Final Evaluation

I have noticed a significant improvement in my abilities as a reflective and independent filmmaker since starting on my experimental sound project to now. My understanding of the importance of good research has seen a noticeable improvement. Throughout the three tasks, I have learned that research is a vital tool in almost any filmmaking scenario, not just in order to inform the approach to a particular style of structure of a film, but also to ensure that what is being presented is conveyed respectfully and accurately. For example, our documentary project required considerable research into the subject of Sheffield's steel industry so that information could be conveyed with as much accuracy as possible. Our drama project also required research into the subject of mental illness; specifically paranoid schizophrenia. Indeed a sensitive issue; one that required some research so that it could be handled respectfully.

Critical and creative thinking also played a significant role in each of the three tasks. In each case, it allowed me to be more experimental with my aims within the project. For example, my experimental sound piece invited me to consider the way in which the relationship between sound and visuals can be manipulated to create a wide variety of effects, and can even be used to manipulate the viewer. The documentary product had the honour of being the first non-fictional moving image project that I've been involved in. Since documentaries are functionally rather different to films in terms of style, structure, and indeed the production process, the project allowed me to acquaint myself with a previously rather alien form of filmmaking. The drama project in particular called upon quite a lot of creative thinking and risk-taking in our attempts to make a sinister, almost unnatural tone while also making sure to keep it relatively subtle.

My knowledge of the more technical aspect of filmmaking has also seen some significant improvement throughout the module; especially cinematography, which was often my main roll throughout the various projects. The experimental film provided my first opportunity for me to really get involved in the more technical aspect of a project; being the group's primary cinematographer. Although the techniques we employed were not particularly ambitious (close-ups under 3-point lighting), it did at least provide me with my first experience at using the Canon XF100 and Dedolights in a real project. Due to my increased experience from the experimental film, I was able to be a little more adventurous with regards to cinematography in the documentary project. This time around (still using the XF100), I was able to experiment using sliders and shallow focus, creating much more vibrant cinematic effects. Due to the ever-increasing presence of the versatile DSLR cameras in the film industry, I decided that they should be used for our drama project so that I could not only gather experience of different cinematographic techniques, but also different cameras. Our initial lighting setup was also rather experimental; attempting to create an unnatural, disorientating illumination of the patient. We were unfortunately unable to use this set-up as it interfered with our split-screen effect. The split-screen effect seen in our drama was indeed a first for me; being one of the most unusual techniques I have employed so far. The effect allowed me to consider the way in which cinematography and editing can be used in combination to create a variety of cinematic illusions.

I feel that professionalism and communication within my groups has been strong throughout the module. In each case, we were quick to establish a Facebook or WhatsApp group chat to guarantee quick and easy communication between group members. Cooperation was also good. The experimental project was mostly rather haphazard in terms of allocation roles, but the documentary and drama projects ensured that each person had a particular role to play within the group; allowing for a much more efficient workflow.

In summary, I feel as though my competence as a filmmaker and as a team-worker have developed significantly throughout the course of this module. I have not only been able to hone my filmmaking skills in a technical sense, but also in terms of research, critical and creative thinking, communicaiton, studentship, and cooperation.

 

Drama Evaluation

Click here to see my evaluation for the drama project.

Feedback

We screened a cut of our project to our peers, who then provided feedback on the film as it sits. Unfortunately, we were unable to finish the film in time, meaning that there were still several technical issues with the film that were yet to be resolved; particularly with regards to sound. We were unhappy with the version of the film we were forced to present, but despite this however, feedback seemed to be remarkably positive. It can be seen in the photo below.

Final Film and Presentation

 

Self-Assessment

Click here to see my self-assessment form.

Logging Sheet

Click here to see our logging sheet.

Problems With Certain Footage

So far, we have more or less been able to gather just about all the footage we will need. Further shoots are still a possibility, but we have still a good amount of footage to play with. However, we unfortunately hadn't noticed until post-production that there were a few issues with some of the shots that we had taken; issues that weren't particularly noticeable on the camera's small screen and that only became visible when viewed on a larger computer screen.

 

The most significant of these was several of our shots being plagued by a small level of graininess, such as those seen above and below. Though it is not entirely visible on these screen-shots, it is indeed quite noticeable on a larger screen, especially when the image is moving. A majority of said grainy shots originate from our shoot at Solo's accommodation, which we now know that we had under-lit. Though the graininess is not severe enough to deny us from using the shots, they are a frustrating detriment to the film's overall quality. It is indeed more than likely that this noise was as a result of the relative low-light conditions. Given my inexperience in using DSLR cameras (as was the case for each of the group members), It seems likely that I may have had the camera set to less than optimum settings for the shooting environment (it may have been a good idea to change the exposure, increase the shutter speed, or simply light the room more effectively). Although, as I mentioned previously, we had not noticed the graininess until post-production, at which point there was very little we could do. Our aim was to make this scene seem darker in comparison to the therapy session, in order not only distingiush the two, but to also suggest a seperate plane of reality. In hindsight however, I realise that it may have been more sensible to light the scene normally, and then use colour-correction in post-production in order to achieve the darkness effect. In the future, I will make more of an effort to ensure that the camera's settings are optimally set up for shooting in dark environments such as these in order to prevent any more issues with noise. I will also ensure that I play-back the shots that I take so that any immediate issues can be identified and corrected on the day of shooting.