Prelim Task Part 2

Today we completed the prelim task by editing the shots that we filmed last week and assembling them in order to create a sequence based around the storyboard that we were given last week. We learnt that editing is the process of cutting and assembling film footage to produce a finished product and that the role of a film editor includes organising the shots, transitions, shot duration and continuity.

We started off by watching back all the clips that we had filmed to remind ourselves of the options that we had of shots to use and various camera angles that we filmed and how we could use these to create connotations for the dialogue in the storyboard. We used linear editing which shows a sequence in which the scenes are in chronological order. We. chose to do a linear scene in order to make sure that audience knew what was going on in the scene and irradiate any confusion that the audience might have when watching the scene.

After watching back all the footage, we were reminded that you should always cut on action and ensure that the clip begins just as the action is about to happen and the clip ends just as the action has concluded. This is very important as it ensures that there is no footage used where there is nothing happening in the frame and it also ensures that the entirety of the action is shown in the shot and none of it is accidentally cut out.

Another thing that our teacher reminded us of is the importance of saving your work. We were advised to click 'Cmd s' in order to save our work after every 5 changes that we made. This is a crucial step as it ensures that nothing is lost or accidentally deleted. This is going to be an incredibly vital tip that we must bear in mind when we begin editing our thriller sequences.

One thing that we didn't do that we must remember to do next time is that when we edit we need to create a new bin with all the clips that we want to use so that we have duplicates of each clip. This again would ensure that no footage is lost or accidentally deleted. We forgot this step when editing this sequence and so it is important that we remember to do this when editing our thriller sequence. Another thing that would improve my editing, especially when editing my thriller sequence would be to name all of the shots to make the editing process go much faster and also to make it easier to find the clips that I am looking for.

When editing this sequence we had to think about the shot duration and how this would represent the mood of the scene. We used a fast shot duration for the clip when the phone is passed from one character to the other and we did this to convey the urgency of the scene. However, this was juxtaposed against the slow shot duration of the girl phoning the boss as this was used to focus on the subtle changes in facial expression and also to create tension and suspense. We used the technique of modified speed for these to clips in order to create slow and fast motion to vary the pace in the sequence and create various moods for the audience.

We also ran into a continuity issue when editing this sequence. We had to make sure that the shot of the character walking in matched up with the following shot which was of her completing the action of walking into the room and finding her position before remaining stationary for the remainder of the scene. We needed to ensure continuity for these shots to make sure that it looked like the amount of walking that she does matches up with the distance from the door to the spot where she is positioned for the rest of the scene. This was very difficult as we had to be very precise with when to cut the shots to make sure that the shots flowed nicely together. This is also an example of match on action as we had two different shots of the same action and we had to assemble them together making it appear uninterrupted.

Another continuity issue that we had was when the girl has the phone and she goes to click on the contact number in order to phone the boss. We had to ensure that the way her hands were positioned on the phone, which hand she was holding the phone with and which hand she was touching the screen with all matched up to ensure continuity. This was quite difficult as again we had to be very precise with the moment on which we cut on the action in order to create fluidity and continuity in the sequence.

We used many different shots and editing techniques when editing this sequence. We used the technique of eye line match with the shots of the phone. Eye line match is a common convention used to maintain continuity. It shows the audience that a character is looking at something, in this instance the phone screen with the contact information, and then the next shot is of the phone screen which gives context to the scene and also shows what the character is thinking.

One area of improvement for my editing skills would be to work on improving my audio and video cutting technique. In some of the shots that we filmed the dialogue overlapped between the characters and this made the editing of this clip very difficult to get correct. In the future I will make sure that when we are on set that I make sure that the actors don't overlap each other with their dialogue as this makes it very difficult in the editing process. In addition to this, as an editor, I wanted to remove the audio from the clip where the phone is passed from one character to the other. But in order to do this I needed to make sure that the clips on each side of this clip contained the full dialogue so that none of the dialogue was accidentally cut or missed out of the sequence, again creating continuity in the scene. I need to improve my skills of being very precise about matching the audio and video clips and ensuring that I have a careful ear when trying to assemble the video and audio clips accurately.

Another area for improvement would be ensuring that the lighting and colour balance is consistent throughout the sequence. This is in order to maintain continuity and also to ensure fluidity within the sequence. At the beginning of the sequence, we used quite dark lighting when filming and the colours were a lot darker in tone. However the last few shots were much brighter in contrast and the colours appeared more vibrant on the screen. When editing my thriller sequence I need to make sure that the lighting and colour balance is consistent throughout the sequence which will make my sequence appear more professional.

I used the editing technique of adding a fade to black and a wipe transition in order to improve the fluidity and make my sequence look more professional. In order to improve my skills for my thriller sequence I will consider using more transitions as this will make my sequence appear more proficient and polished as well as to allow the audience to pause and consider what has just happened. 

Overall the skills and techniques that I have had to utilise when completing this prelim task have really aided me in establishing how I can improve for the future, especially when filming and editing my thriller sequence. I have identified areas for improvement in my editing skills and this will help me to amend my mistakes and improve my knowledge and understanding of the filming and editing process for my upcoming thriller sequence.