This scene is one of they key scenes from the film "Silence of the Lambs" which features a conversation between the character of Dr. Hannibal Lecter and Clarice. The scene contains very basic shots of a head and shoulders shot of each character and a close of up each character and this is all of the shots and what they consist of for the whole scene. However, the importance of this scene is within the dialogue between the two characters and there is no need for shots from a variety of angles as it is the conversation that is the main focus and this is where the focus should remain. So in order to keep this focus there are only these two types of shot used within the entire scene and as the dialogue is so engaging the scene is still kept interesting. However, when there is a head and shoulders shot of each of the characters the bars of the prison cell are in shot which shows that there is a barrier between the characters, however when it changes to the close up shot of each of the characters the bars have disappeared and this shows that the character of Hannibal Lecter has got mentally closer and into the head of the character of Clarice. This has not just happened by accident but has purposely been put there and edited in to show this.
This has shown me that meaning and the build and purpose of a character can be shown through the simplest of shots and the way in which you can edit a series of shots can show and mean so many things. In this scene there are the small variety of four different types of shot used in total, however it is used effectively as when it moves to the close up of Hannibal Lectur you feel as the viewer that you are too close to him and that you want to step away. It has shown me that every single shot needs to be taken into consideration and to have thought about what effect it has of putting that shot in that specific place. What does it add to the edit? What does it say about the character? What does it say about the situation and the atmosphere? All of these things are of great importance when editing and needs to be taken into consideration when editing. For future editing i will take this into consideration and will think about why i have decided to put a shot where it is and to make sure that every single shot has a meaning and progresses the edit forward.
The opening sequence to the 2002 Portuguese film "City Of God" shows great technical editing and the use of jump cuts that have been used effectively within a scene to create a fast paced, interesting and engaging scene. With this being at the start of the film it really draws the viewer in as it introduces a fast pace from the very start. It draws the viewer into the story and the use of fast editing and jump cuts combined with the interesting sound used within the sequence gives the viewer no other option than to be engaged with what is happening. The very first shots are very interesting in regards to the blade of the knife and of the chicken. The extremely fast jump cuts between the knife and the chicken are very interesting and it is clear that there is the link between the person with the knife and the killing of the chicken. It is very out there and goes against
It could also be seen that it is edited from the chicken's point of view. The chicken is on the ground so shots where it is looking up at people from a low angle and shots of things from the ground level such as people's feet shuffling and the view of another chicken being skinned and killed seems as if it could be from the chicken's point of view. Also the fast editing and jump cuts could be linked to this as a chicken's head jerks quite a lot and it is always looking around and moving it's head. But also, the fast cut could be related to how the chicken is feeling. It has just seen a chicken been killed and there's a lot of people around it and it knows that it is next so the quick cuts represent his feelings of panic and alarm at the thought and prospect of being killed.
This truly is a great example of good technical editing and an example of how to create pace within an edit. The fact of the scene being put together so well and so much thought put into the meaning and how it comes across has made it a memorable scene within films. From watching this it has now given me ideas on how to make and create pace within my films and seeing how easy it can be to create a fast paced and interesting scene within a film. I have also took in the use of sound within this scene and how much more interesting and more engaging it makes the scene along with the jump cut editing. It is the sound of the blade and of the music and the chicken that brings the entire scene together.
In a previous post i posted about my edit of Scene 34 and 37 and after looking into and researching pace within films i have looked back at how i edited both of these scenes. I looked at how the pace was and if it changed or developed within the scene and i looked at the style of both of the edits and considered why i had edited it like this and where i could have improved.
Scene 34
I feel that with this scene i didn't get the pace right, especially at the start of the scene. The start should have quite a quick cut pace to it to show the character of Kathy's anxiousness towards the thought of her being caught out. She is giving quick looks over to the character in which she is following and i don't think that the pace in which i cut this scene matches this at all. The shots that i have used last too long when they should really be short and sharp shots that alternate between Kathy and the other character to show that she is anxious. I needed to create this feeling from Kathy through the pace and i did not achieve this. If i were to edit this scene again i would ensure that there were quicker cuts cutting from maybe Kathy doing her crossword to looking at the character but then cutting back to her trying to look like she is not watching her. I think that if i had included these quicker shots then the style of what i was trying to get across would have worked a lot better.
