Applying lessons from the prelim to the rest of the project
Pre-production:
Similar:
-We were in charge of casting a capable, strong (and willing) actor/actress, as well as writing their script.
-With both the prelim and final production, we had to bear in mind our shot choices to ensure a flowing sequence with continuity. This meant we had to decide for both shoots whether certain shots were or weren't practical.
Different:
-We needed to spend a great deal more time at the research and planning stage, in order to gather reference points and plan documents such as shootboards, costume & prop lists & an actor's contract.
-We also had to consider important decisions on representation & visuals (such as grading & titles), which we didn't have to do for the prelim task.
Pre-production:
Overall:
-We learned the importance of planning every part of the sequence (be it representation of characters/settings or what the characters were going to say & do), and that compared to the prelim it is far more important & requires a huge amount more time to complete well.
Production:
Similar:
-Both briefs for the tasks specified we had to include continuity techniques in our sequence, and in both we obeyed numerous rules of continuity.
-We used the same equipment for both shoot sessions, and followed the same procedure when setting up, as well as when shooting & logging takes.
Different:
-We could take the lessons learned from the prelim into our final production, for instance ensuring that positioning is spot on, and that there were no glaring continuity errors.
-Our prelim was all filmed and completed in school, which not only meant that we could see rushes almost immediately (rather than on the following Monday), but also there was more room to shoot in and the shoot only lasted only around an hour.
Overall:
-We learned about the process of including continuity when shooting, and the importance of staying aware if a rule is broken. We also found out that it is far easier to record action sequences continuously from various angles, as this makes it easier to achieve good continuity when editing.
Production:
Post-production:
Similar:
-The prelim stood us in good stead for when we had to edit our final sequences, as both edits were extremely tight for time and intensive.
-We used the same equipment (dual-monitored Windows 7 PCs with Adobe Premiere Pro) to edit both sequences, paying close attention on both occasions to continuity - especially ensuring that the action between 2 shots matched.
Different:
-When editing our final sequence, we had to pay far more attention to details and new tools which hadn't been used in the prelim such as:
-grading -titles -use of keyframes
-Unlike the prelim, (due to these added details & a back-up shoot for our final sequence) we had an extra week in which to edit the 2-minute long sequence as opposed to a shorter preliminary task.
Post-production:
Overall:
-We discovered just how important it was to plan edit weeks and maintain good organisation to meet strict editing deadlines. We also learned how to correctly edit rushes (often the same action/scene from different angles) into a sequence with continuity.
