My final opening title sequence
Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Friday, 28 May 2021
Editing the sequence
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| The library |
The first thing we did was create a bin and then copied all the footage into the new bin. We did this to ensure that if anything happened we still had the original untouched clips that we could use.
After that we started editing the action scene first as it would be easiest as we didn't have any audio. Here we chose all the scenes we wanted to use and by using the cutting tool we cut and placed the clips together in the timeline.
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| The time line of the montage sequence |
Then we edited the montage sequence and grouped together the shots that we would use. We used quick shots and glitches in between the montage to create a more thrilling atmosphere.
For the quick flashes we used the fade to white transition and I changed the time to 00:00:00:02 to make it appear faster. We then went back and placed the flashes to match the soundtrack.
For the soundtrack we searched on youtube ‘Dark thriller sounds’ and we browsed through various videos to see which one we thought would fit the best and if it had copyright claims.
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| Using marks while editing to mark important places |
After this we started including titles into the sequence. We started off with a simple title to see how it would look and then we searched for a title that mirrored the narrative.
For the sound in the action sequence we had to go back to the log and find the original sound to include back as we decided that we wanted to use that in the beginning.
We also included ambient sound to make the location more realistic. The we choose an ambient sound that sounded like there was a generator close by making the set seem like it was actually underground.
After including all the titles we did some colour corrections on some shots in the sequence to make it look brighter. We then moved to the action sequence and we did some colour correction.
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| The titles |
While editing we noticed that with one of the clips you could see Fred’s face in the background and to fix this we used the scene but once Freddie moved we cut to a different angle. We also didn’t use any hand held camera footage as the camera was shaking too much which didn't look good with the rest of the clips.
My favourite part of editing was seeing the final product as it’s interesting to see what we had agreed was going to be the final product.
A shot that we removed was the panning over the body shot as this shot was shaky and not executed to the best. However filming it was an interesting experience.
Our concept remained the same however we changed the order that sequence would be shown so we put the action scene first then the montage followed after.
The clip below shows editing the montage with the titles and soundtrack.
Wednesday, 19 May 2021
Shoot Day Reflection
On the day of the shoot Millie and I met at the photography room to get our props together while Wendy briefed Fred and Freddie on what they were going to be doing throughout the day.
The filming started with a close up of Freddie’s face lying on the table for ten minutes, we took that footage and placed it on a computer screen to show what the doctor would be operating on.
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| Doing the makeup on the character. |
While Freddie was doing this shot I started the Make up on Fred and tried to get the scars and bruises to look similar.
We then went ahead to start setting up in the studio and then we had Freddie ( The doctor ) act out what he was going to do before we started filming a couple times.
After Freddie got what he was meant to be acting out we started filming from a wide shot then a mid shot then we went into close ups where we wanted to include more detail. For example we captured a close up of him tying the apron round back.
While tying the Apron shot we place a marker on the floor so that the character could stop at the same exact place every time.
Once we had filmed our main and most important shot we then went ahead to start filming from different angles the same sequence which allowed us to get more details.
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| Shooting the extra scenes |
After this we had a lunch break and after our lunch break we started filming all the close ups of the props which would go on to allow us to create the atmosphere we are trying to achieve in this sequence.
Because we had enough time after the close ups we went into doing more creative shots that we thought would work and we had Freddie act out shots of him writing in the journal.
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| Filming more close ups |
We decided not to use some costumes, for example the white beanie as it didn’t go with the doctor's costume.
We also changed the position of where we were going to film in the studio. Instead of filming near the theatre tools we set up 2 long tables, neon lights, a computer screen and a table that had all the doctors props. We did this as we realised that the background props of the theatre tools wouldn’t be realistic with our sequence as the audience would wonder why there were theatre tools in a thriller sequence.
From this I’ve learned that it is important to mark the previous positions you have shot as if you aren’t careful you may end up breaking the 180 degree rule.
I think our team work went well as we all helped each other when it came to setting up, doing makeup, handling the camera and making sure everything is in place.
We could have tried plain shots that would help while editing the titles later on, still shots with just the props on the table for example.
I learned that while shooting we don't have to keep the camera completely still. We can always just adjust the camera slightly while filming to make the shot more aesthetically pleasing.
From the initial camera workshops the skills such as using the right terms on set, levelling the camera before filming and focusing the camera helped prepare me for the shoot as when we started filming it wasn’t chaotic and all over the place.
My favourite part of the day was seeing the set come together as it made everyone on set excited to start filming.
When it comes to editing I'm most excited to see how the final product will look as it’s going to be interesting to see how we end up putting together all the clips to make a thrilling sequence.
