Sunday 26 February 2012

February Week 4

During this week as a group we reedited our title sequence, to meet the specification of improvement suggested in last week’s lesson. The sequence is now completely finished and we are very pleased with it. As well as it being reedited it is now under the two minute mark which is the specification from the exam board. In addition to reediting, this week I have begun to construct my evaluation of this project. I have started to evaluate the success of the group, how well we worked, what we have learned and how much contribution I have made to the groups work as a whole. The evaluation will be posted on my blog within the next couple of days

Thursday 16 February 2012

Review of Pitch Feedback

The feedback we received as a whole was mainly positive with fellow students and teacher complimenting is on the idea and concept of our title sequence which included the archive footage which set the time period of our title sequence. The typography we used in our sequence of showing both American and Russian titles being shown at the same time which connotates the two sides of the conflict and the story. We also received allot of positive feedback for our cinematography and how we filmed this sequence to make it believable that it was set in the 1960;s with props and timeless locations such as the church.

However even though the majority of the feedback we received was positive, we also received negative feedback. The most obvious negative feedback we were bound and expected to receive was the fact that we had some editing errors, which were picked up by our fellow students. Another negative aspect was that our title sequence was to long but we received suggestions on how we could shorten it by removing the ‘Universal Studios’ distribution logo at the begging of our title sequence


Overall as a group we are very pleased with the feedback we received, albeit some minor editing errors and length of the title sequence all feedback was positive and we feel we have made the title sequence which we wanted to make and are very happy with our final sequence. We were also appreciative of the negative feedback because it now allows us to spend the final week of editing making our title sequence better.

Pitch Feedback Forms

Below are several of the feedback forms we received after our pitch, which not only shows us what kind of reception our title sequence received and how we could improve it so we can be ready for the final deadline next week.

Wednesday 15 February 2012

February Week 2/3

February week 2/3

Over the next couple of weeks, we as a group analysed all the footage we had produced and constructed all the footage into our storyboarded concept. We were particularly pleased with the way that we got more than enough footage, which meant we would not have to reshoot and this would make our title sequence look more authentic because we would not have to reshoot certain scenes which would make it obvious to the audience that the time of shoot for one certain scene was changed to another in order to gain the much needed footage. The deadline for our final piece to be screened to the rest of our fellow students in order to receive feedback is the 3rd week of February.

Over the 2nd week of February we made significant progress and as well as editing our title sequence together in cooperated our final choice of music into the sequence. As a group we are particularly happy the way our music fits into our title sequence. Friday soon came about and we were ready for our pitch to the class and were very confident with our finished piece. As a group we decided that it would be best for me to pitch our title sequence. I introduced the film and gave brief plot to my fellow students of why we made our film and that we hoped they would like it. Feedback forms to be published in a later post on this blog. The feedback forms we got back were very generally positive and this gave us an insight on not only what they thought of our title sequence but on how we could improve it in the following week to meet the final deadline before half term.

Sunday 12 February 2012

Sound

Throughout the latter stages of the editing process for our title sequence we have decided to not use any sounds and only music because this gives our sequence the edge we wanted. This also makes it look more professional and gives it a unique effect.

Wednesday 8 February 2012

Location Shots extra - Cemetery


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Location Shots – Cemetery

Below are pictures taken by Tolga of the shoot, which commenced on the Friday lesson in our newfound location of a local cemetery. This was an excellent location, albeit being a very cold morning, which in term gave a really nice effect to our filming. We used this location because it linked in with our pervious footage, which was filmed in a church. Ryan and Sam are the actors in our title sequence. This filming experience was very successful and as a group we are very pleased how it worked out.

Location Shots - Church

Below are location shots taken by Tolga on the Mondays lesson when we filmed in St Michael’s church located near our school. We were very impressed with the location and the hospitality of the vicar is incredible. We decided to use this location because of the essence of a church being a timeless location and it really suited our 1950’s themed title sequence. The wide open spaces, pillars and lighting the church provided us with were fantastic.

Me filming Sams journey through the church

Pillars used in the shoot

Shot from above overlooking the alter

Picture of Sam taken whilst I was filming the shot.

February Week 1

This week I feel was a personal best for productivity in our group. On the Monday we filmed in our church location, Wednesday we started to fully edit our sequence and on Friday we was able to finish all of our filming. All in all a very successful week for our group

Monday we came into school, earlier to make sure we were able to get the equipment we needed. Ryan was unfortunately unavailable to help with the filming on Monday due important rehearsals for his drama exam, nonetheless me, Sam and Tolga went to the church which we had already arranged an appointment with the vicar last Friday, he was glad to see us and was very friendly throughout our filming. We then started the film and we had realised that this location was perfect, big spaces, good lighting and a timeless location, which was very needed for our title sequence, which is set in the time period of the 50’s. As a group we were able to get every shot and more we needed for the part of our sequence which shows the mans journey to then proceed to murder and steel the briefcase from the other man. We took location shots, which will be posted in another post. Overall this was a very satisfying session and we are very pleased with the results. When we got back to school we uploaded all of our new footage, screened it and Sam said he would start editing on Tuesday which he did.

During Wednesdays lesson as a group we had a discussion of how we will be able to make the audience believe the sequence is set in the 1950’s and as we have already used a church a suggestion to possibly film in a cemetery was decided and agreed. We said we would consider it and decide at the end of the lesson what were going to do. As a group we have decided that due to their skills and experience Sam and Ryan will edit our sequence and me and Tolga’s role will consist of the practical side of the project (filming, locations). During the two hours Sam and Ryan made great progress in editing and it is really coming into shape and I feel we will meet the deadline, which is next Friday. Mean while Tolga and me researched locations and updated our blogs. At the end of the lesson we decided that on Friday we would film in the cemetery, we drew up a list of everything we would need (cameras, batteries, fake blood etc.).

During Fridays lesson we went out of school to film our final scenes of our project, the location was simply perfect as a cemetery is a timeless location and due to it being a bitterly cold day gave a great effect. We filmed for the full two hours, Ryan played the part of the man who got shot and Sam was back in his role of the assassinator. I filmed all the footage today so it would show consistency of the techniques of filming, everything in the shoot went fantastically and at the end of the shoot we have now got all the footage we need, we just need to edit our footage and im sure we will easily be able to meet the deadline, which is next Friday. I am very happy of how our project is coming along and feel we have got some very good footage and when it is finished we will have a decent title sequence. When we got back to the school we uploaded all of our new footage, exported it ready for editing it next week.

Google Calender

During our project, as a group we have found that contact has not been an issue because we all have each other’s contact details, as well as creating a Google calendar which any group member can alter to decide when we will film or when we have a target we have to meet. This system has been very helpful due to it giving our group great organisation and focused on out goal to meet the deadline. Below is a print screen of our calendar and with all the dates we have used in our project.