Continuity Editing Exercise

The Encounter.
The brief for this project was to create a scene where a character would open the door, walk into a room and sit down opposite another person and will then begin to have a conversation. As a group we were able to choose what the scenario would be to make the production more exciting and creative. 

Whilst filming I had to ensure that certain rules were applied. I had used the 180 degree rule which ensured that the camera remained on the same side of the imaginary line which established the shot of the scene. Without this rule it will look like the characters have changed position. This rule enforces continuity of the film. Here is an example of how we used the rule.

We used the 180 degree rule specifically when both characters are engaging in a conversation.

Another rule which needed to be used was the rule of thirds; it is a grid which guides the cameraman to space out the shots, giving the audience a clear perspective of the main focus. Here is an example to how I used the rule of thirds

The rule of thirds rule was used throughout the sequence but a good example would be when the character is running through the playground she is placed onto the imaginary lines.

The third rule which was enforced was match on action. This technique used by the editor which shows the transitions from one shot to another, portraying the action taking place. I used this technique whilst running into a room.  This represents the continuity which creates a visual bridge for the viewer. Here is an example of where i had used match on action.

 Match on action is used here in the first shot as the actor holds onto the door handle ready to open the door, and then in the second we see the actor entering the room. 

The final rule I had to make sure was applied was a shot reverse shot. This shot is mainly used when two people are having a conversation. It usually begins with one character changing to another character and then ending on the previous shot. 

Shot reverse shot is used specifically here whilst both characters are talking. 

To make sure I was able to get the best possible grade I had to make sure these four rules were continually used throughout the whole sequence. The 180 degree rule was used to make sure the audience wouldn't be confused, the rule of thirds was used to make sure each shot and scene was balanced, match on action and at least one moment of shot reverse shot. 

I planned my sequence with my group members Ellie and Farhana. As a group we chose our scenario wisely as it had fit the brief. At first, we needed to create a storyboard as a guideline which would help us with certain aspects of the project. It would give us a break down on what types of shots that we will use, lighting, sounds and camera movement. Along with these aspects we also needed a small description on location, costume and time of day. We were fortunate enough to have three members in our group which made filming footage much more easier. I played one of the characters as the other two would film together help each other out. Having more than two people in the group meant that we could share more ideas and give feedback on if we needed to improve on any certain scenes. 

I think we all worked well as a team as we were all strict with our deadlines which meant all work was handed in at a good time to keep up to date so no filming time was wasted whatsoever.  We would listen to each other’s opinions on how things were being filmed to ensure the four rules were interpreted throughout the piece continually. My role throughout this process was an actor. Even though it seems like the easiest role to do I still had input in some of the shots that I wasn't in myself and still contributed ideas into the storyboard and in the actual filming process. If I was to film again I would still work with the same people as we worked together well which brought out the best in myself. 

The main idea of this task was to have someone walking into a room, sitting down and then begin to exchange a few lines of dialogue  As a group we decided on our scenario to be a bit more exciting and more appealing to the audience. We decided that the location would be outside in the upper school playground, the location would vary from this point as i would be running from the school until when i reach the door '67' which is a dark classroom. Using a dark classroom wasn't as successful as we hoped as some of the shots came out a bit too dark. When walking in the room I don't notice that someone is sitting down on the chair which creates a great reaction shot when I finally come face to face with the evil man who has been waiting for me.When filming we was not able to find another actor to be the one to chase me so we made it seem someone was chasing me when in fact no one was at all.

Having a story board was a huge help whilst filming The Encounter. It had given us a rough idea on what we wanted certain shots to look like and how we wanted them filmed. Some of the footage unfortunately did not look right as some of the camera movement and camera angles were messy. We had stuck to the original footage but some aspects of the filming had to be changed slightly to make the piece more fluent. Overall using a story board was very beneficial for us as a group as it had enabled us to go straight into filming as soon as possible without any thought as most of the thought was done whilst making the story board. Here is my story board.