Editing task 3

This is an extract from an episode of Eastenders, for this task I am going to analyse the editing of this sequence. The sequence starts off in a bedroom and there is an example of continuity editing as in one frame the male character starts to sit up and the camera quickly cuts to a mid shot that shows him pulling the covers off of him and sitting on the edge of his bed. The male character then looks at his phone and walks out of the room.
The camera then cuts to a wider angle as a baby starts crying, this wider angle means that the audience can see the female character in bed as well as the crib at the end of the bed.
The scene then cuts to show a bouquet of roses having their petals ripped off as the camera tracks along the table and up to the female character (Kat) on her phone in a heated discussion. this scene creates an enigma within the audience as to who sent the character the flowers. The character then finishes her call and the camera stays focussed on her face as she continues to rip off the flower heads, this is done to show the audience her emotion.
The camera then cuts to another house and pans across the room to reveal a man in his dressing gown looking at his phone, The camera tracks down from the troubled look on his face to his phone as it breaks and quickly cuts to a frontal shot as he slams his broken phone onto the table and holds his head with his hands.
The camera then cuts again to show a hallway with another male character in his dressing gown who looks at a bag and potted plant at the bottom of a set of stairs, then up the stairs, then back down at the front door behind the camera. The camera is slowly zooming in on the characters face as he looks angrily at his own front door. The camera then cuts again to show yet another male character collecting the milk from his front door, there is a quick cut to show the character from a wider angle as he leans against his door frame and looks pensively past the camera (which is up a tree).
This sequence of quick cuts and angry or pensive looks on the male characters is done to create the enigma to who sent Kat the flowers and to who she was on the phone to as most of the male characters shown are holding their phones. The edits show the similarities with the male characters as most of them are looking in the direction of one house (no doubt Kat's). The camera holds each scene on the characters face to show their emotion and make it clear to the audience what they are feeling.

Deconstructing an opening sequence - Saturday night fever

The soundtrack to saturday night fever, by the Bee Gee's is instantly recognisable even today and was a big hit in the late 70's and reflects the disco scene at the time. The soundtrack also has a good pace for the opening scenes of Travolta strutting down the street in Chicago.
The main character played by John Travolta is instantly recognisable and fits the scene with platform shoes, flared disco trousers, a low cut brightly coloured shirt, a leather jacket and a gold medalion. when strutting down the pavement the audience can instantly tell that Travolta's character has an air of confidence around him which is summed up by his multiple glances at women as they pass him.
The camera starts off at Travolta's feet and slowly pans up to his face as the red-neon credits are shown (this again is in line with the 70's disco scene). This pan gives the audience a clear idea of the character from what they can see he is wearing and his general body language.
There is also an enigma within the opening sequence, when watching Travolta strut around Chicago, the audience is drawn to ask what the can of paint is for and why he is carrying it, the setting may also provide an enigma for the audience as it seems like Travolta's character is well known around the city and the audience may wonder what he does to be so well known.

Sound

Diegetic sound - The source of the sound is in the film world e.g. a character drops a glass. This creates the effect of a 3D world.
Non-diegetic sound - The source of sound is not in the film world e.g. music for effect. This can manipulate an audiences response emotionally and show something that is not visible. It can also create an atmosphere.
Sound bridge - When a sound moves from one shot to another. This can help with flow and cohesion.
Parallel sound (synchronous) - Goes together with the scene e.g. happy music with a happy scene. This can add to the atmosphere of the scene and create the right mood.
Contrapuntal sound (asynchronous) - The music doesnt go together with the scene e.g sad music with a happy scene. This either makes a specific point or can be used for comedic effect. this can be seen in Trainspotting when Carmen by Bizet is being played at the beginning as it does not fit in with the scene but just adds effect to it.
sound-motif - A specific piece of music repeated in films that everyone knows e.g. Jaws, James Bond, Indiana Jones.
Synaesthesia - This is what you see matches the shaoe if the action.

