Mike Figgis - Editing

The editor should be the person on set - or the editor's assistant, certainly someone from the editing department - who makes sure that the footage is being issued and catalogued in a way that they understand. Also, the tapes should be viewed on a a daily basis, in the way that 35mm used to be viewed. So that when a tape gets put into a box they have some idea of what has been shot. Digital Film-Making, pg.113, Mike Figgis 

I have always seen that an editor's work begins when they are in the editing suite. However, after reading the post production chapter of Digital Film-Making I have realised that an editor's role does in fact starts from the first day of shooting. An editor on set is responsible for making sure that all of the footage is correct and is taken off of the memory cards and imported onto a device correctly. They are also responsible for looking through the rushes of the footage and making sure that there are no problems with it, so that if there are any they can be resolved or re-shot while on set there and then. This makes the process a lot easier when realising these problems on set rather than when in the editing suite and it is too late. It also the role of the editor to make sure that all of the footage is organised and that when it is imported onto a device that it is separated into different folders of video, audio and external audio. Then for it to be organised into different folders that represent each camera so that it will be completely clear to someone who were to look at the footage for the first time and for them to be able to know what footage is what and what camera or marantz it has been recorded from. So from this i have found that a key skill for an editor is that they need to be organised in order to be successful and to make the entirety of the process of post-production as smooth as possible. It is getting into the routine of checking rushes, importing footage, organising files and then backing them up that is key to becoming successful. 

Scene 34 & 37 Edit

 

As part of a task we were given a series of different clips and a script in which we were to edit too. I enjoyed doing this task as i had not had any previous experience of editing to an actual script so it was interesting to see how everything fitted together when looking at both the script and the footage. It was also interesting to look at how the script had been interpreted during filming and to see that the script had been transformed into an actual physical form.

When i had downloaded both the script and the footage onto my mac i started to read through the script so that i had an understanding of the story and what was happening within the scene. As i needed to know the feel and the mood of the scene before i began editing it. Once i had done this i then looked at the rushes and then shortened the clips taking out any unnecessary dialogue that wasn't in the script and in which i didn't need. I then started to create a rough edit of the conversation between the two characters, making sure that i was following the script correctly. I then started on my second edit and trimmed down each of the clips in order to create a pace and a mood to the sequence. However, while doing my edit i found that there were a few problems in which i needed to correct.

SOUND 
I found that there was a major problem with the sound in the footage, especially when the two characters dialogue are compared and when they are next to each other on the edit. These were some of the main problems in which i found -

• Dialogue was too quiet and could hardly be heard at points 
• Background noise such as the waves were overpowering the actor's dialogue 
• Sound dipped in various areas 

To solve this problem i looked at using a wild track to disguise these problems with the sound in the hope that the problem would not be recognised by the audience. For example, in areas in which the dialogue was too quite i looked at making the dialogue from the actress louder and then placing wild track before and after the dialogue and making the wild track at the same level as the dialogue. At this point i realised that trying to disguise problems with sound in post production is a hard task to do and is very time consuming. This also made me realise the importance of making sure that when i am filming i record the sound correctly on set so that i don't cause more problems for myself during the edit. As trying to correct the sound on set is far easier than recording bad sound and then trying to re-correct it in post.


COLOUR CORRECTING 
Once i had completed my final edit i looked at colour correcting my sequence. The original colour of the sequence had no problems other than the fact that when each of the actor's clips were placed next to each other on the edit you can tell that there is a difference in colour. However, as individual clips the colouring of the shot had no problems. So i looked at colour correcting the entire sequence so that it all matched, however i also looked into how colour correcting could effect the feel and the mood of the sequence. Did i want the sequence to look gritty by making it darker? Did i want to make the sequence seem cheerful by making it lighter? This is what i looked into next and i made the decision of that i wanted the colouring to be of bright and non-contrasting colours. The reason for this being that the dialogue that is taking place is of a neutral tone and i wanted this to be reflected in the sequence.


I liked doing this task as it made me realise how much of a personal effect an editor can have on a film, even when they are working from a script. When looking at other people's edits of the same footage they were all different to my own, however they still told the same story and followed the same script in which i was. It was interesting to see how different edit's showed a different pace and a different mood through the way in which they had put their own personal stamp on the edit.

Ghostbusters Edit

We were given the task of re-creating a scene from Ghostbusters and we were to try and get it shot for shot for the sequence. The scene in which we were given was the opening scene of the movie which involved the character of Dr. Peter Venkman doing tests on two students. We were to create storyboards so that we knew exactly what we needed to film and so that we had a plan of what we were doing. Once we had finished filming we were to import the footage and to edit the sequence using Final Cut Pro X.

When going through the rushes it was clear that some of the shots that we had were a bit shaky. However, we knew that this was going to be a problem as we made the mistake of not booking out a tripod for the day of shooting. So everything in which we shot was handheld. All though this was apparent in a few shots it was not a major problem as looking at the footage as a whole you could not tell as the camera had been held quite steady. Luckily, the shots that were shaky were not vital to our edit so we were able to cut them out and use other shots that weren't so bad.

