Final Self Evaluation, FTVNM Task, Term 1

As a part of our Teaser Trailer Task, we are asked to fill out a self-evaluation sheet to help us reflect on how we think we successfully (or not) completed our trailer. This helped me think about what I could have done differently, and what sorts of problems I had come across during the production and why they occurred.

Year 11 Film, Television and New Media Teaser Trailer Production – Term 01 Mr. Andrews

Teaser Trailer Task 11.1: Self-reflection and evaluation:

Please answer each question using complete sentences, including as much detail as possible.

Discuss your feelings about the production task: Please explain your responses:

• Did you enjoy creating your Teaser Trailer? Yes, despite the pressure and rush in having to complete it, I thoroughly enjoyed creating it.
• Are you satisfied with the final result? I am very satisfied and quite proud of the time and effort put into the final result.
• Did your Trailer turn out as you had pictured it in your mind? Not exactly. In my mind I had pictured a very professional trailer which I know is too much of an expectation. But the outcome of my trailer still impressed me.
• Would like to change or improve any aspects of your final trailer (storyline, shots, editing etc.)? Not at all, I submitted my hard work.
• If you could start the project again, what would you do differently? Because I couldn’t take a soft box or any lights outside or in the gym, it was very hard to control the lighting. If I were to start the project again I would find or borrow a battery powered light, and this would help me control the lighting in my shots.

As this task focused on mise-en-scene and cinematography, describe: 

• How you used specific elements of mise-en-scene to depict your film’s genre and enhance the narrative?  I used setting/location and props/costume efficiently throughout my trailer. The outside grass area near the beginning of the trailer and the basketball court setting toward the end, gives the audience a glimpse of how my character, Paris, keeps fit and trains in many places including her neighbourhood and at school. Props such as the basketball, lipstick, mascara and high heels, all are a important props that relate closely to the characters’ personality and depicts the genre of my film well.
• How you used specific shot types to convey the storyline without dialogue? At the beginning of my trailer, Paris is shown waking up at 5:00am and immediately is seen running throughout the neighbourhood. This clearly conveys my storyline because Paris wakes up early quite regularly to do so. I also, included various shots of my character playing basketball and this was definitely an important aspect of the storyline as her short-term goal is to win at the state basketball championships.
• Whether the intended genre is depicted clearly, or if this could be improved? Reflecting on this now, I think that my depiction of the genre would be improved as I don’t think the audience would identify it, although I know myself what my genre was.

Reflecting upon your completed task, respond to the following points:

• How did other people respond to your rough-edit? Did you use their feedback to make changes to the film? I definitely took into consideration the points that my classmates have made about my rough edit. I applied the slight changes that they had suggested and it really helped the outcome of my final edit of my trailer.
• Did you plan and prepare effectively? (i.e did you use storyboards, shot lists etc.) My preparations and plans that I made before I started filming were very helpful and effective. My storyboard helped me prepare my shot list and my shot list was extremely helpful during the filming process. The only area where I lacked in preparation was the filming schedule. Looking back, I know now why I had needed it because while I was filming, I had just asked Minnie on the day if she was free that afternoon to do some filming. If I had a schedule, I would have been slightly more prepared and I would know what shots needed to be taken when and where.
• Did production require more or less time than you thought? Why? The production required a little more time than I had thought, for 2 main reasons. Because I hadn’t prepared an organised schedule, and because I was sent home on a day I was going to film as well as Minnie being very ill for the following two days.
• Were there any problems or difficulties during filming and how did this affect your project. (Difficulties may include; shooting, technical, time-management, teamwork, absences or editing etc.);  I wasn’t able to use lights that required a powerpoint in certain shots because there weren’t any electrical power points in those areas (eg. outside and in the school gym). Time management was also an issue including the issues that were mentioned in the previous dot point.
• Discuss whether you undertook adequate and detailed reflection to support your work? (Review your blog and consider how frequently and detailed your posts were) In my honest opinion, I believe that I have successfully updated my blog very frequently, as I have made many posts, and descriptively, as I take a lot of time to describe what is included in the reflection and my understanding of work that we had completed in class.