Major Project Unit: Director & Editors Relationship

   In the film industry, some connections are made between the director and other people who work on a film. This leads to them collaborating or working together again in the future, such as how Tim Burton has Johnny Depp as an actor in the majority of his films. One key relationship a director usually makes that lasts is that which is between them and an editor. These work partnerships can last a very long time through careers such as Chris Lebenzon who has worked as an editor on Tim Burtons films over the past 20 years. At this current moment I believe myself and the director of 'Routes' (Andy Cox) have worked well together. But to understand what makes a good working professional relationship and what one actually is, I decided to look at what professionals in the industry believe a good relationship is. 

   In the video above, various professionals give what they believe is an ideal relationship between the two roles. I wanted to see what these editors, directors and producers believe to be a good relationship so I can see if Andy's and myself have one. Don Swaynos (Producer for 'Beaver Trilogy Part IV') says that it is important that 'a director understands that the editing process is like the final re write to the script'. He also comments on how 'new directors can sometimes believe that the editors role is to just piece their film together', in this he specifically says those 'who write and directs a film', which is what Andy did for 'Routes'. He goes on to say directors who are open to change for their films are what forms a good working relationship between the two. I would say Andy has done this as I have added pieces, taken pieces out and tampered with the film possibly into a form Andy did not originally envision. But, Andy has been open to it which I feel was a good factor to me working. He has also sat down and talked to me about what options we have for parts of the film, which I feel has benefited us more as a working pair.

   Eileen Meyer (Editor of 'Best of Enemies') talks about her expectations that the director was going to be 'super hands on' with the editing process, until she worked on 'Best of Enemies' where the director was not in the editing room with her while she edited that often. She comments on how director 'liked to react to things' which was different for her as she has not experienced this before. I feel Andy fits into this category of directors also, but I see it as a good thing for me personally. Meyer's says that both styles are good, whether the director is hands on with the edit or not, but for me this was ideal for me to create a film, to make it flow and tell the story in the best way it can. Andy possibly could have been too influential with the edit if he was hands on, but the way that he has worked with me where he isn't with me 24/7 I feel has only benefited the film.

   From seeing what these professionals say what they think is a good working relationship, I believe that there is not really one right answer, it depends on who the person is and what they personally feel is best. I still think that mine and Andy's work relationship is very good and seeing what these professionals think has only affirmed it, and has given me more confidence in continuing the current work set up.

Major Project Unit - 'Kidulthood' Editing

   To make sure my editing is suitable for the type of film that 'Routes' is, and is good for the genre and style of this type of film, I have watched and analysed films that are like 'Routes'; one of them being 'Kidulthood'. The majority of Noel Clarke's films are the epitome of London set urban drama's, so researching his work is very key to ensuring my edit fits this genre of film. I focused on why specific shots were used and how scenes were cut and why they were used. 

   In this scene of the film, Sam comes home to find Trife and his friends in his room. I noticed a few cuts I have used such as cutting on action where Sam raises the bat and points it at Jay and Moony. This cut to the shot behind Sam signifies how powerful and strong Same is compared to the other too, due to the camera being closer to Sam, making him look bigger and the bat being in the middle of the shot highlights it as a weapon and adds a threatening tone to the scene. 

   When Trife, Jay and Moony run out from Sam's flat, this sequence is cut down and made more appealing to look at by having a mixture of shots used. Exterior shots are done on a tripod and are smooth peaceful shots, while the close interior shots are handheld and add to the adrenaline of there escape. There is a similar sequence like this in 'Routes' in a scene where Jimmy has to go and deal some drugs. That scene is different to this as all the shots are not focused on the action (running down the stairs). Even with this in mind, I can use this particular scene to focus on the pacing and appropriate time length for the shots I use, as well as if it is creating the right effect I want to give off

             

    In the final scene of the film it starts off calm, which is conveyed through the cut by the amount of time the shots stick with each character. It flows slowly which gives off the calm feeling, which is aided by the lack of back and forth cuts used. The pace and mood changes by a completely different shot being used which acts as a gear change, increasing the pace to match the fight scenes which follow.
 
