Preliminary excercise

1) Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?

In my group was Michael Cassidy, Alex Thoupos and myself. We were all very professional in the way we handled the various tasks required considering we only had 3 people in our group. Michael started as the director and camera man while Alex and I acted as the bully and his friend. Alex then had to switch with Michael as he became the new actor. Although the main camera man was normally Alex we all got up from time to time to check framing and constantly gave different suggestions to keep the flow of filming going, which was very important due to the short time span we were given to film.

2) How did you plan your sequence? What processes did you use? What theories did you try to take into account?

To plan our sequence we first decided to draw up a basic script. This script gave a general outline of the dialogue and action of the scene which allowed us to consider which direction we wanted to take with regard to the shooting.

The Bully Script

After that we decided to make a basic storyboard, just with stick figure drawings, which also gave a sense of what we wanted on screen. We also managed to sort out a few problems with framing before we even started filming which was very helpful. As for techniques, we were required to primarily consider continuity. This meant using the 180 degree rule and 30 degree rule as well as match on action and shot reverse shots. While writing it we considered Levi-Strauss' theory of creating narrative through binary opposites like good verses evil. The opposites we had were:
-Big vs. Small
-Friends vs. Friendless
-Tall/confident vs. hunched and scared
-Loud vs. Quiet

 3) What technology did you use to complete the task, and how how did you use it?

As seen in the picture (left) we used a standard cannon HDV video camera with an additional microphone attachment and a basic tripod for steadier shots. The mic had 3 settings, each successive one allowing for more and more of the surrounding noise to be heard. We only used the shotgun setting and the ambient 1 setting, which allowed a high level of focus on the noise. We also used a set of headphones plugged directly into the camera (also seen left) and this allowed the camera man to hear exactly what the camera heard and therefore prevent any mistakes in the sound. The final piece of kit was a clapper board used for simplicity when it came to the editing process; when we saw what was written on the clapper board at the start of a shot we instantly knew what we were looking at.

4) What factors did you try to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?

- Time:
We were given an hour to plan, an hour to shoot and another hour to edit. This meant getting our heads down and keeping work flow at a constant. During the planning we made sure we were clear on all shot ideas so that we could shoot them with relative ease when the time came. We also had to make sure it wasn't too complicated in order to get it done in time.

- Number of people:
Unfortunately our group only had 3 people. This meant that we could only have 2 people acting at a time and make sure the transition between different camera men was both smooth during the shooting and didn't show up during the edit. Our idea was easy enough to do with 3 people and we all pitched in during shooting; directing and giving ideas, which really helped keep the project moving

- Continuity:
This was perhaps the most important factor as it was the point of the task. When shooting, we had to make sure that everything in the scene remained unchanged which was achieved simply by keeping the room free and setting up in advance. We had to keep the lighting the same so we used the non natural lights present in the room. We had to follow continuity rules, such as the 180 degree line rule, the 30 degree rule, and the shot reverse shot technique. We also included a technique called eyeline matching which kept the actors at a level with the audience.

- Location:
We were only able to shoot in school, and so we were limited to where we could actually go. Many rooms were in use at the time of our shooting and so we used the most sensible room (the room our lesson was in).

5) How successful was your sequence? Please identify what worked well, and with hindsight, what would you improve/do differently?

The success of our sequence was quite high. The match on action shots were very effective, especially on the grabbing of the door handle and chair. The 180 rule was adhered to and the continuity of the sequence was spot on (which was the point of this exercise)

The last few shots were highly effective in portraying the desired emotion of fear and the speed of the action.

There were however a few problems with the sequence. The arc of the camera was slightly wobbly and the framing off as the bully walked over to sit down by the nerd. This was probably due to the tripod being left on too stiff controls. One major issue is the use of the POV shot when the bully stands. This POV shot is supposed to be from the view of the nerd, however just before that shot the nerd is looking another way so the shot doesn't make sense. In hindsight I would have liked to start that shot with a pan across to the bully to represent the nerds head turning.

I think the sequence on the whole was very successful in portraying what we wanted and what I've learnt will be useful in later projects.

6) What have you learnt from completing the task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing the rest of your foundation coursework, do you think?

Looking back I think more detailed storyboarding and a wider variety of shots will allow the editing process to be much smoother. Also the time limit was a big constraint so in future projects I will make sure I have plenty of extra time on my hands.