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'.
Our task is to create a montage in the style of Hollywood or Soviet. The montage that the group decided on is the Hollywood Montage, and it had to be based on a school day.
Synopsis
In this task we basically went to different lessons, where Daniel is chosen to act as a misbehaving student in the first lesson. This is why he will be on the phone as he does not understand the work so he then walks out the class. A further point is that when I am sat in the second lesson I will be taking my time to finish the work given, but Daniel is not misbehaving in the second lesson because we want to make the audience think for themselves that maybe he prefers a certain subject so he is behaving. Yet he is going to be very impatient to leave the lesson as he will be starving thus he will be almost running out of the class in time for lunchtime. Afterwards we show that Daniel will have lunch and then towards the end of the PE lesson he will be rushing to complete his last lap and meet up with me to leave the school. However, I leave the begin making my way out of school and the teacher catches up with us so that Daniel attends his detention.
Evaluation
The only advantage of this montage video is a section of the music which fits within the clip of when Daniel is running around for the PE lesson. Yet there were many disadvantages, one of them I think is that the music choice was wrong. Another is that there was a change in lighting after Daniel had looked at the clock. Although a montage is not supposed to to be continuous the task had specified a school day, so due to the clothes changing it will not be shown across to the viewers as one school day packed into a few seconds, instead it could be perceived as two separate days. Also when me and Daniel are going to the next lesson where we are walking in the corridor, yet a bit of a jerky jump happens. So while editing to me it looked as if the position matched from the two clips combined, but it did not look as I wanted it to be as well as this there were a slight tilt from the camera. Being too critical I thought there was no need for the camera to be moving when Daniel was eating. Last of the disadvantages is that there whole group did not agree on a lot of things such as me and Daniel were supposed to leave the school together, however at the last minute it was decided by two members of the group that Basra should be involved. Therefore, Daniel gets called back for his detention, because as shown in the first lesson Daniel was on his phone. Hence I turn awkwardly to see that something else has occurred. The sorts of things which I would like to improve if there were a chance to make another or the same montage is to film quickly but accurately to avoid the situation of the clothes changing. Another point is that even though we had our storyboard due to the changes, before hand we will need to know how and what gets recorded for the video. Additionally, the change in lighting could have been corrected if I tried with colour correction but there still may not have been any change. Finally, the task as well as the video was not successful yet at the same time it was, due to the fact that the outcome of a school day was achieved by the location.
The actual montage above is still similar to the draft but the only changes now is that it does not show a change in angle when Daniel is having his lunch. In addition, it shows a faster speed to indicate everything which was happening in a school day, although it does seem slightly strange as no one would walk or do something as quick as shown in the video. In addition, at the end I improved the clip by adding a title to show that there are two things possible to happen which is the fact that we could have gone home, but Daniel has detention as he has not completed his work in the first lesson.
Firstly, the term montage has a different meaning when referred to. The true meaning of montage in media is to cut and piece together sections of a film clip, to create it as a continuous clip. There are three types of montages; The French Montage, Hollywood Style Montage and Soviet Montage.
A French Montage simply means to assemble. Therefore, the process identifies as editing in French films. A person who is famous for French Montage is Jean-Luc Goddard.
Hollywood Montage is where the film maker will want to take the most important clips, to make the clip shorter by condensing. The reason to why the important clips are made shorter is because the overall film will become uninteresting, so there needs to be shorter clips that grab the audiences attention. An example of a Hollywood Montage is the film 'Rocky', where Rocky is training. In the clip we see that Rocky has trained during day time as well as night time, because of the light shining in the background. In addition, this is an important clip as we do not see the whole day, apart from when Rocky has started and also ended his training.
Furthermore, in early Soviet there was a whole other meaning to film making in 1920. But now Soviet Montage is literally juxtaposing different shots to contrast. Film makers do this to show the actual meaning of the film, which did not exist before in the shots. For example Sergei Eisenstein who was a film director had introduced the Soviet Montage. Eisenstein's first ever feature length film was named 'Strike in 1925'. The film shows how the butcher is slaughtering the cattle through using cross cutting in the shot, also it shows how the striking workers were mistreated by the Russian troop.
