Feed the Fish- Preliminary Sequence

Feed The Fish 

I think that we had some nice shots in our sequence and we tried to vary them as much as possible in order to apply what we have learnt. At the beginning, I like the establishing shot because it captures the place really well and the panning shot allows the audience to see the entire location, which is important. The reason why we did this was because we wanted to draw attention to our main character, which I played. However, I do feel like this was quite rushed and so the camera did shake a little, so next time, when using an establishing shot like this in my  opening sequence, I need to make sure to put the camera on a tripod so it doesn't jog. Therefore this can make the sequence more realistic but also flow more coherently. 

     We then have a low angle shot which I thought was a good way of making the whole scene a bit more interesting but thought that it doesn't really make that much sense because normally when making a low-angle shot this is for someone who is important/ higher status and this was not the character who we were trying to present. If I had to improve this I would make sure to pay more careful attention on the types of shots I use and whether they have a particular intention. 
     In term of sound here I think this was an issue in this sequence because we did not block the sound out and so you can hear background noise of other students in the hallway, which was hard to control. Therefore, in my real opening sequence I would make sure that we film in a quiet environment or be able to control the sound to make it realistic, where there's no disturbance.

When I walk through the stairs this was a good long shot because it really does show the character well and the viewers can clearly see what I am doing. However, I think this shot would have been better if the camera was again still on a tripod, and it pans slightly when I go up the stairs.
  The shot of opening the key I thought would have been better if we had included a close-up shot of what I'm doing because I think that was important and we needed to divert the audience's attention to that. We also move quite quickly to the sign, so to improve, better control of the camera would make this more smooth.
I think the over the shoulder shot was effective because we can see the other character which is also important in this sequence; also it makes it realistic as the audience can see who I am directly talking to.
  The shot if Fahad in the background is also effective because we can see him acting as the 'security guard' as he appears really tall and masculine but cannot see his face which adds some kind of tension as to who he is.
  Other shots I don't think quite worked was putting the camera at a low-angle again because it doesn't appear to make that much sense.To improve next time, I think a simple over the shoulder shot would have been better because people can focus on the actual conversation, which is vital. The flashback part of the scene of putting toilet paper in the toilet could have been better by actually having better props such as real fish food, adding to the humour, but yet again for the actual opening sequence I think that we will be a lot more prepared and feel confident, taking on boards the skills we had learnt and applying them.
  Our peers in the classroom also gave us constructive criticisms such as they didn't understand why I was walking up the stairs and suddenly we were outside, so planning before hand is something I will take on board in my opening sequence in order for us to know exactly the type of shots we are filming, location, etc. 

  Shot Types

Establishing shot: We start off with an establishing shot in order for the audience to be clear where the who sequence is going to be set, the environment and location they are in. For example, in this case it is clear that this is a school. I liked how we panned this shot and so this gives an overview of the whole building, but it also follows the character as she enters the door.

Low- angle shot:  We then decided to do a low angle shot. A reason for this is that we not only want to experiment and use varied shots but we also wanted to maintain some suspense by not showing the character's face. However, I do think that a low angle shows higher status and power, this is a problem as this character is not the powerful one and so this may convey a misunderstanding in our audience. In my main opening sequence I should pay more attention to the type of shots I use and the meaning they may have.

Panning: As I am walking the stairs, we used a panning shot in order for the audience to see my at the top of the stairs. However, I do feel it would have been much more smoother and better if we had used continuity editing here and filmed me on the other side of the stairs coming towards the camera in order to create realism. This can also minimise the camera shaking and so the overall sequence may have looked professional.

Close-up:  In this shot we tried to show that what the girl is doing is something dangerous and secretive  hence the close-up shot of the sign 'danger of death'. I think this was effective in creating this a close-up shot in order to shock the audience, however, I think we should have held this shot for longer or gradually have zoomed in to create some kind of dramatic tension and suspense.

 Shot-reverse-shot:  We then decided to use this shot in order to show the two characters having a conversation. This gives a sense of intimacy as we are able to see the conversation of these two characters and follow up what they are talking about so keeps the audience hooked.

High- angle shot: The reason we used a high-angle shot was because we wanted to show the two characters talking to each other and give a whole over view of where they are, their body language, position and surrounding, which is important detail in keeping the audience interested in knowing what's going

Harry Potter- reflection

Harry Potter reflection sheet

How have you opened and saved the project?

