This blog post contains the work I did in my lesson on how to successfully edit. My teacher filmed the footage but I edited it together. My teacher also provided the template for the blog post.
Why is continuity editing important?
Continuity editing includes making sure that items like props or costumes stay consistent from scene to scene. But the more important work lies in editing shots togegther in a way that leaves viewers thoroughly grounded in both time and space.
Different types of continuity edit
- Straight cut (cut)
- Eyeline match
- Shot / reverse shot
- Cutaway / Insert
*Match cut
Footage
Here is the footage that my teacher shot which utilises a variety of camera angles and movements. The scene is very simple, it involves a student standing up and leaving the classroom. A single shot here might be quite boring for the audience, by editing and combining the shots together we can make the scene feel more dynamic.
My Editing Process
I don't know any easy / simple editing applications but I know that CapCut is a very famous editing platform now days. Since it's also accessible on laptop, I decided to edit the clips with CapCut.
1. I started by cutting the first clip to my liking to help guide the cut for the second scene. If you noticed, I decided to cut while he has his right foot in front and standing in front of the white pillar.
2. While I was cutting, my team member (Maisie) noticed that he had one arm out in the second clip while he had both of his hands in his pocket. Luckily the actor himself decided to put his other hand inside his pocket. I decided to cut the second clip when both of his hands are inside his pocket.
3. Next I decided to cut scene 2 to the part where the actor is reaching for the door handle (not holding it yet). Which led to scene 3 of him reaching for the door handle.
4. I decided to cut scene 3 to the exact part where the door was slightly open to help start scene 4 of the door opening.
5. Lastly I ended my cut scene from scene 4 with apparently stepping with his left foot and on scene 5 the start of him walking with his left foot.
Heres my final result
Reflection: This was very fun to make since I do enjoy editing. These clips were really bad and hard to edit with since it wasn't really smooth (especially the opening door scene). Overall I'm satisfied with my results and this really helps improved my editing skills for future projects. Next time Im going to try and improve my sound editing so that it can align with the clips.
This post contains a mini project that helped us learn how to shoot a cinematic scene. We did this as a group.
Lesson Description
Our teacher told us to find a scene from a movie in our genre. Our task was to recreate it. Heres our scene side by side with the original scene we chose. Original Scene: Paranormal Activity 3.
Storyboard
Here is our Storyboard that we made from our original scene
Problems and Solutions
Camera
Problems:
1. We had problems with the steadiness of the camera since we used our hands to film.
2. When filming the scene, leaks regarding my team members "legs" were seen.
Solutions:
1. There was a feature on the camera app that cancels out shakiness to create a more smoother and clean finish.
2. We decided to crop the leaks out to save time from retaking the scene.
Next time:
1. We will get ourselves a tripod that could help make the panning shot look more smooth, and help avoid shakiness.
2. Before filming, we need to prevent these problems by checking the camera set up beforehand.
Mise-en-Scene
Problems:
1. Controlling the prop was challenging to face since we had to remove and throw props in one take.
2, The location we filmed in needed modifications to help replicate the set design form the original scene.
Solutions:
1. Since my team member wouldn't have enough time to handle both taking and throwing the props, we decided to ask for help from our teacher which made it faster to complete.
2. We asked for permission to move the furniture to our likings and decided to help move it back after using it.
Next time:
1. Since we only had 3 members in for today (we have 4 members) we'll try to get everyone involved next time since having more people will allow us to create better effect with the props.
2. We'll look for a more accurate environment since we were in school (school does not have a living room or a kitchen).
Edit
Problems:
1. Timing the scene so that the trash falls at the exact time with the original scene was difficult to edit.
2. The internet was really bad and took ages to export the video.
Solutions:
1. We decided to use cuts and slow-mos to help slower down the time and to cut out minutes to help accurately match the timing with the scene.
2. We decided to be more patient since we were the first ones to finish filming and to edit. We also decided to use our own personal hotspot to help provide better network.
Next time:
1. We will have to follow and time the scene properly to avoid doing small difficult editing.
2. We hope that our school wifi does not get slower and let us use our phones for internet.
Here's the screenshots of my team member's (Maisie) editing progress
Sound
Problems:
1. The sounds of the wind was very disturbing and was hard to get our sounds in.
2. During filming, there were other people in the same area filming their mini project.
Solutions:
1. We decided to just use the original scene's audio so we wouldn't have to record a voice over.
2. They didn't start recording until we finished so it wasn't really our problem, but it was taking them too long to wait and we decided to rush up the recording.
Next time:
1. We will have to film inside where it's quiet and actually try recording voice overs to get better at those skills.
2. We'll have to film somewhere private where theres no one except us.
Behind-the-Scenes images
Reflection: This task was very fun because we were basically making a short clip. Because it was the first lesson back from winter break, this boost up my motivation to work better for my media project. I think this will really help our project to understand how special effects work and how to get the illusion of supernatural activities. Overall this task was really entertaining and a great way to start after my long holiday.
Heres a list of possible locations that we will be filming in and the potential risk that we might face during filming.
