Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product

I feel I have made a huge amount of progress since my preliminary task. In the preliminary task, I was solely focused on correctly capturing simple shots whilst maintaining basic continuity which resulted in my preliminary task being very bland and robotic.

Whereas, in my film opening I had an existing knowledge of the camera and was able to concentrate my attention fully on capturing charismatic shots which enhanced the execution of my film’s narrative as seen in the screen shot below.

In my opinion this over the shoulder medium shot is composed well as the reflected image of the female protagonist is perfectly framed by the edges of the mirror. This interesting shot denotes the female protagonist's reaction to her fiance's overly affectionate behaviour thus aiding the film's narrative in establishing the relationship between the characters.

In my initial task there was an issue regarding the steadiness of some of my shots therefore I used a tripod in my film opening to eliminate this problem. I learned that using a tripod is of fundamental importance in producing a film that has professional attributes, especially as I am visually impaired. However, the tripod did restrict some of my shots due to the limited space of the location.

The research involved in constructing my film opening was more detailed as greater care was taken to ensure it was of a professional nature. This meant that every aspect of film making was explored which provided me with a greater insight into the importance of the codes and conventions of film genres.

The codes and conventions of a film are elements that indicate a specific genre by employing typical features associated with that genre meaning it is impossible to make a film without first deciding its genre. Therefore establishing my genre gave me direction and added meaning to my product. I also learnt the importance of challenging these codes and convention in order to give my product a unique quality thus maximising my film’s appeal.

I also improved in my editing skills as my film opening is effectively paced in order to execute my narrative in the most concise manner possible.

My initial task did not include any non-diegetic sound and therefore I had not fully realised the importance of sound in further emphasising the meaning of a scene. My use of non-diegetic sound is apparent in my introduction of the protagonists which suggests the contrast between the protagonists may serve as a key dynamic in the film. In the process of making my product my knowledge of sound editing and its relevance in enhancing a particular meaning has greatly improved.

I also learned maintaining continuity is crucial in order to ensure the realism of a film. One area where continuity had to be taken into account was whilst filming retakes which involved the clock where the time had to be constantly reset in order to avoid this issues.

Overall, in my progression I have developed an appreciation for the amount of work required by film makers. I have also learned about the various stages involved in film making (research and planning, shooting the film and editing) - basically how to bring an idea to life!