Preliminary Task Questions

1. What have you learnt by doing this exercise?

Through filming my preliminary task I learnt how much planning is required in order to have an effective and productive shooting schedule. From creating a storyboard to finalising the script, all of the tasks required had to be done to as high as standard as possible in order to achieve what I wanted.

When it came to choosing what types of shots to use in a scene, for example a close-up or a wide angle I learnt which shots worked best where and in what type of environment. It was clear that establishing shots were great for setting the scene where as extreme close-ups were useful for capturing the slightest amount of emotion.

I also learnt that location plays a key part in the quality of the final product. I used several different locations whilst filming. One based in a dim lit room in London and the other in a driveway in the English countryside. Using different locations  helped me to understand what different types of equipment are needed for shooting indoors and outdoors.

2. What skills have you developed?

Through working on a preliminary task I have developed editing skills. I have learnt how the speed of shots as well as length of time a character has on screen have a large impact on the story which is told. Quicker shots tend to build more tension whereas slower ones help to give information. Giving one character a lot of screen time signifies to the audience that he is important in the film.

I also developed my shooting and lighting skills while filming as I had to light all the scenes differently as well as used a wide range of shot types including close-ups, establishing shots, wide angles and tracking shots.

3. What feedback have you received?

4. How would you improve your preliminary task?

I would improve my preliminary task by adding more detail to the script in order to create a more engaging script.