Preliminary Task

Preliminary task 

Preliminary task planning 

Before we film our main task we have to do a preliminary task, in which we film a short film (of no more than 30-40 seconds), to try and get a grasp of how to use all the equipment correctly, how to direct, and how to edit the clip, so that when it comes to the main task we are better prepared.
We first did a short preliminary task as a class, with help and guidance from the teacher who was present at the time. We were then tasked with making our own preliminary task in small groups, which we needed to produce before making the main movie task.
We brainstormed various different ideas. Some of the ideas we had were a group of people playing a game of cards or a group of people playing a game of rock paper scissors. We would also incorporate longs shots of one of the players walking towards the players and then joining in the game, and then close shots of all the players and their faces. We decided to use as many interesting shot's as possible, and to try and incorporate the 180 degree rule at some point. This was so we included as many media techniques as we could, so we could then evaluate the short film properly and see what we can do to improve these techniques in the main task. 

Evaluating the preliminary task 

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?


Our preliminary task involved making a short video which is a parody of the video "Continuity editing example," in which a man picks up a Rolo and pulls funny facial expressions. We used typical camera techniques and shots, like the 180 degree rule, and over the shoulder shot. These are shots that should be easy to identify for the audience. We used swift continuity editing (typical of a short film), again to make the media much easier to establish, and we made sure that all the scenes fitted together nicely to make the short movie as smooth as possible.

How does your media product represent particular social groups? 

In the preliminary task I feature as a student, who walks into a classroom and begins to seemingly play cards before bringing out a rolo. As well as being humorous, this could be said as representing the life of students, who are having fun and are perhaps bunking out of lessons. The environment that we shoot in (the school) can probably be easily identified as a school by most people. This helps with the presentation of student life that is meant to be being portrayed in the short video. There are no other clear cut social groups that are identified in the short video.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

The short film is of the same kind of content as something that would be posted on YouTube, rather than an actual movie which would be distributed by a company such as 20th century fox or Warner Bros. Entertainment. The short film could be distributed from a smaller, independent film studio however. I say this as, watching the short film, it is clearly amateur and not something that would hit the "big screen." A small, independent film studio would however possibly consider making it as the media form fits the criteria for "film" and follows a set structure.

Who would be the audience for your media product? 

From the content we have (which is about 1 minute long), there is nothing seemingly inappropriate, apart from the possibility of gambling (when the line "Place your bets," is said.) This means that the short video and the content could ultimately be suitable for anyone. This puts it under the "family friendly" rating. If it were a film, the rating of it would perhaps be U or PG. It is probably worth mentioning that there is nothing violent within the clip, and nothing that suggests violence or anything inappropriate (apart from the subtle reference to gambling.) Again, this means that the film would receive a U or PG certificate should it be rated by the BBFC.

How did you attract/address your audience? 

The shots that we used within the preliminary task were used to try and convey the set genre. The short film was supposed to be dramatic but cheesy at the same time (as it is a parody), and so we used shots like a dramatic establishing shot and a dramatic close up shot to try and create this effect. We maintained this effect throughout, also using the dramatic music to help create some effect. At the end however the music suddenly changed and the facial expression of me (the actor) also changed to instantly make the video cheesy and to establish what it is that we are making fun of.


What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

We have learnt a number of technical skills while working on this task. My team has gained a wider knowledge of how to use the camera, and how to edit the set material on iMovie. This means that when we get round to making our main film, we will have experience and as such it should be easier to produce. I personally worked on the more creative aspects of the short film, such as the acting and devising the story. However I was still taught how to use a camera, and was given advice from my teacher on what kind of shots to use and how to make the short film intriguing and visually impressive. 

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

As mentioned in the previous question, I have learnt more about the technical aspects of filmmaking. I have also however practiced my acting skills, and as I will be acting in the real thing I feel this is important. When we went out and filmed we made a few small changes to the original ideas that we had planned. By doing this we were improvising. We might have to do this within the real thing, and I think on a small task like this it can be important to be flexible and allow certain changes depending on changes in mindset. Because of this I feel we practiced our improvising skills, and I feel that we were successful with this.