The shot where in which Kathy walks over to the character of Dickky was also too long, whereas it should have been where there were quick cuts between Kathy and the other character in which she was watching. The long shot of Kathy walking over made the pace very slow and it wasn't a slow pace in which i was going for.
However there were a few problems with the actual footage and i think that what i have done with the footage has worked well knowing the problems in which i faced when editing. On the other hand though i think that there was more that i could have done in order for there to be a better pace to the scene which reflected the mood and the emotions of the characters. The anxiety of the character of Kathy and the suspicion of the other character in which she was following and the accusation of the character of Dickky did not come across within the pace. All of these things should have been shown and executed through the pace and style of the scene and i don't think that this came across in my edit.
Scene 37
When looking back at this edit i realised that the pace within my edit changed as the scene went on. I felt that the pace at the start was right as it represented the casual conversation between the two characters. The pace showed that they were both relaxed with where they were and that it was a very general chat. I think that i got the pace right up until the point of 35 seconds where i realised that there was too much of a pause in the reaction from the character of Kathy to what was said. The pace just disappeared at this point and watching over the edit again it didn't work very well. The pause needed to be a lot shorter but there still needed to be that reaction from Kathy but for a shorter time. The next mistake in which i realised was that the cuts between the dialogue from the point of 1 minute 33 seconds on the video didn't match the pace of what i wanted to achieve. The pause between dialogue was too short and this changed the style and the feel to the scene as it felt like the conversation was rushed and this again changed the pace. If i was to re-edit this scene again the main thing in which i would change would be the pace of the dialogue from the middle to the end of the scene as it really doesn't fit the style of what i was looking for. With this being a calm and relaxed conversation but it focused on the reaction from Kathy of what was said. I wanted it to be a slow paced scene but the key thing that i wanted to stand out was Kathy's reactions, however i think that i focused on this too much and this was a result of there being too long a pause between dialogue.
When editing a sequence it is important that there is a pace to it and that this pace changes throughout in order to create emotion. Such as when the pace of a scene is fast it is normally because something exciting or frightening is happening and the pace and tempo of the music increases the intensity of what you are watching.
The rhythm within a song will help to regulate the pace of a scene and sometimes when you are struggling with pace the easiest thing to solve this is to put a piece of music with it. If you have music and you edit your sequence in time with the music then a pace will automatically be created and formed. However, it is important to make sure that the music fits the emotion that you are trying to get across within the scene. For example, if you have a sad and meaningful scene within a film it is unlikely that you will want to put a up tempo and happy song against it as it will lose what you are trying to get across to the audience. It would be better to have a slow tempo and maybe orchestral music against a scene such as this to enhance the emotion and to put forward the meaning.
Here are a few examples from various films that use music to create pace and helps to create the emotional connection with the audience ....
Within this scene from the movie "Click" we see the death scene of the character Ben. The scene is there to create high emotion of sadness towards the character and the situation in which he is in and for the audience to be drawn into the scene. The music is of great importance as it builds up the pace and the intensity of the scene until the final moment where the character dies. The music makes an emotional connection between the viewer and what they see on the screen. It makes the scene turn into the stereotypical death scene within most films and the music is all part of the stereotype.
If we were to then take this scene and add different music with an entirely different pace and tempo then this would automatically change the meaning of the scene. So i took this video and then added some comical music to it to see what difference it would actually make to the emotion within the scene.
Again, with this scene from the film "My Girl" it is the music that creates the real emotional impact on the visuals of the scene. If you were to imagine this scene without the music then it would be far less effective and would not have that emotional link between the audience and the situation. It is a relatable situation in which most people will go through within their lives and it is the music that brings out this true emotion even further. It heightens the impact and the visuals match the rhythm and the pace of the music. For example, when the girl is sat at the stairs the music is quite slow in tempo and it then slowly starts to increase up until the point where she runs from the house where the tempo and pitch of the music is at it's highest within the scene. The music reflects the characters emotions and how they feel and this is why the visuals work so well with the music rather than the other way around.
