Film Editing Project

Transitions: ellipsis, shot/reverse shot, flash forward, point of view shot, graphic match cut, fading in/out.

Under your video, you should have a 10-12 sentence paragraph describing what you learned, the process of the project, and what role you played:

David's AICE Media Studies AS Editing Project Video

In the process of this project, I learned a useful things about video editing and learning/getting hands on experience with video editing for the first time with software and technology that is designed for the purpose using CapCut. I learned how video editing works in the sense of moving around, reducing lengths of shots as needed (to omit elements such as me saying "action" or unneeded footage) to create a seamless transition/flow as possible. In a way, these useful skills could be used if I decided to ramp up social media content for the Speech and Debate Team and see what I can do with video editing in my free time (alongside photography this school year, which have both piqued my interest in both categories and boosted with watching photography and videography oriented YouTube channels in motorsport such as Jameypricephoto and Mark Urban video). I feel I also improved my videography skills in the sense that as I was filming scenes, such as moving persons and elements on screen, it also kept me conscious of needing to adjust the camera frame as necessary to ensure heads are not too cut off while persons move in the frame, something I am already practicing with photography to try to anticipate movement and adjust framing as necessary for shots that do not awkwardly crop off body parts such as heads, hands, or feet, especially if a subject is moving. It was also interesting to experiment with elements like text overlay, which I probably gotten addicted to using for transitions such as a text overlay stating the time of day/class period in each new scene for information for the viewer. I also found it personally satisfying and enjoyable to plan out and film shots, that when edited together, could create continuity where I deliberately plan and film a shot to go along with a purposeful edit/transition. Playing around with the uses of transitions and adjusting audio to try to create a video that does not have a sudden jump in volume from one scene to another was a useful tool for consistent audio/not having a viewer experience a sudden change/jump in volume. With no editing, some clips were filmed in a loud environment where others may have had too much wind being picked up by my phone's microphone during filming and being distracting. The process of the project can be described as planning out some general shots rather than relying more on recognising shot opportunities within a school day for filming. Realistically, planning out what specific and purposeful shots can be improved upon for the final project for the Cambridge portfolio and more planning in advance can be improved upon than running out to get what I need and running back in to process/edit the footage. Even if editing took out a big portion of the time, it was worth it in the sense where I was able to learn basic features and ideas of video editing that could be a starter level to appreciate videography more and build upon those skills for upcoming assignments for this class. Arguably, one of the biggest challenges was trying to figure out and comprehend why in between some cuts, adding a transition simply was not working (even if this problem was not applicable to other transitions that were added) and having to find a way to fix this and get the transition to actually work, as it was added into the editing software but it did not function itself on screen. This project also helped me improve on filming videos with the application of rule of thirds gridlines on the screen, as I had recently discovered how to enable this setting for videography (as I have been using it already for phone photography with my phone's camera settings), which was crucial for graphic match cut scenes to try to line up the shape/individual in focus along the general axis and orientation as close as possible to get the desired effect with editing. Since I was the only individual in my "group", I played the role of operating my phone camera to capture footage, planning the shots, and enlisting the help of friends and classmates for a few minutes of their time for me to capture the footage I needed for editing. 

Under each example clip, there should be an 5-8 sentence paragraph describing the edit/transition used and how it was used to create meaning:

Shot/Reverse Shot and Ellipsis (Casino Royale | Bond Meets Vesper)

In this clip, James Bond meets Vesper Lynd (a British Treasury agent accompanying Bond to a poker game at Casino Royale in Montenegro) on a train and at dinner. Shot/reverse shot is used throughout the clip as the two characters converse before and after dinner and create meaning of an immediate connection where they each try to figure out each others' origins. Alternating shots of each characters' face conveys a sense of wit and Bond and Lynd developing their knowledge about each other through casual yet serious, but still a discussion of a comfortable atmosphere in a back and forth setting. The ellipsis, where time jumps from before dinner to afterwards over glasses of wine also contributes to a meaning of getting comfortable and getting to know each other as the viewer assumes the pair have been discussing other general subjects/matters. By the conversation picks up again after dinner, it is implied Bond and Vesper have gotten to know each other enough that they dive into uncovering each others' origins (such as the Bond quipping about Lynd being insecure and being seen as prickly and arrogant by her male superiors, and Lynd taking her turn to deduce Bond is an orphan when discussing how Bond got the cut of his suit from Oxford, further elaborating that he went there by the graces of someone's charity). The passage of time omitting implied general implied conversation allows the viewer to jump to the more interesting and important one after dinner without being needlessly bored by minutes of unrelated discussion.

