Editing

Editing

We are now nearing the end of editing our film opening so I decided to finish some final editing sections to help improve both the quality of the opening and of my editing skills.  

 First of all I had the job to insert a title screen to inform the audience that the opening is now reverting back to a week earlier.  To do this I selected the T tab on the right hand side of final cut and inserted a black screen with the same text font as the named titles.  I chose a black screen rather than a picture in the background to put emphasis on the words and to create a caesura to build the tension.

 I then inserted a clip transition after the "1 week earlier" to create a smooth change before the last section of the opening.  I chose a blur transition because it ran the same time as the church bell sound.

 After reviewing the opening I decided that the second church bell did not sound completely right for the situation.  After listening to the final cut sounds of church bells I found a better noise layered it in.  After watching it a few times I decided to take off the increased speed of the girl turning around so it was back to normal pace.


We needed something to trigger the girl to turn around.  So to continue the story line we added in diegetic sounds  to make it seem as though she was being followed by the priest who is to exorcise her.
After listening to the sounds available on final cut I inserted male breathing and footsteps to seem as though he is following her.  The a snapping of a twig then triggers her to turn around, I then inserted a clip of the priest's eyes to inform the audience that it is him that is following her.  This looks quite effective as it helps to build up the tension and varies the camera angles.

Finding background music

My task was to find and manipulate background music to our film opening originally we found a child singing and when we put it to the footage that we had edited it did not fit very well. Another idea that we had was to find s child singing hymns as it would be appropriate for the genre and work well as we have a priest in our film opening. But we could not find any legal free background sounds like this so I then looked for background music that was eerie and would work well with the visuals that we had. 


I found a website which provided this. I then downloaded the sound and layered it over our footage. 

The music did not need any manipulation as  it seemed to fit the footage very well. I also found another sound effect from the same website to add to the flashbacks. The sounds work well together. 

Editing

Editing

 Alongside editing with the group we have also decided to do individual editing to make sure we all participate equally.  On top of the already existing editing I started with getting rid of any background sound on the clips.  I did this by going onto audio enhancement, sound board, then reduce background noise to 100%.

 I then wanted to add in some diegetic sound to increase the realism of the piece.  For the forest section I went through the already existing sounds on final cut to find a foot step sound.  After testing out all the footstep sounds next to the clip I decided on Footsteps bare running.  I then adjusted the volume of the running on the sound board to make sure they were not too loud and would drown out any other sounds.

 I also found Footsteps Mud run which was very appropriate for parts of the clips so I layered it under the heavy breathing of the victim.  The combination of sounds makes the clip seem very realistic and fits well in conjunction with the running clips.

 To make this ending clip as effective as possible I wanted to find a non-diegetic sound which would make the audience jump.  After testing a lot of the sounds I decided on a thunder noise as it sounded very ominous and dramatic, in parallel to the scene and genre.

 I also wanted to increase the brightness of some of the clips to make sure the audience can see the possession scene properly.  To do this I went onto the colour board then exposure.  I only increased the brightness by a little bit to make sure it was still shadowy and dark.

To make the possession seem more supernatural and creepy I decided to make the clip run backwards to make the movements more unnatural and disjointed.  This looked very effective so I used the blade tool to break up the different camera angles then rearranged them so the possession was even more disjointed.

Editing Practice

Editing Practice

When we filmed our first scene in the church location, we were unable to film at the best lighting time.  This resulted in a brighter light than we had wanted so we would have to make it look darker in the editing process.  So to prepare for the final editing I imported some of the church shots into final cut pro and went onto the colour panel.

In order to make the shot seem darker I experimented with the toning.  I made the shadows darker which created silhouettes of the trees and bushes.  I also made the mid tones and highlights darker to change the general colouring of the shots. 

I then imported some of the woods shots.  As we filmed these in the dark using torches to create an interesting effect, I found that we had to increase the brightness so you can see more of the scene.

By moving the shadows, mid tones and highlights up on the exposure part of the colour panel the picture brightness increased and more could be seen.  

