Question 7 - Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to your final product?

In this blog post I will talk about what I have learnt during the process of making a preliminary film clip to actually making and opening sequence to a film. I will post both the preliminary and opening sequence up on my blog so you can see for yourself the final film cut of my project.


I've learnt a lot during the process of this project the first major skill I have learnt which will benefit me in the future in my studies is editing. Before I started this project I had never edited before, I had no idea what work went into editing and how difficult it could be. I managed to avoid editing my preliminary task leaving it to other members of my team but when it came to editing the final cut of my opening sequence I played a big hand in editing, I've learnt a lot of useful skills such as cutting, placing audio, adding effects and creating titles. Not only have do I have a new found respect for editors and the work they do I have also developed a skill that I really enjoy and am eager to progress in.
I've also learnt what it is like to work as camera crew, in any past filming I have done I have always taken the roll of scriptwriter or director. During this entire process I was made to take job roles I had never done before, with the help of my team members and lecturers I have learn't many camera tricks, such as sticking to certain rules such as the 180 degree rule, finding ways to achieve better angels and shots in general and also I have gain a lot of confidence on set and working with this equipment.
Comparing the two pieces of work you can clearly see the mass improvement in quality between the preliminary task and opening sequence. As a team we put a lot more effort not only into filming but also developing the idea of our film and the meanings we intended to create, the preliminary task was a spontaneous bit of filming that we did on the spur of the moment, we didn't plan any script or plot but just filmed the two actors letting them do whatever they want. But with our film sequence we spent time working on what we wanted to achieve, there was a lack of communication at times between team members and not everyone agreed on a lot of things but we managed to pull it together and create something that we are all very proud of.
I also learnt how to write and structure a script properly and professionally so that if it was a real script I had wrote hoping to have it made into an actual feature length film I would be taken seriously in the industry. I've found this an valuable skill for what I plan to do with my future.
Not only have we gained a lot of valuable skills during this coursework, we've gain a great insight into the film industry and I personally have felt the whole process has helped with a transition of maturity and given me a lot of respect for the work people put into creating films.