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

Hardware (Production Process)

-     Canon HDV 30 (Camcorder)

-     Shotgun Microphone

-     Tripod

-     Clapperboard

-      Headphones

(the camera + shotgun mic on shoot)

I can now fully operate a Sony Camcorder, including manual focus and also adjust the settings according to shot types, e.g. I had to rotate the camera sideways while holding the tripod smoothly to do the forward track. Manual Focus was a very effective technique which we used in the production process. A key moment is when the focus shifts at the montage when the soldier creeps to the screams.

I have also learnt to use a shotgun microphone effectively; most of our shots were filmed in the ‘shotgun’ setting so it only picks up the closest sounds and ignores any background sound. As we were filming outdoors, the headphones helped us to know exactly what sounds are heard by the camera, e.g. often there were police sirens or footsteps from locals.

The tripod was possibly the most important piece of equipment we used (other than the camera) because it kept all the shots still and smooth, although occasionally we used handheld shots, for example the ‘beast’ POV shot at the end of the film sequence. It is also very good in terms of flexibility as it includes plenty of firm adjusters which can be lowered or raised depending on shots.

The clapperboard was also essential as it helped us keep track of shots and stay on task as it is essentially an ‘organizer’. It also helped the actors know roughly when to get ready to perform.

Software (Editing)

-    Adobe Premiere Pro CS3

-    Adobe After Effects

-   Macbook Pro (Livetype)

Adobe Premiere Pro was absolutely vital in creating a smooth, error-free production. It includes for example a variety of settings, effect settings in particular and also a well organized capture list.

I used Adobe Premiere Pro’s procamp setting to adjust the lighting/contrast to be quite dull, washed out and similar to the colours they use in ‘Misfits’. This came out exceptionally well and adds to the tension and drama.

We also used various sound effects to adjust the radio conversation between the sergeant and the soldier. Bandpass/Highpass effects were used to make the sound more distorted and give a realistic (the sergeant on the Radio was Matt Smith, we just edited his voice) radio effect. 

Adobe After Effects was used to produce the gun shot at the start of the sequence. Freddie Wong (see previous post) has very easy tutorials and these helped to create a realistic and professional shot/head explosion.

At Latymer, we are lucky to have a Macbook Pro available and its Livetype programme is very useful to create visual/effective titles.

Livetype Interface

Other

-     Blogger

-     Facebook

-     Youtube

-     Freeplaymusic.com

All three websites are vital to communicate, illustrate and publish our project.

I have learnt various technical aspects in blogger, and in particular have learnt about HTML codes and how to order posts/edit individual design aspects.

We used Facebook to communicate via a group chat. It’s simple to use and we are all very active with Facebook, so within an hour everyone in my group would know exactly what is happening with our production. Facebook was also used to gather an audience for our screening.

Youtube is used to upload our videos and make them available to the public. It is a huge business, and has various settings, such as annotations to make everything as vivid as possible.

Summary

Although I already knew how to use all of these technologies, my knowledge has dramatically increased in the duration of this project. I am now able to do these much more efficiently and better than before.

If I was to do this project again I would possibly film in the dark and use pag lights to build up tension. This could’ve been very effective; however filming at night is unsafe, awkward and difficult as the lighting would have to look realistic.

My advice to future Media Students is to be ambitious and creative with the technologies, they are so adaptable and useful that a huge variety of things can be carried out by them. It’s always worth attempting the difficult things, as if they come out wrong then they do not have to be used in the final production, for example we filmed a hanging shot at the end of the shooting process which involved the ‘beast’ attacking the soldier and pinning him to the wall however it looked odd and was unclear.

 

(go for a crane shot)