Evaluation of Production & Editing Skills

Evaluation of production & editing skills

throughout the year

Editing

I began this year with no experience of editing and an open mind to really get to grips with how to edit and how to experiment with different styles of editing. I think that because I had such little experience of editing prior to beginning the year it is easier for me to see the difference in the quality of editing from the first production for contextual studies to the last production for the promotional video unit. I still believe that I have a long way to go with editing because it is something that definitely requires a lot of time and persistence to be able to edit to a high level however, I am relatively proud of how far I have come with editing from the beginning of the year and it is something I wish to continue to improve in both my spare time and professionally. 

The first video I produced individually was 'réalité', a short film made in the style of the Nouvelle Vague. I particularly enjoyed this unit because I have always had an interest in world cinema and was keen to learn more specifically about French filmmakers and the history of how modern editing had advanced and been influenced from the early stages of the French New Wave. I focused mainly on the films of Jean Luc Godard therefore I was influenced most by his style of editing when filming 'réalité'.  I particularly liked the appearance of Godard's films and how he was incredibly experimental with colour and could switch from using colours filters such as blue, red, yellow to black and white. Therefore, throughout my short film I adapted this approach and many shots switch from colour to black and white within seconds which give it the jagged look of Godard film. This switch from colour to black and white could imply a change in feeling of the protagonist perhaps informing their view of the world during different moments of their life with the black and white connoting a more regretful, melancholic, depressed attitude which is a direct contrast to other shots in colour where the feeling is more hopeful, joyful and inspired. The feeling could relate to the point of view of the protagonist meaning that we are seeing through their eyes or perhaps it relates more to the specific individuals within the film and how they navigate their day to day with deep and contrasting emotions. 

An editing skill that I learnt and put in to practice during the editing of 'réalité' is the warp stabiliser to ensure that the stability of some shots were steady which also gave the film a higher quality appearance. During filming I didn't use a tripod because I wanted the handheld effect that was adapted during the French New Wave however this wasn't always appropriate for some shots which I felt were too shaky to be used and therefore these instances are where I used the warp stabiliser to correct this. 

When I went on to produce my music video I feel that the skills I used during that process were different to the short film I produced for contextual studies. For instance, this project made me learn how to 'edit to the beat' which is something that I hadn't necessarily had too much experience of prior to doing this so it was something I had to adapt to and keep in mind during the editing process. I found this more difficult because I had to play around with timings of individual and edit the speed and duration where it was required to ensure it flowed at a consistent pace which fit the music which was of course a huge part of the production. I do feel that my music video was somewhat influenced by the short film I made in the style of the French New Wave because they are both experimental in appearance and style. My music video was much more focused specifically on colour because of the Psychedelic Rock music genre so I had to ensure that each shot was consistent with this theme and interesting. I found this quite difficult because I wanted to ensure that each shot was vibrant and unique and with a time limit of 4 minutes 51 seconds it was a task that required a lot of filming. One of the editing skills that I used in the music video unit was the overlaying of images to enforce a more experimental and interesting image. With the first image below I knew that I wanted to evoke a disorientating element to the video as it fit well with the narrative of Psychedelics and the influence that hallucinogenic substances has on the body. During this shot we see the protagonist experiencing a substance induced hallucination and the image of the trees directly relates to nature and how freeing the experience of experimenting with drugs can feel. 

(overlaying images during editing)

I think the music video production was where I had the most creative freedom to create without limitations other than budget, equipment etc. I feel that it is the most representative of my creative style and therefore it was the unit that I enjoyed the most. I particularly enjoyed the editing process for this unit and I think this is clear in the final product because my editing has definitely improved throughout the process. 

Similarly to the music video process I had to 'edit to the beat' for my promotional video. I think that I was at an advantage here because I had already practiced this skill for my music video so I was able to reenact this style for the promotional video. For the promotional video I experimented more with the transitions between shots and also adding other elements of audio as well as the music which was something I had not done before. I think this demonstrates an advancement in my editing skills because I have consistently tried new things in each project this year and continued to develop skills needed to produce a professional image. I also overplayed the stock footage of fire with the shot of a corridor in the college as well as adding text to the shot which is again advancing from just overlaying images as I had to include text as well and ensure that they all blended to an appealing level and that the transitions were also blended. 

I think that this year has enabled me to experiment with filming and different styles editing and see what I am able to achieve with practice and determination to produce something I am proud of with real life obstacles that many experience in the professional world of video production. Particularly working with a client to produce something which they are happy with and able to use has been the most challenging and rewarding process and I feel confident in my skills to work with clients in the future and continue to progress with both my quality of filming and editing. 

Production

When looking back on my production skills throughout the year I think my strongest point is my ability to come up with a range of ideas for each unit and putting in the time to research the ways that I could achieve them. In the first four hour film challenges at the beginning of the year  I got comfortable with working alongside others to produce something in a very short time frame. I think this was beneficial because it taught me about the stages of production and how it was possible to produce something of value in such a short time frame. It also made me aware of how much time is realistically required for each stage to ensure that the end product was something that we could be proud of. I enjoyed working in a team because it allowed me to share ideas with others and also see what kind of approach they would take to the different stages of filming such as production and editing. During these challenges I was able to experiment with things such as audio during post production and I also used colour gels to experiment with the appearance of the film and to establish meaning through feelings that can be implied through use of colour. I wish I had used the colour gels for other units such as the music video and the French new wave film produced for contextual studies as I know that it is effective in implying a feeling. I also know that Godard used colour to experiment in his New Wave films therefore, I feel this would have been a good skill to use for that unit also. 

4 hour film challenge - using colour gels to create meaning

Pierrot Le Fou dir. Jean Luc Godard 

Pierrot Le Fou dir. Jean Luc Godard 

The equipment I have used throughout the year has been mainly the use of a DSLR camera and tripod because these are the two pieces of equipment that I feel are essential for producing high quality footage. At the start of the year I was very unfamiliar to DSLR camera's especially using them to produce films, therefore I found that I had to spend quite a lot of time at the start of the year to familiarise myself with all the different settings and the effect they had on the camera lens. For instance, I learnt basic skills such as how to increase/decrease the aperture and ISO and in what instances it is necessary to adjust the settings to produce a clearer image.  It is these basic skills that have helped me to be able to produce good quality  footage throughout each unit and continuously improve on these skills as the year has progressed.  

Something I feel I could have experimented more with is lighting such as using the studio to recreate famous lighting techniques such as Rembrandt and Butterfly Lighting like I had practiced at the beginning of the year. I think that this would have a demonstrated a higher level of filming and also added more variety in to the footage I have produced throughout the year. 

I have demonstrated the ability to collect and use primary and secondary research to inform my decisions during the making of my music video by creating a questionnaire and holding a focus group to discuss ideas in more depth. I think this was definitely a strength for my music video because it allowed me to explore both my own ideas and those of the audience and it helped me to put more time in to research which I feel has had a positive impact on the overall product. 

I also think time management has been an important skill which I have continuously worked on throughout the year by creating GANNT charts to plan when different stages of production had to be completed by and to hold myself responsible for making sure I meet deadlines expected of me. This skill has allowed me to experience real industry practices and I think I have adapted considerably from the beginning of the year considering I had no previous experience of production and I have now worked alongside a client to produce a video that they are happy with and maintain a good rapport with them throughout which I again feel is an important skill to demonstrate in the industry.