Re-editing Day 4

January 20th 2017

On the 20th January, we knew that we had to really focus on getting the end product complete and include the last pieces of footage in and make adjustments to have it perfect. To begin with, Megan and I rewatched our project so that we could plan out the session. We took note of some improvements we needed to make, as well as organising feedback from our peers to have an unbiased approach. We then completed these imrpovements and filled in areas which were lit badly (we knew this was important as we discussed it before the lesson so this was not a major concern).

We began moving titles around to improve them as some feedback told us that some were not in relevant places. This ensured that the title sequence was different from the narrative and illustrated exactly what it was. We then rewatched it and witnessed how our first improvements enhanced our film. We focused almost entirely on footage so that we had the volume at a reasonable level which could be heard clearly by others yet not overwhelming. We then added in reshoots and watched the edit agaian.

Feedback then told us that we should make the title sequence even more separate from the narrative. After a quick discussion, we decided that making the shots black and white (apart from the brightly coloured tape). We then added the audio. We watched the edit yet again which allowed us to witness a few more issues. We added in a couple of sound layers to enhance mise en scene.

Megan and I watched our edit one last time separately with both headphones in so that we could really focus individually. We asked one last member of our Media class with unbiased views to comment on our film, in which they had no real criticism. Finally, we exported our final edit onto YouTube and watched it once more. We were very happy with what we had produced. 









 

Re-editing Day 3

January 13th 2017

On the January 13th, we decided to begin editing the scenes of the sequence between Larreh and Mirabell. The shots were reviewed by us to start with due to our test shots of multiple angles. We chose toe best ones for our sequence, and once we had done this, we began basic adjustments to each of these and removing particular unnecessary pieces of each shot.
 
This was a fairly lengthy process as we found that there were multiple shots that were unusable. Due to this, we chose to create a video with some of these shots in to highlight some problems we came across whilst filming. We rewatched each shot and once we had decided on them, we included some transitions and audio. We had to adjust parts of the audio volume and make it louder by using Audio Grain. We researched how to do this online and found it very useful in the majority of our shots. We then placed previous walking shots of Mirabell around the office sequence as some were before and some were after, illustrating her journey delivering the tape.


Once we had adjusted the necessary volumes in audio and dialogue, we placed in titles we had initially already created. We placed them in relevant places where they are easily read yet not deterring attention away from the actual film. We then began putting together our title sequence. We experimented with flashing up the brighly coloured tape, a concept in which we did not include in our first draft. Once we had put in the audio over this sequence, it felt much more like a film and we became proud of it. We rewatched it multipke times and made minor improvements. We then planned relevant changes and modifications we were going to touch up on next lesson.

Re-editing Day 2

January 11th 2017

During the editing on the 11th January, we located our new pieces of footage which are the outdoor scenes of my character Mirabell, as well as Geraldine. Megan and I initially decided to watch the variety of shots so that we could choose the best ones with the highest quality and placed them in the right places needed.

We then began to edit the pieces of footage. Once we had done this, we chose to begin adding transitions such as dissolves and fades in order for our opening to be continuous and flowing. We devised experiments for each transition and effect in order to choose the best placement and effect for each piece of footage. This proved to be helpful as we chose the best ones to enhance our narrative.

We then came across a significant issue with audio. This was the scene with Geraldine and Mirabell, when Geraldine says "And my payment?" Due to the weather and location, the audio was an issue. Realising this was not good at all, we researched many ways of removing the background wind noise, however, these still did not show continuity and therefore we decided to re-record this piece of dialogue using a mic. This was the best possible method. We ensured that Sophie, the girl who played the role Geraldine, spoke her words into the microphone just how she had before. It did not take too long and proved to be effective.

On this day, Megan and I knew it was importamt to get feedback from some peers so that we had an insight on whether we should improve some parts of our editing so far. We created a small focus group of our Media peers and asked for their opinion. The main opinion was that they believed we had unique and interesting pieces of footage. However, they also believed scaling one of the shots of Mirabell and Geraldine speaking. We used this feedback and scaled the particular shot and it did make it much more enhanced and continuous.

