Joshua Gray's Advanced Portfolio

Thursday, 21 March 2013

Montage tests

From the Forth cut of the short film my teacher said "The only other suggestion I would make is that you should consider editing the montages to be a little edgier... applying an effect or two to make them a little grittier/manic would add to the feeling they're there to evoke."

This is the first test of the effects being applied to the montage.

On presenting this test to my media teacher he said:

• Don’t like the effect on montages at all.

• I meant more like this but a bit more subtle:

↵ Use original player

Rampant Design Tools Film Dirt and Scratches Motion Graphics and Visual Effects Add-On Pack 01

By RampantMedia

YouTube

← Replay

00:06

-01:06

In the next test I remove the effect and applied a scratch effect, see video below to see this test.

Comments were:

• No... looks more like rain. I say scratch it and put them back to just the clips sans effects.

Also couple of minor but important things...
• You’ve misspelled Mr Smith’s first name.
• At 4:27 there’s an odd change in ambient sound. Need to level it out.
• This is a suggestion... & the last thing I’ll add... could the clock get louder as the final scene progresses? I think it would add to the tension. Other than that I think it looks great.

Now after this suggestions, I will remove the effects for the montage and return them to how they were before. Also I will improve on the couple of mistakes that I made and improve the short film on my teachers suggestions.

Tuesday, 19 March 2013

Fourth Cut and Feedback

Here is the fourth cut of the short after the improvements from the third cut have been added.

Feedback:
• The introduction is much better - title, fade in, timing etc all works.
• The new POV shots from the bus look great
• I'm not sure if you need the shots of the protagonist getting off the bus. Try cutting at 1:22 straight to 1:26
• Camera at 2:05 is not needed
• And the one at 2:14 also can be removed... kind of gone the other way and overdone them now. :-)
• Ending is better... the timing of the BB shot needs to coincide exactly with the 'gun shot' sound.

The only other suggestion I would make is that you should consider editing the montages to be a little edgier... applying an effect or two to make them a little grittier/manic would add to the feeling they're there to evoke.

Almost there... tis all in the tweaking.

Wednesday, 13 March 2013

Final Review

Below is the review with the improvements from the last version and I have decided along with my media teachers agreement that this is the final version of my magazine review. I have changed the adjustment of the text so that it fills each column rather than being left justified.

I have now created the poster and magazine review for my short film. Now I need to pay full attention to improving and tweaking the last adjustments to my short film.

Tuesday, 12 March 2013

Third Cut and Feedback

Below is the third cut of the short film with the improvement from the last cut.

Feedback (as left on video):

• 00:25 - this shot can be shortened and the voice over should come in much sooner

• Also, the earlier shot of the ppl on the bus, I think you should get rid of it - it does not add to the narrative and it is a bit too rocky

• The montage comes in at the right time. I think it could be broken up at the point that it says "look at them all"... - a couple of shots to show ppl here and now and then cut back into the montage.

• Also, some of the audio associated with the montage could have been included very low down in the mix to add to the tense atmosphere of the narrative.

• 01:16 - this shot needs to come out - the montage should continue to: 01:22 ending on "freedom".

• The second montage also needs to be a bit more broken up / interspersed and it needs to relate more directly to the words if you see what I mean???

• Needs to be more spread over the walking sequence alongside shots of cameras watching - build the intensity - link images to the ministries create a claustrophobic atmosphere.

• 02:41 - the title needs to be a bit smaller and fit more neatly into the letterbox

• Sound effects at the end and the editing still needs to connote a greater sense of violence - you could include a very *subversive* flashed image of Hitler/BigBrother - almost so quick that if you blinked you might miss it. :-)

Overall... you are on the right track... the ending sequence and montage's represent the best work within the film. The overall concept and idea is good and the narrative is clear until that last shot and the cut to black - the audio (sound bridge) needs to be fixed to ensure the end is strong.

I also think that you need a prod company title at the beginning and slightly longer fade in...

Good work, let me know if you want to discuss any of this further. :-)

Saturday, 9 March 2013

More Stock Footage

For the new cut of the short film I need more stock footage to use in the new montage scenes, therefore I needed to search for some new videos. Here are the videos that i have decided to use: