Chess Film Post-Production: Adding Transitions

 Adding Transitions to the Film

After cutting down all of the shots we had it was time to add transitions. I didn't think much of this part initially as I saw as just a small aspect of editing a film together. I believed it was like a PowerPoint where it just gets you from one place to another.

The process was pretty simple as all I had to do was go the shots I trimmed and apply a transition to them. Then once I started, I saw it played a much larger component than I thought.

Some of the transition types that can be found on rush

By itself, the film seemed awkward at some points where scenes follow each other but do so in an unsatisfying way. Giving these shots transitions that aren't straight cuts makes them flow way better in the film and makes the film feel less static as well. This was extra beneficial as the film had lots going on and making that feel boring or rushed would have detracted from the work we put in.

It also acted as a way to show time progression through the use of black outs to take viewers away from one shot and put them into another so that they can assume it isn't straight afterwards. Using fades, I was able to stack some facial expressions unit the next one fully came in to show a parallel in the characters and how the first opponent was now like the second.

use of fade transition within the film

During this process, I became aware of the importance of transitions in storytelling and a film's composition. Transitions weren't just the middle step in moving from shot to shot but instead the key component on how your film is told and perceived by the viewer. You can express how long an event took place to give a viewer a clearer idea of where they are at within the story or express changes within the story without having to change the setting or have dialogue. They also have the ability to break apart patterns within your film and stop your film from feeling stiff or stale which may happen when just using straight cuts or a lack of transitions. It makes the film more digestible for a viewer by making it easier to understand and look at. They fill in the voids between your shots that may seem disconnected when just played right after each other and add context to events like personality changes and shifts in time. 

Chess Film Post-Production: Editor's Log

 The Importance of an Editor's Log

As part of the production portfolio for our film, I have to turn in what is called an editor's log. This is a document that essentially tracks what you did during all of your editing sessions.

At first, I saw this as just extra work that I had to do on top of having to actually edit the film. I thought it was unnecessary and would ultimately take away from the film. In fact, I thought it was so unnecessary that I remembered I had to do it halfway through my first editing session. After the first session I felt as though it was wasting time just writing down what I already knew. However, after one to two more session I changed my view. 

What I wrote down after my first editing session

When I wrote out my thoughts about the session for things like why certain editing decisions were made, it helped reaffirm why I did what I did. Not only that but it allowed me to look back on my previous thought process to see if it was applicable to a different situation or if maybe that wasn't the best decision to make at the time and I should go and fix it. 

It also allowed me to say the wrong these that happened and include possible solutions. Most of which involved group discussion which most likely would have not come straight to mind if I didn't have to actually write it out and think about what I could do. 

Conversation between me and director on how to shorten film

Most importantly it kept me organized. I could easily look back on what I worked on previously and see what I planned to work on for next time. Editing was not a daily process so not having written down my next goals would make it harder for me to remember what I was supposed to working on.

After working on the editor's log, I realized it's grand importance to the editing process overall. It wasn't extra work that was assigned but a document that would allow me to make the editing process easier. It allowed me to rationalize my decisions for certain editing choices and reflect if I did something for the right reason or if there was another way to go about things. The document also gave me ideas for next editing session as I could see what I had completed so far and what I had left, as well as the things that went right when editing that I could keep in mind for next time. Lastly it proved helpful as it forced me to see what I can do different or better for next time as I needed to write the issues I encountered and ways to fix them which ended up working most of the time. 

Chess Film Post-Production: Changing from the Plan

 Incorporating New Ideas and Shots to Your Edit

After the first two days of filming, I decided to start editing so that I wouldn't fall behind and also see what scenes we were missing for the next shooting day. I was able to get to get a rough cut created for the film that was just missing a couple of scenes. 

Finally, the last day of shooting came around and we decided to go in a completely different direction. We originally had some core shots planned out like one shot where the sun was very prominent and was the reasoning behind a massive change in character. However, we decided to not do the shot as well as not shoot some of the other planned comedic parts involving extras.

Main scene cut out of the film which would have been the turning point

The problem was that when I first went into editing, I had these scenes in mind and based most of the edit on them and was ready to just have to plug them back in. But now that we didn't have any of those scenes, I felt lost. The humor of the film would have to come from the editing style, sound, and nonsense ending which was partially planned but not fully fleshed out. 

Core scene with all the extras that got cut out

The work I had done previously was essentially just a first draft for a different film. I had to go back into my work and think of a different way to present the events that we shot. It felt frustrating as I believed that every day, I edited it would build to the final product, but this proved untrue as I had essentially to alter most of what I did completely in order to fit the new footage we had.

Altered ending from what was originally planned 

This entire process felt harsh but helpful. I found out that you shouldn't expect to have definitive progress by the end of every editing session. There is always the chance that there is going to be more footage, new ideas, or shifts in direction which could entirely undo the progress you thought you had. It's okay if what you had done previously gets redone, you still gained from the experience even if what you worked on doesn't show that. You can apply the same skills you used during the first process in order to create a new edit that better matched the new aspects you have to include. Undoing data o "progress" does not mean undone learning and having to incorporate new shots proved that to me as it forced me to get creative and rework what I initially had.

Chess Film Post-Production: Technical Difficulties

Technical Issues I Ran Into

When I first went into editing the film, I wasn't too worried about running into technical problems and feared that the worst that could happen was a problem when exporting the project. I didn't stress about losing actual parts of the edit or having trouble opening the project. However after editing the project for a week now that would be nowhere near the worst of it. 

The first issue I ran into was trying to open the editing software I was using, premiere rush, on my computer. I was able to install it and log in without issue, but when I went into the project it would never load and eventually force quit. I decided it was easiest to just use my phone. 

I eventually was able to create a rough cut of our film with some our specific shots we knew we were going to use edited down and trimmed. I was entering the fine cut portion of the film. However, when I went to go back into the project, I was hit with an error message.

Backups I made after the first project was lost

The project wouldn't open up and I tried everything I could search up to get back into it. I log out and back in and even reinstalled, but nothing was working. I had to restart completely but luckily it was early enough in the process where it wouldn't take too long.

Lastly, another issue I faced was editing during class time as there were issues with the WIFI, and I was once again unable to edit with a computer and had to stick to phone which left a small screen for my group to see.  

Error message I received for the first project

Honestly this experience was very eye opening. I felt as though everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong besides the final project getting corrupted or something along those lines. However, this experience did teach me the importance of finding way around technical errors. For instance, I didn't really think twice about making backups or copies of the project but after I was unable to re-enter the project that one time, I made sure to create a backup after every couple of changes just so I wouldn't have to restart again. I saw that editing wasn't going to be the smooth ride that I initially believed it was going to be, but instead a process where everything I worked on could be gone in a second and that it's my responsibility to make sure that doesn't happen. 

Chess Film Production: Beginning to Edit

 First Time Editing a Film

After filming multiple shots we planned out, we decided it was best to start editing at this point to see what was missing so that we could film it on the last day. Now as the editor, this all fell on my shoulders.

Going into it at first, I really didn't know how it was going to go. I had played around with the editing software beforehand and got somewhat of a feel for it, but I was overwhelmed by the fact that I had many shots to go through and had to make sure to choose the best one possible to make. The final product, what people were going to actually view, was essentially my responsibility. 

 My initial thought process when it came to editing was to use our best-looking takes for all the shots we filmed and cut them together in the end so that it would all stay consistent. However, starting the editing process now made me realize that that wasn't the best course of action. In total I already had about 7 minutes of footage to go through that I had to try to fit into a minute maximum, keeping in mind we still had more to film. Some shots had several takes to go through and when trying to find the best looking one, it just wasn't happening. They mostly looked the same but with just minor differences that evoke a specific idea or tone.

Editing view of one of the shots of our film. Shows the total footage time after some cutting.

My initial plan would have left me way too little time to cut multiple multiples of film down into one and my idea of simply choosing the best-looking take would have gotten me nowhere. It occurred to me that there was definitely a better way to choose the takes we were going to use. I began trimming all the footage by shot initially to place down a timeline of the film's events. I then trimmed it down further by take. I immediately cut out all the clearly messed up takes and left the contenders and definitive takes side by side. 

Portion of the timeline breakdown of the film.

The takes we had for one of the shots of the film.

It was then when I believed I learned the most efficient approach when it comes to editing. When having the timeline established, I played the shots that we had multiple takes that were in between shots we had our definitive takes for. This let me see the takes that lined up bets with the shot before and after it. It was then I could see which take we would use in the film. It wasn't just a matter of choosing the shot that looked the prettiest or had the most weight, but about choosing the shot that cohesively fits into the story you are trying to tell. If a take looks great but seems disconnected or out of place than from the rest of the shots, then it could ruin the flow and feel of your film, and it would be better to use a take that fits in better. 

I also now understand that it is best to edit in parts and not save it all to the end. It gives you an idea on what you may still have to film later and lets you know if you need to reshoot any of your shots. It also saves time and reduces stress in the end as you don't have to cram it all in order to fit certain specifications you are tasked with. 

