Evaluation of Preliminary video

Evaluation

For this task, I will be evaluating my group's preliminary exercise video that we assembled as a 4 to create this short 1-minute video. Within my group, it was me, Emman, Ellis and Harvey.

Firstly, starting off with our planning process, I think our planning process was the reason why we as a group filmed our 1-minute preliminary exercise within 1 hour. Within our planning process, we as a group had to do the script of the video, storyboard of the video and the shot list for the video. Each individual would do each one so that the planning process would be quicker and it was. Moreover, beginning with our script that we created for our short video. Making the script before shooting the video was a huge benefit to us. It was beneficial to us because it allowed us to know what kind of video we are going to shoot. Also, it helps us acknowledge our own lines as actors within the video. Within our script, we made sure that we finished the whole script before shooting because then the actors would know what to say and also, we as a production group would know what type of genre or what the narrative it is and it helps us to think about more ideas to make it more interesting while shooting the video. Additionally, moving onto the storyboard of our preliminary exercise video. We as a group had to make sure that one of the individuals did the storyboard so later on while shooting the video, it will help us know how to layout the video. For example, we would know how to create the narrative a little more dramatic. Also, the storyboard was a giveaway of the genre which helped us to know what aspects of film language to include so that it can be more dramatic and significant. Furthermore, with our shot list, it was a huge benefit to us to plan because it helped us, later, on to know what to do immediately with the Shot list, Storyboard and the script. With our shot list, it included all the shot types such as what angle or shot type such as Close up shot we were going to use for our preliminary exercise video. While shooting, the shot list certainly gave us a huge insight of what to do and how the video was going to turn out. Also, it helped us to know what shot type to shoot after each one as in the shot list, they are all ordered from the start to the end. In addition, we as a group would definitely put more effort into planning because we didn't put much effort nor brief into our planning. And due to this, our final production wasn't as satisfying and didn't turn out how we expected to turn out.

Our preliminary exercise video certainly did contain strengths as well as weaknesses but in this paragraph, I will be evaluating my video positively so I will look at the strengths of our video. Firstly, with the preliminary exercise video, we had to add in match-on-action shot, shot/reverse shot and 180-degree rule shot. These 3 shots had to be included within the video somewhere and we did add all the 3 vital and needed shots. With the match-on-action shot, we placed it at 0:12 seconds of the video where from one shot, it showed the actor kicking the door and it eventually moved to another shot where the scene continued. This match-on-action shot was a crucial shot as it made our preliminary exercise video look more professional and significant. Moreover, with the shot/reverse shot, we used that at 0:24 where the shot starts. A shot/reverse shot is when the camera is placed behind a subject's head, almost like over the shoulder shot and then after, the camera moves behind the another subject. This shot was an appealing shot type as it made our video more elegant with more shots rather than having one dull shot where it catches every action. Furthermore, with the 180-degree shot, we used that at 0:24 seconds as well. A 180-degree rule is a similar shot type to shot/reverse shot. Moving on, another strength of our video was that the focus on each subject made it better as when one subject was speaking, the focus was on that subject. Moreover, as the video began, the pace of the video was immediately fast which suited the action going on within the video. It makes it more dramatic; almost trying to make it realistic by making it the same pace as the action. Lastly, the lighting within the video certainly did suit the genre and the narrative of the video and it made it look more intriguing as it linked with the brutal narrative which involves abuse and inappropriate words. An example of a good lighting would be that at 0:26 seconds of the video, we are introduced to a "Master-like" character that speaks to the abducted character calmly and confidently. According to the narrative, that character was a spy-like character and the lighting to make him not visible at 0:26 seconds, it makes him look dangerous and more better as the role of a Spy-Like character. We know that Spy-like characters are mysterious and deadly so we as a group thought of an idea to make the character less visible with the low-key lighting so it can make more sense to the audience of who he is and how dangerous he is. Our preliminary exercise video certainly did turn out to contain weaknesses that we as a group need to reflect on. Not just our preliminary exercise video that contained weaknesses but it was also our lack of communication between each other within our group. Firstly, starting off with the weaknesses within our preliminary exercise video, the first thing that we acknowledged something wrong was that the non-diegetic sound that we added when editing to make it more dramatic, came out to be extremely loud which made it harder for the audience to understand the dialogue. The sound certainly did distract the audience from watching the clip. The audience were rather more worried that they were able to hear the non-diegetic sound but not the dialogue and the dialogue is the main part of the understanding of the audience. With the dialogues, they are the biggest thing to how the audience understand the movie and the narrative of it and for that to be taken over by a dramatic sound, it really destroyed our video and the expectations that we had of the video. Furthermore, another weakness was that the camera movement was always too dramatic even when the actors were placed on the table, the camera was moving quite heavily and it frustrated us and the audience as they weren't able to see the actors properly as the camera kept on moving and the actors were sometimes disappearing from the camera frame. Moving onto the weaknesses of the teamwork within our group. We as a group certainly didn't communicate well with each other. This is because we all as individuals started to edit our own exercise video on the Adobe Premiere even though we weren't supposed to. Also because we didn't know who was doing the editing so we kind of drifted our own ways. This is something that we should certainly reflect on as this mistake is really common when working within a group. Lack of communication brings pessimistic side into it later on and that is what happened; our video didn't end up how we expected it to turn out. 

