Assessed Task Research/Planning

UPDATE:

Editing Techniques

Considering I'm in charge of editing within my group, a lesson on transitions and their purposes proved very useful. Here is a quick list, with some examples  that I could use in my final task, including my own research.

Here is a very informative video by RocketJump Film School showings examples of each of the transitions.

ALL REFERENCES TO OUR FINAL TASK WILL BE CLARIFIED WITHIN MY STORYBOARD. I WILL LIKELY USE MOST OF THE SHOT TYPES, BUT I'M HIGHLIGHTING THE ONES THAT I WILL USE FOR SPECIFIC EFFECTS WHEN I MENTION ITS USE IN THE FINAL TASK.

Cut -

The simplest transition changing viewpoint and preventing a whole movie of single long shots.

This scene from Shawn Of The Dead uses quick cuts with a zoom for comedic effect.

Cut on action -

Cuts when a character is in the middle of an action that carries on into next frame. Used to show intensity of action and can also create a sense of urgency/tension as action is emphasized to perhaps show near death.

Cut away -

Where the camera cuts to another shot then back to the original. Used to show the subject of the characters conversation and even an eyeline match. We will use this shot to show the main character dreaming.

This example shows that it is commonly used in news to show visually what the interviewee is talking about.

Cross cut -

When the camera cuts between two locations. Often used in telephone calls. Can be used with editing to show high levels of intensity and tension.

This example shows how cross-cutting is used commonly in chase scenes and action movies as it helps show how far each character is from each other and also builds tension

Jump Cut -

When the camera cuts on the same shot. Used to signify a passing of time, a temporal ellipsis.

Jump cuts are used all the time on Youtube videos and vlogs with the person speaking to the camera.

Match Cut -

Similar to a jump cut. But the camera cuts between two different shots that match either by action or composition. We will use a match shot along with a smash cut when the protagonist wakes from his dream.

 

Fade -

When the frame either fades to a colour or the next scene gradually overlaps the old. Also a temporal ellipsis. Used to connote a passing of time not shown in the shot.

Dissolve -

When two scenes dissolve together. Normally like a fade used as a temporal ellipsis, but also used in montages to show multiple shots at once. Also used as a cross-match but with a slower pace/tempo.

Smash Cut -

When a cut is purposefully jarring/sudden to signify intensity and evoke a powerful emotion from the character of surprise/fear/anger. We plan to use a smash cut when the protagonist wakes from his day dream

 

Wipes -

Quite a wacky transition, not commonly used as it counters realism but found more often in music videos etc. We plan to use a wipe as an invisible cut/transition.

Invisible cut -

When the cut is purposefully hidden, generally by a dark background or blocking the viewers view of the scene. We used this shot in partner with a whip pan in our preliminary task. And we definitely plan to use similar shots as these are very professional and pleasing to the audience.

Sound Bridge / L cut + J cut

When sound carries across cuts to link the scenes together. The J cut is when the audience hears a sound before seeing the source of it.

Idea

Our idea for our final task is a feel-good drama about a depressed teen, and his journey to happiness whilst following the lead up to the party in 7 days

As you can see we plan to involve some of the editing techniques/transitions that we researched including an OTS Shot, Invisible cut, Smash Cut, Sound Bridge, wipe and others. We hope this diverse range of shot types will intrigue the viewers and also help us to gain a higher mark. We do not know the casting and will animate the storyboard later to help gain an idea of it.

Key Conventions of Drama Opening Sequence

With 'Juno' and 'Scott Pilgrim vs The World' being large influences for our sequence I've decided to analyse the opening of Juno and recognize the key conventions that would be vital to include in my final task.
Although Scott Pilgrim is an action comedy we liked the use of titles and character introduction which though may not be suitable for a drama, we can adapt.

Screenshots and sequence from http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/juno/

Looking at these titles has helped me think of an order for my film and possible go against convention. Titles are a key part of the editing process so I must also make sure the font and style fits well with the piece.

Preliminary Task

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Above is mine, Harry and Matt's preliminary task. I feel like this isn't the best piece we could've produced, however we learnt a lot about the process of creating a short task and the elements and time contrasts of editing etc.

LOCATION
We quickly learnt our ideal location, an abandoned hotel, was too difficult to film in. Not only was there health and safety issues, but the interior was very dark and controlling the lighting was very difficult. Therefore we had to restart the filming in a new, easier to access location. Through this we've learnt to take more care in location planning for our assessment, taking in to fact the manipulablitity of the location based on our control of lighting and other factors.

CREW
Across the three weeks given, someone was on holiday for a week, and two members had to revise for a GSCE retake so this task unfortunately wasn't given top time priority. We now know time management is vital for planning to film/edit. With another member not available over christmas, for our assessment we must work round this and so will likely try to begin filming earlier.

SHOTS
Our shot-reverse-shot was between 00:33 and 00:48 with it taking place over a phone call. This would've been better pulled-off if we used more dynamic cameras in this shot, such as fast cuts between the cameras and a slight zoom out to convey tension or anger. This would be easier to convey if we showed the two characters to be in the same location, something we will keep in mind for our assessment. I feel the cinematography ended came out very well. Particularly the dutch angle at 00:22, which was used to convey power to Matt's character and also a sense of unease as to way Matt wants to know where "it" is and what he is going to do to Harry. Also the focus on Matt walking from behind the fence which signifies he's in a inaccessible location, creating an enigma of where is it and why is he their.

MISE-EN-SCENE
The mise-en-scene could've been greatly improved, the captive should be wearing worn, damaged clothes to show he's been held captive for a while. the bike shed setting also wasn't very intimidating and is something we definitely we should take more time in. Going out of our way to produce better clothing and to take more time perfecting the items in the frame would add real credibility to our piece and also make it more interesting for the viewers. The hacking software seemed real, however didn't really fit into the plot, but possibly created another enigma. The background of the last scene also let down the piece. The Halloween decorations really killed the mood and juxtaposed the sincerity of the situation. This again highlights how we should pay more attention to what is in-frame for our main task as it can make or break a piece.

SOUND
The sound turned out ok. The didn't really music fit with the mood of the movie, it seemed more horror then action as it was in a major key that sounded tense and almost sad/depressing. The change in music with the introduction to the unknown character was a positive however, as it emphasized his presence. We used music from purpleplanet.com, however next time will have to make our own dolly sound effects and potential music. This would add identity to our piece with unique music and it means we could tailor it to would we deem perfect, rather than using royalty free samples.

EDITING
The editing again wasn't awful but could definitely be improved. The fade after the punch should have lasted longer to add effect, and make the piece seem less messy with the music starting instantly afterwards. The darkness at the end would ideally be filled with titles, but the lack of throughout really let down the piece as such things are vital in opening sequences, particularly our assessment and so we will make sure to include them in that. The whip-pan at 00:12 we feel was a highlight of the piece, with it consisting of two separate clips and is some sort of invisible editing we are keen to involve in our assessment. The shot-reverse-shot was between 00:34 and 00:39 and the action match was in when the characters were in the bunker (bike shed).