Chess Film Production: External Factors

 Consequences of Filming Outdoors

For the shooting of our chess films, we had to film on an outside patio. What I was not fully prepared for was how filming outside would actually affect the film.

On the first day of filming the sun was fully out and provided intense sunlight. It made all the shots we took very bright. We initially believed it would have been an advantage to us as one of the core shots in the film requires lots of harsh light. The main character would look up towards the light and be gifted with power. However once the filming time was over we didn't actually have the time to film the shot. This meant that the harsh light served more as a nuisance as it was very obvious and overpowering in different takes. 

Conditions on the first day of filming

Then the next day of filming came around and it could not have been more different. That bright powerful sunlight was now gone and replaced with dark cloudy skies. It messed up the continuity of the film somewhat, but we were able to use it to our advantage. We could film the clear distinction between more calm and those that are supposed to be more dramatic. Then disaster struck as it started to rain. The board and actors got all wet with no real explanation and we had to momentarily stop filming. Worst of all that core shot could still not be filmed.

Conditions on the second day of filming

It was after this second day that I learned that when filming outdoors, the direction of filming can be entirely determined by the external factors/conditions and that you cannot expect consistency in weather every day. Shooting in a natural environment puts you at the mercy of mother nature and simply put, if outside conditions are not right to match certain planned shots, then you might just not get to film them. Furthermore, you may have to delay when you film some of your shots as when you decide to film out of order. It wouldn't make sense form things to go form bright and sunny to dark and gloomy to back to bright and sunny if the events take place right after each other. It would ultimately ruin the continuity of your film. You have to take advantage of the current conditions when you film your shots. Getting key shots with the correct outdoor conditions or correct situation is a dice roll and when the opportunity presents itself you should make sure to not let it go to waste. If there is a shift in weather than you should then make sure to get your shots when a tonal shift is very obviously present. 

Chess Film Production: First Day of Filming

Filming for the First Time

We have just begun filming out chess films. We decided it was best to shoot the beginning of the film in order as it would not have to reuse any of those camera angles or position for the rest of the film. I had a plan of getting 8 shots in the day as we had 24 in total and only 3 days to film. This would allow me to edit the beginning portion of the film fluently without having to go through more footage.

I would be able to organize all this information in the form of the shot log. As the editor, it is my job to write down every take and shot we actually film for the day. This all goes into the shot log so that it is easier to choose specific scenes that I want to use for the final cut but also essentially puts everything that was shot into a specific order, so I don't have to guess what goes where in the final cut.

I initially believed that this would be an easy process that was just going to assist me in the harder part of editing. However, I realized that wasn't entirely the case.

What the shot log looked like after the first day of filming

Notating shots was difficult at times as the shot list we created went by scene number and then shot number for that scene specifically. That was an easy fix though as we just renumbered the shot list 1-24. However, it became awkward when we decided to add more scenes that were not part of the list. They would be filmed after already shooting consecutive shots such as 3 and 4 so we had to add a .5 to let me know where it fits in the film's timeline.

I found out that the shot log wasn't nearly as easy as I thought it was going to be. Although the document itself doesn't require anything extreme, the actual process of filling it out is a hard one. You have to make sure you capture every take your team does. If you don't, then it could set you far back in editing as you would have to reanalyze all the takes you did to see which line up to your log ad which you missed. It is also difficult to fully write a distinction between the takes you did. A shot generally had one clear description, so it was best to use the notes section and try to find a little difference in detail even if it's something in the background to help you justify the take you decide to use or distinguish two very similar takes. A messy shot log would lead to a harder time when it came to editing so I now know what to expect for the next time we shoot. 

Chess Film Pre-Production: Shot List Completion

Finishing the Shot List

My team got together to finish up our production portfolio.  We saw we were mostly done with a majority of the portfolio. However, we were mainly missing the shot list and the storyboard from the cinematographer. We had some shots drawn out on our story board already which helped me envision what the shots I want to use in the final cut should look like. 

Beginning of the storyboard for our group's chess film

We knew that the storyboard wouldn't take that long once we had our shot list down. However, the shot list got cluttered and the format got all messed up which made it somewhat unreadable. We essentially had to start it again. 

Original shot list, had weird gaps and broken up text that made it hard to read.

The cinematographer had to do each shot line by line again, but it was made easier as it was already previously written down. This process of creating the shot list took longer than expected as the cinematographer ran into technical errors. I had no part to be done for the portfolio yet, so I decided to look at it to help get it done. Looking over it, I saw all the details and notes that went into every shot. I now knew about the information the shot list held that could keep in mind when working on the shot log such as how specific movements are made like the intensity of moving a chess piece and what that should look like. 

