Film Evaluation

Outcome 3

Evaluation

 

Development Process

My first concept was to study the effects of fight or flight reactions. I developed ideas for some filming tests. I didn’t want the participants to act I only wanted to capture the natural reaction. The first idea of having participants place their hands inside a box with unpleasant textures did not have the desired effect. There wasn’t any strong reaction.  The second concept that reached the filming stage involved shocking people with physical contact. A friend concealed herself behind a black sheet. A participant would be “interviewed” and during this she would grab the participant from behind. Unfortunately only one participant actually got a fright. I was considering using this idea for my final piece but it would have been too complicated to ask my friend or anyone else to make physical contact with strangers. In the test we used classmates as participants and because we knew each other there wasn’t any problem. At this point of the project I was running out of time and I couldn’t think of a concept that would produce an interesting film about fight or flight reaction that did not involve acting. I made the decision to completely change the concept into something simpler and more manageable. I settled on the concept of emotion and movement of hands. After some filming experiments I felt that the most effective plan was movements suggesting stress and anxiety and in contrast, calm.       

 

Filming Methods

For the initial hand in the box experiment I used two cameras set up on tripods. One to capture the participants’ reactions; a close up on their face, and one to capture their hands going into the box.

Only one camera was used for the second test. It was framed for a mid shot to capture the participants’ expressions and movement. A black sheet was used not only to conceal my friend but to provide a more aesthetic frame by hiding the elements in the background.

My final film was filmed in college and in my own flat as I could not do all the filming at the one time. However this was no problem because it added variety to the framing. I filmed my own hand because it was the simplest option available because I did not have to deal with the problem of directing. An A1 black piece of card and a black sheet was used for the backdrop.     

 

What you have learned about the process and techniques

I’ve learned much about the processes and techniques of filming because this was my first experience of filming and film editing. My sense of framing has improved due to experience and advice from lecturers. My ability to plan has improved and I’ve learned to be more careful about complex ideas as a result of my first plan that would not allow acting.

 

What you would do differently in the future

I would like to use more cameras for a better variety of framing. If I had more time I would have liked to work on a more complex idea involving the movement of hands. Emotion is too vague and viewers may not be able to recognise the theme.