We began planning again and chose to have more shots in this section than we initially planned. We decided this during editing as we knew it would make our film more interesting. We decided on tracking movements and pans rather than only static shots. Once we had edited these outdoor scenes, we added in all of the walking shots of Mirabell. This allowed us to be ready for the next editing sessions. These would be including the flashback and title sequence. The titles were used on the walking shots of Mirabell which we had already created in the last editing session. We included these in and reviewing audio.











 

Re-editing Day 1

6th of January 2017

During this day on the 6th of January, Megan and I decided to begin our editing process of our reshoots. Both of us removed the footage we did not want to use in our final film. We decided to begin putting all of our footage together that we had done and decided to use, before roughly beginning to put them together and creating gaps for future filming. Due to our first refilming session on the 4th of January, Megan and I were able to begin the editing process immediately and use the lesson to our advantage.

Megan and I knew that the editing process would be a hefty process and would take a lot of time due to the storyboard we created. We were able to open our files and find them quickly as we initially decided to separate the footage into numerous folders. This quickened the process of placing shots into Premier Pro and including several audios and transitions.

We then began editing and once we completed that, we decided to begin editing music to the beginning as well as trying out different transitions to enhance the shots. Whilst doing this, we came across no real issues as this was basic adjustments to the shots and we only added in the first shots in the correct order as well as a few titles and transitions.

Megan and I decided it was best to have a big space between some parts of footage to show a clear indicator where the next pieces of footage would be for the next editing day. This was just after the flashback sequence. We then began editing several titles in the Kathleen sequence and some transitions to the footage to create continuous footage and allow it to flow.

Therefore, Megan and I both agreed that the editing was basic and not many problems presented itself to us. Due to this, we had extra time towards the end and in that time, we chose to experiment with fonts, effects and transitions. Due to playing around with these beforehand, we knew we would not have to worry too much in future editing about these particular features.

 










    

Reshoots - Unusable Footage

This is a compilation of footage Megan and I took which were unusable in our film due to circumstances such as focusing, laughter, bad acting or incorrect compositions/dialogue/expressions.

 

Reshoot Day 4

12th of January 2017

On the 12th of January, Megan and I decided to do the last parts of our filming process. We decided earlier on to utilise our Media Studies Studio for our office scene. Although it does not look much like an office, it still represents a room in which a meeting occurs. Our character Larry, who is played by Ben Ward, is involved within these shots as well as Mirabell who is played by me. The studio proved to be a really good location to use as there are many lights in so we experimented with them in order to create a well lit environment as well as shadows for our footage.

In this scene, dialogue was used from our script in order for the audience to understand what was occuring between the exchange a little more. We also decided on action shots for my character to show off our techniques. It was apparent immediately that Ben was my character's boss as he towered above me. Like with the majority of our shots, we used a tripod in order to ensure high quality, stable shots during each piece of footage. We used multiple shot types of different varieties after doing numerous shot types in order to continue the theme of not seeing Larry's full face. This creates ambiguity within our film as well as showing thrilling effects within this technique. 
 
These shots took the longest amount of time as well as it being the largest sequence of shots. Megan and I chose to do multiple test shots in order to choose the correct angles and types, finally deciding on shot reverse shots mainly. This was so the audience could tell straight away who was speaking, who was more dominant out of the two characters and who was clearly taking the reigns. 

As well as this, we realised that underneath the black curtains were neon green ones which we needed to ensure was hidden underneath properly, instead of peeking through. This was due to the fact some green curtain was in some of the test shots. It took us a short while to ensure only black curtain was in the shot, however once we accomplished this, the shot was perfect. 

Ben, who played Larry, was very helpful as he bought his costume in to provide us with powerful mise-en-scene. This allowed us to be consistent with our storyline of Ben being the boss of me and Geraldine (played by Sophie). His suit was neat which contrasted with my scruffy suit, allowing Ben to be seen as more dominant and higher up than me as I simply worked for him which involved the exchange with the envelope.

Reshoot Day 3

10th of January 2017

On the 10th of January, Megan and I decided to continue our refilming process in order to be able to begin editing. On this day, we began filming the scene where I exchange the envelope with Sophie. Her character, who is named Geraldine, appears very casual and relaxed instead of being dressed up in a suit. We decided to have this character casual as she is supposed to be in disguise from being in business with my character and Ben. Her profession, an intelligence agent as me and Megan both agreed on, is supposed to be concealed from the public as she is involved in crime and doesn't want to seen conspicious. As well as Sophie appearing in our film, we decided to use her dog Millie to ensure she looked more casual and like a typical young woman.

