Editing- Part Two

Chapter Thirteen:

"It was a miracle to me, this transformation of my acorns into oak."

Editing (PART TWO)

The 180 Degree Rule

This was an important continuity aspect to remember. The 180 degree rule helps to maintain continuity by ensuring that the action within a sequence isn't shot over a 180 degree line. If the line is crossed while filming the result will end in a disorientating perspective and will very likely confuse the audience. When filming, if the 180 degree line is crossed the two characters will have appeared to have swapped places and it will look like they have moved.

The Eye Line Match

a common convention which a character looks at something (unseen to the camera) and then the next shot we see what they are looking at. (Youtube : Eye Line Match)

Shot/Reverse Shot

This is where the camera cuts from one subject to another back and fourth to follow a flow of dialogue or interaction. This can be paired with the Eye Line Match. (Show picture)

Match On Action

a technique where two different shots of the same action are put together to make it appear uninterrupted. A shot of a man walking towards another, and then another of him finishing the movement is an example of a MOA shot.

Montage Sequences

a series of clips selected from a theme and thrown together to illustrate a location or setting and give the audience an insight into the films concept. It doesn't have to be in order or make sense.  

Others

Crosscutting - a device used to convey the impression that two or more events are occurring simultaneously. This involves cutting back and fourth between the two scenes. 
Split Screen - where the frame is split into sections so that we can see different events happening at the same time. (Insert Something)

Principles Of Editing

The pace of a sequence is affected by editing.
Editing creates a POV in a sequence- some characters have more screen time.

Narrative information is shown through editing, sometimes the audience can know more about the unfolding events than the characters.

Editing-Part One

Chapter Twelve:

 

"The only way to do great work, is to love what you do."

Editing Media (PART ONE)

Editing in film is a process of cutting and assembling film footage to produce a finished product.

The role of the film editor includes organizing transitions between shots making decisions about shot duration and maintaining continuity.

A transition is the process of cutting from one shot to another usually involves a simple straight cut. This is not a jump cut- However there are other means of transition available to a film editor including a fade to black, cross dissolving and slide/wipe.

Duration of the shot will usually indicate narative and aid the viewer. A short shot can convey urgency action and panic while a longer shot can suggest intimacy or suspense. A shot can also be edited into slow motion of fast motion.

 

Warner Bros.

Chapter Eleven: 

"NOBODY MOVE! I just lost my mind!" - Sylvester

Warner Brothers Film

It was founded in 1903 by the four Warner Brothers. They were polish filmmakers called Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack. They instantly started film making and invested a lot of money into their films. They were a success from the start with their films, Life of an American Firefighter and The Great Train Robbery.

Warner Bros. were the pioneer of synchronized sound and created ‘talkies’. This didn’t catch on so well and they made huge losses. They soon vowed that they would use synchronized sound for background purposes only.

In 1928, Warner Bros. released Lights of New York, the first all-talking feature. Due to its success, the movie industry converted entirely to sound almost overnight. By the end of 1929, all the major studios were exclusively making sound films.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6SI9IGu6tE

Soon WB started producing more socially realistic story lines  which were ‘Torn from the press.’

They soon became known as ‘Gangsta Studio’.

 

Warner bros. bought cartoons off Disney and other creators for years.  Leon Schlesinger Productions was the first major cartoon producer. Warner Bros eventually bought Schlesinger's cartoon unit in 1944 and renamed it Warner Bros. Cartoons. Unfortunately, the unit was indifferently treated by senior management, beginning with the installation of Edward Selzer as senior producer, whom the creative staff considered an interfering incompetent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMXYrQBwNK0&list=PLE0394D81237D7DE7

Regardless of this treatment, its characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird, Sylvester, and Porky Pig became central to the company's image in subsequent decades.

By 1949, with the success of television threatening the film industry more and more, Harry Warner decided to shift his focus towards television production.

But after an unsuccessful attempt to convince other movie studio bosses to switch their focus to television, Harry abandoned his television efforts.

1955, the studio was finally able to engage in television through the successful Warner Bros. Television unit run by William T. Orr, Jack Warner's son-in-law. Warner Bros. Television provided the ABC with a weekly show, Warner Bros. Presents; the show featured a rotating series of shows based on three of the studio's film successes, Kings Row, Casablanca and Cheyenne. Cheyenne was the only successful show.

What Makes A Good Thriller?

Chapter Ten:

"She knew with chilling and absolute certainty she was next."

