UNIT 3 – AO 5: ‘HUNTED’ EVALUATION

Section 1 – Brief description of the product you have made

The task was to create a short film with the title ‘Hunted’ that included a range of shots and at least one dialogue sequence. Our initial idea was to make a psychological thriller with horror elements. We planned for the film to follow a man walking through down across a series of shots. In each shot would be hidden a masked figure stalking the man. With each shot the stalker would become more obvious to the audience and his presence would begin to be felt by the man. We basically wanted to show the feeling of paranoia and give that feeling to the audience. In the final scene would reveal the whole thing was in the man’s imagination, a product of his paranoia and insanity. We decided the dialogue piece would be a flashback that would show the characters personality and explain why he was

Section 2 – Production Planning

The roles assigned where: Aaron would serve as the director and script writer, Rob would be the editor, Will would be camera operator, and I would act as the production designer. We agreed that Will would operate the camera as he did for our short bomb sequence as he enjoyed that role and had previously produced good results. Rob particularly wanted the role of Editor and my artistic skills made me a good choice for production designer. Aaron agreed to take the remaining job of Director and had a really clear vision of the film in his head was pretty close to the final film.

I and Aaron wrote the script with Aaron doing most of the work but occasionally asking my opinion. Most of my input to the script was in the dialogue. As me and Aaron knew we were going to play the characters we really just developed the dialogue from the natural back and forth between us. He would suggest his line and I would respond with mine. We tried to work out the point of each scene and show that simply and precisely. This made the film pretty free of filler or clutter and easier to both write and watch.

The story boards and shot lists are the main weak point in our production. We ended up without any sort of shot lists and very basic stick figure storyboards that don’t really show what we filmed. The Story boards are very simplistic with not much indication of shot type. They more acted as a guide as to how the film would fit together, rather than a very detailed visual representation of the final film. I’m not sure why there was no shot list as it wasn’t my job. I think it probably got forgotten. I think most of the shortcomings of the film can be attributed to the lack of detailed storyboards and shot lists.

The equipment we booked for every shoot we did was the camera and tripod. We didn’t use a dolly for any shots or any other equipment. We only booked the equipment the day of recordings, before we would set out to location. The reason for this is we booked ahead for the first filming date which ended up being pushed back. After this we never really trusted booking ahead and just asked for the camera and tripod before filming.

For the stalkers costume we ordered a black morph suit from the internet. Whilst it was possible to just buy the mask we found it was cheaper to buy the whole thing. Once it arrived we cut it in half, using only the torso and head section and discarding the legs. The book prop was just an old book of mine that I didn’t want anymore and so fitted it with the cover jacket designed in Photoshop.

The location search was a disorganised process. The script called for the stalker scenes to be filmed in town and we had begun to pick out certain locations to use. However when begun to run out of time and we realised it wasn’t going to be practical to film in town due to time and the logistics of getting there and back to college. The location was switch to the trees behind college, an area we knew through use in our bomb sequence. The flashbacks could take place in any room so we just found a free one and filmed there.

We scheduled the production as we went along, rather than creating a big plan right at the start. We would set up a filming date on the calendar and once that was complete plan the date of the next one. The beginning of shooting was pushed back a few times as we waited for all team members to be present. We only filmed during the media diploma classes meaning we started a little after classes started and finished up at the end of the class. Each shoot probably lasted about an hour.

Section 3 – Filming

The shooting process was very energised and improvised. A lot of the time we didn’t really prepare for a shoot and just went out and got it done. On location every one chipped in on deciding shots. We all had similar ideas to how the film should be shot so we were often able to achieve the filming quickly and efficiently. Often filming would be trial and error. We would have an idea for a shot, film it, and then watch it back on the camera and see it wasn’t working out. At that point we would all make suggestions on how to make the shot work. Because of this way of working the camera man and director jobs switched around a couple of times, whoever had the clearest idea of how the shot would work taking over to film it.

In filming the stalking sequence we decided to include a P.O.V. shot. The shot was a complicated one; the camera would be from Vince’s P.O.V, facing forward and then turn around to see the stalker (Played by me). Vince was then to trip and look back up to see I had vanished. We had to do this several times to get the timing right as I had to totally disappearing whilst the camera was to the ground, however if it stayed down for too long it would it would look like the camera was lingering and become obvious it was covering my exit. We filmed the shot about three times to get it right and each time a different group member held the camera, each seeing if they could get it right.

