Finally Evaluation: Editing

Evaluation video going over my editing evolution and meaning behind it.

Promotional Video: Editing Process

Nesting for Warp Stabiliser and Speed:

One of the initial problems I ran into whilst editing was stabilisation. My client would often mentioning speeding up clips which I did not film with a gimbal or tripod (a mistake on my behalf), and so I ran into errors as mentioned below.

This method worked successfully and I ended up nesting a few clips, then speeding, then cutting; whilst this is great to learn for future editing, I do wish I would be more prepared when it comes to filming and would rather practically have a still video than have to edit afterwards.

This method was also quite time consuming to do, and I would have to rename every nested sequence to its according clip. For the majority however, I only need to either speed up the clip or stabilise it which I am thankful for.

Text Animation:

For the majority of the text transitions and effects in my video, I mainly used premade/downloaded transitions that come with premier. I would then alter the speed using keyframes to suit the pace of the video. One technique I did learn was to mask the text to create a timed reveal.

This was a very easy technique to use and I think was visually stimulating. I also think it was important to add text transitions to make the pace of the video more fluid than having flat 2D text laying on the film; It made the text part of the moving image rather than it just appear. 

The text in my video also was used to section/chapter different elements of the video so it was important to have something that made it stand out for the 'second' it would appear for.

Music Video: Projections Test and Editing (new)

When laying out and preparing my storyboard/shotlist, I thought I would find it easier to drag clips straight into Premiere to layout how i want my projections to look/progress. This particular scene is meant to represent the inner monologue/torment of the subject, to which I added natural scenery to represent; so the fire represents their anger/frustration whilst the clouds represent peace and/or solitude. 

list of clips

Example layout

Having these images juxtapose each other whilst having the subject react accordingly I think will show my intentions. I also think this direct contrast is very visually stimulating, rather than just having repeating shots of someones face or just one element of nature. It also represents mental health as a general where you can go through mood swings, or (what I was aiming for) the sensation of not being able to control nor express your feelings; hence why this is seen in the subjects head rather than outside.

The clips were pretty much a 'straight to Premiere' Process besides the Petal clip, which I keyed out and added a white background to.

key settings

I also tested out my ideal transition for this section which was an optical zoom; I used a pre-downloaded transition pack, but moved the video footage (using key-framing) to make it so it appears we are falling into the subject's eye/mind.

test transition

screenshot of framing

Editing Practice: Miscellaneous

These are videos I made in my own time just to work on my editing skills, they are mainly music based so I thought it would be relevant to include here.

Music Video: Projection Editing Process (old)

Projection Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtqE_xI9WK4PMiW_qY-fTfp49F0V9ev1k

Other sources:
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/xrxhrdwajq9yr/Stuff~#n5e4swo65rgf5

Bars:

Rainbow Close:

Falling Man:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFNZrRSBNSw&t=5608s

Four Hour Film Challenge - Lacan

Contextual Studies: Czech New Wave

Blog Post with full details, references and script:

https://sophiecullhnccreativemedia.blogspot.com/2018/10/czech-new-wave.html

Personally, I think this is one of the best videos I have made. The video not only is informative as required, but ironically has a new-wave twist in the way the information is presented. This wasn't initially intended and I was actually inspired by videos I watch in my own time, but I think that worked tot my benefit because it made me more focused and inspired continuously through the project.

Four Hour Film Challenge - New Wave

For my new wave video, I was heavily influenced by themes like identity and conformation which are commonly seen in Czech New Wave. I represented this through my style of editing, in which i layered portrait film on top of landscape film; however I tried my best to line up the shots so that it looked like the same area (even though they were filmed in separate locations). I was inspired to do this technique from a particular clip from 'Daisies' when the two Maries chase each other and the screen looks as though parts were cut up and layered on each other. In the film's representation, it shows the chaotic nature of the girls and even the dissociation they have from society; and the rules they have to follow. This dissociation is what i intended to show in my film. By physically removing the subject from the location, i've removed them from the society surrounding them.

I also added some coloured filters to snippets of the background layer. This was mainly again to represent czech new wave and the coloured filters seen in 'Daisies' which was used to show the more obscure behaviour rather than exclusivity. I mainly used it however to again add a layer or form of expulsion from society; it can even be symbolic of how the subject could feel like a glitch.

Four Hour Film Challenge - Music Video

Four Hour Film Challenge - Unusual Pespectives

As a class we watched the sequence twice, to which (thankfully) everyone found funny. As a general, we primarily got praise on the variety of shots and pacing used which enabled us to create a character out of an inanimate object without the use of mass props; Though we were asked if there was opportunity to use more props or different backdrops. However, in my opinion, I think using little to no official props makes the video as a whole funnier because it looks more like a parody that making a backdrop which could have distracted attention from the eggs.
In terms of editing, the only critic we got given was that more titles could have been used to make it more punny and look more like a movie trailer than just a sequence of shots. Similarly, the sequence was very short so it left me personally more to be desired; I wish we had filmed more to be able to create a longer trailer and possibly even more references to the movie our inspiration came from. Although one of our critics was that we could have been more original and created a narrative from scratch rather base it on a preexisting trailer dialogue; but because it was intended to be a parody I don't fully think this comment was relevant.

Four Hour Film Challenge - Birmingham

For this assignment, I chose the theme of 'unusual perspectives', but I also included 'citylife' to add some almost understanding/background to my protagonist; whilst my video doesn't have a narrative per say, I think there is some defining characteristics presented.

I wanted the main idea from this to be the feeling of curiosity or even challenging the human 'agenda', so my protagonist goes to numerous locations (as shown with her walking and looking around) but only finds satisfaction in animals. This is the main reason why the only shot of her smiling is at the aquarium, and more so that the shots at the aquarium are much slower than those of the ones outdoors/places with heavy artistic influence. Even the contrast in colours with the strong blue against the reds and greys on the buildings I think are even more intriguing.

