1.1 Continuity Exercise

We were given the task of creating a short continuity piece consisting of:
1.1.1. match on action
1.1.2. shot/reverse shot
1.1.3. the 180-degree rule.
All these techniques had to be combined into a sequence that contained a character opening a door, then crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. We also had to relate our extract to the genre we were thinking of following, which in our case is some sort of art house thriller. We came to the decision as a group, to keep the style of our sequence quite dark and mysterious. So with this is mind, collectively we came up with the scenario of a person being questioned in an interview room, suggesting they'd been arrested. My group decided to create a set in the studio, in which, we had the added advantage of using the overhead rigged lights. With these we created shadows on the actors faces, and ways that people could step into the light and be hidden when not underneath them. We all switched roles within the group, each taking on the role of camera man, checking the lights, and Cheryl and I took on the role of the actors.

Once we had shot our sequence we were able to edit our clips on Final Cut Pro. We made our transitions fast and snappy, to create the effect of quick cuts. We also kept all the diagetic sound recorded with the shots. I think our final piece looked good, but could be improved on the timing of the cuts. There's one example of when Cheryl opens the door, and the camera meets her as she enters the room. I think the timing of the cut could be a lot earlier and isn't as sharp as it could be.

Overall our group has worked well in formulating an idea and basis to work with, when creating our final opening sequence. I think things to think about when working on our own pieces is finalising and clarifying a genre to work with. At the moment we're a bit vague with what we'd like to achieve.