Editing my final sequence

Our editing process went as follows: First, we chose the clips that we liked most, put them on the timeline in the correct order and shortened them down, this also meant putting the close-up excerpts in the right place. After putting the clips in the right order, we also altered the speed of the fight scene making it faster, as this made the pace feel more chaotic which we wanted. We then added titles over the top of these clips and made sure we used almost all titles except ‘based upon,’ as we didn’t base our story upon anything.  

Finally, we added the sound into our clips by using the sound we already had and recording a few more sound effects by going into the lift again. We also put a copyright free lift music sound over the top, to juxtapose the violence that is about to happen on the screen.

We did encounter problems with the part where our actress is kicking the actor as it went on for too long, and we needed a clip to join to two together that we had cut in half to make the transition seem smoother. We managed to do this by cutting to her head and then back to the low angle shot which works effectively. 

The kicking was the only clip we cut as it was too long, but apart from that we kept the rest of the footage as it all worked really well. We also ran into problems with making sure we had enough clips for the titles as we needed to fit around 20 into the 1 minute 50 seconds. However, we simply showed some of the names in the same clip by lengthening it and putting the credits at different time which sorted out our problems

My favourite part of the editing was the fight scene, as I liked piecing all of the clips together to make it look like an actual fight. I also liked it when we added sound over the top, as it made the whole sequence feel more real which was really satisfying to observe.

Shoot day reflection

We first set up our location and this is where we came across our first problem. If we had to do it again, I would spend less time on the setting up process. Our first problem was that the elevator doors wouldn’t stay open. This meant we had to tape the light sensors on the side to stop it from activating the doors which worked momentarily. However, when we had managed to tape the doors, we needed to bring lighting into the lift otherwise it would be too dark, and we could not film inside it. 

So we used some long fluorescent lights, however they didn’t fit inside of the lift. We also faced the problem of when moving the lights into the lift, it activated the sensors which then made the lift door close. We overcame this problem by using a different type of light for the shot, ones which were on tripods so they could stand outside of the lift and did not activate the lift doors. It did mean that we couldn’t shoot shots that were far away, however this actually ended up making our piece look even better as it adds to the claustrophobic feel of the sequence. So therefore, I would have spent less time trying to set up and use the second type of lights straight away.

Before filming and after setting the lights up, my group did spend quite a lot of time going over fine and unnecessary details. Through this process I learnt more about time management, and how to spend less time talking about what to do, and more time doing it which helped me realise that even though communication is key, it is really important to not waste time, as in the real industry ‘time is money,’ meaning it is highly precious

When we started filming, I realised that many of the previous workshops I had done really helped on the shoot day. For example, I was able to properly set up the tripod for the camera within a couple of minutes which saved time. Also, by applying what I had learnt about exposure, white balancing and focusing I could set up my shot.

One thing that I found particularly crucial was being able to use the rule of thirds in the opening sequence for a number of reasons. Firstly, I was the camera person, so it was my job to make sure the shots looked good which the rule of thirds comes into. Secondly, because it is an opening sequence, there needs to be enough room for credits, so by using the rule of thirds, I had room to put them in the negative space.

I learnt a new skill whilst filming my opening sequence which was using hand held shots, including over the shoulder hand held, hand held shots where I would follow the motion of the action, and hand held low angle shots as well as others. I used the black magic 4k mini USRA to film this. I also learnt about lighting and how to use monitors to look at what the camera angles look like. For example when the director would explain what angle they wanted me to shoot, I would observe what it looked like through the monitor and try to mimic it, which was highly effective.

I didn’t get to watch the clips back that I filmed on the camera, which is a key rule, otherwise it may tempt us to be dependent on watching the clips back, which will waste time. However, I believe that the clips that we shot looks really good and I am happy with how the turned out. Also, I got to see some footage that other people in my group filmed, and it looked really professional and good. We incorporated a go pro into our filming, which we did get to watch back because of the use of a fisheye lens. Using a different lens made the clip look like CCTV footage which was what we intended. This just meant that we would have to adapt with how we filmed this and to make sure that the angle we were filming at didn’t get the open lift door in it, which we managed to achieve.

However, I didn’t just learn about how to shoot certain camera angles, I also improved my communication skills with the actors more. For example, if I want to frame a shot and I need someone’s hand in focus I would ask the actor if they could position themselves as if they were in the scene, so I could get the correct shot.

I really liked the majority of the day however my favourite part would be when I was actually filming the clips with the camera, as I felt very content if I had filmed a shot and was told that it looked good on the monitor by my friends. I find it really satisfying when I finally got a shot in the correct place/ the correct time and angle as it makes me feel like my hard work has amounted to something. I also like this as it makes me feel a strong sense of teamwork, and I really like working together with people to make a final project, especially as I find it fun.

Overall, I have learnt many different things during the shoot day and it was a really good experience here are some that will specifically help for any future projects I may work on: I have learnt how to watch the monitor when reviewing the clips, and I have learnt how to use more handheld shots, and also how to apply fake blood realistically. 

This will really help with my next filming projects, as it means that I can get a feel for how the camera looks when it moves, and also to get better at special effects make up as my favourite genre is thriller, and if I am working on more thrillers in the future the make up will look more realistic.

Our next step in our opening sequence is editing it, I’m excited to put everything together, and review how our clips look in the postproduction. This is because I want to see what my groups work amounted to, and I also find it highly satisfying watching all of the shots pieced together perfectly and seamlessly.

Research into roles on set

It is important that all roles are used in the production of a film. A film cannot be run by only one person. It is a collaborative effort between hundreds sometimes thousands of people to make it. Some of these roles may include an editor, a director and a camera man, which are some of the roles that my group will be taking on for our shoot day.

A director is someone that leads a particular area of the company, in this case it will be the actor. Their role is important, as without the director, the actors won’t be instructed on what to do, and where to stand/ how to act. They are also important in making sure that the camera is rolling and that everyone is ready for example they say ‘standby,’ and ‘rolling.’ This is why directors are important.

The editor is the person that combines the footage together to make the film. This can be though cutting clips down, making the ending shorter, cutting a clip in half and putting another in between the cut, slowing down the time or speeding it up, modifying the audio and many more techniques. They are important as without an editor, the film wouldn’t be edited at all, and none of the clips will be put in the right order, and the sound won’t be edited. Essentially it will cause a lot of problems and there wouldn’t be a movie.

As the camera person, I am in charge of the camera angles, shots and motions. I am also in charge of the exposure of the shot, the white balance, making sure that our actors are in the frame and that I work with the director on what angles look best. I have to do these roles because it is really important that the shot looks professional.

I need to look at the shot list and the shooting schedule to familiarise myself with what I will be doing on the day, and I will also need to make sure I remember how to put the camera onto the tripod correctly, and remove it correctly, so that when we film, I don’t damage anything. This will just make sure that everything runs smoothly, and that we will save time if I know exactly what I am filming and when.

The most important material I will bring would be the storyboard, as this is a visual representation of our story. Therefore I will be able to set the shots up more accurately as I can see physically what they are supposed to look like, rather than just using a worded description to picture how the shot should looks.

My role is important, because without me the shot may not be focused properly, the exposure may be off, or the shot may not be framed correctly. It is also important for me to view what the scene looks like from behind the camera as well as the director seeing the shot from outside of the frame. This is because if I don’t do this, there could be the risk of the sequence not looking as good behind the camera as it does in real life.

I think that one thing that may be challenging on the day is to do with the space that we have to shoot the scene. The lift is not the biggest space in the world, and it may be challenging to fit the two actors and the camera, and me in the lift. I can prepare myself by practicing holding the camera without the tripod as the tripod is unlikely to fit in the lift too. By practicing handheld shots, I will most likely be able to use only hand held so then my group doesn’t have to worry about using a tripod as the shots will look just as good handheld.

The genre that we are doing is action thriller. Therefore, I will need to make the camera shots look tense and slow, but then I will also need to be able to shoot fast paced tracking shots, as action films and thriller both have these to make the scene seem more fast paced. I will also have to make sure that I get multiple angles throughout the fight sequence, as often in fight sequences the shot will cut to another angle when there is a punch or a kick to make the moves look more realistic.

I will target the audience by including lots of close ups of the action/ special effects make up, as people who watch action thrillers usually like the more violent themes. Seeing as our audience is more for adults than younger children, I can make the scene look more violent through tracking handheld shots, and close ups of faces, to make it seem like there is a greater threat, which is also what thriller fans likes, as they like tension and anticipation.

similar products and conventions research post conclusion

There are similarities between the varies medias as well as with my opening sequence. Firstly, both crocodile and the rhythm section both have two strong female leads in their media texts, even though one is a hero and one is arguably an anti-hero. 

Also both Drive and crocodile are partially about going on a ‘killing spree,’ in the interest of their won motives. In ‘Crocodile,’ Mia’s motive is that she needs to cut ties with all the people who know about her being an accessory to murder, and includes the person she committed that murder with. Whereas in ‘Drive,’ he is killing people who are a threat to him and the ones he loves. 

All of the medias share the theme of violence in their narratives one way or another and all are of the same genre: action thriller. Also, the last of us and crocodile are similar, as they are both set in the future, and both have a layer of fantasy to them for example Zombies and advanced technology.

I think they are all in the same genre, as they are all tense and have elements of mystery to their storyline as well as violence. It therefore makes all of the mediums a thriller and it appeals to the target audience, as the target audience for these films tend to be male adults, who often enjoy watching action films and films that are dark in theme.

One major difference between the different medias is that the last of us involves fighting zombies as well as people, which do not exist. Also All media texts including the last of us has strong female leads, except Drive, who’s main character is a man. Also, all of the mediums except the last of us involve one person killing many people, with a motive behind it e.g revenge protecting from being exposed, whereas the last of us is about multiple people killing others, and there isn’t really a intricate motive except to survive.

Research into similar conventions

Dialogue workshop

My group shot a scene between two people talking about what homework they had and then one exits the shot to practice using dialogue in our shoots. I learnt how to use the camera with regards to sound and how to hold the microphone whilst recording. I learnt how to shoot each shot all the way through with the dialogue and to use the rule of leaving a slight gap between the dialogue, so that is easier to edit when we have to edit the clips.

One problem we had was filming an over the shoulder shot of Anna. This is because we couldn’t fit the tripod in the correct place in order to obey the 180 degree rule, therefore I used a hand held shot and it worked. I think we should aim to film shots with more continuity, as when we were editing, we found quite a few mistakes e.g not holding the folder when in the previous the actor is holding the folder. We also need to make sure that we film more close up shots, and shots that obey the rule of thirds as when I put this method into practice, it was quite easy to forget. I should also try to use more shallow focuses as they make the shot look more professional.

Adrianna and I edited our scene together which included cutting images and putting them together, getting rid of unnecessary sound, and overlapping dialogue slightly. We were doing this all to make sure that our scene flowed smoothly and looked professional. This meant switching the clips and alternating them, for example, between an over the shoulder shot and a mid shot. 

I remembered how to use the input and output tool again, as I had forgotten how to do this, and I was also reminded that I needed to put my chosen clips into a log bin, to shortlist them and make my editing space more organised.

We ran out of time and did not quite add as many clips as we wanted to so I will make sure I don’t do this again by trying not to be too picky with clips, for example, always using the input and output tool. Instead, I will drag the clips onto the timeline and shorten them from there. 

I would have made it so that the actors spoke a bit slower as it would make it easier to edit the clips together and would take less time to trim the audio to the right parts.

In the future I will spend more time trying to put the clips in the right place than worry on cutting them down so that I will be more time efficient.

Test shoot reflection

Our test shoot was partially a success, and definitely good as a learning curb. The idea translates fairly well to the audience, however I believe that the fight scene itself needs more work in being quicker. The idea was under two minutes but I believe that we could afford to make it a little longer as it only came to 1 minute 30 seconds.

We need to make our sequence longer in the beginning to heighten tension e.g doing a tracking shot of them man’s feet when he is walking to the elevator, as well as the woman’s. 

I also believe that we should work on cutting angles between motions to make it look more effective. However, I do think that the sequence is the right pace as it starts slower in the beginning and speeds up in the fighting, although this could be faster, and then slows down for the revelation at the end. 

I think that in order to make the idea more realistic/ professional there could be some work on the dialogue to make the conversation seem more natural and less robotic. This may also make the idea more clear to the audience.

The use of close ups are highly effective, as it shows the characters facial expressions which help create tension, 

however I think that the tension can be made further through the use of more clips at the beginning of the shot, like the pressing of the elevator, or more close ups of the woman while she is walking. 

Also, the tracking shots used in the lift work well during the fighting sequence, however I believe that we can use more angles from the other side of the lift to make it seem more chaotic and disorientating. I also thing that we should have more over the shoulder shots.

One thing that doesn’t work is the repeated hitting of the head against the lift wall. Maybe there should just be one hit and them the man can be put on the floor, otherwise it looks unrealistic. 

I also think that we should cut him touching the blood behind his head as this would not happen; there would not be enough force in her pushing his head.

Although I do think he can look disorientated. I also think that the dialogue between the two needs to be developed further.

Things that do work however consist of the tracking shots in the lift and the close ups of the actors faces, as well as the close up on object or things for example the letter. This is because they look professional and are interesting. 

I think that using a shot-reverse-shot from the man’s eyeline to the letter also works well as it shows us what he is looking at.

Overall I think the test shoot was very helpful in physically showing what the violence may look like, and also to show us what angles work and how long the shoot would last for. Therefore, it is highly beneficial in the quality of the end product.

Test shoot

Here is our test shoot: