Editing- First Few Days

First Few Days Of Editing

When arriving in the editing studio the first thing we undertook,  was looking through the entirety of the footage. We began by watching through the clips and then arranging the footage into bins, placing the material we liked in one and then taking them and slotting them into chronological order as we obviously didn't film it in that order.  When reviewing the footage it gave us all a sense of achievement and relief due to our final piece coming to an end. When watching back all the footage we felt extremely thankful that we took the shot ,from the perspective of someone looking out the window, due to this appearing really effective and after talking and trying things out we are considering using nearly that whole take throughout the sequence.

There were a couple of mistakes, whereby during the police scene we disregarded the 180 degree rule which meant that we couldn't use all of the footage, this was a slight problem, although we soon resolved it by cutting a few shots. Additionally there was one or two shots which I noticed the composition was slightly wrong or the character was in a different position than they were seen to be before. Fortunately, we had taken far more shots that we had ever anticipated and therefor this did not really matter. Moreover, on the day, a few of our actors were unavailable due to Covid, so we had to cast a few of the crew in their places meaning that there were less people behind the scenes and we all had to help during the process of filming, this resulted in being a positive thing when editing as it became easier due to having a minimal cast making the footage easier to organise.

When starting the editing process,  we had a clear idea of  what we wanted to do/create. While ours was a  title sequence of close-ups it also had narrative so did have a particular order. We started off by placing the close-ups of the bike/ crime scene followed by more clips they gave an idea towards the narrative. 

For the majority of the time filming we followed our shot list which helped us when editing as we were able to put the shots in order quicker, due to the sections of footage from different takes, being close to one another. By making this shotlist prior to filming it allowed us to have a clearer understanding of what we needed done, eg-  the composition, what type of shot and the positioning of characters. This pre preparation resulted in not only a smooth filming day but also made sure everything ran smoothly in the editing suite and our minds being at rest due to being certain we have everything we need.

We made a couple of changes to the original concept, that hadn't previously been discussed, the best example was the introduction of slo-motion throughout the closeups as we felt this would create an atmosphere of suspense and tension for the audience, highlighting the painful detail of the tragedy it also cut out any sense of shaking the camera may have picked up. 

Now having had placed the majority of our sequence in order and having chosen and edited all the clips we wish to use. We now have the two major choices in regards to music to respond too. This leaves us with the questions of what non copyright soundtrack are we to use? , and how are we going to match it up to the action on the screen?

SHOOT DAY REFLECTION

Are day started out extremely smoothly, this was due to the preparation we had carried out prior to filming. Once arriving at school we brought are shot list, story board, plan for the day and the entirety of our props to the media classroom where we met our teacher. Once everyone arrived we headed over to the studio where we got all the camera equipment/ lights needed ready and packed in order to load the van. This part of the process was extremely efficient and took no longer than 20 minutes. 

Overall the day of filming went exceedingly well and the time was spent accurately. We managed to get in all the closeups needed as well as having time to carry out extreme closeups and mid shots as we had hopped, this was beneficial as we now have a range of different perspectives, which allow's us to change or edit things in when editing if anything doesn't appear work.  Additionally we tried out several other shots which were not planned but appeared strike-ing, which I am sure will be used when editing our final sequence. An example being we captured a handheld POV shot from in side of Cornhill Manors living room, mimicking someone peering out of the window at the crime scene. Although this was a last minute idea, it was a visibly an admirable shot that worked in context to our idea.

There was one issue that arise'd that at the time seemed major however was easily adjustable and redeemable. This was that we found out the afternoon before our shoot that our actor casted for the police officer had unfortunately got Covid and therefor was unable to attend. Our initial response was that we needed to figure out someone else to do it however our back up was not free due to it being such late notice. However, we came to the conclusion that for both the forensic and one of the police officers you wouldn't actually be seeing there face. So this enabled myself and grace to fill in for them parts on the particular shots they are needed for.

Moreover, if the opportunity emerged to film our Title sequence again there is one thing I would do differently. As discussed before hand we all needed to make sure we were all clear of and certain of whom would be the backup for the entirety of the cast if an issue did emerge, this would not only reduce last minute stress but also ensure we do not have to ask anyone a major ask so close to the day of shooting. There were many technical skills we learnt on the shoot day, one being how to use strip lights and also how to take several shots we had not yet tested out. An example being a hand held shot mimicking a characters perspective. 

