What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing your product?

1. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing your product? By Jordan Gatenby

2. Pre-Production Before we made our OTS we had to research into our chosen genre which was Thriller. We used the internet to look up and find information about Thriller films and examples of them. We had to create a Power Point presentation that showed a variety of different aspects that linked to making a Thriller film. In the long run, this presentation and research helped me because it gave us the advantage about typical Thriller conventions for cinematography, sound, editing and different camera shots and angles that were popular in Thrillers which we have used to help us with our opening title sequence. We had a sexy beast workshop where we had to look at different shots from the film Sexy Beast and film these shots our self. We also had to do a preliminary exercise where we worked in small groups and were required to film a match on action, shot reverse shot and a 180 degree rule shot. This gave us a bit of experience with the cameras as I had never used one before and didn’t really know what I was doing. It was there to help us before we had to film our actual opening title sequence piece. We also had to watch the opening title sequence from Collateral and Brick and fill out textual analysis sheets where we noted down about the camera shots, props and costumes, characters, location and sound. We were also able to fill out another analysis sheet but from a Thriller film of our choice and I chose to do Se7en.

3. We also had filming day planning where as a group we had set tasks and had to manage a schedule, risk assessment, find out about our location and other information that helped us to plan our opening title sequence so that we knew what we was doing before it came to filming. We also had a brief go in the editing suite to edit our preliminary exercise to make sure each shot flowed smoothly and matched the next shot. We used software which I have never previously used before called Adobe Premiere 7. Production When it came to our filming day, the weather was very windy and because we originally planned to film on a cliff, things weren't looking good. We had our props ready, the blood, cigarette and lighter. We had our camera, tripod and boom ready and started filming. We managed to film as many shots in as many different angles as we possibly could but due to the bad weather conditions we were finding it hard to get the perfect shots because the cliffs weren’t flat, this meant the tripod kept moving when we were filming, because of the wind, and it made our shots unstable and wobbly as if they looked like they had been hand held. Once we got back to the editing suite and looked at our footage, we realised there was no way we could use any of it because the shots weren't straight, they were moving and the focus and white balance wasn’t great and we didn’t achieve as many shots as we hoped.

4. We decided to re- shoot but to also change our location because we didn’t want the same thing to happen again, and it would still be windy as our location was set on a cliff. Instead we decided to re-shoot in this wooded area in Newhaven which was near a main road and we were able to get all the shots we needed. The second day of filming was a success because we managed to get every shot and have a lot of footage encase we needed any extra shots. The weather was OK which meant there was no hassle with the wind moving the camera and tripod. We were able to get shots that we didn’t plan but we used them in our final piece as the result was good. We used the boom to record a few minutes of wild track to include as our soundtrack through out the OTS, which we no longer used in our final edit. We also recorded the sound from the lighter, the slap, music that would be used over a flashback, over lapping of the mother shouting and recording of the boyfriend talking.

5. After filming outside, we then all went to Solly’s house and filmed the flashbacks. We filmed these a few times to make sure we had enough when it came to editing. We filmed a variety of flashbacks but didn’t end up using all of them when it came to our final piece. When it came to re-shooting, the day went really well and we managed to work really well as a team and get everything done. I am really pleased with the outcome as the difference between our original footage from the cliff to the second is a lot better and we were able to achieve better shots. Post-Production When it came to editing we used the software Adobe Premiere 7 which I had never used before. Solly had experience as she has used it before and showed Ella and myself techniques by using it. At first, we gathered all our footage and then cut it down to 5 minutes. We done this by choosing the most important shots and looked to our storyboard which we made during planning in pre-production to help set it out. We then started cutting the shots down even more so that the whole OTS was just under two minutes long. Once we had all our shots in the right order we started adding our wild track which we later changed to a different non-diegetic soundtrack which made it create more tension and suspense. We used dafont.com to find two different type faces. We used Sans Serif for both the Nostalgia title and the title credits. The Nostalgia font was bolder and clear and the credit font was smaller and more narrow.

6. We added SFX effects to our flashbacks and changed the colour to a hint of red so that the audience would know the different between the flashbacks and reality. We added over lapping sounds over the flash backs so you can hear the mother shouting at her and the boyfriend telling her he loves her and that it’s not true what she is seeing. It makes it more effective and has conventions of a Thriller. Without technology, none of this would have been possible to make. I have learnt a lot about the different technologies and how they have helped me to create my OTS.