Research into Editing

Again because I am making a short clip for my website I looked into editing and sound techniques as this will help me gain more solid grounding in making a film and producing something worth of naming it industry standard. I have learnt a lot about editing, and by using Final Cut Pro I will be able to create something that looks snappy and interesting. By learning about sound I am more aware of what should or should not be used in my product. I am keen to use sound bridges because I feel that this will be key to making my moving image flow. 




Editing Techniques

Cut. Sudden change of shot from one viewpoint or location to another. On television cuts occur on average about every 7 or 8 seconds. Cutting may:

• Change the scene;
• Compress time;
• Vary the point of view; or
• Build up an image or idea.

Matched cut. In a 'matched cut' a familiar relationship between the shots may make the change seem smooth:

• continuity of direction;
• completed action;
• a similar centre of attention in the frame;
• a one-step change of shot size (e.g. long to medium);
• a change of angle (conventionally at least 30 degrees).

Jump cut - Abrupt switch from one scene to another which may be used deliberately to make a dramatic point.

Cross-cut - A cut from one line of action to another.

Cutaway/cutaway shot (CA) - A bridging, intercut shot between two shots of the same subject. It represents a secondary activity occurring at the same time as the main action.

Reaction shot - Any shot, usually a cutaway, in which a participant reacts to action which has just occurred.

Fade, dissolve (mix) - Both fades and dissolves are gradual transitions between shots. In a fade the picture gradually appears from (fades in) or disappears to (fades out) a blank screen. A slow fade-in is a quiet introduction to a scene; a slow fade-out is a peaceful ending. Time lapses are often suggested by a slow fade-out and fade-in. A dissolve (or mix) involves fading out one picture while fading up another on top of it. The impression is of an image merging into and then becoming another. A slow mix usually suggests differences in time and place. Defocus or ripple dissolves are sometimes used to indicate flashbacks in time.

Wipe - An optical effect marking a transition between two shots.

 

Split screen - The division of the screen into parts which can show the viewer several images at the same time (sometimes the same action from slightly different perspectives, sometimes similar actions at different times).

Talk to camera - The sight of a person looking ('full face') and talking directly at the camera establishes their authority or 'expert' status with the audience. Only certain people are normally allowed to do this, such as announcers, presenters, newsreaders, weather forecasters, interviewers, anchor-persons, and, on special occasions (e.g. ministerial broadcasts), key public figures. The words of 'ordinary' people are normally mediated by an interviewer. In a play or film talking to camera clearly breaks out of naturalistic conventions (the speaker may seem like an obtrusive narrator). A short sequence of this kind in a 'factual' programme is called a 'piece to camera'.

Use of Sound

Direct sound - Live sound. This may have a sense of freshness, spontaneity and 'authentic' atmosphere, but it may not be acoustically ideal.

Studio sound - Sound recorded in the studio to improve the sound quality, eliminating unwanted background noise ('ambient sound'), e.g. dubbed dialogue. This may be then mixed with live environmental sound.

Sound bridge - Adding to continuity through sound, by running sound (narration, dialogue or music) from one shot across a cut to another shot to make the action seem uninterrupted.

Dubbed dialogue - Post-recording the voice-track in the studio, the actors matching their words to the on-screen lip movements. Not confined to foreign-language dubbing.

Commentary/voice-over narration - Commentary spoken off-screen over the shots shown. The voice-over can be used to:
• introduce particular parts of a programme;
• to add extra information not evident from the picture;
• to interpret the images for the audience from a particular point of view;
• to link parts of a sequence or programme together.
• 
  
Sound effects (SFX) -  Any sound from any source other than synchronised dialogue, narration or music. Dubbed-in sound effects can add to the illusion of reality: a stage- set door may gain from the addition of the sound of a heavy door slamming or creaking.
Music - Music helps to establish a sense of the pace of the accompanying scene. The rhythm of music usually dictates the rhythm of the cuts. 
Silence - The juxtaposition of an image and silence can frustrate expectations, provoke odd, self-conscious responses, intensify our attention, make us apprehensive, or make us feel dissociated from reality.

Flat Plans of the Newspaper

After thinking about my newspaper layout I have drawn a basic flat plan of the front cover.

The masthead is placed in the top left because I want it to be on of the first things my target audience notices. It brands the newspaper. My advert will be placed next to the masthead because this allows the main story to follow without being broken up by adverts, as my research suggests. I want my main image in the centre because this allows it to be dramatic and eye catching.

Twitter quotes and the small blurbs will be either side of the main image, and boarder the centre pieces, creating a sense of repetition and symmetry. The headline will be under the main image because the first emotional stimulant will come from the image, followed by the emotional language. 

I will either place secondary stories under this, or bullet points from the main story in the style of the i newspaper.