   When Trife jumps on Sam to protect Alisa and starts punching him, there are 5 cuts within 10 seconds which is quick and adds to action that is being shown. Straight after Alisa says 'I thought you changed', there is a great example of Temporal Decompression (which I have discussed in a previous blog) as it lets the audience know how important the line is to the story, as well as allowing the visuals be more effective in showing Sam grabbing the bat and attacking Trife with it, which ends up killing him.

   I also noticed the use of music in key scenes in the film. It was used in all the serious parts of this scene. I intended to keep music as minimal as possible for the edit of 'Routes'. But after seeing a film similar to it, like 'Kidulthood' use it more than I planned to has made me look into possibly using music more than I planned for the film. The use of music in this scene adds to it, helps the intended feeling it is trying to create come across more stronger than it would if there was no music.

            

   After analysing 'Kidulthood', I feel that even though small tweaks may still have to be made to my edit, I feel 'Routes' fits in pretty well with this genre and style of films. Like I said, I will look more into my use of music, but I will also look into the final scene of 'Routes' which is also a fight scene, and see if I can add anymore cuts and shots into it as there is only 3 shots used, and and one of the shots is of it being broken up. Maybe adding another shot will lengthen out the fight scene and make it more dramatic and believable.

Major Project Unit - 'Roadman' to 'Routes'

   After an editing review, it was recommended to myself and the producer of 'Roadman' to change the title of the film. This was due to the fact the film focuses more on a friendship with two friends who are opposites and tough decisions involving going on the right path of education or a bad path through crime. After discussion we decided to change the name to something more suitable for the film.

   That is when I came up with the name 'Routes' as an ideal replacement. 'Routes' is significant to the main character Jimmy and his decision to go down a route of education, or a route of crime.  This title fits in well with the film and in my opinion still has a strong, impactful and rememberable title.

Major Project Unit - Temporal Decompression

   In most genres and styles of filmmaking, documentary and non-fiction, characters rarely speak or act in a way that is successful in creating drama on screen, but through my research I have found a technique called Temporal Decompression that can fix this problem. Temporal Decompression is where you adjust the tempo in a scene to create a dramatic effect, for example, a good use of this is where a character says something shocking and there is a a long period of time to let whats been said to sink in. It automatically gives a dramatic effect to the dialogue, much more so than if you leave it at the original pace. 

   A great example of this technique being used in a film is in 'Star Wars V - Empire Strikes Back' in the infamous 'I am your father' scene (click forward to 1.55 on video below to get to the scene). The big pause used in this scene allows it to breathe and let the audience take in the shocking discovery as well as letting the audience see visually how Luke Skywalker takes this information. 

                        

   This technique will be very useful as I can use it and keep in mind for when I am editing Scene 19 of 'Routes'. Within this scene Billy lashes out at Jimmy which is shocking, so I want to create some space to build up the drama and show how shocking this is to Jimmy. This technique is very similar to a previous technique I have researched called an 'Oh F*** Moment', but this technique is more focused on how a pause through dialogue causes a dramatic effect, rather than the visuals. 

Major Project Unit: Raindance's 6 Tips For A Better Edit

   To find more ideas and tips on improving my edit, I have looked at the Raindance website to see if they had any tips on editing. I decided to research through Raindance not only because of their well known film festival, but also because they post helpful articles such as '6 Tips For A Better Edit' by Jake Foster. The 6 tips Jake talks about in this article are:

1. Cut Tight

  'The best editing technique is to cut tight between scenes without becoming too jumpy. This can be done by taking out unnecessary pauses between actors’ dialogue delivery of lines or sometimes simply tightening the gaps between dialogue sentences through well-placed cutaway scenes.

  It is a good rule of thumb to start with a cut that is precise from the beginning opposed to starting with a general fist pass then cutting it down from there. Most films do not support audiences’ attention for more than 90 minutes. If you can get your first cut to come in around 100 minutes then you should be able to achieve the 90 minute mark by simply tightening up your clips more precisely. If your first cut comes in around two hours you will have a mighty challenge ahead of you.'

2. Matched Action

   'Matched action is something many editors consider second nature, yet many times there are numerous instances in every film where a continuity issue could have been solved with a simple exercise in matched action editing.

   Matching actors’ hand positions, use of props, eyeliner and stage position from one cut to another are all consider matching action. As an editor your job is make the cuts that drive the emotion in the scene or move the story along.

   Many industry professionals feel that if you keep the audience engaged in the story, mistakes in matched action can slip by unnoticed. A good editor will discover the fine line between driving emotion and technical matched action.'

