Previous Group Analysis Q1:12

The group that we decided to analyse was group Q1:12. We chose this group because we thought that there was a lot to comment on the video and planning/research.

Video: 

As a group, we looked through the marking criteria for the videos and concentrated on the following points... 

• holding a steady shot, where appropriate
• framing a shot, including and excluding elements as appropriate
• using a variety of shot distances as appropriate
• shooting material appropriate to the task set 
• selecting mise-en-scene including colour, figure, lighting, objects and setting 
• editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer
• using varied shot transitions and other effects selectively and appropriately for the task set
• using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set
• using titles appropriately 

We decided for the reasons below that an appropriate level for the group's video would be a mid to high Level 3 (44 marks). This criteria states that there is evidence of proficiency in the creative use of the technical skills that are listed above. 

Our thoughts.... 

-The majority of the shots were steady, excluding the shots within the car, however this couldn't really be helped due to it being bumpy and corners having to be turned

-There was good framing of the shots for example over the shoulder shots in the car that were effective because you still had view of the character but also their perspective and their view in the rear view mirror

-This group used a good variety of different shots and shot distances. For example establishing shot when driving around the corner. Also there were a couple of effective close ups for example the character's reflection in the rear view mirror and when the character unlocked the boot

-Mise-en-scene... The lighting could have been darker as it doesn't match to the typical thriller genre, this was evident as the colouring came off brighter than necessary. The setting could have been more deserted or on an abandoned lot as there was constant flow of traffic in the background. Props... The car that was used along with the spliff reflected the character's true personality and the spade which was used as a weapon showed thriller genre conventions when we knew that something bad was going to happen

-Editing... Displayed good continuity as the opening flowed very well right through to the end, making sense the whole way through. Instead of having credits at the beginning/or the end they had them throughout which was effective as it worked well with the footage. We think that the text could have stood out more as it didn't make a huge impression. Also there was a grammatical error where they said "wrote by" and it should have been "written by" however it didn't stand out too much. The cuts used were mainly jump cuts which again worked well with the footage and turned out to be effective. Lastly, for the editing process, the title presented at the end didn't make a huge impression as it was rather dull. In order for it to be more professional, it could have been bigger/bolder etc.
-Sound... we think that the music used in the car was a really good idea and reflected the character's image. This also helped to make an opinion of the character. Although there was no music that stereotypically could have been used for the "thriller" genre, the music that was used was still effective.

Research:
Again as a group we went through the group's blog and decided that it also should be under the level 3 marking scheme.

The layout of the blog was very good and was clearly presented. The titling of the blogs made it really easy to identify what was what within the blog and where the research was. We think that the research that was showed was very detailed and specific. However, we noticed that they could have completed more film research in order to show their understanding of the conventions of the opening sequence for a thriller film.