Making A Good Thriller

'People often confuse the mystery and thriller genres. While it’s true that they often overlap, there’s a distinct difference: A mystery follows an intellectual protagonist who puts together clues to solve a crime after it’s been committed, and a thriller details the prevention of a crime before it has been committed.' -Writers Digest.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Inception (2010)

Shutter Island (2010)

Tips

• It must have a good storyline. The audience must feel a sense of danger for the characters in the movie. 
• Have strong characters and justify how they will react to the ongoing conflicts around them. 
• Allow the camera to adapt and take on human qualities- use a series of shots. Thrillers often use P.O.V shots to allow the audience to share the experience.
• Really emphasize the pace of the movie in editing and post production. Simple cuts can create a feeling of suspicion while other visual effects will establish a physical and an emotional predicament.
• Use diegetic and non diegetic sound such as music and silence to evoke the needed emotions from the viewers. Include parallel, synchronous and asynchronous to create further tension.

Storyboards

Chapter Nine:

"Some of these things are true, and some of them lies. But the all are good stories."

Storyboards

We used a simple universal storyboard for our preliminary exercises. They consisted of a few different shots and a few lines of dialogue.

"Creating a storyboard for any creative production can be useful, but for a video production or animation it is vital. By planning each shot beforehand, directors and crew can understand what they are aiming to achieve and have something to build on."

  

A storyboard is a comic strip like drawing. Each shot is described in each box. It allows a director to change angles and play with shots. It also is very useful when editing in post production.

Representation

Chapter Eight:

"All that was once directly lived has become a mere representation."

Representation

Aims:

• To explore representation.
• To understand how the media creates and uses representation.
• To understand how representation is reality 're-created'.

It is important to understand if something is mediated.

This means that they are intentionally composed, lit, written, framed, cropped, captioned, branded, targeted and censored by their producers, and that they are entirely artificial versions of the reality we perceive around us.

Key Areas Of Representation:

}Age

}Gender

}Social class and status

}Ability/Disability

}Ethnicity

}Regional identity

}Sexuality

Positive And Negative Representations

Some representation can be used to create an effect or feeling, both positive and negative from the media.

There Are Three Types Of Representation

• Stereotype- a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.
• Archetype- a very typical example or feature of a certain person or thing.
• Countertype- an opposite type.

Opening Sequence - Melancholia

Chapter Seven:

 

"Except, you cannot outrun insanity, anymore than you can outrun your own shadow."

‘Melancholia’ Sequence

The beginning scene from ‘Melancholia’ uses diegetic and non-diegetic sound to give the viewer an insight into what the story may foreshadow. The film is directed by Lars von Trier who is known for his dark, artistic film types. The opening suggests the film is a dark and tragic thriller. Firstly you can hear the footsteps of the newlyweds while they walk towards the camera. The footsteps are diegetic and parallel sounds as they can be seen and heard by the characters in the film, these can be better described as diegetic sound effects. Later in the scene these become ambient sound. There is also some diegetic speech in the opening scene and we know this because they characters are reacting to the sounds. We hear the bride and groom kiss a family member on the cheek and this signifies a close relationship between the characters involved. There is synchronous sound of the papers being shuffled by a woman and this gives us the feeling she is impatient and stressed. As the bride looks into the sky she asks a question about a star and everything goes silent except the footsteps, although we don't see her face we know it’s her because she looks into the sky in the shot before. We are aware of the characters still in the scene because their footsteps are still heard over the silence, even though the shot doesn't show anyone. This happens twice and can be described as Asynchronous. This signifies an important moment in the film as the silence is supposed to help s focus on the visual.

 For the first time in the scene we can here the diegetic sounds of birds in the background as ambient sound- this is also an example of Asynchronous sound.

As the scene crosses over into a ball room diegetic music can be heard from a piano. We do not see the piano yet we assume the characters can. As they enter the room the guests clap creating a parallel sound to their actions. This is reacted to and is diegetic. Over the brides dialogue with the young boy we can here ambient sound coming from the rest of the guests in the room, this includes distant chatter, cutlery clashing and laughing. This displays a happy atmosphere and connotes all is going well. Due to our knowledge of films in this genre, we are leaded to believe something will go wrong in the near future. 

After the bride’s and groom’s speeches we encounter our first bit of non-diegetic sound which is also a sound bridge between two scenes. The bride has walked outside and the ambient sounds of  nature can be heard along with her footsteps when slowly a piece of classical music begins playing. The sound effects and ambient sounds can still be hurt under this non diegetic sound. The music is a very sad piece of music yet it has moments of brightness within it- this music is important as it fits perfectly with the title of the film ‘Melancholia’ as the music has a melancholy element. This variation of the film theme tune foreshadows that something to do with main element of the film is about to become present. The low hum of chords adds to the feeling of loneliness in this scene. Next all diegetic sound is cut out and the only thing heard is the character theme. We see a golf cart being driven across a field yet we cannot see who is driving it. We know it is the bride though because her character theme is played to represent her presence.