3. Do not cut back to the same angle

   'If you happen to have a choice of different camera angles, do not feel you need to cut back to the same angle you had in the previous shot. There are times when this is unavoidable such as in dialogue scenes with only two angles; but if by chance the director shot different takes with different framing, make an effort to use a variety of them.

   Try to exercise the 30-degree rule; the camera should move at least 30 degrees between shots of the same subject occurring in succession. Be careful not to violate the 180-degree rule.'

4. Save longer version along the way

   'When cutting down film, it’s a good idea to duplicate sequences along the way, renaming them with sequential numbers (e.g. intro pass dump, intro pass 1, intro pass 2… etc.) The Dump sequence is the initial footage and audio. Each sequential pass is shorter than the previous. The theory behind this being if you ever need to retrieve a clip or sound bite from a previous cut, it is there ready and waiting.'

5. Moving camera shots

  'Moving the camera around is a key part of action sequences. Movement can be anything from a camera on a dolly to handheld motion. In action scenes this is designed to create a level of tension with the audience. I feel the best way to create this tension is by cutting on movement, so that the camera is in constant motion from one cut to the next.

   Some directors may disagree with this and will want the camera to start and stop before making the cut. Both methods work, it just depends on the circumstances when deciding which one to go with.'

6. B-roll in threes

'It is not uncommon for a scene to call for cutaway shots.

When this scenario arises, it is a good rule to group three cutaway inserts together. These inserts should be around two seconds long. A POV insert would work well in threes because it give the audience a good general idea of the surroundings the character is in. this editing technique tends to mimics our real world experience of turning our head to see what is around us.'

Major Project Unit: J & L-Cuts

   During my research into different types of cuts, I came across L and J-Cuts. I have some J-Cuts in my edit for 'Roadman' so I decided to research this up further. The L-Cut is an editing technique where the video is cut separately from the audio which allows the audio flow more smoothly and less sharp from cutting from clip to clip or scene to scene. Its name comes from the fact that you make an “L” shape when you cut the audio track before you cut your video or vice versa. An example would be if you were transitioning from inside a home to outside on a busy street.  You can “L” cut the audio so you hear the sound before you actually see it.  This helps to soften a transition that may have been harsh and prepares them for the fact that the footage they're about to watch is in a different environment. Below is what L and J-Cuts will look like on an editors timeline.

   In my research, a lot of people have called both L and J-Cuts just L-Cuts, but there is a difference between the two. An L-cut is where the audio of a clip is extended beyond the video, so that the audio cuts after the video and continues to play over top the beginning of the next video clip. While a J-cut is the opposite, where the audio portion starts playing prior to it's corresponding video clicp so as to lead-in to the visual. J-Cuts are what I've used in my edit the most as it felt natural at first, but it helped with making the story flow better and give of the invisible cut feel I wanted to create. 

   Below is an example of an L and a J-Cut in a scene of 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'  (some people refer to L and J-Cuts as a Split Edit).

Major Project - Pacing/Gear Changes

   Gear Change in a scene is where the editor edits the speed of a scene at a certain point to give of a specific effect to a scene. This can be done by a simple sudden change of speed in a scene from slow to fast or vice versa, or gradually doing it in stages or going back and forth, like the fight scenes in '300'. An appropriate use for a gear change is for when big action suddenly happens on screen, but the main use for one is when something changes in general. For example, If there is a calm scene with not a lot going on it will be at a slow speed, but if something changes such as movement occurring then a gear change would be good to use. From researching gear changes, I have learned there must be a lot of planning before you start creating a gear change such as what is the purpose of the change? At what speed should the change occur? amongst other factors. 

   Here's what a gear change might look like on a timeline. The blue clips are indicative of the scene's original pacing, which is a bit slower, and the orange clips show the pacing after the gear change has occurred. Lastly, in order to emphasize the moment in which the dramatic shift in tempo happens, the pink clips are even slower. This is a technique that should be used in editing a film to intentionally highlight an important change in your characters, their journey, or their emotional state. 

   I am looking into the use of a gear change for the final scene in 'Roadman' where a fight breaks out between Jimmy and Jase. The use of the gear change will help build up suspense for the action to happen and for it to be more interesting to the audience.