Evaluation of University Of Kent Module EL342- Moving image (Digital Arts First year)

1. Evaluation
The process of creating a short filmwas somewhat challenging in the sense that all of our
group were new to using the software and operating equipment. We were given a 10 week
period to come up with an idea, create and complete a short film within strict guidelines.
The process involved a great deal of research, where we identified our target audience,
conducted surveys, looked at existing films, investigated and experimented with different
shot types and lighting conditions and various other things.
After completing in depth research, we collectively gained a greater understanding of the
world of film, this enabled us to form an appropriate idea which we expanded upon as time
progressed. The next step in the production process was to create a written treatment, this
ended up being a twelve page document which described various parts of the film including
our title, logline, the locations, the characters, the target audience, the influences, the
subject matter, the narrative, the duration, the various filming techniques we aimed to use,
and rules we wished to adhere to, to ensure the quality of our work.
After completing our treatment, we begun to script write and storyboard, from this we were
able to create a shot list, this was a list of all of the shots that we would need for the film.
We dissected the shot list into five different scenes. We then created a schedule where we
decided that we would filmone scene per session, as this would allow consistency within
lighting and weather conditions, especially for the outdoor scenes.
The casting process was quite simple in the sense that two of our team members were keen
actors, this meant that we only had two more characters to cast, the coach and our
protagonist Jake. Amelia one of our team members has a boyfriend with an older
appearance, therefore he fit the role of the coach perfectly. Then we cast for Jake, we chose
Josh, as he was the most confident out of all of the boys, he had a sportsman presence and
fitted the character profile most effectively.
The filming process lasted a total of three and a half weeks, we could have completed it
sooner, although, the availability of team members and our cast at the same time where
few and far between.
The editing process was lengthy, the colour correction was the most complex throughout
the process, as it seemed every time we rendered our work the correction would appear
entirely different to how it did within premiere pro. It took several attempts to get this
correct. Sound again was extremely challenging due to the extremely disruptive sound of
the wind. We amended this by adjusting the audio, although the voices of the characters
where slightly unclear.
I believe our story line changed massively throughout the production process, we managed
to go from someone with a passion for sport being second best, but beating his personal
goal and becoming the best he can be, to a sportsman with a controlling girlfriend putting
him down and not allowing him to continue his passion with a happy ending of him forgiving

2. her. I believe our story line adapted massively because of the actors and facilities we had
available to us and it proved more convenient and time effective to adapt our storyline.
Presenting genre was quite challenging, there was a variety of ways in which we could
present genre through a variety of different ways, most importantly through the micro
aspects such as shot angles, cinematography, mise en’scene and sound.
Having no access to professional lighting meant that our shots didn’t look as summery as we
had desired. Therefore it doesn't replicate the storyboard and location as effectively as we
would have wished. If we were to have a more flexible deadline, we would have been able
to select a more appropriate day on which to filmthe shot, and it would have represented
our location more effectively.
The blog I believe was a great success, I almost used it as a diary to document each
milestone, and the various pieces of research that I completed throughout the process of
the module. I aimed to make my blog creative, rather than just posting text on a white
background, I used various different online software including Prezi, Slide share, Go-animate
and Pixton. This made my blog more user interactive, gaining my blog over 1,000 views in
under 12 weeks.
If we were to do the project again, there are various aspects that I would change in order to
have a better outcome. One of them being doing more research into the equipment
available to us being part of the school of engineering and digital arts. We had sessions
where we were taught to use the basic camera equipment, and how to use premiere pro,
but were not told of the more advanced equipment available to us, such as the boom and
Microphone clips. These would have been massively helpful throughout the filming process,
in order to easily block out the sound of the wind without reducing the sound of the actor’s
voices and losing the dialogue completely.
Another piece of equipment we would have liked to use is Dolly, this is a piece of equipment
that would enable us to make our shots more steady and create a professional looking
panning shot. This would have also enabled us to have a less static feel to our film, and
increase the quality of our film.
We had a massive time constraint on us, to have ten weeks to create an entire short film
from scratch with a team of just five people was a daunting prospect. Especially being new
to the field of film and the creation process and software. Although we managed to
complete it to a high standard, I believe if we would have had a larger group and a more
flexible deadline our filmwould have been of higher quality.
I would have also preferred to use the software Final Cut rather than using Premiere Pro,
although the rendering time is much longer than on Premiere Pro, It is a lot easier to use,
there are more effects, and the simplicity of the programme makes it easier to create a
professional looking film without taking hours to apply the effects and individually colour
correct them. Also if we had another chance at the project, we would have added titles in
order to make the filmlook more professional. Although we had a time constraint and we
were not taught on how to add titles in premiere pro, and the time we had left made it

3. almost impossible to tutor ourselves and apply the titles to a high enough standard.
Although, if using Final Cut, we could have used the additional software ‘Live Type’ and
super impose the titles in Final cut. This would have created a professional sequence
without the complexity of Premiere Pro.
Also if I were to complete the project again, I would have managed my time more
effectively, such as the time in between filming which was often four days at a time could
have been spent editing, that way we would have been able to address the major sound
issues we had with enough time to correct them to a professional standard.
We learnt a lot about team work throughout the module, organisation is key, and
miscommunication is where most problems stem from, organisation of equipment hire
tended to be a big problem, and closing times of the EDA rental room often led to us rushing
filming in order to return the camera equipment on time. Although our group worked well
together when we were together, a lot of our extracurricular activities clashed with the free
time the others had, this led to sometimes filming or attending meetings with and
incomplete group. We overcome this issue by taking notes at meetings and posting them on
a social network based group chat that we created. We also ensured that if someone wasn’t
present for a filming session, they would make up for it by playing a bigger part in the
editing process.
In conclusion I believe we created a good film to a professional standard, and we have now
identified the ways we could have improved and will transfer our knowledge into our next
project. Throughout the project we have obtained many skills within team working, and
using new software’s to a professional standard, these skills are not only transferable into
projects with a similar primary focus, but within any group project that we may have to do
in the future.