Evaluating your own Foundation Portfolio Thriller Opening - Thomas Herd

Shooting material appropriate to the task set;

Our film fitted with in genre of thriller due to many aspects. At times it felt like a trailer as there was lots of action at times.

Controlled use of the camera

We mostly used a tripod when filming so a lot of our shots were controlled and steady. We also had to do the scene in the swimming pool; therefore we couldn’t use a tripod. The use of handheld cameras helped create a sense a frantic situation.

Occasionally we used a shoulder camera holder which made it easier for us to get the shots we wanted to use. These shots were definitely 'less controlled' however it add more variety to our shots.

Attention to framing

Generally, I thought we kept the character in the shot, where we wanted them. An example of this was when we had a couple of close ups on a character on the phone. The top of his head to his chin was in the shot making it a complete shot. Additionally, when we were filming in the pool with handheld cameras we kept the character in the pool in shot at all times.

On one shot, during a part when a character was getting out of his seat, the top of his head went out of the frame. We could have stopped this if we had planned this specific shot better. Also, in the opening shot, the plane starts on the left hand side of the screen and moves into the middle for the rest of the shot. Had I taken more time; it would have been ideal that the plane started in the middle.

Variety of shot sizes

We used a number of close ups, mediums and a few long shots in our work. The establishing shots worked to show the audience clearly where the action was taking place. Towards the end of the film when one character walks through the airport hangar, we could have shown that from a range of angles to make it more interesting.

Close attention to mise en scene

Getting access to Gatwick Airport and the swimming pool was vital in deciding the plot and settings for our film. This help move the plot on for the audience.

When filming in the plane, we tried to make it look like a private plane; however there was obviously difficulty due to it being a normal public plane. We could have also more time to consider our costumes for the characters.

Editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer

We felt we made the character coming off the plane (antagonist) was made very clear due to his presence and the shots we created. The character in the street wasn’t easily linked to the two other antagonists within the film. So the audience couldn’t place his character in the storyline.

Making selective and appropriate use of shot transitions, captions and other effects

The fade to black at the end of the opening emphases his death and what might be ahead. Also, at the start we tried to incorporate the blue of our title sequence into the blue sky which is a graphic. We could have taken more time over uses captions, maybe using them for the locations with the establishing shots for the three settings.

Recording and editing sound with images appropriately

The splashing in the swimming pool created the effect of the desperate situation which we could then alter the volume to make it more effective. To improve our work we could have used extra foleys for example; splashes in the water and the plane taking off.