7) Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you've learnt in progression from it to the full product?

Here is my post with my preliminary task on it.

I think that I have improved a lot in both the filming and editing sides of production. As shown below, in the preliminary task, some of my shots could have been framed better, in this shot of Gemma, I have accidently cut out her feet, whereas in my film, all of the shots were planned so the framing emphasizes what's happening in the scene. In the screen shot below Emily and Jay have been placed in similar positions in their frames to show they're of a similar status and to reflect their similar positions, the audience cannot yet tell who has the power / who is the antagonist. Also, the lack of a tripod in my preliminary task made the shots looked unprofessional and rushed as they were a little shakey, in my main piece, I always used a tripod to ensure the opening looked controlled and of a high quality.

In my preliminary task, editing was minimal and simplistic, with basic cuts and transitions. However, I progressed on to using various ways of cutting to create atmosphere and tension (for example, jump cuts) as well as using transitions to suit the music. The preliminary task didn't include anything too complicated, but in the film I tried to use techniques such a split screen and colour correction, allowing my knowledge of final cut to grow. Having said this, I did use the idea of layering images right from the start of the preliminary task, however, in my final film the transition in and out of the layered image is a lot more subtle and looks more professional.

I had a better awareness for more of the micro-elements in the main task. Things such as mise-en-scène, cinematography and non-diagatic sound were thought about in a lot of detail, whereas in my preliminary task there were certain areas which needed a lot of work (lighting mainly, most of the shots were too dark). In my opening sequence, I think all of my shots are well lit, showing a progression in both planning, and in actual filming ability. The shots below are taken from the two tasks, it's clear to see the progression made in terms of lighting, camera angles, and also in location - in my final film the locations were really scenic and well chosen, and in my preliminary task I just used the school.

I feel that I have progressed a lot over the course, at the beginning I was barely able to open a file on final cut express and had never filmed anything before, now I can use a wide variety of editing techniques and shot styles to create a professional looking opening sequence which fits the codes and conventions of my hybrid genre.