Editing Scene 34

In Post Production tutorial we have recently been editing scenes from a script to practice with editing software so we can become comfortable with the editing process. In editing this is a job which people do and editors may just be given the script and the clips to edit without knowing much about the film project and I feel like this has been good preparation to understand the role of an editor.

Link to my edit - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuZcVS71MP4

First, we had to read each page of the scene to gain an understanding of what was happening. Next we had to watch each of the rushes. I found it easier to watch the rushes and also read the script so I could visualize the script better.

One of the challenges of this project was we didn't know what shot was what because the clips were not named, so we had to watch and listen to the rushes. Another issue was particular takes had bad audio, so a solution to this problem was we could have dubbed the audio and synced it to another take. I find this was interesting and good preparation for my projects because I can run into these kinds of problems myself.

Above is an image showing my file organisation on the Mac, here we can see I have organised my files into clips, projects, sequences. This way everything I need is where it is and it is easier to locate.

Above is an example page of the script we edited the scene from. We had to edit the scene to fit the script, so the voiceovers had to be in the right places.

Above is an image of the project I was editing this practice edit in. I was not able to use Avid for this edit because there was problems with Avid on the Mac lab.

I found the project was easy to edit eventually because I was able to memorise the script myself and this will be important for the role of an editor. My biggest problem when editing the scene was Audio, I was not sure of how to keep the Audio levels at a more consistent rate so in future I will need to learn more about how to control my audio levels.

Avid video effects

Today in Post Production tutorial we were learning about video effects in Avid and how we can use video effects in Avid. Before this tutorial I was not away of how to use video effects in Avid so this information has been useful to me.


We were given some clips from the film Nightmare Before Christmas (1994) and we were told to edit them like a trailer. Here are some screenshots from the tutorial, I had found that the Superimpose effect was useful and this effect is similar to Cross Dissolve in Premier but it has more control. At first this effect was quite hard to use because entering in the keyframes was difficult and the end result wouldn't be how I wanted it to be. After a while of practicing with the keyframes, I was able to use the Superimpose effect a lot better.

 

Above is the superimpose in the effects menu and the effect controls, we can see the level bar on the right which controls the effect. Below is an image of the superimpose and we can see the two images on the video timeline.

 

Above is a different kind of effect in Avid, this effect looks like a page turning. This is quite a novelty effect and it doesn't look very professional, but using it provided me with good practice and more knowledge in Avid.  

 

 

 

Above is a screenshot from other effects I have been practising with, this effect is called Kaleidoscope. You can edit the effect in multiple ways with the controls as shown on the left hand side, in the effect editor. I don't think I could use Kaleidoscope effect because in my own opinion I think Avid has some effects which don't have a great practical use, but it is good to have software with lots of effects. It has been good to practice the effects in Avid for when I come to edit my own projects.

Organizing Data

As an editor, it is important to make sure that your data is organised and if your data is not organised this can lead to a number of problems.

One problem that can be faced when data isn't stored correctly is that it can be lost. For example, you have kept footage on an SD card and loaded it into an editing software such as Avid Media Composer, once the SD card is removed from the computer the footage will be lost. Lost files will appear blank in Avid and the time line will be bright red, the preview screen of the timeline appear with the text "Media Offline".

Data can be organized by saving items to the computers data drive. Folders should be created too, so you can organize your shots, music, animation, project files etc. By having separate folders for your data everything is kept from becoming cluttered and you will find it easier to edit because you will know where each item is stored. Also by organizing your data and saving it to the computer's hard drive you can reopen a project file at a later date and continue to edit. 

Backing up data is extremely important for an editor because it means that you still have a copy of your data even if it is lost. As an editor this is essential, because in the professional environment if you lost data that means you could lose a job. Something as simple as a computers hardware failure or a computer virus could affect your data so it is important to have your data backed up.  

Juxtaposition

In today's lecture Juxtaposition  was discussed and this theory of film is new to me as I haven't heard of it before. I think the idea of it's interesting and I found it interesting how somethings in film can be portrayed without showing any context.

The Kuleshov Experiment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWRyHeMHYcA

In this clip, they show a close up shot of a man with the same facial expression but add different clips before this close up shot. By showing different shots such as food or a body in a coffin, we create the context ourselves by what we are watching and we create the emotion that is being shown. When we see the body in the coffin we assume that the man is feeling sadness or sorrow. From an editing point of view this is important because of how we can create context and emotion out of something so simple such as two different shots.

