Assessment of other student Title sequences

Above is the marking criteria for a video task. I have looked at a video on you tube to assess using the marking criteria.

 

 

This video was done for AS coursework by the people involved.

 

 

Holding shot steady

In the first clip, students are in a dark room with what looks like a Luigi board. In this shot there is no camera movement at all. There is a lot of camera movement (shaking) when the clip changes to letters spelling out words and peoples faces. However the movement if very strong and watching i got the feeling this movement was done for effect and looked really good and worked well in the video. When the shot changes from the faces, the camera once again remains perfectly still. After this, the clip changes to a group of people walking. When the group is being filmed from a distance there is no camera movement. However one person is being filmed walking using an over the shoulder lot. There is some un intended camera movement here as the person holding the camera and filming walks behind the person being filmed. This is the only bad and un intended camera movement in the video. I think the movement of the camera is excellent in this video and comes under a level 4.

 

 

Framing shot appropriately

I think the shots are really good in this video. When filming of the group takes place all the people are central. No one is off frame and all the people involved can be seen. There is also no unnecessary background. The screen is always full and everything is perfectly laid out so the viewer can see everything that is going on. There is never any wasted space on the screen. 

 

Variety of shot distances 

A lot of different shots are used in this video. The shots i noticed were:

• Establishing shot (When the people enter the building and when walking outside)
• Wide Shot (when walking outside)
• Long shot (the people walking outside)
• Medium close up (The faces of the people when camera is shaking)
• close up (when looking at the Luigi board)
• extreme close up (shots of people eyes)
• over head shot (looking down at the people in the dark room)
• Low angle (looking up at the person in the window in the dark room)
• Deep shot (people walking)
• Medium shot (when the girl has rope put round her neck)
 
Because there is such a wide range of camera shots, i would say this would come under the level 4.
 
 
Appropriate Material for the task
I think at the vary start in the darkened room is the strongest point of this video regarding showing the theme of horror. The rest of the video does not show much in the way of horror. . However the horror type filming is shown for over half of the video. All the footage show is very strong and the idea is carried out through out the video. I think this ares would come under level 3.
 
Selecting mise en scene  
I think the mise en scene is good in this video. At the start quite a few props are used.
• Luigi board
• cards
•  rope
• a candle
• book

I think all these props were uses really well and all help relevance to what was going on. No prop seemed out of place or unused. They also help the viewer get an idea of what is happening, what is going on and what the students are doing.

 

The costumes are very basic but then i think that is all that is needed for this video. The people involved just wore what they were wearing but seeing as they were playing students anyway, not costumes were truly needed. I think for mise en scene, the video could be graded a level 4.

 

Editing for meaning to the viewer 

 In this video, at the start the footage is sped up. I think this is a really good affect and it makes the movements a lot sharper and looks really affective with whats happening in the clip. It also keeps the views focus and makes what they are watching more interesting rather then a lot of slow movement.

Short lack fade outs and fades in are also used during this time which adds to the affect. It adds something different to watching the same thing constantly and creates a good contrast between the fast movement ans slow blackouts. This footage was also made black and white which fits whats happening perfectly and makes it seem aerie fitting the theme of horror. The theme is also brought out when the footage of a girls face and then her being strangled are merged as it adds a ghost looking affect. The use of a heat camera effect, although only use very quickly and for a short time, still adds great affect to the video and adds a bit of interest. The main part of editing is getting the clips placed together correctly involving movement match. I saw no problems with movement match in this video. Because of this and the range of editing skills used i think this would come under level 4.

Varied shot transitions, captions and other effects
There is not a range of shot transitions but the transitions, although quite quick cuts do not seen untidy. There is no judders between cuts and movement continues to be smooth. The transitions from clip to clip are very well done.
I think the placing of captions and texts are very poor. The names of people involved appear on hands and i think they look very out of place and randomly put there. They don't blend in the the surrounding much but at the same time they don't really stand out. At one point text is placed over a girls thumb and it is not in line with her thumb but instead quite wonky. I think this takes away the affect of the wording being there. Also the text font used never remains constant which i feel looks quite bad. I think this will come under level 2.

Use of sound with images and editing
There is really aerie music used during the start of the opening sequence. I think this music fits really well with what is going on on screen and ties in the theme of horror. I think the music also fits with the actions that can be seen as the speed of the music is in time with the speed at which things are happening and movement is being made. The music also ends well and it does not fade into the conversation but also does not end to abruptly. When the people in the video are talking their voice and what they are saying can be herd really well and very clearly. This is important in a video and the sound for this video is really well done. There is a point where the clip changes but a voice can still be herd. However that voice fades out really well and effectively. I think the sound for this video would come under level 4.   

 
Using titles appropriately
I think the title is really well used in this clip. I like how all the focus is on the title as it is the only thing that can be seen on screen. This makes the title stand out. I think this would come under level 4.

Conclusion
I think this is a very strong, well presented video where all the shot sizes and editing was used correctly. I think improvements could be made with the text.