Evaluation

The brief for this preliminary exercise was to film a short conversation including certain filming techniques such as 180 degree line, match on action and shot reverse shot. The 180 degree line of action is used when filming a conversation to prevent the audience from losing track of where characters are in a shot, by giving the camera a imaginary line to stay behind when filming. Match on action ensures that when an action is being shot from two different shots, they counterpart. Shot reverse shot is when one character is shown looking at another, and then the second character is shown looking, shot in a way to keep the audience familiar with each characters position.

Once a risk assessment was filled out, the first step was to create a script. Using the software Celtx, I described how a character entered the room, followed by a brief conversation between the two characters, going back and forth at least 3 times. I also chose to add in a additional action in between the conversation, and also at the end when the character left the room. I then drew out a storyboard based on this script, describing what I wanted my characters to do in further detail, and how I wanted them to be shot. This became extremely useful when using this script, as it allowed the other members in our group to understand how I expected the outcome to be. 

When we began to film, we researched into rooms suitable for our chosen script, and chose a location. Once we had chosen our props (the purse, the bag and the money, all chosen to create character and complete the script), actors and arranged the room to be a suitable setting, we were able to start filming straight away. We decided not to film in chronological order. Our main camera operator was Bethany, as one of our group members were ill on the day of shooting, and me and another member were mainly in front of the camera, however if ever the actors were not needed in a shot, we helped out. Our first shot was a master shot of the whole room, in which we filmed our script the whole way through as we did with the majority of our shots. The camera was then placed on the 180 degrees line, to create an over the shoulder shot of the first character to speak. The script was yet again filmed the whole way through in this shot, and then over the shoulder of the second character. 

One shot that didn't work as well as we had planned was the shot of my character entering the room. As we were rather restricted in terms of room in the hall way we chose, it was difficult to judge how fast to pan the camera, and it was also difficult to actually move the camera without being in shot. In the end, we chose to still use the shot, as we needed it and there was no other way of creating that shot. We shot it to the best of our abilities.We also ended up deleting a shot of my character entering the room, as when we looked back at it on the computer, it wasn't quite following the 180 degree rule.

After filming a couple other shots included in the script, we uploaded all of our footage to a Mac, and together we cut and placed the clips as we needed using Final Cut. I took a while, and a lot of patience, but we were able to place the clips with little error. It was rather difficult to get the sound 100% all of the time, but we were able to compromise in most situations, leading to a positive outcome. Our project fulfilled the brief.

The order of our shots was edited as drawn in the storyboard. We started with a wide pan shot of my character walking up to the door and opening, then cut to a close up of my hand unlocking the door. This shot was then followed by a master shot of the room I had entered through the door, and showed my character sitting down opposite Caitlain. As I was the first to talk, an over the shoulder shot of my character followed, and then it went back and forth to my and Caitlain's character as needed. At the point in the script where Caitlain needs to pass me some money, we used quick wide shot of Caitlain retrieving the purse from her bag, then quickly went to a close up of the money being handed to me. This was then followed by a wide shot of me taking the money and swiftly leaving the room. 

Each shot was checked closely, and they all followed the filming techniques mentioned in the brief. As mentioned in a previous paragraph, any shots that did not fulfil the brief's wishes were removed or re-shot when filming.

Film continuity

When making a film, it is important that the individual scenes, as well as the storyline, make sense. Each shot must follow from another nicely, and it must all flow nicely into one clip. If this wasn't the case, the film would jump, cut and look extremely messy, leading the audience to instantly see it is an amateur production. This can be prevented by ensuring every element of a clip is as good as possible, including transitions, sound and music.

Evaluation

The brief of our preliminary exercise was to film a conversation that included the use of the following techniques: Shot reverse shot, 180 degree line and match on match action.

