1 minute video evaluation

Creativity- Initially I wanted to create a short film about the day in the life of a penny but as time went on I couldn't think of many ideas for it. So instead I made a video at my school where it would be easy to get 'extras' to be in the background. I have learnt for my next project to plan my ideas in advance so I can do a film idea I would rather do. I thought it would be comical to have the students 'escaping' the horrors of the crowded corridor as it is usually a task in the mornings of a normal school day. Also, many pupils don't like having the go from A floor, the bottom, to D floor and so I thought I would incorporate this into the film.

Research and planning- For planning, I made a story board of how to start a day in the life of a lost student. I had looked at a short film called 'The Desk' which was also set in a school and took ideas from that. I continued with my idea that the student should be lost and, as the school B floor corridor is usually very crowded, they should have some troubles with that for comical purposes.

Use of real media conventions- In 'The Desk' it starts with an establishing shot and so I wanted to show the heights of the stairs I was about to climb. I found it harder to get the whole school in a single shot so I panned up so more of the school could be seen, in a sort of establishing shot. Like in Awake he uses a point of view shot to show the emptiness of the street. I thought this should his isolation and so I thought using this would show the persons isolation whilst being lost. However, I used this shot throughout the whole piece.

Digital technology and Post-production- I filmed my piece in three longer takes. One, make my way to the top of the stairs to look in classrooms, once when I see Sarah down the corridor and another when I ran out of the school from the crowded corridor. On Final Cut Pro I learnt how to use Cross Dissolve to merge the scenes together so that there was a better flow to the piece. I also learnt how to use 'blade' with allows sections of a bit of film of music to become separated from the original piece of film. I used the blade tool when I wanted to fast forward the section where I climb the stairs so that just one bit was faster. I did the same effect when I run out of the school just to make the 'escape' more emphasised.
To create a voice over, I recorded what I want to say on 'GarageBand', saved it and then copied it onto my video.

Textual analysis

Camerawork
POV, throughout- creates a personal experience
Pan up- to show the height of the school

Editing techniques
Fast forward- to show that the time taken to climb the stairs was long
Cross dissolve- give the illusion of time passing

Sound
Voice over- thoughts of the student
Pupils talking to each other- acknowledgment of moved classroom
Background noise of other students

Mise en scene
Text book, held by Sarah
School
Pupils in corridor

A day in the life of a lost student

A day in the life of lost student

This is my finished 1 minute video. I thought putting 'lost' into the title explained the story line better.

A day in the life of a student

I plan to use a point of view shot to film the student walking to their lesson and use a voice over of their thoughts to show their opinion on what they're doing.
I plan to start the film with the student trying to find their timetable but not being able to. They think that their lesson is on D floor, the highest floor in the school, but find that it isn't after they have climbed all the flights of stairs. They find a friend and find out their lesson is on B floor... only to see the very crowded corridor where their friend runs away from the crowd and leaves them alone to fight the crowd of students.
I hope this video will be seen a comedy from the content I include in it.

Research

To get a concept of the conventions used in short films I watched two short films. One is called 'The Desk' and the other is 'Awake'.

The Desk
Camerawork
Establishing shot
Mid shot of character looking lost
Close ups of his timetable and room number
Wide shot of classroom to establish the layout
Close up of girl, then his face to show crush
Mid shot of when he sees the writing on the desk and is in shock
Close up of note

Editing techniques 
Making the words fade onto the desk
Cuts

Sound
Piano music

Mise en scene
School
Lockers
The desk
Change in clothes of the boy

Target Audience
Age- 15-21
Gender- Female
Socio-economic group- Students, unemployed.
Lifestyle- Students, spend free time on youtube, interested in short films

Awake
Camerawork
Extreme close up of eye
POV of empty street
Close up of breakfast, eating alone
Tracking shot of feet walking alone
Close up of gnome doing 'activities' with him
Shot of grandad with weapon
Pan out of newspaper article

Editing techniques
Cuts

Sound
Voice over
Sinister music

Mise en scene
Boy alone
Messy clothes pile
Empty streets
Abandoned cars
Gnome

Target Audience
Age- 15-21
Gender- Both
Socio-economic group- Students, unemployed.
Lifestyle- Students, spend free time on youtube, interested in short films

Welcome

For my A2 media project I will be making either a short film or a music video.

As for now I am making a 1 minute film entitled 'A day in the life of...' to enable me to use the equipment, such as a camera and editing, to make my film/music video. 

I have chosen to do A day in the life of a student and use a voice over of the thoughts.