Editing 1 - Recreating scene 34 and 37

To practice my editing skills I was tasked with editing two scenes from a film given to us by my University.

We needed to practice smooth editing with clear sounds and able to show the story line  To help us with this task we were also provided with the scripts of the scenes.

I used Premier Pro to edit my footage as I found this to be an easier system to work with than the new Final Cut X, which system I disliked and found hard to navigate.

Editing Scene 34: - Vimeo link
Here is my finished scene. I began editing this by watching the clips I was provided with and renaming them for quick and easy access, allowing me to find each clip I wanted to use quickly.

Re editing of Scene 34 from Emma Simms on Vimeo.

I then compared the script with the footage. Slowly I pieced together each clip into the order I wished for them to appear and would show the storyline clearly.

I addressed the sound last because I wanted to create an order to the clips first. I could also go over  the audio later using the unused clips.

Pace:
I decided I wanted a relaxed pace that wasn't too slow due to the seriousness of the action and the character's true intent. I have however adjusted the pace when necessary for quick reaction shots only directed by the narrative. I have especially lengthened Kathrine's reactions as she is the main character of this scene and we are focusing more on what she is doing and her camera. This timing is very important as it can effect the mood of the scene.

Continuity:
Due to the location being a busy public place with the public's involvement instead of 'extras', it was impossible to eliminate all continuity errors. In many close ups the groups of people in shot are not visible in the later long shots, this is mostly due to the footage being filmed at different times. For instance the family visible in the background at 0.42, isn't visible in the long shot at 0.48 even though they are clearly standing still. However I have been able to keep the couple, who they are photographing, on the right side of the frame each time. Kathrine and Tomas are also clearly looking in the right directions each time.

Colour Grading:
Unfortunately looking back at my footage, it appears very dark and should have been lightened. However the colour does remain consistent throughout the whole film. However this darkness can been seen especially on the long shots. This darkness also makes the footage appear slightly grey.

Sound:
The footage that was given to me was not of clear sound quality, this was due to a number of elements. Firstly the sea and wind but also the public, unfortunately these are uncontrollable and most be dealt with in post production. I have however tried to improve on the sound but may have made it worse in some areas. For instance 0.56 repeats the dialogue again but more quietly. This is due to where I have attempted to make two audio clips have a similar volume. This can been seen clearly to not have worked because the following audio clip is too loud. The sound of the sea is also too loud in some clips.

In Conclusion: 
Due to the sound not being clear from the original footage, I have attempted to correct this. I do need more practice at this to improve what I have done and correct the dialogue echoing underneath. I also need to maybe improve on picking the correct reaction shots, for instance a better one would be more suitable for 1.10. Most of my clips flow well together and it is clear that they are watching the couple in the background and trying not to get caught. However there are a few 'jumpy' shots that don't quiet match. However as a first attempt at editing I am very happy with this and have much to learn from.


Editing Scene 37: - Vimeo Link
This scene was shot in a more controlled location, inside and smaller. This made the original sound to be of a much clearer quality than scene 34 which was shot outdoors.

Editing - Scene 37 from Emma Simms on Vimeo.

Pace:
This scene has a faster pace than scene 34, especially when Katherine is trying to avoid Lisa's attention but slows as Lisa leaves with Michael. I also quicken the pace later when Dickey gives his advice. By increasing the timing and pace of the footage, I am able to create tension and anticipation within the audience which creates a more exciting narrative. I increased the pace near the end as this allowed us to think on the morals of what Katherine is doing or what Dickey suspects she is doing.

Continuity:
Due to the location being in a small public, indoor space, it is easier to create better continuity. This is because it is easier to film when there is no public members visible. The type of close up shots used in this scene also aid this ability. However there is still one continuity mistake I have made where Dickey is talking to Katherine but when the camera is reversed she is looking in the wrong direction 1.27. Other than this error I feel I have eliminated most continuity errors.

Colour Grading:
Due to the good quality of the original shots, I felt that these shots only needed to be lightened slightly.

Sound:
There was little to change for the sound quality in this scene due to the original recording of clear sound. However due to this being a public place there were issues with the telephone ringing 2.18 in the background which I was unfortunately unable to remove due to my chosen dialogue.

In Conclusion:
I believe this was a better edit than my scene 34 edit as the material flowed better and was more carefully constructed. I did however have issues with editing this scene as my first copy became corrupted when I attempted to export the material. This was very disappointing. There is only one point at which I am unhappy with this edit and it is when the material jumps and misses a second of the clip. I believe this occurred when I uploaded it to Vimeo.