The 180 degree line of action is used when filming a conversation as it keeps the camera on the side of action therefore it keeps the characters in a scene on a specific side of the frame. So this allows the characters to keep looking at each other even when one character is off screen as the audience will be aware of the position of the character that is off screen. If the 180 degree line is broken then the characters will appear to have moved. Match on match action is used to show an action being made as it shows the same action from different angles, this gives the audience a full view of the action being made. E.g. one shot may be a medium shot showing an arm reaching for a door handle and the next shot shown may be a close up of the persons hand touching the door handle. Shot reverse shot is also a technique that is often used in conversations as it can be used to show one character talking and then the other characters reaction. This involves cutting from one person to another, this creates a smoother scene as it helps show a conversation from both angles effectively.

In preparation for this task a risk assessment was completed, this helped any faults or problems to be identified so that we could make sure that there were no problems or accidents whilst filming so that none of the group members were in danger of injury and the equipment was safe and wouldn’t be damaged. The program Celtx was used to write the script the script this also added extra detail such as how the characters where positioned, this helped us know where exactly each character was at a certain time we then drew out onto a storyboard so the shots we needed to film were planned out this was also done using the shot list that was prepared beforehand also by adding the extra detail to the script we were able to create a better storyboard as we knew exactly what had to be drawn. We then planned where the filming would take place and what props we need to film the scene e.g. a purse was used in the scene.

Sadly on the day of filming I was absent due to illness however I was able to do some of the editing I also ran through the shots that were filmed to make sure that none of them went over the 180 degree line. The program that we used to edit the clips was called final cut. We uploaded the footage by plugging the camera into the Mac computer we used via A USB cable.

When editing we decided that we wanted to start off the film with the corridor shots so we started of the film with part of a pan shot as this shot had to be cut down as there was some shaking of the camera and we wanted the film to look smoother. The next shot we included was a shot of Sophie’s hand turning a door handle, for this we used the technique match on match action as we cut a long shot of Sophie running towards the door and then a medium close up of her grabbing the handle and opening it. We then used a long shot to show Sophie walking at a pace into the room and sitting down, we used a medium close up to show that Sophie had sat down. We then used the technique shot reverse shot to show the conversation between Caitlain and Sophie as we cut medium close ups of them talking to each other and we also showed a long shot of both of them talking so that the audience is fully aware of where both characters are. Whilst editing the shots to show the technique shot reverse shot we used a sound bridge so that we were able to show Caitlain’s reaction to what Sophie was saying whilst she was still saying it. We then showed match on match action again as we showed a long shot of Caitlain reaching into her purse which we then cut to a medium shot to show Caitlain passing some money over to Sophie, we then cut to a long shot to show Sophie accepting the money and walking towards the door and out of it. 

Evaluation

Evaluation

Our brief was to film a short conversation between two people using: the 180 degree line, which is an invisible line at one side of the action that is being shot that the camera can’t cross as the background would be different as the characters would have swapped places; shot reverse shot, which is when a shot is taken from the opposite side of the previous shot. In a conversation, it makes the viewer think that the two people are looking at each other; and a match on action, which is when one shot leads into another to give the impression that it is one smooth action and portrays a continuous sense of action.

I created a script using Celtx and started by having one of the characters walking down a corridor and entering a room through a door so I could use a match on action on the door handle and walking through the door. I then added a few back-and-forth lines so that I could do a shot reverse shot the characters faces as they were talking. I then finished by having the same character exiting the room. To make my script look professional I used the bar in the top left hand corner to state whether I was writing a direction for the actor, dialogue or the location of the scene. This also made it easier when filming because the actors knew when they were moving and where they were moving to. I put the emotion of the dialogue in brackets and the name of the character speaking or being directed in capitals as this is how a professional script would be set out.

I then planned out each individual shot on a storyboard so I could get an idea of how each shot would look. I used quick sketches to get a picture of how I could incorporate the three techniques into the film without them looking odd or out of place. I already knew that I was going to start off with a shot of someone walking in a corridor to another room so I decided to make this a long shot to I could establish the location of the scene and establish what the character looks like from head to toe. I then decided that a close up shot should be done on the door handle so that I could add a match on action of the door opening. To finish the match on action shot I chose to draw a sketch of a medium long shot of the inside of the room and the character standing there to show that they had gone through the door and that the two shots were separate. I then showed the character sitting across from another person in a medium shot so that the new location could be established but the main focus of the shot was the two characters. Then I used over the shoulder shots to look at the face of the person who was talking to add a shot reverse shot to the film. Then I went back to a medium shot to see the character leave.

