Homework 5 (BLK)- Continuity Sequence

This is our first shooting task at AS: a short sequence focusing on continuity and around the theme of 'accidents'. My group decided to create a short narrative whereby two people are arranging to meet over the phone but end up bumping into each other.

We considered continuity principles such as using the full range of shot distances (we used them in the wide-mid- close shot order to steadily take the audience through the geographical space), tracking a character using camera movement (shot 4), matches on action (to make the actions in the shots look the same, but shot from different angles) and cross cutting (perspectives of both characters). 



What worked well about our piece?

• I think the first shot worked as a great establishing shot because it showed the space, and also both the characters in relation to the space and to each other. Furthermore, the first shot immediately draws the audience towards the corner of the wall, which is where the accident is to take place, and so they feel as though they have more knowledge (and therefore more power) than the characters.
• The second over-the-shoulder shot of Alex (character A) walking places the audience in the scene.
• The use of cross-cutting provides two different perspectives from both sides of the corner.
• We re-placed the camera in the position where the establishing shot was taken, so we could reuse the master shot and show the development of the story by showing how far along the characters had moved through the geographical space.
• We went from wide to mid to close-ups and then back to wide, so the audience could be immersed into the action but then drawn back out to see the final outcome.

What could we work on?

• There are some people walking past in the second shot, but they do not appear again in the third- this is a continuity issue that we would have to re-shoot.
• The first shot is cut so that Sam (character B) ends up far too close to the corner and is not in the same geographical space in shot 3. This happens again in shots 5 and 6.
• Showing the whole geographical space in the first shot reveals the potential outcome too early on in the narrative, and therefore gives away the interest and the enigma.
• There are some gaps in the dialogue which do not allow it to flow seamlessly- this could be easily edited out.