EVALUATION

EPQ ARTEFACT – EVALUATION

SUCCESSES

After the completion of my project, I have found that I am overall pleased with the end result and that the artefact I produced does meet with the original brief. The main successes of my short film is that it was well developed and practiced at a professional level, following health and safety protocols as well as legal rules from pre-production to post-production. The intentional use of particular cinematography shots has been developed and researched successfully to create the visual communication needed to create meaning to the audience and to the story. During the research phase, I looked at a range of online sources, videos and books related to cinematography to help implement visual meaning for the story. This is a success because I found that the shots I chose during the pre-production phase did help create meaning to the story and to the audience during the production phase.

Another successful part of my artefact is that the shots have been followed very closely to the storyboard and to the script. When I was drafting the script and storyboard, I made sure to select shots that can create meaning in the story and referred to my research sources to make sure that the end result of the film does meet with the original project brief. The film’s pacing and overall structure also works well for a short film according to the feedback I received from peers which is good as it provides user replay-ability which opens up to opportunities including word of mouth and distribution via social media sites, allowing the film to gain popularity and notoriety.

WEAKNESSES

The weaknesses of my film include the lack of actors and extras. Looking back at the film, the actor for the teacher looks too young and the class portrayed in the scene is very minimal of only a total of 3 people in the class room. This is mainly because of budgeting issues, particularly for the character of the teacher as it will pose budgeting difficulties for casting an adult actor.

Other weaknesses in my film include a limited number of props and prosthetic make-up designs. The props I used for the murder weapon might be noticeable that it is a prop item and that I could have designed a better prop for it. Another part is that there are no visual wounds on the victim’s face despite the fact that in the narrative, it was stated that the victim had abrasions and facial wounds on his face. This could have been avoided by casting a make-up artist for the film as it will look significantly better in terms of continuity as well as to the overall look of the film.

Lastly, I personally think that the script and narrative of the film is weak and needs improving. The main protagonist might also need more development in the film for audiences to understand the character. Also, I think that there are no disruptions in the film which made it less interesting and that there is no tension with the protagonist or anything that he has to overcome which would be far more interesting when presented for the audience.

LIMITATIONS

The main limitations of my film include budget limitations and actors. Having a bigger budget would allow me to choose more selectively with the technical functions of a camera such as particular lenses that I could use to evoke more meaning behind the shot. Using a rig for the camera to be attached on for Isaac’s Mind will also make the shots better as it evokes the analytical yet surreal viewpoint of the protagonist as he approaches to solve the crime scene in his mind.

Other limitations I have include the lack of access to actors. Because I have insufficient funds to hire actors, my opportunity to use adult actors in my film is significantly reduced. This resulted in using friends as actors for the film.

WHAT WENT WELL

Looking back at the process of the film, the production phase and the post-production phase went smoothly and efficiently. During the shoot, I didn’t need any re-shoots or re-takes and I had an editing software to put the clips and audio together whilst the next shoot day was being sorted out. I made good use of the pre-production materials, particularly the script, shot list and storyboard to keep everything on track during the shoot and also for it to link well with the editing process. The overall look for the film also looks cinematic and it is exactly how I imagined it to be during the pre-production phase. Therefore overall, the production process of the project was a success and that I believe that the end result does meet with the original brief.

WHAT WENT WRONG

Things that went wrong during the process was mainly the pre-production phase. This was because most of the documents required to be revised during the production phase. These documents mainly include risk assessments and health and safety forms and most of these have been completed past the supposed deadline. This therefore resulted in the lack of organisation that needed to be done before the start of the shoot. Other complications such as initial actors had to be replaced by other actors or reschedule to another date due to bad timings and busy schedules that take place during the week. Although there were some problems that occurred during the making of the film, it was easily resolved at an efficient rate in between the production and post-production phase.

WHAT I WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY NEXT TIME

Things that could have been done differently include the casting of actors. During the casting process, I think that I wasn’t very selective when choosing actors and that I should have thought more about the actors I am casting. Although I am very happy with the cast I got, I think that I should have taken the opportunity to go to a website that lets filmmakers recruit actors to maximise the effect of immersion of the film to the audience. Other things that could have been done differently is to restructure my shot list as during in the shoot, I found myself getting confused with what to shoot next after a take on one scene which resulted in time being wasted which could have been used to film the rest of the shots.