Our chosen location was the park. We decided to have Sophie sitting on the bench and for me to join her, allowing the bench to be an addition to our film with relevance, due to it being the place where the exchange occurs. 

Using the tripod, we shot numerous tests before we decided on a particular angle. We decided this was the best way to ensure that we had good quality filming with correct angles and shot types. We also made sure to pick carefully regarding placements of me and Sophie as well as how I was holding the prop and where abouts we were looking. For example, Sophie and I did not look at each other once which represents our civil relationship in the film, strictly business only with no friendship apparent. We also chose to sit as far away from each other as possible which also emphasises the shifty relationship we have in the film. It also suggests that perhaps that could be a plot in our film regarding our views on each other. Despite good quality shots, Megan and I realised that weather was becoming a problem in our film which was resolved during editing.

The shots we decided on were hesitant as we were deciding on multiple shot types before coming to a conclusion. Both of us experimented with several pans, tilts and zooms, until we found the correct composition we felt was relevant to our film. The only real issue we had was involving audio in two shots due to weather conditions, which we acted on during our editing process. Despite these issues involving audio, Megan and I both agreed that our timing was used efficiently and that this day was very productive during our filming process.

Reshoot Day 2

9th of January 2017

Megan and I decided to reshoot on the 9th of January. We filmed the scenes of my character (Mirabell) walking in numerous different locations with the envelope prop. These shots were vital for our film as it shows the journey I made in order to deliver it to a specific person. The locations we decided to use were in parks and streets as they highlighted normality and casuality.

Megan and I chose to use a tripod for my walking shots to ensure stability and good quality filming. This proved to be the right decision as the shots came out really well and exactly how we wanted to. This contrasts with our shots in our first draft as they were shaky due to us not always using a tripod during filming. Megan and I initially decided to begin reshooting in an evening, however, we quickly realised lighting and quality was an issue so we chose to begin reshooting the following day mid-afternoon to ensure that our filming was the best possible. This proved to be the right decision too as the reshoots came out really good.

We ensured to do numerous test shots before we began reshooting the real footage. We shot footage in parks, twitchells and pavements which all proved to be good locations to utilise. As mentioned before, due to filming in the afternoon, lighting was not a problem and allowed the quality of each piece of footage to be excellent.

One of the shots we did, which was of me walking up some stairs, was part of the sequence just before I had entered Ben's office. These shots were good as they were very well lit with artificial lighting due to it being a car parks' staircase. Megan and I ensured to do numerous test shots in order to decide on the best angles to use during this. We quickly decided on the two shots of me from behind going up and then me from in front coming up as they showed my journey up these stairs very well.


In conclusion, I believe that this day was a very productive day as we shot multiple pieces of footage which came out very well. We both decided that the tripod was a very good element to our film as it helped us with stabilising each piece of footage as that was a problem in our first draft.

Reshoot Day 1

4th of January 2017

On the 4th of January, Megan and I decided to begin our refilming process. We knew that we wanted to have Kathleen (played by Megan) still to be in the location of her house like in our first draft as this allows her to be seen as an innocent teenager. We modified these as we evaluated our feedback from peers who enjoyed the scenes of Kathleen in her house, however gave us improvements which we took on board. In order to reshoot this, we needed to ensure that the shots were perfect the first time as we would not be able to refilm random parts due to the organisation of her room.

Megan and I decided to use a tripod for the reshoots due to the first drafts' footage being shaky due to not using a tripod for our first draft. This proved to be a good choice due to every shot being stable and good quality compared to our first draft. This allowed us to be able to show a wide contrast between our draft and final edit as we took on board numerous points of feedback from our peers and teachers in order to improve it dramatically.

We had both created a to-do list in order to be organised and do everything that needed to be done so we could begin the editing process of this sequence. We used a mixture of natural and artificial lighting so we would have the right amount of this in order for our footage to look the best quality possible. We also created a schedule regarding filming so that we could use both of these to be organised and efficient, using time management well as we knew exactly how we wanted our film to look. We also managed to ensure lighting was consistent throughout as this was a problem we faced in our first draft which showed that we did not think this obstacle through.

