as film evaluation editing
TRANSCRIPT
AS Film Evaluation
Andrea Pegasiou For our sequence, we chose to create the second scene within a crime investigation film. My role
within the group was editor. This means that it was my job to select, alter and modify the footage to
suit our narrative and genre. I watched a crime film, Mystic River (2003) and looked at the editing
techniques used as research for this task. Through research of this particular genre, I noticed that
the first scene is usually the crime taking place and the scene and story then being established
afterwards. Therefore, in our scene we have different
establishing shots of the college and crime scene for the
audience to see the wider picture of the story line. By
doing this, we decided to have a voice over throughout
the sequence, explaining the current events within the
narrative. This voice over is a continual sound bridge
throughout the entire sequence.Whilst editing using
Final Cut Express, I had to take into account what the
voice over was saying and match up the clips with the
topic in order for it to make sense. For example, when the voice over begins to talk about the body
being found, I placed a jump cut to a clip of the crime scene. This also gives the information greater
impact, engaging the audience in the narrative.
At the beginning of our sequence, I used cross fading from establishing shots of the college to the
footage of the students themselves. This was primarilyto present to the audiencethat the setting is a
normal college. Whilst showing the shots of the students, I used colour corrector in order to adjust
the contrast. I then modified the speed to a lower percentage in order to make the clips slow
motion. This then gave the illusion of the footage being shown from a CCTV camera. This suits our
crime genre as it is suggesting that this footage is being investigated for evidence. Once the footage
of the college is shown, the crime scene is then shown. This is to present that the crime is an
abnormal occurrence within this environment, making it a bigger shock to the audience.
AS Film Evaluation
Andrea Pegasiou To fit as much information as possible into our sequence, I used a number of short clips. This
involved using jump cuts, building up the tension within the sequence. The jump cuts also fit in with
our original idea of the footage being from several CCTV cameras within the college. This created a
slow montage sequence. We had initially filmed our footage before creating our voice over.
Therefore, once we had added the voice over to our sequence, I had to alter the footage to
synchronise with the sound. The linear editing is suitable for our genre as it is as if the audience are
being told a report of a murder. This is shown in the crime film, Gone Baby Gone (2007) and is
conventional for this genre.
I had used Final Cut Express before on previous projects. This was extremely useful as my job
consisted entirely of using this mac software. This means that I did not have to waste time getting to
know the different functions. I used my skills in order to achieve the objectives in which the group
set out for.The director decided which order she wanted the different shots to go in. However, it
was my job to select the most satisfactory footage to place in the film and to cut and adjust them to
look as suitable to our genre as possible. However, I did face some problems at one point due to lack
of a range of footage. Because of this, I found it difficult to keep the sequence interesting with lots of
different shots to create the montage effect we were aiming for. However, once going through all
the footage uploaded onto Final Cut, I managed to take different cuts from several scenes in order to
keep it interesting for the viewers and to create our goal. I not only used footage, but also still
images of the suspects. This is also conventional to crime films and works well to break up our
sequence. This works well along with the diegetic sound of the camera.
I used match on action within the sequence. This was to show continuity and as it was of the victim
walking into the building, this reiterates the idea that this is from CCTV footage. This footage used of
the victim also introduces her and shows the audience that she is a normal student. This then makes
the audience empathise towards her once they find out she is the victim.