Final Evaluation (3/3 Sections)

Section 1

Editing

For my film project i will be head of editing. When we do our final edit we shall be using a editing software called Premiere Pro. Film editing is part of the creative post-production process of film making. The editor works with the raw footage, selecting shots and combining them into sequences to create a finished motion picture. The editing has been refereed as the 'invisible' art behind some of the greatest motion picture sequences of all time. The editing helps to establish a structure, tempo, mood, and style. 

Some types of editing techniques are:

- Cut: 

A visual transition created in editing in which one shot is instantaneously replaced on screen by another.

- Continuity editing: 

Editing that creates action that flows smoothly across shots and scenes without jarring visual inconsistencies. Establishes a sense of story for the viewer.

- Cross cutting:

Cutting back and forth quickly between two or more lines of action, indicating they are happening simultaneously.

- Dissolve: 

A gradual scene transition. The editor overlaps the end of one shot with the beginning of the next one.

- Establishing shot:
A shot, normally taken from a great distance or from a "bird's eye view," that establishes where the action is about to occur.

- Fade:

A visual transition between shots or scenes that appears on screen as a brief interval with no picture. The editor fades one shot to black and then fades in the next. Often used to indicate a change in time and place.

- Jump cut:

 A cut that creates a lack of continuity by leaving out parts of the action.

- Montage:

 Scenes whose emotional impact and visual design are achieved through the editing together of many brief shots.

Section 2

Target Audience.

Me and my group were given the task making a 3 minute thriller mini film. We were then asked to pick a sub-genre for the thriller and we decided to do a psychological thriller. We then decided what roles we would be given within the group and my group and I decided that I would do the editing because I had the most experience with it. We had set dates to complete each task by.

We all had to do research on our given roles. I research all the editing techniques that are used when making a psychological thriller. I found out that a lot of montages are involved and that the filters used for the filming are usually dark to add suspense and help to re-enforce the thriller conventions. I looked into the conventions and iconography of the genre and sub-genre to help us get a better understanding and knowledge of it. This helps to attract the correct target audience for our film. This is because the audience will look for these conventions within the film to attract them to watching it. Watching the opening to the film 'Memento' i saw some interesting ways to challenge some conventions of the psychological thriller but still include some strong conventions to the genre. Some of the iconography that i found was similar to most thriller iconography such as, Shadows, Confined places and weaponry. This help my group and I to get a better understanding of what to include in the film to help strengthen  the conventions of the genre.

We used the internet to research on what is included with psychological thrillers. I found out about the conventions and iconography of the genre as well as different editing techniques involved with the editing and final cut of different films. We also used own experience which we learnt in lesson and from our own knowledge to figure out the different features and functions of the sub-genre to help improve the ideas for the film. We drew our own storyboards to help us come up with individual ideas. We then compared and contrasted our different ideas to make our film have the correct conventions and iconography to match a psychological thriller but we also managed to include ideas so that we could also challenge them. In the end, we added different elements from our storyboards together but to stick with the story of one of them so that we didn't have to re-write another whole storyboard and waste filming and editing time.

The genre of our chose will have a target audience of 15+, this is because of the psychological element about the film and that young teens and children will not understand. I believe that my chose of target audience is good because if the audience doesn't understand the genre and purpose of the film then there is no point in watching it and it makes the film irrelevant. I also asked people of my own age group what their favorite elements of the genre our. Most of them said, "My favorite element of a psychological thriller is the plot twist that normally happens within any good psychological thriller." This helped me to plan what type of ideas i would use within the film to help make the audience happy and at least satisfied with the film. Others also said. "I enjoy the mystery that is unfolded throughout a psychological thriller." This helped me to create ideas about involving a hidden mystery that the audience will be wishing to find out so that they stay focused and intrigued on the film.  "

The film will involve challenged and original conventions of a psychological thrillers such as the plot twist and the reality vs. illusion convention. This will cause the film to be more interesting and gripping on the audience which will help to attract the target audience we are looking for. The feedback from the people I asked and the research that i carried out helped me to come up with some ideas on how the conventions can be challenged but stay relevant to the genre that i have chosen.

Our final storyboard has both its strengths and weaknesses. I believe that we have stuck to the conventions of the genre well and managed to challenge them at the same time. We also managed the timing of the film so that when it is finished it shall meet the 3 minute task. But, we could of spend more time planning and constructing ideas about the film at the start instead of just sticking to one idea and then trying developing them later on as we film our movie.

Part 3

Final Evaluation.

I chose to do the editing for our three minute film. We were given the genre of thriller but we chose to do the sub-genre of psychological so that the film had a real meaning and clear theme to it. The editing techniques that I used when editing the footage for the film involved me having to use jump cuts, filters and tints, fades and colour corrections. These are important for a psychological thriller because they help to meet and challenge the conventions of the genre as well as adding meaning and depth to the film.

Firstly, the genre has help to influence decisions that I have made about the editing techniques I have used. For example, because the film is a psychological thriller I have used darker tints to add depth and meaning to the genre. This has helped to strengthen the conventions of the genre because the film feels like it has a darker side to it than a techno thriller which would be lighter and futuristic which is what I didn’t want mine to look like. This is because if the films conventions help to attract the correct type of audience which would be people between the ages of 15 to 30, I will also make sure that the film makes sense so that the audience is at least satisfied with it. 

Secondly, I had to work with both the cinematographer and the sound artist to make sure that the cuts and edits fit in with the sound effects and Foley sounds. I also had to make sure that the cinematographer was happy and satisfied with the order the cuts have been put in and that the film is how he envisioned it. This is important for the film to work because it means that the film will make sense and wont seem jumbled up or difficult to follow since most thrillers are should flow well.

Next, I took advise from other people within the class after they watched it. Some comments I got were positive and made me realise that some scenes were good and didn’t  need attention and fixing. But, I was also given constructive criticism saying that some people didn’t understand some of the filters that I used and that some of the cuts were too long and needed to be changed so that the audience doesn’t lose interest when watching the film. I worked on the criticism that I was given and I removed some of the filters that didn’t meet the genre conventions and I changed them so that the conventions were meet. I also changed the length of some of the scene to add variety so that the audience doesn’t get bored by watching the same shot from the same angle for a long period of time.  

Finally, I had to change and adapt to some ideas I wanted to use because I was unable to do some things that I wanted to do. On the other hand, it was kind of a good thing, because now I am able to do different things so that the film makes more sense in the long run so that the film doesn’t always meet the generic genre conventions such as, dark filters and quick fast paced montages. I planned to try and challenge them and  give a different view on the style of a psychological thriller from other films.


In conclusion, I have acted on feedback and also overcome issues and problems that I have faced whilst doing the editing for the film. I believe that me doing this has helped to set the film apart from any other psychological thrillers and makes it feel different but also including some preferred and common conventions of the genre. I added dark filters to a lot of shots so they seem more mysterious and they play on the audiences mind so they don’t know what is happening so they want to find out.

By Nathan Hardwick

Evaluative Report- Section 3

Evaluative Report Section 3

After creating the first draft of our media production we decided that we needed to re-film what we had, as after receiving feedback from our fellow peers some key points were continuously mentioned; the scenes we filmed only made up one and a half minutes out of the required three minutes, the story line did not make sense, the camera work was sometimes not stable and didn't have a variation of shots, also the scenes did not create the excitement and suspense that is usually a key factor of psychological thrillers. Therefore the group’s director, Zaki, made the decision to film the production again, but also combine the ideas from the two films together. Consequently this decision, in my opinion improved our project as we took into consideration how to make the film longer and more suspenseful and so have made a higher quality psychological thriller opening scene.

I now feel that our variation of camera angle/shot types work effectively to broaden the visual position in which the audience watches the film from, e.g. positioning the camera on the floor and high up in crane view points, CCTV imitation, and canted  angles.

The establishing shot at the start of the film is effective as it shows the Cambridge skyline where the film is based and also, the pace of the camera panning from left to right creates a mood within the production and gives time for the credits to appear.

Another element of our media production that I feel was effective was the use of Foley sound; as it works well in some cases throughout, e.g. when the camera blacks out and the audience can only hear heavy breathing.

Looking back at the original production and the feedback that we gained, there were a number of key factors that were not as effective as they could be, such as: the sound, due to not having any Foley sound and the background noise was too loud. The production was too much like a trailer as it was so short and ended very abruptly.

Although there were problems with our first production, the second project was much improved as it was longer, there was more variation of shots and just looked much more professional. From the feedback that we were given on our final production we could have made the storyline clearer, as the audience had confusion in understanding who the protagonist and antagonist were. Another point is that we could have used a larger selection of soundtracks and sound effects throughout, due to pauses of silence at the end of some scenes; this would have made the production much more ‘cutting edge’ and professional.

From looking at my own role in the group as the camera man, I think I could have improved the production by using some more professional camera shots like, canted angles, panning, and extreme close ups; all of these could have created more disorientation and suspense.

                Comparing our psychological thriller production to the professional film, The Game, there are some similarities and differences that can both scrutinise our production, but also help improve it. Between the two, the audience for both films can easily tell that they are thrillers due to the classic conventions being displayed; dark, unsaturated colour, suspenseful soundtracks. I think that The Game has a different target audience to our production, as it seems that I is for an older audience due to the darkness that the scenes posses through the lighting and storyline; whereas our media production is targeted for young adults. Obviously from being a professional production it is a lot crisper due to camera work, editing and acting so there always will be significant differences between the two. I feel if we had the resources and time the group could have made dialogue for our film and use actors to then really create a hopefully near professional looking/sounding production.

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