Evaluation Question 6

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?


What would you differently with the benefit on hindsight?

If I was to do the project again i think id try to start filming much earlier. I feel like we could have benefited majorly from having time to reshoot some shots and spend more time editing. A lot of our time was wasted unfortunately due to waiting fro props, actors and locations to be available. Being able to film earlier would have meant that we would have been able to compose the project sooner to notice changes that could have been made.

Another thing I would have done differently is the explosion. Ideally we would have had the time to create our own explosion effect using simulation and 3D animation software. If we were able to do this we could have made the explosion look more realistic. I'd also created an animation for our production company title similar to that of 20th Century Fox but our film was too long to be able to include it in the time limit.


What do you know that you didn't know before?

I have learnt so much regarding the technologies I used during the project. Although I have some previous experience in editing and video I have never had to undertake a project so big. I had never previously had to shoot video or use a camera for anything other than imaging so I had to learn to use hardware appropriately. The video functionality of my camera was completely new to me and having to consider camera movement techniques and their practicalities. I have learnt the importance of good lighting when filming, how to use my camera for video, and how to effectively track and pan.

I'v also learnt much more file handling for video and how Adobe After Effects and Premier Pro deals with footage. I found it very difficult at the beginning of the project to name and organise files and folders but now I am more familiar with good practices and how the 'bin' in the Adobe applications work. I am also now more familiar with using the software as a whole and i'm more confident to experiment to achieve a desired effect.  I also never really had to consider sound prior to the project, so I have learn to use software to edit and compose audio.


What advice would you pass on?

• Use a tripod whenever possible unless wanting a handheld style. When we shot some of our footage and wanted the camera still, we were very pressed for time so shot handheld instead. Although we managed to minimise camera shake, it would be very noticeable in shots cutting less frequently and it makes a big difference when viewed on larger platforms such as TV or projector.

• Don't leave filming to last minute. Start as early as possible so that you're able to do pick-ups after uploading and editing the footage as a whole.

• Try to shoot from many angles and do a few repeats of a shot to give you more choice and freedom when editing.

• Always overshoot a shot so that you can later clip it. If you try film too tightly it is likely that some of the footage cannot be used because it does not have enough to fit the sequence. Again it basically makes it easier and gives more options to the editor.

• Premier Pro and After Effects link media by location / path relative to where you save the project. Ones you import media into the bin, do not move it or rename it outside of the application or you'll have to relink all the media.

There is much more advice I would pass on because there are many things I found that others struggled with or did not recognise they should be doing.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the main technologies used in the project?

These are the advantages and disadvantages of the main technologies used in the project:

Camcorder (Provided by school)

Advantages:

• Easy to use, quick setup, lightweight
• Useful rotating screen to film creative angles
• Decent integrated mic
• No noise (camera noise picked up by mic)
• Tripod mount
• Good zoom and stabilisation

Disadvantages:

• Not much manual control for example focus, aperture, exposure and colour balance
• Footage very grainy in low light
• Not very saturated or high contrast footage

Nikon D7000 (DSLR Camera)

Advantages:

• Tripod mount
• Decent zoom lens
• Very high quality footage
• Rich colour and contrast
• Good in low light

Disadvantages:

• Heavy and large so hard to shoot at some awkward angles and handheld

Adobe Premier Pro

Advantages:

• Easy to clip and do basic editing over a long sequence
• More efficient rendering for a whole project

Disadvantages:

• Less refined editing capability for titles and effects

Adobe After Effects

Advantages:

• Vast amount of possible effects and titles
• More intricate editing capabilities

Disadvantages:

• Not suited for large clips and composing whole scenes. Only really used for detailed titles and effects in a sequence