Our First Continuity Sequence

Evaluation

After completing the first project using the cameras and editing software I want to do more! I really enjoyed the whole experience, the planning, shooting and editing.

My favourite aspect of the video is the close up shot, passing of the hand and the whole humour of it. ‘I’d like to ask for your daughters hand in marriage’ and he literally gives her hand! It’s so stupid but that’s what makes the video for me. Gives it a genre - comedy.
 Also the soundtrack in the background adds to the humour and just finishes the whole thing off, the way Ross walks in to a happy, jolly tune and then leaves the room to a more sad soundtrack which adds emotion to help tell the story. After watching the video back my least favourite aspect is how quickly it moves, it all looks very rushed and doesn’t give the full effect of the emotion in the scene. And the way the shot is cut off before the door has stopped closing, it just all looks unfinished and hurried. Other than that i don't think the continuety of the whole thing is too bad, it's looks as though it all links together in most places, but one of the shots we had a problem where the lighting had changed to a blue tone because we were only using ambient lighting (natural lighting) so the change of the weather outside altered the lighting of the room which has affected the way the clips flow together, and makes it look as though we had moved scenes.

Lighting mistake

So if I were to undertake this task again i would be more wary of the lighting around us, and perhaps  I would be sure to make each shot long enough in the filming, even longer than needed because it’s easy to cut a shot short using the editing software, but you can’t add anything or make it longer without going back out shooting again. Also we made the mistake of breaking the 180 degree rule about half way through on the over the shoulder shot and our actors ‘switch sides’ which is confusing for the audience.

This is an example of where we screwed up the 180 degree rule.

But overall, looking past the few shooting mistakes the whole experience ran smoothly; we all worked well as a team and all shared our ideas in the planning and deciding in camera shots, we also shared the camera work as much as we could, so everyone was well involved, nobody was left out, we all had something to do! We might have had the odd disagreement but we worked through this without any arguments, but I thought it was good no one was afraid to share their ideas. The only issue we did have in shooting was the tri-pod, where one of the legs just didn’t want to lock, and kept on sliding in, but we managed to get past this and complete filming without any other problems.

Editing took a while for all of us to get a hang of because it was our first time using the software, but we got there in the end. We took it in turns in editing, each of us worked on a certain part. ­­­­­We even impressed ourselves with what we’d done for our first attempt! I am really pleased with what we produced, it’s basic but effective. If i were to do this again, now I am more experienced in the editing software I would use a wider range of transitions and perhaps a few special effects and the odd sound effect now and then to make it more exciting to watch.

Overall this first project was enjoyable, and a good effort! I am pleased with our end result, and the fact it actually turned out to be quite a funny storyline!