DepicT Evaluation

The task was to create a 90 second DepicT competition entry.

Our camerawork was, overall, not too bad; although shaky at some points, we used Warp Stabiliser to steady the shots, which left them a little out of focus but not as shaky. We had a range of shots, from establishing shots, to pans, to close-ups. However, I think we could have had more. I am most happy with our pans, as they were the smoothest shots we had. In my opinion, we could have used more zooms, as we had none. The way in which we set our camera up, the lighting didn’t change much from its original state, but any differences would have been rectified during colour correction.

Our use of props was effective as we only used them in simple ways. The coffee cup could have been subject to continuity errors – due to the different days of filming - however, we made sure that it was at the same level as the previous day. Also, our costumes could have been an issue, but we made sure that you couldn’t see if one of us was wearing a different top or not by wearing the same jackets as the previous filming day and the same trousers and shoes. I really liked our choice of location, because it allowed us to get the shots we needed easily and we had quick access to facilities we needed, such as an outside area to shoot and a coffee machine, for our prop coffee.

Overall, the editting done on our film was minimal, with only colour correction, cutting, fades and audio added. The colour correction was added to make certain parts of the footage seem as though they were filmed on the same day, when in reality they weren’t. This allowed the whole thing to flow nicely. Our cuts didn’t allow the consistancy of the material to be broken, therefore making it easier for the audience to follow. I composed our score, with Connor’s creative opinion and assistance, on GarageBand. I think it fits the mood and pace of the plot well, meaning the audience can be emersed in an audibly as well as visually when tension is built within the scene.

I enjoyed the whole editting process and was thoroughly impressed with how it all turned out, despite the distortion left by the Warp Stabiliser effect. We added a fade transition before Dean left the cafeteria, so as to show the passing of time. This was due to the possibility of continuity errors, as we filmed our piece over multiple days. We couldn't risk error, with regards to the level of the coffee. We should have taken easier with the Warp Stabiliser as it reduced the overall quality of our work.

I'm happy with how the film turned, although I wouldn't have used the Warp Stabiliser as much as we did, as the focus of the shots would've been better without. I really liked how the music fit well with the atmosphere of the piece, even if it was a little off-tempo at times. If I had to do this piece again, I would spend less time on arranging the sections of film repeatedly and would have spent more time on the score, as it didn't really flow very well.