One problem that we found when editing was making sure that the sound was correct throughout the whole edit. There were points within some of the clips where the sound was too quiet or muffled in some places. This meant that we had a few sound problems that we needed to sort out. However, we had recorded a wild track on location which made this problem a lot easier to solve as we could disguise the bad sound with this.

Another problem in which we faced when editing was that when filming the white balance had not been set correctly and this caused us a few problems as the room in which we were filming was white. So this was a problem in which we had to sort out during post-production. We looked at colour grading the sequence and doing all that we could in order to restore the footage. The end result was that it did look a lot better than the original footage did, however it is something that we will have to remember when we film again.

One thing that i found difficult while editing was working as a group on one edit. I find that it is hard to work as a group while editing sometimes because everyone has their own opinion to what they think is right and how something should look. There is also the problem of that only one person can actually edit at one time and this left other people not having much participation in the edit. This also made it hard for when we wanted to take it in turns for editing as it was looking at the edit and wanting to change what someone else had done to how you would like it to be. However, as a whole i think that we worked well as a team to get the edit finished and to be happy with the finished product.

Lecture: Basic Colour Grading

Post Production: Sound

Post Production sound is the underlying art of post-production that is always never fully appreciated. It is one of the most important elements in order to create a successful film, all though it is rarely considered, especially within student films. It is the sound that creates emotional response and subliminally pushes the audience to feel exactly how the film maker wants them to feel. An image is an image but without sound it will not convey an emotional link that will effect the audience.

Lecture: Method of Editing

In today's lecture we looked at the method of editing and file workflow. This was very useful to me as i find that when i am editing i never have a method in which i stick too, i normally edit as i go along and sometimes just hope for the best. I know that this something that i need to improve on as i need to have a method in which i will stick too and in which i will use repeatedly for every edit i do so that there is some system and so that i know exactly what i am doing. I also tend to sometimes have problems when i am organising my files and placing them into different folders, i tend to forget where i have saved files and this causes major problems when i come to do my edit.

The key things in which i took from this lecture -

• I need to label all of my SD cards when i am on location to avoid confusion 
• If a card is accidentally formatted in the camera - leave it and don't record onto it 
• Don't edit straight off the memory card - import it onto the computer first.
• Make sure that there are at least two copies of the footage - eg. one on a computer and one on a hard drive 
• When importing footage, split each of the memory cards into separate folders and label them 
• Have a separate folder for external audio and label it as this 

I learnt that by doing all of these things then i will have a faster and more efficient workflow which will allow me to work at my best for the production. 

Video Tutorials: lynda.com

To further improve my knowledge of the Final Cut Pro X software i have been watching some of the tutorials from the website lynda.com. I find that this website is very useful for looking at everything you would possibly want to know about using the software. As there are hundreds of tutorials, i have been focusing on the tutorials in the section that is "Final Cut Pro X Essential Training". Within this section it covers -

• Introduction 
• Preparing your machine and the program 
• Importing, Capturing, and Analysing Media 
• Getting Organised and Preparing to Edit 
• Beginning the Edit 
• Working with Sound 
• Advanced Editing Techniques 
• Effects, Transitions and Generators 
• Colour Correction 
• Exporting and Sharing 
• Managing Project and Media Files 
• Customising 

I plan on watching as many of these tutorials as i can as i know that it will help me to improve with my editing skills. The videos that i have watched so far have been helpful as it introduces you to the new interface, but it also compares and shows the differences between Final Cut Pro 7 and Final Cut Pro X. I find this helpful as i am used to editing in Final Cut Pro 7 so to be shown the differences between them and to know the changes that have been made is helpful to me. I also find that the way in which the tutorials are presented helps me to learn about the software easily because they are very visual and clear and i am a visual learner so this is the best way for me to learn. 

Final Cut X Tutorials

In our post-production tutorials we have been looking at using the editing software that is Final Cut Pro X. I have previously used this software before but i have not had as much experience with using X than i have of FInal Cut 7 so i found it really useful to be able to thoroughly go through the software. Before the tutorials i only really knew the basics of the software, such as knowing how to import footage, place the footage onto the timeline and how to use the software to do a very basic edit. However, i knew that there was a lot that i didn't know about X and that i was very unsure on how to use the software to it's full advantage.

One of the key things that i found useful in these tutorials was going through all of the different menus and buttons properly and looking at what they did. For example, we looked at the keyword editor where you can name each section as a keyword and these will then appear in the event library. We looked at menus and tools that i wouldn't normally pay much attention to as i wouldn't know how to use them and what they were used for. So i found it helpful to go through these as it meant that i had a more broader knowledge of the software, rather than just knowing the basic menus and tools.

 It was also useful to learn about the different keyboard shortcuts as this helps greatly to speed up the editing process.  For example -

• E - will place selected clip at the end of the sequence 
• W - will place the clip where the playhead is on the timeline 
• Q - will place the clip above on a separate track 
• S - will turn video and audio skimming on/off 
• J - Forward
• K - Pause 
• L - Reverse 
• F - mark as favourite clip 

During the tutorials we used footage of flowers in order to practice editing using the software. I found it a lot easier and quicker to edit using X than i usually would as we were taken through each stage of the editing process as we went along and this helped a lot. By doing so i learnt a lot more about what the best way was to use the software when doing things such as selecting the correct settings before editing and importing footage. 