One way in which to make sure that there is good pace within a film or a sequence is to add music to it. Songs have their own pace and rhythm and in most songs this pace changes throughout as it goes in and out of the choruses' and through difference tempo's.
Music videos - "A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music/song" - Dictionary.com
Music videos are all about matching the visuals to a piece of music or a song and i think that it is sometimes good to consider certain scenes within a film as a music video. As essentially you are doing the same thing as a music video with matching visuals to a piece of music/song. However, i think that when you are creating pace within a film the best thing to do is to add images to the music as it is the music that is the backbone to the emotion within the scene. When it comes to high drama, high action or sad and emotional scenes the best thing to do is to consider the music first rather than the visuals. When editing it is easy for me to think about the visuals first and to think about the music later on, but i think that when it comes to the most important scenes within your film that it is key that it holds real emotion it is better to think of the music first. To have music behind key scenes it builds up the tension and heightens the viewers interest in the film, that emotion and connection needs to be reached at the key scenes within your film if not anywhere else and this is why it is of such great importance to have a clear idea of the music/song that will be used.
From doing some research into music, sound and analysing how it effects a scene it has made me think about the music in which i use within my own films that I make. It has made me realise that pace and music within a film is equally as important as the actual visuals and the content of the film. As if there is no real emotion or as Mike Figgis refers it to as the "psychological backbone", then it is pointless as nothing has been gained from watching. There needs to be that emotional connection between the film, the characters and the situations and the emotions of the viewer and it is music and pace that acts as, in a sense, the glue that holds these two things together and without it a film would fall apart.
So for my future films that i make my aim is to look into what music i want to use in advance and to put this music onto the editing timeline before starting to edit. Rather than trying to put shots together and then add the music after. As the music creates the pace of the scene and it is better to follow the music and create this pace through following the beat and tempo rather than the other way around.
When it comes to the opening title sequence of films i think that one of the most memorable has to be the opening sequence to the film 'Zombieland'. The sequence is very unique and has a very specific style and theme to it and i think that what makes it most memorable is the way in which it is edited and put together.
The decision in which to make the entire sequence in slow motion is a simplistic but effective way of making it stand out. When looking at zombie films you expect everything to be fast paced and to be full of action and high adrenaline. In reality the situations shown within the sequence would be all of these things and when the scenes were originally filmed they would have been running and acting in the way that you would expect in any zombie film. However, i think that with it being in slow motion it makes it for one thing more humours and comic as this is the genre of the film but it also gives the viewer time to look at and anyalse what they are seeing. The fact that the scene where there is blood pouring out of one of the zombie's mouth shows the true horror and goriness of zombies and it gives the viewer time to take this in and to realise the true situation and world that the main character within the film, Columbus, is living within.
Within a short amount of time the sequence manages to show to audience numerous different situations in which zombies are involved. For example, we see a man jumping off a building to escape a zombie, police fighting zombies, a zombie bride attacking her husband, men running away from zombie prostitutes and many more. It is showing the various different situations and realities that would happen if there ever was a zombie apocalypse but is doing so within a comical way. So all though it is comical it is setting up the background to the film very well and is done so within a small number of shots which is down to the editing of the sequence.
Another interesting factor of this opening sequence in regards to editing is how the characters on screen interact with the title by smashing through them or falling through them and the lettering reacts to the character. For example, at the start of the sequence when a man is jumping from a building he falls into the lettering that says "columbia pictures presents" and as he falls into it the lettering of these words reacts and moves. This again shows great skill within editing to ensure that the point in which the the letters move matches the point in which the character falls in the lettering and ensure that the character and the lettering work together as this happens.
In a previous post i mentioned that i planned to watch as many of the online tutorials on lynda.com and focusing on the tutorials within the section called "Final Cut Pro X Essential Training". Since this last post i have watched a variety of these videos and i have been able to take a lot from them. This is a short summary of what i have learnt : -
Preparing Your Machine and Program
There are numerous ways in which to create a New Event
Organisation and awareness from the beginning is the key to good media management - click on the actual drive in which you want to create the New Event in
Importing Footage - make sure that the destination event and drive event is the same
Have constant awareness of all of your media decisions in order to be organised
Make sure that you pay attention to all of the decisions that you make when creating the settings for the New Event as these will effect the entirety of the edit. Make sure that you get it right from the start and pay attention to all of the settings.