We used a range of techniques in shooting. We have a P.O.V. shot, a vertigo shot, and panning shots. The P.O.V. was used to put the audiences in Vince’s place. A main part of the

film is to build up dread and suspicion in the audience, to give them the same feelings Vince feels. For this goal have a P.O.V. shot was an obvious choice. The vertigo shot was to highlight the strange nature of the stalkers reveal. The moment we see its Vince everything we’ve seen is questioned. The world of the film turns topsy turvy and the vertigo shot was intended to show that visually and, again, give the audience the same feelings Vince has.

My individual contributions to the production were as production designer and an actor. As production designer I was in charge of props, costumes and the general look to the film. I also designed the title and end credits. This contributed a realistic and high quality prop to the film as well as quality and designed titles. I handled these elements completely solo meaning the group didn’t have to worry about them or spend their time debating them.

Shot-lists and story boards are where we failed a bit in production. We didn’t end up writing up shot-lists for any of the shoots and our story boards were basic. We did have very rough story boards when going to shoot but they weren’t at all detailed or tight. They were more of a map of the story with stick figures then a pre-rendering of the film with different shot types shown. This led to us really making up the shots as we went along. It’s these missing elements that I think resulted in most of the flaws in the final film.

Section 4 – Editing

In the editing process Rob edited each scene in its own sequence and then put them together in a final sequence. All the clips where logged, with the best takes being marked out, and then arranged on the time line according to the script.

Techniques used where the addition of static over shots of the stalker, colour correction on the stalking shots to lean them towards a blue, and turning the flashbacks black and white. The blue colour correction was to give the footage a creepy and cold look. The black and white on the flashbacks was to communicate to the audience that these scenes where separate from the stalking scenes as we intercut between the two. Black and white already has iconography of flashbacks so we thought the audience would be able to make the connection. A small but effective edit was to add a subtle zoom on the final shot of the last flashback. With the shot static it felt very still and dead, which wasn’t right for the last shot of the film where tension should be high. The zoom subtly pulls you into Vince’s words without distracting from them.

The sequence remained the same as scripted through the editing. The flashbacks came in at all the same places and the actions stayed the same. This is really just because we didn’t see a need to change it; it was fine how it was. Editing did prompt a decision to reshoot the ending (As we were putting the original together it just wasn’t right and had a comical tone), and that resulted in us having to shoot extra shots to bridge the original footage and the reshoots. Shots like a close up of Vince’s bag or a mid-shot of snow falling. These additions are the only things that changed the final film. Another change is that the script originally

called for the film to end on a shot of the ‘Hunted’ book prop. However this was left out of the final edit. As I’m not the editor I’m not entirely sure why this was, but I think it was left out by mistake in the rush to render out for the deadline.

Section 5 – Reflection

The feedback from the rest of the class was mainly very positive. We were praised on having a storyline that made the audience think and work it out, interoperate it, one student said it was; “Confusing in a good way.” All the production design tasks I carried out were mentioned particularly. The credits sequences I designed and the Hunted book prop were noted by the class. All the areas for improvement were in the editing; the beeping in the sound track was found annoying and one shot was used twice. These are all things that we had also noticed but had had to render with them due to the deadline.

I think the feedback is fair and I agree that the strongest part of the film is the plot and dialogue. However one flaw I see in the film that no one else seems to have noticed is the fact that we forgot the line of action completely on the dialogue scenes. The shots move around the scene all over the place, something I only noticed after the filming.

If we were to do the project again I would defiantly push for more detailed story boards and shot lists. I think the script was good, the costumes, props, acting and editing were great and the location change wasn’t really a big deal, however a lot of continuity errors and strange edits could have been fixed had we storyboarded better. I feel we didn’t really agree on a visual vision for the film before filming and so missed opportunities to use a more diverse range of shots and better storytelling with the shots.

And that would be the lesson to take away from this; really plan the film out shot by shot before you go out, know what you’re going to film. We can of course leave room for improvisation or adaption but should have very solid ground work. I second lesson would be to be more mindful of time and deadlines, schedule better and overall work more on the pre-production paper work.

