Construction: Editing - Review & Changes

After watching the product all the way through with peers, tutors and Tom, I discussed what they felt should be maybe changed or added to the film to create a more effective product:

• The Music in the Second Half - I felt that the music in the second half wasn't very fitting to the emotion conveyed and for some reason it just didn't fit very appropriately into the film's soundtrack. To address this, I decided to replace the song with Coldplay's "Paradise" which I felt had a more lyrical connection as well as a very charming and uplifting tone. To fit the song appropriately into the space of the other, I edited the song in GarageBand reducing it to around 1:40. 
• The NERF Gun Scene - Tom didn't feel comfortable with this scene, saying he personally felt it appeared as if he was bullying his brother, I explained to him that the scene was meant to convey happiness and a healthy relationship between him and his brother, so I decided to simply cut this scene to make him happier.

Construction: Editing - "The End"

The end of the documentary marks Tom's overcoming of Autism and to follow the journey into his new lifestyle, I decided make a physical journey with Tom to the airport, cutting back inbetween to shots of him enjoying himself with family.

After the brief shots of the NERF gun fight, we see Tom in the car, heading through the night to the airport, cutting at the speed of the beat in the music and this creates an aesthetic look and feel to the camera work. I also sped up some of the footage in the car to create a more visually interesting effect of the journey, also using focus pulls to show the "bokeh" of the street lights. After cutting to shots of Tom playing the PlayStation with his brother, we see Tom walking past various pieces of Airport scenery under the full moon of night, and by the glowing neon of the runway lights. I decided to end the film with Tom's silhouette hovering over the runway and this created a strong connection with his interests in aviation, I felt this was the most appropriate way to sum up the story.

Construction: Editing - "The Sound Transition"

Today's lesson involved adding the sound transition to the second half of the documentary; a happier and more uplifting tone.

The crossover involved a few changes to the soundtrack, using Coldplay's "A Hopeful Transmission" until the door is opened, where it fades into the next track "Don't Let It Break Your Heart" signifying the extreme change in mood.
The two Coldplay songs when imported separately created a gap, that even when overlapped, lost a few seconds of sound. After spending some time editing the sound, and not being successful, I decided to research online for other methods of "merging" the tracks. I found that iTunes itself had a feature, that allowed tracks from a CD to be imported as one track. I inserted the CD and the song's were ripped into iTunes using the "Join CD Tracks" feature, which reduced the "jump" between tracks and successfully merged the tracks together as one.

Although the sound transition is now a lot smoother, due to iTunes' "Join Tracks" feature, the track itself is too long and needs to be cut considerably for it to end with the end of the song without dragging on further. To do this, I created a new project in GarageBand and imported the track from iTunes.

Construction: Editing - "The Transition"

Today's lesson involved adding the visual transition to the second half of the documentary; focussing on the changes in Tom's life and how things have improved.
To signify this change in mood, I felt it would be good to use the opening of a door into a new mood, or even a new way of life.
I felt that a simple cut would probably not create such an impact or a feeling of anticipation to the viewer, so I decided to create a blank screen for a few seconds, adding a fade into it from the previous scene. This gave the impression the scene was coming to an end and would trick the viewer into believing it was the end, however this abruptly changes with the jump cut into the next scene, showing tom having a NERF gun fight with his younger brother. I felt this would be a good way to start the new mood, showing that he is enjoying himself for the first time in the film and is the start of a new "era" for Tom.

Construction: Editing - "The Walk to Tesco"

I felt that this scene is important as it allowed the user to easily relate to Tom, doing a regular everyday activity. I wanted to make the whole scene run smoothly in a logical order to avoid confusion with the viewer.

To start the scene I felt it would be best to create a shot that allows Tom to "walk in to" the scene, showing him walk down the stairs which is followed by a Third Person shot of him walking down the road. The shots of him walking link together and can be easily interlinked to give different perspectives of the action. After walking along the road for a bit I felt that this could then easily transition to a shot inside Tesco.

To start the sequence in Tesco, I used a similar technique to the previous scene, providing a shot that shows Tom "walking into" the setting. Due to the nature of the setting, most of the aisles look similar which meant that the shots didn't necessarily have to be put in the logical order, however I felt it was necessary to continue Tom's "walking" and use the tracking shot of him walking down the aisle.

To finish the Tesco sequence, I used a short clip of Tom purchasing his items at the till and walking out the shop, this allowed me to continue footage of Tom walking. Whilst walking back, I accidentally crossed the road early whilst filming, I took this to my advantage and told him to stay where he was, to capture the action from a different point of view, I feel that this worked very successfully.

Construction: Editing - "Home Life"

This part of the documentary is probably the most powerful, focussing on Tom's family life. It's in this half of the documentary that Jon Hopkins' "Small Memory" plays in the background, a solemn yet simple song that I feel adds to the emotion conveyed. 

To create a more powerful effect I decided to edit the shots, cutting them at certain tones of the song and I felt this created an aesthetically appealing effect.
I tried to use a range of shots in this section, using close ups of Tom, as well as his aeroplane models and Lego. I decided that the best shot to use when Tom spoke of his suicidal depression would be the smashed Lego on his desk, which I feel connotates destruction and also conveys a sense that Tom's condition is beyond repair.

Construction: Editing - "Intro & Titles"

To start the film, I decided to display Tom's aircraft in a manner than made it indistinguishable against any other aircraft cockpit, almost leading the viewer to really believe the action is taking place inside of a cockpit. To add to this realism, I asked Tom to give me the sound files from the aircraft he was using at the time on Microsoft's Flight Simulator X, as the world's most realistic flight simulator, I knew that these sounds would be authentic and realistic. I also overlapped some of these sounds to ease the transition of tracks.

As the film moves on, the camera starts to show more of the surroundings, showing that Tom is in fact inside his bedroom and this then leads to the titles. I found that the title options in iMovie were fairly limited and so I decided to create my title in Photoshop CS3, removing the background to create a PNG file. This then overlayed across the image with the "Picture in Picture" tool. I felt the titles worked extremely effectively as it overlapped the video, still giving the viewer a chance to understand that Tom is not inside an aircraft, as well as the title visually fitting into the scene very well. It's here that the music starts, carrying on into the next section.

Construction: Voiceover

Before editing the documentary, I asked Tom to record a voiceover. Although we worked together with the planning, the script is pretty much written by Tom and I felt this would make the documentary more emotional with a more personal connection to the viewer.

Construction: Filming - Day 2

Construction: Filming - Day 1

Planning: Storyboard

To gain a clearer understanding of what my final product will look like, I decided to draw up a storyboard showing an outline of the story and structure of the short film.

Planning: Script

To ensure that Tom felt comfortable with what he was saying, we worked together when creating the voiceover's script. I decided that Tom should write the script himself because it  would create a more effective connection with the audience, as well as making the piece more personal. He hand wrote the script and this is what we plan to use when recording the voiceover:

Planning: Magazine Review Layout

From the research undertaken in other film magazine reviews, I decided to create a layout to use as a guideline when creating my ancillary product.

Planning: Poster Layout

From the research undertaken in other posters, I decided to create a layout to use as a guideline when creating my ancillary product.

Planning: Shot List

Research: Questionnaire Results

Research: Forms and Conventions of Film Magazine Reviews

Research: Forms and Conventions of Posters

Research: Shot Types in Documentaries

Research: Forms and Conventions of Documentaries

Research: Questionnaire

Research: Focus Group

Research: Autism and Asperger's

"The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome" - Tony Attwood

The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome is a handbook that gives a thorough look into the condition. It covers information of Asperger's in Adults and Children such as;
1) What is Asperger's Syndrome?
2) Diagnosis
3) Social Understanding and Friendship
4) Teasing and Bullying
5) Theory of Mind
6) The Understanding and Expression of Emotions
7) Special Interests 
8) The effect on language and cognitive abilities, sensor sensitivity, movement and co-ordination skills.
9) Career development
10) Psychotherapy


I feel that all this information should be covered in the documentary, especially in interviews with Tom and his family. Below is a selection of the information that I felt would be important to cover:

What is Asperger's Syndrome?

      "A lack of social understanding, limited ability to have a reciprocal conversation and an intense interest in a particular subject are the core features of this syndrome. Perhaps the simplest way to understand Asperger's Syndrome is to think of it as describing someone who perceives and thinks about the world differently to other people"
      "There are currently eight diagnostic screening questionnaires that can be used with children and six that can be used with Adults, the most popular being shown below:"
_________________________________________________________________
Diagnostic criteria for Asperger's disorder according to DSM-IV (TR) (American Psychiatric Association 2000)

___________________________________

A. Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:
      1. marked impairment in the use of multiple non-verbal behaviours such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction.
      2. failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level.
      3. a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests or achievements with other people (e.g. lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people)
      4. lack of social or emotional reciprocity.

________________________________________

B. Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behaviour, interests and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:
      1. encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotypes and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus
      2. apparently inflexible adherence to specific, non-functional routines or rituals
      3. stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g. hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)
      4. persistent preoccupation with parts of objects.

________________________________________

C. The disturbance causes clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning.

________________________________________

D. There is no clinically significant general delay in general language (e.g. single words used by age two years, communicative phrase used by age three years).

________________________________________

E. There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self-help skills, adaptive behaviour (other than in social interaction), and curiosity about the environment in childhood.

________________________________________

F. Criteria are not met for another specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder or Schizophrenia.

_________________________________________________________________

Research: Pitch

Research: Experimenting with Editing

Over the Summer Holidays I decided to experiment with editing and video-making techniques, creating a short film of Footage in Dorset, England. The video uses a stop-motion technique which involved the taking of thousands of photos, all stitched together to create the illusion of video. To do this I used a Canon 1000D camera, taking a picture, moving slightly, then taking another picture and so on. I chose to use Coldplay's "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" because I felt it had a fast pace which matched the jagged appearance of the video, I edited the video to match the timing and lyrics of the song.

Research: Short Films & Documentaries

Last Minutes with ODEN

Last Minutes with ODEN is an extract from the 8 LIVES documentary; a series of small documentaries by amateur film maker Eliot Rausch. The story follows Jason Wood as he talks about the ups and downs of his life and we learn how his dog Oden is always at his side. The further into the story, we learn that Oden has struggled with Cancer and that now it is the appropriate time to end his suffering anymore. It won Best Video, Best Documentary and Community Choice in the 2010 Vimeo Awards.
I think this documentary works well through the extremely abstract start; you're not sure who he is talking about and the use of isolated shots shows the protagonist as stressed, trying to relax. These shots work well with the narration and give a melancholy mood which also creates an element of suspense to the story. It is only later that we begin to learn that it is his dog, and that creates a small twist into the story. When I watched the video I did not expect to see his dog being put down and that element of surprise along with the sadness of people around him, the isolated shots and the narration really conveyed a strong sense of emotion. 


Terry Pratchett: Choosing to Die

Choosing to Die is a documentary by author Terry Pratchett and his belief of euthanasia being legalised in the United Kingdom. Terry Pratchett was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and wants to know whether he will be able to die the way he wants to; before he is unable to write stories any longer, not when the government chooses. Terry has already lost his ability to type and dictates to his assistant when writing a novel, he already feels like he has lost some of his ability to write. Terry visits several people who have decided to die with Dignitas, a company that provides a service of euthanasia in Switzerland (the only country that legalises euthanasia). The documentary was subject to controversy over showing footage of a man dying during the euthanasia process near the end of the film in Dignitas.
When I watched the documentary, I was worried about seeing the "death scene" from the start, it was constantly playing on my mind that I would witness one of these people's deaths. However, the tough subject made this a very powerful and moving documentary, especially with the narrator and investigator considering assisted suicide in the future. Pratchett also went to meet the wife of a famous Belgian author Hugo Claus who died of assisted suicide in 2008, I found this moving because you could clearly see the strong emotional relationship between them as they discussed the experience of the Hugo's death. I found the story of Peter Smedley the saddest and the most moving; an English millionaire with motor neurone disease.  He was a man that lived in luxury and could have anything he wanted, but would rather end his suffering. He chose to do it sooner, so that he could protect his wife from prosecution, making all decisions for himself. The scene's of his death were very emotional.


Wonderland: Can We Get Married?

"Can We Get Married?" is a documentary from BBC Two's Wonderland Series about young couple Ben and Emma who have been together for 6 years, both of them have Downs Syndrome and wish to get married. This documentary is in a "fly on the wall" style and acts more as an observer than an interviewer. It follows their daily life in their supported-living community in Devon where they have an active social life and part time jobs, the main story showing Emma and Ben as they decide whether married life would be the best option for their unique relationship.
Although I found this documentary insightful, I didn't find it as moving as the other documentaries. I felt that the documentary could have given more monologue from the characters, which I feel could of created a stronger impact on the audience. Other than that, the story line was very powerful and the various shots gave us a point of view similar to an outsider and gave a very interesting view of their life and gave a clear message to viewers of the beauty of life. It was a heart warming story that made me feel how lucky I was not to have a condition such as Downs Syndrome.

Research: Case Study - About a Girl

About a Girl is a BAFTA award winning short film directed by Brian Percival which was released in 2001 on a £33,000 budget. Brian Percival wanted a change from directing glossy commercials and wanted to chose a gritty script for his first short film, Julie Rutterford's script was the perfect match. The film is still regarded as highly successful, winning a TCM Classic Shorts Award Prize at the London Film Festival, the Jury Prize at the Raindance Film Festival and 5 other awards.


When I watched this film, at first I was a bit unsure, I was certain that I would find the whole film quite boring. For a couple of minutes it felt as if it was dragging on but then I started to notice that her quick changes to her hobbies and like where used as a way of escaping the reality of her violent and troublesome life. The use of various isolated camera shots give her an image of loneliness and depression, the finale of the whole story came to me as a complete shock and it was a very disturbing and controversial conclusion which I thought was a very powerful piece of imagery.

Research: Postmodernism & Intertexuality

Postmodernism
Postmodernism is when one text references another and how the references influence the audiences' perceptions and interpretations.


Intertextuality
This is where a piece of media is cut, edited or acted to convey a message across to the audience, usually subtly. Different forms of media are linked into various references in order to make it interesting. The narrative needs to make sense.
Morrisey's "Everyday is Like A Sunday" uses intertextuality throughout his video. For example; Morrisey's strong vegetarianism beliefs are shown through the girl writing "meat is murder" on the postcard.

Research: The Beginnings of Film

The first films were short, expensive and didn't have batteries to power cameras.

The Lumière Brothers - 1890s

• The Lumière Brothers were the groundbreakers of film. 
• Each film was 17m long, which translated to 50 seconds of hand cranked film. 
• They mainly produced "actualities", a reflection of everyday life, mini documentaries
• They toured their work through a Cinematograph which functioned as a camera, projector and printer.
• Credited with over 1245 different short films and even filmed aerial shots before the first airplane.
• Not only did they pioneer technical attributes of the camera, but also artistic attributes, creating a dialogue of realism that has always been a crux of cinema.
• Entirely modern, nothing post-modern, it was created by them.
• Silent films are useful to look at, showing an evolution of visual language and grammar of film that formed the codes and conventions of today.

Georges Méliès - 1902

• Georges, assisted by his brother Gaston created the Film "Le Voyage dans la Lune" (A Trip to the Moon), a black and white silent science fiction film. A film loosely based on "From the Earth to the Moon" by Jules Verne and "The First Men on the Moon" by H.G. Wells.
• The film runs at 14 minutes at a frame rate of 16 frames per second (the standard frame rate at the time of production)
• It was extremely popular at the time of release and is the best known of the many films by Georges Méliès. It is the first science fiction film and utilizes animation and special effects.
• It is named one of the 100 greatest films of the 21st century.

The Great Train Robbery - 1903

• Filmmakers began to attempt creating "narratives". The Great Train Robbery in particular shows how important editing and using different shots is.
• The film used various innovative techniques such as cross cutting, double exposure, composite editing, camera movement and on location shots. Cross cutting in particular was considered a new and sophisticated editing technique.
• In some scenes, prints were hand coloured.
• The film uses simplistic editing techniques (each scene contains one shot) and the story is mostly linear, It represents a significant step in movie making, the first narrative movie of a significant length.

Examiner's Reports 2011

• Titles in general are improving, but some work still lacked awareness of the institutional conventions of titling, with just cursory attention to titles. Given this is half of the task (the titles and opening of a new fiction film), it is crucial that adequate attention is paid to this area.

• Soundtracks likewise still tend to be limited to just a music track, with no attention to diegetic sound.

• Camerawork was often far too limited, particularly lacking in close ups and with insufficient attention paid to framing.

• Lighting was often a problem, with inadequate sources producing grainy footage.

• There were still too many opening sequences which tended to resemble trailers and once again the usual stalk n’slash incidents in the woods- with white masked strangers popping out from behind sofas and trees.

• Candidates should be advised against the use of such storylines as generally they reinforce the sense of amateurism rather than creating a believable professional product. Such scenarios are rarely done well and appear more like early experiments rather than finished pieces. 

• Candidates need to work on narrative and building an enigma; many of them still wanted to condense and conclude the story in the opening two minutes, which of course misses the whole purpose of film openings.

• Centres who worked creatively and imaginatively on the use of titling and the use of sound were much more effective than those who focused on trying to create a potted story.

Last Year's Short Films

From watching last years Short films and Documentaries, I noticed a few things I would improve. I decided to note these down so that it would benefit my own production:

• Use a tripod when necessary for stable camera movement
• Use a separate sound recorder
• Match the editing style to the genre
• Use close ups, creates a "tease"
• Handheld
• Indents for different film companies
• Horror films, the less footage, the better
• Editing Process is extremely important.
• Use composition techniques; such as the "Rule of Thirds"

The Phone Call