My script wasn’t chosen so we needed to find a room that was suitable for the selected script. We need a room that had a corridor leading to it and could seat two people opposite each other with enough room to move the camera around and the tripod. We found a music room that was large enough to fit everyone in and the walls were black so they characters stood out. We did a risk assessment and the room was safe to operate as we moved any wires that could have been tripped over; all other chairs were moved to the sides of the room so that they weren’t in the way and the room was almost empty so there weren’t any other obstacles.

When shooting, we decided that we were going to shoot all of the shots from inside the room first. We did a long shot to use as a master shot and ran the script all the way through. We did this so that we could cut back to it in the editing phase and it was also be a safety net if there were any issues with other shots. By running it all the way through we eliminated the chance of missing shots or breaking up the acting and making it look robotic. We then moved the camera to behind Sophie’s shoulder and ran the whole script so that we could pick and choose where we wanted to do the shot reverse shots. We then repeated this behind Caitlin’s head. Once we had checked all of the shots we moved out into the corridor to film the walking through the door section. However, when filming the corridor shot I realised that I couldn’t fit all of the action in frame so I decided to pan from Sophie walking through the first door in to the corridor to the door leading into the room. I then filmed the close up of the door handle.

We only used chairs, a bag, a purse and some money when filming. We filmed all shots from the beginning to the end of the script so that we could ensure that the way that the props were handled in exactly the same way. This meant that there wouldn’t be any continuity issues when it came to editing.

When editing on Final Cut, we chose to start off with the corridor shots. We cut the beginning of the pan shot because there was some camera shaking and we wanted the action to start straight away. When Sophie's hand went to turn the door handle we cut and then added the close up of the door handle for the match on action. We cut the close up to the point where she actually turned the handle so that it would fit smoothly and hide the editing. We then cut back to the long shot of Sophie walking through the door. We then used the master shot as a base so we could insert other shots to get the shot reverse shots required.

Evaluation

The brief for this preliminary exercise was to film a short conversation between two people, demonstrating some filming techniques. These included following the 180 degree line, shot-reverse-shot and match on action. The 180 degree line is where everything is filmed on one side of an imaginary line, if the line is crossed then the shot is ruined with the constant changing background. A shot-reverse-shot is when the camera switches from showing one person to showing the person they are talking to so the audience can assume the two people are facing each other. Match on action is used in order to create a sense of continuity within shots, so an action carries across a cut, which helps conceal the edit.

 

In order to prepare for the film a risk assessment was done, in order to make sure that the safety of the group was ensured whilst we were filming. Then it was time to write the script using Celtx, which was then drawn out as a storyboard with all the shots planned out from the shots list we had prepared long in advance in order to make filming easier later on. Once it came to filming we did some location research, shifting chairs around to suit our purpose and making space for the tripod. Then it was a matter of collecting our props, which was to have a purse and a bag in order for my character to give Sophie’s character money.

 

On the day of filming we started by doing all the shots from inside the room, Beth behind the camera in the corner filming a wide shot of the whole scene. After we had acted it through once, Beth then moved the camera along the 180 degree line and then filmed the whole scene again but from a different angle, again wide shot. This allowed the clips for the shot-reverse-shot and the two shot. Once we were all happy we had the right shots, we then moved outside to film the walking into the room part. We used a pan to follow Sophie walking through one door and moving to the next. The only problem I personally felt we experienced was managing to get far enough into the corner with the tripod in order to get everything we wanted into the shot.

 

Once all the clips were filmed and the entire group was happy with them, it was time to edit it all. To do so we used a program called Final Cut, hooking up the camera to the computer in order to access the footage we had. Then it was a matter of selecting and cutting all the clips we had together, making sure we showed match on action, shot reverse shot and that it was all shown on an 180 degree line.

