Filming the prelim task

As we began to film our prelim task, we then began setting up our camera and lighting to get them into the perfect angle we wanted, as planned before. We had the tripod holding the camera in an above angle shot, and the lighting based behind the camera to give the effect of natural day light. After we set up all the equipment needed, we started to film. We re-took the first shot 3 times, we had to do this as the camera did not show the two actors in full, and the second time was due to a noise in the background that wasn't planned therefore we had to re-do it again. The 3rd take went very well so we decided to proceed onto the next scene. 

The next scene was the police officer opening the door, then slamming the door behind him, we decided to do this as it implies the police officers anger. These shots were taken twice, due to the first time the door was slammed too hard and as we replayed it on the camera, the quality of the sound was not the best we could've got.

Then it was the biggest scene of the prelim task. We filmed this scene around 3 times as we couldn't get the right timings due to the water clip where Joe throws a jug of water at Harry and as a few of the actors acting went wrong. The first time we had to re-take the scene was when Joe heads around the table, we had to film this again as we changed ideas of what we thought would look better on camera. Which was instead of throwing all the crime scene images on the table, we thought it would be a lot more affecting if Joe walked around Harry whilst slamming the images on the table to manipulate him and to express Joe's anger. The second time we re-filmed was when the water was thrown at Harry. We had to film this shot over again due to one of our actors laughing during the throwing, however, we had ran out of time at this point, so we had to wait until next lesson to complete the prelim task and re-do the scene. 

When we went to the next lesson, we carried on filming. The hard part was trying to get the camera angle, lighting and props in the exact same position as they were in during the first part of that scene. We tried many angles and different lighting adjustments to make it as accurate as possible. After we were satisfied with the angle, lighting and props we began to re-do the water clip and I began filming. This time, the clip went fine and all the actors did a very good job in staying in their character, therefore the clip went well and we could keep it. 
We then did the final scene to our prelim task, which was Aaron speaking to Joe. We went into a teachers office to make out we was in a polices office. I placed the camera behind Joe and angled it so it shows part of his head and shoulder, and the rest of the image you could see Aaron. Therefore, an 'over the shoulder' angle. Then Aaron spoke his line and then the filming ended.

Prelim Task Planning

First of all, we got put into our groups, I was partnered with Harry, Aaron and Joe. We began planning by creating a mind map with all our ideas we had. After a decision of what we all wanted to do, we drew the images on two story boards what we wanted the scene to look like. This really helped when it came to recording the short film as we acted out what we had on the sheet. We then went to get all the costumes, which includes, two black jackets, two police hats and one set of hand cuffs. Finally we printed of three images that involved two crime scenes and blood splatted over the floor.Then we started to plan where we could film the Prelim Task, we tried to think of a room that we could make very dark and add all of our feautures in. After looking around the school for rooms we thought that could make our clip the best it can be, we chose a corridor and a large dark room. We all decided that these two areas could make our clip look like what we were aiming for within our theme and storyboard. After choosing the area, we then thought where we could have each light and prop in order for the clip to look how we wanting it too. After we were happy with the lighting set up, we waited until our next lesson to start filming.

Se7en

The horror Se7en is set in an alarming version of a New York-like city, where it is always raining and the air crackles with looming death. Morgan Freeman who played William Somerset a detective who was just one week away from retirement, but his retirement had to wait for one last case, for which he is teamed with young David Mills (Brad Pitt) who was set to replace Somerset when he retired. Mills and his wife Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow) had moved into New York City for the intention of tackling more important cases but his first and Somerset's last case they handled are more than they bargained for. Tracy asks Somerset to meet her and she tells him first that she is pregnant. Afraid of raising a child, she has not told David because she is scared of raising a child due to where they now live.
A psychopath killer is staging gruesome murders, choosing victims representing the seven deadly sins. Somerset then realises the murderer’s intentions, that he was killing people that he believed related to the 7 deadly sins. Lust, sloth, pride, wrath, gluttony, greed and envy.

After witnessing the horrific crimes one by one as the victims pile up in rapid succession, all the while moving closer to a gruesome fate neither of them could have predicted. As the detectives return to the police headquarters, John Doe (Kevin Spacey) walks up to them, his hands bleeding as he removed the skin from his fingers to avoid identification and gives himself up. He talks to his lawyer and agrees that if he can take Somerset and Mills to two more bodies, he will confess to all the murders. Somerset and Mills go ahead and both have microphones taped to their chests so the rest of the task force can monitor their conversation with Doe.

As the three travel to the desert outskirts of the city in a car, they are trailed by a police helicopter for security. After a few moments, a van appears and Somerset stops it several hundred yards away, leaving Mills behind to cover Doe. The driver claims someone paid him $500 to deliver a box to Mills at this place at exactly 7 o'clock. Somerset opens the box and begins to shout at Mills telling him to put the gun away, as Somerset realised that the 6^th murder Doe did was Tracy, David’s pregnant wife. During this time Doe is explaining to Mills that he admires Mills's life, to the point of being envious of his wife and the love they share. He also reveals to Mills that Tracy was pregnant during this time, Mills is so distraught by this time he turns the gun on Doe’s head, which is exactly what John wanted. He was the last murder out of the ‘seven’.

The film is very clever and is set in a different way compared to any other detective/police movie. The movie fits in the horror conventions due to the dark lighting it has throughout the whole movie, the torches during the scene where the detectives find their first victim, represent how dark and eerie the movie is.
The conventions included:

• Low key lighting
• Tension music
• Montage of shots
• Quick cuts
• Changes in the angle of shots 
• Dark and dirty clothing