In the process of constructing this product I have learnt many different skills and techniques. As having never done media studies before I did not know how to use a digital video camera or any equipment such as a tripod. However I did learn how to use a video camera and tripod whilst filming our preliminary task. I learnt that using a tripod helps to keep the camera steady when filming shots, and if the shots are not steady it can look very unprofessional. Although when it came to filming our final thriller opening we did not use a digital video camera or a tripod as we filmed using an iPhone. This is because using an iPhone was better quality than using a digital video camera and did not use a tripod as we did not have one that would fit a iPhone. We ended up re-filming our final opening thriller as we were not happy with the way it has turned out. We filmed using a digital video camera and tripod the first time we filmed and found it very restricting as to what we could do as the video camera is large and as is the tripod. We found this meant we could not film many shots other than the basics as everything was too big to move around. We found it hard to exclude certain things such as the christmas decorations from the frame as we could not move the camera into a position where the items would be excluded whilst keeping to the 180 degree rule. The quality of the video camera was also poor. The lighting when we filmed the first time was bad as we did not put any lights on in the house and the weather was cloudy and therefore there was no natural light. However when we filmed the second time we used an iPhone and it greatly improved our filming. As iPhone are small it meant that we could get into positions to film certain shots such as an over the shoulder shot without having a big video camera and tripod form stopping us. Using an iPhone meant we could easily exclude things from the frame as we could move the iPhone and place it in more convenient positions. As well as filming with a different device we also changed to another location which has plenty of natural light allowing the shot quality to improve from the first time we filmed where it was too grainy. To create the music for our thriller we used a software called garageband. This allows you to create music which is copyright free which can fit in perfectly with your thriller as you can make it more dramatic and crescendo which it is needed.
From creating this production I have learnt the importance of continuity editing, certain shot types and when to use them. Continuity editing is to make sure shots run smoothly and that there is a coherent between shots. It helps to draw attention to certain objects, characters and events in the film with the shots effectively following on from one another. To help continuity you can use a gradual transition from one shot to another. I have learnt this is important because without it the narrative of the opening can be lost and can confuse the audience. Different shot types can give different effects and I have found it that it is important to use them at the right time. We have found that some of the most important and frequent shot types we used in our opening thriller were close-ups, midshot and a long shot. Close-ups are shots where a certain feature or part of a subject takes up most of the frame. We found that using this shot is important when showing detail to the audience such as the blood on the magazines. A midshot shows part of the subject in detail and usually from the waist up. We found this useful when the ‘normal’ girl was walking through the house and we were filming her up until she met the Alter-Ego. A long shot is where the subject takes up most of the full frame whilst showing a character or object in their environment. We used this shot when showing the ‘normal’ girl in her natural environment reading magazines.
I have learnt about composition and framing, rule of thirds, golden mean and different camera movements such such as tilt. Composition and framing is how and where objects are placed and arranged in a shot and how we put the shot together. An example would be how we placed the magazines on the floor. 
Rule of Thirds is where the points of interest are within a shot, where the lines cross. When you compose a shot you imagine the grid over it. The golden mean is where you compose a shot and imagine a diagonal line over the top of it. Points of interest also occur along this line similarly to the rule of thirds. The camera movement which we used in our opening thriller was a tilt which is where the camera tilts either up or down vertically. We used this camera movement to give a sense of insanity.
As I have never done media before I had never used an editing software and for our editing of our final product we used iMovie. I have learnt to edit effectively so that the meaning and narrative is clear to the audience by selecting the correct shots and making sure that they are placed in the correct order when editing. Also making sure that shots are not to long can help to make sure that that the meaning is clear to the audience and that there is continuity. This can be done by the use of a cutaway shot. The use of cutaway shots help to structure narrative and interest the audience as if you just long shot after long shot it would become boring. This is a mistake we made at first with editing but then split one shot in half to put another shot in-between to create the cutaway shot and make it more interesting. These screenshots below show that I know what to split a clip using iMovie.
Another way which I have learnt to edit to help structure narrative and interest the audience is by using transitions. Transitions are ways which two shots are joined together. The most common transitions used in films is the straight cut which we have used throughout our opening. This is where a shot cuts straight to another. A gradual transition is again from one shot to another and helps to improve and show continuity. It can often show a move from one location to another. Some other transitions are fade to black/white, fade in/out, cross cutting and a jump cut. Fade to black/white is where one shot fades in or out to either black or white. It used because it creates a sense of time passing or if it is done quickly, it can show flashbacks. Fade in/out is when shot is faded out to a black screen or in from a black screen. This shows progression of time or can give a sense of chaos to a situation. It can also be used as a montage effect and is placed at the beginning or end of a sequence. Cross cutting is where actions cut between sequences to create links. It normally parallels or contrasts between the two storylines and their settings. It's also used because it creates tension and suspense and often used in thrillers. Finally a jump cut is an abrupt cut between shots. It gives a dramatic effect and can begin and end action scenes. If it is edited poorly however it can look bad and I think that this is why we did not use it in our opening. There is a selection of all of these in iMovie which you can add to your shots. The screenshots below show that I know how to find and select transitions to add into shots and footage.
Another skill I have learnt from editing out thriller on iMovie is how to add titles in. As our thriller is an opening title sequence it is important to have titles introducing the director, editor, costume designer and make up artist. We have done this in our opening but kept the titles simple so that it does not distract from the opening and the narrative. The screen shots below show that I know how to select and add in titles to footage.
Throughout the process of creating and constructing this product technologies have been a key part in finding out what the audience want to see in a thriller and making important decisions on things such as the typography for the opening. To create the typography for our titles we used the website "www.dafont.com" and chose 5 different styles of typography for our main thriller title. Every style of typography we chose is distorted which suits the theme of our thriller which is psychological. After we had found these four typography styles we used a website called “PollEverywhere” which allowed people to feedback to us which typography the preferred and which suited “Alter-Ego” best.
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