The reasons for using sound can be to manipulate audiences responses to certain things, for visceral pleasure (a physical response) or show things that cant be shown on screen in a kids film and leave the audience to come up with their own interpretation of the sound.

Institution

I was asked to produce a brief for a new film of my creation within a group. This was to be presented on a powerpoint infront of the whole class and had to include a main story, cast, director and distribution company.

My groups idea was a low budget horror film titled Bloody creek. We chose Niel Marshall as our director as he has directed some successful low budget horror films such as dog soldiers and we felt he would be perfect for our film. 

Our storyline was 'A group of boys go on a lads holiday to a cabin on an uninhabited island. They plan on spending a week there and doing a lot of extreme sports. They crash their boat through drunken antics and are stuck on the island, and it will take 2 days until the coastguard can get out to them, this doesn’t bother them until everything goes from bad to worse and they unleash a curse and are attacked by a group of zombies.'

When casting our film we needed to pick low profile British actors and in the end we decided on Danny dier, Noel Clarke, Stephen Graham and Joseph Gilgun as the main group of characters and Helena Bonham Carter andGerard Butler as the head zombies. 
When given feedback by the class it was pointed out that Helena Bonham Carter was a bad choice for an actress in our film as she is used to bigger Hollywood films rather than smaller independent British films.

when choosing a distribution company we decided on Momentum films as it is an independent film company and has distributed low budget horror films similar to ours such as River of darkness  Death cert and The killing room so our film would appeal to them. 

Narrative

Narrative is the bare bones of a story and can commonly be found in fairy tales. Narrative patterns are even used today and can be found in most conventional films.

Tzvetan Todorov and Vladimir Prop proposed that the narrative pattern works like:
Equilibrium -> Disruption -> resolution -> restored order -> New equilibrium

The narritive pattern can be applied to the film Finding Nemo, where the film starts with the equilibrium of Nemo living with his dad in the reef community then that is disrupted when Nemo is taken by the diver and resolved when he is found by his dad leading to restored order and a new equilibrium for the characters back on the reef.

Levi-Strauss said a story will typically have these binary opposites:
Hero/Villain, Rich/Poor, Male/Female and Fear/Happiness.
or in a typical western film:
Cowboys/Indians/Native Americans, Sheriff/Outlaws, Nature/The railroad, Wilderness/Cultivation

Vladimir Propp also proposed that there were 8 character roles.
1. The villain
2. The hero
3. The donor (who provides the hero with an object)
4. The helper (who aids the hero)
5. The princess (the sought after person)
6. Her father (who rewards the hero)
7. The dispatcher (who sends the hero on his way)
8. The false hero

Preliminary task evaluation - Feed the fish

This is my groups preliminary task - Feed the fish. We were told to film a sequence where a character enters a building and room showing continuity editing. The character then speaks to a superior on the topic of 'feeding the fish' using shot-reverse-shot. Our intentions for the sequence were to make it interesting for the audience and create an enigma surrounding the two characters and what the line 'Have you fed the fish' really means. I was extremely pleased with the sequence and I was very happy with how my group and I worked and I feel that we had created an enigma around the characters with our own little twist at the end. The only obvious faults I found in the sequence were that there was a continuity error where a character had his arms up to his face in one scene and not in the next. The other fault was that the lighting wasn't very good for the dialogue scenes and made the shot-reverse-shot very awkward. When shown to the rest of our class we were told to improve by cutting down on the boring walking time between shots and to work on the lighting and possibly choose a better setting for the task. It was also suggested that we use parallel editing and more angles to show superiority of the characters.

