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. 

4 Hour Film Challenge

Planning

• brief - narrative of a door, match on action
• follows the conventions of horror 
• use of ambient sound to build tension
• walking through doors until the individual reaches the end of the corridor/room
• opening and closing doors 
• equipment - camera & tripod 

Evaluation:

 A strength of our film "Behind The Door" is that we were successful in demonstrating a range of camera and lighting techniques. Some of the shot types we included were medium, close up, canted angle, point of view and long shot. Our range of shot types ensured that we had good match on action throughout the film so each shot transitioned smoothly to the next and it gives the appearance of a real film as it follows the conventions of continuity. 

An element that we struggled with during filming was the lighting because the location that we chose to shoot in was very dark and it had an affect on the overall clarity and effectiveness of some of the shots. For instance the shot where the individual walks up to the first room and looks inside, the use of low key lighting is too dark here therefore we should have used additional lighting such as an LED light to make sure both the subject and room are lit to a suitable level. In spite of this, I do believe that this is also works in our favour because it makes the film appear more disorientating which is a common convention with the horror genre in achieving a reaction from the viewer. Disorientating the viewer means that they are s less likely to be able to guess what it is to come next as it becomes more difficult to keep up with the events that are taking place on screen therefore this adds a scare element. 

In our final shot of the film the individual opens another door and goes in to a room at the end of the corridor and the room is well lit due to the use of natural lighting coming through a large window in the room. This is effective in terms of demonstrating camera and lighting techniques because it gives our film a contrast between the extremes of low key lighting to high key lighting at the end of the film when the film takes a lighter note than what the audience may have expected. 

Contextual Studies - Easy Rider Clip

Contextual Studies - Easy Rider Clip

The clip begins with a medium shot, the four characters in the scene are intoxicated and we witness them sharing alcohol, cigarettes and pills. There is little dialogue between the characters although the audience are aware of a relationship between them from the intimacy shown between the male and female characters. This use of medium shot allows the audience to have a more intimate view of the characters, we are close enough to observe details such as facial expressions and body language whilst also taking in part of the location in which the scene is taking place. The juxtaposition of the tone at this point is reflected through this beginning shot which allows the audience to observe the interaction with the characters in the form of a casual conversation however, with the addition of substances taken by the characters we can already foreshadow that the mood may take a dramatic turn. 

Throughout the entire clip we hear a constant droning machine type noise which adds to the unusual psychedelic atmosphere. This noise is presumably diagetic although it could be interpreted as internal diagetic as none of the characters acknowledge the noise therefore it is unclear whether the noise was simply due to something such as construction or whether it may be a reflection of the fragility of their mental stability throughout the clip due to consumption of LSD. Regardless of this, it's important to note that this does have a direct effect on building tension in the scene and adds to the already erratic and claustrophobic tone that has been created. This could also be representative of the effect of LSD which makes the characters act in a way which appears to consume them in their own emotions. the use of jump cuts also illustrates this as we can see the emotional torment the characters are experiencing through their facial expressions. 

The use of 360 degree pan makes the camera appear as though it is spinning which again relates back to the subject of being intoxicated while also adding a sense of instability.  As the clip continues we are introduced to another female who appears to be reciting a biblical verse/prayer; this a reminder to the audience of the unforgivable environment that this mania is taking place in. We see one of the female characters taking off her clothes and later lying across a gravestone naked, the vulnerability of her naked body insinuates that she has lost control of herself and is therefore engaging in risky behaviour as a result of substance abuse. Audiences in 1969 would have been completely shocked by such behaviour much like a modern audience would be however with religion playing a more dominant part in society at the time it would have been viewed as incredibly shameful. 

Planning/Things to add 

Themes to discuss and relate to shot etc: sex and drugs - losing control, attitudes in the 60's and how it relates to the new wave and breaking down boundaries in cinema

Begins with a medium shot - characters are intoxicated, we see them sharing alcohol, cigarettes and pills, there is little dialogue between the characters although the audience are aware of a relationship between the characters from the intimacy shown between the male and female characters. A medium shot is more intimate and follows the structure of a casual conversation, we are close enough to see facial expressions of characters and interpret body language, we can also see a partial view of the background, so we are able to take in brief details about the location in which the shot is taking place which adds to the meaning

tilt shot

jump cuts - we can see the emotional torment of the characters from their distressed facial expressions and them crying out in disjointed sentences - their words make very little sense

use of zoom and snap zoom - the snap zoom on the sun and the bright light that covers the screen could be representative of the effects of LSD - colours are brighter therefore the sun could seem almost ominous/powerful with its brightness - LSD is reportedly supposed to make the user view things from an entirely different perspective therefore something as simple as the sun could be viewed in a completely twisted sense of its reality.

improvisational style in relation to acting and dialogue

Wider context:

"Easy Rider...a ritualistic experience and viewed often by youthful audience in the late 1960's as a reflection of their realistic hopes of liberation and fears of the establishment."

source = www.filmsite.org/easy.html     date accessed: 21/09/18