2nd Cut Feedback

In the last lesson our teacher and our peers all viewed the 2nd time edited version of our music video production after improving from the first edited production. We received feedback which will hopefully help us to achieve a better grade than we are at now. The feedback included this:


Holding shot steady: Much improved train shots - good use of reflection. Hand held POV - nice idea but too much - use some match on action. 360 degree shot - nice try but not perfect.

Our train sequence is generally not bad but what we need to do now is to add some more variety in the whole sequence. The first person POV of George climbing the stairs is too long so we need more shots intercutting to make that more interesting also more interaction from George with different objects around him. 360 degree shot still is not perfect so we will have to devise a way of making it better, it could potentially be the best shot and idea in the video.

Framing a shot: Why the zoom and also focused on George on the steps? Hand shake POV is good going into card game.

We are going to redo the part of George walking up the stairs.

Appropriate material: Could you do more to emphasize the fact that George needs money?

For this we are including more flashback or "thought bubbles" that show that he is in dire straits.

Selecting mise en scene: Effective background after George leaves station.

Editing for meaning: More flashbacks - telling the story of the need for money - same shots e.g. entering casino too long.

As mentioned before we are going to edit in the flashback or "thought bubbles" into a portion of the frame. We need to try to make some more less relevant shots shorter.

Varied shot transitions, caption and other FX: 1st dissolve - not really working. Split screen good.

A simple fix in editing will solve the problem that dissolve effect, we will probably just go for a standard transition.

2nd Cut

Editing 5

After returning to the golf club once again and also filming a new street/walking part we went to edit positively. We had several new shot ideas to introduce to the poker part, and we have perfected that part almost completely now. The new walking shot was added in and it seemed to break up the monotony of the whole journey, we also made the flashback 'bubbles' a lot better than before. The production is looking good at the moment, there is not too much we can improve upon now.

Extra Editing

We edited what we filmed and when doing this we encountered some problems when editing. As we wanted a  'match on action' while lip syncing we found that the shot was to quick and didn't showcase the lip syncing very well.We might need keep this or just remove it altogether, worth a try though.

Extra Filming

Once we had all finished our lessons, we all met up and decided to re-shoot the lip syncing scene of George walking through a downtrodden area. To do this we travelled to Waltham Cross and found a good alley where we shot this. After a quick look on the camera the lip syncing is much better and its more interesting. Tomorrow we will edit the scene

Editing Stage 4

We had a look together at the whole of the music video we had created so far and after a little talking we thought it might be a good idea to add some more shots to help flesh out the short story in the video. For example we imagined the protagonist in his home scrounging for scraps of food or money. We wanted to emphasize that he really is down on his luck and in a state of depression and anxiety. We hope to get some of these kind of scenarios captured on camera so we can add them later.

First Cut Feedback

Construction Main Task
Holding shot steady: Unsteady shots on train - cutaway or superimpose other shots.
Framing a shot: Rule of thirds, vary shot height - use this to represent character's mood. Pick up on cue of pause before 'cloak and dagger' to go in for more dramatic shot.
Appropriate material: Make shots of leaving station and walking along bleak streets more interesting - make this more interesting visually. Reaction shot - the money moment.
Selecting mise en scene: Alleyway - How does this add to meaning? Stairway - not an attractive shot. Build storyline of illegal gambling - use mobile messages.
Editing for meaning: Try to find more dramatic image than OTS shot as electric guitar kicks in. Split screen - good but faster.
Varied shot transitions, caption and other FX: Try and show skill - nothing used to create meaning.

First Cut for Presentation

Editing Stage 3

This session was focused on adding in effects to the production. We added some trasitions using mainly cross dissolve but also fading in black. The effects we added looked good and we were surprised by how much it had improved the video. As a group we decided that it was neccessary to do more editing over the half term break, so that we could meet the deadline for our first cut presentation. We arranged to meet on Thursday to do the editing.

Editing Stage 2

In this second editing session we edited the whole of the train scene. There was some questionable lip syncing unfortunately, but by having quick shot changes we should be able to alleviate that problem. After this scene and the walking part were completed we moved on to edit a little of the poker scene.

Editing Stage 1

We uploaded the captured footage onto the computer and exported it into Adobe Premiere after some slight deliberation. The footage was looked over and some of the bad shots were deleted, we managed to at least have a good shot for every part we wanted to show in the final cut. It was estimated that the amount of shots from the filming on Saturday 8th was enough to fill up 1 minute of the song, which is what we had hoped for.

Filming Stage 1 Re-done

On Monday 10th we went back to Whitehill Golf Club to film for the poker scene. This time was much easier and we had a better idea about what type of shot we wanted to capture. We had more of a focus on the faces and expressions of each character like we discussed. A few more shot variations were tried out, one being an overhead view of the poker table with the hands the players interacting with the chips. Generally a lot more focus produced some reasonable shots, which we were happy with.

Filming Stage 2

On Saturday 8th we gathered as a group to film the train scene and the travelling parts where the main protagonist walks through the street. We spent a large amount of time on the train, traversing between stops and constantly entering and exiting. It was worth the effort though, as we managed to get a substantial variation of shot types. There were some fairly atmospheric viewpoints which we captured, such as the glass of the train reflecting George's image.

After we had completed this part we filmed George in differing locations in and around Cheshunt's less desirable looking areas. Following the call sheet as closely as the locations would allow us to. I believe we may have to go back to a similar area or perhaps the same area, to get more interesting shots. This does depend on what we find out when editing however.

Call Sheet for Saturday 8th

Director: Ryan B, Laurence K
Actor: George B
Producer: All
Shooting Day Number: 2
Scene 1: Train: Shot 1: George enters the train, camera inside the train. Shot 2: George proceeds to sit down on a chair. Shot 3: Looks out window with camera capturing a profile (middle of stomach to top of head). Shot 4: Close up of face with window in background, lip sync part of chorus. Shot 5: High angle looking square onto the seat in which protagonist is sitting.
Scene 2: Street: Shot 1: Feet walking towards the camera. Shot 2: Gradual zoom out and pan upwards towards the head and shoulders. Lip sync Shot 3: Switch to side view with buildings/cars in background. Shot 4: View from behind the head whilst walking. Shot 5: Bird's eye view with subject walking across from left of lens to right.

Casino Royale Film Poster