1. Media Evaluation Q.7
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you think you have learnt
in the progression from it to the full product?
By Connor Baker

2. Preliminary Task Brief
Create a scene of dialogue between two people including the following shots:
• 180 Degree Rule
• Match on Action
• Shot/Reverse Shot
As a group we decided we would do a romantic scene between a male (Jack) and
female actor (Ronnie) – We were inspired to use these names from an old story
line used in the soap Eastender’s. The scenes were filmed in our Media
classroom.

3. Film Opening Task
For our actual film opening, we had to plan, create and develop a 2 minute film
opening with a genre of our choice.
We were able to use:
• Our previous skills developed from the preliminary task
• Our previous course knowledge from a Level 2 BTEC completed
• Also, our ability combined as a group of four to find actors, and film the scene
As a changed group, we decided upon doing a psychological thriller filmed on a
boat, based around a man who has previously lost his Wife. We were inspired to
do this from the film Se7en.

4. Overview
I believe that I have been able to learn from our product we completed at the start
of the AS Media Studies year. The first part I’d like to point out that I think I have
mostly been able to improve on is using the editing software more effectively and
creatively. In the preliminary task our film was 45 seconds long. Compared to the
2 minute film opening (120 seconds), we were able to use a lot of special editing
techniques to engage the audience with the film in order to catch emotion.

5. My Preliminary Task Video

6. My Film Opening

7. Developing my skills
I think that after developing my skills with the software use (Adobe Premier Pro), I
could now easily use without out having to look through the tutorials online.
I am now also more familiar with the use of cameras and tripods, I can easily set
one up and use it.
My ability to use iMac’s within the college is now a lot stronger as I wasn’t use to
using this software whereas before I was only use to Windows 7/8.
Another example would be I can now easily spot when a shot has broken the 180
degrees rule, due to when filming the preliminary we had to delete several shots
as it affected the footage and made it look poor. Although after learning about
this, it was easier to point out why it’s so important not to break it, which is what I
could do in the footage for the film opening.

8. Using the Equipment Correctly
Below is a video of me installing a tripod and camera securely together. I wasn’t
able to do this during the preliminary task, but with repeating the method several
times, it was made remember able.

9. Improving the Background Track
Due to the task at the beginning, being a preliminary, the music we used was
an instrumental from a Bastille song. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwKx2yCH5T0) This was
downloaded directly with an MP3 software and imported in the background of
the project.
Considering that the film opening was out of 60 marks, and some of these
marks could be awarded for creating an original backing track for the film, as
a group we decided to do this. The software is known as Logic Pro from the
iMacs of which I created a demonstration track found on the Tumblr blog to
practise before we began carrying out the task.
The creation was rather complex although after this we were able to use it
well with the film. I think we could have improved it slightly with the timings
not directly changing when the shot does.

10. Improving the Editing
In my opinion the effects created from editing for the Film Opening Project was a
lot better quality compared to the preliminary editing. This is because it creates a
lot better effect and emotion on the viewer.
During the preliminary task, no advanced editing was used towards the project;
considering it was a love screen, there was little filters that would work in order to
create a romantic feel to the video.
Although with the main filming project, we used an intense black and white
filter, whilst changing the saturation and other options available in order to allow
the audience know that he’s having a flashback to before he lost his wife. The
filter is very suitable for the film project and we were able to learn from not using
them to much of an advantage in the Preliminary task of how important they can
actually be to a film and can improve how well it reaches out to the target
audience that we have chosen (aged 16-30 male & female).