Skills Audit: Editing

In order to make the editing easier for us, we organised shots by renaming each shot with a brief description to be able to find what where looking for with out wasting time. We then imported the clips into final cut pro ready to be edited. We began by cutting various points of clips getting rid of unwanted footage. This then allowed us to create effective shots. For example in order to get a match cut of the Rojda in the café putting the cup down on the table, we had to cut down on clips making sure it looked smooth. Not only this gave us a great match cut effect, it also cut out time which meant that we then had more time to include other shots and creative effects. Our opening sequences where limited to 2 minutes. We also used the fade transition in the beginning and the end of the sequence in order to give our thriller a smooth effect to start and end with. The shot after shot effect between the Rojda and I and Miguel who was sitting down on the bench outside the cafe was also created by the use of cutting into clips. Although it sounds easy, getting the timing accurate was a bit tricky as we had to watch the clips many times to make sure that we hadn’t missed out any seconds. The editing took roughly 3 day to complete.

Skills Audit: Sound Track

I believe that the hardest part of making our thriller was creating the sound by using soundtrack. Miguel was in charge of the music therefore he created the main parts of the soundtrack. To begin with, we went through all of the sound effects together and picked up the most relevent ones for a thriller opening. Miguel then went of and combined the selected effects matching it to our thriller.

Creating the sound track is not as simple as it sounds. This is because you have to make sure each sound used with in the thriller matchs with each scene. Although the filming and editing of a thriller film is very important to be able to create tension, i believe that the most effective and important part of the production scheme is the creation of the sound track played within the film. This is because the most effective way in order to create tension within a film is by the use of the sound. This is either created by playing around with the volume of the sound or by using it on the right moment. Miguel has managed to do this effectively as the sound used within our thriller has created tension very effectively.

Skills Audit: Filming

Before coming up with the idea for ‘Undiscovered’ we had many different ideas for our opening sequence. However after considering it carefully we then decided that we where better of doing something not so complicated as our time is limit.


On 9th of March, we took the all our equipment to Springfield Park, where our film was located. We had pre arranged the location where we were going to film our clips. Springfield Park was a perfect location, as it seemed vacant, after setting up the equipment we headed towards the cafe where we would film the beginning of our thriller.

We had to ask for permission to film in the cafe, we brought some snakes and were granted a limited amount of time to get the shots we needed, this was quickly done as we worked hard and efficiently taking various shots so that our clip could be shown at different angles. A combination of teamwork and positive thinking allowed as to grab the essential shots we needed such as the establishing shot of both the park and outside the cafe, close ups of important props such as the glove and the fire place.

We managed to complete most of the filming according to the plan. We started of by getting various shots of the location in advance so that we had more pieces of footage to choose to include in our thriller. While filming, I learnt the importance of repeating the same actions many times in order to be able to take the same shots from different angles and view points. This was then used in our thriller to make effects such as match cuts and jump cuts.

The importance in repeating the same actions is to be able to create a smooth footage adding different effects from different view points. However if the same actions wasn’t repeated, it would be very obvious for the audience to spot out the difference. This also includes the background as we had to make sure that when repeating the filming, the things in the background such as props stayed in the same position. It took a long time to make sure the filming was accurate.


I believe that we made a great effort in being able to complete all the filming in one day, every one of our group members contributed. We managed to follow the story board and keep up with our plan. One thing that we had to change according to the plan was the dog barking at the canal scene, the main reasons for this was that we couldn’t control the dog, therefore the dog was distracted by other things around him. I think that we wasted a lot of our time with the dog where as if that amount of time and effort was put into the filming it could have been much more effective. Over all I was very satisfied with the footage we ended up with because we managed to stay as a team and work together in order to get a valuable piece of work.

Skills Audit: creation of titles

When we was creating our titile sequence we had to make up names for each part. We were told to do this in order to make our opening of our clip seem more realistic and professsional. At the beginning of our clip we chose to have Candi studio. Followed by SeaSaw production which was nicely fitted and contrasted with our clip. We used white font colour on a black background which was slightly fading in and way the effect we used for our writing was a jumpy effect which contrast our clip. The black background making it more clear for the reader to see and also we thought that by using our title against a black background it would have more of a effect to the audience. The tittles were shown for 2-5 seconds which was enough time for the audience to read it alongside our names after, in order so they knew who was involved in this clip. We made sure not to put the title shots stright after or overlapping an important shot, this way it makes the important shots stand out from the rest. After this we had to then import the title sequence and then import them onto final cut pro. They then dragged the title sequence onto the timeline and placed it were we thought it would look best.

Rough Cut

Rough Cut

This is the first rough cut we ended up with and I believe that there will be alot of improvements until the final edit. These improvements will also include sound and credits which will be added at a later stage.

