Are you enjoying the editing process?
I have enjoyed the editing process, it isn’t too difficult for me because I have experience in editing interviews so I know the basics and methods to import material as well as color grading, however it was tricky at times because editing short films is different to editing interviews and since the footage for the short film are all original and shot by my partner and I, the space for creativity is larger and so I would experiment with different shots to see which one connects better and can transport the emotions more effectively to the audience. Since I do enjoy trying and exploring different ways to edit, I might occasionally find it hard, but I wouldn’t think its too tiring which is great.
Initially, when I first started editing, I used Final Cut Pro, but then I changed to a Chinese editing app called ‘Jian Ying’ which is relatively less professional however more efficient when editing and it has a wider range of effects. My partner also used this app during the editing process. I would also use the sound recording app on my iPhone to record voice overs for the film and I used NetEase Cloud Music to extract music for the film. These are the main programs and applications I used when editing the film.
What research have you done to develop your skills?
I find YouTube, Baidu(a searching engine equivalent to Bing)and DouYin(Chinese Tik Tok) very practical when editing. I mainly used Baidu to search information about the editing app Jian Ying, because there are many functions and it can easily get confusing. I use Dou Yin to search video tutorials as they are easy to follow and there is a wide range of content about Jian Ying. Youtube is my main source of inspiration for editing techniques and transitions, I really like ‘Studio Binder’ , they are keen at explaining the details and operation behind the cinematography and camera movements which is very helpful, especially if I get stuck planning the shots for the filming. I love watching films and whenever I see something I find inspiring or fascinating I would take a screen shots and make notes, I store everything in a ppt and I often refer back to it to see if there is anything I can use for ‘Daisy’ .
We had a really detailed storyboard at first but when we started shooting we realized that we didn’t actually strictly follow our storyboard and often our best shots are those unplanned. Which is why we stopped creating detailed storyboards moving on, but whenever I have epiphanies and ideas I would note them down and draw in a very simplistic way. My partner and I find it more exciting and fun when we can adapt to the environment in which we film in and be a bit more spontaneous. Furthermore, we do have a habit of shooting multiple shots for one movement so we have backups and can also choose from a wider range of footage when editing.
I watched this clip from Studio Binder explaining long shots when we were shooting the one take shot from the conversation between Chris and Daisy by the door to the bedroom. However this took more than 20 seconds in our film opening and the camera movement was too unstable, so we didn’t use that footage in our final version of ‘Daisy’.
This clip is also from Studio Binder and it inspired me to come up with the idea of a smooth tracking shot cutting from the wall to the door instead of the one take tracking shot mentioned above.
Did you need to color grade anything in your opening?
During the editing process, I was responsible for the color grading aspect. All footage used in the film opening has been colour-graded to a small and large extent. For some shots, I highlighted a specific color tone it already possesses to create a specific mood and atmosphere. To exemplify this, I accentuated the contrast between the green-tinted shots and orange-tinted shots (as shown below in the video clip) where Daisy is flirtatious. The colour contrast with the aid of jump cuts and different camera angles as well as compositions create a sense of chaos and danger which is what Daisy is.
Another example is when the two mean girls gossip and there is a shot of Daisy walking alone in the corridor, the initial footage looked less dark and the silhouette of Daisy wasn’t as clear because of the lighting from the windows along the corridor. Thus, when editing, I lowered the brilliance, shadows, raised the contrast and added a thin layer of vignette to make the silhouette and the frame around the corridor darker and sharper.
Before:
After:
This creates an oppressive and overwhelming feeling. I believe colors are very powerful and it can remind the audience of traditional symbols which also trigger an emotion and can genuinely heighten the mood and atmosphere of the scene, creating a deeper bond between the audience and the film/narrative.
Why is your editing style appropriate for your genre & audience?
During the pre-production stage of planning, I conducted research into the thriller genre and made note of specific elements which felt effective in evoking tension in me as an audience. This often includes:
1. Close ups on actor’s expression
2. Creative and bizarre use of camera angles to create an uncomfortable feeling (High angle & Dutch angle shots)
3. Irregular/unnatural behavior in the character’s body language
4. Eerie, high-pitched sound effects
5. Contrast in mood and tone or creating a dichotomy between sound & music to the mise-en-scène generating a dark comedy feeling
6. Enigmatic film opening/unexpected narrative
The stylistic choices (as indicated in the video bellow) I made in mise-en-scène are very symbolic(colour tones, props and binary oppositions) which allows audiences to actively engage in considering their significances, this is one of the fascinating elements in thriller films.
Furthermore, I wanted to mark the film ‘Daisy’ as a thriller and not as a horror because the two genres are often confused to be very similar or even the same by some audiences. To me, the biggest difference lies within the psychological impact thrillers leave on the audience. Therefore, an editing/camera movement/mise-en-scène technique Arina and I decided not to use was jump scares as it is a common trope amongst the horror genre. Furthermore, the opening narrative is still relatively vague and enigmatic and this was hard to monitor at first as we often felt we were either giving too much or too little information. We overcame this by showing the film opening to few of our peers and teachers (which ensured that the film opening would appeal to a range of demographics) and asked for their understanding of what is going on and what would potentially happen. We then made adjustments to the editing and mise-en-scène based on their opinions (depending on its validity from our point of view).
After the film opening rough cut, we gathered feedback on the editing and received 4.75 rating our of 5.0. We made adjustments to the editing by making the friendship between Chris and Daisy clearer as that was one that confused some people and further removed some footage that didn’t flow smoothly in between the transition from school to Chris’ home. Overall, the editing and film opening of ‘Daisy’ is successful and has definitely been very rewarding in my growth as a student filmmaker, having acquired and discovered new techniques, inspirations in this adventure.
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