Black Widow Version 3

Black Widow Version 2

Rehearsals

We rehearsed our script on the days of filming so that we knew not only what the actors were doing but also how the camera would be positioned and we could see what angles and shots might look better so that filming could be as efficient as possible once we had started. 

Raven Hearst also had a rehearsal (of sorts) when we first shot her scene. Although we changed her script slightly and the location changed she had previous experience of being Raven Hearst which made it easier for her to get into character and provide the best performance. 

As for the Camera Work, the Preliminary Task could also be counted as a rehearsal as it was a chance to get used to the camera and practice shooting from different angles and using different aspects of the Digital Camera. It was also important because it meant that we could all try and use the camera and decide who would be the best to film our final opening scene. 

Version One Black Widow Improvements

To improve our first version of Black Widow we decided we needed to adjust the colour grading to make it easier to differentiate between Raven Hearst and Detective Berkhart so their storylines wouldn't merge together and be confusing for the audience to watch. 

I colour graded the different shots so that Detective Berkhart's was warmer and higher key and Raven Hearst's was colder and lower key, this made a visible difference and was a vital improvement as Black Widow now makes complete sense. 

Another thing that I had to correct was the title sequence because our titles were in a strange order. The order that I have arranged them in is this:

Actors Names

Production Names

Editor

Producer

Director

I feel that now I have corrected the sequencing of the titles for Black Widow it will look at lot more professional. 

Version One of Black Widow

Analysis

Preliminary Task Analysis

Quality of holding a shot steady:

Our tracking shot of person A from door to chair, the camera was held steadily and captured person A's movement. The speed at which the camera panned makes the background irritating and distracts the audiences attention from person A.
To improve this shot we could have a shallow focus, which we did not originally have. A shallow focus would mean that the audience would only concentrate on Person A's movement and not the distracting background.

Quality of the framing of shots:

Our shot of person B sitting at the table, accords from person A with dialogue "So, what kept you?" In this shot there is too much sea space which just becomes a distraction to the audience. Dead space is also a problem earlier on in our task when person A walks through the second door, into the room. This front-on shot is not as pristine as it should be. Yet again, the dead space detracts the audiences attention from what person A is doing. To improve the quality of framing our shots we should apply the rule of thirds to make sure what is included in the shot should actually be there.

Quality of shooting material appropriate to task set:

For this area I feel that all that was shot had complete relevance to the task. Although at some points person A recites different lines front he script. In the future we can improve this by double checking what the script says before we start shooting.

Quality of selecting miss-en-scene including colour, figure, lighting, objects and setting:

Our setting was not thought out properly an there was a random bag on a chair in one of the shots which had no relevance to task. Part of our set included a lamp. There was no real justification for the use of the lamp but it did seem like it was used to help person B read the sheet. We also had no specific costumes. All in all our miss-en-scene was a shambles. In the future this could be improved through more organised planning of filming.

Quality of editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer:

At one point where their is a reverse cut between person A and person B we shot the frames so that it appeared to the audience that they were sitting on the same side of the table, when in face, they were opposite each other. To correct this mistake we edited the shot and flipped it over so that the audience see the conversation int he way it should have been filmed.

Quality of using sound with images an editing appropriately for the task set:

Our music went well with the mood, it really helped to boost the interest of what was happening as it implies messages to the audience, especially at the beginning with the long shot of the building.
However, just at the end we sit out the music for a short line of dialogue; when it comes back in it makes the beginning of the movie seem more like the en of a trailer. In the future we can improve this by lessening the volume so that it has a softer feel and seems to carry onto something else.

Quality of positioning and movement of actors:

In terms of proxemics the actors (person A and B) were positioned according to our storyboard. But, the first and second shots that included an actor did not seem to have any continuity. The lack of continuity came from the poor communication between the person behind the camera and person A. There is no shot clarifying that person A is going to open the door. Suddenly the shot is inside the building and person A is opening the door. To make these shots more continuos next time we could have person A walk from a distance to the door and have a view of them through the window, that way the shot will make sense.

Quality of group planning, meeting targets, organisation:

I would rate the quality of our planning, targets and organisation as medium. This is down to the problem that we could not decide where to film. I think we met our target, which was ultimately to finish the task at a good standard. Our organisation was rushed and this was down to the fact that we had not allocated jobs within the group. Another issue was that somebody forgot the script that they had written and so were unsure of their lines. In the future we should allocate a group leader who is responsible for reminding people of props and scripts as well as directing the group so we are able to improve on our mistakes.

Group dynamics i.e. how did your group work together:

I feel that we got along really well and that we're all looking forward to filming our own piece together in the near future.

Other points of evaluation:

We need to learn how to use the tripod and camera, so that we can improve our work.