I realized that I shouldn't just assist in the creation of the shot list but also immerse myself in the content of the rest of my group. I learned that I should be actively involved in the work of my group members. At first, I felt as though I should only get involved when help was specifically asked of me as to not feel like an unnecessary bother. However, as I looked at and worked on the shot list, I saw that this document would serve as a guide for the ideal shot that I would be looking for and that I shouldn't just rely on our cinematographer to get it done alone but instead go through the process with them. This document was my blueprint or outline for the ideal shot that I would be using when editing. I should know this document thoroughly and the best way to do that was to be a part of it. It made me think about the other documents that would be key when editing. 

My original way of thinking about my current contribution was flawed. I shouldn't get involved when helped is asked but instead actively participate in other's works while I still can. The freedom I have in pre-production allows for me to be an active member in all areas of our film and have a good understanding on what to look for when making our final cut. 

Chess Film Pre-Production: Learning to Edit

Learning the Editing Program

Prior to the film, I had some experience editing videos, but it was very limited. It was only two times, and it was using the photos app on windows. Both products came out very rough as I was new to the whole process and the program itself was very limited in what you could do. They were also for different types of media such as a PSA and a news broadcast. 

News broadcast I edited for a school assignment.

Going into the film, I knew I would be using a new program to edit, and I was very nervous about it. Although what I was using was bad, I was at least familiar with it. I was not ready to be out of my element, especially for such a large class project and practice. Once I opened the program, I felt somewhat overwhelmed as it was something new to me. However, the more I played around with it, I realized it was very user friendly and pretty simple to use. It was also infinitely better than what I used before. I wanted to familiarize myself with the app, so I uploaded some videos and played around with of the features just to get a feel for the program. 

Video I quickly edited together in Adobe Premiere Rush.

I was able to learn about some of the basic functions of the program as I messed around with the color grading, transitioning, playback speed, and cutting section so I would be better prepared for when it came time to edit the film. Some aspects were very similar to what you could find on a standard camera app so there were some things I was already use to such as the color settings and changing the exposure or contrast. Other things were simple to use like cutting parts of the shots out and applying transitions.

The experience made me realize that I shouldn't stress about editing software I haven't used before. I was initially fearful of having no idea how to use the program and causing a big delay in our process but once I started using the program, I felt more confident and realized I had no reason to worry. You just have to practice using it and play around with the features in order to get a good feel for it. Using unknown technology wasn't as difficult as I thought and it putting in work and putti

Chess Film Pre-Production: The Location

 Choosing Our Location

On this day, we chose where we were going to film our chess film. My group in general wanted an area in the back to be farther from other groups. We also wanted a more unique location that could possibly play into the comedic aspect of our film such as filming with the chicken coop in frame or with lots of vegetation. It would have added to the overall randomness of the film and the idea of denying the professional setting one would expect from a chess match. 

First location that our group looked at.

As the editor, I wanted to have a location that was mostly static. I wanted the least amount of movement possible from the background so that the film would have a consistent timeline without any discrepancies. This would be an issue however a when doing a reverse shot of our location you would be able to see other groups filming and even with the mid shots of our location, there would be possible movement from people in the garden and from moving branches moving in the background. When brought to the group's attention we scouted a different location where the background would have been very bare but consistent. 

As the editor I wanted a vastly different thing from the rest of the group as I thought it would have benefitted the film more from an editing perspective. Shots would line up better and make more sense as the background wasn't constantly shifting like in the second location. It had no real way for vast changes to be made between takes so it would have been easier to put together in the editing room. But, the first location looked better and would have been better for what we wanted to capture.

Far away shot of the second location our group looked at.

We ultimately went with the first location. It would have added to the film unlike the second location which took away from the tone/mood in our opinion. It would have been easier for the editor to go with the barer location but it would have been a decision that made the film less visually appealing. 

It was this moment I realized that the decisions made weren't for the ease of our workload but instead for the creation of an appealing film. I learned that it was going to be up to me to come up with possible solutions to maintain the film's continuity. I couldn't just choose a setting that would serve easiest to me cause it meant less work. It wasn't going to be an easy ride in the editing room, and I would have to pay close attention to what changes in between the takes we shoot. I would have to be ready to call out to  any changes to the rest of the crew to see what we could do different, such as different angles or focus types. I need to make sure that we had a clear sequence of events happening and not a montage of loosely related videos. This included possibly cropping some sections out or adding blur to keep the viewer focused on what needed to be focused on. It also meant I might have to put together shots that make more sense together than just the best looking shots we had. I might not be able to just use the best take every time but instead the takes that work best together.