Editing

First Stage (07/12/15)




This is the first stage of editing we did, beginning to crop the footage. This is the feedback we received.

We thought the idea of have the radio would be really effective, because it was suggestive that the narration was part of the radio broadcast, which was clearer than our initial idea. 

Second Stage (09/12/15)

This was the second stage of editing we had done. We had fully cut the footage, and we added the institutions at the beginning of our sequence. However, we had not added any additional music or sounds, nor the typography. We adjusted the footage so some of the jump cuts were quicker and smoother, and removed the high pitch noise over the slowed down shots. We also extended the shot when Kira is looking out, so the shot moved from out of focus into focus on the zombies to help build tension, which is one of our main intensions of this scene, to help set the tone for the rest of the film. We asked some people to review the footage, and this was their feedback.

After this feedback and reviewing the footage more closely ourselves, it is clear that we need to reshoot some of the shots as well as shooting new ones. These include:

• Kira placing the cans into her bag(her head was slightly cropped off)
• A shot of George after he picks up the papers(it's not clear who it is, and could be interpreted as Kira)
• Panning shot of the zombies in the field, from Kira's point of view(should be a more dramatic build up)
• Kira turning back from seeing them(more shocked and panicked by it to heighten suspense)
• Kira getting the radio(wearing her backpack, continuity issue)

Third Stage (14/12/15)

At this point, we had added different music and sounds over the top of the sequence as well as adding in the credits. We extended some of the shots including Kira looking out and also the shot of the zombies to really heighten the tension in these shots as much as possible. We also adjusted the volume levels of the institution themes at the beginning. We noticed that they were not balanced with the rest of the sequence, as they were exceptionally loud in comparison. It was also at this point that we recorded and added the voiceover.

It is key for our audience to fully understand the plot as well as this sequence getting our intended emotional response so they are engaged by it, and not left feeling confused. The sound is very important for this and currently the balance of sound is not correct so important moments are being lost. So this is something we will focus on. Another very important point raised by this feedback is the typography. It is currently too big and so is overly distracting for the viewers. This is something which will be changed.

Stage Four (16/12/15)

We had tried to arrange a re-shoot for some of the different shots, however this was not possible due to pre-arranged plans from both Keeva and I, as well as our cast. So, instead of reshooting any continuity issues, we edited our footage, so that they were either cropped out of frame or the footage wasn't included in the edit. We changed to typography so it was smaller and had a different font, which made it less distracting, and made it more appropriate for a film opening sequence.

We really liked the idea to add a noise when the title of the film, because it would help highlight its importance in a way that kept with our genre. By increasing the length of the shots, it would improve the pace and flow of the sequence, as well as cleaning up some of the transitions. It would also allow us to more easily extend the length of the credits, because at the moment they are too quick to read easily. It is vital that these titles are clear because this is where we show our recognition for those people, to the audience, about how important they were in making the film. We needed to make the shot of radio at the beginning longer. This is because it is the first shot of the sequence and so it needs to be strong in order to make an impact on the audience. We needed to quieten the radio sounds as they were overwhelming and the voiceover and the other music could not be heard clearly over it. Also, we need to make the transition when George interupts Kira much clearer. This is the first moment where we see conflict in the group, which is the main plot throughout the whole film. We will edit this moment further in order for the audience to understand the intentions of it.

Stage 5 (18/12/16)

The differences between this edit and the last, the changes are very minor. We adjusted the sound levels so they were balanced, as well as tidying the transition when George interrupts Kira. I did this by making the cut between the two shots faster.

Stage 6 (07/01/16)

The previous edit was originally our final cut, but when we re-watched the opening sequence, it was clear that some adjustments needed to be made. Firstly, we made the transition back from the title screen to the action smoother, by a softer fade of the soundtrack and a longer fade. We also increased the length of the "10 Days Earlier" shot, to help create a more well-rounded end to our opening sequence.



Stage 7 (11/01/16)

We added the high-pitched white sound at the end of opening sequence, just before the last shot fades to white through to black. We thought that it would be really effective, as the noise is rather uncomfortable to listen to and makes you feel quite on-edge. This would help create suspense, by suggesting the idea of danger, and hopefully, the suspense acts as a hook for the audience, making them want to continue watching.




Stage 8 (14/01/16)

We noticed that due to how iMovie makes transitions, e.g. fading to black, that there was a minor noise that had been picked up in the recording, which previously had been cut out. So, to resolve this, we detached the sound from the footage, and cut the undesirable noise.




After the eight edit, we adjusted some of the soundtrack, as the heartbeat was overlapping at one moment, as well as the buildup to seeing the zombies to make it louder and more intense.