In conclusion I feel that the church scene editing went better than the woods scene.  Decreasing the exposure was much more effective than increasing it.  More work will have to be done on the woods scene to increase the quality, maybe a night vision effect would make it more interesting with the torch light.

Editing Practice

Editing Practice

As a group we have practiced using iMovie to edit our pre-lim, which we found quite easy.  Although we have found out recently that finalcut editing software is much better to use because it has many more settings and gives a more professional outcome.  So before we use finalcut to edit our real film opening, I wanted to practice using it to get a feel for the software.  

 Once I had imported the first clip I realised that it was too dark so I went onto the side bar for colouring.  First I put up the exposure and then decreased the saturation lightly to create a darker tone for the horror genre.   I also wanted there to be no background noise so I went on the audio option and made background noise removal 100%.

I wanted to add some slightly sinister background noise to the clip so I went onto music and sound and eventually found an appropriate sound called Bass FX D3. .After editing the size of the clip using the blade tool the clip was an appropriate length, was visible and had effective sound. 

I then wanted to practice creating a flashback for our film opening.  So using the transitions side tab I picked the flash transition.  This looked effective as a conventional flashback.  I then layered some audio beneath it of a flash.  I also merged the two audios so the cut between them as not too harsh. 

I then imported the second clip and dragged it onto the timeline. Then using the blade tool I cut it down to the length I wanted it.  Next I experimented with multiple audios to find a "Cardboard box packing" sound which simulated normal movement in a home, then a gasp and boom when the camera went up to the ceiling.  After listening I saw this was not enough sound and so I layered another metal and glass crashing onto the clip.

                                                                              After importing and cutting down the last clip I added audio of a woman's heavy breathing to make the POV shot more realistic.  I also put in running footsteps audio to increase the realism. At this point I also put in walking footsteps into the first clip to match.  Then to end on a scary tone I put in thunder audio to give the shot an ominous feel.

To evaluate I think that the editing process went quite smoothly and I enjoyed experimenting with all the different audios.  I came across some technical problems because I am not very experienced in using finalcut but these problems will go in time.  One downfall of this practice is when I had saved and uploaded the video, the sound was not as loud as it was on the software.  I will have to look at this when we come to editing our final piece as not all the layers can be heard.

Location Scouting: Churches

As we wanted to finalize our Church location, we decided that it would be useful to do another location scouting but this time, for it to be centered around finding a suitable Church location. 

As we were able to find an actual priest (based in Eltham) who would be willing to take part in our opening, we has the opportunity to film in his own Church however, I felt that the outside of the Church building looked too modern, and didn't give the mysterious and spooky element which we were looking for, therefore I decided to go to look for other nearby Churches which would give us the look we were going for.

St John Baptist-Eltham

Useful features: Not only did it seem to have back stains around the back sides of the Church which added the spooky elements, as well as a graveyard towards the back and front of the Church. As well as this, around the back was also quite bushy areas, therefore it would go well with our scenes of trying to make our victim look as though she is being followed as the bushy areas could be where the antagonist is watching her from.

Features which weren't as useful:  The Church is situated on a busy road which could create unwanted background noise. Also, there isn't much space to film around the Church as it has so many graves circling it (though this could be a benefit at the same time).

St John's-Sidcup

Useful features: Similarly this Church also has a graveyard which adds the scary atmosphere which we are trying to bring across. Also some areas of the Church has clear moss showing which further emphasizes this. In addition to this, the very tall building also helps to create this idea of a greater power when focusing on elements of possession. As well as this, there is quite a large size of an isolated and bushy area which again, is useful for our opening scene.

Features which were not as useful: There is little to dislike about this location as most of its elements give off a scary atmosphere. However, one area which doesn't help when creating this spooky atmosphere is the bright orange-like colour of the building. I would prefer if it had been a dark or gloomy colour such as grey (like previous Churches which I had seen). Also, the different shades make the building seem colourful which isn't what we want when looking for a spooky-like Church as it doesn't make it seem dark and gloomy.  

Christ Church-Sidcup

Useful Feature: Similarly, this Church also has dark and black stains over the building which helps to add spooky elements which would be suitable for our audience and genre. Also, the long windows and cross icon at the top of the building will help the audience to identify this building as a Church.

