7. Looking back at your preliminary task (the continuity editing task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

From the preliminary task to the film-opening task, I learnt about different camera shots such as close up shot, tracking shot, establishing shot. They are very important as helps to introduce a new scene and it contributes to the film plot. Also Editing techniques for instance jump cut, action match make the film look more realistic, it helps the viewer to see all kinds of actions in the film from different angles, as if the viewer is actually there.

For the chosen film opening, we included three time-lapse/establishing shots; the actual footage of each location we filmed took around half an hour, so we could edit it by changing the speed of the location footage to 7 seconds and make an effective time-lapse. We had to wait an extra 20 minutes for the Greenwich time-lapse because the sunset was longer than expected.

In my preliminary task, I wasn’t very good at filming in smooth pace; e.g. the pan shot was not very good. But I improved my skills by practicing afterwards when I had the camera with me at home. Then for the actual filming day in the house, after a few takes, I successfully filmed the first scene, which was a pan up when the protagonist getting up from his sofa to put on his shirt then a pan down as he sat back down to watch the news.

Preliminary task Pan:

I couldn’t really follow the 180 degree rule, as the camera pans from right to left because I couldn’t wasn’t very good at using a camera then.

Film opening Pan:

I filmed this, making sure the whole pan up/pan down shot was steady, smooth and shows the viewer that the protagonist is watching TV, but he is going to put on his shirt and whilst he put on his shirt, you will see his big scar and tattoo.

I also filmed the over the shoulder shot of the protagonist continuing to watch the TV news report.

This was filmed because it would allow the viewer to be aware that the protagonist is still showing his back to us but it also allows a little picture from the TV from the news report to be seen so the viewer is aware as to what exactly he is watching. We also included a voiceover, from an actual television report in a echoing tone, so it

shows this is how it sounds in the protagonist’s ear, the news report is running through his mind.

We added two opening credits in the shots where there was

space, so in the first and fourth screenshot, we thought these shots had most space, and the opening credits contribute to make the opening look like an actual film opening. We picked a font that is

simple and formal, so it suits to the Crime/Mystery genre expectations. whilst the opening credits appear, there is an action match of the protagonist going upstairs to his room. I learnt that adding the action match will help the viewer to trace the protagonist’s upstairs, as if the viewer is secretly following him, which links to the protagonist’s creepy ambience throughout the opening. The clock and watch shot is an eye line match, we wanted to raise the idea that time is important for the protagonist, he has got plans, which leads him to head

upstairs.

We decided to film this in the protagonist’s eye because we wanted to state it is more effective if we film this scene as a point of view shot, where he heads towards his computer and sits on the chair and looks up to his screen, where a hacking screen fades in because as the viewer is aware, the hacking screen is a secret and its only for the protagonist’s eyes.

We included the hacking screen by downloading a false hacking clip online, and then the Mac computer had this feature where you can

record what you are doing on your computer screen, so we clicked on the record button on the file browser and then we played the hacking clip and added to the scene with the blank computer screen scene.

We added another fade in of close up pan; from left to right of the map that I redesigned to made the map look worn out and ancient. We agreed that this close up pan would be effective because it flows very nicely with the previous scene, which was the fade in of hacking file that appeared on the computer screen. It makes the introduction of the film to be very discreet and mysterious, it highlights all the key items to the viewer because if we were filming the rest of the film, the map and hacking screen would appear a lot times. We added red pins to the map to point out the specific areas in London that he will take over, but the viewer would not be told, instead it could lead the viewer to be even more suspicious of the protagonist and be curious as why he has 3 areas targeted.

We filmed back to the original style of keeping the protagonist to be faceless because we wanted to continue the anonymity persona from him. We filmed another action match so we are aware of what he is going to next, which was grab the deck of cards from his drawer; where you see his white iPhone along with additional props. We first filmed a long shot to clarify where he is, him sitting by his computer. Then we filmed a close up of him taking the cards to signify another clue that he is a questionable protagonist, other clues were him watching the news, hacking screen, map.

We added subtle jump cuts of the protagonist putting on his blazer and putting the cards in his pocket, and then we added another scene of him buttoning his blazer. These 2 scenes are significant because it tells the viewer that the protagonist is getting ready to leave and the story will be building up, as we only introduced the house and his heist of 3 locations in London. We filmed the cards again because we wanted to raise the importance of these cards, it could suggest that it’s his hobby of being a magician or he uses it to con people since he is a criminal mastermind.

We filmed an mid-shot of the protagonist receiving a mysterious from a lady who says the numbers “74273” as he leaves the room. We don’t show who the lady is or we intentionally didn’t film a close up of his phone screen, so the viewer could have seen the caller ID. If we filmed the rest of

film, we would unravel as to who is this lady and what’s her role and story in the film. The numbers she says, link to the his tattoo design and the film title to highlight importance of the number, since it’s the numerical initials to the Shard, which will be main heist for personal reason that we would of filmed if we were filming the entire movie.

The last opening scene was dolly shot of the protagonist walking in his passageway, towards the door. Then the camera stops moving forwards as soon as the protagonist opens the door to illustrate that we are done watching the opening scene. Then camera then zooms towards the mail-slot. We edited that zoom in by adding a slow fade out, so then it ends in darkness. The black screen would appear with the fade in/fade out of the film title, to clarify that the opening is over and now the film narrative will move forward.

My editing was okay for the preliminary task, but it was much better for the film opening. Also I filmed a shot-reverse-shot too. But the shot were too quick.

This is another pan shot from left to right in my preliminary task, it could have been a decent pan shot but firstly, I was too fast and secondly, I didn’t follow the 180 degree rule, that’s why the pan shot did not come out good. It looked like a homemade clip, rather than professional film footage.

In my preliminary task, I learnt that by not adding the score, diegetic sound and having the relevant camera shots and editing make the film look very boring to watch. My camera work wasn’t great but it has improved a lot for the film opening. I learnt that practicing how to use the tripod and camera efficiently does benefit your film representation very much. Since I am into designing and drawing, making the production logo and film title really helped to improve my skills even more in Photoshop and now I’m good at the Motion software. Although we had no dialogue in our film opening, having the character to be faceless in the opening would hopefully help the viewer be intrigued of how the rest the movie would play out as we introduce the character’s face and his life story as a protagonist and antagonist in the film.