Editing Diary
The editing software I used for my crime film opening was iMovie. I chose to use it because I have frequently used it in the past (e.g. to edit my preliminary task together), meaning I am familiar and comfortable with using it. I started by selecting what shots were framed the best, as these would be the best ones to include. After arranging the sequence I wanted them in, I frequently referred back to my story board to assess weather I was on track, and to see what other techniques I had planned to use.
Transitions
I then began adding any transitions. The fade to white I had originally planned to use to break up the events to the title worked well, however, I thought a fade to black worked better in order to keep the atmosphere mysterious and dark, instead of bright and happy. Despite this, I did add a fade to white at the very end of the opening as this gave the effect of the clouds slowly disappearing along with the title too.
Speed
I then looked at the speed of some of my shots. The pan of graffiti in the subway was filmed in slow motion, and because it looked so effective, I kept it at this speed. I also had to speed up the footage of the cars along the motorway. The initial clip was 18 seconds long, however after increasing its speed to 8x faster, it was only 1.3 seconds long. I did not think this was too much of a problem though, as it still gives the audience enough time to understand what they are seeing.
Filter
After this, I had a look at different filters again, and although the footage was darker due to the time of day, I still felt that my initial rough cut looked more dramatic. I then decided to use iMovie's 'camo' filter again as I felt it was most successful in helping me to portray a serious atmosphere that helped create verisimilitude too. However, this made the scene in the subway even darker than it was initially. Therefore, I adjusted the brightness, so that the audience could clearly see the exchange. I documented each change to demonstrate the improvements made:
Soundtrack
After editing all the footage, I then added the soundtrack. As the chorus does not start until a minute into the song, I had to cut it from the middle, instead of playing it from the start. To ensure this did not sound odd, I played it at the start of a beat rather than at a random point. As well as this, I decreased the volume of the soundtrack whilst Murphy is inside the car, so that when he opens the car door, the music gets louder. At this point it is still diegetic as it is a realistic representation of how it would sound in real life, however the moment he closes the car door and the music remains loud, it changes to non-diegetic sound.
Credits
Finally, I added the credits. The typical structure (see my previous post about billing sequences) would have the production companies first, followed by the lead actors, film title, star credits, supporting cast, production credits, and the directors name last. I used this to help me to structure my billing list as accurately as possible, to ensure the correct credit is given to the people who are the most important contributors to the film. However, I was not totally conventional as I placed the film title at the end of the two minutes in contrast to having it earlier on. I felt that this would be more suitable as it is the last thing the audience sees before the film actually starts, setting them up for the films key theme of leading a double life.
Transitions
I then began adding any transitions. The fade to white I had originally planned to use to break up the events to the title worked well, however, I thought a fade to black worked better in order to keep the atmosphere mysterious and dark, instead of bright and happy. Despite this, I did add a fade to white at the very end of the opening as this gave the effect of the clouds slowly disappearing along with the title too.
Speed
I then looked at the speed of some of my shots. The pan of graffiti in the subway was filmed in slow motion, and because it looked so effective, I kept it at this speed. I also had to speed up the footage of the cars along the motorway. The initial clip was 18 seconds long, however after increasing its speed to 8x faster, it was only 1.3 seconds long. I did not think this was too much of a problem though, as it still gives the audience enough time to understand what they are seeing.
Filter
After this, I had a look at different filters again, and although the footage was darker due to the time of day, I still felt that my initial rough cut looked more dramatic. I then decided to use iMovie's 'camo' filter again as I felt it was most successful in helping me to portray a serious atmosphere that helped create verisimilitude too. However, this made the scene in the subway even darker than it was initially. Therefore, I adjusted the brightness, so that the audience could clearly see the exchange. I documented each change to demonstrate the improvements made:
 |
| Initial footage |
 |
| With the 'camo' filter and adjusted brightness |
 |
| With the 'camo' filter |
Soundtrack
After editing all the footage, I then added the soundtrack. As the chorus does not start until a minute into the song, I had to cut it from the middle, instead of playing it from the start. To ensure this did not sound odd, I played it at the start of a beat rather than at a random point. As well as this, I decreased the volume of the soundtrack whilst Murphy is inside the car, so that when he opens the car door, the music gets louder. At this point it is still diegetic as it is a realistic representation of how it would sound in real life, however the moment he closes the car door and the music remains loud, it changes to non-diegetic sound.
Credits
Finally, I added the credits. The typical structure (see my previous post about billing sequences) would have the production companies first, followed by the lead actors, film title, star credits, supporting cast, production credits, and the directors name last. I used this to help me to structure my billing list as accurately as possible, to ensure the correct credit is given to the people who are the most important contributors to the film. However, I was not totally conventional as I placed the film title at the end of the two minutes in contrast to having it earlier on. I felt that this would be more suitable as it is the last thing the audience sees before the film actually starts, setting them up for the films key theme of leading a double life.
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