Prelim Task Evaluation (Q1)

What planning did you do? How was this helpful and did you change your planning?

The first thing our group decided was who was filming and who was going to be filmed. As our task was to create a short conversation including tension we knew using only two actors was the best decision. In the end it was decided that myself and Luke, were to be in it (using myself as the 'main character'). Secondly, we set out a general storyboard with a full shot list and camera angles specifically outlined so we knew exactly what and where we needed to film so we had maximam time editing when using minimum to film.
              Starting with a low close up first, we filmed myself walking across the shot. We only captured one of my shoes stepping into the centre and then leaving. This was exactly what we were after. This was followed by a birds eye when I walk through the gate - we did a birds eye shot at the start because it set out the location and outlined who the character is. Thirdly an upwards pan of my figure was filmed, During this I had to do my first piece of acting - It was simple: I had to pull out my phone and check the time, indicating I was late. This shot was specifically important because it enables the transition from walking in casual, to running to the cafe in a rush. It took a series of attempts before we got the timing exactly how we wanted it. Eventually, we got it. As the camera pans up it captures my phone emerging from my pocket and my facial expression as I realise how late I am.
               Next we filmed a tracking shot. We planned this for after I check the time so that our film contained a shot of someone running a long distance (this shows how late they are). The distance was from the school gate to the cafe,(which wasn't visible in the shot) however the tracking shot turned out nice. I run across the road delibarately ignoring the zebra crossing as planned and round the corner of the school building. Everyone in our group agreed that the shot was good so we moved location to the cafe were our next set of shots took place.
                We planned to have a quick shot of the cafe door opening with the character walking through it to show the location transition. To do this filmed my hand grasping the handle and thrusting the door open still capturing the rush and hurry my character was supposed to be in. However one shot we did not plan but we still included was a birds eyes view. It was of my figure walking into the cafe, the shot captured the door opening and my body walking in just how we expected - in fact it turned out better than expected. Looking back at the finished edit I would use this isntead of the door handle shot, as it seems unnecessary with the birds eye. However we used both. Whilst in the cafe we experimented with other shots along the corridor. On the other hand we wasted a lot of time doing this because none of these were used in the final film. To show the entrance to the classroom, (and the start of the conversation) we filmed an over the shoulder shot of the classroom door being opened and entered. This only took three attempts to actually film and turned out very successfully. After this we thought about having a transition to show the conversation actually beginning, so we agreed to quickly film a close up of the chair being pulled out to sit on- again I thought this shot was very unnecessary however it looked good because it generated tension and acted as a mini build up.
                 This is the part in the film where Luke first appears. After a side profile of my first lesson, we used the same shot to film his first line. Then did an opposite shoulder of me, then the same again for the last line, for my reaction we filmed a fifth over the shoulder. My reaction could of been slightly over the top, however I wanted the film to really show how much my character was rushing and how much of a dissapointment it was to him when his friend tells him that he has failed to being in his coursework (due in that day.) Something we didnt plan but actually added a great deal of emotion to the shot was actually an accident. The chair I was sat on flied out from underneath me as I get up in anger and it makes a loud noise crashing into a cabinet behind it. At first our conversation was in shambles, the first couple of takes where cut within a few seconds because Luke and I did not plan our lines out, after a few attempts to improvise we agreed that planning and thinking (in every shot) should be a necessity to create a good film. We stopped filming and thought of what we were going to say then practised our lines before filming again. Alas we managed to get our lines right first time each time after we planned it out, very helpful. We used opposite shoulder shots and side profiles because we wanted the conversation to be: quick, concise and direct - straight to the point and short. The final shot we planned was a tracking shot of myself exiting the room. However it wasn't quite the conclusion we were after. In the end we decided that a worms eye view was the best option to show the end of our short film. The camera captured the bottom right of the classroom door so it showed my figure walking out and off screen.
Overall the planning was very important, it allowed us to quickly go to our locations and film what we wanted meaning that we had extra time to film what we wanted to add in. In the end we kept all of our originally planned shots and added three extras in. Continuity was never a problem when we looked at the editing. The filmers asked Luke and I to wear all the same clothes even my belt on the days we were filming.