New filming.Journal:30/01/12

Today, we completed a new scene to add to the new edit ads we needed to a degree to fill a certain amount of filming with a sub merged image as, it started towards the end get slightly boring and un-interactive, it would also give us the opportunity to start adding the fighting for safety of the world element and aspect which is evident in the genre of, action, adventure and spy.

The footage was rather hard to shoot as we picked a corridor at school and it being early in the morning meant that kids was appearing for tutor time thus meaning that we had to move a lot but, luckily we found a corridor which was quiet and only available to a limited amount of people; becoming the perfect space for filming. The scene didn’t really need that much structure as we knew the scene needed to be an extreme long shot of me, Mr Teddy fighting the bad.

This was then added to the new edit and really worked well at connoting this element of saving the day in a humours way as the acting was rather unstructured thus looking like a joke which we wanted to produce. For the main reason that a full on fight scene in which people are hurt would be more likely to appear in an older buff rating.

The filming was done by daisy and in my opinion, although I am bias I think it has been done very well as the lighting works clearly and the enhancing of the bodies works really well. I also think that the positioning of the camera was a good imitative as, it meant that we could see the door from an angle as well as see me walk in properly as the door on the right was the only one in which you could are outside.

Friday 11th January 2013: footage

The shooting on Friday was the scene in which was about the coins falling to the floor from the briefcase. The scene was shot in a small room with a green-screen at the back and was shot by Daisy and the props was provided by Louise which where all what we expected in terms of what they looked like and fir the brief perfectly.

We used the initiative of dropping he coins by me holding the case by my hand and then pushing, my hand through and dropping the coins to the floor. It worked much betted then dropping the coins by a self-made hatch out of black paper and this way it looked much more professional. We did try that initiative but, it didn’t work.

I terms of what I actually did on this filming was to be in shot doing the acting or rather proving a figure for the movement, I also helped with setting up the scene i.e. the movement of the green-screen and setting up the tripod. We all also every time when shooting review the footage as a group and it is consistently good thanks to Daisy’s skills.

Trying to keep continuity

Unfortunately, we had to cut out a whole scene as the filming of the ganny photograph in the water was not good enough to add to the scence which was a dissaopointment to some extent as it means that the timing will be more likely to be reduced so, we do have to definately check that the work is long enough to submit when it gets to the time.

There is an indication to what we have deleted on Nicolas Blog it shows visually that we have cut from 14 to 19. I f it is a problem we will just have to make some new footage that will fill in the void of the missing footage.

I have checked that the film is going to loose a certain sense of continuity cutting these pieces but, when i looked at the produced work so far it did show a certain degree of continuity as both shots explored the sense of something falling down so, the transition would definitely work if both are falling its just trying to keep the transition from overly moving from the consistent footage so far shot.

The scene in which we did cut was basically the granny's image falling into water which didn't really in terms of iconographical aspects add anything to the opening title sequence that could have been seen in the narrative also the photo falling into water, didn't really connote what would have been expected in the narrative.

Continuity analysis: 180 Degree rule

180 degree rule

This video I also sourced online from YouTube helped to give another sense of continuity. THz rule distinguishes that the camera is the viewer’s eyes and that you have to have those smooth transitions in order to keep that sense of continuity on a 180 degree line.

The video points out that we as the viewer have to be on one side of the character and that we should therefore only show one side of the characters. The video points out that we should only see from one side as moving from one shoulder shot and seeing from the left character on their left side and then seeing from the right character on their left side would cause distraction. This highlighted when the characters look into each other’s eyes and it gives this sense of movement from the eyes. Moreover, making the mistake would make the frame look undistinguished and wrong so keeping on that one side adds fluidity and movement without distracting from what we have seen.

The clip makes it seem easy to distinguish if the rule has been disobeyed as the setting will most likely change on both sides and so will the facial shaping. The male speaking also points out that if the rule has to be broken the camera must film the rule being broken so the audience can indirectly distinguish the movement of the camera. If and when this happens it has to also follow the same notion on the other side.

This rule will be hard to break within our shot as, we are filming small narrative parts but, we will hopefully with the knowledge learnt from this clip be advised on how to obey the rule if unsure when in the filming process.

Continuity analysis: Match on action

Match on action

I sourced  a clip form YouTube to help me get some more contextual knowledge into the field of continuity and how not to lose substance of our opening sequence by disobeying the rule. Match on action is the idea of revolving around one feting by keeping a cohesive sense of fluidity in the opening title sequence.

Within this clip which is revolved around a book it shows that the book is the consistent item within the frame at all times; meaning that there is no distraction form the action of the shot. This example shows an element of fluidity and movement. The camera moves from shot to shot with keeping the book in the screen. Therefore, it adds this sense of cohesion as, if there is only one shot when in reality it has been multiply shot.

The fact that the female is within the shot at all times gives the sense of familiarity towards the audience and the lady indicating that it is just the female reading; and that no other characters are within set. Iconography elements help to hint that the female is in the scene throughout, her bracelet is within the mid-shot as well as the close-up which helps to portray that it is only one character reading. The setting is in a library adding a sense of continuity as this is the most likely setting for a book.

This clip has helped me in the sense that now I can give a sense of knowledge in this rule as I now know that there has been a series of multiple shots for the action to seem cohesive and jumping from one part of the action will create a unsmooth transition. I also know that keeping an iconographical or costuming piece within display helps to advise that the same character is doing the same actions throughout.

The knowledge that I have distinguished from the clip will be helpful for me but, not just me in importance it will help the cinematographer as, they will need the knowledge of knowing how to film the rule in terms of how many shots to use and how to make the smooth transition from frame to frame.

Continuity sequence

In this task within school, I asked to make an opening title sequence with three people and myself in class which was rather fun as, there was a great range of title sequences that we could make as it was down to us. The only thing in terms of editing techniques, which was required, was a shot/reverse shot, continuity shot and match shot.

The idea that we came up with as a group was to create a rather comical film that explored laughter without being explicit so that it would be aimed at a larger audience and could be viewed by many more people with different psychographics and demographics opening the target audience form 8-40 so, primarily a family film. So, we thought up the idea of using brainstorm methods and finally got to a slight spoof of Harry Potter. So, next we put down our ideas onto storyboard sheets to start the pre-filming stage.

Then we created the film, we shot twice for trial and improvements- so that we could see how to improve upon the original filming and if the storyboards where being followed in terms of shots and timing. Whilst filming the title sequence we followed to the best of our ability our storyboard but some was hard to follow as the filmed had to multi-task to an extent, which became challenging.

The editing techniques worked rather well to an extent as we explored the match shot twice through entrance and exit of the room. We had thought that the 180-degree rule was broke but our teacher re-watched the clip and did not think it was but there was an issue within the clip, the character playing the female role ended up missing from the seat when the male acting Harry Potter entered. The shot/reverse shot also worked well in the speech within the characters, as it didn’t feel rushed or cut too quick and followed the three points on body concept.

The effects that I added to the post filming was some sounding- I added the Hedwig's theme tune so that there was a bigger familiarity to the spoof which in this case was Harry Potter. I also, added an effect whilst in the programming device of final cut pro, which was a colour, suppressor of blue as, according to the film poster blue was the most dominating colour.

The successes of the filming has to be that the costumes where effective because it connotes Harry Potter. But, to improve this title sequence I would definitely try to have two people filming so that more would get done quicker and more input would also, work well for the final outcome.