Hitchcock Explains the Kuleshov  Effect to Fletcher Markle. 1964 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96xx383lpiI

In this video Alfred Hitchcock explains the Kuleshov experiment in a clear way and he explains the effect it has on us the viewer. He explains how we add the context and emotion ourselves just by observing what is being shown on screen. This shows how individual shots do not have meaning, and it takes a sequence of shows to express something. From an editing perspective this is what they do, editors string together a narrative and bring life to a story.

Juxtaposition in film is a new topic to me and I understand how it is important for filming making because it affects how the viewer sees things, and it affects how the viewer could feel about a subject.

Timing To Music

I find it interesting how music videos are edited. Music videos are usually edited to fit to music which makes the video fit the song more because the edit is cut to the beat of the song. If the music video isn't edited to the beat of the song, the video could potentially become boring for the viewer and they could lose interest.

Here are some examples of this I have found in music videos.

Boards Of Canada - Dayvan Cowboy music video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2zKARkpDW4

I think this music video is interesting and well edited because the pacing is not fast paced but the footage fits along with the beat of the music. From 1:16 on wards in the music video I think the edit becomes really effective, and we can clearly see how the visual content has been edited to match with the music. For example between 1:32-1:43 the music fades out into white noise and the visual content matches this, and as soon as this noise is cut we see another shot of a light blue sky when the guitars begin to play.

deadmau5 ft. Rob Swire - Ghosts N Stuff - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7ArUgxtlJs

I found that this video has a lot of shots which are timed to the music. At 0:39 we see a cut in time as the clips are cut to show show the ghost moving forwards, these clips are also cut to the beat of the music. At 0:43 we see a shot of a hallway and the ghost is attempting to run through the walls, each of these shots are timed to the beat of the music again as the ghost hits the wall on time with the drums.  At 1:42 - 2:00 we see a lot of shots which appear blurred and out of focus, but the motion of these shots fits in with the beat of the music again because the actor in the ghost costume is walking to the pace of the song. Each shot at this point has been edited to fit in with each change in the music.

In college I made a music video for the song Rudimental - Not Giving In https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc9puljO3CY

In this video I had tried to make the footage match with the beat of the song, but looking back on this now I don't think it really achieved that. I think that there should have been more motion esppically around 0:57 to 1:15 because the music is still fast paced at this point, but the footage on screen is very still and having more motion could have helped it become more interesting. Since starting University and learning about pacing in editing I feel that my understanding of this editing skill has improved a lot since I was at college.

Audio Effects in Avid

Below is a screen shot from an Avid project we have been working on in Avid during Post Production tutorial. We were given all the audio tracks and video separately and had to arrange them together. One new thing I have learnt from this Post Production tutorial is audio effects, for one part of this video we had to use Reverb effect. I had some previous knowledge about Reverb from doing music production in my spare time, but I was not sure of how this effect could be used in film. I have learn about how this effect could be used, for example if a sound effect was being continued through another shot a Reverb could be used to show that the sound is echoing throughout a location.

Below is an image of the Reverb I used in Avid. I found this relatively simple to use, the controls are very clear and everything in the Reverb is set out neatly. Next time, I would like to look into other audio effects. I will conduct more research into what Audio effects are available and think of ways I could incorporate them into my own projects. 

Thoughts on Avid

In post production tutorial I have been introduced to a new video editing software called Avid. Before starting University, I haven't heard of Avid and only edited videos in Adobe Premier. Since I didn't know about Avid, I had assumed that Premier was a popular choice for editing in the industry but now I have learnt that Avid is widely used and if I were to take on the role of being an editor the chances are I will need to learn Avid.

Below are statistics from editing software within the media industry. As we can see, Avid is dominant and shows how it will be crucial for me to develop skills within avid if I want to peruse a career as an editor.

Why Film Editors Love Avid Media Composer - https://digitalfilms.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/why-film-editors-love-avid-media-composer/

Here I have found a link which provides lots of useful information about Avid in the film industry and it provides lots of detail as to why it's a popular software. It's popular within the industry for being a professional software and the software is very technical and can perform things with accuracy.

From my minimal experience with using Avid I can understand why it is popular within the film industry. I can tell that the software is sturdy and strong and when compared to Adobe Premier. I feel as if it's more difficult to make mistakes within Avid because of how it's sturdier than Premier, in Avid you can't accidentally drag clips out of place because of how the clips are controlled by using the splice feature.