The initial Camera Workshop's we undertook gave us great guidance and thoroughly prepared us for our shoot, if we had not carried out these workshops in the detail we had, we probably wouldn't have been able to set up a camera, yet alone managing to film a whole sequence. We used nearly all the skills we had learnt in these workshops  such as how to use the role of thirds, 180 degree angle, call outs etc. Luckily we were also introduced to all the equipment via to the shoot and taught how it all works. Other than the camera we also used large strip lights which were controlled via a phone to flash blue mimicking police car lights.

For me, my favourite part of the day was the setting up of the crime scene, as I found this extremely rewarding due to everything we had pictured and are ideas finally coming together, which will hopefully result in an opening title sequence we are extremely proud of. In addition I also really enjoyed having a go on both the camera and learning and using the large light sources which mimic police car lights. Moreover, although not having looked back on the footage yet I do feel happy with the footage we managed to shot, due to having everything we need plus more.

Throughout this process I have learnt a variety of things which I would definitely use when carrying out my next filming project.  One being to always be prepared for the worse, eg- loosing an actor or actress. We could have done this by making sure we had a backup who would definitely be free on the day. I also believe a reason why ours went so smoothly was because of the small amount of people, hence when filming next I think a large decision to think about is the amount of people in both your cast and crew.

Furthermore, I am extremely excited in regards to editing, due to this being when our sequence will truly come alive. The placing of the titles, font of the titles will help highlight the thriller-drama genre and mood/atmosphere for our sequence alive. Im also looking forward to the editing process as I believe it will feel rewarding as this is where are work will finally come together and we will get a finished product. Now we must spend the next week or so after working on the exam questions editing this sequence, here we will face the hurdle of how we are going to place this all together and how these titles will be presented.

Are Mise-en-scene Choices

costume-

We spent a large amount of time discussing costume which became the final costume's which we used on the day of shooting.

On the day of the shoot we dressed the forensics in a full white overall paired with a covid mask and blue shoe coverers due to this being the usual out fit for a forensic to wear, so it is clear whom they are making it clear for the viewer.

For the police officer,  we dressed her in a high-vise Jacket as-well as a police hat due to yet again this making the actor look realistic due to us having carried out research prior of what a police officer would have looked like.

For the detective we placed him in a full suit, due to it not only establishing his character but also the characteristics of a detective, being that he's likely to be smart, professional and serious.

Lastly for the 'Mum' we placed her in ordinary nike trainers, black leggings, black jacket and black vest. We did this due to this being an ordinary mums outfit as well as dressing her in black to reflect the mood and atmosphere of the scene. 

lighting-

We filmed in daylight subverting from the stereotype that all things bad happen at night this was for two reasons one being that it enabled us to show the utter details of the scene and help to establish the setting surrounding it and also because it is rare that a child would be riding a bike in the night time and therefor it would leave the viewer with even more questions than we already have, which could leave them feeling a little lost.

Moreover when filming the clip of the Mums head being pushed into the police car we used blue flashing lights to mimic the look of police lights flashing which helped create a sense of question due to this implying she may have actually done something. This also helped to highlight an uneasy, eerie atmosphere. 

props-

Using a variety of props we made up a crime scene surrounding a car which had crashed into a child bike.

bell/ evidence bag - We used a bell to establish the severity of the murder as-well as placing it in an evidence bag to highlight the fact that there is some uncertainty about the situation.

helmet- By having a young child' helmet appear later on in the sequence it allows the viewer to feel a sense of shock, we did this in order to do so.  Showing glimpse's of blood among the helmet to again underline the fact that this was most likely a murder of a little child.

bike- by purchasing a little boys bike, it enabled us to tell our story through the bike alone. Firstly we got the bike and threw it on the ground and jumped on it several times to portray how it was damaged and deformed from the crash. We took several shots of the bike wheel close-up during the beginning including the crime scene.  Whereas towards the end we took more wide shorts to establish that it was in fact the kids bike, leaving viewer in shock. 

fake blood- The fake blood again helped highlight the severity of the situation leaving a feeling of suspense and questions of wether a murder did take place. Blood has a large connotation with death indicating this. By using props such as fake blood in the opening title sequence it helps to give an idea to the watcher of the targeted audience due to showing deathly imagery from the begining.

police tape-  Is a Major factor in making it clear its a crime scene, once again appearing realistic due to us making sure it was the same tape used by English police which was the crucial aim of shoot.

number cards- by using the number cards in our crime scene, it helped to indicate the area of the evidence, as well as making it clear this is series due to these being used by forensics. Forensics usually only show up for series crimes or situations such as murders. 

location-  in regards location, we used Cornhill manor which spotlights that rich, family house look we were hoping for. this again helped one of our aims,  which was to leave the viewer with questions due to this some Subverting from stereotype of the rich seen to be less capable of murder. 