However, before Eisenstein there was a young film maker called Lev Kuleshov who was doing experiments around 1920. Kuleshov had experimented by taking old film clips of a head shot of this Russian actor. Then he had inter-cut the head shots with any three images to compare.
To make a film there are a variety of ways to do so when editing. Altogether there are three ways to edit one of them being analogue (splicing), video and digital. However, over the years two of the editing techniques are not used, but the main way to edit is digitally.
Analogue editing is cutting together the pieces of celluloid film for the film to be shown in order. Traditionally films were made up with a set of images to be printed on to acetate negative, and this was done so that the images could be spliced together to create a reel of film. Once the reel of film is created it would then start feeding through a projector at a constant speed of twenty four frames per second. The reason to the frames being at a constant speed is because it makes the images seem as if they are moving, despite them actually not moving and this due to the existence of analogue editing. A further point is that the films were edited using The Moviola, which was invented by Iwan Serrurier in 1924. The Moviola was the first device allowing film editors to view the film as they were editing. In addition, this machine was used first for a feature length motion picture editing.
Iwan Serruerier The Moviola
Another form of editing is video editing. This type of editing was being used before digital technology, as magnetic tapes became available. These magnetic tapes were used to store information, yet people knew the tapes as video tapes. Furthermore, the process of video editing is to edit segments of tapes, which is done by using a mechanical device that puts together the pieces of a video tape. For the device to put the pieces of video tape together, it requires that the editing is done in the correct order the first time. If the tape is edited in the correct order the first time round, then it avoids showing any mistakes. Therefore, this is known as linear editing.
On the other hand, the next type of editing is digital. Digital editing is common because it is a form of electronic media, where the data is stored. Also there are different methods for digital editing opposed to the previous two styles mentioned above. Digital editing is done through a range of programs for example Adobe Premier, Avid and Final Cut Pro. These three programs can be found on computers and when the program is in use, it allows the clips to go in a certain order as well as manipulate this digital data. Additionally, digital film making is done by using bits and bytes (strings of 1's and 0's) to record, transmit and replay images. Instead of using the method of chemicals on film, the whole process is now electronic. Thus there is no need to involve printing or splicing. As digital editing is a process of using electronic files it becomes easier to cut and paste text into a word document. While editing a sequence, the order would not matter to whether the editing began from the end, before having started the first scene. So this means that digital editing is known as non-linear editing.
The fact that there are three ways to edit they still have there ups and downs. On the one hand the pros for analogue editing is that it is quicker and also precise, because the cast and crew will be given instructions as well as responsibility to only have one shot taken. Given that analogue editing is not done on the computer it suggests that it is a lot more safer. The reason for it being safe to not do editing on the computer is because, there is less risk of the footage getting damaged. The cons of analogue editing is that if a mistake did happen then there will be no chance in being able to edit the mistake. Also the mistake will make the film low standard which is not good for the director, and other people involved in helping out with the film. Nevertheless, another con is that the equipment to edit the film will possibly be heavy, also expensive. Furthermore, communication is a hurdle during the recording of a scene such as saying action/cut. This makes it difficult to even edit the action or cut out of the film. Even more so the issue with analogue editing is that the video tapes tend to degenerate, and becuase of this the film will seem all jumpy and have these scratches that stops showing some parts of the film from the screen.
Finally, in this case digital editing has positives when editing and one positive is that it overtook video editing, by being quicker and a lot more cheaper. In addition, when filming the scenes can be filmed in any order at any time, and this would apply to editing as well. Also there are multiple chances to edit to make an advert or film to a high standard. As well as these positives there are negatives. The negative for this type of editing in general is that the whole procedure of editing can be a struggle to understand. It is because it could be a persons first time trying to edit, however this can be solved as some people who know how to edit will have tutorials. But this would take up valuable time when having to meet a deadline to have the film or something edited. Another disadvantage for digital is piracy. To end with the last problem could be that the program could crash and lose the work, or anything could happen to the computer. Therefore, technology is not reliable at times when it comes to digital editing.
