The process of creating our preliminary task began at story boarding. We were advised to restrict our preliminary to less than one minute, and illustrate our storyboards in as much detail as we could. Two pages of A3 paper were split into eight squares to use as the template for our storyboards, and, as shown below, a sufficient amount of detail was able to be depicted. A varied range of shots and camera angles are used, as well as correct proportions which really helped during filming.
However, not much consideration was taken when deciding the duration of each shots, and this was ignored during filming regardless. Though this did not hinder the process of filming, it is something that should be improved and taken more seriously during our next task, so to increase the accuracy of our storyboard.
FILMING
Once we had completed our storyboard we quickly moved on to filming, which took under an hour in total. The filming process was quick and ran smoothly as our group co-operated efficiently. We encountered some problems, such as the replication of the storyboard. This is obvious in the opening sequence, as the second shot was meant to frame the agent's feet in the centre, but we decided a higher angle shot, from the side, would be more effective as it enables the shadows to be more defined. In shot seven the officer is meant to continue his dialogue from shot six, creating a sound bridge, however on set we decided to cut this line as we felt that less dialogue would enhance the hostile and tense atmosphere. In the same shot the agent walks towards the officer, but this movement was disregarded because we thought the the poorly executed forward roll would suggest the comedic tone of the text, hinting at the overly dramatic and pretentious agents represented in spy films.
Sound proved to be a problem during filming, most notably the background noise. This was beyond our control because we didn't have equipment, such as a microphone, that could cancel it out. Furthermore, the sounds of students in the corridor interfered greatly with the process, which led to us filming the last shots later in the day. The student's presence presented another problem, and in the final shot a student can be seen across the corridor. This unwanted detail didn't ruin the whole effect of the piece so we decided to leave it in.
During filming the need for more dramatic lighting came apparent, so we decided to only use high-key lighting above the officer, to highlight his significance in the text and create mystery around the agent, who is mostly in the dark. Back light was provided by the adjacent room at the rear of the set, and filler light came from the windows on the right side of the room, looking at it from the door. This contrast of light is depicted in the still below, which in particular shows the dominance of the agent's character in the text.
Though we encountered difficulties, we did succeed in creating a continuous piece of film; the stills below demonstrate this. The 180 degree rule was obeyed throughout the text, though we used a variety of shots. The shots that broke the rule were positioned behind a character, as an over the shoulder shot, so the rule did not apply and the audience were still able to follow.
Match on action was used continually and consistently during the film, shown below.
EDITING
The editing process was without many complications, except for the ongoing issue of sound. In some shots, the officer's voice was significantly more quiet than the agent's which hindered the film's impact. As a result of this, we detached the audio from the film and altered the sound accordingly. Furthermore, the final shot was meant to be a close up of the door closing, however, in pre-production we realised that a student was walking down the corridor and this disrupted the continuity. After much consideration, we decided to cut the shot from the film. This problem could have been avoided if we had more control over the set, which would have also improved the quality of the sound. In contrast to these weaknesses, the blue colour gradient of the film is effective and connotes the secretive and tense narrative. The establishing shot was improved during the editing process, as it is cut so that the audience can hear footsteps before they are introduced to the character, which is enigmatic.
EVALUATION
On reflection, the preliminary task was a success as it demonstrates the filming and editing techniques required and was a realistic piece of film. The problems encountered and the text's lack of professional quality are things to be improved on, but our coursework will depict this progression.
