HCT Q6: What have you learnt about technologies from your film opening?

• During the planning and development of our production we used various web 2.0 applications which enabled us to interact with platforms on the internet. For example we used Blogger. Being online, Blogger allowed all 3 members of our group to work together collaboratively by being able to edit eachothers posts and to help communicate our ideas with eachother by commenting on eachothers work.
• It helped us present our work and also we used it to include different forms of media such as Slide Boom and Slide Rocket, To present slide shows we had made.
• YouTube was used to present all of our videos including our Preliminary Task as well as the Wilderness Woods video and also any other work we presented in video format.
  Prezi was used to formulate slide shows in a different way and added a nice change to a standard slide show.We also used pictures and single text posts by embedding them into each entry.

•  We used my Canon 550D for the majority of the project. This provides different shooting modes such as 1080p at 25 or 24 fps and 720p at 50 or 25 fps. We decided to shoot at 1080p and 25 frames per second and in manual mode rather than automatic, enabling us to adjust exposure, shutter speed, ISO and apature to get the best shots in the situations we were in, as quality was important to us and we were not shooting scenes where the camera was moving vigorously so therefore 50fps was simply not necessary. 
• We used a number of lenses in the whole production including a 50mm prime lens with aperture of f/.1.8 and also the 18-55mm at f/3.4, both of course reaching up to the standard f/22.0 with everything in focus. We used the 50mm predominately as the aperture capabilities allowed to go down to f/1.8-opening the lens fully and letting as much light hit the sensor.This was key in the low light situations of shooting at night and allowed us the scope to tone down the lighter areas in post production. As we knew it is simple impossible to add information to a scene in post production that is too dark.

• We also used macro extension tubes to allow us to achieve super macro shots on the desk. Equipment we used for our production that we tested in our wilderness woods video included a track and dolly, a tripod, the Hague Steadicam and also a DIY dolly we made from skateboards and a tripod.This equipment allowed us to get smooth shots which further helped us portray the character we wanted to show.
• When filming our preliminary task we came across a number of issues. These were things such as the weather changing from shot to shot and leaving a door open when in the previous shot it was closed. So generally the issues were to do with continuity.                                
• Other issues included running out of battery when filming and keeping all the sound levels similar in post production. As in some shots there was a lot of background noise due to wind and murmuring from classrooms that varied and didn't flow when pieced together.

• To edit our final piece we used a number of computer programmes including Cinema 4D Adobe After Effects CS5.5 and Premiere Pro CS5.5. I used Cinema 4D to model the bullet shell and animate it falling to the floor as well as using plug-ins such as 'DPIT Effex' to produce the smoke. I used Adobe After effects to produce the titles by importing them and manipulating them on the x, y and z axis to get the right angle, effect. 

• The group used Premiere Pro to piece together the video and audio and export the final piece. This was easy to use and was great to work with to do the fast paced editing and edit on each individual frame.

• To Export of piece we used Premiere Elements and used certain settings to get the best out of the video we had made. We exported in 25frames per second at 1080p in an MPEG format.
• The codec of our audio was Dolby Digital and with a frequency of 48kHz and for our video we use maximum frame render quality.
• Our project is obviously on a smaller scale to that of a larger production of a full feature length film. In our film we shot over 3 days and used 2 different locations. Therefor the logistics of the our production was not hard to manage as it was just a case of getting members of the group and actors in the right place at the right time with props and equipment.
• We had 3 members of our group and 2 actors therefore it was not hard, although trying to remember everything on the day of shooting was hard and we found planning exactly what we wanted to do and the order in which to film the shots was important. The storyboard was also extremely helpful in helping us tick off the shots we had filmed. This is very different from a real film production process.
• For a real film the logistic would be much much harder to plan because of the scale and number of actors, different, locations, travel, catering, accommodation etc. This type of production would have a lot of people involved in different areas. There would be separate team for organising, and planning where everything needs to be at what time to ensure that the production process runs smoothly and efficiently.
• Another difference would be that a larger production would be shot and edited over a longer period of time. probably a year or so for a  full feature length. They would also most certainly have a lot bigger budget and therefore could afford to buy more professional equipment and travel to better locations as well as well known actors and professionals.