Section 6 – Evaluation of production process

The strength of working in a group was the fact that everyone had different ideas to contribute that made the film more dynamic then it would have been if all the ideas had been from one person. The only weakness in team work is that if a member was absent the rest of the group often didn’t know what to do, especially if that missing person was needed for filming. We ended up working best as a team when on location and shooting. We all had ideas that we discussed reasonably and put together to shoot the scenes. It was very positive and there were no arguments or tensions. Team work was probably less successful in pre-production.

Having deadlines to meet made the project get finished. We spent a lot of time waiting for all the right conditions to film; ability to get into town, all members being in lesson, and having all the pre-production material (Shot lists etc.). However at a certain point we realised time was going to run out and we would have spent the whole time waiting. In order to get the film done we compromised on the concept and skipped steps of Pre-production. On the one hand having a deadline changed the film massively, improvised shots and a change in location, but on the other hand it got the film completed.

Throughout the production process I didn’t have very good time management. At the end of each film shoot I was very surprised to find it was time to end and the final deadline seemed to come out of nowhere.

I’m not very good at organization but I tried to really be a voice of reason through production; voice problems that needed fixing or draw everyone’s attention to a point. We are a good group and work well together but the atmosphere was quite chilled and we are all very distractible. I would just attempt to alert everyone to important things and get they’re answers.

Section 7 – Evaluation of finished ‘Hunted’ short film

I think the finished film looks is pretty close to professional. The editing and effects and script are up to the level of a professional product. Even the acting is quite good and I don’t think it takes you out of the film. However the things that lower the film are probably the sound editing: as there aren’t really any foley sounds, the dialogue is sometimes a bit distant and tinny, and a lot of the time there isn’t atmospheric sound, and the shots: we break the line of action in dialogue scenes and the shots near the end look a bit confusing in the final edit.

The end film is pretty close to the original ideas in terms of themes and tone. However in terms of locations and shots it’s not exactly what we set out to create. Due to time we had to scrap the town locations and move to the trees behind college which got rid of the urban look the film would have had. Another thing that took the film away from the original vision was our lack of detailed storyboards and shot lists. Because of this we ended up really winging it on the locations with only a few pre-planned shots of the top of our heads. I don’t think a single of the 9 key frames ended up on the screen as it was drawn.

The films concept isn’t really that original. Whilst I do think the story has some original components, mainly in the dialogue flashbacks and the way the end twist can be interpreted in different ways by the audience, the basic idea of a man being stalked is the obvious scenario to get from the title ‘Hunted’, Even the twist that the killer was imagined by the victim turned out to be unoriginal, as another group had a similar twist at the end of their film.

We pulled off all the film making techniques quite well apart from the breaking of the line of action in the middle dialogue flashback. This breaking of the line does make the scene a bit confusing to look at as the angle jumps dramatically from one line of dialogue to the other. It would have been better to run the whole conversation at two angles, one on Vince and one on the friend. The P.O.V shot works really well and is my favourite shot of the film. The vertigo shot at the end wasn’t achieved that well and so ends up looking more like a zoom. This isn’t necessarily bad as the audience don’t know we were aiming for a vertigo shot and might just accept the shot as a zoom.

I think we met legal and ethical requirements when making the film. Everyone one appearing in the film signed an agreement slip and we filed out health and safety forms for each filming session and for the editor. The film it’s self contains no copyrighted music or footage. We did not gain any permission forms for locations as they were all on the college site, I don’t know if that’s a requirement?

In the final film I don’t think any element is really missing that would boost the quality; however I think the quality of each element could be improved. The shots are simple and effective and defiantly not broken, which our feedback backs up. No one criticised the camera angles and shots but they didn’t praise them. We could have used a wider range of more interesting camera angles, especially in the final scene to build suspense. I think the editing is very high quality as the best was done with what we shot. Two things that annoy me in the edit (the beeping in the soundtrack and a repeated shot) could easily have been fixed with a little extra time. There is nothing hugely wrong with the edit at all. I think all the elements are in place and were done affectively and simply however improvement could be made in all areas to elevate the films quality.