Our task was to use the script given to us by our teacher and interpret it in our own way using no more or no less words but more action. We had to make sure we used different camera shots including the 180 degree rule, match on action, shot reverse shot and we also had to include someone opening a door and someone crossing the room to have a conversation.
Our original idea was to have two Essex girls meeting in a café to have a conversation as one of the girls are persuading the other to break up with their boyfriend but the other is adamant that she ‘can’t do it’. We decided almost immediately that Francesca and Annette would be the actresses and that Chontae and I would direct the film meaning we were in charge of the whole arrangement and organizing everything that happened on set.
The production paperwork we used was the treatment, production call sheet, storyboard and the breakdown of shots. I think that the story board and the treatment were the most useful pieces of paperwork because that was the paperwork we followed in order to complete the task. The storyboard was helpful because we were able to see the actions that needed to be done and the basics of what needed to be consisted of in each scene. The treatment was also useful because we were able to have a basic step by step of what would be happening in the film.
The basis of our film idea stayed the same however a few parts were added and tweaked. For example, on the day of filming we forgot to bring in a gold bracelet which Francesca was supposed to have fiddled with but instead we used a watch which was fairly similar. Also, Chontae was involved in the filming due to us adding an extra part of Annette bumping into Chontae before she reaches Francesca to prolong the scene. This meant that I had to take complete control over the directing and filming which was quite a lot of pressure but worked out well in the end. In the future I think that us as a group should be completely prepared for these tasks so that each member of the group knows what they are doing so that there are minimal if not no changes.
Initially for me it took a while to grasp the skills needed to film the production but once i understood it, it was quite simple. The more tricky bits were being able to zoom in and out whilst moving the camera with the action and making sure the focal point was accurate at all times. Doing the different camera shots proved to be quite easy however next time I am going to use a tripod so that the camera is less shaky when moving from one position to another and it will look more professional.
The editing of our production was quite successful and didn’t take long once we were aware of how to use the filmmaker programme correctly. The only problem we had was a small glitch in the middle of the film where the camera didn’t run smoothly and Annette’s body jumps from one position to another without any warning, we sorted it out as best as we can but next time we will ensure we have all the shots we need to make our production as successful as possible.
