My Prelim Evaluation

This is my prelim continuity task video starring me and Sailesh

1. Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?

I worked in a group of four and we managed the task fairly evenly. My group consisted of me and Sailesh who acted and edited our version of sequence, as well as Sian and Aisha who mainly focused on the technical side of things.

My group, L-R: Aisha, Me, Sailesh and Sian.

This included directing shots, doing the clapperboard (Although I did this for the first 3 shots since I wasn't in them.) and monitoring the sound. For editing I was paired with Sailesh and the other two made a separate edit.The group didn't  have a clear leader and everyone put in a roughly equal amount of input, with no member dragging or not contributing. This worked well, as it meant that nobody was frustrated at anyone else in the group and allowed us to finish the task successfully.

Me and Sailesh editing our footage.

Overall, we were an effective team and we all contributed in different but equal ways to make the running of the task smooth and efficient.

2. How did you plan you plan your sequence? What processes did you use? What theories did you try and take into account?

We planned several different aspects of our sequence through a variety of ways. In order to plan the sequence we created a storyboard to show shot order and what each shot would look like.

Sian holding up our storyboard.

This was done well, as each shot was drawn so that the task could be shot realistically and also look interesting. We ended up following the storyboard almost exactly other than two shots which were the same but in a different order to what he had planned on the storyboard. We also had a script, so that we could easily shoot consistent dialogue scenes quickly without having to try and remember what we had said last take.

The script that my group created for the sequence.

 In addition to this we discussed timings with the other group that was filming at the same time as us who was going to shoot in the corridor first as we both had scenes that took place there. When filming we used several main theories effectively to make sure continuity was preserved and that the brief was met. These were the 180 degree rule, the 30 degree rule, match on action, the use of master shots and shot-reverse-shot for the dialogue scenes. We also thought about narrative structure and made sure that the plot of our sequence was cohesive and made sense, which I think we did successfully.

3. What technology did you use to complete the task, and how did you use it?

To complete the brief we used a height adjustable, flexible and lightweight Canon Legria HFG 30 camera. This allowed us to film in a very versatile way, so we could film a variety of shots easily, saving time.

The camera and headphones we used for the shoot.

We also used headphones and a Canon DM-100 Directional Microphone in order to monitor the sound to make sure there wasn't too much background noise. We also used a Libec TH-650 HD tripod to help adjust the camera to capture a variety of shots. When it came to editing we used PCs running on Windows 7 and used the software 'Adobe Premiere' to edit the clips together, which had been uploaded by the media technician. We used this software because it is relatively simple to use and results in a high quality sequence. To edit we first renamed all of the clips into the shot number and take number to make it quicker to sift through them for the best takes. We then used the multiple-tracks to combine the best takes into the final continuity sequence. In order to achieve continuity we attempted to make the final frame of one shot match exactly with the first shot of the next. We also attempted to make the audio match from shot to shot, most visibly during the dialogue.

A screenshot of our finished edit.

4. What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?

Because we were shooting in a school during a school day, we had to be wary of students entering the media block during our filming - which luckily did not happen. One thing we did have to plan around was the school bell, which obviously would have ruined any scene it was in due to how noticeable it would have been. To avoid this we simply made sure that we were not filming a scene at 15:05 which was the only time our schedule clashed with the bell. We shot in a classroom, which also had limitations as we had quite a lot of chairs and tables we had to move and adjust in order to make the room appropriate for shooting - although this also had the advantage of having a ready made classroom set so we didn't have to add anything to make it seem like a genuine area.

We also had some limitations we had to work within, mainly having only one hour to film and one hour to edit our sequence, forcing us to do fewer takes of each scene and leaving us unable to fix the audio across certain shots during editing. Another limitation with editing was my lack of experience with 'Adobe Premiere', which was partly combated by my partners relative experience with the software - although I doubtlessly would have been able to create the sequence more quickly if I had had greater experience.

5. How successful was your sequence? Please identify what worked well, and with hindsight, what would you improve/ do differently?


My sequence is overall quite successful at fulfilling the brief. It maintains continuity and doesn't break any of the rules such as the 30 degree and 180 degree rules. The action is also matched very well for each shot, achieving continuity successfully, as shown below.

via GIPHY
However, in hindsight it would have been better if we had made several changes. For example, certain shots could be a little bit better, such as this one:

via GIPHY
This shot covers my face and since I'm speaking in the shot this should not have been the case. We should have made sure we had at least 2 good takes which contained my face fully visible. Other than this there is one other error, to do with audio. At 0:08 - 0:11 in my edit, the audio cuts out for the shot of me looking up, only to be reinstated next shot. This is slightly jarring and could have been easily fixed by carrying the audio track from the previous shot over the shot.

6. What have you learnt from completing this task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing the rest of your foundation coursework, do you think?

This task has taught me many things. It has taught me how to film a scene in a short amount of time with absolutely zero budget, something which will doubtlessly come in useful for any future creations. In addition, I now know how to use 'Adobe Premiere' to edit to a decent degree, which I would certainly not have known otherwise and will definitely come in useful for the rest of my coursework, when I have to make a two-minute film opening complete with titles, for an original fiction film. The planning aspects have taught me how much preparation is necessary for a sequence even as simple as two characters talking, and how many takes and shots are needed to keep a scene interesting and working. These will both come in useful during pre-production on my next sequence as I will be able to plan my time more effectively and therefore shoot more takes of harder shots.

For my film opening coursework I will need to do more planning, shooting and potentially involve more actors, so getting experience with these aspects now will be beneficial to the smooth production of this sequence .