Reflective analysis

For my AS Film production coursework, i decided to create a sequence for a thriller film, using the viewpoints of both the antagonist and the victim. The target audience for my production was 15-25 year olds as many of the micro-features and features were intended for this age range. I decided to create various different encounters and atmosphere's to attract the audience and attach their minds. The most focused part of my production was the editing and cinematography.

For achieving the two viewpoints, i decided that i would use two different camera so you were able to distinguish between them both. The camera's were vital or the audience would have difficulty knowing who the antagonist was or the victim until the final scene. For the victim i decided to use (the college camera) as i wanted to  have a different feel for the victim. For the antagonist i used my gopro head mount so i could capture the POV and this made you feel like you were the person stalking her and the feelings you have created. I felt that the gopro was effective in creating a sense or fear and mystery as it made you think what it could be like in that situation. I made the decision for these two camera's as i felt the gave both the victim and antagonist viewpoints to the audience. i decided not to focus on the antagonists clothing as i wanted the audience to remain vary and have that sense of mystery as to who it was, and i felt this was obtained in a clever and well thought out way. For the victim i decided to chose quite a laid back look using the all black outfit to show she might not be confident or quite shut in as she seems plain, however the outfit also connotes the sense of threat which i what i wanted to achieve as this could mean the ending ends in a different way that yo might have expected. I felt these things were the most appropriate choices, as it seemed obvious to the audience who the victim was and the antagonist, without having the confusing time of figuring it out.

The next key area of Cinematography in my sequence was sound and lighting. For myself to create the perfect atmosphere, i decided to choose different sounds that fitted the action or circumstance well. I asked some of my fellow class members and a review that stood out was about the sound and it stated that 'the sound overlayed was good and the music fitted the certain moods' which was what i was aiming to achieve. I decided to mute each of my scenes in the sequence as i felt that i would achieve the suspense and narrative without various people talking but instead using sound and actions to achieve what the diction would have, the lack of diction adds to your own interpretation of this piece then having the story completely in concrete. For the lighting of my piece i decided to use natural lighting for a large portion of the scenes as i felt it lit the certain scenes well, however for the antagonist in the house i decided to darken the lighting as i wanted you to get the sense of the daylight going down and it being night, i felt like was successfully achieved.

The editing and shot sizes in this production were a key feature as it brought all of the elements together, the choice of areas to focus on were very important. i felt that the shots and angles in this piece were successful in acquiring the right information for the victim. I tried to achieve that the angles would make it easy to connect the audience to the production for example the over the shoulder shot when the victim is reading the letter from the antagonist, i felt this worked well because you were able to see her viewpoint, connecting the audiences emotions. For the antagonist i used varies subtle angles such as a close up and long shots, as i wanted it to stay as realistic in a POV shot as possible, i felt this achieved the suspense in the production.
To keep the sequence fast paced and appealing, typical of many thriller films, i decided to use a variety of sounds and also angles to keep minds flowing and keep the audience interested. By having the POV shots it told the audience what is to come which is the foreshadowing i used for the piece to connect. The various shots were utilised to achieve the victims fear throughout the the circumstances.

Overall i felt my first ever self production was a success. Many different elements had to be considered and evaluated in many circumstances but in the end i feel that the message i had hoped to be portrayed has been, and the idea for two camera's worked effectively after a lot of deliberation. The only challenge that had got in my way was one shot that needed to be closer but the gopro did not have that ability but overall i enjoyed this production and i felt it has achieved.