Continuity Task 2

1.What was your role in the task and what did you actually do?

I was involved in almost every aspect of production, such as script writing, story boarding, set dressing, producing, directing, camera operating, listening to audio while filming and editing. My main role was filming and editing.

2.What factors did you take into account when planning,filming and editing?

In planning we had to schedule our shoots in the hallway so that it wouldn't clash with the other group who also had to use it. We decided how long it would take to film each scene as well as deciding the setting and camera shots. We also had to make our idea something that would be believable. We also had to rehearse blocking so that the actors knew where to go and see if it would actually look good. While filming we tried sticking to the shots so that narrative flow and continuity was created. When filming we also had to think about the position of the camera in the room such as if the tripod would fit or if we could see the camera or crew in any reflective surfaces. In editing we had to think about audio as we weren't allowed to use additional audio visuals or music. Also we had to think about which shots to use, especially for the match-on-actions as they were extremely important and make the whole shoot look disjointed if off by even a few seconds. When filming we also realized you could hear the footsteps of the camera man in the walking shot and so had to film it barefoot. 

3.How successful was your sequence? 

I am happy with my final sequence as we had five successful match-on-actions and kept the 180 degree rule. This all meant that the continuity was kept and so it was quite a smooth production. There were a few small continuity problems such as between some shots hand positions or hair position has changed. The clock time also changes between scenes quite drastically when only a few seconds should have passed. We also successfully fulfilled the demands of the brief. We completed a shot-reverse-shot. I also really liked the relationship we created between the characters with minimal dialogue. We did this by using different shots and stereotypical and believable characters.

4.What have you learnt from completing this task?

From this task I have learnt you have to take every small detail into account so that the continuity is kept throughout and so creating a smoother production. I learnt how to edit video and sound as well as how to produce an effective match-on-action. I have learnt you have to take time to make sure the framing and setting looks good. We didn't produce a formal script that we stuck to and next time I would like to practice writing a good script. I would also like to experiment more with different genres. I also need to be more careful of the audio when filming as in the walking scene you can hear the breathing of the camera operator. five

Continuity Task 1

1. Explain the story of your video

In the scene there is a boy in a school who is playing with a pair of scissors. There is a girl in the background reading a magazine. She asks for the scissors and he throws them at her. They get stuck in her hand and she screams. It cuts back to the boy who says 'oh shh...'.

2. How did you attempt to create 'narrative flow' (continuity)

Because we couldn't edit the video we tried to create continuity by staying in the same position between shots and when the camera was paused. We would then resume the action when we filmed the next shot. This was quite difficult as we would often have to re shoot shots meaning we couldn't go back to the exact same position. It was also difficult to hold some of the positions for long periods. We also tried to keep an eye line match meaning me(boy) and Megan(girl) had to keep eye contact throughout the whole filling process.

3. Did you achieve full continuity? If not, why not?

We were unable to achieve full continuity in the video. We broke the 180 degree rule meaning the audience would be disorientated when they watch the scene. Also positions often changed between shots, such as where the hands were placed and the hair of the characters. Also between the first three shots the cuts were very disjointed.

4. In hindsight, what would you do differently to improve the narrative flow of your video and tell your story more effectively? 

If I were to do the film again I would make sure to think more about continuity when thinking about the position of the camera and where the camera starts and stop and wouldn't break the 180 degree rule. This means the video would run more smoothly. I would also shoot it in a room with better lighting as the lighting changed drastically between each character and so looks like they were filmed in different spaces. I would also try and make sure the eye line was more accurate by taking it into more account.