Task thirteen consists in demonstrating how editing can be used to manipulate time and space. So in a group I will work with Daniel and Basra to film and edit myself a short sequence that includes a flashback or memory as well as using post production (editing) techniques to make it clear to the audience that the time and space in the sequence has changed.
Synopsis
First of all as a group we had three initial ideas, the first one being that I slap Daniel and then we bump into each other and Daniel has a terrible memory of the slap. The next idea was of a boy who had been in hospital and is upset because they began to remember the heart attack they had previously, but they survived from something so unfortunate. The reason to why both the ideas were not chosen is due to my suggestion that the first idea seemed too simple to execute and it would have been boring to watch as it were going to be a repeated type of sequence. The second idea was not completely difficult, yet it consisted of having a bed for the person to be on. However, we decided to film Daniel and me in a classroom having a conversation as we are not compatible anymore, so we argue and break up. Also to show that time has passed we recorded a shot of us having bumped into each other which was an awkward moment therefore there was a close up of our faces. Afterwards we get sent back to our flashback of when we were in the park and enjoyed each others company.
Evaluation
Fortunately, when filming we obviously had filmed our idea in any order but it went well during the editing as the title added showed that there were a change in time. Also there were a good use of transitions used. Unfortunately the camera operator was not able to film some parts that I suggested as we were disagreeing on some things so we tried to finish as quick as possible, also the weather was not in our favour as it were raining either heavily and then not very heavily. Another disadvantage was that at the beginning where we show the break up scene, the voices are not clear to hear. Besides the disadvantage of the weather I think that the was nothing to improve apart from we could have used a mic or had the camera closer therefore, the task was very successful.
An example that has text to manipulate time and space is a film named 'The Jacket' as well as 'A Cinderella Story'. The first film I have mentioned is of a horror genre, where the editor will use a certain type of font along with the colour red. The only difference with the way I had shown my text was with a wipe, but in 'The Jacket' the writing appears after the dissolve straight forward as a solid text, which is going of in an inwards motion. Furthermore, in the second film of the opening scene it shows the text fading in.
Firstly, transitions signify a movement of one shot to another. Also there can are a range of transitions that get used to hint an idea to the audience, so this is why it is essential that the correct transitions are chosen. The following transitions are;straight cut, dissolve, fade, wipes and graphic match. Furthermore, in film making effects are as important as transitions because film makers can effectively manipulate diegetic time and space. A few examples of effects would be to show time moving slower or quicker than normal, different location and the time period changes in a flashback/forward.
Secondly, a straight cut does not attract the audience's attention because instantaneously one shot moves to the other shot. Therefore, this is the most common form of transition due to it being "invisible". In addition, this form of transition gets used in continuity editing for there to be no break or suspension of disbelief for the viewers watching, which helps with retaining reality.
A dissolve is when the audience are able to have a glimpse of two shots which meet at the mid point. The mid point is produced by one shot beginning to fade off the screen, while another shot is fading in. As these two shots emerge it shows some sort of connection from something like two characters, places or even objects, and the connection of the shots may imply that time has been passed hence the two shots have met in the middle for a brief second or so. 'Citizen Kane' is a film which has a combination of transitions being a straight cut, dissolve and wipes. These transitions are used very well in the opening sequence as it creates a mood of being intrigued, but at the same time it allows the viewer to slightly foreshadow what is going to happen as there are a few clues used such as the man is soon to be dying yet before that we can see the dissolves of a castle and other things. The castle we see indicates that the man is rich.
Another transition is wipes which is is one of the most divergent and unusual of all the transitions mentioned so far. It is due to the fact that one image is being pushed off the screen with another image. The images can be pushed in any direction however the most common direction to push an image is off to the left hand side. This is the best way to do so as the movement of the scene seems more consistent, because with sense it will be like time is moving forward. As well as this a wipe signals to the audience that they are being shown different locations which can experience the same time, thus this is a visual equivalently saying "meanwhile..." For example Star Wars films use this transition extensively.
