Initial Skills Reflection

I believe that my decision last year, for my AS coursework, to create a moving image piece has helped my dramatically and will reflect upon my work this year. As I have used Adobe Photoshop in the past my skills are moderate, but perfectly adequate to create a film poster. If I decided to do print last year I feel that I would have learn't less and I would be much further out of my depth this year i.e. I would only learn how to use Photoshop and a few camera shooting techniques whereas film required much more combined skills.
As I have been working with programs such as Adobe After Effects and Sony Vegas for quite a few years (self taught), I didn't necessarily struggle to edit the actual piece, though it was much more time consuming than other more basic programs, such as Final Cut Pro. What I did discover included skills in: Cinematography; Lighting; Setting; Colour Grading/Correction and the actual make-up of an opening scene etc.
During my time off during the summer holidays, I had the opportunity to visit Beamish museum, therefore I felt it necessary for my to take my camera and to practise my cinematography and other skills (i.e. working with ISO, shutter speed etc.).
Throughout my AS year I used a variety of digital technology, not all of which featured within my final project but constituted ideas towards the final product. The equipment I used included a Canon 550d with 18-50mm lens, Glide gear camera stabiliser and tripod. Though this year I plan extending this to having a 50mm 1.4 prime lens, camera car mount and possibly a slider. The programs I used included Abode After Effects, Sony Vegas Pro 9, Garageband and Cinema 4d. Though this year I plan on using other programs such as Fruity Loops so that I can create a better, more professional soundtrack for my film.
Regarding my work, I can consider the fact that I created my intertitles main in real life as creative. To do this I was tasked with creating a 'lightbox' and dripping fake blood down one side of the inside of the box.
With regards to the other forms of research I did, the fact that throughout the process of making my film I watched a multitude of films of my chosen genre and analysed, in my head, what I felt was good or bad about these films or how I could incorporate an element into my film.
I understand that post-production is the part of film making or photography that takes part after the shoot. There are multiple processes involved such as: video editing; writing, (re)recording and editing the soundtrack; adding visual special effects; sound design; colour grading/ correction and advertising.