Prelim Task - part 2

In our next Prelim task we had to edit the footage we shot the previous week, this was done up in the editing suite. As we had had a previous lesson on editing the process of editing the footage was a lot easier and much more efficient.

Finding what footage we wanted to start with was difficult because we wanted a strong dynamic entrance. I thought it was really helpful to have lots of different shots to chose from and not only the shot given to us on the storyboard, it gave us a lot more variety to choose from. Once we started cutting we came across a few hurdles, for example we cut in a middle of a line so we had to make sure the cut was perfect, so the line the actor was performing was exactly in time with then next cut. This took time but in the end we solved the problem and were happy to carry onto the next footage.

I really enjoyed this lesson because it helped me understand how much time it takes to edit just one scene. I think this process will help me in the future when editing more footage for my thriller.

Prelim Task - part 1

When creating our prelim video we were given a storyboard and by looking at this we had to film that scene using the camera angles given on the storyboard. However you could add in some more camera angles, which would make the scene more inventive and original.

We were supplied with 2 actors and they were given the storyboard so they could take a couple minutes to learn the script and discus how they are going to perform it. In this particular task I was the cameraman so I was responsible for setting up the camera in the correct manor. I did this quickly as in a previous lesson we had been taught how to assemble a camera onto the tripod, so that lesson came in very useful in this task. 

We tested out different camera angles and some did not work, for example the hand held camera that we used moving around the scene as the actors delivered their line looked uncontrolled and out of focus. My favourite camera angle that we shot was when the actors were looking directly into the camera making it feel like the camera was the other actor. I also felt this particular camera angle helped the audience understand exactly how the characters were feeling at that point and you could see their facial expressions very easily.  

I think we could have given the actors more direction to make sure they knew exactly what they were meant to be doing at that moment. Looking back on that experience I now know that to be a director and cameraman you have to be fully prepared and know exactly what you are doing and what you want others to do before you reach the set, otherwise it will take up time deciding what angles to shoot and time costs a lot of money in the film industry.

This experience really helped me understand how everything works when filming and how long the process can take for shooting one scene. I extremely enjoyed this task as it has prepared me for what is to come when filming our thrillers.

Sound Essay

The movie I will be exploring is ‘007 Quantum Of Solace. I will analyse the sound throughout the scene I have picked from the movie. I have chosen this clip in the film because I feel sound in this scene section is of high importance and helps build a climax to the film.

 

The scene starts off with a diegetic sound of the boat revving up and we are suddenly hit with the crash of the two boats. By using these ambient sounds it creates an impact and suggests to the audience that this scene will be intense and gripping, it also helps set the scene for the audience letting them know where the characters are. We are introduced to two characters in the first 30 seconds of this clip. We are shown close up shots of their faces so we can identify them in further shots. This lets us know who will play a major part in this particular clip. The non-diegetic sound then begins indicating that this action scene has just started. We hear speech for the first time in this particular scene this is a diegetic sound, so the characters react to this as they can hear this. We immediately side with these two characters because they have the main focus of the scene. The non-diegetic sound then begins in the background of the action indicating that this action scene has just started. The music builds up when the boat drives off; the sound is very synchronous to the action going on throughout this clip.

The music in this scene comes to a stop gradually when speech starts so that the audience can really concentrate and focus on the dialogue between the characters instead of the non-diegetic sound in the background. The soundtrack is a low dramatic sound creating tension and suspense, this music complements the action happening on screen.  The duration of the shots at the start of this scene are very short, this increases the intensity of the movement, as the action is fast and frantic this suggests that there is a lot going on at once and it is very chaotic. We are shown the main characters facial expressions throughout the clip and they complement the non-diegetic sound very well. We side with the characters we can see more of as we think we know them better than the other characters.

The non-diegetic soundtrack starts again almost instantly once the characters stop talking, this indicates that the fighting has begun again. Gunshots are fired which is a diegetic sound and while this is happening the non-diegetic sound is reflecting the movement on screen by increasing the volume and power.

We are then concentrating on the boat travelling through the Laguna and the duration of these shots are long to build suspense as we don’t know what is going to happen next. I noticed that when the boats are colliding with one another the soundtrack becomes more dramatic, and the duration of the shots becomes shorter so it builds intensity.

As soon as the action stops the music calms down, suggesting to the audience that both characters are safe and they have won the fight. The use of the soundtrack which rises throughout the action includes a harp and a guitar this signifies a victory. To show the calmness of the scene with the boat in the Laguna, the music starts again but this time it is a gradual relaxing non-diegetic sound. When James reaches the island the famous 'James Bond' theme tune begins slowly and subtly in the background as a non-diegetic. However as soon as dialogue is introduced back into the scene the soundtrack stops and it becomes silent once again. 

Editing Lesson

At the beginning of the lesson we had to make sure we were sitting at the correct computer containing our footage from last week on it. We were shown how to access the program Adobe Premier Plus that we used. This program was separated into different sections, on the left hand side of the program you have the project window which contains all the footage on the camera in group 3 (our group). Next to this we have two video screens which we used in further editing, then finally we have a timeline at the bottom going from left to right. We have V1, V2 and V3 which are the video channels and we also have A1, A2 and A3 which are audio channels. 

Showing the whole screen of Adobe Premier Pro. 

We learnt about two different film making terms in this lesson. 
The first one is called ‘Bins’. 
Bins are folders in video editing packages, if you need to make a new folder you go to ‘file, new, bin’.

The second film making term we learnt was called ‘Rushes’. 
The footage that we shot last week was taken exactly off the camera with no editing involved and put directly onto the computer. To watch these rushes you must double click on the icon, this then populates a screen in the middle next to the project window. You can then press the play button and it will begin to play the footage, or you can press the space bar, there is also a play back head, which allows us to scroll backwards and forwards through the footage.

We then had to apply all this information that was given to us to our own projects in our groups. We first loaded up our project and dug through the bins until we found our own rushes and start looking through them.

We then learnt that when working on editing we need to do something called log shot, this means going through the footage and finding footage you are definitely going to use and placing it somewhere safe so you know exactly where to find it again. This is done because you always need a back up in case anything goes wrong and you always have your rushes safe so you can always go back to the source and carry along from point zero. To do this you right click on the footage and click duplicate and re-name it to something you would remember and you then make a new bin and call it ‘log’ and you then drag that footage into the log bin.

There are two main principles of cutting that we used in this lesson, and only two major tools. 
The first principal is called 'last moment in' and 'first moment out', this forces you to keep just the interesting, important things on the screen. Last moment in means that you find the moment just as the action happens, so when you have decided where the beginning of the clip is going to be you click the button ‘I’ for in and this places a blue marker down on the footage and when is gets to the end of where you want footage to stop you click ‘o’ for out. 

This image shows what happens when you use 'i' for in and 'o' for out. 

You the click on this picture and drag it down onto the timeline, to enlarge the clip so it is easier to edit you zoom into the clip on the timeline by pressing the ‘+’ button and pressing ‘-‘ to zoom out. 

This image shows the footage on the timeline. I noticed that when placing this footage into the timeline a second window was populated with the footage in the timeline. 

The second principle is to cut a movement. This is when you cut the footage to match the next footage so the transition between shots is smooth. You repeat the process of ‘I’ for in and ‘o’ for out and dragging it down onto the timeline as before. Premier will play which ever video is on the top, so if you were to play the footage back it would be a continuous footage of all the cut shots merged into one long piece of footage. You continue this process until you have a whole completed scene.

I really enjoyed this session this week because I learnt the basics of how to cut and merge footage together.