Preliminary Task-Short Film Evaluation

I have had previous experience using cameras and editing software, so the preliminary task wasn’t as challenging as it could have been. I believe the end result was rather good as it used a variety of shots and different editing techniques. I was refreshed on the rules of filming and camera use, so everything was filmed safely.

For the task, we had to create an original short film, of only 1 minute in length, using a variety of shots, which were drafted up in a storyboard. Lewis (my teammate) and I drafted the original idea of ‘The Vending Chronicles’, a story in which the character is taunted by a vending machine as it refuses to dispense his beverage.  We experimented with shots on our location of the college’s common room, where all of the shots were filmed.

For the whole task, I was filming Lewis’ escapades in trying to obtain his drink

Overall, I believe the final result was up to standard and the filming process went well, as did the editing. There are no continuity errors within the film, which makes it seem more professional and structured.

This preliminary task will aid me in the final project as it will further my skills in filming, editing and story development. 

Opie Task Evaluation

For the task, I had to take a photo, and edit it in the style of Julian Opie, who created Blur’s ‘Greatest Hits’ album art. I used Photo booth to capture an image of myself and then transferred it to Photoshop, where I began to edit it in her style.

Overall, I think the task to create and emulate the work of Julian Opie went fairly well. It wasn’t much of a challenge as I have had experience in using Photoshop in the past, however, some of the individual parts, such as using the lasso tool, was quite irritating as it took multiple attempts to select the parts in which I had to colour. The instructions were concise and easy to follow, rendering the task significantly easier. I also learned how to effectively utilise the ‘stroke’ tool and how it actually works. I feel that the end result is good as it was my first time attempting an Opie project, but there is definitely some room for improvement. For instance, the hair and shirt could’ve been selected better and neater, and I could have added highlights into the hair part, but for ease I decided against it, for it was too time-consuming.