6) What have you learnt about technologies in the process of constructing your film sequence?

Technology has been pivotal into the process of constructing our product, from filming to editing; the technology has been a key element of our film sequence. 

An example of the tripod we used - vital for tilt and especially pan used when filming the Antagonist's bedroom

Example of the HD HandyCam we used

Firstly, I have had to get to grips with the video camera which we have recorded all of our filming on across the duration of the filming process. Although the video camera is quite simple to use, I have had to familiarise myself with what button does what, for example the record button on the back of the camera, the replay button on the side of the camera to replay our footage, and using the touch screen to flick through previous footage deleting unnecessary footage or checking all footage we need is there on our checklist. Whilst filming, we did sometimes encounter problems with our Sony HD camera, yet there were often problems due to our inexperience with the video camera. However, as we continued to record more and more we began to become more confident and aware of what we had to do to create the best quality film. This meant practicing movements such as a ‘pan’, (without having to record), with a steady hand to ensure shots were only needed to be taken once. I had to get to grips with the tripod, using the level measure on the top to get the perfect angle to film with, as well as ensuring it’s stability whilst filming. I also had to enforce that the camera was tightly screwed onto the tripod so it remained on the tripod when panning/tilting, keeping the camera safe, as well as clean footage.

The second piece of technology we mainly used was Final Cut Pro on the Apple Mac, which enabled us to move our footage from our video camera (using a USB hard drive being plugged into our Mac) into Final Cut Pro; a movie making application. We had to import our clips into final cut pro where we could select certain clips to put into the project. This was excellent as it enabled us to review clips before placing them in, so we could be efficient in what clips were put in. When placing clips into a project it was a case of drag into the appropriate area which was very easy to do, saving time rather than having to re-import the clips onto the project. We could also adjust the size of the clip by clicking on the clip and shortening it until the length we want, therefore making it easier to edit our work.

Here is a screenshot of our work with Final Cut Pro

Final Cut Pro was also excellent when editing with special effect as the application boasted a wide range effects from ‘blur’ to ‘fade’ all of which could be used in our thriller. In our product, colour correct was the most common effect as we felt that this emphasis on certain colours such as the red on the voodoo doll, emphasised the colour which has connotations of death and blood. Subsequently, this enabled us to reveal certain enigma codes to the audience, but it also made some footage seem realistic, for example the close-up of Laura’s (dead) face, required colour correction to make her appear more cold, pale and dead in essence, which was done by pulling the colour cursor over a colour which would have the effect that Laura really was dead. After applying an effect by a double click, and trialling it, the project needed to be ‘rendered’. This was done using control+R. Other effects used were overlays so the audience could establish links between Charlie and Laura, whilst Vignette was also experimented with. 

Motion

Motion+ is another software we used alongside Final Cut Pro. It enabled us to put in different templates of different titles for different characters. Actors were just given their name in the font (American Typewriter) with the effect which made it look like it was moving. This was done by selecting an effect to use. We felt this also reflected our genre as it seemed mysterious. Often in film, directors and other important roles e.g. Lighting, is given their department prior to their name, to highlight their importance. The Motion was trial and error initially before getting to grips with how it works and what meant what. We knew that all titles had to be kept within the inside blue square pictured in the below screenshot. This meant all titles were well within the frame and looking professional. 

Soundtrack Pro

The last piece of technology used was Soundtrack Pro; another application used on the Apple Mac. Soundtrack pro is an application full of music samples from guitars to people to electronic sounds, all of which are excellent when trying to make a soundtrack for a thriller product. Soundtrack Pro enables us to make a soundtrack without the hassle of an orchestra used in blockbusters such as the James Bond films. Soundtrack Pro is an application I haven’t previously used, however it’s very easy to get to grips with the software. Each sound sample is found under a header of ‘acoustic’ or ‘drums’, which means that if you know what you want, e.g. a piano playing, you can look under the category of which piano would fall under, and search through the category until you find something suitable. To preview a sample, a simple click of the sample is needed then to press the play button (in form of a triangle on its side) below to hear it. Then, if you like it, a drag is needed into your project and it is then part of your soundtrack. Similarly to Final Cut Pro, you can adjust the size of the sample by dragging one end of the sample to shorten or lengthen it. Another part of Soundtrack Pro which is also key, is how you can play two samples at the same time, this can be done by dragging one sample over another sample (so they are merged), or to create another effect you can put the sample into a bar below which will act as an underlying sound giving a different effect. Each line/bar which the samples are put into has an electronic dial where you can edit the sample e.g. changing the loudness or frequency to suit your specific needs.

This is a screenshot of our soundtrack on Final Cut Pro to see if the soundtrack fitted perfectly

Here are some screenshots of the outstanding effects we used:

Before 'colour correct'

After 'colour correct'

This clearly shows the excellent effect of colour correct. The red of the voodoo doll appears brighter, thus conveying connotations of evil and death, whilst the darkening on Charlie's face makes him see mysterious and unusual. These improvements shown in the colour correction indicates how I have learnt about technology in the construction of our film sequence.