Point of view shot: (CASINO ROYALE | 007 & Mollaka Parkour Chase)

In this clip, Bond chases a suspected bomber through the jungles and onto a construction site after an operation to try to capture the suspect in a more organised fashion goes awry. POV shots in this clip creates meaning of action and adrenaline, where some shots such as the branches and leaves moving out of the way as Bond runs through the greenery represents speed and trying to follow the suspect of where ever the latter is running in an effort to escape. More POV shots from Bond's perspective demonstrate decision making and quick thinking of the environment's tools and surroundings for a logical option to chase the suspect, such as looking at a construction vehicle (and proceeding to make use of it) to catch up to the bomber, along with looking at a scissor lift and a bag of tools, and proceeding to break the hydraulics to descend from higher floors to the ground quicker to continue chasing the suspect. Some POV shots are also done from the perspective of the bomber as well, such as peeking up from some pipes to try to look for who he is being chased by, along with being high atop a crane (literally) and looking around to see where his adversary is. The POV shots of both characters (Bond and the bomber) could have been done to represent a "fog of war" where each character is trying to find/escape the other with only the information of whatever they can see and assess. Action is conveyed where the audience sees what a character sees in that moment, combined with quick decision making of characters allows for the action and plot to flow quickly.

Fade (The First 9 Minutes of 1917 (in One Unbroken Shot) | Extended Preview)

In this clip, the fade from black to onscreen picture transition happens right at the beginning of the clip/film. The idea behind this fade is to conduct a master shot for the viewer to set expectations and initially understand the cinematic reality they are about to witness and enjoy as a film. It creates meaning of understanding and recognising the two main characters in the film (Schofield and Blake) without immediately jumping straight into the middle of the action such as a battle. The storytelling using a gentle fade in therefore also (ironically for a war that was extremely gruesome and violent) represents the eerily calm before the storm of battle that the characters will find themselves in as they carry out their mission central to the film's plot. With the viewer first seeing the meadow and the camera slowly moving to capture the characters relaxing before heading into trenches to receive orders, the fade allows the plot to flow naturally without tossing a viewer straight into a battle but preparing them for what this reality in 1917 looks and feels like. 

Flash forward (F1 The Movie: Silverstone scenes)

Flash forward is used in this clip, where the action is first concentrated at race start, but suddenly the action jumps forward from the first few laps, all the way to lap 20 (as displayed on the screen as text overlay). The flash forward simply creates meaning through the passage of time and action. The action onscreen picks up at this next critical juncture of the plot where the team's cars come in for their (not so fast and rather messy) pitstops, setting up the plot for tension between the team's two drivers when they collide with each other battling for position as a result of the pitstop mishaps. The flashforward's meaning omits unnecessary race information not related to the team, and simply takes the viewer to jump into the action where the narrative will matter to shape the plot. If the 18 or so laps were actually ran in it's entirety, it would create too much run time (along with the other races featured in the film) along with potentially boring out the viewer with unnecessarily following the drivers through every lap where not every lap may contain specific action essential to the plot. 

Graphic match cut (Top Gun: Maverick - Maverick Goes Down Scene | Movieclips)

In this clip, graphic match cuts (even if they are not perfect syncs of each character's heads and helmets) are used extensively through the scene to convey meaning of a confined space, teamwork, and also provide continuity editing. The graphic match cuts come from cameras installed in the cockpits of F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet naval fighter aircraft, where each sequences of graphic match cuts show each character reacting/facial expressions, straining from g-forces, and and frantically giving callouts to assist their fellow aviators to dodge and avoid enemy anti-air missiles coming after them. The confined space is created where each cut takes up similar composition in terms of a person's head/helmet on the screen, conveying the tight working space in the cockpit (and the quick cuts also give continuity/parallel editing of actions occurring in a same area but in different spaces) that fighter pilots deal with. The small space also display's the character's abilities as fighter pilots to operate at a high level in a stressful situation where life and death are fine margins. A theme of teamwork can also be seen where the quick cuts to each character's face in their aircraft/working space and the overlapping radio callouts demonstrate their ability to rely and work with each other to survive enemy missile launches coming after their planes. These are ways how the similar shape and composition of character faces, helmets, and heads are graphic match cuts.