During this day, Megan and I found that we came across minor issues such as layout of the bedroom and the correct lighting. We had to ensure that these were equal to the other pieces of footage so that it would show continuity and flowing. In order to do this, we experimented with multiple placements of the tripod and how the shot would look so that the filming would be continuous.

Megan and I discusses beforehand our plans regarding this day of footage so we knew exactly what to film. We decided that our target for the day was to modify the filming and ensure that we were making the improvements set to us by our teachers and peers. Our modified script and storyboard were simple to follow, despite this, we made minor adjustments in our filming instead of completely sticking to it as we came up with more ideas regarding shot types and dialogue.

The majority of the filming was in Megan's own bedroom as well as the bottom of her stairs. This allowed her to be comfortable whilst acting and let in a personal aroma into the film. It also allowed mise-en-scene to come through and due to this, it made our filming very natural and teen. In my earlier blog posts, I made it clear that Megan's character Kathleen was a typical innocent teenage girl so Megan and I decided that we needed to show this clearly in the opening film. We also decided that we were going to stick with the orginal costume idea which was casual and edgy for a teenage girl. 

Megan and I decided that throughout our filming process, we would do several test shots for the majority of our footage so we were able to experiment and therefore decide on the most appropriate and relevant shots for our film.

Overall, in this day, we completed the beginning and end of our thriller film opening and Megan and I both decided that this was a very productive day with high quality shots. This allowed us to begin our editing process so that we could really start to put together our reshoots for the deadline.





   

Our Final Thriller Film

Modified - Costumes

My partner Megan completed this:

This costume post includes the original costume idea for our protaganist which was written by my partner Chloe, the post included costumes which have now been modified and added as some actors and characters have been removed/changed from the opening. Below is the update costume information written by myself :

Costume

Protagonist #1

In our planning process, we have decided that our main

character (played by Megan Russell) will wear a casual 

band t-shirt and denim ensemble. This is because she is 

playing a typical teenage girl and this means that she 

must be casual and informal. This will convey to the

audience the purity and innocence and how she is not

the antagonist nor anyone who is anything but sinless and virtuous. This costume that 

she will wear contrasts with the antagonist (Larry) as his costume is anything but innocent

and it represents his danger and authority. My group decided to incorporate teenage 

characters which is clearly depicted through their costume as the age group 

surveyed most was age 15 to 18 years who wanted to be able to relate to the character.

 Antagonist #1 The costume that we have decided to use for our 

antagonist will be formal and consist of a very smart suit and

black overcoat to illustrate his authority and power which manipulates his 

role in the plot. The costume will  involve a tradional British villian

costume with a white shirt, tie and black trouser combination. 

The black overcoat will be worn as it creates a more intimidating and 

interesting twist on the costume rather than confusing the costume with 

an office wear aesthetic. The costume will reflect the professional 

manner Larreh has and the status he possess. The costume will contrast 

to the casual costume of the protaganist which will clearly show a 

divide in the characters which was not achieved in our first draft.

Minor Antagonist

The costume we have chosen for the minor antagonist will be based

upon the formal wear of Larreh, as the two are colleagues. The 

female will wear a suit which still reflects the formal aspects 

of her occupation and tasks she is asked to perform in the opening.

The suit will be messy as the lack of care for the uniform will show

the character's lack of a serious mindset towards her job. As Larreh is

her boss and takes the mission seriously. The messy costume will mirror

the character's lack of authority and place in the heirachy whilst 

suggesting she is not organised.

Minor Character - The go between

 The final character is a minor character who acts as a go-between 

 for Larreh and his workers. As she is go-between she wants to blend

 in with the ordinary public as she does not want to be seen as a 

 threat or suspicious. The costume consits of a denim jacket and chinos

 as this gives off a smart-casual vibe that allows the character to 

 complete her job given to her by Larreh in an effective and insuspicious 

 manner. As she is not of a high class she does not wear a branded or

 formal costume which clearly depicts the difference in status between

 herself and Larreh and his close associates.