One Minute Action Sequence

Over the last couple of weeks, the rest of the class and I were again split into two groups, in which we would all work together and create a one minute action sequence. Our first objective was to think of ideas for an action sequence individually and then discuss with the rest of the group which one we most wanted to use.

After deciding which idea we would use, we then went on to produce a shot list, storyboard and a treatment. This is the pre-production process of filmmaking, and it was this that perhaps the most work was put into. This is because we had to draft out on paper how our action sequence would go, and how we could use the different shots of filmmaking to heighten the action of our one minute film. I drafted out the storyboard for my group as it was my idea that was nominated to be the one we would film. I already had an idea of how I wanted the film to go; I thought perhaps the best thing to do for such a short film would be to build as much suspense as possible and involve something adrenaline-fueled, rather than focusing on the plot or storyline. This is why I thought a chase would be an applicable action sequence to revolve my film around.

After producing all the pre-production materials, the rest of the group and I began the production process. I was camera man and director again and felt that I managed to control my group quite well. It took us about 1 or 2 hours to get all the takes we needed and edit them together in Final Cut Pro. I felt that my camerawork was quite professional, apart from the last shot where I tried to match-cut two shots together. I also felt my direction wasn't too bad either. The team seemed to know what they were doing from the instructions I gave them and put all their effort into their specific role. One drawback which didn't make the film as good as I had hoped, was how the antagonist of our one minute drama wasn't to be seen on the day of filming, which meant another performer had to step in; had we been prepared for this, perhaps our film would have been better.
After we finished filming, we spent a lesson editing in Final Cut Pro. This is where each of us in the group could have a go at the same role. All of us edited our own version of the film and will decide on which one to use next week. However, I did help some of my group members with their version of the edit, as they have had no experience with editing before.
Overall, I felt it was a good team effort and all of us worked as well as we possibly could. My roles in the production were - the cameraman, director, editor and also being involved with all the pre-production processes and responsible specifically for the storyboard. I hope it shows that I tried as hard as I could in the time frame we were given, and although I feel I made a good one minute film, I will learn from the few mistakes such as the one at the end that I mentioned, to make a better job of my role in the next production we do on the BTEC.