Tuesday 2nd - Thursday 4th December - Film Editing and Post Production

The penultimate two lessons were devoted to taking the raw footage filmed on Tuesday and refining and condensing it into a successful minute-long film. Joey took it upon himself to do the physical video editing, since he had most experience using similar software, and Seb and I sat alongside him assisting with ideas and suggestions regarding the cuts used and how to make them look as good as possible. I was very new to the experience of editing video, but learnt a lot; there were a couple of harsh reminders of the 30 degree rule within the footage, and some shots that worked better by being cut down or extended more dramatically than seemed plausible. In particular, the opening shot of the magazines on the bed was found to be best when extended, since it gave the audience time to process not only what they were but that they were clearly important. Once that was done, Becky took over to colour correct the film, and while I was initially going to be editing and adding the sound, the recording process had encountered technical errors and the camera-recorded volume was used instead, which didn't require any in-depth editing. 

During this editing process I watched several short films from filminute.com, which is an annual competition for short films no longer than a minute in duration. The overlap with our brief meant that, despite limited thematic connections to our work, many of the films were useful to look at from a technical perspective. I observed where, when and how cuts were made and what effects they produced; long, uncut sequences let the eye wander and begin focusing on the constants in a scene, whereas shorter closeups and cuts increase the pace and tension in a scene. This was useful to feed back into the editing process and help ensure that the film came out as close to our vision as possible.

A still from Grandpa, winner of the People's Choice award at filminute. The centering on the old man clearly shows that he is the focus of the shot, but the fairly long shot, natural lighting and lack of drama show this to be a friendly, low-tension shot.

I also used this time to help another group with their project as an actor, as many class members were unwilling to be in a film. The experience of being directed and following a shot plan was streamlining, but not restrictive - there was room enough in the direction for me to improvise somewhat, and I was glad of the opportunity to do so.