Operating a video camera
I feel that the operation of a video camera was one of the less successful aspects of my use of technology. Several of my shots were quite shaky and focus and lighting could have been handled better. However I had no trouble with the functions of the camera and the problems with shooting were more physical than technical.
Composing shots
The majority of my shots were either point-of-view or over-the-shoulder shots, and generally I felt that they were very successful. I had no difficulty in creating the POV shots and setting up angles and on the whole I feel that the shot composition of my media product turned out very well.
Recording and/or using dialogue, sound effects and music
My film contained no dialogue, however did contain music and sound effects. I felt that my sound editing was one of the most positive aspects of the editing process. I had to cut a section out of the middle of the song I was using and I was very pleased with the end result, because the song still flowed smoothly. I also felt that the timing and positioning of sound effects in my film, notably the alarm clock sound effect, was a positive aspect of the editing.
Importing images or video files
I found importing images, video files and sound files into Premiere Pro to be a fairly simple process which went smoothly for me and was something I had no trouble with. I also had to transfer files from my camera's SD card to a USB, which was also very successful.
Creating music and/or sound effects
Personally I did not create any sound effects or music for my media production: I used an existing song, A Well Respected Man by The Kinks, and exported foley and other sound effects from Garageband to use in my production, including the alarm clock effect used.
Editing images for moving image production (use of editing software)
Apart from several technical glitches involving saving my work, I found using Premiere Pro to be fairly straightfoward and quickly mastered most concepts, including adding transitions and visual effects to my shots, although these effects did not end up in the final production. These involved changing the contrast, adding different wipe transitions and adding filters. I also added credits to my film through Premiere Pro which was something else I had no difficulty with.
Editing sound for moving image production (use of editing software)
As mentioned above, I found sound editing, and particularly the editing of the song I used, to be a very positive aspect of the editing process. I was able to remove the middle section of the song in order to fit it to the length of my film without having to fade it out at the end. In addition to fitting the song's length to my film, I was able to trim and time the cut in the song so that the song flowed easily from one section to another without the missing portion being noticeable.
Monday, 26 September 2011
PRODUCTION INTERNAL: Evaluation
Positive Aspects of the Process:
A positive aspect of the filming process was my effective use of storyboards and treatments to convey the idea of my film. The storyboards were incredibly helpful in filming because they allowed me to work through all of my shots easily and it gave my production process a logical order which allowed my filming to be done efficiently.
Another positive aspect of the filming process was editing. I found that my use of storyboards also helped in editing because they helped with shot order and length which created a neater final product.
Aspects Which Could Have Been Better Done:
Steps in the process which could have been better done include time management, which caused problems in the editing stage of the production process by limiting the time available to me to edit. Another aspect which could have been improved on was the fact that due to technical and physical limitations I had to drop some shots from my film because they were too difficult to create. For example, a long shot I had planned of the main character walking down the street had to be cut because I could not get a wide enough or high enough shot in order for it to be included.
Strategies Suggested To Achieve This:
In order to achieve better time management I should have completed my filming earlier and begun editing sooner in order to allow more time for it. This would have meant I could have made more effective use of my editing time and possibly produced a more polished finished product. More editing time would have also meant less stress in the process allowing me to focus more clearly on the work.
How These Changes to the Production Process May Have Affected the Media Product
As mentioned above, the most significant effect of the time constraints was less time to edit my media production. This was obviously disappointing as it reduced the quality of the final product, however, I feel my use of technology and effective time management over the past week in terms of editing has allowed me enough time to create a satisfactory end product. Overall, I would say the the filming and production process of my media product has been successful and for the most part has been very positive.
A positive aspect of the filming process was my effective use of storyboards and treatments to convey the idea of my film. The storyboards were incredibly helpful in filming because they allowed me to work through all of my shots easily and it gave my production process a logical order which allowed my filming to be done efficiently.
Another positive aspect of the filming process was editing. I found that my use of storyboards also helped in editing because they helped with shot order and length which created a neater final product.
Aspects Which Could Have Been Better Done:
Steps in the process which could have been better done include time management, which caused problems in the editing stage of the production process by limiting the time available to me to edit. Another aspect which could have been improved on was the fact that due to technical and physical limitations I had to drop some shots from my film because they were too difficult to create. For example, a long shot I had planned of the main character walking down the street had to be cut because I could not get a wide enough or high enough shot in order for it to be included.
Strategies Suggested To Achieve This:
In order to achieve better time management I should have completed my filming earlier and begun editing sooner in order to allow more time for it. This would have meant I could have made more effective use of my editing time and possibly produced a more polished finished product. More editing time would have also meant less stress in the process allowing me to focus more clearly on the work.
How These Changes to the Production Process May Have Affected the Media Product
As mentioned above, the most significant effect of the time constraints was less time to edit my media production. This was obviously disappointing as it reduced the quality of the final product, however, I feel my use of technology and effective time management over the past week in terms of editing has allowed me enough time to create a satisfactory end product. Overall, I would say the the filming and production process of my media product has been successful and for the most part has been very positive.
PRODUCTION INTERNAL: Props
Props required:
- Gun
- Magnetic letters for title sequence
- Newspaper
- Toothbrush
- Confidential files
- Coffee mug
- Alarm clock
- Toast
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Exam Evaluation!
What did you study the most for?
I studied most for representations since it was the topic I was least prepared for. I also read over my notes for genre to make sure I knew directors, release dates etc and to sort out what I would be writing about.
Did you feel prepared?
I definitely felt prepared for representations and I had a pretty clear idea what I was going to write about for both papers; also I studied enough to fill out two essays (I hope) which is pretty prepared for me.
What can I do to help you become more confident and succeed on the final exams?
Maybe work a little more on representations (especially since I missed about a week because I was sick and so didn't get to study it as much in class before the mocks.)
How much time did you spend on each essay?
I split the time fairly evenly between both papers so I probably spent about an hour and a half on each, maybe a little less since I had about fifteen minutes left at the end to proofread.
If you finished early, did you go back and check that you had answered the question and written as much as you possibly could have?
Yes.
Did you make sure that you referenced key words from the topic in your answer?
I hope so, I can't remember but I usually rephrase questions into my essays.
Did you memorise key quotes from the worksheets, experts and films to use as examples?
I don't think I used any quotes per se... something to work on for the externals.
And finally, what will you do to make sure that you are even more prepared for the final exams?
Rewatch films for genre study, read my notes again more thoroughly so I can memorize quotes, and statistics for representations.
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