My main issues when filming were the inability to use a tripod and the weather. Locations like the sea life centre or museums do not permit the use of tripods for safety reasons, so I found it difficult to shoot steady shots which increased the amount of time I spent in Birmingham shooting; this creates another series of problems as the natural lighting becomes slightly darker due to the day passing. The stabilization issue also had more effect when adding a warp stabilizer to my clips which (as seen) makes the shots very 'choppy', even when I altered the amount and type of stabilization.

However, besides that I did not have any issues when it came to editing. I increased and decreased the speed on some clips to represent the world passing the subject by in shots like the shark (0:51) becoming slightly slower to show how infatuated she is, but not so much that it becomes unnatural to watch.

Contextual Studies: Easy Rider (1969)

This extract from the film Easy Rider is a peak example of both drug use in the 70s and an example of 'french new wave'; this film is considered to be one of the many that 'helped spark the New Hollywood Era of filmmaking during the early 1970s' (Wikipedia, 2018).

The clip starts with two gentlemen (Billy & Wyatt, played by Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda) encouraging two prostitutes to take LSD in a graveyard. The four shot is a wide shot, but all the characters sit comfortably close together. The lighting is ambient, but slightly dark due to being sat in the shade; the scene just looks like a normal/average scenario that would have been seen in the 70s. This is even more exemplified with the rusted/damaged building behind them. Same goes for the machinery that could be heard in the background, its diegetic and adds a sense of verisimilitude.

A montage sequence begins signifying the effects of the LSD, with quick cuts to a woman reading scripture juxtaposing one of the prostitutes stripping. This cross cutting technique could be not only significant of their location but also even the metaphorical representation of what Hollywood seems like vs what it actually is; the heavenly views and perfect lifestyle vs the drug ridden, "broken dream" reality.

I think having juxtaposing images and sounds here could also be the conflict within the two protagonist's minds. Having the woman reading scripture and then also having one of the males saying "shut up" and (what sounds like) crying could show his struggle of identity; it could suggest how he would rather cast Blasphemy rather than consider the drugs to be a problem. Similarly with the nude shots of the women on tombstones or hiding between pillars, it could even suggest a struggle with his sexuality; almost playing on the idea of Adam and Eve in God's Garden of Eden. Whilst visually we would assume he is heterosexual, the fact it is in a church with cross cuts and jump cuts to the sun and the trees, it could mean God is watching him so he leans into women but distracts himself with drugs.

If we listen closer to the scripture, we hear lines like "Virgin Mary" or "he descended into hell" with the crosscuts of the prostitutes removing their clothes being more prominent. Again it's blasphemous what they're all doing but it almost feels like his actions are more directed at God; as though he is rebelling. Even in the finally shots, one of the main protagonists is sat on a society tomb which holds numerous family tombs and vaults. It could show his struggle to fit in or alternatively acceptance of God as he lays in the arms of the statue (which i'm assuming is a religious figure).

Media Basics: The History of Editing

Editing is one of, if not the most important aspects when it comes to filmmaking. It can either let you transform your clips into another genre or simply let you make something coherent (or in some case incoherent). Pre 1900s, film makers would have to film scenes in order of appearance (in one take) as they had to use the raw footage as their final product.

When it comes to significant impact on editing style and techniques, 3 lead figures arise: Lev Kuleshov, David Griffiths and Sergei Eisenstein.

Lev Kuleshov:

"The Kuleshov effect is a film editing (montage) effect demonstrated by Soviet film-maker Lev Kuleshov in the 1910s and 1920s. It is a mental phenomenon by which viewers derive more meaning from the interaction of two sequential shots than from a single shot in isolation"

Kuleshov believes that the construction of film is pinnacle in order for a film to be deemed successful, with a major focus on editing; he believed the relationship between two shots visually was more important than the actual dialogue or context (as exampled above). By interchanging what the character was looking at through editing, he was able to change the persona of the character shot and therefore the meaning of the extract.

David Griffiths:

"One of Griffith’s first inventions was the “cut-in” first used in “The Greaser’s Gauntlet” in 1908 - just four months after his first film for Biograph...With multiple camera setups being used, the 180 degree rule evolved out of practice"

D.W.Griffiths is known for his impact within Narrative based editing, and is known to have 'created' parallel editing. This is used in many modern films and is where there is an alteration of two or more scenes that are happening simultaneously but in different locations; It more often than not ends up with the two parties meeting each other in a singular location.

He the adapted parallel editing by introducing 180 degree rule: a cinematography guideline where the characters are standing opposite to each other to help bring structure and familiarity to the scene, for the viewer. 

Sergei Eisenstein:

"Eisenstein was a pioneer in the use of montage, a specific use of film editing. He and his contemporary Lev Kuleshov, two of the earliest film theorists, argued that montage was the essence of the cinema"

Eisenstein believed that montages were a way to create meaning for a scene and also show a progress of time. He was also a student of Kuleshov, however they went separate ways due to conflicting opinions; Eisenstein suggested that montage is "the nerve of cinema", and that "to determine the nature of montage is to solve the specific problem of cinema"

Sources:

https://www.slideshare.net/stefan-constantinou/history-and-development-of-editing-14850912

https://nofilmschool.com/Kuleshov-effect-definition

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuleshov_effect

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/kuleshov-effect-examples/
https://seanmaguireblog.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/early-history-of-editing-techniques/
https://filmmakeriq.com/lessons/d-w-griffith-continuity-editing/https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/4-iconic-editing-techniques/
http://www.elementsofcinema.com/editing/parallel-editing/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._W._Griffith
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Eisenstein
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_montage_theory