When making my 30 second corporate film for every mind matters. The section I had to make the short corporate film was Dedicated Workspace. For this my idea was to make a relaxed piece where the focus was a desk and a small, tidy workspace where everything is in the right place and what is needed is well with in reach. The way that I filmed this short piece to get across the message is by using smooth, moving shots to help the tone of the film as well as to show all the items that are needed for a dedicated workspace. The music I selected is relaxing but also has an upbeat tone as this helps the audience have the relaxed and pleasant feel to help with the intended message. The way I have edited the piece also helps to give a relaxed atmosphere and allow the audience to focus. The fades that I have used help this and helps the audience to see the passage of time and keeps the film smooth and flowing. The shots of the person placing items on the desk also help the audience to follow what is best and how to keep a good workspace.
Intro Project Evalutions
Film 1 Montage
The montage I have made is a montage of myself gaming. This is one of my favourite hobbies, so this made sense for me to do my montage on this. In the montage I have some good shots but almost all of these shots could be improved. For example, there is a shot of my Xbox turning on. This shot is slightly over exposed as the differing light conditions and the darkness at the start made the exposure difficult to get right. This shot is also very shaky and doesn’t look good and makes the film look cheap. However, there are some good shots that look good for example there is an over the shoulder the shot looking at a computer screen with a game being played which is well focused and the moves very well and smoothly.
Film 2 Interview
The interview I have made is an interview with a friend who has lived in Hong Kong for the last 16 years. In the interview I asked him about his differing experiences during the pandemic. The camera on this is still as it is frame as to make the subject the main point of the image. The shots are well focused and exposed however, the focal length of the shot however makes the shot very busy as the background is in a kitchen which makes the subject hard to focus on. The sound is good is on this interview. However, in between the takes of the interviews the sounds of the kitchen would slightly change and the volume that the subject spoke at also changed sound the levels changed making it harder to edit.
Film 3 1-Minute film
The 1-Minute film that I produce was a contrasting film showing the differences between the Christmases’ of 2019 and 2020 when the global pandemic had caused the normal to change. This was sound through the different days by playing games with a friend to just sitting on the sofa playing on phones. The shots in this where filmed in a way to show the difference in the world for example, the shots that showed us with friends where bright but the ones on the sofa were slightly darker which was good but could have been more pronounced and better. This could have been done in the edit or on the camera when shooting to make it look better.
Reflective Journal
During the intro project I have developed my skills in both the technology and physical skills. To develop my skills in the technology aspect of the intro project I have worked with camera and sound equipment that i had not previously used. I have developed my skills on the Sony A7 iii which I had not previously used. Throughout the 3 intro projects I used the A7 iii twice in which I learned to use the camera properly and to use the new features that the camera has such as the peaking and zebra functions that I have never previously used. These features have enabled me to use the camera more effectively and professionally as the peaking function has allowed me to make the footage that I have shot is focused better and sharper on the subject to show the audience the subject. These features have also aloud the quality of my work to improve to a more professional standard. The use of the 50mm lens on the A7 iii has also allowed me to get the shot that I want with a deeper depth of field and to add more detail to the background of the shot. However, this has caused me to get to much focal length which for the interview project that was part of the intro project I had too much depth. This left the background of the video busy and took the focus of the of the audience away from my subject. On the montage task the use of the A7 iii meant that the shots I got where well focused but could have been better with the framing as the unfamiliar camera at the time meant that some of the shots didn’t capture the subjects in the frame properly and could have been used in a more effective and better quality. For the 1-minute film I used the Sony FS700 which allowed me to make the film look more professional by using the cine prime lens that is attached to the camera. The use of the FS700 help me to get more advanced shots as well as the peaking function of the FS700 gave the shots as sharp focus and made the subjects clear. The FS700 however was heavier than the A7 iii which meant that the handheld shots were less stable due to the weight of the camera. The shots that I got during the filming of this project the camera also give me more extreme shots with the zoom function of the cine lens allowed me to get close in on the subjects such as the UNO cards in the 1-minute film with where shown in detail. The sound equipment that I used to get the audio for the was the Zoom H6 which I had never used before the interview project. When doing the project, I found the H6 easy to use and the audio that it recorded was clear and easy to sync up to the footage. However, the when using the H6 with headphones I found it a hassle as the microphones that fitted on the took time to set up, then check the levels, then remove the headphones. However, other than this I found the H6 easy to use and simple to set up. This gave me confidence to record the audio on the H6 well and to get it clearly.