Research into Shot Types

Different camera shots, angles, and movements keep the viewer interested in the product. A wider range of shot types will hook the viewer into the product because they will engage with it more. I have conducted some basic research into shot types so I will be able to produce a film for the website or an image for the newspaper that will engage with the audience. 

Since I have to make a moving image I wanted to refresh my basic grounding in shot types etc and I learnt some new angles as well. Although most news reports use eye line angles and barely use dramatic zooms, so that the audience isn't distracted from the main story, I am keen to create something new and fresh for my target audience; youth. Below is a fragment of the knowledge I have gained from my media course and the base from where I will plan and shoot my news clip.

Establishing shot - Used to set the scene.

Long Shot -  Shot which shows all or most of a fairly large subject (for example, a person) and usually much of the surroundings.

Medium Long Shot - In the case of a standing actor, the lower frame line cuts off their feet and ankles.

Medium shots - In such a shot the subject or actor and its setting occupy roughly equal areas in the frame. In the case of the standing actor, the lower frame passes through the waist. Medium shots are frequently used for the tight presentation of two actors (the two shot), or with dexterity three (the three shot).

Close-up - A picture which shows a fairly small part of the scene, such as a character's face, in great detail so that it fills the screen.

Most newspapers use medium shots which gives enough detail about the subject without the picture becoming too blurry or the subject becoming too distant. I will stick to the same conventions. 

Angle of shot - The direction and height from which the camera takes the scene. 

In a high angle the camera looks down at a character, making the viewer feel more powerful than him or her, or suggesting an air of detachment. A low angle shot places camera below the character, exaggerating his or her importance. An overhead shot is one made from a position directly above the action.

Viewpoint - The apparent distance and angle from which the camera views and records the subject. 

Point-of-view shot - A shot made from a camera position close to the line of sight of a performer who is to be watching the action shown in the point-of-view shot.

Two Shot - A shot of two people together.

Wide-angle shot - A shot of a broad field of action taken with a wide-angle lens.

Tilted shot - When the camera is tilted on its axis so that normally vertical lines appear slanted to the left or right, ordinary expectations are frustrated.

Zoom -  In zooming in the camera does not move; the lens is focussed down from a long-shot to a close-up whilst the picture is still being shown. Zooming out reveals more of the scene (perhaps where a character is, or to whom he or she is speaking) as the shot widens.

Following pan - The camera swivels (in the same base position) to follow a moving subject.

Surveying pan - The camera slowly searches the scene: may build to a climax or anticlimax.

Tilt - A vertical movement of the camera - up or down- while the camera mounting stays fixed.

Crab - The camera moves right or left.

Since newspapers want to create a sense of realism I will most likely be using medium close ups when taking photographs, and when filming using pans, tilts, and two shots to make the viewer feel like they are involved with the story.

Empire Work Experience Week

Empire on Prezi

Strike Photos

Below are a selection of photos that were was the product of my attendance at Truro. Some need a little photoshopping, although I am confident to do this, and some might not be used. However this will not be a front page story because none of these photos are good enough to attract a young persons attention.

This image can be cropped to fit around the flag, though the sign in the background ruins the composition. I will most likely choose not to use this photograph.

This photograph can also be cropped along the top and bottom and then aligned in Photoshop to create a square. I chose to use a close up of the flag because of the colours which will attract attention. 

This image is one of the better ones because it captures the mood well. It is simple enough to be intriguing and the plastic bag can be removed. 

This photograph is also another one of the best because the image barely needs touching. I like the colours which can also represent Cornwall. However it wont be the main image because the flag is slightly opaque, which ruins some of the quality. 

This goes with the other sign, though the image contains a lot more colour, which is eye catching and busy. It is a possibility.

Pension Plans

Since teachers across the country are going to be striking I felt that this would make a good front page story, and therefore will be attending Truro's strike with my Sony a290 and notepad.

I did a small amount of research into why teachers are striking and found some interesting salary figures and pension plans for the leaders of our country. This is important because it adds value and fact to my story. This means I gain the readers trust and support and by using such dramatic facts because they compare themselves and feel degraded. 

                                          Salary                  Pension                            Pension Pot   


David Cameron            £142,500                £32,978                                £550,725
Francis Maude             £134,565                £43,825                                £731,883
George Osborne          £134,565                £32,978                                £550,725
Nick Clegg                    £134,565                £28,404                                £440,000
Eric Pickles                  £134,565                £43,825                                £731,883
Vince Cable                  £134,565                £39,551                                £660,507
Andrew Lansley          £134,565                £39,551                                £660,507
Danny Alexander        £134,565                £26,404                                £440,942


http://alangibbons.net/2011/11/whose-pensions-are-gold-plated/

I am looking forward to making progress towards my first story, though where it will be placed in the newspaper is at yet, unknown.