Understanding iMovies

While editing our prelim and final piece we used iMovie to put together and edit them, we had a limited knowledge on how to use the software some we looked online to find out more information about using it. We found this extremely useful and it has helped us to full understand and aid towards our editing skills without this extra knowledge we easily progressed through the editing stage and managed to use techniques to improve our work.

We followed step by step guides to learn new techniques and improve our speed in which we edit and because of this we could spend more time trying new methods of editing. When starting to edit we used easy guides like this one we created to help us speed up the simple editing tasks.

Step by Step Guide

Importing And Starting

Firstly you must import your clips into iMovie. (You can import directly from a camera or from any files that exist on your computer). Simply select the import feature from the FILE menu and use the browser to select your clips.  Your first import will take some time if you have a lot of clips, since iMovie will generate new thumbnails for each clip. Once you have imported all the clips, select NEW PROJECT from the file menu to create a new project.  Your project is empty, so you need to SELECT all the clips you want in your project and drag them to the timeline window on the top. Once you have the clips in the timeline, you should reorder the clips in the proper sequence by dragging and dropping them in the correct order.

Adding Transitions

You may want to use TRANSITIONS between scenes to fade one scene to another or use another transition effect. To access them, select TRANSITIONS from the WINDOW menu. Simply select the transition you desire and drag it and place it between the two scenes

Cropping 

To crop a scene, simply select the scene and then click on the CROP button. The crop window will open up and you can adjust the window to crop the video clip. This will crop the whole clip you selected so you need to preview the clip to make sure the crop fits the entire scene.

Adjusting The Video

You may want to edit the video itself. To do so, simply select a single clip or multiple clips using the SHIFT button and mouse click. Click on the VIDEO ADJUST button to bring up the control panel. You can adjust exposure, saturation and each channel independently. You can even adjust the white point by simply dragging it and moving it to a new location.

Adding Titles

Titles are added just like transitions. Select TITLES from the WINDOW menu. Drag the title from the inspector and place it into the movie. You can then completely edit the text. As with most Macintosh applications, all the fonts that are available on your system may be used. You can also easily change color, spacing and even kerning of the text.

Editing or Adding Sounds

You can also easily edit the sound of any clip and add sound and music to your movies. From the FILE menu choose Music and Sound Effects to gain complete access to your iTunes library. Here you can add a music track or sound effect to a single scene or to the whole movie. Selecting the SOUND icon from the toolbar will allow you to edit a sound, adjust the volume and fade the sound in or out.

Exporting

The final step is to export your movie. You can export directly to a number of devices including your computer or a USB stick. To export you click the EXPORT button and select the place you wish to export to once this is done it will save and you are done.

Our Films Location & filming Diary

When starting to create our film opening we decided that the location of our shots and the film on a whole, would be of key importance to establishing the storyline and conforming to the genre of social realism, It should ideally aid us as filmmakers in helping to tell our story to our demographic,  by bringing realistic locations into our filming; it makes our film opening appear more authentic for the audience.

Due to the hybrid nature of our film we used a mix of locations from urban to rural areas and felt they helped to enhance the social realism aspect as well as thriller due to it dramatic yet believable locations and story. We aimed the locations to be that of harsh, hard hitting, gritty and a little bit grim to represent the wide negative conception of areas inhabited by drug issues, as this reflects the quality of life and the living standards commonly stereotyped within areas inhabited by drug issues.  

 Production Filming Diary

 

Day 1

Urban Area Filming

 

Today we filmed the total mass of urban area footage, this includes the;

• Intro scenes (Master shot, long to close to mid shot sequence, shot reverse shot)
• Dialogue (Whole sequence of convo)
• Beginning of Chase (Match on action, shot reverse shot and mid shot)

We had a few problems during this day of filming, manly coming in the form of poor sound and weather. As much as we would like to, we couldn't control the weather but while using coats to avoid a wet camera we managed to successful film the urban areas with the looming grey sky we wanted. As far as sound goes we had well covered locations so only wind effected the sound thankfully, but again by placing "Wind barriers" in the form of Luke blocking the camera from the main force of wind.


Day 2
Rural Area Filming

Today we filmed the total mass of urban area footage, this includes the;

• Largest section of the chase scene (close ups, POV shots and long shots)
• Small amount of dialogue (POV, low angle and over the shoulder)

Unlike the first day of filming we had no problem with weather or wind that much, unless it was a desired sounds, the biggest problem was us as cameramen and directors not only being in  the shots but trying to not make noise on the leaves which proved very difficult for some shots. We used manly stationary shots in our rural filming so that we would not break the codes and conventions of a social realism, and by re filming we avoided being in shot.