When producing my films, I worked with numerous different classmates who helped me to film all my films. I work with these people as I wouldn’t have been able to do all the processes for the films to be produced. When filming the montage I worked with one other classmate as some of the shots that I wanted required me to be in the shot and to make them look better than I could have on my own by using a tri-pod and allowed the shots to have some movement. The montage also enabled me to use the camera myself and get some moving shots of differing subjects that fitted the narrative of the film. In the interview I again worked with another classmate as well as an outside collaborator who I interviewed. This differing dynamic on this shoot allowed me to experience working with another contributor and gave me experience in this field and helped me make my interview and the process of making it easier to film. On the 1-minute film I filmed it with my girlfriend as it was more convenient to make it in this way. In this we used another collaborator to get the shots that required this then gave me experience on working in a collaborative team on shooting the shots and to create the idea of the film but by editing the film in two differing ways which gave me experience that I can call on in the future when I have to work as a team. When it came to edit the three films I worked alone as this allowed me to make these films my own in the edit even if I had collaboratively shot the films in a team on the set. When editing the montage, I refreshed myself on the workings of Adobe Premiere Pro which I had use before but hadn’t used it for a long time, so I had to refresh myself with the program to get back into editing. This is evident in the montage as the edit is very basic and could have been better with more complex transitions and better sound to make the edit cleaner to make the montage run and look smoother. In the interview I had got reacquainted with the editing software as in the edit I begin to use more complex techniques such as the tracking of the text with the bus in a transition and to fit with the topics that are discussed in the interview. However, the edit could have been more concise and tighter to make the edit more direct for the interview’s topics. This would have also made the interview much easier to watch and allow the audience to keep focus on the topics discussed. With the third film it was a different experience as my girlfriend made her edit at the same time which give me a second opinion on my edit by someone that was editing the same footage. In the edit of this film I had a more of a concise idea of what I want from the film and the edit. However, the second opinion made me second guess myself which made the edit process more difficult and harder than it would have been without.
Bibliography
ROBERTSON, M. (2013). How to Create the Sin City Effect in Adobe Premiere. Retrieved from https://tubularinsights.com/how-to-create-the-sin-city-effect-adobe-premiere-reelrebel-44/
McAfee, R. 13 Creative Editing Techniques Every Video Editor Should Know. Retrieved from https://blog.pond5.com/11099-13-creative-editing-techniques-every-video-editor-should-know/
Hardy, R. A Simple Editing Trick to Inject Drama Into Your Films. Retrieved from https://filmmakerfreedom.com/blog/2015/film-editing-tip-to-enhance-drama
Davis, C. (2016). 5 Tips for Building Better Cinematic Suspense. Retrieved from https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/5-tips-building-better-cinematic-suspense/
How to Write a Backstory. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Backstory
http://www.nuvotech.co.uk, N. (2019). An Original Backstory Can Be the Key to a Strong Plot. Retrieved from http://www.movieoutline.com/articles/an-original-backstory-can-be-the-key-to-a-strong-plot.html
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Evaluation
Introduction
Path of Hate is a short crime drama about a man who has lost his family to a crime gang and is out for revenge.The film also shows the effects of this on him and how he feels about the people who did it and what he feels he must do to avenge them.
Direction
I think the direction of the film was good as it showed how he felt and his actions due to those feelings. The scenes flowed well and fit with each other. The scenes all fit together well but could be better in places such as when the film cuts from the house to the field the cut is smooth but to show more aggression could have been a bit harsher (2:21) but does fit with the music in that part of the film but doesn’t fit the film’s overall aesthetic. The only line of dialogue in the film doesn’t fit as well as it could do and has to much of a comedic feel and would be better if it was more simple and serious tone and feel. This could as be shown also in the way that the villain runs and falls which also has a comedic look and doesn’t fit the films aesthetic and message. The scenes in the cemetery help the film with the message and set the early pace of the film and helps make the films slow and dull tone and fits well with the first part of the house scene and helps the audience understand the characters emotions and how he is coping with the feelings that he feels.
When given feedback on this people said that the film would be better if the audience “could see what he was looking at or something that reminded him of him (Villain)” this comment sows that the film didn’t give the audience enough information on who the villain was an why there was this anger from the main character towards him. Another comment i got was that “it was quite shocking at the end”. This is partly what I was going for as the character has got what he wanted and has no got nothing left for him and it also shows his emotions more blatantly through his actions at the end.
Camera Work
In the film the camera work was quite good and looked great. The main shots of the film where well focused and were properly composed. These shots help to make the film run cleanly and look good but there are some shots that aren’t very good and doesn’t as good as it could. The shots in the kitchen area are over exposed and could be better however the shots composition is good and has the character in the right position on the screen. This means that the shot isn’t as detailed and clear as it could be and doesn’t give the effect of his emotions changing into the anger that he then feels.
The over the shoulder shot from mid way through the film looks good but doesn’t show what the main character is looking at and this could be better if the object that he was looking at was in the shot. This shot doesn’t show as much as it could as with what the character is looking at and this would give the film and his actions more context. This picture would also help the audience empathise with him and to get them to feel his emotions more.
Another shot that could be better is the fight scene at the end when the main character is on top of the villain and is punching him. This shot isn’t great because of the way that it is filmed as you can see the way that he is purposely not punching him and this isn’t good. If this shot had been done from the opposite side or further away it would have looked better as this would have been less evident.
Some feedback that I got for the film was that it “was shot well” this shows that there were parts of it were well made and fit with the films aesthetic and works well with the films aesthetic. Another piece of feedback that I received was that “There is a wide range of shots” which means that these shots help the audience see more of the film and make the audience have more empathy for the character.
Sound Design
The sound of the film fits with still and pace of the film. The opening part of the film has a slow and more emotive feel which helps keep the pace of the film consistent through the first halve of the film which uses this music to its advantage to make the film have the emotion that was required. The slight noises over the music in this stage help the film to be more realistic and genuine feel and help the audience to understand where he is and the way hes moving.
The faster paced music towards the end fits with the increased audio pace at the end fits with the films action and gives it the increased pace that is needed for this section. However in this part some of the cuts don’t line up with the music properly and cut without a beat which doesn’t fit with some of the cuts that do properly match with the beat. This section then leads into the section without the music and the dialogue and the gunshots the sudden cut shows the drama of the scene with the sudden cut from the music to the gunshot and then silence. These gunshots help the audience understand the emotion and drama of whats about to happen. The dialogue could be better as all though it is audible and clear it could be better if it was a bit clearer and had the right tone of voice from the character and if it didn’t add any comedy to the line.
Some Feedback I got on this was that “the sound track fit with the film” this means that the way that I used the audio to make the drama and emotions come across well and means that empathsising with the character will be easier. Another comment that was given was ” The soundtrack of the film was but got faster as the film got faster.” this shows that the change in music and pace of the match well and give it the more of a emotional impact from it.
Editing
The editing of this film is good in places as it fits with the films pace through out. At the start the edit fits the slow pace by using fades to make the film flow slowly. These also help show the progression of time by making the character fade away as if leaving a location and then coming back at another one. This helped the character travel between the different locations effectively and quickly to help the films progression and smoothness. These transitions also help to increase the shock value when the first gun shot is heard. They also allow the audience to feel his emotions more and give his humanity a prospective.
The colour of the film is only black and white which makes the film have an emotional point and helps it portray the characters emotions and his anguish be taking all the colour out his life which is shown through the use of the black and white and the darkness that it represents. The way the black and white also drains his face into a pal white only which makes him look drain of all energy and emotion. This black and white is also a trait of the genre which also it to be better and fit in with its genre.
