After complications like script, scouting for location, cleaning location, shooting and working our way around time and obsticales, we finally have a final video of PRISONER.
For the video itself, we did it in two seperate parts; the second being the first. We did this on my own personal laptop in Adobe primer elements 4 because we were given the footage on the friday and could do it over the week, doing this Reece came over and I also brought it in on the Monday. The first period of that day myself, Barry and Reece all joined up in the common room and began to work on the piece together as we did in our Media lesson of the last period of that day. The first part, however, was first begun the day after on Adobe Priemer CS3 collection; and we had complications. At the time, sound was not working and we were having some problems with the software and when we finished it on the thuresday in it, we had problems with final rendering also; inventibally being saved in a different format.
What we had intended to do was string the two pieces together but did not realise the problem of compatablility - so Mr Earl strung it together for us - but we had all worked together to edit this piece; Reece particularly on the first half of the first squence we named 'LANDSCAPE' purly because we shot this outside.
The first and second half is clearly parted by mise en scene, but the script is continous, really. However, we had a debate of where to shoot the first squence landscape and eventually choose the school grounds; where most of it doesn't look exactly like a school - although we're aware towards the end of the shot it may. Our problem was when corrosponding to sthe script, where Number 6 takes Number 2 into a building with lock etc. that was our main problem. We all agreed that a field or some enclosed area would probably be best, but we couldn't find anywhere were we could do the end of that scene and wondering around school realised that there was a shed like buildying next to the fields. Figuring by the long shots we used, it looked as though Number 6 was kicking in the door and throwing Number 2 in; where infact he was kicking the wall and pushed him around the side - the angle of the shot looked perfect and looks effect (though we're aware the script said that he had a button, we thought this was more dramatic as it introduced urgancy and violence).
Reece here was the one who decided what shots and angles was probably best, the first one were we zoom onto Number 2 (Barry) we thought would be a good opening as it draws attention to him. Though, we did several takes of this and found that Barry looked to the camera at one point or another in all of them. The one we placed in the landscape piece was the one he looked into it the least; a problem as it looks less real - but we also made do with the cut away I decided to shoot from a low angle of Barry. So, the orginal shot was him turning his head and looking about the landscape, and I had him turn his head - it worked.
We also had a second problem whilst shooting: we forgot to move the tripod in one of the smaller squences where Number 2 picks up Number 6. We did several of these shots and in each one the tripod was present. Whilst we could have edited it out in a crop effect, we decided against it as we had several master shots of the entire half squence and decided that the crop would probably move the frame too much; so we instead took part of the first master shot.
We were also sort of lucky that we had a pretty epic sky, also, that was light at first and changed quite dark and gloomy the futhur the clip landscape developed into Number 6 becoming this hostile enemy. I was happy that we did a lot of cut aways, because it seemed to make the squence work better - Reeces / Number 6's fist particularly to connotate anger and violence - we also gave this character the majority of the power as we did a low angle up to from a greater distance bellow than we did Barry, making him look poweful and furthur hostile: Reece's face couldn't have looked any better at that instance.
In terms of sound, we had no real diagetic sound for this squence and we picked up far too much wind - so instead we quitened the diagetic sound and added a remix song of Linkin Park called drum song because we couldn't decided what to do. At first we submitted the music and found it didn't seem, real. Later we quitened it down and reinduced the diagetic sound, making it seem more true to life again; but here we did not have to worry about voice.
The second squence we named PRS2 was far more complicated to do. We did multiple shots of each scene of diologue from different angles and different shot types so that we had a varity to choose from. Again of course we had complication as our set. There wasn't a tromendance about of room, making it complicated for the wide two shot we evntally put into the clip, but as for high angles and low angles, we did them perfectly fine. Re-watching the clips we did, we found that a box and a bag was in one, but because the camera didn't move, we used the effect crop to remove it and widened the frame.
The first shot, panning down from the lights quickly, was simply a cutaway I wanted to do, but instead made a good transistion between Number 6 throwing Number 2 into the interigation room - looking down onto Number 6; giving him the sense of domiance.
Particularly, we liked the close up of Barry when Number 2 first speaks and the shot where a high angle focuses on Number 6 and follows down into a close up, where his face was lighted from above and made his eyes darker.
Editing however, we did different shots from different distances, naturally, and found we had a huge contrast in diagetic sound. We over came this by increasing the volume of sound in the shots that were farther away - the master shots and two shot for example - so that it was similar to the close ups and mid shots. There was also the problem with where from the two shot we went to a point of view shot over Number 6's shoulder and broke the 180 degree rule - we had Number 2 on the wrong side. Fixing this, we added an effect called horozontal flip, and but Number 2 on the left hand side instead of the right.
