Production Portfolio: The Final Cut

 

CCR 1: How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?

 

CCR 2: How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?

 

CCR 3: How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

 

CCR 4: How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?

 

The Title of our Film

This project would only showcase the first two minutes of our film. That isn't a lot of time to showcase everything we wanted and thought an introduction should have. One of the parts of the film we wanted to make sure to include was the title. 

As a group, we decided that the title of our film would be "A Golden Clue" due to the significance that a piece of gold jewelry played in the film. This would be useful in the way I would make the title look. 

For one, as the film was more comedic and over the top, I wanted to make the font very bold. A thinner font might make the film look more sophisticated or seem like it should be taken very seriously which would be the complete opposite of what we wanted. As for the color, nothing else made more sense than to use a golden yellow.

Still displaying the title of our film

What was more challenging with the title was the way it would be incorporated into the film. I thought developing the title itself would be the most challenging part but with a set tone and use of the word "golden" it became very easy. However, introducing the title into the frame and the way it would disappear needed much more thought. 

I knew that we needed the title behind a black background in order to transition from the running away scene to the following interrogation scene. To do I ended the scene with a fade to black and left a black space to place the title. Now I had to think about how I wanted the text to be introduced. With some brainstorming, we thought it would make sense for the words to be typed on the screen in order to match the detective feel like one would do when creating a report.

Finally, to cut away from it, it made most sense to backspace the title away and bring back the black space to fade out into the next scene. The black is used to indicate the passage of time but also acts as the background of the title to make it stick out 

Shot that shows how the title is brought in and transitions into the next shot

Editing the title of our film was very interesting and way different than I thought it was going to be. Initially, I thought it was going to be a challenge to create the title and choose the right aspects like the font, color, and background. Thankfully for me most of these aspects were obvious. The title fit right between the two scenes so a black background would do. It would be a golden color to match the words used and the text would be thick to seem more funny and less sophisticated. Instead, I found out it isn't just about how a title looks but how it is introduced and edited into a film that equally matters. I didn't want to just fade the title in as it wouldn't add to the film and it just seems lazy to do. I wanted it to feel tied to the film and foreshadow the detective aspect of the film. Writing or typing fit this idea best in my opinion and the one that would fit equally as well in leaving the tile would be the typing. The way a title is specifically edited can be as important as the way a title looks and takes important decision-making in order to express the ideas of your film. 

Color Correcting the FIlm

A big aspect of the editing I wanted to focus on for this film was the color correction. It was something I didn't touch on during my first film but I now see that it is helpful in creating a certain mood or making the film look consistent. 

My main focus with the color correction at first was making the film look consistent. There were shots of the film that you could easily tell were taken on different days or with different settings. One of these shots was very bright and had an obvious yellow hue to it when compared to the other shots we had of the same scene. It stuck out like a sore thumb so I needed to go in and try to fix it. To do this I tried to alter all of the shots to have a similar look instead of trying to match the different shots to the rest.

Still of our shot that looked very yellow

Still of the shot right before that looked normal

To do this I asked the cinematographer for help in order to establish a vision of what the film should look like visually. The overall idea for the film was that it took itself so seriously that it came off as humorous. We wanted a slightly darker tone to match that energy. to make it feel more "serious", we darkened the shots we had for the interrogation scene and made sure the colors weren't very vibrant. This would juxtapose the scene right before it.

The running scene was shot in a park and the footage we took of it had its colors very toned down. this slightly matched the look we wanted but it mostly just made the film look boring. The cinematographer had the idea of making the scenery more vibrant by using CapCut so I did. It made the shots look more appealing and were better at keeping someone's attention.

Still from the raw footage of the chase scene

Still from the new edited footage that made the shot look better

This experience overall taught me about the relationship between an editor and cinematographer in achieving the look of a film. When first starting with the color grading I thought I had an idea of what I wanted to do. It wasn't until discussing with the person who shot the scenes that I was able to alter the shots effectively. I was also able to bounce ideas and see what someone else thought without having to edit something fully in multiple ways and see which got the best reception. Most importantly, I was introduced to other editing softwares and ideas that helped me create the first scene of our film.

