Q6: What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

I have learnt many different things while constructing this product, many of which were during the filming and editing process. When using a digital video camera I learnt many things about the different shot types and how to shoot effectively. One thing that I found was important while using the camera is the stability of it while filming. Due to the high quality of the camera, it is very clear when a shot is unsteady and so I learnt that a key thing to take into consideration while filming was the stability of the camera. Another thing that helped this was the use of a tripod for shots such as mid shots and long shots. This is as it can track smoothly and is able to get a completely stable shot without the risk of it being unsteady or unclear. Not only this but I also learnt that it is important to ensure that the camera is focused during close ups. If the camera was not focused then the shot would be blurred and unclear. When the camera was focused the topic of the camera is clear to the audience and therefore a much more effective shot. An example of this was the close up of the zip, it had to be ensured that within this shot the camera was completely focused, meaning the shot was clear and not out of focus, thus making it an effective shot type. I also learnt the importance of when certain shots should be used within the opening. One significant factor of this that was learnt was that close ups should be used after the build-up of an action. For example this is demonstrated when the bag is placed onto the surface, there is then a close-up of the zip, this draws attention to what is happening. The same is demonstrated when the character walks to the fridge and takes out the cranberry juice, there is then a close-up of the juice being poured. I also learnt that panning shots are most useful when demonstrating the character is walking, these have been done throughout, and also when the car pulls into the driveway. The use of these shots means that an illusion that the camera is imitating the action is created, it is also clear that movement or a journey is happening. The location of filming was also an important aspect, due to factors such as the weather and continuity. The weather while filming was successful for what we wanted within the thriller opening. The weather was quite sunny but cold, this meant that we had the options to edit any filters in, in order to make the weather look darker. The lighting within the house was also light enough to allow options for change in the editing process, however when it got darker a torch had to be used to ensure the clips were clear and not effected by the natural lighting. Also to avoid any continuity errors we filmed each shot in the order they would come in. This meant that the thriller imitates a complete day and there are no changes in weather that look irregular within the narrative. Within the camerawork I also learnt a lot about framing within shots. One thing that I learnt was the importance of rule of thirds, I learnt that shot types such as mid shots, it is important that the character or topic of the shot is in the centre, this allows the attention of the audience to be diverted onto the centre rather than anything else that is framed within the shot.

There are also many different things that I learnt within the editing process that ensure that the meaning is clear to the audience. One thing that I learnt during the process of editing was the importance of editing to structure the narrative. It was clear that while editing clips that made the narrative clear and had no continuity errors had to be used in order to make sure the opening made sense. However I also learnt that some clips were not needed and that the narrative would not be effected without them. An example of this was the footage of the character walking, many clips were cut out during the editing process as they were boring and unnecessary once all the clips were put together on IMovie, the software that was used to edit. Another thing that was done during the editing process was the use of transitions. Due to the pace of our editing I learnt that transitions were not necessary for the majority of the opening. However in order to make the title have more impact a harsh transition was used, making the title have a better appearance within the opening. Another thing that I learnt during the editing process was the use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound. In many of the clips there were successful diegetic sounds that were created such as the pouring of the kettle, the gasps and the shattering mug. However some sounds were too quiet or not effective and so non-diegetic sound had to be placed in the opening in order for these shots to be effective, an example is the doorbell. Many different soundtracks were also placed within the opening in order to achieve pace and also normality. The overall soundtrack used creates pace and the use of the end soundtrack adds tension to the final scene. Also placed within the opening is a soundtrack that imitates the sound of nearby roads and people, adding normality to the opening and making the other soundtracks have a softened sound. The editing speed was also extremely important, I learnt to edit to the pace of the soundtrack and to also ensure that each shot was only around one or two seconds long. By having the shots this short, the audience do not get bored and therefore a fast pace is achieved.