Day 3
Vlog

The Vlog was a dialogue lead sence in which no real problems accured, it contained Toby talking directly into the camera, speaking well rehersed lines and with no unwanted sounds. this finished our filming and then we started to edit.

Chase Scene Analysis

During this post I will be analysing the basic codes and conventions of chase scene as well as researching the camera, sound, editing and Mise-En-Scene techniques a used within the clips.

Some conventions of a Chase Scene (on foot)

- A slow build up in the non diegetic music, rising and rising with the scene until a climax is hit for a bigger impact.

- Editing gets faster as the chase or stalk gets more intense, having quick editing during the climax of the scene to create the feeling of a fast and intense chase.

- Quick edits intertwined displaying close ups of both the pursuer and the victim’s emotions, such as their hands, feet, face and body language to show the pursuers scary qualities and angry emotion and the victims vulnerability and scared emotion.

- Typically most scenes like this are filmed at night, using the lighting to express the mood of the situation. If filmed in the day, the scenes usually kept as dark as possible, using an overcast day for example, to express the same emotion.

- Long establishing shots displaying the width or length of the streets or corridors in which the chase is taking place.

- Tracking shots taken either in front of the victim as they run away from the pursuer or an over the shoulder shot showing where they are running to.

- Slow motion used sometimes to increase the tension as the pursuer either gets closer or the victim makes a lucky getaway.

The first clip I will be analysing is taken from "NOW YOU SEE ME" which is a physiological thriller about magicians creating inhuman trick, such as robbing a bank from half way across the world.

This is a short 1 minute 26 second long clip which contain a short chase between one of the magicians and a police enforcer, In this clip they use a huge range of all the technique sections and they use them extremely well to enhance the excitement within the scene, one of the reasons I picked this scene is because of their unique camera style and use of location props in the scene.

The scene starts with an extreme close up of the magicians money prop, then showing him reaching into the scene and towards the prop this acts in a way as a POV shot of the police officer and helps us as viewers to get a clear and up close view of the action as well as allowing us to understand what he is using.

The close up leads to an over the shoulder shot, putting the audience in to the action as objects come swinging towards us, it also gives us good special awareness so we can tell where the characters are in relation to the objects, this helps us feel more like we are in the room and makes us nervous when the protagonist becomes close to capture.

Following a mid-shot that is cut between the over the shoulder shots in a fast pace editing sequence the protagonist (Magician) begins to use the surrounding location props to ovoid the police enforcer, this will be something I hope to use in our filming as it bring a more realistic feel which we are aiming for, it is first seen when he uses a curtain to seemingly teleport through the room.

The next scene that happens between 00:16 and 00:21 is probably one of the most unique shots I have ever seen in a movie, as they use a mirror to trick the audience into thinking the protagonist is somewhere he is not, by showing his reflection.

This is something I would like to attempt in our film opening as it helps to disorientate the viewers and put them in a hyphened state which would be great in our opening as the section comes from the middle of our film so the viewer should be confused by the events that happen.

Also with the extract from "NOW YOU SEE ME" they continually use low key lighting to mask the actions of the characters, this too is something I feel we will use in our opening as it helps to mask the location and makes the viewer’s concentrate more on the people rather than the scene, for us this will aid in the confusion we desire.

In the latter half of the extract the protagonist uses a garbage chute to escape from the police enforcer, during this scene they use an overhead shot to put us as viewer in the position of falling down the chute, which disorientates the viewer because of the tilted camera angle.

This is England Review *Spoilers*

In this post I will be reviewing the early clip within "This is England" where Shaun, the main character,  meets "The Skinheads" who are a group of mates that adopt Shaun into their group and who's group become the main focus of the film, as Shaun becomes involved with drugs, theft and even death.

 

With the early clip of this extract, after the title sequence, it shows Shaun walking through the town he lives in, although this scene appears to be just a space filler it is important as not only does it show the time period that the film is set in but because it shows the "state" of the area surrounding Shaun, it shows the area as a lower class area covered in vandalism and grime.

during the first key moment within This is England where Shaun and the Skinheads first meet Shane, the director, uses a long shot to show the characters, I feel this is so it shows the difference between characters better than a mid or close up shot would, by capturing all the characters in one shot you can easily notice the not only costume difference but the character postures as well, I feel it helps us see how Shaun is unlike the "Skinheads" as not only do they wear "defiant / punk" outfits whereas Shaun wears a "Good boys" attire to show his childishness and dependence.

After the first encounter with the "Skinheads" Shanes use of camera techniques becomes the main method of representing the growing bound between the group. As the scene begins with a long shot to show the difference as Shaun becomes more connected with the group it heads to the mid shots the close ups, this represents the growing bond and makes the viewer feel more involved with the story.

 

I feel that if we use the same technique of involving the audience through a change in camera shots that we will be able to slowly make the viewer’s understand "Toby" and become more sympathetic towards him.



Audience Research Survey

To gather research on our target audience and what they expect from the genre of our film we created a survey on surveymonkey and posted it online so that we could gather the results from a large audience of non-bais people.

The link to our survey is https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QS329BG this will take you straight to the survey so please take some time to fill it out for us, thank you.

from our survey we hope to collect a strong level of data to help us not only create the film to to target it at the right audience with their expectations in mind.

Filming schedule

This is our film schedule that we will be giving to cast and using for our own reference while filming our final piece.

Costume Planning

The final piece we are creating is set in modern time so finding the needed or making the needed costumes will not be hard but we do want to get costumes that suit the characteristics of the people we are trying to portray.

Creegan        

- Creegan, the young and healthy dealer who prospers on selling others addictive drugs, for this character we wanted to create the appearance of his healthiness as he sells but does not take these harmful and life changing drugs, to do this we have decided to give him a cleaner yet casual look.

To do this he will ware newer and fresher clothes which shows he is untouched from the harm he is causing and also it helps us show the audience he is not like the addicts that come to him he is just using their problems to prosper.

 Toby

- Toby, the protagonist of our film and a desperate yet hopeful drug addict who is trying to change his ways but keeps getting dragged back in by the people around him, the hardship and struggles he has gone through are what we want to truly represent in his costume so to do that we have decided on giving him older clothes but trying to make it clear he is trying to change his ways by the style in which he wears them, for example he has his shirt tucked in at the front but out at the back, this also helps us show that he is "Broken" and although from the "front" he seems fine and healthy, it’s clear from "Behind" that he is in fact really unwell and can’t take care of himself.

 We believe that with these costumes we will be able to capture the audience and help them appreciate the characters in more depth and understanding.

Inspirational Chase Music

For our final piece we wish to create a social realistic thriller, in which would contain a chase scene, for this chase scene we want to create, using the available skills and equipment we have, a effective and dramatic music sequence to go alongside the chase to add to the scene.

This is a music extract from the film "Bourne Supremacy" during an intense foot chase, which we felt to be similar to that which we hope to create. We hope to create something similar to this in the studio with help from music technicians.

Character Profile

Character Profile Number 1: Creegan Donohue

We wanted to show Creegan in a extremely negative view as the stereotypes are often representing the "drug dealer image" so we tried to show him as the very embodiment of the sinister culture of the drug trade.

 

Dark, devious, cunning, cold hearted and above all else, greedy he is a character of volatile and obtrusive nature with his sole aim in life to reap the rewards and benefits of other people’s discomfort and misfortune, primarily making a sizable profit from the drugs that he sells.

 

Sinister by nature, tyrannical and commanding by force it is these attributes that mark the character as one to be viewed with particular discontent, resentment and displeasure from audience members and the other characters alike.

Character Profile Number 2: Toby Scott

Toby the protagonist of our film, unlike the antagonist Creegan, he is more easily relate-able to members of our audience, although many wouldn't relate to his addictive and cold state, they would be include to except his downsides due to his Innocent nature.
 
Less volatile and aggressive than Creegan, the character generally is more oriented towards more usual or otherwise ‘normal’ social behaviour. However, one thing that marks Toby out as acutely different is his tendency to become socially awkward in situations whereby he can become difficult in expressing the correct emotion for the situation that he may find himself in, this often gets him into large trouble in his life due to childish smiles in the face of aggression and blank expressions in time of joy.

We wish to showcase this in our film opening as it is an area of disability similar to autism or aspersers and as we are making a social realism film opening to cover this material will be a new and exciting direction in which to move our film opening.    

Film Opening Script

This is our planned script for our final piece film opening, this is a close example of the script we will use as we have allowed the cast slight improvisation.

A script is an essential tool for any filmmaker/production company in that it provides clarification and guidance to, not only the actors performing in the piece, but also to the production staff such as cameramen and lighting crews as although they will not be performing dialogue or 'in role' so to speak- they will still be performing aspects of the film production all be it different ones to 'performers.' They will still require guidance as to how best to perform their role. A script acts as a basis- or foundation- from which the crew and actors can stimulate and springboard developments from an original, guiding source. This is why a script is so fundementally important as it acts as a guiding light to keep all team and crew members on track and not become deviated too much from the original story and ideas discussed at an earlier pre production stage. 
   

Old Habits Die Hard script

(Tracking establishing shot of the main character, Toby Scott, commentary over the top as audio track)

(Cut to master shot of sharp fencing, symbolic.)

(Homeless people crouching in litter and rubbish, long shot with a slight pan)

(Long shot that develops into a two shot, showing two main characters)

(Conversation between the two men begins)

[Dialogue]

Creegan: You’re back for more then? (Gruffly)  I haven’t seen you in bloody ages.

Toby: Not exactly Creegan

Creegan: You complaining Toby, or… something else?

Toby: No, not really far from it. I love the hits man, but only when they last. I’ve had to make a choice mate….

Creegan: (Suspiciously) What choice? This better not be heading where I think it is, or you know what will happen. (Reaches into pocket threateningly)

Toby: No... I mean the hits mate. They get fewer and fewer every time. (Maddening slightly) I need this, I crave it. But, I’ve come to a bit of ‘rough luck’ shall we say.

Creegan: What ‘rough luck’ is this? A bribe to hand me in to the pigs?! You got another thing coming mate!

(Two shot, slight pan, argument begins.)

Toby: If you think I’d hand you into that lot I could’ve done it. The offer was open for me...

Creegan: ... And you went and fucking took it. And they say I’m a lowlife!!

(Creegan pushes Toby against the wall.)

Toby: ...but I refused the offer despite the money. The wealth of friendship is worth far more than any amount of money …even in our world.

Creegan: Don’t you lecture me on your petty bullshit. Your words are filth; and so are you!! You’re scum; Scott!  Scum that’s about to be wiped off the face of the Earth!

Toby: And I thought you couldn’t sink any lower, I guess I was wrong.

(Zooms in to over the shoulder shot)

(Toby breaks free, enters chase)

(Toby runs out of tunnel, Creegan follows later after being punched)

(Match on action shot of Creegan getting phone out and dialling a number into his phone)

(Shot reverse shot of Creegan talking onto his phone)

(Close up of Toby’s legs as he runs down the street. Long/mid shot of Toby running down the street, commentary audio under the action) 

Toby: When you’ve been in the ‘game’ as long as I have you begin to realise when shit is going down. If you fail to notice it quick enough you could be fighting for your life. That’s what the drugs do; turn a simple bit of fun into roulette between life and death; a numbers game, luck of the draw as some might say.

Show wide shot of different trees. Cutting and splicing in-between them to show a sense of mystery and foreshadowing. Cut to: shot of forest floor, focussing on mud and dirt on the track. Use low angle shot to show. Audio: rustling of leaves.

Cut to: tracking shot of running feet. First, show the leading pair of feet and then those of the pursuer.

Cut to wide shot showing curve in forest track, shoot the shot from here, now showing the two characters running towards the camera and track them round the bend, kicking up dirt to show urgency and speed of the characters.  Have camera follow the characters in handheld steadicam shot to show a sense of chaos and urgency.

Pursuer grabs his target by the scruff of the neck, throwing him to floor.

Pursuer should be shown as the antagonist of the opening, dark apparel and scars to show this. Pursuer is a violent criminal.

Pursuer/Dealer/ Antagonist; Creegan Donohue.

Protagonist; Toby Scott

Creegan turning over Scott on the ground, POV Shot.

Creegan: You’re finished Scott, you’ve changed the balance forever. Now I’m gonna kill you, for all the fucking misery you’ve caused me

Cut to: webcam shot of main character, focussing his webcam and re-adjusting the lens.

 

Toby: Is this thing on?... (Sits back in chair, relaxing, but on edge)  

Right, ok (Clears throat) Yeah what you just saw, I mean before I 
(indicates himself with a wave of the hand) 

came in, was the day, the day, (pauses, zoning out slightly) my life changed and not…. 
(Pause, considering his word choice) not in a good way. We’re all born different, yeah ok I get that- we all make different choices in our lives, good or bad, proud or regretted; I know I’ve certainly made some choices in my life that I’ve lived to regret even to this day. 

We just gotta face every new day as it comes, even if that day is the darkest day we may ever face. That day, my world changed forever, I… I… killed a man not out of hatred or greed. Just defiance. Defying and standing up to his oppression. He was making a living off other people’s addiction. He had to be stopped. I don’t defend what I did; I just hope it’s easier for people to understand. 

(Fade to black; end credits roll)