Research Into Props, Genre, Location, Actors, etc.

Brief for Main Task

The titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes.

Preliminary Task Evaluation

After many changes to the ideas for the Preliminary Task, with themes that included Scott Pilgrim against the World and Mr Bean, we came up with the idea of an action based film, with sort of an MI5 twist. We then decided that we would add humour to the piece and therefore add in Perry the Platypus from Phineas and Ferb on Disney Channel. We first decided what we would look like, and be portrayed as in the piece and started planning the story board. We came to the conclusion that we would all wear black to get into the mind set of secret agents, and focused more on the action in the film. Hazel and Jessi were going to be less able to do all the stunts and tricks whereas I am the professional, and could perform all perfectly. Hazel and Jessi were also new recruits and in training. After them turning up late they were to be on a mission to find Agent P (Perry the Platypus) which was found out to be in the same room the entire time. The final clip is called a ‘Platypus Tale’.

We decided to make the idea challenging on purpose so that we could experiment with the different camera shots and play with the editing and sound to try and get to grips with this process to make our lives easier with the main task and make that look as professional as possible.

The shots we used were long shots, wide shots, close ups, and mid shots; these helped to show the characters and the meanings, get the best view and create match on action. We added in zoom to make the film more effective, but we learned to not use this in the main task because it looked manufactured, unprofessional and broke the continuity. We also used a master shot of someone doing a cartwheel as our establishing shot.

Another thing that broke our continuity was the changing of location, because in the first location the lighting was not bright enough we had to change so that the camera would pick up all the expressions of the characters faces. However something that didn’t break the continuity was that the whole group wore black to keep in costume with a typical spy, which helped us to keep this motion.

We learnt that if we made the clip longer in the timeline it would make the clip go in slow motion. This was used with Perry the Platypus. We used text too so that when we needed to put the opening titles in our main task it would be easier and quicker.

We used our mise-en-scene very well and everything that needed to be in the frame was and any unnecessary things were not, although when we replayed what we had filmed we realised that we had not used a tripod and therefore our filming was slightly shaky, however when we film our main task we have decided to use a tripod to make our filming as perfect as can be, however this has been a learning point because we all got to use the camera ourselves and filmed well.

One of the cons of our preliminary task was the sound that we had not planned, i.e. background noise which happened when we press record, so in our main we would find a more suitable place to film with no distractions. We also added non diegetic sound into the clip in the editing process, this was very successful.

The brief clearly stated that the skills we must have used were:

Shot/reverse shot, match on action and 180 degree angle. However, whilst editing we realised that we had deleted some of our footage and to make sure that the storyline made sense we had to delete the clip which we had used the shot/reverse shot for, therefore the audience do not believe that there are people having a conversation because it was not believable enough. We were not pleased with our 180-degree angle, as it looked unprofessional. All in all, we need to make sure that when filming the main task, we abide by the brief and not adjust it to our liking. However, on the other hand, we used match on action really well, and due to that, the viewer cannot notice some of the edits.

This preliminary task created a kind of spoof with the seriousness of MI5 but the comedy moment with Perry the Platypus. This task has helped my grow and ready to improve for the main task.

Genre for Main Task

We have decided to do PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER because we feel that we can be as imaginative as we want. We also think that we can make the first 2 minutes and opening titles very creative. With editing, we can make the 2 minutes look very proffesional and quite haunting.

A Platypus Tale - Finished Video

BFI Film Festival

Even though today the highlight was meeting Matt Cardle, I did thoroughly enjoy the whole morning session of seeing the five short films and meeting and having a q&a session with the editors, actors, directors and producers of the films and finding out how they got into the business, what inspired them and where else they see there careers going.

Lesson Feedback..

Today was first proper lessons of editing. After spending a long time trying to figure out how to get our timeline up we began sorting out our clips and cutting the awful one's. Hazel and Jessi seemed to find it particularly funny to slow motion my scenes, oh the joy it will be when I have the chance to do that to them..

I Am Legend

In I Am Legend, the clip I was watching seemed to display an involvement of the audience. In the car shots, you seemed as if you were in the car with Will Smith and his dog; either in the side or back seat. It gives you his point of view of how he sees the city and what he sees.The effect of these types of camera shot is the film feels more real, and therefore more enjoyable.


Another theme of this scene is that although all the human race seems to be wiped out, it doesn't seem as though the world has suffered majorly, as the sun seems to be shining and the nature of all the birds are singing happily which gives the impression that even in New York City - a massively populated city doesn't need people around to work it.


As Will Smith drives around New York he moves past different posters and particularly emphasized on one that said 'God still loves her' which could potentially mean two different things - that they (human race) have committed an awful crime that cannot be undone and are very blamed; or that something awful had happened to the human race and no matter what he will still love you.


The props and setting used in their scene also give the theme of danger. All the guns, red car, bollards/cones on the road and deers running across the road have connotations of danger and horror.

Lesson Feedback

Some interesting terms I have learnt include:
-Montage, collection of shots put together for an effect on an audience.
-Passive, you don't need to think about what you're watching/what's going on.
-Active, you do need to think about what you're watching/what's going on.
-Graphic Match, shapes match between shots, e.g. a bouncing ball will change into the sun.
-Verisimilitude, the appearance of reality.
-Voyeurism, watching someone without them knowing.
-Exhibitionism, watching something with them knowing.

We have now finished filming of the Preliminary Task and as of today began the editing process ..

Terra Nova

Now being a media student I have opened my mind to what the editing process, different camera shots and the effects caused by doing these. I watched Terra Nova on Sunday and something I discovered was that there was a moment when the camera was moving towards the actress, however not in a zoom, and this movement created an intense and emotional feel.

Story Board for Preliminary Task

Planning Sheet for Preliminary Task

Preliminary Task.

Hazel Barnard and Jessi Kullar also make up our MI5 group, we have decided to create our task in an action/comedy way. Within this idea we also came up with a CSI or Charlie's Angels theme before coming up with our MI5 decision. The basic structure is that I am a well trained agent and the other two clumsy and hopeless; we are on a mission to find a missing agent.

We thought the MI5 option would the best as it could give us more experience and experimentaion for the main task. We have agents T (me), B (Hazel) and K (Jessi) and we are looking for agent P. The establishing shot is Agent T performing a somersault, after this the other two agents come and are pratically tripping over their own feet. We show many different shots during the short film including the compulsory 180 degree angle, shot reverse shot and match on action; we are also asked to provide a short dialogue section in which agent T converses with agent B and K after coming through a door and walking to other side of the room. After this converstaion agent P is found.

Creativity Definition.

Creativity is either taking something that already exists and adding your own take on it, adding originality. Or completely inventing something of your own and being completely unique. Using your imagination to create something special, no wrong or right answer. Something new and different, making something.

what do you think of televised courts?

big bowl of cereal ..

               nine thirty eight am ..

                                                   work uniform on ..       

                                                         ready to set off, ARGHHH!