Evaluation Q3. How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

Codes and Conventions - understanding of thriller conventions, credit structure and what to expect from a film opening. 

At the start of the year, the genre of thrillers seemed especially complexed to me, I could never figure out what exactly made a thriller. However, between that point back in September and now here in April I have had a strong exposure to the heart of the thriller genre, The Silence of the Lambs and Se7en are pure examples of thriller films. Se7en and True Blood, another thriller media text studied, display a very strong credit structure and sequence which introduces the audiences to the themes and overall genre that the film follows, and for that I now have a deeper and more refined knowledge of the expected codes and conventions revolving around thriller films.

Planning and Organization - ability to organize actors, locations, props for and efficient and effective film shoot. Ability to hit deadlines.

Throughout the process of planning, I had made sure that everything I might need for the shoot was there. I had told all of my actors and the crew that were helping out the times to arrive and the location to be. A good example of my organization skills that I display is by deciding on the location that I would be filming before the mid-term break in December, that way I could plan and ready everything (Equipment, Schedules, etc...) in the new year when I would be ready to film. I also believe that I had made all of the preparations necessary that lead to a smooth and successful shoot. The script and storyboard were used multiple times between myself and the actors and crew

Camera Work - confidence in building composition and using different shot types.

Since the first task of the year, Jurassic Jelly, I have greatly improved the complexity and composition of my shots, as well as confidence in my camera work. I was given more chances throughout the project to enhance my skills and become for comfortable with the camera, this included working and getting to grips with a gimble. I think the greatest evidence of my improvement with a camera, is the fact that I am capable of achieving shots with a complexed composition, just like one of my final shots from my film. The shot required lots of testing and practices before I could consider it good enough for the final film.

Visual effects - realizing ideas using digital software, using credits in an interesting way. 

I touched on framing in a previous blog post, in which I discussed my inspiration(s) for the style of framing I went for throughout my film, which leaves a considerable amount of empty space in the frame to create a sense of unease and isolation. I brought up framing because I intended on using that empty space to fit (some of) my credits into as to draw the attention of the audience into those blank areas of the frame. This can be seen with the title card shot as the character, Mr Fantasy, leaves the room. The empty room leaves nothing but a space filled with the title reading 'Catch The Rainbow', however the rest of the space remains empty and lifeless, creating a sense of distortion. I believe that I have picked up a fairly good base-level of comfort surrounding visual effects, or at least I am comfortable in a sense that I am confident with what I am doing and I am always able to create the effects that I envision. This parallels my skills from the start of the project, where I would be scared to go anywhere near After Effects, and when I did I would have the most basic understanding of what to do.

Editing - making meaning through editing. Making the narrative sense for the audience.

I would describe the editing style of my film to be quite 'basic', and I don't necessarily mean it in a bad way. I feel that the narrative of my film is benefitted from having a  simple style of editing. I think it communicates an oddly comforting feeling throughout the film as to completely contradict the unease of what is happening within the shots themselves. This gives more spice and more interest into the character presented as well as the actual opening that needs to hook the audience.

Creative confidence - thinking of interesting ideas and making them happen.

At the start of the project I wasn't overly confident in any of my creative ideas, and I didn't have the courage to express my ideas to the extent that I have done so far. I don't know exactly what it was that made me take the step to create the film that I did eventually make. On my top trump style card above, I gave myself a boost from 54 at the start of the project and 88 now that we have reached the end, and I think this is because I recalled my initial ideas for my film, which revolved around a character getting ready for a heist in the drivers seat of a car. I look back on that and think about how I would have been bored, and how the film would reflect the way I felt about it. I think the moment that I started to let my ideas truly come through was around the time that I was creating my character, Mr Fantasy. And I think the reason for that is because personally, a great story can only be good with memorable characters, and I had a real passion in making Mr Fantasy a character that I could actually picture in a film at the cinema and that is what I think pushed me to create the bigger ideas that I eventually implemented into my film.

I am almost 100% certain that a large reason as to why I have both been able to step out of my comfort zone and create such bizarre ideas is because of the media that I am regularly exposing myself to. I have taken inspiration and brought it up many times throughout the project, but manga has been a massive part of making my film as I have been able to rely on it when I come to a point where I can't figure out what to do next. Which is why I feel like it is worth mentioning, I think anyone who reads manga can tell you that it is ultimately very inspiring and motivating as most of the time there is a goal to reach which encourages you to reach your own goals. And as far as film coursework goes, I really feel like I have done that, which makes me eager for the next topic as I will be setting new and tougher goals to overcome, and that excites me.