Evaluation Question 6

 Evaluation Question 6

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

During the process of filming, editing and creating our opening sequence, we used a variety of technology, equipment and softwares to help contribute to the quality of our film. The primary tool we used to record and film our opening sequence was a digital camera, provided by the school. The editing software we used to edit our opening sequence was Final Cut Express, where we could add audio, effects, edit scene transitions and cuts. For our production logo, we used a different software called LiveType. This allowed us to create the ideal production logo that we brainstormed and designed. Documenting all our progression during this project was done via Blogger. This allowed us to embed Youtube clips, post pictures of our filming days, and write various summaries of how our filming and editing was progressing. As mentioned before, we used Youtube also to upload our 1st, 2nd and final cuts of our opening sequence. This made it much simpler to post put videos on our blog. Furthermore, another piece of technology we learnt to deal with was lighting. We needed to develop skills concerning lighting due to the fact that it was a major factor in setting the scene/mood of our opening sequence. All these various platforms of technology, equipment and softwares had both strengths and weaknesses, and had both a positive ad negative impact on our whole creation of our opening sequence.

Camera and Tripod

We were given both a tripod and camera by the school, which assisted us with filming the footage needed for our opening sequence. Both the tripod and camera were great help and were at the core to our filming. One way that the tripod was helpful in the way we could rotate it to the left and right. By the tripod being able to rotate back and fourth, it made it easier for us to record shots such as tracking shots and panning shots. Being able  to do this allowed us the set the scene through panning shots, and helped us to follow and track characters as well.

The tripod had other function other than being able to rotate left and right. The tripods legs could also extend further to stand much taller than originally, and the tripod head also tilted forward and back. This was a key tool for our filming because it really helped us with camera shots. The tripod having the ability to title forward and back helped us developed and high angled shots. This was so important to our filming because of the fact the it allowed us to use various angled shots on the characters. It helped us to use low angled shots on the male character which helped us to represent him and dominant and powerful, and give an intimidating impression. It also helped us establish high angled shots on the female character, which helped us to represent the female as inferior and submissive to the husband. The tripod helped us to make our filming represent various character in different ways.

We used the digital camera to our advantage through the use of the ability to zoom in and out. We learnt how to zoom in and out with the camera, which was useful when trying to zoom in and out of various scenes. This was especially convenient during our first scene where we had fairly close up shot on the male. We were able to zoom in far enough to make the male character the main subject, but we were still able to fit the laptop in the frame to show that the content on the laptop was important. The zooming feature was helpful due to the fact that it allowed us to focus/unfocused on one subject and varied our shot portfolio. 

There were a few limitations with both the tripod and camera. One limitation of the tripod was that occasionally, we received one that did not rotate 360 degrees. This meant that we often experienced difficulty tracking and following characters, and prolonged the time of us filming. Due to the tripod not rooting completely, it forced us to change and consider different positions to place the camera so that we could track the characters to our discretion. Another limitation we experience in relation to the cameras is the issue of focus. Often when we zoomed in/out of subject, it would rake a while to focus. This was very inconvenient as it often ruined large amounts of filming, causing us to refill the whole piece of footage again.

Apart from the very few limitations that slowed down the process, the tripod and camera were key pieces of equipment that had a huge influence on the quality of our footage and opening sequence in general. As stated before, the tripod helped us with many representations of characters, and the camera helped us to put emphasis on certain aspects of our opening sequence.

Final Cut Express

The editing software we used to put together all of footage and gather it collectively to make a suitable opening sequence was Final Cut Express. Final Cut had many helpful tools that assisted us with ensuring that our opening sequence was to the highest standards. The software helped us with adding audio to drive and build tension within the text, helped us transition the scenes from one another to make it more realistic and smooth, and furthermore assisted us with filtering out footage to suit our needs.

One good feature of Final Cut Express is of course the editing/transitioning tools. This allowed us to use a variety of transitioning affected, including a cross dissolve transition, as well as fades both in and out. This was essential to our opening sequence it helped the audience to understand the plot and contributed to our text running smoothly without any sudden cuts. This scene transitions also helped illustrate the mysterious and sinister environment we were trying to portray toward the audience.

Another element of Final Cut Express that was helpful towards the editing of our opening was the editing bar at the bottom of the software that acted as a timeline of footage. This displayed both our visual and audio content at the bottom, and was the main place to arrange how our footage was ordered. This was a helpful attribute to the group because it made it much easier to organise scenes and helped identify which content we needed. It was also where we could select specific content to edit.

