Preliminary exercise

The preliminary exercise was to film and edit a 30-40 second video with the narrative having to include a person opening the door, entering ,sitting down and exchanging couple lines of dialogue between each other. There was no set theme or genre we had to follow allowing us to record what we wanted, however we had to follow certain style of editing which was match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180* rule.

 Watching the clip after editing it made me see what I could have done better starting with the more major problem of lighting. The style that I was trying to achieve was film-noir which uses low-key lighting creating mystery and making the clip feel more intense, but with the feedback I received it showed that there was too little light. It still had the aspect mysterious characters but there was not enough on a single character which didn't allow the audience to get attached, it was not ideal as it didn't give a purpose.

 Further, I failed the task of the 180* rule while doing the over the shoulder shots it was a major mistake as it was off slightly. Lastly, the sound volume was an issue while the two characters exchange speech, during the actual coursework to fix this was to get an attachable mic for better sound quality. The work has also good point to go along with the bad for example my editing skills have been crucial that made it a good clip. I stitched the clips in a way that it looks like it was recorded on multiple cameras or better known as continues editing. When the actor opens the door, the shot changes of the inside where the door finishes opening, having the editing done well creates a sort of flow and no jump cuts of sort. 

Lastly, from the feedback I got people enjoyed the aspect of a foreign language and certainly European(polish). It gives it a real art house clip feel meaning that i have given a lot of thought of using a foreign language for my actual coursework piece. The task was a visual presentation which showed me what I need to practise before recording the actual coursework such as the lighting, for example how to light a room which will add to the environment and feel of the genre it is being recorded in. I can also improve the placement of the camera as in 0:08 - 0.20 of the clip in the corner there was part of the staircase, it wasn't a major issue but the audience might have not been able to focus of the character himself due to the distraction. 

The areas that I will try to improve in the main coursework and evaluation is making sure not to break any rules such as the 180* rule that I used in the preliminary exercise. Practise more camera movements and revise how each shot can create a effect on a clip if recorded and done correctly. I would also have to improve how I use lighting so it adds to the clip and doesn't take away the feel of a noir. For the evaluation side, I have to improve in how much detail I write or specific points not only what happened but how it could be improved further and why. 

Learner Response to Exam

Mark = 23 (D)

WWW: You've picked up on some key aspects for every question which is a very good sign. Now you need to add the                      depth and theory to make the most of this potential.

EBI: - Key issue is your answers lack the depth, terminology and theory for the top levels in the mark schemes. Without               this, you won't get higher then 6/12.

         - Written English is also holding you back: Spelling (particularly of terminology) and grammar.

         - Lack of media theory frustrating - did you revise the MIGRAIN side of the course? You could have used narrative              theory, Hall's preferred readings etc.

The clip I have chosen was the ending scene of 'Bonnie and Clyde' directed by Arthur Penn which was released in 1967. The narrative has a single story about a criminal couple that traveled United States during the Great Depression which came to a end when they got shot by officers in an ambush, this scene highlights the final moment they shared. It is one of the top editing sequences to be released due to the way it was put together which created a effect on the viewer.

Firstly, the clip began with a slow pace which doesn't create any distinctive feelings as it seems peaceful and safe, it means that we have time to bond with the characters on screen with narrative happening between them. This can also give an impression of a normal car journey you might have which brings the characters to the same level as you and I, this once again allows the viewer to bond with them. The first 25 seconds of the clip have slow straight cuts that make it seamless and natural which still backs the idea of it being like a normal car ride that you might have. The use of POV during those seconds was so the viewer knows exactly whats happening which is edited with the dialogue, for example when she says "Isn't that Malcom there" which then straight cuts to a wide shot of what they see from the inside of the car. Another editing of sound and video was how the Malcom was never seen directly speaking but only once which was a far over-the-shoulder shot this might have been done to show how unimportant he is a character in the clip which backs the idea of Bonnie and Clyde being main actors.

In addition, the next 5 seconds establish four things that force the attention of the viewer which are the car in distance, Bonnie, Clyde and the bushes. The first shot that changed the speed of the clip was the car driving forward in the distance. With the straight cuts happening faster it creates tension due to the viewers predicting a sort of action to occur, this makes it seem more interesting then a normal car ride. A silence is kept through the cuts until it cuts to bird flying away, it is edited in a way that builds tension to that moment to make it fade away with a sort of decoy of action. It's done also in a way to trick the viewers perspective of the common ' A scene with a lot of tension leading straight to an action scene'.  Furthermore, the way the whole clip can be split into sections of speed  as at the start it was all slow then the shot of the truck happened which then the pace became faster, after that the scene of the birds which lead to a very fast pace. At that moment the tension is high meaning the viewers are in mystery what will happen even though the editor didn't hide any information away from us.

Lastly, the editing was done that the scene of the bushes appeared that led to even more tension and mystery happening around it as we don't know why it keeps appearing, then the silence is broken by gun shots that sounded similar to the wings of the birds. The last bit of genius editing is the fact the pace of the clip is slowing down with them being shot which may suggest the dying of the tension that was happening before. From 1:06 the silence and still camera gives the effect of emptiness and darkness which was a complete opposite of how the clip began.