Surfing Edit

Link to my edit - https://vimeo.com/142146156

This surf edit was created during tutorial in Post Production Technology. To begin with we were given multiple clips and had to edit them together to create a clip that flows well, my edit was under 20 seconds long. Next we were told to use these clips and create 45 second long video, which we found difficult because there was not many clips we could choose from. To create a 45 second video we needed to consider the shots we were using, continuity, and most importantly pace and the use of music. Without pace, the surf edit would not be as interesting for the viewer and the viewer would not be able to tell that the footage has been constructed in a way which is meant to be entertaining.

My reflection on this task is that I think in particular parts of my edit I managed to use pace correctly, and in other parts I didn't use pace correctly. I found it to be quite difficult to cut the clips to fit in with the beat of the music, because sometimes it was hard to make them accurate. Overall however I feel that I have improved my understanding of what pace is, and I have realized how it's effective for editing.

For example at 00:07 in the video I used the speed and duration feature in Premier to make the footage slow down to match the chorus in the song. In this section of the song there is drums which pitch down and I made the clip slower as soon as the chorus begins. After this shot, the shot gets cut to another shot where the surfer is mid air but this clip is in regular speed, and the shot after has been slowed down again. The slowed down footage ends as soon as he hits the water again (00:17). I think this use of slowing down footage was good because a lot of it fits into the beat of the song, however I was trying to stretch out the footage so it could be longer and fit the 45 second mark.

At 00:21 in the clip I chose to use a cross dissolve when the song cuts out, this choice of editing didn't really fit into the beat of the song because the music ends so suddenly but the clip does not. In retrospect I think I should have cut the shot instead of using a cross dissolve. After the song cuts out I chose to a wide shot because it fitted in with how the song has been cut at this point and it fit in with the echo in the music.

Next at 00:24 - 00:27 in the video was a part of the edit which I think suited the beat of the music. At this point the chorus was about to start again so I tried to edit the clips to add to this progression of the music. I thought by quickly cutting in between shots of the surfer going up in the air I could add a progression to the chorus.

The song I used has quite a slow beat but there are many different changes within the music, which means there were many ways in which the clips could be edited to demonstrate this. For example at 00:28 in the song there is a small section which I added a clip of the water hitting the camera, I felt that this matched the music and added a good pace to the video.

At 00:35 in the video I had cut between shots which shows a jump forwards in time, I felt that this quick edit helped to match the music effectively. During this shot also the surfer does a forwards slip and I wanted this flip to match in with part of the music, I didn't manage to do this correctly because it didn't really fit into the music because it looks too slow for the music.