The way that the shots are long and slow but speeds up to allow the tempo of the film to keep the pace well and help the look and feel of the film. The slow and flowing shots in the cemetery and the start of the house scene allow people to follow the film and to make his journey with the transitions seem long and slow to show the emotion that he feels in that area. Some of the feedback that ion the edit that was received was “The colour grade goes well with the concept of the film and adds a mysterious aspect” This shows the Black and White colour grade does add to the films look and has a good effect on the audience to influence them more easily. Another piece of feedback was “The fades are smooth and fits with the pace of the film” this shows how the transitions of the film work with the story line and help to make it run smoothly and cleanly. It also helps the film run smoothly with the long shots and make it a very smooth, flowing film.
Production Values
The production values of the film are relatively good but do have some issues. The outfits used by each character were good but could have been better. The outfit used by the villain was good as it was dark clothing and fit with the darkness of his character and helps the audience see him in a different way as his character is supposed to be dark and villainous. The main character has on is very casual and doesn’t really fit with the way the it looks and his story. If he was wearing more formal clothes and similar to the villain but with slight differences to make him look older.
Another way that could look better is if the main character was played by an older actor as the main character is suppose to have had a family. He doesn’t look old enough for this and this effects the films main look and takes away from the realism. However the roles may have been switched this would have looked better as the villain looks older than the main character which may have been better. “The character is supposed to have a wife but he doesn’t look old enough so maybe get older actors or dress them up in older thing.” Was a piece of feedback that was given about this which proves that the clothing and look effect on the film is large enough for the audience to notice which could be better.
Conclusion
In conclusion I think that the film fit the crime drama genre very well. The way the shots are composed and follow well. The film could be better in places as parts of the film are confusing and could be explained better and be shot clearer. The camera work is good overall and is mostly well focused and exposed but could better in places where it is a little overexposed and could be better. The audio on the film is good but could better and could add to the realism final film with more foley sound around the punches and more of a smoother transition between bits of music. The production values of the film are good but have some points where it could be better and fit the film more and add to the film’s overall quality and feel.
Presentation
To distribute my film I have chosen to upload my film to youtube and on to my facebook page for the film. These platforms are the best for the use in this way as they can reach my audience in the best way to make the people who want to see it get to see it in a good location and well presented. The thumbnail of the film shows its tension and slight action towards the end of the film and draws people in as this is at the end of the film and will help keep there interest through out. The use of youtube means that that the film is well produced and designed to make it look the best, youtube is also a global platform and the use of multiple tags to get people interested in this genre of film interested in this film and to have a watch. I’m considering entering my film in the World of Film International Festival Glasgow Which is a film festival held in Glasgow which would help me to distribute my film more effectively to viewers and to also increase the films reach of people who may not have been originally interested in the film or the genre. The cost of this film festival is £15 at the cheapest and this is a reasonable price for the exposure the film could get.
To distribute my film on YouTube I used various different tags to get the film to the correct audience. The tags that I used are “Short Film”, “Crime”, “Drama”, “Black and White” and “Revenge”. These tags are useful to use for this film as they mean that the film is seen by people with an interest in those tags and helps in the film’s distribution. The title that I have used on YouTube is “Path of Hate (Short Crime Drama)” which is good as it shows what the film is about. The title also help to draw in people who may not have been interested in the standard title of just “Path Of Hate” and helps those people to understand what the film is about. The thumbnail that I have used I chose because of it shows the drama of the scene and the film in general which also help draw people in and grabs there attention.
The thumb nail of this short film has a very simple and empty thumbnail but uses this to its advantage as the simplicity of the thumbnail and the way that it makes the audience question the rest of the film and to make people ask the question that the film is wanting them to in order to catch there attention and to make them think. This is different to mine as the main idea of the two thumbnails is similar but they are different it the way that they have done this. This thumbnail uses the negative space to create suspense and drama where as mine uses action to create the drama. The questions that they generate are also different as the Thumbnail seen here causes people to ask more questions about her and her surroundings. My thumbnail however makes the viewer question who they are and why which it uses to create the drama.
Luke Nunney 