Phantom of the opera opening

Phantom of the opera

Scene	Sound and visuals	Colour and lighting	Effect
1	In the first scene there is a picture and the sound of children playing and as the camera pans in you see that the picture is moving and you enter the picture of the children playing by a big grand looking opera house. The sound is mainly diegetic sound such as the car horn and children’s laughter.	The scene is in black and white whereas the credits are in colour so this must have been done for a reason	The first scene gives the effect that this happened a long time ago.
2	The second scene shows an elderly man getting out of a car and being put into an old wheelchair and being wheeled inside this grand opera house by a nurse, there are again mainly diegetic sounds here as it is a quiet scene.	The colour is still black and white	As you can hear a whistle blowing in the background this signifies that this this be an industrial area. You can also only see parts of the man in the wheelchair so this leads the audience to wonder who he is and why they aren’t showing all of him.
3	This scene shows the inside of the grand opera house where an auction is happening. You also see the mans face as he looks at a woman that he seems to know as they both vie to buy a music box that seems to mesmerize them as it plays.. The auctioneers voice echo’s in the vast opera house and just adds to the feeling of how big and important the opera house is. The sound is still on-screen diegetic with the auctioneers voice and some birds flapping.	The colour is still black and white. The light being let into the gloomy opera house shows how dusty and old it is.	This scene will cause the audience to wonder how the old man in the wheelchair knows the woman and why they are both trying to win the music box. The dust in the air and the gloomy look to the opera house also adds to the feel that this is a flashback or happened a long time ago.
4	This scene see’s the next lot in the auction to be an enormous chandelier which is unveiled from a dusty cloth and is somehow connected to the ‘legend of the phantom of the opera’ as it is hoisted to the ceiling there is an explosion of sound as the church organ of the soundtrack to the phantom of the opera (written by Andrew Lloyd Webber) kicks in. this is in stark contrast to the near silence of the scenes before.	As the chandelier ascends and the music kicks in there is also an explosion of colour as the whole opera house is seemingly revived as the colour washes over it, brightening the whole scene up.	This may shock some of the audience as it goes from steady near silence to a flurry of music and colour, completely changing the pace of the film and its feel.
5	The scene then cuts to the outside of the opera house where a black carriage pulls up outside and two elegantly dressed men get out. The first man to get out seems to be a younger version of the man in the wheelchair. As the other man comes up alongside the other man they have a look of wonder on their face. All throughout this scene the phantom of the opera soundtrack is still playing.	The scenes are now in colour and it seems to be that the present day is set in black and white and the past is in colour. This may be because the man in the wheelchair is old and grey while in his youth he was a vibrant young man and he wants to re-live those glorious days in all its colour.	The effect of this scene may see the audience wonder how important this man is and what the opera means to him.
6	This scene show sthe bustling and busy backstage to the opera with people getting ready with extravagant costumes and doing last minute preparation, going through lines and sequences. The soundtrack is still playing in the background and just ads to the sensory overload of the whole scene.	The whole mise-en-scene is so overpowering, as there is so much to look at and so much colours.	The effect of this scene is that it shows the importance of the opera house and how much it was used to put on grand operas night after night.

Max Payne opening analysis

The beginning to Max Payne starts off with the very familiar 20^th Century Fox motif, which is instantly recognisable, and after its big trumpet ending cuts to a black screen. Whilst this black screen is in view you can hear some non-diegetic wind and then max Payne (Mark Wahlberg)’s off-screen diegetic monologue. At the end of this monologue Max Payne bursts onto the screen drowning in cold, partly frozen water. With this scene you can hear Payne’s frantic on screen diegetic breathing and splashing which is in stark contrast to the previous scenes cool and calm monologue. The next scene shows Payne sinking and is again in contrast with its sound as all you can hear is silence and quiet diegetic bubbles. There is another monologue as the scene shifts to the picture of a door with an ominous golden light behind it. You can still hear the bubbles that tell the audience that this is a flashback and that Payne is still underwater; this is accompanied by off screen diegetic sound of a baby crying. You can also hear the sound of wind chimes in the background, which add to the mystery of the scene and build tension to what is behind the door. The scene once again cuts back to Payne who is now close to drowning as the last few bubbles of air leave his body and there is another monologue. The scene then shifts to Payne entering the golden door and the light enveloping him to a ‘phased’ soundbridge to reveal the dead body of a woman on a bed. There is also the sound of a clock ticking which grows increasingly louder throughout the last few scenes, this adds atmosphere to the scenes as it gives the sense of something getting closer. There is then a shot of the source of the wind chimes which is a baby’s mobile which then stop and make you ask, what happened to the sound of the baby’s crying?

