Logging Rushes –
In order to make my editing process more efficient the first thing I did was log all of my footage and assets. While naming my shots
I made sure that everything was in the appropriate folder and subfolders to quickly locate anything:
While naming my footage I made sure to add the framing, motion, content and take number of the shot. This meant that I would know what every single clip contained without having to watch it back, allowing me to quickly locate anything I needed. I’ve also noticed that when I’m naming footage it helps if I give it a unique or funny name as it stands out in my mind clearer and I can remember more details about the shot. This is fine as long as I’m the only editor, if there were multiple people working on an edit with the same file system this could become a hindrance to them.
Shoot evaluations
Red Riding Hood –
- Rain – Unfortunately on the day of filming there was very heavy rain which caused a few problems for us. First of all it was difficult to keep all of the equipment dry while filming. We managed to combat this by covering the camera in a plastic bag and staying underneath a couple of large umbrellas which seemed to work fairly well. On the other hand though the dull lighting and rain I feel has added an awful lot to the aesthetic of the shots and feel of the scene which has been very effective.
- Crew enthusiastic – One of the main things that helped us keep going through the rain was the fact that everybody was really enthusiastic and ready to just power through it. This made working together easy and allowed for a smooth process.
- Shot list – Having a complete shot list that I could tick off while filming was very useful as it allowed us to quickly work our way through things and do multiple takes. Also it meant that because I wasn’t struggling to remember shots it gave me the head space to come up with additional shots and angles as we went along, giving me many more options in post.
- Contrast of Colour – I was really really happy with the way that these shots looked on camera. I think that there’s a great contrast between the red and green that make her stand out really well. I had decided to use the C100 because it was the best available camera for colour and it performed brilliantly.
- Some shots could be better – Although I’m extremely happy with the way that the shots have turned out I think there are some that could have had more care and attention given to them, in order to achieve a better framed and smoother shot. This was due to the poor weather as it meant that we wanted to move as quickly as possible, resulting in certain shots suffering.
Snow White –
- Colour – Again the C100 shows it true colours… I really like the way these shots have turned out, there a strong amount of contrast between her and the background making her stand out as well as being very vibrant overall which is how I wanted this scene to be as it shows Snow White’s character really well.
- On loop – While I was getting everything set up I played the music I was intending to use so that Kit and Georgie had plenty of time on their own to work out a consistent routine. This also meant that I had a good idea of how things were going to look as I positioned shots. It proved to be a really effective way of doing things.
- Sunshine – What really helped to bring out the shots as well was the fact that we had gorgeous weather while filming. I personally feel that areas of strong sunlight you see in the shots helps to give them a little more life and energy. It also meant that the whole process was very laid back as we had plenty of time and were in no rush to get inside. This allowed us to get some really strong shots for this scene.
- Lots of takes – I made sure that we did plenty of takes as not only did this mean I would have lots of angles and shots to choose from but also that we had really strong continuity because the routine was well rehearsed.
- Specific close ups – One of the videos I watched for my research into dance videos made use of close ups to highlight key moments or moves. This is something that I decided to use in my own film and think that the shots I have got will add great amount of contrast and energy to the scene.
Cinderella –
- Over exposed – Unfortunately a number of the shots were overexposed and not up to the same standard as other scenes. This is due partly because it was very overcast making it difficult to expose the sky without underexposing her. Also this was the day we had the least amount of time to film meaning that things became slightly rushed as we had a lot to get through. I do think however that I should be able to fix most of this with some colour correction.
- Windy – I had taken the pumpkin with me mounted on a tripod so that I could see if it would work. It is however quite windy up there and so I had trouble getting it to stay still as the wobbling would massively ruin the effect. In the end I decided that I would go for my backup option of adding it in afterwards as it would save me a lot of time and effort. I just had to make sure I framed it with the pumpkin in mind.
- Depth of Field – Unlike my other scenes this one doesn’t have as nice of a DOP. The other have a very shallow depth of field which helps to add depth to the image. I struggled to achieve that with this one due to trouble getting the exposure right, however my tutors have suggested I blur part of the image slightly to try and fake the effect.
- Circle shots – I wasn’t overly sure about these shots but I think the one taken from inside the circle has worked surprisingly well. I was intending to use them as a way to flesh out parts of the scene but I think that they have turned out quite well on their own and capture some good moments from my actress to illustrate the character.
Kitchen –
- Reschedule – Unfortunately when we came to shoot this scene there was condensation in the lense that I had failed to notice when checking equipment. This was because we filmed Red Riding Hood the day before. I had to cancel the shoot so that I could dry out the lense by simply leaving it in a warm room and rearrange for another day.
- Simple shots – This was by far the simplest shoot as all the shots were really simple with minimal setup. This meant that the whole process was very quick and easy to do.
- Lighting – I think the lighting in the living room worked really well as there was a lot of natural light coming in that I could use and lifted the images nicely. The kitchen however I feel could be better. It was more difficult as I didn’t have as much natural light but managed to use the bounce boards to light my scenes slightly although not as much as I’d hoped
Rough Cuts –
This is the initial rough cut of my film minus the Cinderella scene.
