Thriller Evaluation Question 7 - Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you he learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

When we first started the preliminary task back in September, most of us had little to no knowledge of how to make short films, but by the end of editing together all of our final short films I am confident enough with my skills to think about pursuing the art of film further.

When planning the preliminary task, we hurriedly organised ourselves into groups and began to negotiate what to include in the film. Most of the members of the class were already friends and acquaintances of mine, therefore the group work swiftly became easy to plan. After planning the main task, I now understand with thanks to the preliminary work that storyboards, floor plans and shot lists are vital to a well-organised shoot. Prior to the task I had no clue of what match on action and the 180 degree rule were, but these terms are now crucial to our work. Having practiced a Drama GCSE in the previous year, I chose to play the antagonist in the preliminary task. The work we did for the preliminary task informed us of what was to come on the thriller opening work; we learned that we must carefully plan the storyline, shots and shooting days to create a technically adequate film with the intended connotations.

During the planning of the thriller opening which was to become Blind Faith, I had a role in suggesting the theme of racial tension, the theme itself eventually becoming Jason’s motivation in Blind Faith. We used mostly pre-purchased apparel when deciding on costumes, linking back to the conventions of particular characters in Thrillers for minor details, such as the black heels on femme fatale Helen. During the preliminary task we looked to simply what we were already wearing due to the strict time limit, but by the time we were working on our thriller we were using costumes to connote specific aspects of the character’s psyches and build upon the mise en scene. In terms of lighting, we were at a slight advantage filming in winter, kept to a limit of a few hours’ filming per shoot but provided with murky, low key, almost gritty lighting which connoted menace. Although I did not operate the camera on shooting, I suggested various shots, such as the close-up of Helen and Caesar walking to the front door. Whilst editing I learned that the repetitive image of the door slamming could be utilised to increase tension as well as show the antagonist's furious racist motives.

By analysing real media products such as The Third Man our group was able to take generic aspects of the thriller and use them in our own production. When creaintg Helen we took reference from Alida Valli in the film, who is lead into dangerous territories in a relationship with Harry Lime, and kept in mind the dark streets of Vienna whilst filming the night shots of the estate. The key generic aspect of Blind Faith is the attacker/victim relationship.

For the casting of our actors, the easiest option was to choose people we already knew, as the budget for our film was nil and the time limit strict. Sorrel was already part of our group, so was an obvious candidate for playing the daughter. Caesar was a friend of James and well-built enough for the lead role, and Steven is James’ father. Using actors we could trust for making shoots was the most important point on the criteria.

Because we separated at the editing stage to create our own films/cuts, we each decided on our own titles. I chose Blind Faith for its link to the main themes of the story. When thinking of a title, I now know that a buzz word or phrase linking to/giving away part of the plot is the best option. A title should be as original and memorable as you can make it without it becoming irrelevant to the film.

When choosing an mp3 for the sound, I made sure I didn’t choose an overly distracting or loud track which might overshadow the on-screen action. I picked my soundtrack because it bared resemblance to a professional movie score; no lyrics, not aggravatingly loud and bearing a fairly ambient tone.

During a past Guidance Day I was given a chance to edit a road safety film, so I was not completely alien to the concept of editing. The resources are limited on Adobe Premiere Elements, but the interface is easy enough to master. Using cross dissolves has allowed for virtually seamless cuts between shots and avoids jumpy transitions. The gradual fading intensifies the inclusion of flashbacks, the flashbacks themselves included to make the film more ambiguous; Jason may have already commited the murder and is reflecting on what he has done as he washes the weapon, or alternatively he is preparing to attack Caesar and fantasising about the event in a dream state. After completing my film and recieving constructive criticism from teachers, I feel capable of editing to a suitable level of skill. The film itself was given good reviews by its first audience.
I have learned that the opinion of the audience is the most crucial part in making the film a success. After getting feedback on whatw as good and bad about my film, I adjusted it accordingly and improved it as much as I could. Knowing the audience's expectations and what they want out of a film can make a movie far more successful and garuntee an audience of some sort. The film makes more sense after taking out the shots which the audience could not understand, such as the Bible shot and excessive cutting between Caesar walking in the forest and the washing in the sink. Making the deadline for the film was strenuous, but in the end manageable. With practice I have been able to work well enough under the pressure of a deadline. I have learned that completing work with daily input can relieve stress and reduce the workload of the editing process.