The challenges I face while in the editing suite would be making sure that my timeline doesn't get too busy as it could become complicated trying to ensure that I’m using all the clips I want to use.
So far I am happy with the footage we shot as we were able to capture the main shots and we were also able to capture other shots that make our sequence more exciting.
From shooting this sequence I have learned that things may not go as planned on the day of the shoot and improvisation is important. For example we started filming at 9:30 instead of 9 and even by 9:30 we weren’t sure how we wanted the face makeup to look so we just had to improvise with what we had.
If I had to do this again I would include more breaks in our schedule as it was evident that our characters began to lose focus at some point and when we came back from lunch the cast and crew were a bit tired so if we include more breaks in our schedule then we could have a more productive shoot day.
Friday, 14 May 2021
Conclusion on Similar products and conventions research
Having looked at these three similar products and their convention they all include a blue tone/ filter that creates a tense atmosphere, violence and crime are key themes in these products, low key lighting is also used and the locations all helped establish that these products are part of the thriller genre.Another common thing was the characters all displayed serious emotions that made the atmosphere more deep.
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| An example of low lighting from Gemini Man |
These conventions are all in this genre as they are what make the movie fit into the genre. For example if the characters were happy and they made many jokes then it would be harder for it to fit into the thriller genre as that wouldn’t be something thrilling to watch.
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| Thriller conventions |
The impact this has on the film is that it represents the specific topic, character or even event that is occurring. They help shape the ideologies of the audience and what they think of the characters or events.
This adds to the genre as it creates a certain style that is associated with the genre so when people hear ‘thriller’ they begin to have the vision of dark lighting or suspense.
This appeals to a target audience as when they choose to watch a thriller they know that the basic conventions will be included in the film just in different and more interesting ways.
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| Us is an example of a thriller movie that uses physiological games |
The elements that are different in a thriller is that action could be displayed in different ways where it could be physical fight or dark twisted mind games. Atmosphere could be established in many different ways for example through a sinister looking character or through lighting and colours of the scene.
These products from the genre have inspired my product to include more dark lighting where little is revealed about the characters. Montage sequences and quick cuts are important in thrillers as they help build and create tension during a sequence.
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| Dark lighting used when the clone and character are in the scene in Gemini Man |
Thursday, 13 May 2021
Research into filming roles.
On the filming day our group has agreed that Wendy will be the director, Millie will be the camera woman and I will be the editor.
From working with my group from the workshops and test shoots we were able to tell that Wendy would be best as the director as she worked well with making sure everything was in the right positions, Millie worked well with the camera capturing the best angles and from the test shoot I was able to take the groups ideas all together to put it into a visual way.
The director’s job is to oversee all the artistic aspects and visualises of the screen play while also guiding the technical crew ( in this case the cameraman) and the actors in order to reach the required goal.
The camera man is responsible for capturing all the footage on set.
The editor manages the footage, sound effects, audio, graphics and special effects that are turned into a final product. They choose all the best parts of what has been filmed to create the sequence.
Before the shoot I work closely with the director to decide what the script is going to be like. Once the filming begins I look at the rushes and ensure all the technical aspects are correct.
On the filming day I will need to take the storyboard with me so that I can follow the sequence according to the storyboard which will help when it comes to editing the sequence.
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| A page from our storyboard that will be used on set. |
My role is important as I am the one who puts the story together for the audience to understand the narrative we are portraying. My role is also important as I have to create a seamless finished product where the audience can almost feel like they are a part of what is happening like they themselves are there.
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| Our shot list that is meant to help us stay on track |
I am going to use conventions such as dark and low lighting, quick cuts between the scenes and overlays on the videos to create a thrilling atmosphere.
Within my role I'm going to target the audience and their expectations by making the surgery scenes intense and by creating a dark atmosphere through the blue tone filters.
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| An example of a blue colour palette from the movie 'As tears go by ' that has been used to create a dark tone. |
Wednesday, 5 May 2021
Editing dialogue sequence
We used premier pro to edit the sequence and we started off by creating a Log bin and a rushes file.
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| The log bing and Rushes |
From the previous editing workshop we had we used in and out points to select the parts we wanted on the source panel.
We also learned how to unlink a video from the audio allowing us to work with one piece of the audio and multiple parts of footage from different angles.
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| Unlinking the audio from the video |
A mistake we made while editing was deleting the audio before matching the video with the new piece of audio. This meant that the video didn't match the audio at some point of the sequence. We fixed this problem by clicking undo to undo the step we did to correct the mistake.