- Cuts together – Both in Red and Snow I think the sequences cut together fairly well and flow nicely into each other especially with the whip pan which works extremely well. There are places though where it definetly needs tightening up slightly especially in Red so that the shots are a lot snapper and reflect her haste better.
- Howl – I found some wolves noises and howls in the public domain which I have used at the start of Red. I think they are very effective in establishing the surrounding wolves although they need to be more subtle and better mixed with the other sounds to make them sound more natural.
- FleetWood Mac – For the dance in Snow I had intended to use FleetWood Mac – The Chain as the music because I thought the pace and build were perfect for the scene. After getting feedback from Simon and Dom however I feel it isn’t appropriate for her character as well as the fact that I wouldn’t be able to enter it into film festivals and Youtube won’t allow the track on the video. I would like to find something with a similar pace and feel but is a lot more expressive.
- Close ups – I think that the close ups I’ve decide to use within Red and particularly Snow work really well. They really help to add contrast to each scene as well as add a lot more energy too.
Rough Full & Class feedback –
In order to generate effective and valuable feedback we had an initial screening for the rough cut of our films.
Overall the feedback was very positive people seemed to like how I had cut the sequences together a lot and especially focused on the whip pans.
There were some points on which people suggested I could improve upon however, which was very helpful as it confirmed feelings that I had as well.
key points to improve
- Cinderella colour/exposure – The exposure of this scene is very bright and doesn’t match the rest of the film. I hadn’t done any colour correction yet but this has highlighted the importance of matching the shots not only within the scenes but between them as well and will be something that I aim to improve.
- Don’t fade to black (Red) – At the start of Red Riding Hood I cut to black before she started running. This broke the flow of the film and it was suggested that this would be a good place for the title to make it feel more natural. I think this is a great point and will be making adjustments to it.
- Trim Tower (cheesy) – The shot of cinderella in the tower was held on for quite long and is slightly cheesy. The feedback suggested that I trim the shot as much as possible and do the same for any other cheesy moments. This is something that I will do, as well as tighten the scene as a whole.
Another Rough Cut –
This is a later Rough Cut where I have acted upon a few points that were suggested as well as my own.
- Moved Title – It was suggested that I replace the cut to black in Red Riding Hood with my title. I think this was a good decision as now the intro feels a lot more natural and flows into the rest of the film.
- Transition into Cinderella – The whip pan from Snow White into Cinderella works well visually but the music transition is really jarring and doesn’t work at all. This was confirmed when I emailed a copy to Simon who suggested I embrace the fact that the music needs to stop and distort it in some way.
- Short Tower Shot – One of the things that Dom picked up on was, when she pops out of the tower window with a big grin on her face the shot was far too long which made it extremely cheesy. I have shortened the shot as suggested and think it now flows much better.
- Open Book Music – A decision I made while editing was to fade the music back in during the final scene as she opens up the book again. I really like this and think it is effective in solidifying the idea that she can move in and out of these worlds/characters. It also will help me go smoothly into the credit section of the film.
- Cross fades – I’m really guilty of overusing cross fades as Simon has pointed out to me. I Personally like them for specific moments but have definitely used to many in this cut. I think I will listen to Simon and replace/remove them, it will also allow me to prove to myself that I don’t always need to use them.
- Cinderella music – The piano track that I’ve used I think is suited well to the scene and her character and helps to tie the whole thing together so that it runs smoothly from shot to shot. The long synth track that I used however in an effort to transition from the previous scene I think is far too invasive and will probably remove it.
- Snow Music – I managed to find a track that has a nice pace, is expressive and also royalty free. I think it works a lot better than previous tracks I tried such as Fleetwood Mac and is very reflective of her character. It also allows me to enter it into film festivals.
- Foley – I did a reasonable amount of foley for this film including, footsteps, atmos, kettle noises, vocal recording etc and I’m really pleased with how well it came together. One of the things I wanted to do in Red Riding Hood was build a strong sound scape and think I’ve achieved that. It also means that I’ve had to source very few sound effects, keeping my work original, but the ones I do have are either under an attribution license or in the public domain.
Final Film and Evaluation –
Overall I think this has been a very successful project and I’m really pleased with the final outcome. There are still areas that I would improve upon in the future such as doing a more professional job of the pumpkin and improving the quality of certain shots within Cinderella. However I’m really satisfied with the result.
This project has given me the chance to try out new things such as forced perspective shots while also improving in my weaker areas such as foley work and directing actors. I also decided to play to my strengths however within editing and visuals and feel that they have also improved and hopefully will continue to. My idea has developed and changed as I’ve gone along but I feel still has strong roots to the development stage.
I’ve really enjoyed making this film and think it will be extremely valuable for my portfolio while putting me in good stead for university. I hope to continue making films like this while also seeing how far I can branch out and push my work.
Matthew Tucker 