Reflection for Production Task

1.    Describe any problems or difficulties your group encountered during the planning. These may include; organizational problems, group related issues, etc.
During the planning, some problems were encountered which had to be solved in order to create the film well. One problem was that each group member had many outside commitments, which made it difficult to create a functional shooting schedule which each group member could commit to. This in total, made it very hard to shoot scenes on weekdays and weekends, which is why we needed an extension, as two of our group members were sick for nearly a week as well. Another problem which was encountered was that not every group member was 100% committed to working during class. This either left one or two group members doing all the work, or no work being done at all. However, this was not encountered very often.



2.    Clarify any time-management issues your group encountered during the planning process and describe the steps you implemented to improve in this area;
Our group has struggled very much in the area of time-management, however solutions are being implemented to solve this problem. This, again, was due to the groups outside commitments, such as sport, dancing and drama. Also, some group member went on holidays during the term break, so no filming was completed over the holidays. Only slight filming could be done on the first Sunday as some members did not have a transport method to arrive at the destination. In order to improve this, some sacrifices to outside commitments had to be made in order to have filming times after school, and on the weekend.



3.    Discuss whether your group made effective use of the provided templates to assist the film-making process;
 Our group used the provided templates to assist the film-making process, however they could have been used more effectively. The props list helped greatly in knowing what props should be brought each shooting time planned, and also organized who should bring what for each individual character. This was very helpful, as  it was clear in what should be brought without hesitation.  The shot list also helped to identify what characters were needed within each shooting time planned, however this did not work effectively. This was because even when we knew the Prince was needed, some group members did not organise to bring the Prince to the location planned. Lastly, the shooting schedule did not work effectively without our group. Even though it clearly told us what days and times were planned for shooting, most times this did not happen due to other commitments outside of school. 







4.    Explain whether the planning process helped your group during filming. In particular, discuss whether the use of devices such as storyboards, shot-lists, and rough edits assisted throughout the filming process;
Some aspects of the planning process definitely helped my group during filming. The documents that particularly helped well was the storyboard and shot-list. The storyboard was very helpful, as it gave us a view on what camera angles would be used to make the story the best it could. It also gave an idea of the whole movie, and helped us to decide whether any changes were to be make. One change that was made was to make it simpler, as there was so many shots to complete in little time. The shot-list also assisted greatly, as it made it clear as to what characters were needed for each scene and made it easier to organise shooting sessions.





5.    Describe any problems or difficulties your group encountered during the filming process. These may include; organization problems, unreliable cast members, group related issues, equipment problems, etc.
There were a few difficulties that our group encountered during the filming processes, which included mainly organization problems, unreliable cast members and group related issues. The organization of our group was very poor, as many group members had other priorities to commit too, such as sporting sessions. This made it extremely difficult to have the shooting schedule work effectively, and made us have to do very quick and poor shots. Unreliable cast members was a very large problem as well, as some members were required to organize actors, like the Prince, to come on certain days, and did not happen. This meant that less shooting could be done on the day, and also made us very behind in our shooting schedule. This was also the major group related issues, however I have enjoyed working in a team even though it has been very stressful and difficult.

6.    After reviewing your footage and completing the rough cut of your film, describe any aspects of your film, which need to be addressed. i.e does your group need to reshoot any scenes; are any additional shots required; are there any scenes which worked better than expected.
There are some aspects of our film which were identified, that need to be addressed and reshooted. A scene that needs to be reshooted is the wedding chapel scene, as Courtney and I were in our school uniform for part of the movie. This meant that the movie was not as realistic as it should have been, and this will be reshooted as soon as possible. Another shot that should be reshot, is the end scene where Courtney is writing on a tree with blood. This is a very long scene, and the tomato sauce bottle is clearly noticable. This will be reshot and the tomato sauce will be unnoticable, and it will be much shorter. Another shot should be added at the ended, showing the words on the tree clearly, which will make the whole film much more scary.

7.    List any skills, techniques or tricks you have discovered during the project.
There are a few skills, techniques and tricks that were discovered during the project. One was that by using a close-up and then transferring to a mid-shot, was found to be very effective as it depicted the emotions on the face whilst also showing the scenery of the film. Also, by using music in the movie which has the same beat and timing as the footage, it become much more interesting and a joy to watch.



8.    Discuss whether you undertook adequate and detailed reflection to throughout your project. Have you provided enough evidence to support your work? (Look back at your blogs/journals and think about whether it looks like 6 weeks worth of work).
After looking back onto my blog after the rough edit was completed, it does not seem to look like 6 weeks worth of reflections. I also do not feel that each reflection is detailed enough, however it does provide basic information of prove of my work. This was most likely because of our lack of time managment, most time was spent on filming and planning, not blogging. I provided basic information on the cooperation of our group, and also what I contributed to me group and what other members contributed.


Discuss your feelings about the production task:
9.    Are you satisfied with your groups final result?
I am satisfied with my groups final result, however I also believe that the end result of the rough edit could have been better. I feel that if more time was spent filming and planning, not talking or procrastinating, a better outcome could have been produced. I am pleased with the rough edit though, and I feel that our weekend work has paid off to create a good quality film, with a good storyline.

10.    Would like to change any aspects of your film?
There are definitely some aspects of the film that I would like to change. One of which includes making the end scene with Courtney, much shorter as it takes nearly most of the film to complete. I would also like to make certain clips much more shorter and precise, to make the storyline more clear and definite. Also, I would like to shoot a new scene were Aurora, Belle and Cinderella hear a sound in the bushes, after they question where she is. This would become much more effective, as the audience would understand why the screaming occurs, which is because Ariel is attacking them, aiming to kill them.
11.    If you could start the project again what would you do differently?
If I could start the project again, there a numerous amount of things I would do differently. One thing that I would do differently, would be to have more organization and time management within my group. 

Mise-En-Scene, Cinematography, Editing and Sound

Within our film, we use mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing and sound in our film effectively to create a clear storyline and genre classifcation.

Before filming our short film, lighting, acting, costumes, props and settings were organised to create a professional looking clip, and also making the storyline and genre appear clear. We used a gold sheet to soften the light when filming close-up shots. This was to make the lighting seem natural on the actors face, and also to avoid having a sharp shadow over the actors face. Also, we made sure that the acting within the film was very Princess-like, and lady like in the beginning to make it clear that we were Disney Princesses, as typically, Princesses are gentle and very lady-like. However, when chasing the Prince, all lady-like manners disappeared, and the personality becomes opposite; Aggressive and unlady-like. This is so display how angry and upset the characters were that their Prince had been unfaithful to them. To allow the characters seem as modern day Princesses, specific costumes also had to be worn. For Cinderella, my character, a blue modern dress was worn, along with the typical crown. All the other Princesses also wore a dress in their classical colour. Other occasions such as the wedding day, a white dress was worn by each Princesses to indicate they were getting married. This was also shown within the props and costumes, such as a Tiara to indicate their superiority in being a Princesses, and a chapel to show they were getting married.

The cinematography was also very crucial in delivering a clear message within the short film. When the Princesses were chasing the Prince, the camera follows them along. This demonstrates how intense and fast pased the action is happening, and creates an intensifying mood, full of thrills and excitement. Also, during the wedding scene, many different shots are taken to demonstrate how in love the two characters are, which emphasises the heartbreak of the poor princesses. Editing has not been completed with the film yet, however we plan to use any matchcuts within the wedding scene. This is when the Princesses are walking up the isle, and the Princesses are meant to be flicking from one to another. This is to identify that all girls were married to Prince "Charming".  Lastly, sound was also demonstrated in our film, or will be soon. We do not have much dialogue within the film, as the sound quality is not fantastic, and also is not needed to determine the basic storyline. However, a few sentences are spoken to clarify ideas and themes within the short film, such as when the Princesses question where Ariel is. There will be sound effects, such as crunching leaves to identify the fast pace of the Princesses at the beginning of the short film. Mysterious and intensifying music may also be played to increase the Audiences anxiousness and thrill.

Struggle of being in a group

This week we received an extension as two group members were away sick for all of the week. This meant that we had another week to complete our rough draft. This proved to be a struggle, as we are busy most days of the week, as well as the weekend. This is due to other commitments, such as sports and outside activities. We found that we could film on Tuesday afternoon - Meaning an extension would be needed on our Maths assignment. We also have a plan to film on Sunday for four or five hours. Hopefully we will get it done in time!

Timecode

What Is Timecode?

Timecode is a time or code assigned to a specific frame or a specific point in a video. Essentially, a timecode is like a time stamp in video editing. However, nowadays, timecode is no longer used only for video editing. Timecodes are also now used in audio and music file editing.

Types of Timecode

There are several types of timecodes you can use when editing video. There are two major types of timecodes: DV Timecode and SMPTE Timecode.

DV timecode is often used on digital media. DV timecode is stored on its own track and is then transferred over firewire. SMPTE is the standard timecode format used on all non-digital media. It is often stored on an audio track or integrated into the video track.