Final Cut Express only one fault/downside to our editing. This negative element was the constant theme of having to render our content. This often cause the opening sequence as a whole not to play. The constant rendering proved to be very time consuming and inconvenient.  Along with this constant rendering needed was the need to re-upload content due to it not saving or being deleted. Despite not suffering the worse scenario possible, it was frustrating having to keep reloading footage and also having to re-edit them into the main sequence.

Livetype

This was the software we used for creating and developing our production logo that appeared at the start of our opening sequence. This enabled us creating a moving text that stated our production company Twisted Productions. This was a good software which was appropriate for our opening sequence because it allowed us to export it directly to final cut express, which meant we could successfully/smoothly move it into our opening sequence. This was also convenient for our opening sequence because adding a production logo at the start allowed our sequence to automatically look much more realistic and professionally edited, and gives it a more form and classy look.

In truth, the software’s layout proved to be very difficult. The software’s coordination made it very hard to navigate your way around the software, and prolonged the process of developing the production logo. Due to this, it meant that it was hard for all group members to contribute a sufficient amount to the production logo, especially in comparison to Final Cut Express.

Another limitation to this software was the niche variety of affects in relation to the lettering. Although we could use certain features to move whole letters, we couldn't find any features that allowed us to edit specific parts of letter. This was a let down to our opening sequence due to the fact that we were adamant on a specific idea of how our production logo would appear, however we  were unable to do so. In addition to not being able to affect certain parts of letter, we also admired a certain feature that worked very well for opening sequence called Frigid. The only downside to this feature was the unwanted flashing of a blue colour. Initially, it flashed white and blue, however we tried in our best efforts to change it to where and red. Unfortunately, even with assistance from the teacher, we were unable to eliminate the blue flashing. We consequently had to compromise with white red and blue flashing instead of just red and white.

Blogger

Blogger was the social media network we used to document all final versions of various material, update progression reports and upload rough cuts. As a group, we all feel that it was a good and interactive way to help the process of writing up various different reports. We feel that this aspect of our production had many more strength compared to weaknesses and was a rather cooperative tool during the process of developing our opening sequence.

One strength we feel Blogger demonstrated was the convenience of being able to upload photos and videos. During our the process of writing filming day evaluations, we required the ability to upload pictures to help summarise the day. Although at first we had difficulty establishing how to copy and paste shots, we eventually found how to insert the photos. This was helpful because it allowed us to add that multimedia aspect to the writing element of our opening sequence. Another good aspect of Blogger was the ability of embedding youtube videos. We simply had to click the share button at the bottom of the youtube video > click the “embed” button > copy the link given that in the bar > open a new post on Blogger > click the HTML button at the top left > paste the link previously copied. This was another quick and easy method of posting Youtube videos, and made it extremely easy to import them and integrate them into our written content. This was helpful towards our overall development of our opening sequence due to the fact that it helped us to post rough/practice cuts, as well as our 1st, 2nd and Final Cut of our opening sequence. Furthermore it allowed transporting the videos between group members a lot more efficient.

An additional tool that all group members found helpful was the tool to allow us to date and order our paste. There was a bar at the side before every post that gave the option of changing the date to our preference. This was helpful to the group as it allowed us to collate and organise our material appropriately, for example, date our preliminary filming evolution right after the actual footage of our preliminary task. This helped to help navigate our blogs a lot more easily, improving the aesthetics of our blog. 

One feature of Blogger that was a minor inconvenience was the fact that we could not embed Microsoft Word documents straight onto the website. Even with assistance from the teacher, she informed us that the only we would be capable of embedding Word documents onto Blogger was through other platforms that we were unable to access due to needing an account to pay for it. Apart from that minor misfortune, as a group, we felt Blogger was good platform to help us document our progression.

Lighting

Lighting wasn't necessarily a piece of technology that we acquired skills from, however we certainly acknowledged that it is major influence on the quality of our filming. Due to the location of our main scene of our opening sequence being in an underground cellar, we immediately had to establish a suitable lighting that would make our footage visible. We couldn't find a suitable lighting for our opening sequence, but fortunately, we find a level of exposure that in fact added to the mysteriousness of our scene. This lighting was transferable from one room to another, however we found some trouble finding where to place it. This is because the lighting in some places caused our footage to be too bring, and in other places we didn't have enough lighting. This was also because we could not find a position where the shadows of the cameraman and other members of the group weren't shown in the background. All round, we experience quite a few errors in terms of lighting, however they were all accepted due to the fact that once we fond a suitable position, it was very effective towards the overall mood and atmosphere of our opening sequence.

Written by Jack