 

In the video we show Shot-reverse-shot when its switches between showing Sophie when she is talking and then moves onto looking at me and then back again. All the footage is shown from working on the 180 degree line and match on action was used twice in our little film. Once when we showed Sophie opening the door and then another time when I was getting some money out of the purse.

Phoebe's Storyboard

Beth's Storyboard

Caitlain's Storyboard

Sophie's Storyboard

Filming techniques

The 180 degree rule line of action is the invisible line where the camera is placed if the camera moves away from the 180 degree line it creates confusion for the audience as it looks like the cast of the film are switching places when they are really still in the same position.

Shot-reverse-shot: This shot mainly used in interviews as it is a really good way to show a conversation between an number of people, it is also good to show the relationship between two characters of an interviewer and interviewee. This shot will repeatedly swap between characters or interviewer/ interviewee and will also occasionally change to show a two shot or three shot depending on the amount of people in the shot.

Match on action: This is an editing technique used to show and action by cutting one shot to another shot which shows the action in the first. However these shots aren't randomly put together they are carefully put together to show one specific action e.g. grabbing a door handle and opening the door.

Film Continuity- Caitlain

Sometimes new filmmakers make movies they can often look amateur as they make mistakes in continuity. The main reasons for this is that some of the scenes may not flow properly, the pacing can be off and simple things like the cuts can be in the wrong places. Its these things that the audience would spot and realise all of the minor mistakes, which draws their attention away from the actual movie instead to looking and analysing all the technical mistakes. To make a film continuous, transitions, framing, dialogue, scenes, sound, music all need to fit together and appear seamless to give the viewers the experience of a continuous movie.

Simon Work- Caitlain

The 180 degree rule
The 180 degree line of action has a very important rule which has to be followed otherwise the shot would be ruined. The rule states that when filming the camera should always remain on one side of the imaginary line, it can go anywhere along this line as long as it stays on the same side at all times. The reason for this being that if the camera if the camera is switching from one side of the line to the other side the background would constantly be changing, meaning that the shot would start to look messy and unprofessional.

Shot reverse shot

A shot reverse shot is when the camera flicks between two people having a conversation. First the camera would point at the first character, then it would swap to showing us the other character who is talking before going back to showing us the first character. As they are shown to be facing opposite directions, the viewer can assume that they are looking at each other. 

Match on Action

This is used in order to create a sense of continuity with shots, the editing technique cuts from one shot to another shot. This portrays the whole action without having to show the whole thing, only showing parts of the action as showing the whole thing could be long winded. 

*the example of match on action is between 2 and 3 seconds.

Match on action

This refers to a video editing technique where the editor cuts from one scene to another without making it obvious each shot was taken at a different time. The following shot will then match what happened in the first, making the scene look natural and not jumpy.

Example

Match on Action

This is when one shot leads into another to give the impression that it is one smooth action and portrays a continuous sense of action. The action carrying through creates a visual bridge to

Shot-reverse shot

Shot reverse shot is a film technique where one character is shown looking at another (the person in shot is usually the one talking, however it may vary). After this, the other character involved in the conversation is then looking back at the first character.

Shot Reverse Shot

Shot reverse shot is when a shot is taken from the opposite side of the previous shot. In a conversation, it makes the viewer think that the two people are looking at each other.

180 degrees line of action

In film making, the 180 degree line of action is used when filming a conversation. When the two people are facing each other, in order to let the audience understand where each of the people are, this rule must be used. When filming, the camera must stay on one side of an invisible 180 degrees line, to prevent confusion, other wise the people being filmed would appear to switch sides.

180 Degree Line

The 180 degree line is an invisible line at a particular side of the action being shot. The camera must stay anywhere inside the 180 degree line otherwise it can confuse the audience because the actors in a conversation look as though they have swapped places and the background will be different.

Phoebe's Script

Sophie's Script

Caitlain's Script

Beth's script

Group Photo