In this project I am mainly responsible for the abstract parts and also assisting Samantha when she is shooting. Especially for technical problems like exposure, ISO, white balance and the choice of lens. In the beginning we had many ideas on using lights, out of focus shots and other abstract shots as the transitions in the video. However when we actually start shooting, I found it hard to include such a big amount of abstract shots when the film actually has a narrative. Although the intention was to make an abstract film, we still have a story to tell, to show our audience, so we had it make sure everything is as smooth as possible. And adding in too much random abstract shots and lights will just ruin the flow of the film.

Another problem we had was having too many random accidents. In our first shooting, everything we shot was out of focus so we had to redo everything. Then we went to victoria market’s night market to tried out a few shots. I had a few great abstract shots there. Then my memory card decides to forget everything from that night. And I went back there the next week, the market was closed. It was also difficult to find a day when everyone is free, our actor actress and the three of us, so that also made the project harder, but that’s also the thing about working in groups, we need to collaborate.

After I saw the rough cut, I think the film is already finished and we have more than enough shots to put into the film. The story is full, because of the mixed story lines, the film is already looking confused to a lot of people, we have achieved our target with the complicated structure. So we decide not to shoot even more scenes at Melbourne Star and just use what we have to edit the film. Here is a look at the rough cut:

Samantha sent this to a lot of people and they all think it’s too hard to understand and the order should be changed. Although I wanted the audience to feel confused but somehow the feedbacks we had just felt very negative. So Samantha changed the order and made a new version:

To be honest, I like this version better than the last one. It is also a little easier to understand. With just a little change, we can make this the final version and submit it.

Overall, I am very happy with the outcome in this assessment. I learned more knowledge about film making, made my first ever film in a group, the film looks good, I had some nice shots in there, the editing is nice. I already have a few ideas for film project 2, I hope the next project can be smoother and has even better quality.