Continuity Task Evaluation

An Accident

1. Explain the story of your video 

Our story features two people colliding in a corridor after turning a corner without looking where they are going. Our first character (portrayed by Abbie) is reading notes in her folder, and our second character (portrayed by Ollie) is looking at his phone. After bumping into each other, Ollie drops his phone and it breaks. He then blames Abbie for the accident.

2. How did you attempt to create 'narrative flow' (continuity)?

Before shooting we mapped out our story as a storyboard. This helped us stay within the frame limit as well as helping us understand how each shot needed to flow to the next.We tried to create good narrative flow by giving both characters a motive for colliding (not looking where they were going). This made the story more believable for the audience. We also tried to include an element of movement in each shot so there were no dramatic jumps between cuts. 

3. Did you achieve full continuity? If not, why not? 

We achieved a very good sense of continuity by using a good establishing shot, a good master shot and clearly showing the audience exactly what events were taking place and in what order. The only place where continuity was questioned was the direction in which Abbie was travelling at the beginning. 

4. What would you do differently to improve the continuity of your video and tell your story more effectively?

In hindsight, we would have made the lighting more controlled and directed our actors to be more exaggerated in their reactions. Also, in order to make Abbie's direction of travel more apparent, we could have shifted the camera positioning slightly to the left, so she would have clearly been shown as walking left-to-right.

Trailer Analysis: Baby Driver

Baby Driver

Released in the UK on the 28th June 2017

Audience Appeal:

• Starts with a recognisable and upbeat song to engage the audience
• The shots are dynamic and constantly shifting the audience's viewpoint
• The action and transitions between shots are timed well with the music and give the trailer an immersive quality
• The appearance of the trailer is very aesthetic with highly saturated images to give the trailer a comic-book feel
• Features several different shots which raise many questions which keeps the audience in suspense and wanting to know more
• A comical scene is featured, amusing the audience

Genre Signifiers:

The audience assess the film to be an Action based on:

• The fast pace of the trailer
• The variation of car chases and action shots
• The use of weapons, signifying conflict and violence
• Themes of crime such as bank robbery and murder
• Romance is featured, but it clearly isn't the main focus of the movie

Character & Representation:

• The main character is Baby, portrayed by Ansel Elgort
• We can tell he is the main character because he receives the most screen time and is also the only character who is named
• It is said that he was in an accident when he was younger which is why he listens to music
• He is a driver for criminals
• He is mostly shown in sunglasses and casual clothes, presenting his as level-headed and calm
• He is a very good driver
• The audience learns very little about the other characters, but we assume that Kevin Spacey's character is important because he is the one giving orders. Because of his high reputation as an actor, we also believe he must have a leading role 

Branding:

• At the beginning, logos for Sony, TriStar and MRC are shown
• These logos are featured again at the very end of the trailer along with Working Title's logo
• Instagram, Facebook and Twitter labels are shown
• The name of the film is shown after all the action

Reflections on Shots

1) Identify in what way this shot signifies your chosen genre? This shot features the genre conventions of a Mystery Drama. The framing of the shot is at an obscure angle and reveals little detail about the situation, however the expression and body language of my actor suggests curiosity as well as fear. Because of the lack of detail given, the audience doesn’t know what is about to happen, keeping them engaged. I also created a shadow to heighten suspense and make the scene more dramatic and atmospheric.
2) How did you direct the shot to achieve the desired effect?To achieve this effect, I took the shot from behind a white corner, contrasting with the actor’s dark clothing and the dark corridor he is in. I also used a hand-held light to create shadows around the actor, making him seem more concealed. The mise-en-scene is very generic but the framing and lighting makes it seem more intense, engaging the audience.
3) How did you intend the audience to interpret your still - what meanings did you intend to convey?
With the use of contrast in lighting I tried to show how the actor was unsure of the situation and was unaware of what was about to happen, both physically and mentally being ‘in the dark’. His facial expression shows both determination as well as uncertainty, suggesting he is the protagonist. The way in which the camera is peering around the corner matches the pose of the actor, leading the audience to sympathise with him. This shot is supposed to capture part of the intense climax before the mystery is revealed. 
4) Identify what is successful about your shot The framing of the shot is successful because it fills the frame with an engaging image without being too busy. The audience’s eyes are immediately drawn to the actor and his expression
5) What would you have done differently in hindsight? In hindsight, I would make the entire still darker and less saturated to fit more effectively with the genre conventions of a Mystery Drama. I would also have made the shadow affect more prominent to reinforce the connotations that things are not as they seem and that the truth is being concealed.