Pull focus

Pull focus from Christina Howell on Vimeo.

I created a short film composed of clips featuring the focus being pulled from one object to another. I had not previously filmed anything or used Premier Pro so I did struggle somewhat with doing this at first. I included some clips which were less successful than others to show the varying work I produced. Unfortunately due to my lack of experience with Premier Pro I have included the same clip twice and cut out some of my other clips. I unfortunately cannot rectify this as the mac had some issues and my work has been deleted.
Although I encountered these issues, I feel that this work was very useful in the development of my film and editing skills, I can now pull the focus from one object to another which is important in film for drawing attention to a particular area or leaving points of intrigue. It can also be used as a narrative device as it creates contrast and connections within shots and also highlight the mise en scene. This relates to the 'camera stylo' approach of the new wave, a topic which I will be studying, as the camera is used like a pen to allow the elements of the shot to convey meaning rather than rely upon a conventional narrative.
This short film has given me a good understanding of the importance of light in film and the effect of altering the aperture, ISO, shutter speed and focus. I will experiment more with these and create sequences comparing the effects of them. I feel that the lighting was well balanced in these shots as I worked in an area full of natural light.
This experience editing with Premier Pro will help me with my future work, I will however be sure to back everything up on an external hard drive in the future. I can now crop and position clips and change the sound levels. I will work towards creating a longer film with more complex shots and featuring non-diegetic sound. I will also expand beyond college and shoot some footage outside.