I now feel that i have a far better understanding of how to use the Final Cut Pro X software than i did previously and i know that i would feel more confident in using it. However, i know that i need to practice using this software in order to develop my understanding and knowledge of the software further. 

"Practice makes perfect". 

Quotes: Abel Ferrara

That's the thing about making a movie: You never finish editing. They just take it away from you. Abel Ferrara 

I find this quote by Abel Ferrara interesting in the way that it is stating that an edit is never finished to the film maker's vision. If a film maker attempted to make their edit to the perfection of the image in their head then an edit would never be finished. A film maker will only call an edit a wrap due to the restrictions in which they are given by the producer. If a film maker could be given an unlimited time limit on an edit then it would be an ongoing construction that would never see an end. A film maker can only attempt to make the edit as near to perfection as they think possible as they will never be happy that nothing else could be added to the film in order to improve it. 

Quotes: Walter Murch

Film editing is now something almost everyone can do at a simple level and enjoy it, but to take it to a higher level requires the same dedication and persistence that any art form does. Walter Murch 

This is a quote made by Walter Murch which i find particularly interesting as in my eyes it relates to the fact of technology as well as the art of editing. The technology that we now have in regard to editing software has made it so that anyone is able to install a piece of editing software and can easily use it. For example,  the simple software that automatically comes with any PC that is movie maker sees editing at it's simplist form. You can easily import footage and make a short film in the matter of minutes. This software is used as a universal editing tool that is available to anyone who would want it. It can be seen as a simple task that anyone could perform and it is sometimes questioned on whether editing can be seen as an art form due to this. However, it is how this editing tool is used that defines editing between a hobby or an enjoyable task and the difference of seeing it as an art form. Anyone can make an edit, but it is the dedication and persistence that is put forward to an edit to make it as near to perfection as possible that defines an amateur from a artist.

The Uninvited: The Importance in the Edit

                                                                   *SPOILER*

One of my all time favourite films is The Uninvited which was released in 2009. This was a British remake of the original 2003 South Korean psychological horror film A Tale of Two Sisters. The main reason in why i like this film is the brilliant twist at the end of the film that would have never of been expected. The film starts with the main character Anna, who had been admitted to a mental hospital after the death of her mother in an accidental fire, preparing to leave the hospital to go home after being discharged. She returns home to find that the woman who was a nurse to her ill mother, has now moved into the home with her father after they had formed a relationship after the death of his wife. With moving back home, Anna is also reunited with her sister Alex. As the film goes on Anna and her sister Alex have the idea in their heads that the nurse is a murderer and was in fact the person behind their mother's death. In a plot to reveal the nurse as a murderer, the two sister's strive to seek out the truth about the nurse and her past. However in doing so, the estranged nurse attempts to murder the two sisters and they are left to fight for their lives after they are both drugged by the nurse. Anna awakens from the drugs to find a trail of blood from where she is standing. She follows the trail throughout the house until it leads her to an outside bin that she lifts and discovers the nurse's dead body. She is then approached by her sister Alex who states that she had killed the nurse and that it had to be done. However, when the father returns home and asks Anna what has she done, she states that her and her sister killed the nurse together. In response to this the father is in shock as he looks at Anna, who is covered in blood and holding a knife, and only Anna. It is then revealed by the father that her sister Alex was in fact killed in the same fire in which Anna's mother died in. As Anna is in shock from this she turns to look into the reflection from the window and see's that she is standing alone without her sister. Everything that she had done with her sister throughout the entirety of the film, she had in fact done by herself. As a viewer, you then think back to all of the scenes in which Anna and Alex were together on screen or when her sister Alex was interacting with other characters throughout the film. When watching through the film for a second time you realise that all though the character of Alex is shown and appears to interact with characters within the film, the characters within the film never actually interact with her back. I see that this is what makes the film one of my all time favourites as it sucks the audience into believing that the character of Alex is real. I see that one of the great reasons to why this film works so well is through the editing process of the film. For example, making sure that the shots are edited so that it still appears that the character of Alex is there, but when in fact in the film she isn't. Making sure that within the edit that the story could play both ways was of major importance for the entirety of the film.

Saw: Transition Shots

I recently watched the Saw series, watching all of the films from Saw 1-7. Every time i watch this series there is something that i always pick up on and go "wow, that was amazing" and this is the transition shots within the film. There are numerous transitions that go from one scene but then merge smoothly and flawlessly into another. However, the amazing thing about these transitions is that the fact that each of the scenes that are being merged together are totally different locations. All though through the slick editing process it appears that going from one scene in one location to another scene in a completely different location is done all in one take. These transition shots can also be seen to be an aueturistic

element to the film, as i know that for myself, when i am watching any of the saw films these are the shots that i am constantly looking out for. I think that these shots represent a extremely well thought out idea that is extremely unique to the film.