I opened my garageband project by from the media folder which we had to all save in  on the Macs. We later had to export the files which meant that it was saved in as a published clip with the video and sound in it together.

Any problems you encountered with the software?

The problems I had with garageband was that sometimes when I saved the video and later come to view it, some of the files of the sound I had importanted said that it was 'not found' which meant that we had to find extra time to find these files.

Anything else related to the task as a technical exersise?

Overall I thought we did an effective sound extract for the opening sequene for Harry Potter. However, I did find it quite hard to choose exactly the right sound for some of my shots fro the sequence as a lot of the strings for example all sounded quite similar. This therefore meant that we had to use up more time finding the most suitable sound clip for out sequence and we did take up more time which meant we didn't quite get to finish out product in the remaining 3 lessons. So now that i am more familiar with garageband, hopefully in my real project which I will be creating, I will be more familiar with the sound clips and how it all works.

What did you learn that you will be able to transfer to the filming project?

I learned that to create an effective video for the opening sequence sound was extremely important in conveying the right mood for the audience to experience. For example. using high piercing sound at the beginning and gloomy, dark non-diagetic sound conveyed the eeriness. Also I learnt that by contrasting music such as having uplifting music after a previous scene of tension this created more mystery and drew the audience closer to the action of the film. I think I have become a lot more confident in editing sound tracks and also controlling their volumes, for example, making some clips quieter than others for effect. This is something that will try to I apply in my final project so that it can show that I have learned a range of different ways to make sound more effective.

Mise En Scene of 'Phantom of the Opera'

Write a technical analysis of the mise en scene at the beginning of Phantom of the Opera

At the beginning of the first seen we are introduced to a black and white scene which paints a much industrialised setting and brings us back to the olden days.  The detailed close-up shot of the men wearing gloves and boots illustrate that it’s set on a cold winter, but perhaps adds mystery as we have not been introduced to any of the characters faces, creating a tense atmosphere.  As they enter the building, the first shot we are introduced to is dirty, ruined and bats seem to be flying. This creates the feeling that the place is isolated and the black and white colours further reinforce an eerie atmosphere which brings apprehension or suspicion to the audience watching. We can also see the bright light coming in through the windows which illustrates a sense of hope and that there might be something positive wanting to break through the damaged surrounding. The props which are left lying around the building such as ladders for costume designing and the lights may hint that they may be something glamorous about the place, or that’s about to happen, creating mystery.
Furthermore, the costumes which the characters are wearing seem quite formal as one of the men is wearing a tall black hat with a cloak and the women, who also wearing a hat with veil and long dress.  This could be use to illustrate prosperity and the grandiose building is further showing this but because it appears really damaged this is creating confusion and suspicion to audience.   Moreover, the shot of the monkey statue appears like a close-up shot which the camera lens slowly zooms in to create significance that it has, and the voice over builds up the tension on wanting to find out more. The tone of music because eerie as it focuses on the object, adding curiosity and suspicion to those watching. At around 4.47, when the camera is on the man speaking and about to reveal what’s underneath the cloth, the light is focusing on him but his surrounding is dark and it seems to be flickering quite a lot, building tension.
As soon as the cloth is revealed there is a rapid shot of lights which are almost blinding, foreshadowing that what’s about to be shown would contrast the previous scene of dismal, moody atmosphere.  The dominance of white along with eccentric music creates the feeling that the whole place is washing out and turning into something magnificent. Just as the wind is blowing on all the possessions and pieces of furniture they become garnished in dazzling gold and red colours. This symbolises royalty and the alluring glamour of the scene which completely contrast from the last scene and draws the audience in.  All the statues that were full of cobwebs before transformed into these gold pieces of architecture which now look very expensive.  In the final moments of the opening, the sky appears pink and baby blue and the building looks a lot more bright than before, demonstrating a change which feels exciting, and the dramatic music helps us to feel that. The characters are all wearing extraordinary costume and very dramatized stage make up which create an energetic and budding atmosphere and makes audience livened up, contrasting from before where it was all moody and dark with no emotions. The opening is effective as it makes audience excited for what’s to come by all the fascinating props, building, make-up, etc.  The parallel sound at the end is upbeat and has a lively orchestral feel to it which creates an exciting atmosphere, contrasting from the dullness before.