Film Evaluation

My individual contribution to the film was sound recording and sound editor. I turned up to every filming session and record all the dialogue and some sound effects on set. I also went around Sheffield to record sound effects for the panic attack scenes. I recorded foley sounds such as buses brakes screeching, traffic lights bleeping and busy crowds. At the end of the project I made a quick sound edit, because the sound editor didn't give himself enough time.

Folders for the sounds recorded by me

Sound edit by me

The process behind producing the work was fairly difficult. However under all the pressure and stress caused from arguments in the group, we should be proud that we completed the film.

The main strength of the project is the sound effects. There are is a huge range of sound effects, such as bleeping, scratching, water, and crowd noises that were used to build up the sense of anxiety and panic for Claire. These work really well and build up the sense of panic how we wanted it to. Another strength is the actresses. The casting was good and they both fit their roles well. They were easy to work with and the experience of working with real actors was valuable. Another positive was the script. The chemistry between the two characters was great, and just how we imagined the interaction between two sisters in this situation would be.

The main negative was the breakdown in the group. Losing the director, meant the motivation from the group was lost and it was difficult to pick up the momentum once it happened. Another negative was not being able to return to the house from the first scene. We were forced to film in student accommodation for the rest of the indoor scenes. This looked unprofessional, as the lighting was different and there was too much cutting between rooms. This also meant we couldn’t have Claire stepping outside from a front door, which would have been a key moment. Another negative was struggling to find locations and actors at the start of the project. We were let down at the last minute multiple times and this put the group under pressure from the start.

The most important thing learnt from this project was working with real actors. For me, this was the first time working with real actors. It was a valuable experience, and helped develop an important filmmaking skill. Especially on how a filmmaker on set should interact with the actors. Another thing learnt was problem solving. Issues raised included having to change the script half way through filming because the film lacked drama. Another example was when Nathan told the group he hadn’t done the sound edit a day before the film was due. Me and Harry quickly put something together so that we had a complete film that everyone was satisfied with. These problems were stressful, but the lessons learnt about problem solving were hugely valuable.

Lastly the group set out to create something like Chuck from Better Call Saul (2015). This character struggles from a mental illness where he has the fear of electromagnets and from sunlight. He spends his entire time inside, however in one episode he begins to build up his tolerance by timing himself how long he can last outside. This is something that we tried to represent here, and how Claire builds up her tolerance for the graduation the week after. We feel we successfully represented this and it is something to be proud of.

In conclusion I feel we have done very well to produce something, even after all the problems we had. We have produced something that the group are satisfied with and we’re happy that we can have a complete film which makes sense. The film doesn’t represent our potential, but the skills learnt from working with directors and problem solving in a group will be hugely beneficial for the future. 

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