Firstly, In Camera Editing is a technique of video production, in which the camera operator shoots the shots in the exact order the film will be viewed as. The technique use to be used a great deal in the early days before splicing, which is an art to cut film strips and reconnect them. The film is edited by switching the camera on and off, also one of the most famous historical in camera editors who made great use of the technique was George Melies who had used the technique in 'The Vanishing Lady' in 1896.
Secondly, the pros of In Camera Editing is that it can be completed quickly, and it helps an individual to gain experience of getting the recording spot on either the next time round to see the corrections made. Besides the advantages the reason behind why editors moved on from the In Camera Editing technique is due to other techniques being discovered or invented to edit. The cons of the technique is that if someone makes a mistake then the recording will not be done properly, therefore the recording would have to start from fresh again.
Synopsis
For task two I had to work in a small group of four and it consisted in having two people who were acting, one person being the camera operator also one being the director. In the group there was me playing the actresses, Daniel as the director, Reece as the camera operator and Basra being an actor. Also as a group of four we had to create a one minute sequence that will be edited in camera, as well as that it should be set in school with either dialogue or silence. Furthermore, our storyboard tells us what type of angles and also shots we need to record, but really the whole storyboard shows what our scenario is. The scenario is that I am going to be filmed typing away at "work" and Basra who is my Boss walks in very disappointed. Hence he talks to me about sacking me, then I decide that I will storm out angrily but also upset, due to not agreeing with the decision that the Boss made.
Evaluation
The advantages of our task two video is that before we started to record we put the blinds down as I was facing the window and we wanted to prevent shadows showing. Another advantage is that towards the end when I leave the room that part was continuous. Even with advantages there are also disadvantages. The first disadvantage is that Basra has opened the door and he shuts the door but the action was repeated over again so that we could get it from the right angle, yet there is a little pause before he shut the door. Furthermore, Basra's head was cut from the the frame, and the final thing is that I was staring at the camera due to feeling embarrassed for having to act as if I were sacked from my job. Also the clip of me trying to express sad emotions were supposed to end quickly, but the director did not tell the camera operator to stop at the right moment. So I thought that the recording had stopped because of the noise from the camera however it did not. If I were to do the task again I would ensure that the frame is getting every feature we need, for example full shots of faces etc. In addition, there should have been more practice despite not being professional at acting maybe I should not have starred at the camera, plus where Basra should have stopped and started at the right time/place during the door section. Overall, I think the In Camera Editing task was successful because the outcome of the video was not too bad as it went quick, so the disadvantages may not have been noticed the first time round.
Firstly, in this blog I will be explaining how editing developed and how a range of famous people have helped in changing the ways of editing over the years. Furthermore, there has been around fifty years since all the editing techniques having being used in present day.
The Lumiere Brothers
The first asset who played a vital part in the development of editing are the Lumiere Brothers. The Lumiere Brothers worked closely with Edison, and they were the first to create films with a variety of lengths as well as creating moving image. The moving image was created as both brothers had been inspired by Edison's invention, so just a year before there first ever film they made a cinematographe. This cinematographe was slightly better as it was much smaller as well as lighter, yet the only issue was that the speed of the film would be at sixteen frames per second whereas Edison's invention was at forty eight frames per second, therefore this means that the device was slower as an individual had to hand crank the machine. In addition, the first film that the Lumiere Brothers had named was 'Sortie d'usine' in 1895, showing a group of workers leaving a factory. This film was a motion shot which entertained the audience, as this was never seen before. However, now it takes more to entertain the public and this therefore led on to the second person who helped develop editing even more.
Thomas Edison
The next person is Edison who had invented the light bulb, but other than that he had run a film laboratory making him the first film maker. The reasons behind Edison being the first film maker is because he had created a Kinetoscope, which was suitable for the industry standard. Also it led to a 35mm film strip which helped Thomas Edison become an important person to society. After a long series of investigations and experiments, Edison had another invention. The other invention was a Kinetograph which was an apparatus for taking pictures for the Kinetoscope. The new invention of a Kinetograph meant that other film makers could use the creation for their own films, therefore once a projector was made and it allowed the other film makers films to be shown to a larger audience. This implies that the audience were able to enjoy films as it was a brand new experience.