The scene then shows Payne, by way of another non-diegetic ‘phased’ soundbridge, still sinking and almost at the bottom of the river; you can then hear another monologue as the screen cuts to black. The screen then fades out of the black to show a skyscraper with the words ‘one week earlier’ on it and the off-screen diegetic sound of a police siren in the background and the sound of a bustling high street giving you the idea that this is a big busy city and in stark contrast to the scenes depicted before.

The whole opening scene is more than enough to have the audience on the edge of their seat on sound alone with the rollercoaster of clever silent monologues and puzzling, disorientating flashbacks with baby’s crying, a clock ticking, frantic splashing, quiet bubbles and eerie wind chimes all the accumulation of one week in the life of Max Payne.

spooks sequence 2 analysis

Sequence order for action A - In the office
1.What is happening?
In the sequence order for action A we can see the MI5 agents in an old building encrypting multiple files on a laptop with the help of a mac. They then shut the laptop away in a stainless steel briefcase with a fingerprint lock on it, and one character takes the briefcase and walks briskly away with it.

2.What information are you given?
we aren't given much information in this sequence as the case is used to create an enigma for the audience. All that the audience is really shown is that there is a case with a lapton in it that has some secret encrypted files on it and is obviously of some importance as it is very securely locked away.

3.What information is witheld?
There is a lot of information witheld in this sequence such as, what is the significance of the laptop and its files?, Why is it so closely guarded? And where is it being transported to?

4.why is the sequence important?
In my opinion this sequence is important as it sets the scene right at the beginning of the episode of spooks and instantly creates an enigma for the audience with regards to the briefcase, which is likely to become a big part of the episode.

5.why do we need to see the other scenes in between these scenes?
We need to see the other sequence as it instantly creates another enigma with the audience as to who these people are and what significance they hold to the main storyline. The showing of the other sequence in concordance with the main office sequence adds to the general atmosphere and tension of the overall sequence as the audience know that both of these parties of people (the agents and thieves) are going to come into contact with each other at some point and this adds to the interest of the episode.

Sequence order for action B - The thieves get ready
6.Why do you think we cut to see this action in between the scenes at MI5?
In my opinion we cut to see this sequence in between the scenes at MI5 as it creates tension for the audience and creates the enigma as to who they are and what they are getting ready to do.

7.what do you think they are doing when we first see them?
When we first see them we probably dont know what they are doing, it just looks like they are getting ready for something and as they put valuables into boxes (shots I&K) when getting ready, they might not be planning to come back.

8.What clues do you use to make sense of their inclusion?
The only clues to their inclusion that I saw was that the two sequences were intwined with each other but other than that there is no sign that the two sequences are in any way related.

9.why do we see less of the thieves?
In my opinion we see less of the thieves as it adds to their mystery and if too much was given away about the thieves then it might cause the audience to lose interest and jump to conclusions about the storyline.

10. How soon do we know what they are doing? Why does it take so long?
When I was putting the scene into order using just the screen shots in class I thought that the thieves were taking things out of the boxes rather than putting their valuables in as seen in the sequence but when I saw thesequence in full it made more sense to me than when I was working on the screen shots in the lesson. I think it takes so long for the audience to work out what the thieves are doing as it helps to prolong the enigma for the audience.