We placed the car in the middle of the drive way due to the positioning being a realistic place for someone to be hit.

Direction Of Actors- The Mother showed facial expressions of fear and anxiety shown by here heightened breathing and raised eyebrows this helped build tension. Additionally the detective was shown to have a straight, stern facial expression throughout making clear his job is seen to be serious. 

Through all of these choices of mise en scène it helps to establish the genre, due to using a variety of the genre conventions. Especially in regards to the thriller the genre conventions, as stated above all of these aspects help to heighten feelings of suspense and surprise.

Research of Saul and Elaine Bass

Saul Bass

Saul Bass was an American graphic designer and film maker of the twentieth-century. He was a pioneer for the modern title sequence designing. He specialised in crafting motion picture title sequences, corporate logos and movie posters.  He carried out this work along side his wife Elaine Bass however the society which they grew up in was extremely sexist and therefor even tho most likely they did the same amount of work his name is known far better globally.

He is most famous because he was the person who 'introduced a new art form within his imaginative title sequences'. This form of art allows the audience to be prepared for what they're about to see as well as clearly highlight the soul of the film.  He's known to have worked with some major and some of the greatest Hollywood film makers; Stanley Kubrick, Otto Preminger, Billy Wilder Scorsese. In addition to this among the film industry he is praised and receives recognition for creating the title sequence for 'The Man with the golden Arm' in 1955 produced by Otto Preminger as shown below:

 'Saul Bass the man who changed Cinema', many have quoted this about Bass explaining the extent of his success.

Below is a video called 'Saul Bass the name behind the titles' explaining more about his work as well as Bass's words about how it all occurred:

In this Video Saul Bass explained what happened in his own words- 'During that period I happend to be working on the symbols for 'Carmen Jones' and 'man with the golden arm'. And at one point we looked at each other and said why not make it move'. Bass states that this is the moment he came up with the ideas to bring the titles 'alive'.

Bass believed by doing this 'the movie experience would take place from the very first moment of film'.- 'To create a climate for the story that was going to unfold'- Bass 1985

Analysis of Saul Bass's title sequence in 'Phsyco' (1960)

Phsyco was a horror/ thriller film made in the 1960's which was directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, and the title sequence carried out by Saul Bass.  This film produced Hitchcock the biggest success of his carer, as well as being seen as one of Bass's due to moving titles being an extremely fresh thing in the 1960's with him being the creator of it.

Below is the title sequence in which he created: 

Although this sequence would not be seen as anything special now, back when it was made people were amazed and shocked by this creation and Bass work.

The sequence its self is engaging and although the screen appears black the titles help explore and tell us what may be to come. 

The genre is made clear through the titles, by using only black and white it connotes a dark eerie feel imply that is is in fact a horror or thriller. This is again seen through the use of faced paced editing, whereby the titles appear on the screen quick with a harsh slash. Additionally the parallel soundtrack played in minor key further creates an unsettling, unpredictable, suspenseful feel.  This all establishes a deathly, unsettling mood creating a theme of uncertainty. 

Within the entirety of this sequence we aren't given many clues to the narrative, but given a clear idea to the mood, atmosphere etc. Therefore all that is really highlighted and made extremely clear is the extent of the fast paced music and glitchy subtitles further underline a feeling of unease and horror. Moreover, by the titles fading from black to a wide shot of the city, it gives us an idea that they may be some foreshadowing of a death awaiting in the movie to come.

There is a wide range of reason's as to why this sequence appears so effectively. However personally i believe this is because of the simplicity yet small details to it. Even tho the sequence appears rather plain it does give lots of ideas and creates a strong feel to the movie for the audience due to it doing a the normal job of highlighting genre, themes and mood through the use of only black and white and the use of font. By the sequence being so minimalistic it also allows the audience to have their own interpretation and doesn't give too much away. The sequence keeps the audience scared and wanting to watch on resulting in it being an extremely successful opening sequence.

 RESEARCH INTO SIMILAR METHODS AND CONVENTIONS 

Initially we got together as a group and confirmed the genre of our piece, which we concluded was a Thriller Drama. 

Following this I am going to be researching into 'The little things' , 'A Time To Kill', 'Still Water', 'Happy Killer'  and explore how these 4 different media products are similar to our opening title sequence. As shown below through the research the similarities are largely in response to the usual conventions.

The Little things 

'The Little things' (2021) produced by the Warner Brothers and directed by John Lee Hancock has a variety of similarities to my opening sequence including:

- Theme-  The Little things has a theme of No one is truly good,  this links into the themes of our opening title sequence due to the mum usually being a character whom people trust whereas as in our sequence it is implied she has carried out a killing.

- Genre- Thriller crime, our sequence is both a thriller and in most aspects a crime to due to our whole scene being set on a crime scene. 

- Narrative- Follows Jim Baker searching for a killer- similarly in our sequence it is all about the detective work of whom killed the child. The film is inspired by real life detective work, consequently by looking at this media product it could inspire and help us with some aspects.

- Costume- Realistic clothes.

- Lighting- yellow, set at night- Our original plan was to set our sequence at night with yellow lighting to create a sinister feel, however this wasn't realistic due to us filming in. the day.

- Characters- Police officers- however set in America so our costumes, protocol will be different for the officers in our sequence.

- Killer- man, dressed in dull colors. Opposing to the fact we went against the stereotype and had the murder blamed on a woman.

A TIME TO KILL

'A time to kill' (1996) is a drama/ thriller directed by Joel Schumacher has a variety of similarities to my opening sequence including:

- Narrative/ Characters- Set in the town of Canton, a ten year old African American girl is raped, abducted and beaten by two local white men, she is dumped in the river after failing to hang her; she survives.- Although the narrative is extremely different both this film and my groups opening sequence base the film of pain placed on a child. 

- Genre, a drama thriller- the same genre as our opening sequence.

- Setting/ location- Mississippi 1990's , so times were fairly different, unlike our scene which is in modern times.

- Themes, include Justice, Racism, and guilt. - Similarly our idea consists of the film of both Justice and Guilt, due to the rest of our film following the guilt of an individual and how justice is served. 

- Lighting- use low lighting.- Not used so much in our piece due to it being set in day light.

- Killer- man, dressed in dull colors. Opposing to the fact we went against the stereotype and had the murder blamed on a woman.

Still water

'Still water' is an 2021 American crime drama  which was directed by Tom McCarthy. The production company it was produced by was Dream works pictures and it was distributed by Focus features. Additionally This film has large similarities to the opening sequence we are creating including: 

- Narrative- Follows story of a father travelling to France helping his daughter who's in prison for a murder she claims she hasn't committed- Likewise our sequence follows a mother whom is b

eing put up for murder which she's denying committing.

-Characters- Dad and daughter- Our sequence consists of mother and son and what their relationship actually was, did she murder him.

-Themes- Both explore a murder.

- Genre both dramas exploring crime.

- Killer- man, dressed in dull colors. Opposing to the fact we went against the stereotype and had the murder blamed on a woman.

HAPPY VALLEY 

'Happy Valley' is the 2014 American documentary film which was write and directed by Amir Bar-Lev. Yet again has lots of similarities due to being the same genre including:

- Narrative/ theme- tells story of murder, seen through the eyes of a 15 years old- Our sequence also follows a murder.

- Characters- Lead/ person explaining is a girl- the lead in our sequence is a woman.

The other leads consist of police officers, consequently so do ours. 

- The story is fictional however police have praised it due to it being a clear representation of how the police force is- This would be helpful for our scene due to us wanting everything as realistic as possible. Therefor this is a good source of media to look at.

- Killer- man, dressed in dull colors. Opposing to the fact we went against the stereotype and had the murder blamed on a woman.

To conclude, It has been made clear of the similarities that cross over across all these Media products. That is that due to the majority being thriller drama's, or crimes they all consist of a murder. Moreover they all follow at least a few of the key drama thriller conventions, including creating suspense and excitement the audience, having tilt shots which helps to create the discomfort especially when showing a murder. Additionally, it was seen to be clear that all the killers in each individual were all men, this highlights how as a group we decided to subvert from the stereotype and blame the murder on a male and instead blame it on a female. By blaming it on female it helps to leave the viewer with the question on
whether she actually did it which is our intention.  

There is also a great use of the Producer using colour is a way to trick the audience into thinking a certain way. For Example, all the men whom committed the murder in these films were dressed in dull colours mimicking the darkness hidden within, with females being dress in lighter colours.

