In summary, I am pleased with the overall experience of working on this project. The entire process, from beginning to end, has been both enjoyable and challenging. 

Whether it's the creative exploration, problem-solving, or the final product, each step has been an opportunity for growth and self-improvement. The journey has been filled with learning, experimentation, and ultimately, a sense of satisfaction.

I initially chose to do a montage of Manchester as I saw a video on YouTube last year that really inspired me to do something similar but also it played to my strengths, editing and visuals these are the things my entire project was built around, my target audience were 15-25 year olds a demographic that highly valued visually pleasing media so I knew my project would be well received 

My plan was to create a 2-minute-long montage / documentary show casing two sides of Manchester, it eventually evolved into a video dedicated to showcasing the real side of Manchester from a grimy street view, no flashy drones or helicopter shots just me and my camera and in this aspect I believe my project shined.

Among the various sides of this project, the editing process has been my favourite part. While obtaining the necessary footage posed a challenge, putting the shots and music together gave me a satisfying result. The overall combination of the visuals and audio created a perfect experience that exceeded my expectations. The editing process allowed me to refine and enhance the narrative, making it more engaging for my target audience and a valuable learning experience for me.

Something I wish I could have done more of is my research as while the research I did have strongly influenced the direction of my project and the decisions I madeI felt I had nothing more than a superficial understanding of the genre I was trying to emulate as I had not thought to consult a range of sources nor had I expand upon the sources I had looked at, if I could do this again I would have talked more in depth about the specific feelings I had hoped to evoke and I would have broke down scenes from my inspiration and explained why it worked well and how I would implement them into my own work.

To effectively emulate the genre I was aiming for, I could have made use of several techniques. For example, I could have experimented with different camera angles, such as low angles to create a sense of awe or overhead shots to make my audience feel in control.

 Additionally, I could have played with lighting and colour grading much more conveying mood and atmosphere or used editing techniques like cross-cutting and match cuts to convey tension and build suspense. By carefully choosing which techniques to employ and applying them effectively , I could have created a more engaging and impactful final product.

Preproduction proved to be a challenging phase, particularly due to my reliance on the unpredictable nature of the weather. These unexpected factors often hindered my ability to plan effectively, making it difficult to work and maintain a clear project timeline. Drawing from this experience, I have learned the importance of relying on myself and planning contingencies. In future endeavours, I will prioritise self-reliance to minimise disruptions and keep the project on track.

My experimentation focused on the pacing of my edits as finding the perfect balance of fast paced transitions and meaningful effects would make or break my edit, after receiving feed back for my experiments I implemented a more toned down version of my first segments as my audience could comprehend the significance of the scenes much easier than before.