Dulcie's contact information, I wasn't sure if she would be in today, but she was! So i gave her our mobile numbers and she is now 'following' our blogs, as i am 'following' hers. This lesson, Dulcie has caught up on the work she missed whilst away, and I have updated my blog and worked on some idea's for the storyboard. It will be easier next lesson, when we are all hopefully present and able to start working properly together in the group.

I think, considering the circumstances, of how every lesson one of our group has been away, we have done incredibly well. We are all communicating and working together and have all had our input. The ill members of the group have caught up easily and I think we already have a really strong group!

Analysis Of Match-On-Action

This is an example of a Match-On-Action. Match-On-Action Shots are used to ensure that Continuity is used throughout the whole footage. Match-On-Action also has to stick to the 180° Rule so as not to confuse the audience. These shots may have been shot hours apart, but with the right editing, they flow continuously, which does not confuse the audience. The rhythm and timing must match between the two shots. For example, if a character walks off screen right in one shot, walking slowly and peacefully; shot two should be of the character entering from screen left, also walking slowly and peacefully. This is a good Match-On-Action shot, as opposed to shot two having the person enter from screen left running and panicked. This is not a Match-On-Action, and does not demonstrate Continuity, so would confuse the audience.

Analysis Of 180° Rule

This is an example of the 180° Rule. The Rule is used so the audience do not get confused about the characters and where they are stood etc. This example shows how the camera stays on one side of the characters, keeping the same characters on the same side of the screen, even though the camera cuts to a different angle. This is an important, simple rule which isn't obvious, yet would hold some footage together in order for it to make sense. If editors and directors didn't stick to the 180° Rule, the audience would notice and rightly be confused.

Analysis Of Shot-Reverse-Shot

This is an example of a Shot-Reverse-Shot. The example starts out with an establishing shot of the office building and then it cuts to a shot of Both Chandler and his boss in the same frame. It is a Long Shot as it allows you to familiarise with the characters. Just before Chandler stops talking, it cuts to a closer shot of his boss. From then on, it cuts to each of the characters a fraction of a second before they start talking, and then to a Reaction Shot on Chandler. More dialogue is exchanged and then it cuts to an Over-The-Shoulder shot to Chandler, showing his reaction.

I think this shot works because the editing shows continuity by showing us the characters that are speaking and then their reactions, whilst the camera cuts steadily closer to their faces at the centre point of the dialogue, only to cut back out again when the conversation is starting to end. I think this example is good because it shows Shot-Reverse-Shot, whilst exampling other shot types, all the while maintaining Continuity.

Potential Preliminary Task Idea

Tim and I have decided after a lengthy phone conversation tonight that our previous idea of 2 people meeting on a street corner cannot be done because the scenery lacks an essential part of the task; a character opening a door.

Instead, we ran through some idea's on the phone and decided the most practical would be to shoot the task at the college. We have the idea of a student-teacher conference taking place in an unused classroom at the college. This idea of using the classroom (with permission) gives us the scenery needed to shoot the piece. The characters can walk through the door and sit down opposite each other to exchange some dialogue regarding the students progress. We think this is a good idea because we will be able to utilise our knowledge of the required shots needed for the Preliminary Task.

Tim and I were unable to contact Dulcie and Alice so we still need to put this idea past them. We believe that it is good, achieveable idea that needs to be decided on as a group. We are hoping to see Dulcie and Alice soon so that we can negotiate times that we are free during college to shoot the footage as members of the group live too far away to be expected to stay locally and complete the Task; as transport there and back is not feasable, nor is the time. It is unfair to put any members of the group out and make the task unnecessarily difficult for them, so Tim and I think college time is the most suitable for all 4 members of the group.

Communication Within Group

As Alice and Dulcie aren't here, Tim and I emailed them. This is the link to the email (above). They were ill today (06/11/09) and they obviously needed to catch up on information. We emailed them and warned them they may need to catch up in their own time because it would be foolish if they lagged behind at such an early stage in the coursework.Hopefully the e-mail helped them. this is the email:

Hi Alice and Dulcie.

Why aren't you in Media today?
We were sorting out groups and our group is, you two, me, and tim.

We have been updating our blogs too, and we have done quite a bit, so you
will have to catch up with that, possibly in your own time. Me and Tim
have also got quite a few good ideas for the coursework. check out our
blogs.

My URL is: http://laineywhite.blogspot.com/
Tim's is: http://mrtimbiles.blogspot.com/

Look at the posts we have done and do the same basically. Just add your
own idea's.

BE IN THE NEXT MEDIA LESSON!!

Coursework Outline

We have recently gotten into groups of 3 or 4. The people in my group will be Tim Biles, Alice Manning and Dulcie Hayward. Tim is good at media, i have noticed in class, so we will have his good ideas and technical knowledge to build on. I think Alice and Dulcie will bring good ideas and lots of laughter to the group, which will make our Coursework task quite fun! I am actually looking forward to this piece of Coursework!

I have had a couple of ideas for the task, but obviously it is a group decision and Tim, Alice and Dulcie will have had good ideas as well. A couple of my ideas are:

• 2 little boys have done something naughty and are hiding in their bedroom trying to think of a way to cover up their innocent mistakes.
• 2 women sat having a gossip and just general chit-chat.
• A criminal sat in an interview and the policeman comes in and shouts in his face.
• a midnight meeting on a street corner doing dodgy deals.

Introduction To Preliminary Task

We have been given the brief for our Preliminary Task for the Coursework. The task asks us to shoot a length of footage in which the actors walk through a door; cross the room; sit opposite each other and start a conversation. We obviously have to use a range of shots to emphasise the point of Continuity within the editing. these shots include Shot-Reverse-Shot, the 180° Rule and Match On Action.

I'm quite excited about it because we get to work in groups of 3/4 and plan the piece together. We finally get to do some filming and use the equipment, so it should be fun!!