WHAT I HAVE LEARNT FROM THE PROJECT PROCESS

I have learnt from the process that portraying certain shots for the film helps drive the narrative forward even if the audience doesn’t notice. This is because the camera techniques I used helped immerse the audience in the story which therefore shows that I have met my proposed project brief as the cinematic language and visual imagery portrayed in my film did help to communicate meaning to the audience.

I also learnt how to communicate effectively with crew members and actors which further increases my transferable social skills. I learned a great deal of responsibility as I handled all of the tasks from pre-production all the way to post-production. I have also gained more experience in cinematography as well as editing techniques which better prepares me when working with future projects as well as when working in the film industry.

Lastly, I have learnt to be more independent and working more effectively when there is a deadline set. I have gained added knowledge in scriptwriting and storytelling. I have found that the process has helped me generate a better understanding of the filmmaking process and the responsibilities a Director must handle to make an effective shoot.

DISTRIBUTION

The final stage of my film is to distribute it for a group of audience. My initial plan is to upload it on the social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Vimeo. This will hopefully allow my work to gain recognition from a small target audience.

However, I have the chance to send it to a film festival which would be helpful for it to be distributed to a moderate amount of audiences. My plan is to put the film forward for a film festival to gain as much recognition as it can, and then upload it onto social media sites to retain a good amount of recognition.

This is the form I need to complete if I want to submit it to the film festival.

COMPOSING

I decided to compose my own tracks instead of using other music work because of issues including copyright and fair use. Also, composing my own music tracks would work better for my film as I can control the type of tone I want the film to have and to have good control over the timings of the scenes and the clips.

When composing the music, I used a free app called Music Maker Jam. It lets you layer pre-recorded tracks with each other. The tracks can be changed in tempo, harmony/key and volume, including effects. In the app, I placed one track at a time and recorded them individually. This grants me more flexibility when editing the film once I layer in the tracks one by one based on the scene. This will help me establish further immersion, tone and mood. This will also give me the chance to build tension and suspense in particular scenes.

In this photo, it shows how I applied a cinematic score and tension sound effect into the timeline. I adjusted the speed to match it with the duration of the scene. This makes the scene complete as it is colour graded, layered with diegetic sounds and cinematic scores. Having theses elements put together in a scene is vital for entertaining and immersing the audience. The sound effects I used are also conventional to most sound designs in thriller genres which I find important as it is the type of genre I am going for in the film.

FOLEY AND SOUND MIXING

This is the sound kit I used to record Foley sounds. I chose this piece of equipment as it records at a very good quality which is what I need for sound as it is the main element in filmmaking that immerses the audience into the scene.

These are the materials I used to create the Foley sounds for the murder scene. I used carrot and a cabbage to create a crunch sound. This gives the illusion of bones cracking. I used the plastic bag to add to that crunch sound. The hard material of the table also provides enough backup sound to add to the effect of a weapon hitting someone.

This is a screenshot of my timeline show the recorded Foley sounds have been added and linked to the visuals of the project. I synced it to match the movement and the impact of the actor making it as realistic as possible. If I am unhappy with the sound, I experimented by adjusting the pitch, the speed and the volume of the sound clip to the right level.

EDITING

This is my editing timeline. It consists a range of the selected shots to piece together the film. It has been layered with different sound elements including music, diegetic sound effects, voiceovers and ambient sounds. The animation of titles have also been added to the timeline just above the clips.

On this screenshot, it shows how I used a video effect to create a transition to the opening. I used the Gaussian Blur effect to create a blurry image at the start of the clip. I then added a key-frame (Key-frames control the intensity of the effect) to slowly make the image clearer as the video progresses. 

With the Gaussian Blur effect added in, I adjusted the opacity of the clip to create a film dissolve transition from a black screen. Implementing a film dissolve as the start of the scene creates a slow rhythm and pace which is what I am aiming for. This lets the audience feel less tense at the beginning and to start getting interested as the picture gets clearer. So the idea of the film dissolve and the Gaussian Blur effect is to grab the attention of the audience immediately at the very start of the film.

These two shots show the before and after of the implementation of the 2.35:1 aspect ratio. At the top image, it shows the video at a 16:9 aspect ratio whilst the bottom image shows the 2.35:1 cinemascope aspect ratio. I decided to use this particular aspect ratio as it helps focus the image onto the characters on the screen. Because of the background, there was a lot of posters and typography which can be considered as waste or distraction to the audience's eyes. Adding this aspect ratio narrows down the excess space and helps centralise and focus the subject in the shot as well as creating a cinematic immersive shot.

