Reflection: 2/21/11

Reflection
What problems were there? How were they solved?
The first in a long line of problems during filming was the venue/setting. We agreed that we wanted to do it in the dance studio because it was the only setting available that had a real household-like setting because it had lights, wooden tiles, sofas and a TV - classic living room. However, there presented another problem - stairs. We needed stairs for one of the scenes and it needed to at the very least match the living room to maintain continuity. To solve that problem, we filmed the stairs area on the library, careful to maintain aspects of continuity to ensure it was a careful shift, disguising the boundaries. More problems arose during the filming. Even though frequent re-shoots were expected, people kept cracking up due to expressions.This was a very difficult to solve because people just could not concentrate and there was no way to force it. So we just shot and shot until we got it correct. However, a better solution might've been to switch people around to have better expressions thereby reducing laughter, or further segmenting scenes so that sections could be done at a time while not cracking up. Timing was also rushed.
How can I further develop the skills I have learnt?
Though there weren't very many film skills practiced today, rather drama skills, continuity, setting and concentration has to be further develop. For continuity, one must take into account the setting in order to find a suitable venue in which to shoot. That means, if there are stairs and a living room, we had to pick somewhere that included both. Or at the very least, maintain multiple similar aspects in order to maintain continuity. Venue also has to be well planned, not just to maintain continuity, but to also accurately visualize the scene. Concentration is something that is not learnt, but developed, and in order to further develop this point, one must actually focus very hard on the important tasks, rather than shifting focus. This is, however, reasonably difficult.
Evaluation
How successful was my performance / workshop and why? How could my group and I work more efficiently?
Though I hate being modest, I was pretty well focused, while my other group members failed to concentrate enough, and frequently broke up. However, the fault was mine when I did very little to help, and this means I need to cooperate with my team better, in the way that I have to do a bit more accommodation and assisting. The filming itself was reasonably successful, because we managed to finish the filming and upload all the clips onto final cut pro. However, time was a bit tight and we rushed it a bit. The cooperation and concentration was a bit lacking. I think that planning the various steps could have led to a better organized, and therefore more efficient set up.In terms of cooperation and concentration, we should do more to assist and help each other get back on task rather than doing little to get back on track.