Lastly, graphic match is a specialised transition as an editor would not make a decision of adding two shots between each other, but rather which two shots would be good to place next to one another. Additionally, the only possible way to organise the shots together is by both of the shots being similar in shape, which eventually will tell the audience that there is a significant link between what is shown and viewed. A film where a graphic match has been involved is in Psycho when the circular plug hole is matching with Marion's eye. Another type of example is when Spielberg used a double graphic match, where it had gone from a water drop on a leaf to the Earth to a red traffic light in 'War of The Worlds'.
Besides the transitions the effects are also handy when editing because as said before it shows that the time period has changed in a flashback/forward, different locations and time moving quickly or slowly can occur by a couple of ways. One of them is something simple consisting of colour filter usage, also a film that has used colour filer before is Magic Mike. Another point is the changing of saturation of an image to either enhance the colour or get rid of it. To show a time period has adapted the colour of the image can turn black and white frequently for flashbacks, such as in the film Memento.
During the post production stage there are more effects that can be added which are completely different. That one common technique is adjusting the speed of the footage, for example in 'The Time Machine' the time traveler enters the time machine and instantly the environment has changed as he's traveled through time. Despite this example a modern example is in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban where there is layering including change of when the image speeds up.
Finally, the films involve sound which can be either diegetic or non diegetic, and the difference between them is that with diegetic sound the source is visible on the screen or it can be implied to be present by the action of the film. Thus the sorts of sources include voices of the characters, sounds made by objects in the story, music represented as it is coming from the instruments. Also all of the above mentioned can be on and off screen depending on whether the source is within the frame or outside. On the other hand, non diegetic sound is the opposite as this is when the source is not visible on screen or implied to be present on the action. This involves the narrator's commentary, sound effects which is added on for the dramatic effect, and music to set moods.
For this task I was asked to film and edit a short sequence in which two characters are approaching each other from different locations. Therefore, to achieve the task I became the camera operator as well as director in our group, also Daniel and Basra were acting.
Synopsis
The post production storyboard explains what we will film in the simplest way, but as the task requires cross cutting, I will edit all the clips apart from one as a cross cut. The cross cut involves the walking of both Basra and Daniel, also when both of them take their bags off to get ready for a fight where they give each other nasty glares. In addition, the clip which does not have any cross cutting is the high five that they give, instead of actually fighting because it was building up tension to something extremely normal and unexpected.
Evaluation
The advantages of this task is that as a group of three we were able to show a build through misconception, and while the cross cut occurs I was able to show that the actors had walked from the exact position each time. There were good close ups and as the wide shot showed the music faded towards the end as they did not end up fighting. However, there are many disadvantages such as before uploading the complete video one of my clips being the high five had suddenly vanished. Hence I had to use the previous clip, which was recorded and it shows Daniel looking straight at the camera. Additionally, when I looked at the camera when we practiced where Basra would walk from it was fine, yet when we began recording rather than turning from the corner he walked ahead and already being in the shot. Also there were background noises of something clicking plus talking, but the talking does slightly work in our favour as it could seem realistic that other students are in the school. Another point is that when Basra walks Daniel should have been in the shot, however as my first time being camera operator and director me as well as the group did not realise that Daniel disappear yet reappear, thus when this clip was edited the viewer will perceive it as disorientated. A further disorientated part of the video is to why the bags were left on the table once they walked off. As I have said before for another task I would improve the disadvantages if I were to do the same scenario, also I would have two different locations as ours was in one location, even though it could be interpreted that Daniel and Basra have just left their lesson, or came into school from home from two completely different directions etc. Maybe I could have placed a split screen effect as both were doing the same actions, then it qould have changed from the split screen to the wide shot of them getting closer to give one another a high five quickly. Despite a tiny aspect of the task not being met, overall it was very successful in the sense that it was a simple scenario ro cross cut with. Plus the advantages and disadvantages are roughly balanced so it was minor mistakes.
First and fore most I will explain how pace of editing can be used to create a range of effects by covering the following;engaging the viewer, speed of editing, cross cutting, cutaways, creating pace and development of drama.
