Preliminary Production Evalution

Task:

Your evaluation needs to include the following:

• Clear reference to the brief, your planning process, how your script/storyboard/shot list helped create the final product and what you would do differently next time in terms of pre-production
• Detailed analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of your film
• Confident use of media language, particularly film language, showing clear understanding of the key concepts of Media Studies (MIGRAIN)

Brief: To produce a short production in which we filmed and edited a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character to engage in a conversation. The production should demonstrate use of the following three elements:

•  Match on action
•  Shot/reverse shot
• 180-degree rule

Planning process and pre production: In our groups (Katie, Amrit and me) we had to produce a storyboard, shot list and script. As a group we all inputted into the creation of all three documents as we planned them out together in lesson time. However, in order to produce the documents as a final piece we went off individually to complete them. Together we produced our shot list which was helpful as we had something to refer to during filming. The shot list also helped us to formulate new ideas during filming which emphasized the genre to the audience in a more unique and exiting way to suture them into the narrative.Then the storyboard provided us with a organised structure to assist us producing particular looks of shots. Achieving such looks was crucial because it helped to make our production more appealing to the audience. Thirdly, there was the script. I think that out of the three documents the script was the most important part because it helped us to establish the result that we were looking for out of our narrative which in turn helped us to ensure that we filmed our shots in the correct way. Overall I think that our pre production  was fairly strong but there was room for improvement. 

Strengthens and weaknesses

I think that mise en scene was one of our strengthens this is because we used natural lighting to our advantage which helped us to create a atmosphere of danger throughout the shoot. Another strengthen I think was editing; however in comparison to the mise en scene it wasn't quite as strong. This is because we could have added voice overs after realizing that the sound files had corrupted. A third strengthen was our cinematography this is because we used a wide variety of shot types to make the production of Contract more interesting for the audience. Although, in my opinion we could have used some other types of shots rather than the same range all the time.Another strengthen of the overall production I think was the choice of sound, we had parallel sound to the production which linked with the genre and atmosphere that we were trying to create. Furthermore, I think that the use of the match on action was demonstrated well at the point of Amrit opening the classroom door through a series of short and concise shots.
Another strengthen of our production was the use of shot/reverse shot which helped us to effectively create the atmosphere of  mystery and build tension and suspense.   

In terms of weaknesses; by accident we broke the 180 degree rule during the scene where we filmed the conversation between Amrit and Katie. Also in some of the scenes particularly when the conversation finished I didn't have Amrit the subject in the frame. I also had a weakness myself individually during the filming which was with the adjustments of the lighting. One last weakness I think was in our pre production planning with the shot list, This is because I think that we/I could have added short information synopsis which detailed which direction the camera was moving in each shot. Personally I think that for me as the camerawoman it would have reduced the chance of me accidentally cutting the subject out of the shot once the conversation had taken place.