We also added music and non - diagetic sound that was provided to us by Mr Earl. The music we took from my laptop; again another remix called 0.6 which we liked as it was mysetrious and extact as Number 6 became violent. Focusing on the lights, we had the music at normal volume, but as it came to Number 2's diolgue, we faded it down and kept it quite, we did the same thing later but reversed it so that it became louder when Number 6 was punching Number 2 as diagetic sound wasn't really needed; apart from Number 6's laughter.
At the very end, we repeat Reece's laughter from a different shot and added a sound effect from the media folder as a gun shot, we had one at the end when the screen his black - adding a sense of mysetry as to who won in the end as the laughter is clearly insanic.
Crtically, some of the shots could have been better and certaintly our scouting should have been spent longer to find a different location rather than school; but in terms of mise en scene that worked (Number 2 under a tree: he's left that live) and we've faced the problems of editing. Possibly, we need to look at diologue and general acting more, also, as facail expressions / tone of voices / general movement could have been looked better. And we certaintly need to take more consideration as a group into editing - even looking at titles and credits and introductions.
Incredibly detailed, Katie, as I've quickly learned to expect from you - if you maintain this level I have no doubt that you will achieve an L4 blog. Would be good to see some storyboarding, however - maybe next time?
ReplyDeleteCritique
0:04 - I rather like the opening establishing shot, but a shame you went for a zoom - I would have preferred an ELS cutting to an CU. Unfortunately, as you can probably hear, you've got a lot of background noise - in the future, you might want to try exploring adding a soundtrack?
0:08 - I like the composition of this shot; it's very well framed.
0:17 - Again, an interesting angle. The music is reasonably well balanced, although as mentioned, the background audio is something of an imposition (particularly the wind). Is Barry supposed to be acknowledging the guy who enters in the next shot?
0:27 - Good ELS here. Again, the composition is well considered
0:30 - I like the OtS you've used here; the movement works and contrasts well with your tripod mounted shots. The wind is still irritating. I think you're holding some of the shots a little longer than I would advise.
0:35 - A rather good POV here; you've got the angle right and again the framing is good - I like the trees and the sky. A shame this shot is so shakey; I think you might have benefitted from this one being on the tripod.
0:43 - The shot of the fist is good, although held too long - I think this would have benefitted from being a quick edit.
0:46 - The jump from BCU to ELS is effective, and I like the way you've shot the action here. The editing is impressive (although as I've said, would benefit from the shots being shorter).
0:57 - The cut here would be better if you lost the short .5s bit where they are out of shot. Better to cut to them as they enter. The pan is good - often difficult to get these as smooth. I think you would have been better to jump to the CU of the kicking after the first kick in the ELS. A shame that the kicking is a little shakey
1:18 - I like that you've cut to an LS (again, very well-framed) - the action here is well shot
1:23 - The shift to the different music is jarring - would be better with a cross-fade (or a fade in?)
1:25 - I like this shot of the lights, although if it's a POV, I would expect Reece to be looking into the camera.
1:35 - Good BCU, and some good editing with a range of shots being used
1:44 - I rather like this shot - quite edgy - would be nice if it was dollied through 180, although you've kind of replicated this. Not so keen on the cut to the LA at 1:56; you would expect to go to a CU or LS/ ELS, since this shot is very similar to the final shot of the 180
2:00 - Not so sure about this HA - are you trying to make Reece seem the weaker character? This seems to be a slightly forced shot. Impressed with the audio here - you've got the balance between dialogue and music well done.
2:18 - Could do with editing to Barry's dialogue slightly more quickly, since you lose the rhythm slightly. Similarly the next edit.
2:29 - The angle here is slightly odd, although it works reasonably well. Some of the later shots are held too long
2:34 - There is a slight continuity error here - Reece was bending down at a lower angle than he is at the start of this shot. The beating is held too long in LS; would be better to cut to some CUs in order to create the dynamic of the action. This final shot is perhaps the weakest of the piece, since the focus is somewhat lost
Summary:
This is an impressive first effort. There are some really inventive shots (an excellent range, vital for success in your final piece) and some excellent editing. Sound balance is generally good and continuity is reasonable. As mentioned, there are some flaws, which would be ironed out with a little more planning and some more focus during the editing. Marked at the standard of a final piece, this would be L3 (C-grade), which is really good for a first piece - it's probably one of the best "Prisoners" I've seen.