Editing day - Take Three

After my lesson I spent a few hours in the edit suite just inserting some text such as title screens and credits for my film, I chose a classic style to go with the rest of my project and the style of my editing and camera work so far.

Title screen?

I have searched online for how to add text on Final Cut pro, I found many Youtube videos with the answer as well as a few websites to help me such as

Dummies

EHow

Editing day - Take two

I arrived at college to take advantage of the edit suite and fine edit my film, I had a slim chance of finishing everything today but I thought I may as well dedicate the whole day from 9 am until 3:30 pm to do as much as possible and maybe finish everything with time to spare so as I can fully dedicate myself to completing my ancillary tasks to go with my main product.

The fine editing has been going pretty well, I'm pleased with how a large amount of shots fit together effortlessly however a few of the transitions between certain shots seem quite jumpy and unprofessional, I've inserted fades with certain shots and audio to try help the scenes flow properly and there is now a noticeable difference between yesterdays work and todays.

I stuck to basic transitions as my storyline is about real life situations or at least a plausible plot line so I don't want scenes to wipe across the screen like an 80's sci-fi or dissolve into the next scene like a power point presentation. I want a basic story with a more natural narrative and time scale and for this it is important to not get to trigger happy when editing, to keep things looking as real as possible.

I'm having some trouble finding a way to insert a title screen or credits so it is something I will have to come in another day and figure out but overall I think the day was productive and I feel more relaxed about the amount of work left to do.

Editing Day

Me and my lead actor Alun headed into the edit suite today and worked from 9 am until 4:30 pm in a bid to get a large majority of the editing done. Deadlines are closing in but hopefully one more full day of editing and everything should be finished up to a good standard.

Almost all of the main editing such as choosing from the available shots we did of each scene and cutting them down to the correct size has been done and we're made a lot of head way. I'm a little concerned that a few of the shots are a little quiet and a bit dark at times however we've managed to find the brightness and colour levels to play around with in an attempt to make certain shots a little clearer.

As for the fine editing I think it would be best to pick another one or two days where I can come in and chop all the shots down to the perfect size and add in the desired transitions and effects as well as a title screen and credits.

All together this day has been a success and I know feel positive about the rest of my project progressing at a good pace and getting a good mark for my final piece.

Filming day - Take two

Now that we have replaced the actress that would have been busy today we decided we couldn't wait for the 26th as we were already behind schedule. We agreed to meet up at 11am and finish the last two scenes of my film.

How long did it take?
We worked until about 8 pm that day we had to film in the twilight hour or it would be too dark to film.


Any problems?
It was quite sunny this time and got a little difficult to work out how to get rid of the glare on film but we worked it out.


What went well?
We managed to pick up some really interesting shots, the colour and quality of film looked really good and things went quite smoothly.

OVER ALL

We got the shots we didn't manage to finish yesterday and managed to get everything finished so I think it all worked out well.

Filming day

I have managed to take some time off work in a bid to film a week earlier than scheduled. I booked out the camera equipment and met my crew at 9 am to start filming.

How long did it take?
We worked from 9 am until 9 pm that day and will still need another day to get every shot to a high standard.


Any Problems?

1. We could not finish filming every shot in the time we had
2. I was unable to get the external microphone to work so we had to use the one attached to the camera.
3. There was also an issue with rain so I will have to be careful when editing my film due to continuity

What went well?

1. My actors all worked well together and put a lot of effort into getting their lines right
2. I managed to film the same shots at least twice to enable me to have a wider range of choice of shots when editing my film.

OVER ALL

Quite a successful day, certain people worked really hard and although we will have to finish filming another day I am happy with all the work we managed to get done.

Final Cut Pro

Me and Alun decided today would be a good day to get some more information on final cut pro, we have experience with the software however it has been some time since we practiced it and it could help us to have a wider or more precise knowledge to benefit us when editing...

SPECS

We researched how to use it online and found a basic manual written by STEVE MARTIN on how to use FINAL CUT PRO which informed us on the key basics of using the software...

We also looked on YOUTUBE for informative videos on how to use the software and found many to watch and learn from.

Learning about Equipment

Me and Alun, my lead actor decided it would be a good idea to research the equipment we were planning to use to film my project so we researched the camera online to find the specifications and get a basic idea of how to use it.

SPECS

• HD/SD-SDI output for serial digital playout or live output of uncompressed audio/video signals • Enhanced metadata management feature saves details, like names or titles, onto the recorded clip • Additional Neutral Density filters, 1/4, 1/16, 1/64 • 20 variable frame rate steps include: 12, 15, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 40, 44, 48, 54, 60 • Built-in waveform monitor and vectorscope as well as three advanced focus assist functions (2X center zoom, histogram and focus bar display) • Dynamic Range Stretch in 60i/60p HD replaces News Gamma • Enhanced user buttons that allow you to delete the last clip, pre-record, select P2 card slots or go into variable frame rates with the touch of the button • 6-pin Firewire with locking connection (no power out) • Dynamic focus ring/manual focus assist (300°/150° rotation) ensures camera reaches the last critical focus point. Iris/focus ring assignment switch enables focus ring to be the iris • 10X, 5X, 2X Digital Zoom in 1080/60i mode • Color bars with 1kHz tone • Camera playback format can be changed without going into menus • Time/date stamp burn-in for legal and surveillance work • Improved 3.5-inch LCD screen can also be flipped for use with 35mm adapters • Intuitive design - most cables face the rear to reduce conflicts; audio connections located in the same place • Lightweight (4.2lbs), yet durable construction with magnesium aluminum alloy (same as AG-HVX200 series) • Backed by Panasonic's 5-year limited warranty (must register after purchase) • Comes standard with Barry Green's HVX and HPX Book We also looked up the user manual online to get a basic idea of how to use the camera and take advantage of the specifications it has to offer... USER MANUAL We read through the relevant and important parts of the user manual so we now have a head start when we start using our equipment and hopefully it wont be so difficult to prepare on filming day.

Errors in January

The main error I've encountered in recent weeks with my filming process is the loss of one of my actresses, we have managed to find someone to fill in for her however in my January schedule it shows that we now don't have another free day to film until the 26th of January which is over 10 days away putting us almost 2 weeks behind schedule.

luckily this gives us an opportunity to run through everything with our new actress as well as developing more preparation for our filming day. This also gives us a chance to test the equipment college has provided before we take it out and use it to complete my project.

Still Missing Actors

The 12th of January as our first shoot has been cancelled due to the fact we still don't have someone to replace Daisy in our film as well as the fact that I was not able to book out the camera equipment I needed in time, however this gives us another two weeks to find an actress to step in as well as more time for Yasmin and Alun to get to grips with the film itself until then we will keep searching and keep preparing for our next shoot.

We have found a girl who has agreed to fill in for Daisy Rendell at another date

Gemma Marson-May

Although Gemma has more of a model background than an acting background, we figure that Gemma should be able to do the role justice and will be able to transfer her talents into film easily.

Missing actors

I have been informed the day before filming that Daisy Rendell will not be able to film with us due to the work she has to do with college and University interview dates, I have gone through a few names with Yasmin to try and replace her last minute and there are two options, one from her performing arts course and one girl from my film studies class that might be able to film with us tomorrow.

Beth Patrick

Chloe Murray

I asked them both however Beth Patrick is busy all this week and Chloe Murray said she will try and find the time to get over to Glastonbury tomorrow for the majority of the day. This is a  minor set back however the filming does need to get done as soon as possible but it is essential that we have someone to fill Daisy Rendell's space in the film.