Editing styles

Camer movement

Harry Potter - Evaluation

The style of music I used for my Harry Potter opening sequence was mainly parallel. The style of music I used for the credit sequence was very dark at the beginning for the Warner Brothers logo with a sharp and loud thunder clap to start the sequence off. In my opinion the thunder clap would definitely get the attention of the audience at the beginning and really match the mood with the cloudy, dark background to the titles. On effectiveness I would give my title sequence an 7/10 as it was parallel to the mood of the credits. However some loops of sound were disjointed and very noticeable.

For the playground sequence we used a combination of birdsong and a guitar loop to reflect the tranquility of the mid-summer surroundings. we faded the music out as Dudley appeared and added in the hip-hop loop to show how the mood had changed upon Dudley's arrival. The music then changed again to a more serious orchestral tone to reflect how the mood had changed. As soon as the sky darkened I added some storm sounds such as more thunderclaps to signify the darkness and whats to come. For the running sequence I used a fast paced guitar and drums loop to signify the fast pace and hastiness of the scene. For this sequence I would give it 8/10 for effect as it was parallel to what was happening within the scenes.

For the sequence when the Dementors appear I used another guitar and drums loop that built up and set the atmosphere for the fight, I was particularly pleased with how the loop ended with Dudley slipping and sliding on the ice, and this was reflected in the loop with a long sustained note which really did fit in really well in my opinion. For the rest of the scene I used a lot of wind loops to give the Dementors a sort of voice and add to the dark atmosphere that they created. At the very end of the sequence I added another thunderclap so that it looked like it made Mrs. Figg flinch, I think this was a really good way to end the sequence as it was just how I had started it in the first place. For this sequence I would give it 8/10.

I am very pleased with the final sequence overall and I would give it 8/10 for the whole sequence as there were a few noticeable problems but overall it was very good.

Harry Potter exercise - Evaluation

This is my final Harry Potter opening soundtrack.


The style of music I used for my Harry Potter opening sequence was mainly parallel. The style of music I used for the credit sequence was very dark at the beginning for the Warner Brothers logo with a sharp and loud thunder clap to start the sequence off. In my opinion the thunder clap would definitely get the attention of the audience at the beginning and really match the mood with the cloudy, dark background to the titles. On effectiveness I would give my title sequence an 7/10 as it was parallel to the mood of the credits. However some loops of sound were disjointed and very noticeable.

For the playground sequence we used a combination of birdsong and a guitar loop to reflect the tranquility of the mid-summer surroundings. we faded the music out as Dudley appeared and added in the hip-hop loop to show how the mood had changed upon Dudley's arrival. The music then changed again to a more serious orchestral tone to reflect how the mood had changed. As soon as the sky darkened I added some storm sounds such as more thunderclaps to signify the darkness and whats to come. For the running sequence I used a fast paced guitar and drums loop to signify the fast pace and hastiness of the scene. For this sequence I would give it 8/10 for effect as it was parallel to what was happening within the scenes.

For the sequence when the Dementors appear I used another guitar and drums loop that built up and set the atmosphere for the fight, I was particularly pleased with how the loop ended with Dudley slipping and sliding on the ice, and this was reflected in the loop with a long sustained note which really did fit in really well in my opinion. For the rest of the scene I used a lot of wind loops to give the Dementors a sort of voice and add to the dark atmosphere that they created. At the very end of the sequence I added another thunderclap so that it looked like it made Mrs. Figg flinch, I think this was a really good way to end the sequence as it was just how I had started it in the first place. For this sequence I would give it 8/10.

I am very pleased with the final sequence overall and I would give it 8/10 for the whole sequence as there were a few noticeable problems but overall it was very good.
I enjoyed using garage band as it was very easy to use however the only problem I came across was that the program had trouble locating the original soundtrack when I reopened it so I had to copy the original to the desktop so that the program could find it and we would have some of the speech in our sequences.

From this project I have learned that adding music or sound effects onto a sequence can be challenging but a lot of fun and it really helps to define the atmosphere of the scenes if done right and I look forward to using these skills in the filming process.