There are also two other familiar types of timecode still being used: the Drop Frame and the Non-Drop Frame.

Drop Frame Timecode throws out the numbers at :00 and :01 frames every few minutes, except at the 10 minute mark. This means that a video with a drop frame timecode will make adjustments by skipping frame numbers perdiodically. This is to keep the timecode synced with real time.
With a Non-Drop Frame Timecode, a number to 30 frames per second is assigned. This will result to an error of .03 frames per second. In a nutshell, if you use a Non-Drop Frame Timecode, your video will run approximately at 30 frames per second.

Uses of Timecode

Timecode is an essential part of video editing. The timecode assigns a specific time to each frame of video. By doing this, you can access any specific frame of the video and any edits you make to a frame will still be accurate.
You can also use a timecode to make the video in conjunction with real time. By dropping or skipping a frame, you are able to align the time of the video in real time.
Giving each frame a timecode is like stamping a frame with a special code so that each one is unique and easily searchable. You can manipulate each frame of the video, pick a scene, cut a scene and adjust the beginning or end of the frame to define it.

Uses of Timecode

Timecode is an essential part of video editing. The timecode assigns a specific time to each frame of video. By doing this, you can access any specific frame of the video and any edits you make to a frame will still be accurate.

You can also use a timecode to make the video in conjunction with real time. By dropping or skipping a frame, you are able to align the time of the video in real time.

Giving each frame a timecode is like stamping a frame with a special code so that each one is unique and easily searchable. You can manipulate each frame of the video, pick a scene, cut a scene and adjust the beginning or end of the frame to define it.

Creating a Timecode

A timecode is an 8-digit code and each code has a different meaning. The first number signifies the hour, then the minutes, the seconds and the last number signifies the frame number. Since a timecode moves from right to left, the number should be encoded the same way beginning with the hour.
You should also note that the hour is based on military time, which means that numbering is from 1 until 24. However, encoding the minutes and seconds is just like that of a regular clock - 0 to 59.
If you will be using a Drop Frame Timecode, use a semi-colon or period to separate the seconds and frames. On the other hand, use a colon all throughout for a Non-Drop Frame Timecode.

Converting Kodak Zi8 Files for use in iMovie and Final Cut

In order to convert Kodak Zi8 Files for use in iMovie and Final Cut Pro, these steps are to be followed:
1. Open MPEG-Streamclip
2. Open the file in the MPEG-Streamclip window
3. Export to Quicktime, from the "File" Menu
4. Ensure you math the settings; Frame Size 1280x720
5. Open Final Cut from the Dock by selecting the "Final Cut Pro" icon
6. Check your project settings
7. Adjust your settings in File menu and select easy setup
8. Adjust your project settings; Set your Format to Apple; Intermediate Codec with a Rate of 29.97 fps; Use - Apple Intermediate Codec 720p10

What to improve on, and how

We need to improve on our filming organization, including acquiring costumes and props in time.

I've found that within this group we have plans of filming during the week, but it has never happened so far as we have not gotten our costumes or props prepared for filming yet. 

To improve, I feel that we should organise people to individually acquire their own props and costume for a certain date, such as before Sunday, to ensure that filming can be completed on that day.

Working in a group of Four

So far working in a group of four has been a challenging experience, as there are so many people to worry about regarding costume, props, and times that they are available to film.

It's been hard to organize times and places to meet for filming, as everyone has different times that they are available to meet and film. This is mainly because everyone has different commitments that they have, which makes it very hard to have a steady filming session. It's also hard as we get distracted very easily as there are so many people to talk to.

We plan to film this Sunday, for a whole day as we are very behind in our filming schedule.

Extra Filming

In Creative Media, we are not able to film properly as we do not have our costumes or props with us. So, whilst in class we film scenes in our school uniform to make sure we have film for our rough edit, even if we do not complete all proper filming. 

Last lesson, we used a white screen as the background and had lighting bounce off a golden surface to create our scene setting. We completed the close ups at the marriage scene, and the scene where the ring slides onto the brides finger.

If all filming with costumes and correct settings are not completed in time, at least we have back-up footage.

Three Point Lighting

Whilst recording film for a professional movie, accurate lighting is one of the most important aspects for a good quality clip. The three-point lighting set-up is a very common method for good quality lighting. A key light is used which is very strong, followed by a fill light which is softer and is used to make the object seem for three dimensional. Lastly, there is a back light which highlights the back of the object which also makes the object more dimensional and real looking. A reflector can be used to bounce light and make it seem softer. This is sometimes used to make the light less harsh on the object, making it seem fake.