AS Reflection - Creativity

 How did you use media forms to come up with something new and original?
We used YouTube to a great extent as it ensured that our AS production adhered to the expected stereotypes of an action movie. We saw that shots which were dynamic were necessary as it gave a sense of originality to the movie and we attempted to incorporate this through our tracking shot of the chase scene as it immerses the audience more.

Where did ideas come from?

The ideas for our AS production were created in contrast with what you would expect to see in an action movie. We were undecided at the start of production on whether to go with an action or horror movie but decided that action may be easier to film as we wouldn’t require too many props. We knew that action movies require a fight and or chase scene to adhere to the genre conventions and so we looked at possible places to film this, eventually choosing somewhere local due to ease of accessibility to our group. Eventually these two scenes became the two main sequences in our film as they adhered to the conventions to the highest degree. The dolly shot we used in the chase scene was influenced largely by the need for stability in our shots, so we ended up using a car as a platform to maintain pace with the chase scene and allowing the camera to be steady.

How did you work collaboratively to share ideas?

We as a group ensured that any ideas we had were discussed between the three of us. We showcased how we came up with ideas on Blogger and this made it easier to access if we wanted to incorporate certain features we thought of. We tried to make sure that the ideas for what we were filming were accepted by the group as to make it easier to film something we all understood and wanted in our production.

How did you change things?

Initially we were thinking of a horror film but the genre changed as we wanted to do something which was unique in its own way and makes it standout which we thought would have been difficult in a horror film. We initially wanted the fight scene to take up most of the opening scene by incorporating it within the chase scene so that it was fast paced and dramatic. However, we found out that the fight scene was difficult to film as it took a while to film and due to a lack of time to film in daylight after college due to winter conditions and the work requirements all of us had, made it difficult to film at times. The location was also difficult as there was constant hindrance from the public as it was a well-used route on sunny days. So overall we had to split the chase and fight scene to allow us to get enough shots to fit the given time period we had in our opening scene. Initially we were also going to showcase the protagonists more before they encountered the antagonist but found that the time limit simply didn’t allow for much dialogue between the two. Ultimately we decided to get straight into an action sequence as it immediately emphasises to the audience what sort of genre we were showcasing.

How did you use tools like Adobe Premier Elements etc to achieve something imaginative?

We used Premier Elements to firstly incorporate the production credits with an animation. With the help of Flash and Photoshop to create them. We ensured the music was one of the main features in the opening scene and tried to keep it in time with what the audience could see. It created dramatic effect as it built up in the chase scene and got quicker as the scene developed until eventually it acted in prevalence with the fight scene to make the opening scene more dramatic as a whole. We also introduced non-diagetic sound effects in the fight scene to make it more immersive and keep the audience interested.

What stylistic techniques were used to appeal to the audience?

The technical pros we saw in our AS production was the variety of shots we had placed in the opening scene, we incorporated low angle, high angle, closeups, two shots, medium and long shots. The best shot in our scene in my opinion was the dolly shot we got, we used a car to help film the shot with minimum shakiness to it and allowed the scene to be developed further.

What was the intended outcome of the production? (assessment objectives, preferred readings, promotional purposes?)

The intended outcome of our AS production was to appease the audience watching it. Ultimately we would have wanted them to want to view the whole film if there was one and attempted to include as much in terms of content as possible to influence the audience to want to see more. If it would have been in the actual industry, it would have served promotional purposes to emphasise the film and the action qualities it possesses. We also wanted to induce action qualities throughout which made it seem more like an action film.

How were these outcomes achieved in terms of page layout and camera shot choices (codes and conventions)?

The dolly shot used in the chase scene acted as an essential part in showcasing conventions in our action based opening scene. It highlighted the chase scene between the protagonist and antagonist and engages the audience in the action which is unfolding. The fight scene was also dynamic in the way it gave prevalence to different characters through the different shots shown as the high and low angle shots gave power to each individual character and allowed us to contrast the characters against eachother and relate them more to action heroes or villains.

How have you developed these skills at A2?

In terms of developing these skills, we as a group were able to edit the scenes to a greater degree. The shots we gathered were generally more conventional in our A2 production. Due to the fact that we were able to acquire shots from a much bigger variety of locations allowed the trailer to seem more big budget overall. We also ensured that we had some proper props to use in the A2 production as our opening scene lacked some sort of weaponry which made it rather difficult to showcase the hero vs villain style of frame. The guns we had played prevalence in a number of shots which emphasised the trailer as an action movie. The characters were also much easier to distinguish as the AS production places you in the action without an establishment of whose what character whilst the A2 production highlights the main character immediately through the narration and his role in the shots. Conventions were also just generally more considered as the lighting and mise-en-scene allowed us to distinguish the characters straight away e.g. the antagonist constantly shown in a darker area.