Research- Technical skills that I have developed during the AS course

I have learnt many technical skills in my AS Media Course for instance camera, edit, mise en scene and sound are vital elements for film production.

The camerawork ensures continuity and flow and the shots were to be held steady through the tripod. The rule of thirds was also very important and useful for framing the shots to avoid positioning people on the central square because the viewer's eye is drawn just-off centre. In AS we were encouraged to use effective shot types such as: wide shot, long shot, mid shot, over the shoulder, point of view, high and low angle and close ups...etc
For music production, the variation in camera angles/movement are still highly advised to do to make it visually more appealing however the tripod doesn't necessarily have to be used it depends on the music genre chosen to reproduce. Some music genres for e.g. pop doesn't necessarily require a tripod all the time to make it successful. Pop videos are typically more shaky than other music genre videos to add effect. Jump cuts were not advised in film production because it would break the continuity. However, music genres tend to use jump cuts to add effect.

For editing, the flow of continuity was just as important as it was for camera , I too had to make sure that it was the right rhythm and pace. My job was to make the editing invisible and for it to have a range of effects and transitions without distracting the viewer. The edits I remember using were: transition of image and sound, eye line match, dissolve, fade-in, fade-out, slow motion, fast motion, expansion of time and match on action. I learnt how to edit through Final Cut Pro and how to embed the thriller I made onto blogger.

For film production jump cuts were not allowed because it is awful when watching as it breaks the continuity films opt for. However in music videos editing can be just as invisible as recognisable. For example in pop videos jump cuts are commonly used to achieve a specific effect.

Although it may not appear to be, mise en scene was the most difficult element of production top get right. It is about detail, the smallest detail counts the most. I had to make sure that the costume, lighting, props, location and sound were appropriate for the thriller plot as well as to create the kind of 'feel' and verisimilitude. The props had to be thought thoroughly and well chosen and the performance  had to be excellent (good acting) to 'make believe'. Otherwise poor acting would have undermined the overall flow of realism my thriller had.
In music production the emphasis in mise en scene is just as big as it was for film production because it is all essential for atmosphere and continuity.

I did my own soundtrack using instruments from home. This has definitely improved my sound mixing skills because that was exactly what I did when editing. Furthermore, I now know how to create foley sound and how to match the sound with the clip.

I learnt that whilst filming the equipment must be looked after at all times and protected. I am aware of how to put the equipment together which is clearly going to be helpful when filming for the music video.