Animatic Story Board

Thriller Story Board

This is the storyboard that we used in order to keep a set regime allowing us to follow a set pattern, this minimised any confusion on the filming day, this was important and we were able to get all the shots used in the storyboard on the day.

Location Shots

Here are some of the Location Shots that we Captured.

Pitch

Story Board For our Thriller

Skills Audit: Prelim Exercise

On Our Preliminary Match Cut exercise day one member of the group didn’t turn up. Therefore there where parts of the story board we couldn’t follow. We all took turns in filming each other however our main camera man was Miguel as he wasn’t in any of the scenes.

We tried taking as many shots as possible trying not to break the 180 degree rule. These shots included high angle shots, close ups and mid shots. We also took various shots of each other walking down the corridor, opening and closing the door, sitting on the table from various different angles. However I think the best shot taken was when Miguel was standing on the table in order to capture a good high angle view of us sitting down at the table.

Overall I was not much satisfied with the clips we took as the tripod we used was broken which ended us having shots that where out of angle. Even though our tripod wasn’t the best we could of have, we managed to get some great shots through the door. I believe that the match cut of me walking through the door was very effective. In order to get a good basic match cut scene, there was a lot of effort put into editing.

The editing ended up not being as tricky as we thought it would be as we where given a clear tutorial in how to use the programmes. However as it was our first time editing something that had a story line to it, we knew that we had to make sure it looked accurate which ended us not being able to decide what shots to use.

Perliminary Exercise

Match Cut Clip

This is our perliminary exercise

Match Cut Story Board

News and Current Affairs

Teen David Curran aged 19, was accused of manslaughter in court and pleaded not guilty saying he had be provoked to attack two polish builders outside their house. He had though already admitted to killing both men, and whiteness told that he had gone for the first man straight penetrating his skull in the temple area with a screw driver, then as soon as the second builder reacted he punched him then again forced the screwdriver this time into his victims neck.

A psychiatrist was charged with sexual assault after he was supposedly helping gay soldiers with an electric shock. Instead of shocking his patients he actually was caught making sexual advances after someone recorded his actions. It seems that he has done this on several occasions and the police are looking at 30 cases, Dr. Aubrey Levin had worked in Canada for 15 years before moving to South Africa where he then performed 'cures' supposedly 'curing' gay soldiers.

The mother of a new born baby was arrested after her baby was found dead outside a food store. Police have accused her of abandoning the baby of only 15 hours after birth, the mother has been taken into counseling.

Events Diary Blog; News and Current Affairs

According to Channel 4 News it was reported that during the cruise on the Louis Majesty a man of 73 died by being slashed to death while resting board by a shower of glass shards. The man of 73 had gone to take a break after rough seas then found that a pile of waves had shattered the windows only for the glass to wound him severely.

When the Cypriot owned ship came a shore the fatality became noticed yet it was to late as the passenger had bled to death.

Intro to Cameras & Health and Safety

In the this lesson of media studies we were introduced to the film making equipment, this included the camera itself for recording and the tripod which gives the camera a steady stabaliser for professional looking recording. We learnt how to unpack the camera stand expanding and collapsing it , we simply learnd how to lock and unlock the tubes which give it more hight, and also what buttons to press in order to place the camera on the top of the stabaliser, locking it on.

We were able to learn all about the camera and what buttons carried out various different comands, the cameras usage of user 1 was explored and is vital as it helps gain maximum clarity for best video recording quality. The zooming features were clarified and the focusing with the rotary wheel at the front o the camera was explored. Our Memory card was given to us so that we can record all our sequences of work. We were also shown how to view previously recorded footage which was highly interesting.

Technical audit of Bait Tutorial

During this lesson we where able to explore the software that was to be used in order to create a professional looking thriller opening. The software called 'Final Cut Pro' was explored and we were given some in edited simple clips which hadn't been cut together therefore giving a=us the task to join the clips, giving them a smooth flow in between cuts where the camera angle would change.

The timeline on final cut pro was easy to use, simply drag the clip that you want in your piece of work onto the timeline where you can quickly cut it shorten it and all sorts. once i grabbed the clip of my desire and placed it on the time line, we were told to click 'i' to place a marker on the timeline which would signal when the clip would begin, then simply by pressing 'o' it would place another marker where the clip would end, once selecting the wanted areas of the clip all of the extra bits of the clip outside the marker zone would be cropped off. We also saw the razor blade function which would cut cuts down. Seeing as editing is very important with effects also we explored different types of effects that could be added to a clip this included fades or blackout pauses in-between clips which could help add suspense.

Finally we took a look at how we could add sound over the clip, we were informed that using an mp3 file for the sound would decrease the quality of sound therefore must be converted into another format more compatible with the software. Then to finish we where given a hard drive where we would save our work, connecting and ejecting this hard drive where taken into account.

match cut prelim lucinda