Features which were not as useful: Again, there is little empty space around the building. Also, unlike traditional Churches, the building does not have a distinct peak which may allow the audience to immediately identify it as a Church.

Bexley United Reform Church- Bexley

Useful Features:

• Common stone brick building
• Easily identifiable as a Church
• Traditional mosaic window designs
• Close to Eltham and Townley
• Reasonable amount of space to film

Not as useful features:

• On a busy road
• Small building
• Hardly any bushes/trees

The Parish Church of St. John Evangelist-Bexley

Of all the Churches which I visited, this would be the one which I liked the most for our opening scene as it seemed to have what the other buildings were lacking. For example, it had spooky atmosphere from its entrance to the colour of the building. 

Though it doesn't have as much as the previous Church, it still has some clear signs of moss which helps to add this mysterious elements, alongside its vast height and size. As well as this, I like how the front brick-gate was shaped pointing up, which could be seen to mimic barbed wire which would add a sinister element and make the Church seem more mysterious.

 As well as this, there is a wooden bench which is directly facing the Church, as a result, we could have our victim walking past the Church whilst the antagonist is watching her from the bench, therefore, it goes along with our  intended story. Furthermore, the area has a number of bushy area which also would be beneficial for our opening scene.

Location Scouting

Location Scouting

As we want to focus on bring the fear factor to our opening scene (in order to appeal to our target audience), I wanted to focus on locations where suspense is at it peak (for example, in a chase scene or when showing someone who is possessed).

Churches

the dark marks emphasize the old look.

As religion is commonly linked to supernatural films when showing possession, I looked at a few churches as this is one way in which we  religion could be incorporated into our opening. Though I liked the old look which this building had, its surroundings didn't appeal to one which would be suitable for horror as it is surrounded by a busy road.



 Another church which I looked at was All Saints' Church in Blackheath village, which was surrounded by a vast amount of open area which goes along with the isolated atmosphere which would want to be created in a horror. On the other hand, the building looked quite modern and didn't give a spooky ambiance as the other building had. I also tried to look for tall buildings as it adds to the sense of a higher power, which is the case in possessions.

Alleyways

I also decided to focus on alleyways/cul-de-sac's as these are seen as a cut-off-point in chase scenes and often add suspense as the victim ends up unknowingly running into these which commonly leads to them getting caught by the antagonist.
The following images are examples of the dead ends which I found. These give an isolated ambiance which would be suitable for our opening.



I prefer this alleyway of the two as it is not as wide and emphasizes the idea of being 'closed in on'. Also, there is nowhere for the victim to go (i.e. no wall to jump or climb from), which adds suspense as there would be nowhere for them to escape to.

Woods/Open Area 

From our questionnaire, our target audience said they found woody areas just as frightening as family homes therefore, I decided to look into these as when trying to create a isolated atmosphere as they consist of a vast amount of open area therefore adding to the supernatural sub genre. Firstly, I looked at the open area which is also near one of the churches which I looked at in Blackheath. Again, the secluded image is fit for the genre as well as adds suspense.

 As well as this, I looked at a wooded area in Jordan's Wood which also gives a secluded feel. I prefer this location as not many people come here at the same time, therefore when filming, it will be easier to give off this isolated atmosphere. Also,  as we have been looking at the idea of having a "stalker", we could play around with different angles and movements behind the many tree branches. Furthermore, because of the branches, unlike the large grass area, the victim cannot see anything, which would heighten the mysterious atmosphere of a stalker, as well as playing into the idea of going into the unknown. Furtheremore, we could create a silhouette of the branches using back lighting to add a dark atmosphere.

Evaluation

Pros

When looking for the different locations which could be used, I think that I found some effective ones. such as the old church building as it created a spooky feel, which is what we are trying to achieve.

Cons

On the other hand, as most of the group live in or around Bexley, I could have focused on locations which were specifically in this area, as when it comes to having to film, it will be more practical and convenient for the majority. I could have considered New Community Church as its building also had a similar dark grey colour which could also create a spooky atmosphere.