In the next shot the diegetic ambient is returned and we hear the humming of nature in the nigh time. We also see and hear the golf cart approaching, this is synchronous sound. The music changes quite suddenly in dynamic when the close up of the star appears. This signifies an important role in the storyline of the film. The music fades as the scene crossing over into another. Diegetic sounds are heard over the non-diegetic as it fades out.

The sounds in the sequence help establish the genre and plot of the film. The idea of using a character theme in a film of this type is clever because a lot of the time characters aren’t in the foreground of the shot or even in it at all. The parallel sounds created by actions in the sequence give off strong dynamics and help express how the character is feeling. for example if the bride is to move a chair and the sound created by this is loud it signifies her feeling angry. A lot of emotion in film is expressed through dynamics and sound.

Standby, Camera's Rolling, Action!

Chapter Six:

"Within the process of filming, unexpected situations occur."

Filming The Preliminary Film

Firstly, while preparing to film we made sure the space and set was suitable. We arranged the actors in their standard position and placed the camera at an eye level, wide shot distance to start. We focused the camera and prepared for standby.

I worked with Grace Phelps, Christina Kane and Georgina Heaton on this shoot. We took several shots including a wide shot, two over the shoulder shots, two close ups and one low level mid shot which only showed the lower half of the actor.

A Fellow Team Working With The Sony NX5

Me and Christiana were used as actors in this task but we filmed many of the scenes which didn't need the characters in.

To make sure this film could be put together with ease we filmed the scene all the way through on each shot. So both actors had to perform the same scene over ten times and the only thing that would change was the camera angle and level. 

The hardest part of filming this task was ensuring the continuity on the piece. I had to make sure the paper landed in the same place every take and make sure my hair was on the right side of the face even making sure I walked in on the right foot each time.

In all I think this shoot went really well and we good a decent amount of material in a very short amount of time. 

Opening Sequence's (Visual)

Chapter Five:

"Some people never go crazy, What truly horrible lives they must live."

 

To Kill A Mockingbird

The first shot is of an old box being opened which it zooms in on to reveal what is inside, there are two dolls- one with and one without clothes, a pocket watch, some keys and other child’s items such as crayons and marbles. This is shot in black and white which connotes the film is old and the box belongs to a child. A hand then reaches into the box to take a piece of chalk out of the box. The hand could be an adult’s or child’s.  The camera then  moves across several of the items in the box such as the watch and some old coins. This could signify items from the past and that the box is full of memories.

The camera then pans across items while directors and actors names are screened. As another item is removed from the box, a marble rolls free and the camera follows it rolling in and out of the other items in the box. This could represent disturbance later on in the film.

The hand is drawing shapes on paper with the black crayon or chalk. This shows a child drawing, the fact the child is drawing in black may hint a dark plot.

The camera then pans across several items again and the marbles reappear. While they are in focus the background is blurred. The item which was blurred – a whistle- then comes into focus and the panning pauses. The screen names and important makers of the film are still showing around the items.  It then shows the hand, which has become evident it’s a child’s, colouring in again. This connotes the child is content which what he or she is doing.

The crayon or chalk is after thrown back into the box with the rest of the items and toys. The drawing is shown again and you can hear faint laughter in the background when suddenly the picture is ripped and the middle is missing from the drawing. This signifies distress and we no longer believe the child is happy.

Breakfast At Tiffany's

The opening scene begins with a long shot of New York and an old yellow cab driving in the direction of the viewer. It stops outside Tiffany and Co. and the character of Audrey Hepburn steps out wearing a long formal black dress. This connotes a high class lady who has lots of money has pulled up outside an expensive jewellery store presumably ready to buy something.  While admiring the jewellery from the window she opens a bag to reveal a pastry and coffee. The idea of her eating and drinking this particular food signifies she is eating breakfast and it is early in the morning because the area is almost empty.  She stops at the next window, repeats and moves on. We are now aware she is not going to buy anything. The lights in the store re off so this could mean it’s not open.

Throughout all of this, several names are being displayed on the screen and we are reminded this is an opening sequence, since there is no script or speaking, only music.

 A wide long shot is filmed of the woman walking away and putting some rubbish in the bin. She walks slowly so this shows she is in no hurry.