Preliminary Task Post-Production

During the editing process in my recent lessons, I have learnt how to access footage from the Final Cut server. This is the process I used:

1. Logging my shots: This step is where we selected the appropriate shots of every take and every angle we shot. By doing this we had to set up a Log Bin which becomes easier for us to access the good shots just by simply cutting and pasting the good ones into here. Selecting the different shot choices is important as we need to make sure there will be a sense of continuity and also so that the shots we want are the good ones and are properly selected. The ones we reject are important as it is important we dont miss out any good ones. During this process we also try and find the shot that is the best fit in our sequence because it isn't always best to chop up every shot.
2. Organising my shots: This is when we had to refer back to our original storyboard. We changed parts of the storyboard at this stage but stuck to the basic structure of it. This is important as this is where the shots are specifically selected to best tell the story.
3. Shot order: This step can also be linked in with the previous step as they are similar. But this is vital as certain shots have to appear in order so that the story will at least make sense and contain a sense of continuity.
4. Editing in Final Cut: In our editing sequence, I particularly like our focus pool which focuses from the door to the phone which then cuts into one of our characters looking worried. This fits in well and works perfectly for our sequence as it creates the right mood and suspense.

Continuity editing is the main type of editing in film and television. Its purpose is to make sure that the shots are combined in a way that is clear and understandable to the audience.
Continuity editing can be placed into two groups, time and space. in both groups, Certain techniques in each of these groups can either make a passage continuous (giving the viewer a structured narration to follow) or discontinuous (causing distraction and disorientation).

• An ellipsis is a break in natural time continuity as it is implied in the film's story.
• Continuous diegetic sound can also help to smooth out of place cuts by overlapping the shots.
• Match on action is when some action occurring before the temporally out of place cut is picked up where the cut left it by the shot immediately following.
• Temporal discontinuity can be expressed by the deliberate use of ellipses. Cutting techniques that are useful in showing the nature of the specific ellipses are the dissolve and the fade. some editing styles can show a change of time. These are also known as the flashback and the montage techniques.
• Flashback is a reversal of time within a story and allows the viewer to see a time before the present moment.
• Montage is achieved with a collection of related images, cut together in a way that suggests maybe a skip in time or place.
• An establishing shot is one that provides a view of all the space in which the scene or action is occurring. The purpose of this is so it is not difficult for the viewer to become disorientated as all of the story space is presented before them.
• Another way of preventing viewer disorientation in editing is to stick to the 180 degree rule. The rule prevents the camera from crossing the imaginary line connecting the subjects of the shot.
•  Another method is the eyeline match. When shooting a person,  he or she can look towards the next subject to be cut to, this uses the former's self as a reference for the viewer to use while locating the new subject within the set.
• Cross-cutting is a technique which conveys an undeniable spatial discontinuity. It can be achieved by cutting back and forth between shots of unrelated places. In these cases, the viewer will understand clearly that the places are supposed to be separate. So the viewer may not become particularly disoriented, but under the principle of spatial continuity editing, crosscutting is considered a technique of spatial discontinuity.
• The jump cut is a cut between two shots that are so similar that a noticeable jump in the image occurs.

It is important to follow a specific film language to ensure that the only relevant points in the story are shown and to manipulate time and space in the narrative. Following a film language also helps force the audience to identify with the right characters and its purpose is also to make sure that the story makes complete sense to the audience which is important otherwise they would be disorientated.