Evaluation of Last Years Work

I think the best video from last year was One Step Ahead because:

• The credits came onto the screen in places that didn't block the actors

• They used props to enhance the detective side to their video e.g a map

• The background on the  computer of a police sign tells the audience what they are involved in without having to say it 

• The lighting was effective e.g. for the parts of their video they wanted to be brighter/darker than others they used lighting well to create enigma and excitement  

• The digetic sound made the sequence seem realistic 

• There were several cuts but they all went together to appear invisible 

• They used a split screen near the end the show the two stories which were going on at the same time to create tension and anticipation

The reason why some of the videos from lat year were not as good was because:

• The sound was a problem for some of the videos as it became very repetitive
• Another problem that occurred in several of the videos was that some of them focused too much on the different shots instead of how to make it entertaining to watch
• However e.g in the Chroniker what made that video work really well for an opening sequence was the voice over at the beginning on a black screen. This meant that even though not a lot was happening throughout the sequence it made a good opening

Preliminary Sequence - Feed The Fish

Feed The Fish Evaluation

What worked well:

I think what made our video entertaining to watch was based on a combination of music, editing and the plot. The music made what was not shown to be dramatic more exiting to view than the actions on their own. For example when I was walking up the stairs in the building if there was no sound that would appear very mundane, however the music is what builds up the tension. Another thing that worked well is the continuity editing that is shown throughout the video.



Another way in which I think our video worked well was by the cuts between shots, it made the video flow well. A final point on what was good about our work was the flashback, the reason why I liked that particular part was because even though it is not that clear what exactly is happening as the camera is moving to create a fast pace effect, it creates enigma. That specific part is also effective in the sense it was intentionally supposed to make the viewer want to know what 'have you fed the fish' really means.

 

To improve:

During the video there were a few problems with the lighting  as some of the clips were too dark. This meant it was not as clear as we wanted it to be for the viewer to see. For example, some of the scenes were supposed to be brighter than they were, in the shot that showed person A and person B, persons A's face was dark because the light was behind her. This would not of occurred if we filmed from different parts of the room, or somewhere different all together. To improve we could have adjusted the lighting using premiere pro. In future we now know that lighting is important in creating the right effect.

 

Another problem was the music, from feedback we learned that music did not match well with the video. The sound that was chosen was too dramatic in comparison to what was actually happening. This would have worked if it was humorous, however as our video was not comic, the sound did not match the action. In future we now know that the sound needs to match what is being shown on screen because if it does not blend in and the music is overly different from what is being shown, it can be misleading and make the video appear to not make sense.  

Superbad Opening Sequence - With Annotations

Panic Room Opening Sequence - With Annotations

Casino Royale Opening Sequence

• Albert R. Broccoli's eon Productions LTD. presents - Daniel Craig Ian Flemming's James Bond 007 - Casino Royale 
• The main actors name is the first title shown followed by the film title
• The gun shot by Daniel Craig in the beginning with the blood pouring down the screen represents the thriller parts of the movie
• The music sets the tone of the film and matches the genre
• Moving images are shown throughout the whole opening sequence titles
• The repeated showing of guns links to the action genre
• The background moving images instead of white on black credits make it more interesting for the audience to watch whilst reading the titles without starting the movie

Camera Movement

1.   Tracking & Panning Section – Tracking and panning are two different styles often used. They have a variety of effects, summarised as:

TRACKING – ‘tracking the shot’ following the action

PANNING – the camera stays still and twists to keep the subject in shot

2.   Crane, Aerial and Bird’s Eye View – Aerial, crane and Bird’s Eye View shots are often used. They are slightly different technically and have a variety of effects. The three shots are slightly different because of the height the camera is at when filming the shots.

CRANE – from above

AERIAL - as if from an aeroplane view 

      

3.   Tilt, Cant, Roll (Including High and Low angle) – Tilt, Cant and roll shots are not so often used. The most used is HIGH and LOW angle. They are slightly different: a tilt shot moves from side to side, a cant shot moves forward to backward and a roll shot moves around all these axes.  The three shots are slightly different because they produce differing effects as follows:

TILT – a shot taken by angling a stationary camera (tilt-up) or (tilt-down)

ROLL - gives the viewer a disoriented view of what they are showing

4.   Zoom, Whip Pan and Trombone – These shot types are more unusual. The usual or frequent effects are explained below (although there are many more ‘meaning’ possibilities)

ZOOM – shot which moves closer to, or away from the subject, using the lens rather then moving the whole camera in or out. 

WHIP – uncontrolled shot performed by the shooter

PAN – taken with the camera rotating horizontally to take the scene

5.   Handheld and Point of View (Including Subjective POV) – The use of the camera on a steadicam or portable rig has meant the increased use of handheld camera work. By allowing the camera to move around so freely, the effects can be numerous… 

HANDHELD – a camera is held in the camera operator’s hands

Reflections on Horror shots

My photo was a bit similar to my drawing because of where the things were in the picture compared to where I drew them to be. However it was hard to draw out what I wanted my shot to look like because I had a much clearer interpretation of what I wanted my result to be in contrast to what I drew. 

In my shot I think one of the things that worked really well was the lighting. The darkness of the shot made it automatically quite creepy.  Another thing that I thought worked quite well the overall scenery of a standard garden at night made it work.

To achieve an effect of spookiness and a horror theme I took the picture late so it was dark as I had to wait for the night because having outdoor scenery meant I would be using natural lighting from the sky. I did this on purpose to create a realistic lighting effect.

To improve the shots I took I could try and create the same effect indoors. This would allow me to use lighting more and create more of a chilling effect then I already did.  Another thing I could change is making my shot a extra long-shot; this would make the area look more spacious. 

My shot is a long-shot. I made the centre of my shot a direct view of my cabin it fits well with the genre of horror because of the dark colours which are denotations of horror.