Planning the Edit: Interrogation

With our storyboard done, I wanted to start planning the way our edits would be for particular scenes and shots. Most importantly I wanted to focus on the editing of the Interrogation scene that would take up a majority of our opening two minutes.

I wanted to end the previous running scene with a cut to black. Then I could introduce this scene with a fade from black to create the mood for the interrogation. This way, it is shown to the audience that time has passed from the previous events.

Storyboard art of Detective B alone

The scene starts with just a focus on one detective and a voiceover of his thoughts that are playing at the same time. The plan is to use straight cuts and have the shots end until the end of the voiceover. I might have to mess with the speed of the shots to make this possible or change the duration so that it feels more natural and has better potential for humor.

Storyboard of actions performed by detectives during the interrogation 

Then comes the main portion of actually sitting down and interrogating. The whole point of this scene is to show the incompetence of the main detectives in the film. In order to achieve this effect while also utilizing what I learned from scenes in American Psycho and Knives Out, I thought it would be best to mess with the duration of the shots. Holding on just a little too long with a split cut can make the atmosphere feel uncomfortable. It not only matches the usual feeling one might feel if they're being interrogated but also puts emphasis on the detective's actions such as writing, piece of dialogue, or zoning out. 

Before, I felt that the storyboard was just a visual medium for how the scenes were supposed to look but I found that it was much more useful than just that. It allowed me to brainstorm what I could do in order to make our planned shots fit together. This helped me prepare the skills I would need in order to make these planned edits possible such as knowing when to cut a scene so it lasts just the right amount of time and working with the sound designer on getting down a split cut. Planning your edits tells you not only what you need to work on, but also helps you see how the film moves along which you can take back to your crew. The storyboard was just one tool that helps you create that plan.