2. Different Technologies
I have learnt about many different technologies
throughout the process of constructing our
thriller project. The two main programs were
Final Cut (for editing) and Garage band (for
sound).

3. Final Cut
This is the editing programme that we used to put our film together. The first
technique we found really useful was the use of the video effect Compound
Blur and Vignette. We felt it was very important for the flashbacks to appear
realistically as dreams, as these were the main clips central to the entire
storyline.
We also applied Vignette to all other clips to add more of a rustic feel which
enhanced the eeriness of the psychological aspects to our thriller.
Another technique that we used in final cut was the colour corrector. This was
very important to the overall quality of the footage, as we faced some difficulty
with how the lighting we had set up when filming appeared in final cut. It
seemed much darker, and grainier, which was soon fixed by adding more
whites and mid tones, and de-saturating the dreams so they differed more
from the bed time scenes.

4. GarageBand
This is the program we used to create our soundtrack. We had never really
used garage band before, and found we had to be careful on the different
layers of tracks that we added, to make sure they were in time with each other.
Although this wasn’t always enough to give the effect we wanted, which
brings me on the first technique we found helpful – which was adjusting the
volume of the individual tracks. This was particularly useful for the percussion
sounds, as they often overpowered each other, and we found by decreasing
the volume of some, it ended up adding a soft intensity to the beat – which was
the overall aim of the soundtrack.
The second technique was running the soundtrack alongside the finished
thriller video so that we could get it in time. Our thriller increases in speed as
the storyline is revealed, and the quick cuts become the main edit. By running
the basic track alongside the video, we could see when to start adding in the
softer percussion sounds, before reaching a quick tempo, much louder drum
beat nearing to the climax of the story. We could then export the track in to
iTunes and add it to our thriller in the knowledge that it would be in correct
timing and bring out the suspense in our video.

5. Equipment
What was perhaps the most important of all was of course the equipment used to film and
light the initial footage. The main bit of equipment was the HD Sony Handycam, as this
was a camera I already owned, I knew how to use it prior to even the preliminary task
which aided our group in getting things done quicker and more efficiently.
We used light reflectors which were important when we were outside filming the flashback
scenes, as we were using natural light and needed as much of a glow as possibly to make
the dream like effect easier in the editing stages. We also used a torch to light/create
shadows when filming the bedroom scenes as we had no natural light and so we really
learnt the importance of light positioning and keeping that consistent/steady.
One drawback of using torches and reflectors is that they can easily change the light to
too much or too little, so we had to be really careful.