Editing Task

The Kingsman

This amazing brutal fight scene is from the movie "The Kingsman" which shows the donor brutally defeating the villains in the typical British pub. In the beginning, where it was calm and peace, the editing was much slower which goes with the peaceful harmony. But however, when the fight occurred, the increase of pace in the editing was a real huge difference to how it was before the fight. The editing that was extremely paradoxical to before the fight and during the fight immediately signifies the change of atmosphere and mood within the scene. The fast paced editing during the fight signifies how dangerous the character is. Moreover, with the fast paced editing, it also immediately creates tension within the audience making them feel full of anxiety. The fast paced editing almost makes the whole scene look better as it has a huge synergy with the fight in the scene. Within the fight scene, there were a huge amount of straight cuts used and straight cuts are the most common editing and these cuts are rarely recognized by the audience. These straight cuts is what makes the editing fast and makes the fight scene look significantly amazing. It certainly does make the fight more dramatic. As stated previously, the fast paced editing has a synergy with the actions within the fight scene as the character is brutally beating up the other villains so quickly. Additionally, we also see a rare slow paced editing during the fight when the donor fires the gripper at the villain, as it was fired, we see a slow motion, close up shot of the gripper making it look more amazing and distinctive. In addition, in the beginning of the scene, between the donor and the potential protagonist, while their conversation was running, there were many over the shoulder shots from both characters making it consistent. Additionally, before the start of the fight, there is a close up shot of the kingsman character shutting the door. The fact that the camera framing changed to a close up suggests how dangerous he is and how brutal it is going to be for the opponents. It also shows that there is no way out for the opponents. Moreover, 2:40, it was almost like it was a point of view shot from one of the members in the gang which makes it seem more realistic. Also, while they were walking up to the Kingsmen character, the character is faced away from the camera and the attackers which signifies something mysterious and danger prior to the fight. After, as he turns around, there is a medium shot of him talking and this shot helps us to clearly see his facial expression and he is certainly calm prior to the fight. As soon as the fight ended, the fast editing deteriorated back into slow pace editing.

Moreover, the sound during the fight within the scene was a very dramatic and fast paced background music. This fast paced music sounded similar to a victorious sound signifying how the character has already won the fight before even winning it. Also, the sound makes the fight more enthusiastic and dramatic. Additionally, its also sort of a tension build up sound towards the end when he blocks the bullets with his umbrella. The sound then was a anxiety build up sound that probably made the audience nervous about the ending.

Within the movie scene, I acknowledged that the lighting was very high key and this is a little abnormal to see a high key lighting during a fight scene. Perhaps, the high key lighting is created to make it more of a realistic fight between the man and the gang.

Moreover, moving onto the mise-en-scene. The character's neat suit makes him look professional and neat but in  a fighting sense, it makes him look really intelligent and really dangerous almost similar to the mafias. The director's thinking of the costume is that he wants the character to probably look like a hitman that is really dangerous and is a good person.