Are opening title sequence also differed from these films as, In the films where there was a parental figure and a child there was almost always a positive relationship shown. Whereas in our sequence we dont know but we assume the mother had such hatred she carried out this sin on her son again subverting the motherly stereotype.

One way in which this range of media products helps to inspire me improving our idea and help us with filming. Is by several of them using different aspects of crime and police in a way that appears realistic, justifying the realness of their film which we as a group wish to achieve.

Research Into the bbfc and Film Certificates

 The Bbfc And Film Certificates

The bbfc refers to the 'British Board Of Film Classification'. The bbfc is the body in which controls the British film industry. The board set both the rules of what is allowed to be seen in films and what is not, as well as being in charge of deciding upon the age certificates for every film which is released in the UK.

Moreover, the  bbfc is also there to receive any complaints and questions from audiences regarding their opinions and wether they're unhappy with the age attached to a film, content of a film etc. This job of assigning age certificates is crucial due to it being illegal to release a film in Britain on DVD or in the cinema, unless the bbfc has given it an age classification. 

Another one of the bbfc major roles is considering the context of a film, including if the film is animated, realistic , fantasy based etc. Fantasy, cartoon or animated films containing violence almost always get given a lower age certificate as the bbfc believe the audiences can clearly see the violence is in fact not real.

They also thoroughly consider the way the issues are handled.

List of things the bbfc consider: 

- Scenes Including violence of all kinds.

- Scenes including sex and nudity.

- Scenes including obscene language.

- Scenes with discriminatory language.

- Scenes of self harm.

- Scenes of criminal activity.

- Scenes with dangerous behaviour. Eg- lying on train tracks.

- Scenes of drugs, alcohol and cigarettes.

- Scenes involving child actors/ charcters.

- Strobe Lighting.

Things they would consider regarding 'Violence':

- Is the violence made to seem 'normal'?

- Why are they being so violent? Self defence?

- Is the violence enjoyed?

- Does the violence get punished?

- How much violence is there?

The format of a films release has a large voice in the response of the bbfc, as they tend to be a-lot stricter with classifying films for DVD release rather than films for cinema release. Example, being the release of the film the Hunger Games, it got given a 12A certificate for the cinema, however this certificate doesn't exist on DVD, so for the DVD release they had to decide wether to put the film down to a PG or up to a 15. They decided upon a 15.

The Process 

Production companies must send a copy of the their film to the bbfc for them to watch, responding in their decision of the age certificate. Additionally, if the production company decide thats not the result they wanted they can re edit the film and send it back to be looked at again.

Examples of when audiences believed the BBFC got it wrong:

- The Joker (2019)-  Audiences believe the age certificate should have been given an 18 due to the amount of violence and brutality. 

- Peter Rabbit (2018)- Audiences complained young children may copy the scene where the rabbit throws fruit at people.

- The woman in Black- got hundreds of complaints about the film being terrifying- resulting in the bbfc changing there regulations to considering the tone of the film as-well.

Editing Workshop 2

 Editing - Dialogue Sequence 

Shooting the dialogue sequence- For this part of the process I was unable to attend due to having an appointment, however my filming group explained what was discussed and carried out through the entirety of the workshop.

Due to not having been present in the first editing workshop, I went into the session with near to  zero idea of what I was doing. However I now have a brief yet clear idea of what we must do which i'm sure will develop and I will become more clear with as the process continues. From this experience today I learnt to a wider range of things. Firstly, by looking back on the footage the groups had shot and being taught through them, making it clear what was successful in what was not, e.g- in some cases there is a lack of footage, clips were cut too early, or the white balance was not correct. By highlighting the mistakes that were made it helps ensure that we wouldn't do it again due to drilling it in our head that they were in fact 'mistakes'.

When editing the groups sequence it was made clear that one or two clips had a lack of the 180 degree rule due to us not being able to use a few of the clips due to the actor appearing on the wrong side when changing angle. We explored how having a character with larger screen time can imply there of a stronger importance, an example being the camera staying on them when the other character is speaking resulting in the focus staying on their reaction.

We learnt how to cut and trim clips quickly and efficiently, as well as being introduced to a new skill referred to as cross fading. Which is where you drag the cross fade in between your audios so when the clips are playing it makes certain theres no interrupted sound.

I believe this session helped make us aware of the importance of editing and how it can truly result in the success of your final product. We have now been introduced to some of the key skills that is involved in editing which will help us hugely in the up and coming week.

Below is the sequence we edited: