Editing

How did you manage continuity using editing software?When we first started filming I was very aware that this task would be centred around continuity and I was worried how we would be able to use varied shots and camera angles, yet still be able to keep the flow of the film. When it came to us using Final Cut Pro, it was revealed to me and maria that continuity wasn't actually that hard to achieve as it allowed you to cut the film at specific points and enter a new film at the same point where the action from the previous point was being repeated. Therefore, while it seemed initially it would be difficult, when you use the software, it is actually not as hard due to its precise nature. Did you encounter any problems in the editing stages of your production?We did encounter a few problems at the editing stages, I think this is partially down to the problem that neither of us had encountered Final Cut before, and therefore using tools within it was our first time. Such problems included the use of transitions, there were various places we thought that a transition would be ideal, but when we used final cut, when we inserted transitions we felt it gave quite a tacky touch to our film. Also, as I said above, where it allowed us to cut the film at precise points we had some problems, these were linked simply to our difficulty in working Final Cut, but obviously these difficulties will disappear the more practice we get with Final Cut. What new processes/techniques have you learned using new software and how has the use of software enhanced your production? I would have to say the big technique I learnt was the cutting the film at precise points, I knew that this was something that was able to be done, but I never thought I would understand how it works. I think this enhanced our production simply because it allowed us to be successful in our continuity which overall made a successful production. Another tool I learnt through Final Cut was the ability to crop frames within the video. At one stage during filming Maria accidentally came into the shot, we were able to cut her out via this tool therefore meaning we didn't have to get rid of a good shot. This meant that production time was quicker as we didn't have to go back and re-film. What successes and difficulties have you experienced during editing?Editing overall is quite a difficult area for me, even when writing about it and analysing the effect it has for the viewing audience. One particularly obvious difficulty I experienced with editing is my impatience, I wanted it to be done automatically, however to edit a film well you need to put time and effort into it, so this was a particular difficulty for me. Another difficulty I had was when I had specific ideas and didn't know how to do them. This then led me to play about with different features which maybe I didn't want to put into the film and therefore I had to go back each time I did it. I had trouble when working with the colours in the clip, in some clips the colours were darker than in others, this meant we had to get quite technical and neither of us really knew how to go about this. We therefore had to ask for assistance from Mr Tierney, and eventually we got there. We were quite successful with the use of slowmo and using music. I seemed to be able to pick up the skills required and had no real problems in this area. I particularly enjoyed being able to fade the music in and out of the clip, and this therefore was a quite successful area for me. Another successful area was the insertion of credits and titles. We chose very basic ones as we thought that this would contribute to the minimalist nature of the video. I enjoyed this area going through each title and seeing the different effects it had. Overall, this was definitely one of the more challenging areas. However, I would definitely say with my new experience with Final Cut Pro that my editing skills have definitely improved and therefore will help to contribute to successful final piece.