Evaluation: Question 7

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Throughout the process of planning, researching, shooting and editing my thriller film, I have progressed a lot as a filmmaker, and there are many lessons I have learned, through trial-and-error, and from other people.
Regarding teamwork, I have learned that if I want something done I should do it myself; I found the experience frustrating, as I much prefer being in full control of a project. My strengths lie in camerawork and editing, so being in front of the camera, as opposed to behind it was somewhat exasperating.
Since the group for the preliminary was smaller, it was easier to work in, because the information required didn’t need to be transferred between so many people. With 4 people, there was too much relying upon each other to do the work.
When it came to camera skills, and use of the tripod, I didn't learn much that was new - considering I was in front of the camera - although I still directed the camera person a lot. I did learn, however, that over-relying on the tripod makes for a very boring film - stagnant shots are somewhat monotonous, whereas shots which pan, or shake slightly add a more personal touch to the film; as if the viewer is there.
In our film, we didn’t much regard the 180 degree rule, considering the production was meant to seem somewhat confusing, and if the viewer got disorientated, that was a good thing. An example of breaking the 180 degree rule would be; the shining, in which Stanley Kubrick shoots wide shots from both directions of a conversation, a 180-degree flip, crossing the line. This is something I learned during the planning of the final film, and I would not have considered this during the preliminary task.
Match on action was tricky to achieve fluidly in this piece, considering it also had to be in time with the music, and a specific length film. An example in my film would be; the door opening and closing, from 9 - 16 seconds. I learned that this technique is an absolute essential to filmmaking, because if there is any discontinuity between shots, the film will look choppy, and absolutely amateur, as opposed to smooth and professional.
A cliffhanger is an absolutely quintessential concept to the thriller genre, and is among the most important aspects of a good opening. The idea is that, if a viewer is intrigued as to what may happen next, then they will continue to watch the film. The preliminary task did not incorporate this, and although a dramatic piece, it fell a little flat, because there wasn’t any curiosity about the next part of the film.
Our cliffhanger, was the eye of the (presumed) antagonist - TM - opening at the end of the section.
This consisted of just 1 camera angle, and therefore proves that just a simplistic idea can be just as effective as a highly complex plot, with magnificently intricate camerawork and $1,000,000,000 actors/actresses.
From the start, we knew that we wanted juxtaposing sounds for our soundtrack - one extremely light, and one extremely heavy. Through searching around on YouTube, I came across many of these. I made a couple of drafts, and this enabled me to learn how soundtracks may effect the final piece. The ones I chose were what I believed to be the one which added the most suspense to the film.
My tutor provided feedback throughout the entire process; offering opinions on everything, both developing me as a progressive filmmaker, and helping me to achieve the highest mark possible. Her input was highly valuable, as she was able to aid in making certain decisions which could make or break my film.