Preliminary task and practice exercises

ABOVE: An example of a prelim video from 2016

This is a simple initial practise exercise to help you develop skills in camera usage, planning and editing. To complete the 'prelim' (preliminary) task, you need to complete the following steps....

1: DEFINE 4 TERMS - add to your THEORIES/TERMS I've learnt post: 

• MATCH-ON-ACTION
• SHOT/REVERSE SHOT
• 180 DEGREE RULE
• CONTINUITY EDITING

You can do this by using past student blogs and/or asking me...

2: STORYBOARD

Between 10-16 shots only. The scenario is this: character A walks towards the B122 door from the corridor, pauses, slowly opens it. Cut to inside the room. S/he walks to character B and stands/sits. They have some back and forth dialogue (include the script in the storyboard). The end!

Clearly DENOTE the shot type (framing, eg LS; angle, eg HA; movement, eg whip pan), dialogue. Any key props can be written on, don't waste time on beautiful drawing! 

3: FILM ... QUICKLY!

We'll use handheld or monopod to make this quick. Focus on giving clear, precise directions, and tick off storyboard shots as they're done. Shoot quickly - we're not too concerned with making the world's greatest film scene...

4: EDIT!

Each share the footage + do your own edit on FCPX. Make a note of any specific tips/tools you've learnt in the back of your small notebook. When done, share in FCPX and upload to YouTube - set to unlisted or public, NOT private!!! Embed into your PRACTICE PRODUCTIONS including PRELIM post.

(longer previous guide continued below)

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PRELIM (purpose: initial camera, tripod practice + learning continuity shooting/editing techniques)

Preliminary exercise: Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.

When blogging on PRELIM remember to:

BLOGGING DESIGN box office example

Through my British Cinema blog you can find a links list on box office, a key topic for coursework and exam research alike. There are many great resources on this, including American sources like Variety and the site boxofficemojo.

For this example I'll use Charles Gant's fantastic weekly UK box office analysis. If you routinely read this you'll build up a much wider knowledge than your teacher can hope to provide directly, and will over time take on industry terms and concepts.

Below is how I'd blog on this, then a breakdown of what design decisions/blogger tools I've applied.

Charles Gant's latest UK box office review.

Clarke's surprise 2008 hit

BROTHERHOOD, A RARE INDIE SUCCESS: NOEL CLARKE NOW A MARKETABLE BRAND?
British producers struggle in the face of the 'big six' dominance, unable to approach the tentpole $100-300m budget level of the Hollywood conglomerates when only two films have ever made £100m+ at the UK box office. When you add the social realist genre to the mix, typically lacking any major stars and providing the opposite of the feelgood narrative that dominates US cinema (still the biggest cinema market, though China will soon top it, so vital for film producers to aim for), box office success is unlikely.

Even getting a limited theatrical release is beyond most UK social realist films. There are always exceptions, and Noel Clarke, like Shane Meadows, has become an auteur brand that will attract an audience:

Eight years ago, Noel Clarke’s Adulthood stunned the UK film industry when it debuted in the UK with £1.20m from 157 cinemas, on its way to a total of £3.35m. This represented a big jump up from the success of Kidulthood from 2006, and set a high commercial bar for the British urban drama. [Gant]