Task 13: Manipulation of diegetic time and space

Diegetic- The world of text 
Non-Diegetic- Outside the world of the text

Editing effects in films, television, music videos and adverts are all equally important, as they allow the film maker or director to manipulate time and space. This could be to show:
-A time period has changed in a flash back/flash forward
-To show a different location
-To show that time is moving quicker or slower than normal

This is a scene from the 1960 film 'The Time Machine' in which a man experiences time travel for the first time. The sequence is shown through shot that have been filmed over a period of time to show the progression of time. This process is agonisingly long, however the results are amazing.

An effect can be as simple as using a colour filter or changing the saturation of an image to increase or decrease the colour. Making an image black and white is commonly used for flash backs, however other ways are used, such as altering the speed of the footage. In the original Wizard of Oz, a filter known as 'sepia' is used when Dorothy is in Kanses, however the scene is technicolour when entering Oz to show she is in a completely different place.

Our example

After studying the concept of time manipulation, we were asked to use similar effects and techniques to create a short video.  As a group, we decided to rely on precision acting, camera angles, and the benefit of editing to do this. 

As our group is now down to three due to Jordan's absence,  we kept to our roles except i became both actress and director for this one, with Dave and Will monitoring the camera, time and acting as extras to emphasise the concept. The inspiration i got to recommend this idea to the group was based on a famous music video 'Vermillion' by Slipknot, in which a young woman similarly acts in slow motion to manipulate the world around her. Our aim was to show how time drags for someone in a free lesson as there's little to do, which i think we did effectively. My favourite scene, and the one i think nails the requirements of the task, is the reading scene, in which the clock is seen speeding up. This was done simply by monitoring a page turn every 30 seconds over a space of 5 minutes, and then editing it in Premier Pro to speed it up. 

The only flaw i would say this task has is the audio at the end, as it is unclear in parts what is being said. Overall, i think this task was successful, and i'm proud our group could work with one significant person down. 

My inspiration video is below: 'Vermillion' By Slipknot. ((It's a bit weird, i warn you))

Task 12: Transitions and Effects

        Styles of Editing

The movement from one shot to another is called a transition. These transitions suggest different ideas to the audience and it is important to choose the right one, as it creates mood, effect and can sometimes give insight into how the film or television show is going to progress.

Straight Cut

This is the most common transition and is known as 'invisible' due to its instantaneous speed. The transition isn't noticeable unless looked for, and keeps up both pace and the idea of reality. These are used a lot in soaps when a sequence of events are happening in one scene, however it is devised of multiple shots that need to link together. If they don't link together, it breaks the illusion. An example in this scene from Eastenders in which two characters fight. We see multiple characters get involved to restrain the men, and they appear almost in cannon from different camera angles. Also, as one man goes to fight another, there's a zoom in to the individual, which would've required a single camera to be moved completely, or a cut to a different camera altogether. The second option is more likely due to time consuming.

Dissolves

A dissolve transition is when one shot appears on the screen whilst the previous disappears. This means that at the mid-point, both scenes show at once, which shows their link to each other as well as a transition. One of the first persons to use this was George Meliés in 1899, in his short film 'Cinderella'. A majority of scenes overlap each other, for example the ball scene fading back into the house. This could also be used to show contrast, as the ball scene is very lively and visually appealing, whereas the house is quiet and boring. 

Fades

A fade transition is a gradual darkening or lightening of an image until to scene ends with a black or white or just block colour screen. This can be used to show a section of time changing to another in the narrative. Also, it can be used to show an unusual image, and emphasise the symbolism of it. For example in the 'Oasis' video for 'Don't look back in anger', each new person introduced into the shot with a blurred and faded filter, as well as the video itself beginning with a fade from black and ending with a fade to black. It's a quick transition, but still used very effectively. 

Wipes

This transition is when one scene or image pushes another off of the screen. They can be pushed in any direction, however the most common transition is when it is pushed to the left hand side. This isn't only to change the scene, but also make it more visually appealing and show how they relate to each other without using subtle continuity. The film series of Star Wars uses wipes at least every few scene changed  in every film. Below is a montage video of all the times it has been used in a single film. The transition is of course very obvious, which makes the Star Wars filming effect so iconic.

Graphic Match 

This is the most advance transition in my opinion, as it isn't just a decision the editor makes, but the film director themselves. It is created when things of similar shape in one shot transitions into something else when put next to each other. By doing this, it shows that the link is important, or to create a more visually exciting shot scene. An example of this is the famous 'shower scene' in Psycho directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Here, we see the dead girls eye become a drain hole, which could've been decided as some sort of symbolism or to show how the events have caused this outcome.

Task 11: Cross cutting video

From a directors point of view, i feel as though this example of a cross cut was successful. It clearly shows various points of view of the same situation effectively, with continuity and consistency in both filming and acting. The idea of focusing an every day situation around the idea of a wild western shoot out was dramatic and effective, especially in building tension, which is commonly the aim of cross cuts. Personally, there are only few improvements i could make to thiS. The first would be the eye contact in the short video, which wasn't always complying to the eye line match rule, which ensures realism when it's needed. Also, i don't feel as though my editing in Premier Pro was entirely brilliant, as i found it difficult to time things like sound effects and zoom ins accurately for the impact i intended to create. 

Overall, despite the flaws in the project, i think as a group we were successful in using our strengths in media to create a good, focused example.