Prelimanary task

The preliminary task was one of the first bit of practical work set to get us used to using the camera facilities and introducing us to the different camera shots/angles. Another thing that was introduced to use were two rules that we have to obide by whilst making our opening sequence being the 180 degree rule and the thirds rule. We had to film a sequence of somebody going up to a door, opening it and walking across the room to have a conversation with someone. We had two lessons to complete it.

 Key summary of what we had to include:

• opening a door.
• Crossing a room.
• Sitting down.
• Dialogue.
• Match on action.
• Shot reverse.
• 180 degree rule.
• thirds rule.

180 degree rule - The hardest thing which I found was sticking to the 180 degree rule, this is because without it the film doesn't look right but with it, it gives the film an edge. The rule basically means that once the camera is on one side of a character you stick to one side of that character, if the person walked across a room from left to right the next shot of them walking past should also be left to right otherwise the film would loose momentum and also make the film unbelievable.

Another rule which I found hard to stick to was the rule of thirds, this means that the emphasis of each shot should be in one of the crosses of the thirds. You dont have to follow this rule but it makes the film alot more believeable if you do, it also makes the film more aesthetically pleasing and better to watch. key aspects ofeach shot should follow the lines which make up the thirds, for example in the picture below the mans eyes are on the top horizontal line, this makes the shot look better.

 

There are quite a few things which i think that we could of done better in our preminary task, it helped us alot relising the aspects of a film that you have to get right otherwise our film wouldnt look right and wouldnt have any flow. When we create our final film i think that  it is very important to get the 180 degree rule right otherwise our film could be disasterous.

film from Luke Samson-Hill on Vimeo.