G.A. Smith
Furthermore, before there was no story or editing and it meant that films could be shown for the amount of time that the film was in left in the camera. Nonetheless, G.A.Smith was the real film maker because he started editing, and it advanced to other film makers following in his step. Then George Smith had made 'The Miller and The Sweep' in 1897, this film was because one man is walking out from a windmill carrying a bag of flour, but Sweep bumps into the Miller with the bag of flour and they start fighting. As soon as the two men are off the screen there's a group running across following the men. After two years Smith created the 'Phantom Ride' as this was a different genre also he wanted his films to have an added "extra spice." Nevertheless, there was an advantage in 'The Kiss in the Tunnel' because of the darkness it gave the film to showcase as an edit, as it showed the front of the train going into the tunnel but ended up showing the inside of the carriages.
Edwin S.Porter
Following Smith was Edwin Porter however before he had joined the film laboratory of Thomas Edison, in the late 1890's he worked as an electrician. Porter and Edison had worked together to make films longer also at the same time interesting. For example his first film was 'The Life of An American Fireman' in 1903 which was his breakthrough film due to him having three things, and they were a plot, action and also a close up of the fireman pulling the alarm. Eventually Edwin Porter had discovered the important aspect of the motion language also the creation of the contextual relationship by splicing. Splicing means to join pieces of films at the ends, so Porter's most famous film was 'The Great Train Robbery' in 1903 which lasted ten minutes, because of the splicing and as it was the longest film of his time.
George Melies
A further point is that after Edwin S.Porter, George Melies became an important figure to editing in early cinema. George Melies was a magician before he had became an important figure, he had seen the Lumiere Brothers films and thought of using his magical skills to join the film industry. On the other hand, Melies wanted to make novelty films rather than just motion films. Hence during filming his ideas his camera had broken down for a few seconds, which paused the recording but it started to record again. Thus Melies discovered on stop motion by accident, however before the discovery it had not occurred to him that the camera could move to get different shots for his films. Later George Melies used his knowledge by creating a film called 'The Vanishing Lady' in 1896. Unfortunately, Melies was forced out of the film industry in 1913 leaving him to die of poverty, although the film 'Hugo' was dedicated to him for his contribution in early cinema.
Charles Pathe
Last but not the least, Charles Pathe was the first person to introduce parallel editing in his film 'The horse that Bolted' in 1907. Parallel editing is something that allows the audience to know that two different things happen at the same time. In the film parallel editing is shown to the audience as they get to see a man on the horse, but while the delivery man has gone inside we see the horse outside who runs off causing havoc. Undoubtedly parallel editing was proven to be successful as it was the first time to be seen, importantly a film could be created being a feature length film about ninety minutes long.
D.W.Griffith
Finally, Griffith is an American film director and he supported the power of early editing due to Melies, Smith, Porter, also Pathe. He had used cross-cutting to show another way of parallel cutting, also he would have had a variety of locations in the scenes. Nonetheless, he was a director who was using the editing techniques, in the production of feature length films. Not only was he the most influential director of his time due to his most controversial film named 'The Birth Of a Nation' in 1915. Also the film mentioned above was just set before and after the civil war, and his father had fought in the civil war which could have been inspirational to him. To end with he had been the third person to develop the art of story telling, as he would have wanted to make longer and more dramatic films. Yet there are now more techniques which get used today as there are some film directors and producers who will still use the techniques, because the films which were made were very good at the time. Therefore, editing has been more developed due to modern day technology and also digital editing has splicing involved. In the film it shows how the white people were fighting with black people but they were still white people who would be covered in black shoe polish. Another point is that during the ending in the film this white women was being bombarded with black people trying to rape the women and the ku klux klan were riding on their horses coming to save the women.