Using marks on the timeline
We also used marks as a way to know where we wanted to cut the clip where we would use it and to mark the important points in the video.
After looking at the footage what I would have done differently on the day would probably explore more angles and movements between the characters. This way instead of the audience just seeing a dialogue sequence that constantly cuts between two characters they would be engaged in what the characters are actually saying through other angles and movements.
While editing the actual sequence instead of dragging all the clips on to the timeline all at once instead I will work with each individual clip to make sure the timeline does not confuse me.
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| The time line after we were done editing |
Shooting the dialogue sequence
Filming the dialogue
For the dialogue sequence my group decided to shoot in the editing suite. We decided to film a conversion between two people about exams.
While filming we remember the 180 degree rule and the rule of thirds which was a positive thing as while we edited the footage the conversion flow looked normal and not unusual.
One of the problems we ran into was making sure that the tripod was at the same levels as the subject and that one side wasn’t slanting making the shot look uneven. We fixed this problem by re fixing the tripod from the bottom and then by working together to make sure the tripod wasn’t slanting. We also used the spirit level to level the camera correctly.
What we could have differently was filming more shots to ensure we had more footage to work with and more of a selection when it came to editing the sequence. We could have included an eyeline match where we would have filmed a close up of one of the characters looking down on their phone and then another shot showing what they were reading on the phone.
We could have positioned the camera slightly differently in some shots to capture the characters face more in the frame instead of more of the background.
When shooting next time I think it’s important to shoot within the maximum time we have in order for us to get shots that could be helpful while editing.
Location is important as the location we shot at fitted the script which was in a classroom. If we shoot in cinema it wouldn't relate to the script making the sequence random. Having a script was important as we needed the characters to remember everything they were saying as it wouldn’t add when it came to editing if the characters were saying something different from the last shot.
Review of test shoot
Our idea translated well to film however to engage our audience more we may have to change the shot durations and instead making them long we may make them shorter.
For example instead having the characters tie the apron for 9 seconds long we could cut to a close up or either make the shot shorter.
Our timing was below two minutes however this was because we didn’t have all the props we needed to film all the close up therefore when we filmed the real thing we should have enough footage to reach two minutes.
The idea is clear to the audience as they way we have planned the reveal and the idea of the surgery shows the audience what is happening without telling them.
We have been able to create tension and suspense through close ups and long shot durations that include sudden flashes.The flashes contribute to the idea of the sequence being thriller aswell.
The camera angles and movements did work however we will need to get close in order to ensure that our audience is focusing on the main subject in the foreground instead of something destructing in the background.
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| For example instead of having all the space on the left we could shoot only the part we need.  |
We could also try some tracking shots instead of just having the camera in one position in different places which would engage the audience more.
The camera angles we used worked as they were able to capture the details we want to include in our sequence.
From this test shoot we need to add more props to make the storyline more realistic, explore more camera angles that will allow us to see different perspectives.
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| An example of a Jar that we would like to use while filming. |
Something important the group took from this test shoot is that we must remember to keep the 180 degree while filming in order for the sequence to make sense. That is something that we forgot to do while filming the test shoot.
We also need to keep camera compositions like the rule of thirds in mind while shooting in order for our sequence to look more interesting.
Overall the test shoot has shown my group that while shooting we need to remember camera compositions and in order for our audience to be invested in our sequence we need short shot durations and props that are interesting.
Tuesday, 4 May 2021
Test shoot (Edited )
The test shoot was edited by both Wendy and I. We decided this as we wanted to see if we were both on the same page on what we wanted our sequence to look like and also to see if we had ideas that we could combine.
The video below is Wendy’s edited version of the test shoot.
Below is my edited version of which kind of effects and techniques we could use and how we could film the props to make them look more interesting.
Test shoot plan
For the test shoot my group prioritised filming the operation scene as we wanted to have an idea of how it would turn out.
Our sequence idea is that there is a doctor performing a surgery on a clone of himself and the idea is that the audience finds out that they are clones at the end of the sequence.
We also roughly planned where we wanted to place our props and where the characters would be positioned and we planned to use the studio as this where we will be shooting our actual sequence.
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| The studio we will use to shoot the test shoot |
We also planned for everyone to bring in their props to see if they would work on the day of filming or if we needed more props to make the set look more realistic.
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| The props |
The test shoot is also meant to help us know whether or not our sequence is too long and if what we want to film will workout.
The plan is that I will be filming the test shoot on my Iphone and Wendy will be acting as the doctor while Millie will act as the clone.
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| The Iphone we will use to shoot |
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