Evaluation - Question 7

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Looking back at previous tasks, such as the preliminary, I feel as if I have improved in my knowledge of various technologies and terms. In addition to this, I feel like my ability to handle a camera and the editing process. Also, I feel like the content of my blog posts is much more descriptive and imaginative as oppose to the start of the course. Before beginning the AS Media course, I had never used an editing software such as Adobe Premiere CS6; though now I believe I have an extensive knowledge of the programme. The first assignment we were set was to shoot a range of shots to practice and showcase our ability; the shots weren't of a high standard due to my new experience,however this helped very much with the learning process. This task allowed me to become familiar with the equipment and the software that I would be using for the remainder of the course. This experience allowed me to experiment with various shots and techniques for the production of my final piece.
After this initial task we were given a multitude of tasks, such as the script project, that would further help me in my learning and expand my knowledge of techniques that could be implemented in my final piece, Free. These preliminary task that built up to the final piece were extremely helpful as each one taught a different aspect/technique that could be applied to the product; continuity, script and a storyboard task.

Things I would do differently

• I would have liked to have organised my time better, I often found I was struggling to work around my actors' filming availability. This sometimes caused me to fall short on deadlines and struggle to edit.
• I would also like to have taken more shots of each scene so I could have a variety of shots and angles to choose from when editing. This would allow for a greater range of improvements without having to go out on-scene filming.
• In addition to this, I would have also liked to include a greater variety of shots and angles in my scenes to allow for an extended use of my camera ability. Moreover, I would have like to make my shots, especially those on tri-pods, much more steady to give it a more professional look.
• The audio also proved to be a frequent issue, so I would make it clearer by utilizing an external microphone to achieve better sound.
• Finally, I would definitely go back and improve the standard/organisation of my blog in the lead-up to my final piece.

Overall, I am very pleased without the outcome of my final piece and I learnt a lot of skills along the course which can be applied in the A2 section.