The final part of the edit for the visuals is the colour grade. In Premiere Pro, there are a few options on colour grading. I decided to go for the Three-Way Colour Corrector. This effect allows you to adjust the colours on the image to change the tone and feel in the scene. It also lets you adjust the saturation of the image. After adjusting the image with this effect, I added a Brightness and Contrast effect to increase the contrast of the image, making it sharper and visually striking. Creating vivid imagery for this scene links with Isaac's perspective in the narrative as it shows his eagerness and interest in the lesson.

PRODUCTION STAGE

This is the production stage, where I start shooting the actual film.

MURDER SCENE/PIERSON'S ROOM - Production Stills

This is the lighting kit I used for the shoot. It is an LED light that is battery powered and also comes with an extended plug in case the batteries ran out. The brightness can be increased to a high percentage and comes with 3 different coloured gel layers. The light will be pointing towards the bed to give an impression of a warm artificial light source.

The second piece of equipment that I used is the tripod. This is useful as it provides a locked down stable shot, which is what I wanted to accomplish for this scene. The tripod was placed inside a small storage room to establish Pierson's Room in a wide shot.

This is the sound kit (TASCAM microphone + boom microphone). I used this to record Foley and atmospheric sounds to help build the realism and the immersion of the scene.

I also used the sound kit the next day to record additional Foley sounds such as footsteps, punching, hitting and door opening. The image above shows the materials I used to recreate the sound of an iron bar hitting a human skull. I used a carrot, cabbage and a plastic bag to replicate the sound of bones cracking. The use of a hard material helped emphasise the strength of the impact.

MURDER SCENE - CLIP PREVIEW

This is one of the shots I filmed during the shoot in Pierson's room. I used a singular locked down shot inspired by one of Hitchcock's camerawork in his TV series "Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Hitch20" Episode 1 - Revenge to help build tension and raw impact into the murder scene, indicating realism.

This is a clip taken from one of the online sources I used as part of my research for implementing cinematic techniques into my short film. I decided to use this technique for my short film as it communicates a sense of realism to the audience. This shot also creates voyeurism to immerse the audience, which helps drive the film as the audience stay interested.

Link to full video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd-NG8XNgmA

ISAAC'S MIND - Film Stills

My choice of shots that take place during the scene with Isaac's Mind mainly includes wide shots to portray a place with a large amount of negative space. This is to establish a place of no emotion, reflecting how Isaac shuts down his emotion for the victim and replaces it with his analytical deductive skills to solve how the victim was killed.

The low key lighting resembles a large surreal space to visually portray Isaac's mind. The dark shadows and sharp contrast portrays the crime/thriller genre, eluding to the themes of mystery and the establishment of tension because of its dark subjectivity.

This therefore shows how lighting a shot and positioning cameras to certain angles help create and establish meaning to the characters and the overall mood and feel of the story. This proves that I have used specific shots that link well with the project title.

CLASSROOM SCENE - Production Stills

For the classroom shoot, I needed someone to operate as a sound recordist. Arthur helped me throughout the shoot by providing the actors I needed and with the equipment. I decided to use the sound kit for this scene as it is the most dialogue heavy scene throughout the entire short film and so it is important to record the actor's voice at a high quality.

As the classroom was already well lit, I decided to bring in two more smaller LED lights just to brighten up the subject's face at a suitable level. These lights were added at the side of the shot to imitate the light emitted during the dusk. This creates further immersion for the audience.

The camera I used for the shoot is the Canon 700D. This camera provides you with a good control over its functions including the white balance, ISO and Aperture control (F-Stop). The camera works really well under low light conditions and is good for making cinematic shots, providing quality that goes up to 1080p and can also be switched to 50fps. For this shoot, I recorded at 1080p at 24fps so that it is optimized for HD cinematography.

ACTIVITY LOG

This will act as a 'glossary' of all the notes and updates I've made on each blog post all sorted in chronological order so it will be easier to see the progression and development of my Artefact.

09/10/16 – Created the EPQ blog. Started writing down the designated blog posts and created a short introduction as to how the blog will help show the progression of the artefact.

11/10/16 – The production plan has been posted onto the blog, highlighting all the tasks that are needed to complete the artefact.

11/10/16 – Started researching film techniques from online sources. I learned camera techniques that could work well with the film.

12/10/16 – Started drafting short film ideas ans posted them onto the blog.

13/10/16 – Chose an idea that was appropriate and suitable for filming.

02/11/16 – Looking for print based sources both at the library and from my media teacher.

16/11/16 – Updated the production plan on the blog with changes and updates on the tasks.