Location 1
Address:
Lamiya’s Attic
Scene:
The Attic Scene
Advantages of location:
Filming in Lamiya’s attic will give us control over the environment and creative freedom as it is a private location, and we’re free to use the space however we’d like
It’s cost effective, so we don’t have to pay for filming there
Attics tend to be an unsettling and dark place, so it sets the perfect mood for our project
We have privacy filming here, so our actors won’t feel shy or hold back because of other people watching
Disadvantages of Location:
Filming in the attic means limited space for us, this might make the process more difficult and stressful
Lighting in attics are usually very dim, so if we were in need of bright lighting, this could be a problem
There are more safety hazards in this area because it’s very old and the space is not used very often
Alternatives:
Another space from Lamiya’s house
Risk Assessment
Risk:
Who is at risk:
How to avoid risk:
High, Medium, Low risk:
1. Old
There could be broken furniture or the place has weak supports.
If it cannot hold all of us inside, we would have to split apart and take turns walking in and out.
Meidum, because we don't have many people helping so it should support us well.
2. Dark
There can be issues regarding communication and would waste a lot of time.
We’ll sort things outside before we step into the attic, We’ll have flashlights and use our phones to text.
Low, we need a dark location which isn't really risky, but it would be very uncomfortable to adapt with.
3. Dirty
Since it's never been used, it might be dirty and we’ll have to clean it up to create a more safer place to film in.
Before filming, we'll have to clean up the place and help set the design.
Medium, we can ask for help and we’ll barely clean up because we also want our set to kinda be “dirty”, but it's for our own safety as well.
Location 2
Address:
Lamiya’s room
Scene:
The Attic Scene
Advantages of location:
It’s a comfortable environment for all of us, this would make the whole process much easier
We have lots of control over the lighting, we can make it dim or bright if needed
We have more noise control in this area because we will have fewer disruptions
Lots of space is provided in this area which will make it easier for the crew
It;s very convenient for everyone which gives us a more flexible filming schedule
Disadvantages of Location:
The setting won’t be as creepy and unsettling as something like an attic
There may be more distractions from other family members or pets
Lamiya may have privacy concerns because there may be personal things in her room
Alternatives:
Kristine’s house
Risk Assessment
Risk:
Who is at risk:
How to avoid risk:
High, Medium, Low risk:
1. Small
This may be too crapped up to film in and make a set design which can be risky.
We’ll try managing the space we have and try to avoid cramping up on each other with our belongings.
Medium, working with big spaces can be difficult as well.
2. Weak Furnitures
These furniture will collapse and it will mess up the set design.
We’ll have someone who isn't doing anywork standby and look after any things that might collapse.
Low, most of these furniture would be easy to clean up and there's help from the house.
3. Posters
There are many posters which make it look less like an attic, our films wouldn't look realistic.
We’ll try and cover it up using fabric or black paper to make it seem more like an attic
Meidum, because this will be time consuming and there's a high risk that they wouldnt cover properly.
Location 3
Address:
Kristine’s house
Scene:
The Attic Scene
Advantages of location:
It’s a team member's house so there's no “rules” to consider.
We can modify the place since it's not an attic, we can try using things to create a set design that looks more “creepy”.
The location is cheap meaning there's no need to pay for any parking or even rental.
Disadvantages of Location:
It's not an attic because the location does not own an attic
The location is under construction making it difficult to film.
The location has wide windows which have a lot of exposure to light.
Alternatives:
This is our initial alternative.
Risk Assessment
Risk:
Who is at risk:
How to avoid risk:
High, Medium, Low risk:
1. Noise disruption
The construction sounds can overpower our voices when filming.
Maybe we can try using microphones or noise denoising when filming.
Medium, because they don't work at night.
2. Family disruption
There are alot of relatives in the house which can be a distraction and can lead to poor acting performance.
Well try and shoot the scenes when they are absent in the location.
High, because they are often seen inside the house.
3. Distances
We might have team members who wouldn't be able to visit this place due to living too far.
We’ll try to talk to their parents about the project and ask them for consent to have them come to the location.
Low, because not all of us live far from this location.
Location 4
Address:
Love Anchor
Scene:
Buying the book scene
Advantages of location:
It’s a big place for us to film in, making it easier on all the crew
There are lot’s of prop and object possibilities
Disadvantages of Location:
We’d be exposed to a lot of natural light, which wouldn’t match the mood of our film
We’d have no control over the crowd and the noise, which will make it difficult for us to film
Permission would be needed to film in a public place
The weather is unpredictable so we have no control over the environment
Alternatives:
Find another book store.
Risk Assessment
Risk:
Who is at risk:
How to avoid risk:
High, Medium, Low risk:
1. Crowded
Canggu is very crowded which can be hard to go through spaces, the products might be sold too fast before we even have a chance to buy them.
We’ll have to visit the location in the morning or before it opens so that we get the first stocked products.
Medium, because Love Anchor is a very well known location for both tourists and locals.
2. Expensive
We are on a very low budget which can be difficult for us when the product can be too expensive.
We can split up when purchasing the product which will be fair and cheaper.
Medium, most books like these can be very expensive due to their artistic details.
3. Difficult to find
Love anchors do not really sell books, they mostly just sell wooden models and jewelries.
We'll have to make up something or we'll ask for navigation to where we can find these specific books.
High, Love Anchor doesn't sell books specifically “demon” related books
Changes: We initially wanted scenes of the characters buying their book in an antique store but because we were worried about the duration, we decided to not record the full scene and to just skip to the main idea of what we want to showcase. So, Love Anchor was crossed out for our location scout.
Reflection: This section took so long to work on because we barely knew locations that we wanted to film in. Because our plan was to film inside an attic, we wanted to find places that might have attics. The reason behind Love Anchor is to help support our prop research development blog which is a location that we wanted to visit. Overall, once we'e managed to select our location, it wasnt a difficult task to finish.