Engaging viewer
Films which get recorded are normally using these techniques so that they are able to grasp the audiences attention. If the film makers are not able to get the message across to the viewers then of course it is likely that the viewers will not attracted to watch the film again, also they would not recommend the film to their friends and families. For example in the film 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' there is a gun fight shot. This gun fight shot is able to engage the viewers as it is filmed from different angles and also it gradually builds this tense atmosphere through the use of music, close ups as well as the speed. Therefore, it would be a really good film because it is almost like a cliffhanger that makes the individual think what is going to occur, and as seen in the clip there are three men who have came for treasure but we are able to make our own assumptions to who will get the treasure in a deserted area.
Speed of Editing and Creating Pace
Furthermore, in each film scene that gets filmed the speed of editing will last a certain amount of time either lasting for a few seconds or minutes. At the same time the speed of the edit can create this mood with what is taking place on the screen. So two examples that show different speeds are films such as 'The Bourne Ultimatum' and 'The Notebook'. in the first film it shows action thus the scenes will be quick and change from one shot to another frequently, as this happens it enables the audience to feel suspense and anxiety. The second film is the opposite hence in this case the second film is longer without frequent changes making a relaxed mood for a romantic comedy films. Besides this there is not always a need of editing and one film that has no editing at all but instead it consists of one whole take with the use of a steadicam as well as a digital camera. Another form to create pace with editing will be trailers, and one of them is 'The Hunger Games, Catching Fire'. It needs to have a fast pace because it will have to pack a lot of detail.
Cross Cut and Development of Drama
A cross cut is when something will be able to occur at the same time from different locations. Cross cutting is achieved by two sequences edited together as a complete sequence but not entirely as it is used for the audience to understand that there is a relation between those two sequences. An example of where cross-cut is used is in the opening scene of Scream, where death is upon Casey making it dramatic, however the cross-cut appears to show that the parents may be able to arrive home in time to nearly save her. Hence this development of drama will be expected from the audience, and also the scenes tend to be longer at the start so that the audience are able to understand what is happening in the film and it aids in introducing the important characters. Yet the scenes begin to shorten as the film makers want to tell two stories at the same time.
Cutaway
Cutaways are used in films to show a piece of important section of action to the audience. So even when a dialogue is being spoken the voice of the person will be ongoing while a cutaway happens. Also all that a cutaway does is extend the sequence with main shots that the editor will decide to place in to the video.
In 1950's and 1960's a popular style of film making was non-continuity editing. There were two film makers of the name of Jean-Luc Goddard and Francios Truffaut who created a new style called the 'French New Wave'. They did this by pushing the limits of editing techniques to another extent. The new style of films meant that there was a use of carefree editing style, and it did not conform to the traditional editing etiquette of Hollywood films. A further point is that the 'French New Wave' editing often drew attention by the continuity lacking. Also it's self-reflexive nature was reminding the audience that they were watching a film. However, at times there was different material which was not related to narrative, thus this allowed the audience to be surprised as well as intrigued.
In addition, down below is an image of how non-continuity editing looks and how the jump cuts are simply making non-continuity editing look different to continuity editing.
Additionally, there were other ways to non-continuity editing. A film by Stanley Kubrick named 'The Shining' had a 180 degree rule. The 180 degree rule was broken purposely so that it created a startling effect. Also film makers are still using the technique in modern films. Therefore, another example is 'The Hunger Games'. At thirty four minutes of the film the rule appears by showing the bed being on the left side of the room, but it has moved to the right side. This movement suggests that if these lines cross or break then the character or anything in the shot will seem as if it has swapped positions on the screen. Often if these types of scenes are observed on the screen it means that the rule was used to convey that it is possible that something wrong is going to or is happening.
My task is to work in a group and we have to film a short sequence which can demonstrate my understanding on four techniques. Also the task will be done in school showing match on action, eye-line match, shot reverse shot and the 180 degree rule. In addition, the following roles given in the group is that the director is Basra and the camera operator is Reece, as well as the two actor/acteress being Daniel and Me.