16/11/16 – I spoke with my EPQ teacher and informed him that I wanted to change the film idea. The idea has been changed into the a crime genre. The Project Proposal Form has also been updated.

16/11/16 – Started working on the script for the film. Working title: Daydream.

17/11/16 – Continued working on the script.

20/11/16 - Completed script. Sent it to peers for feedback.

24/11/16 – I looked at a DVD documentary about light and cinematography.

26/11/16 – Started drafting up the storyboard.

28/11/16 – Storyboard is complete and has been uploaded onto the blog.

28/11/16 – Title of film has been changed from Daydream to Red Herring.

28/11/16 – Cast and actors have been specified and updated onto the blog.

06/12/16 – Worked on each character's costume designs and character profiles. I also worked on the set designs of the rooms as well as the prop designs. The killer's symbol on the story has also been made and updated on the blog.

07/12/16 – I looked at print based sources surrounding the study of cinematography.

10/12/16 – I presented the needed props and materials for the film on the blog.

10/12/16 – I scouted out for the location of the murder scene and assessed if it would work as a crime scene.

10/12/16 – At the same location (Murder Scene) I did some test footage to see if the shots I've put on the storyboard can actually be done.

11/12/16 – The equipment I plan to use is specified and uploaded onto the blog.

14/12/16 – Reviewed and updated the production plan again. Unable to reach the deadline for filming because of an unexpected disturbance. A new deadline to film has been set.

05/01/17 – I was given feedback and criticisms on the script weeks ago. I decided to change the elements on the script that were 'unrealistic' and updated it. The update has been posted on the blog

06/01/17 – I drafted up a risk assessment of the murder scene location to make sure I am aware of the risks and that I followed health and safety procedures.

07/01/17 – I updated the storyboard and adjusted the changes to the different shot elements.

09/01/17 – The created a shot list to use for filming all 3 locations to make sure I get all the shots I need.

11/01/17 – Reviewed with my EPQ teacher. The times and dates for the locations needed for filming is also sorted out on this date. The locations booked out include the Drama Studio (On the 20^th) and a classroom (On the 19^th). The date for shooting the crime scene has also been confirmed for the 14^th of January which will be at my house in one of my rooms.

12/01/17 – I contacted my friends that wanted to take part in the film. All of them are unavailable on the 18^th at that particular time (15:00-16:00). This is problematic as this is the only time Matt (The main character) can film on the week. Another contact is also unavailable on the 14^th to film the crime scene which is another major problem. I will have to compromise and shoot all the shots I can during those days. I will also contact another person who can play the character for the 14^th. 

12/01/17 – The film equipment has been booked for the 14th. I will pick it up from the college on the 13th and bring it to the film set ready for the 14th.

13/01/17 – Both initial actors for the killer and the victim are unable to come for the 14th of January. I have to compromise and have contacted two other people who are willing to act and are both available for the 14th.

14/01/17 – Filming takes place today, starting at 16.00 right when the sun sets to create a night time scenario. I have set up the equipment including the lights. The actors arrive at 16.00.

15/01/17 – Filming has been successful. The footage I recorded look good and I am satisfied with it. Today, there will be 3 shots needed to be re-shot and the actor has agreed to attend.

15/01/17 – Foley for the scene has been generated and recorded through the sound kit.

15/01/17 – All shots and audio for the murder scene have been recorded. They have been logged into appropriate folders and I started to generate a rough cut to see if the clips work together.

16/01/17 – I heard back from one of my contacts saying that him and Matt are able to come on Thursday and Friday's shoot.

17/01/17 – Booked the equipment needed for the shoot on Thursday. This is the classroom scene, where I would need Matt, student extras and a Teacher.

18/01/17 – I heard back from my contacts informing me that they are unable to film for the classroom scene on Thursday. I decide to cancel the shoot day and re-schedule. I will use the booked classroom on Thursday to test possible camera shots, choreography, lighting and sort out risk assessments.

19/01/17 – I went to the classroom to take photos and video cutaway/establishing shots to use for my recce report and risk assessment forms as well as to test the appropriate lighting style.

19/01/17 – I also booked the equipment needed for Friday’s shoot. All my actors have been sorted out as well as the location and the props. Filming starts at 16:30 and I will be collecting the equipment at around 15:30 to have enough time to set up before the actors arrive.

20/01/17 – All the clips for the segment of the character’s mind in the story have all been shot on location as well as voiceover and audio tracks.

21/01/17 – The clips and audio tracks from yesterday’s shoot have been logged and saved onto the computer ready for editing. I started to edit the shots from yesterday’s shoot and linked it with the murder scene.

