Editing Blog: Piecing Footage

Today in AICE Media Studies, I continued piecing the movie together. In the recent editing blog, I was able to piece Scene 1 and part of Scene 2.  My priority was to "finish" editing the first two scenes due to timing. This means titles, music, and transitions should be added to the movie. If the first two scenes were edited correctly, Hannah and I would theoretically spend less time editing those scenes. During the third day of the post-production process, I spent a significant amount of time editing. Since I did not have the opportunity to practice my editorial skills during the previous editing day, I was able to perform various editing skills.

The first thing I did was reviewed footage from the previous filming day. Due to time restrictions, I reviewed the Monitor's footage in Scene 2.  I selected the "best" take and inserted it into the track on Pinnacle Studios. Then, I trimmed the footage down to a decent duration. Once I added the Monitor scene, I continued to add the protagnists' scene. I used the checklist and storyboard as I guide on what scenes should be next. After the majority of the footage for Scene 2 was added to the track, I begin to meticously cut the scenes. For instance, I would cut away silence before dialogue was spoken. During this process, I directed Hannah on when she should cut the scene. Even though Hannah and I have attention to detail, one person should offer their input on when a scene should be cut shorter. In one take, there is a pause before an actress speaks. I say "Stop". This command is an indicator when take should be cut.

Futhermore, I was able to practice my sound skills. Since I  have more experience with sound, I trimmed imported the sound files from my flash drive onto Pinnacle Studios and the computer. I selected, added, and trimmed the tracks to fit in with the establishing shot and the conversation scene. I was able to add a fade to the music. This allows the transition from Scene 1 to Scene 2 to become smoother.

The weak skills I practiced were transitions and titles. During the last two mini-projects, I did not add titles because the duration of the projects was two weeks.  With good guessing skills, I was able to add the first and third titles. I adjusted the font, size, and position of the title. In addition to the style of the title, I added transitions on how the titles will enter and exit the screen.

At the end of the editing session, Scene 1 and Scene 2 were "finished".