What to Include in Two Minutes

The most important thing to keep in mind during the editing process was to not go past the two-minute time limit that we had. This was very similar to the previous film I worked on where we had to have the entirety of a plot in just one minute. 

However, this felt trickier as before I needed to fit in a whole story so I was able to section off where the beginning, middle, and end take place. But this time, it would just be a small portion of an entire. There was less stress over fitting everything we had but unfortunately more emphasis on what we wanted to make sure to include. 

In total, I had around 15 minutes worth of footage to get through. This was slightly concerning but I knew most of it came from unused takes and shots that we no longer planned on using. Once it was cut down more, I had to focus on how it would then fit into the two minutes. 

Image displaying the total amount of time that our footage takes

My plan going in was to just have the film cut off during a piece of dialogue in the interrogation scene. However, that would mean I would have to be careful with the specific dialogue that I chose to include. I wanted to make sure core plot details or hysterical moments wouldn't be ruined and could be seen fully by the viewer in order to get a good understanding of what our film is about.

I started by making sure the events went in the correct order so I could pace the film correctly to include the scenes I really wanted to. These were the scenes where interruptions were made in order to evoke humor in the viewer. However, making these scenes the focus left a lot to be desired.

Image that shows how I managed to cut the footage down to three minutes

I remembered that an introduction was mainly there to outline the general ideas that make up your film. I didn't need to prioritize making the audience laugh immediately but could instead space these moments out and put a bigger focus on the setup of our film. Key moments in the story like the announcement of the robbery should be focused on more to get the viewer intrigued rather than getting the viewer to understand that the movie should make you laugh. that should happen more naturally. 

When trying to condense out film, I learned that it was less about the content of the shots and more about what would make the most sense for trying to introduce the audience to the ideas you want to set up, The introduction to the movie doesn't always give away what the tone of the film is or overwhelm you with the same ideas but instead show what the movie is generally about. For a movie like Baby Driver, it's about a getaway driver and we learn that very early and for this film, I need to show that it's about a detective case and its content within the first two minutes. 

Missing a shooting day

 On the sixth day of shooting, I was unable to make it to the location we were shooting at. This meant I was not exactly sure what was happening on set and would just have to wait for the footage to come in.

Initially, I was really worried about not being able to show up on the set for that day of shooting. I wouldn't be able to see how shots were filmed and couldn't really put in any real-time input on the shots. I was worried that the shots would be more difficult to edit due to this.

The shots that were being filmed were the entirety of the first scene of our film and I wasn't going to be there to see any of it being created. My only knowledge of how the events would play out was from the script and storyboard and not getting to view the way they were shot. I didn't want my only experience on the introduction shots to be raw footage that I wasn't present for the creation. I felt that as the editor it would be important to be there to plan how cuts would happen to go from one shot to the next.

Shot of the first running scene of our film

The scene was also a chase shot which was the main concern for me as I wanted to make the cuts seem more seamless to not destroy the tension of the film and I felt that being there would be better for me. I made note of this to the crew but didn't know if it would be as reinforced as it would be If I was actually present. 

However, once I got the footage back, I realized I was worrying for no reason. The shots followed what we had outlined in our script and the flow of the scenes fit quite well. We also had a different mask planned but to my surprise, something completely different was used which added to the humorous tone of the film.

Shot of the second running scene for our film

Although I think the editor plays a key role in films, it doesn't mean they are always needed on set. this reminded me of what Thelma Schoonmaker discussed in her interviews as when working with Scorsese, he didn't want her on set as that shouldn't affect what goes on in the editing of a film. I was so stressed over the fact I was missing the shooting of the film even though ultimately, my main priority was to just focus on the shots I was given and tie them together to create our story. 

4th and 5th Day of Shooting

On the fourth and fifth days of shooting we had much less time than the rest of the days. These shooting days were very different from the others as we used up time in our class periods instead of shooting after school. 

For day four, three of the members were able to arrive for shooting during their third period. This meant we could get the shots of the detectives done and out of the way. We had a slightly delayed time for shooting as it fell in between the lunch schedules of the members of our group.

This left us 30 minutes to get the shots completed. We had just the right amount of people to get it done however so we went in and got about 2-3 takes of all the shots we needed. We were still able to get our shots done as we had the reaction shots from the previous filming day to be based on.

Shot from the fourth day of shooting  that was focused on only the detectives

For day five, three of our members had to leave their 6th period in order to make it to shooting. However, we weren’t released until later in the period which caused our short shooting window to become even smaller. This meant we could only get the shots of our actor which was the main focus anyway.

We recently found out that they were going to get their hair changed completely which would destroy the continuity of the film. We needed to get to filming quickly which is why we decided to go during our school periods in the first place. This would be the last chance we would get to finish her scenes even if not all of them would be included in the 2-minute time frame. We had to rush through the scenes which was made more difficult as there were people occupying the space we were filming at. 

It was difficult for our actor to focus on her lines due to the amount of people in the room. There were also some shots that had people in the background that I knew I wouldn’t be able to use as it would not fit the timeline of the film. No amount of editing would keep the shots looking good while fitting the rest of our shots. However, we were able to get them settled and got the shots done.

Shot from the fifth day of shooting where someone's arm can be seen in the background

Overall these filming days were efficient but also equally as messy to get through. There were a lot of setbacks and more strict time constraints we had to deal with but we made sure to manage that time wisely to get all of our shots done.

I learned about dealing with unexpected circumstances in more ways than one. For starters, I had to find a way to fit the final filming day for the interrogation into my schedule which ultimately led to me losing out on class time but made it possible to finish the film. On top of that I had to deal with the fact that people were occupying are film area so we had to move them around to not mess up the shot. Then there was the fact that both days had very limited time to shoot everything we needed. However, if you just manage to stay organized you can still manage to achieve what you want for the day. We managed our time and got everyone to settle down for the duration of filming.

3rd Day of Filming

On the third day of filming we mostly focused on the shots that included one of our actors and ones that included the detectives beginning the interrogation. We once again had everyone on set to make things run smoothly. Fortunately, we also had more time to film this day than before.

This was the most effective day of filming by far as we got a lot of the shots of the detectives down and the entire lead-up section to the dialogue of the interrogation.

We also managed to get some of the dialogue of one of our actors done as the camera stayed on them and we ran through their lines. It was my job to keep in mind which of these takes would be used in our Final Cut and which I could easily discard.

Shot we had of our actor speaking her lines

There was also a big portion of these shots that had to be edited as there is an active back-and-fourth conversation that is going on between one of the detectives and the person that is brought in. I had to focus on how I wanted the dialogue to play out in the scene as well as when it would cut to a new person talking. To do this we had the Director, who is also a detective in the film, speak her lines with the camera focused on the other actor. This way I could line up where the scenes go and the timing of the scenes so they fit together seamlessly.

On this day it hit me that all the struggles we faced in the shooting sessions before just managed to disappear. The camera was up and running in no time. Everyone quickly changed into their outfits out of instinct, even if they weren't getting filmed that day. The entire shooting session felt like a well-oiled machine the way things ran with no issues. For some unknown reason, we were not having nearly as many difficulties as we encountered before.

Photo of us having fun from the third day of shooting

After some further reflecting on this, I realized the main cause for this was the fact that we had done this so many times before already. The more we practiced this routine of setting everything up and shooting our shots, the better we got at it. The shooting days were getting progressively more effective as we worked on the kinks in everything earlier on so that it wouldn't be an issue down the line. Filming is an adaptive experience that becomes more enjoyable and becomes more like a regular process the more you work on it.

2nd Day of Filming

Today was our second day of filming and it went smoother than last time. This shooting session went well overall but still had some mishaps on the way.

For one, we still didn't have that much time to shoot. The plan was to leave school at 6:00 which seems like we are left with a lot of time to get our film done since school ends at 2:40. However, a major portion of this time was taken up by a chorus rehearsal that one of our group members needed to attend. They were the key into the shooting room so without them we couldn't get started.

On top of this, we were unable to get the equipment we needed as our cinematographer was not able to obtain the equipment on that day so we had to resort to using the director's equipment from home. 

We didn't get on to the set until 5 and we also had new equipment that our cinematographer hadn't got to test before. It took some of our time for the camera to get set up properly but from the moment it did we were set to go.

Shot we took that had better lighting than last time

We had our actors, outside of the main crew, also join us on this day to start recording the scenes they were needed in. It was the first time that we had everyone who was a part of the film actually on set. This made it so things ran quicker and with less trouble than the previous day we filmed. 

We were able to once again get a better feel for how things would play out next time while also getting a good portion of the movie filmed. 

Shot we retook that turned out better than the last time

This day taught me how important the teamwork of the crew behind truly is. I know it seems obvious to say that working together produces good results or that "teamwork makes the dream work" but this day of shooting actually made me feel that way. On the first day of shooting, we only had three people available to show up which made things run very slow and with some hiccups along the way. Not only that but the atmosphere of the shooting day felt drained, it seemed like a chore we had to get done instead of the exciting activity that it was. With everyone available this time, the experience felt fun and also efficient at the same time as we had more people to focus on specific aspects of the film. When you have people designated to the several parts of the shoot then it makes the entire process easier to get through.

Test Editing: Messing with the unused footage

After the first day of shooting, we had some footage that we weren't going to actually use whether we were going to reshoot it later or it was a failed take. To help my editing skills I thought it would be best to use this footage as we don't have enough footage to construct a good timeline. 

The footage itself also wasn’t the best quality and didn’t quite match what we wanted the shots to look like. Instead of waiting to shoot again to start editing, I decided to just mess with the footage we had to test out some of the things I wanted to touch up on. 

One of these things was the way text would appear on screen.

Unusable shot that I edited text over to introduce the location

I wanted to make it look more subtle so that it wasn’t distracting when it came onto the screen. I also wanted the text to look more professional to fit the detective aspect of the film so it stays somewhat serious even if that's not the overall vibe of the film. 

The next aspect I wanted to focus on was the color grading of the films but more so the resets that are available on rush. I wanted to compare overall visual styles that are film could use and see which one made the most sense with the direction we wanted to go in. 

Still that we had that I applied color filters over to see which fit the film the best

After looking at all the options, I saw that I liked a less lit style more as the scene is an interrogation and it would fit that serious and intrusive feeling one might get the most. But I also wanted to keep the film a bit warmer as when I used the cooler effects, it made the film come off as too serious and created a somber tone that I didn't want the film to have.

After the first day of shooting, I felt as though we didn't make any real progress. What that actually meant though was that it was up to me to make the progress that I wanted. I learned to take initiative and not let time go to waste. I had to make the most of what was given to me which is ultimately, in a simplified way, what the main job of an editor is. I knew these shots were never going to get used in the final cut but that didn't stop me from experimenting with it and finding out things I did and didn't like. It prepared me for the journey ahead and planted the seeds for ideas I could expand on with actual footage we wanted to use

1st Day of Shooting

On our first day of shooting, we had a very limited time to record which included us setting up and getting into our outfits. School ended at 2:40 and we had to finish our filming by 3:30. It was not an optimal situation to be put into but we had to make it work.

Once school ended, I got changed as quickly as I could and arrived at where we would be shooting. It was our school's piano room which is very obvious from the way things are set up so I would have to remember this fact when introducing the location in editing. There was no way to act like it was some other location so I would just have to state it as it is. 

Shot we took that had non-optimal lighting and didn't turn out how we wanted

We had to focus on setting the room up the way we wanted it to as well which took up more time. Once it came time to finally start shooting, we had about 45 minutes left which realistically wasn't a lot of time. We had 4 shots planned for the day and were only able to effectively shoot 2. The entire process of being in the film was new to me so it took me some time to really get into my character but that cost us time we could've used to film other scenes.

I was mostly worried about being able to fit the schedule we had planned. The shots we did get weren't up to the proper quality we wanted and didn't quite turn out the way we envisioned them. However, we did find some ideas that we could use on the next shooting day and understood what each shooting day would generally be like.

Another shot we took that didn't turn out how we envisioned

After filming ended for the day, I better understood that every day of shooting doesn't necessarily mean we will have the right shots or takes that are going to be used for the film. With a time constraint like this, we really couldn't do many shots or even many takes to create our ideal scenes. Instead of getting usable footage, we got a better idea of how we wanted specific shots to be filmed. We got to see what elements we liked such as specific angles, what was left in the frame, and camera movement in order to  make our shots look the best and match our vision,

For me specifically, I was able to find out the specific aspects of my character such as facial expressions and hand movements. As the actor for Detective B, I needed to make sure I would match the traits of the character and this shooting day helped me refine my behaviors.

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. 

Planning the Edit: Fleeing the Scene

One of the main scenes that would be included in our film is something running away from a crime scene. This would have to have more specific stuff going on that requires more work. For one, I had to find a way to introduce and create the title of the film. 

Our film planned to start on the title with a black background. My biggest concern was how to go from this title to the first scene of the criminal fleeing the screen of the crime. To do this I thought we could have audio play before the visual switch through the use of a split edit. The actual cut would just be a straight cut as the viewer is already anticipating something due to the sound cues. This brings them right into the action without time to prepare besides the auditory build-up.

Storyboard of the first half of running scene of the film

The actual cuts used of the suspect running would also be straight cuts that occur very frequently just like in Baby Driver or Drive where there chase scenes are very tightly edited so the viewer's tension builds up and the viewer is immediately hooked into the film. 

Once the key item is dropped, I will hold on for longer on the item to emphasize its significance to the plot of the film. There can then be a fade to black in order to end the scene and transition into the interrogation to resemble the movement of time which indicates a movement of story events. 

Storyboard showing the switch from running to the dropping of the object

Planning your edits I can now see where to utilize the specific techniques I've learned and what the best way to apply them to our film should be. During my first film, I just went through all our footage, trimmed down shots and cut them together in the best way I saw fit. However, planning ahead gave me a better idea of what specific ideas I wanted to execute to make our film better. The editing wouldn't be spur of the moment but instead designed in a way to evoke specific emotions from the audience. These specific techniques were what I've spent time researching to refine my editing skills and experience.  

Change in Tone

After wrapping up our production portfolio, we began thinking about how our film's serious tone and thriller elements wouldn't be believable to an audience if two teens were in the main roles. We decided to make our film more light-hearted. This made me think that my previous analysis of thrillers like Drive and Nightcrawler might only be somewhat useful and not entirely helpful as it wouldn't fit the feel of the film.

In order to have a better grasp of what a comedic detective film looks like, I decided to look at Who Framed Roger Rabbit. 

Clip of R. K. Maroon's death from Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Narrative elements unfolding in the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit 

These scenes seem like prime examples of those normally found in Detective and Crime films. Big reveals on who's behind everything or intense confrontations. The editing is actually somewhat similar to what I looked at before. During the big conflicts, cuts are very quick to keep the scenes tense. This is seen in the death of R. K. Maroon where the shots from the pistol and the events after occur right after each other. Just like in thrillers, intense events are made up of quick cuts. Something similar occurs when Jessica Rabbit comes and saves Eddie but it's framed as if she is going to kill him. The moments before are more drawn out to create suspense while the accrual events of action come quickly with lots of cuts like the chase. Both scenes also have very loud gunshot sounds when a pistol is fired to draw attention but it also sticks out from the more quiet dialogue. 

After watching some clips of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, I learned that the editing that happens between genres doesn't necessarily change, but it's the elements of your story and how you use editing to enhance that which forms your film's genre. Watching the murder of Maroon, I was reminded of the opening to Zodiac. The actual events were somewhat similar but Who Framed Roger Rabbit plays up everything through slapstick behavior further emphasized by the editing. The actual events happening are comedic such as driving a cartoon car or spraying water in the attacker's face and by holding onto these shots, you feel the ridiculousness of the situations. The way the thrillers I analyzed used editing was to mess with the audience's emotions and expectations which I now understand can be applicable in more scenarios. It's not about changing the style of editing, as the focus is still on a detective film with the basic plot points an audience expects, but more so using what's actually in the film and the editing around that to make it more comedy-orientated. 

Preliminary Research: Color Grading

One aspect of editing that I really want to explore this time around is color correction and color grading. I failed to really explore this part of editing on the creation of the chess film which made the overall product look a little flat at times. Some of my favorite films have distinct color gradings such as Whiplash and La La Land.

By now, I understand that some movies have specific color gradings in order to achieve a unique visual style that sets them apart. It could also be used to highlight the time period that it might take place as well. Color correction and grading are then also used to make something more cohesive and cinematic looking.

However, I wanted to look at why certain films decide to have a specific color grading for other reasons. Things that weren't totally obvious and one of those that stood out to me was Whiplash. I remember the film being mainly yellow and thought it was there to just make the instruments pop out which in itself was beneficial to my understanding of how color grading is to be used. Upon further research into the film, I saw there was more to it. 

Video discussing Whiplash's use of Green and Yellow by Movie LUTs

The colors used in the film are essentially there to be tied to a specific emotion. Yellow usually depicts Andrew's triumphs with his music. It is a warmer color which is most common in the creation of comfortable scenes and shots but creates a different meaning within the context of the film as Fletcher is shown to be very abusive within Andrew's world of music. It symbolizes that Andrew feels comfortable in this space and environment but it's not one of ease. That is why it constantly pops up within the film as he is in conflict with Fletcher throughout the film but still enjoys what he's doing as he is obsessed with his music. 

The green coloring reflects Andrew's feeling of failure and uncomfortableness. This feeling is further emphasized by the fact the colors are cool colors which don't create that warm comfortable feeling that yellow does. When a scene or shot is in green it lets the viewer know that the main character is out of their element. There is a clear contrast in emotion within the main character that is told to the viewer through the use of color. There is then a short segment where these color gradings are not present and the film feels more mundane just like how Andrew's life has become. 

I now understand that color grading within a film plays an essential part in how the viewer interprets and feels during a scene. The use of color grading can both convey a certain feeling and also stand for a specific idea within the film. The yellow shots in whiplash would usually create a cozy feeling but within the context of the film it does something more and things aren't cozy but instead when the character feels at peace. Using a contrast in colors also can hint to the viewer how certain characters feel such as the use of a warm yellow and cool green within Whiplash where one is tied to success and the other to failure. Then there can be the use of a lack of color grading to get the audience to see things in a neutral way even if the rest of the film used a very distinct style. Color grading allows the viewer to understand what emotions the characters are feeling and how they themselves should be feeling. This is done by creating expectations with the use of color by tying it to specific events that can be normally seen as good or bad. It not only provides a distinct style but engages the viewer with what they are seeing. 

Preliminary Research: Title Cards

During the editing of our chess film, one aspect that didn't seem quite right to me was the title. Both in the way it looked and also the way it was introduced. My initial thoughts about titles were that they were there to just let you know the piece of media you were watching. However, as I kept watching films to get a better understanding of the other aspects of editing, I saw that titles were very intricate and felt as if they had more meaning. 

"Start Making Better Titles with a Few Basic Tips" by Film Riot

The first key point brought up in this video was the choosing of a correct font, This was one aspect of the edit of the chess film that I struggled heavily on. My main concern for the title was to just make it as legible as possible for the short time it would be shown on screen. I also initially used a thinner font that made the movie seem more serious and professional than the light-hearted tone we were looking for. The video explains that when selecting a font it should not only fit the tone of the film but also the context of the film. The font you choose gives you some insight into the general feel of the film. 

Furthermore, you want to make sure that the title should contrast against the background. This way the text is easy to read for the audience. This was something I struggled with as well and overcompensated by just making the text appear very big. Although size is a way to create contrast, it can also be done by using color. Having a contrasting color from the background of the text allows the title to pop out without taking up most of the frame. Size can then be used to create meaning for each individual line of text.

Opening title sequence from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

 A film that immediately came to mind when I thought about stylized intros was that of Scott Pilgrim vs The World. The font used is very unique and matches the overall aesthetic of the film. It uses the musical elements from the scenes before it to create the first line of the title, spelling out the character's name. It then gets continued by a different font which helps distinguish that the story revolves around Scott Pilgrim. The title is also very bold and animated which is the overall feel you get from watching this movie.   

After watching the Film Riot video and the opening sequence of another film, I have a better understanding of film titles. The main thing I learned was the role that a title plays within the film and the elements that make up the title. Titles are supposed to make the tone and feel of your film very apparent from the get-go. This is mainly reflected in the font choice for the title and these are available on numerous sites that you can access. Other contributions can come from the color and size as well to add meaning to the title and enhance the tone it creates. Finally there is the way you introduce the title. After looking at Scott Pilgrim and Joker, I saw that their titles appear right after a sequence that encapsulates the feel of the film. In Joker's case, it comes in right after Arthur is beaten up and lying on the ground which is symbolic to the entire film. In both films, it also acts as the end of a scene. The edit of the title coming in should feel like a natural part of the flow of the film and its positioning in the timeline should make sense.

Preliminary Research: Editing Techniques

To better prepare myself for when it comes time to work on the actual film, I decided to look at different techniques to use in the editing room. Even though I've edited a film before, I felt as though the experience was just learning the bare bones and basics of the editing process. This time, things are different and it's time to improve my skills as an editor.

"6 Ways to Edit Any Scene — Essential Film & Video Editing Techniques Explained" by StudioBinder

Some of the editing techniques shown in the video were great to use later down the line on different projects but didn't quite feel right to use for this film. Using an intellectual montage would take the viewer out of the narrative of the film which I think plays a stronger role in storytelling than the use of editing in this case. Cross-cutting would make sense when used later on in a film when there is proper building but doesn't have much use in the intro. There isn't enough going on yet to cross cut and if you do, it might make the intro more confusing and muddy to watch.

The first technique that the video goes over that I was more interested in was eyeline match use. This is something I somewhat utilized in the editing of the chess film but I don't think made the best use out of it. In an eyeline match, a cut is made to a shot of something that the character just had their attention on. It can play an essential part in the film's storytelling. Having a cut from the character's expression to what they look at helps the viewer understand what they are feeling about what they see. This can be used to emphasize and highlight specific details important to the film's story, such as a item left at a crime scene or details a detective picks up. It can also mess with an audience's expectations by deciding not to show what the character looks at to build mystery and intrigue or delaying the cut to make it more dramatic.

Another technique that stuck out to me was a split edit. Split edits are when the sound or image of your film changes before the other. This technique can be used to make conversations feel more natural and smooth. I noticed that this was subtly used in the interrogation scene in American Psycho when some characters speak and the cut is made a little while after. Our film was going to be crime-focused so lots of conversation would have to go on as the case progresses and action wouldn't be at the forefront. Utilizing this technique more  during scenes like this makes the conversation that is happening more interesting to view as it doesn't cut as soon as someone speaks and it allows the viewer to pick up on the character's thoughts and emotions about a particular subject through their expressions. 

Overall, this gave me a better understanding of the ways you can cut from one scene to another. More specifically, why you create a cut, what you are cutting to, and how you are doing it. Different types of cuts work better for different scenarios. Cutting isn't just about the best looking transitions to use in order to get from one scene to another but more so about the way you present a series of events. The specific cuts you use can contribute to the story you are trying to tell and affect the viewer's perception of events. When cutting from one shot to another, it should have a specific reason to switch what is being shown and the way you make that cut affects how an audience may perceive that reasoning. It's about knowing how to use these specific techniques to create the meaning you want.