22/01/17 – Continued to edit the clips together, formulating a rough cut.

25/01/17 – Started adding fonts and text animations on the shots as part of the scene.

30/01/17 – I added some colour grading on one of the shots to replicate cold conditions and finalised text animations.

15/02/17 – Finished and polished the rough cut for the murder scene and the Isaac’s mind scene. Colour grading, Foley, atmospherics and soundscapes for both scenes are needed to finalise the scenes.

17/01/17 – Booked the equipment needed for the shoot on Thursday. This is the classroom scene, where I would need Matt, student extras and a Teacher.

18/01/17 – I heard back from my contacts informing me that they are unable to film for the classroom scene on Thursday. I decide to cancel the shoot day and re-schedule. I will use the booked classroom on Thursday to test possible camera shots, choreography, lighting and sort out risk assessments.

19/01/17 – I went to the classroom to take photos and video cutaway/establishing shots to use for my recce report and risk assessment forms as well as to test the appropriate lighting style.

19/01/17 – I also booked the equipment needed for Friday’s shoot. All my actors have been sorted out as well as the location and the props. Filming starts at 16:30 and I will be collecting the equipment at around 15:30 to have enough time to set up before the actors arrive.

20/01/17 – All the clips for the segment of the character’s mind in the story have all been shot on location as well as voiceover and audio tracks.

21/01/17 – The clips and audio tracks from yesterday’s shoot have been logged and saved onto the computer ready for editing. I started to edit the shots from yesterday’s shoot and linked it with the murder scene.

22/01/17 – Continued to edit the clips together, formulating a rough cut.

25/01/17 – Started adding fonts and text animations on the shots as part of the scene.

30/01/17 – I added some colour grading on one of the shots to replicate cold conditions and finalised text animations.

15/02/17 – Finished and polished the rough cut for the murder scene and the Isaac’s mind scene. Colour grading, Foley, atmospherics and soundscapes for both scenes are needed to finalise the scenes.

21/02/17 – Worked on the risk assessment for the stage shoot in the drama studio. It is uploaded onto the blog.

21/02/17 – Worked on the RECCE report for the stage in the drama studio. Images of the stage is required to complete it.

22/02/17 – I spoke with my EPQ tutor and updated him on the progress of my short film. I was given feedback to work on the blog and send the documents needed (Project Proposal Form + Activity Log) for the draft hand in by the end of this week.

23/02/17 – Worked on the risk assessment for the classroom. Images have been implemented onto the document and have been uploaded onto the blog.

24/02/17 – Created a RECCE report for the classroom location. The room has been assessed for safety and the document has been uploaded onto the blog.

25/02/17 – Continued to work on the blog. The production phase post has been added showing production stills and a scene preview.

07/03/17 – I emailed my EPQ teacher to request for a classroom booking for the final shots of my shoot.

08/03/17 – A classroom in college has been booked for filming starting at 4pm onwards.  I started to book for the equipment needed and contacted all my actors, ready for the shoot.

08/03/17 – Heard back from the actor playing as the teacher character saying that he will be unavailable to shoot on Friday. He is replaced with another actor, confident to play the teacher.

10/03/17 – All of the shots needed to complete the film have been recorded. Film shoot is wrapped.

11/03/17 – Shots have been logged into the computer and reviewed to see which clips are useable and which aren’t.

12/03/17 – Started editing the clips together. The completed sequences are then dragged to sync in with the new clips.

13/03/17 – Continued to work on the edit. A rough cut for the film has been completed.

14/03/17 – Audio clips are dragged in and synced to the visuals. The tracks have been adjusted to the right volume during the sound mixing process.

15/03/17 – Tracks have been composed for the classroom scenes and the Foley sounds as well as atmospheric sounds have been rendered and synchronised. 

16/03/17 – Final polishes for the film. Credit section has been added. The film has been uploaded on social media (YouTube) as an unlisted video. This will let me show it to a closed group of people to get feedback and any further changes needed.

17/03/17 – Film is being tweaked and prepped for submission to a film festival. A poster is made to spread recognition for social media sites.

18/03/17 – All phases of the film production have now been completed. Distribution process is ongoing. I started working on my EPQ presentation and evaluation. 

19/03/17 – The presentation and evaluation have now been completed, ready for submission. I will be continually updating the blog for posts on post-production.

20/03/17 – Final adjustments on the presentation and evaluation documents. All of the required materials needed for submission have been moved into a memory stick, ready to be submitted.
 

END OF ACTIVITY