Importing, Capturing and Analysing Media
Key word collections are the main way that you can label your shots in Final Cut Pro X. They are more like tags than folders, shots can exist in multiple locations which helps for faster and more efficient editing.You can also make short cut keys that are linked to each key word and/or keyword collections. If a clip is part of a key word collection then there will be a blue line that appears at the top of the clip.
You can categorise your files through the use of ratings where you can attach both psoitive and negative rating. You can do this is two ways, one by selecting the clip and clicking the green star or by using a key short cut and pressing "f". A green line will then appear on top of the clip to show that it has a favourite attached to it.
You can also favourite just a small section of a clip by creating an "in" and "out" selection on the clip and then clicking the green star or pressing "f" to make it a favourite.
You can also give a clip a negative rating to a clip by doing exactly the same thing as a positive clip, with the only difference being that you click the red "X" in order to give it a negative rating.
From doing this you can also hide the rejected clips or just view your favourite clips by clicking the clip button and then selecting either of these options.
Analysing the media properly before starting the edit is key. You have to analyse and organise your files in order to edit efficiently.
Selecting key word selections and rating represented through the green and blue lines
How to hide the rejected clips and to view your favourite clips
Working with Sound
Normal sounds like the human voice should peak at between -12 and -6
Nothing should peak above zero or else it will be distorted
To focus on the sound of one clip you need to select the clip and then solo it by clicking the solo button or pressing opt + s. This will make the clip in colour and the rest of the clips black and white to show that the clip is now solo. Then go onto the audio tab on the right hand viewer box to adjust the audio.
The best way in which to edit the sound is to play the clip as a loop and then adjust the volume as it loops so that you can be sure that the sound is correct and is how you would like it to sound.
Once you have the main audio corrected you should then look at the remaining audio and make sure this also fits in with the main audio. The music should not interfere but you should still be able to hear it and if there is background audio it should not drown out the main audio such as interviews. The music should be dipped down when there is dialogue or prominent sounds.
The solo button ------> <------Opening the Audio Meters
Effects, Transitions and Generators
Transitions are placed in between clips
Dissolve - click on the edit point in between two clips and press cmd + t, click on the grey transition box and press ctrl + d to show the duration of the transition. To then change this duration go to the preferences menu and then under editing, transition you can then make the transition either shorter or longer. Or alternatively you can hover over the transition until two yellow handles appear and you can drag these either outward or inward to change the transition time.
Click on the transition browser to open it and this will give you a range of transitions to choose from with the categories being on the left hand side and then the transitions within these being on the right.
Don't over use the transitions or use a variety of different and flamboyant transitions, stick to ones that are similar and that actual fit in with what you are doing and trying to achieve.
This week we received feedback on our conspiracy films. These are some of the points that were mentioned within the feedback: -
More variety in the news reports, have different chat and news shows instead of using all of the footage from just one show.
Some of the shots need tidying up and going over again to improve the pace of the film
The static TV in between the news and chat shows is good as it breaks them up
There needs to be less text and for the text to be replaced by the sounds and voice clips from other footage over the top of visuals to make it more engaging and makes parts of the film that has text more predominant and stand out
From this feedback i now know what i would need to improve on if i were to do the task again. I think that one of the main problems with the film was the repetition of footage. I think that we used too much of one set of footage, we had a wide variety of clips to used and we should have used others and had more variety in the film. I think that we also should have allowed ourselves more time to do a final edit. I think that if we had given ourselves a bit more time then we would have been able to go through the edit again and tidy it up and make it to a better standard. i know that from previous projects that time constraints have been a problem and i need to allow myself more time to edit in order to create a better standard of an edit. I also think that we should have analysed the clips more and as it was said in the feedback, to use the sound from the clips instead of using text. I think that if we had picked out all of the sound clips and used them in this way the film would have been more engaging.