Synopsis
Me and and the group filmed four techniques of me looking at a chair that I will sit on which is eye line match, then Daniel walks in being the match on action technique. Furthermore, there is going to be a clip of Daniel and me reading our books which is the 180 degree rule. From the 180 degree rule we went for the shot reverse shot, so Daniel starts a very small conversations about getting the book he has, despite that I ruin his happiness because I am supposed to seem as if I am a bookworm who has already read the book.
Evaluation
On the one hand, what went well throughout the making of this task was that the mic did not get in the way of the clip and the match on action did go wrong, but it was corrected and looked a lot better after I edited the clip. The reason to why the match on action went wrong is because Basra was in the shot yet I made the edit so that Daniel's body covered Basra as well as stopped for there to be a flow in what Daniel was going to next. On the other hand, at the beginning there were some odd knocking noises recorded. In addition, I was supposed to look at two chairs and then one to show that I have chosen which chair I am going to sit on. As well as this I probably should not have put the same clip of me looking after the chair, because it seems as if the chair has eyes so it glares back towards me. I only added the clip of me looking again after the chair as the edits of mine and one of my group members were going to be similar so I tried to make it different. Instead of the 180 degree rule clip being of me and Daniel just sitting down reading our books, it should have been us two talking and then leading it to the shot reverse shot, therefore to me it feels like the section will not come across as neat. The last disadvantage is that there was not a lot of conversation so there needed to be more of that as it now does not make sense with the conversation ending with a line from Daniel and then me. What I would improve is all of the disadvantages if we record the same scenario, or consider not doing those mistakes if there were to be a new scenario. In conclusion, using continuity editing techniques was successful but it still could have been more accurate in some places.
Continuity editing started around the time when D.W.Griffith had a breakthrough with The Birth of a Nation. It is also something which is very popular as it is known as Classical Hollywood, and the classical style of editing ensures that when the filming occurs then the temporal and spatial are being continued. The temporal and space get continued so that the narrative can be advanced also to use the following techniques which are mentioned down below. Furthermore, continuity editing is important because it keeps this realistic order to express the feelings of time moving forward. As well as this it means that flashbacks/forwards can be used as long as it does not break the chronology of proceeding ahead in an expected way.
Eye line Match
Eye-line Match is a technique which enables the audience to experience plus view what the character is looking at, forming a different approach to the film. This different approach happens because film makers can create an effect that the audience can conclude through variety of impressions, such as there is tension between two people so they glare towards one another and look away and carry on with whatever is happening within the storyline. The technique is accomplished by linking two shot together as one. Thus to see the two shots together, as the audience we are able to identify that the character is staring at something but really the character would be staring offscreen. However, the previous shot has been cut to show the actual thing which the character is looking at.
Match on Action
Match on Action is similar to eye line match and shot reverse shot in the sense that all three techniques link two shots together. An example of match on action which normally occurs in films would be walking through the door. Walking through the door would be filmed as one shot starting, and the next shot would be finishing. In addition, this is used in nearly every film as it creates continuity along with a natural movement, even though the same shots are filmed twice by the actor/actress. Lastly, when film makers are recording a match on action scene they will need to be mindful of the fact that due to the shots being filmed twice everything such as the camera and character is in the exact same position each time. If this were not to happen then the shot will not look realistic, also it could be seen disorientated to the audience.
Shot Reverse Shot
Shot Reverse Shot is a technique which involves two or more people having a conversation with each other. Therefore, one shot will be taken of the first character talking then the next shot will reveal the other character speaking, and this is likely to go back and fourth until the conversations has ended. This technique is immensely convenient because it allows the audience to connect with the two characters, but at the same time it gives realisation that they are interacting joining the two clips together.
180 Degree Rule
Finally, this technique is a rule which simply states that the camera should be on either the left or right side but not both. The reason to why the camera should not be on both sides is due to this relationship that needs to be shown between two characters or elements in the same scene. Despite this film makers can decide to actually break the rule by passing over the imaginary axis which is called crossing the line, also if the film maker has taken action of breaking the rule on purpose then the two characters will have swapped positions as well as created confusion to anticipate that something has altered. An example of where the 180 degree rule has been broken is in 'The Shining'.
