Editing post with screen shots

To create our film opening, we used the editing programme Final Cut Pro. The layout above allowed us to keep our files organised, and was quite simple to navigate. Using Final Cut Pro, we were able to apply several effects onto our footage, as well as fitting transitions between shots to create a more professional opening. The above screenshot shows our entire final opening within the Final Cut Pro layout, displaying the various layers of audio and the range of effects and transitions we used. 

The above screenshots are of our folder layout that we maintained throughout the editing process. When we began post-production editing, we decided to carefully organise all our our work into separate files to keep everything clear and easy to find. We separated our work into seven files: Bloopers, Editing Research, Finals, Footage, Music, Photos and Tests. Once we had downloaded all our work, we sorted them each into folders and then renamed everything we'd downloaded so it was immediately apparent what they all were, making the final editing process much quicker.

The above screenshot is of an earlier version of our opening, before we began to add transitions. This particular shot has not been edited or filtered. The majority of our opening is the same, as the results analysis of our survey suggested that our target audience wanted a Supernatural horror to lure them into an initial false sense of security, so that when the villain is finally revealed, it has a greater impact. As shown in the screenshot, we had begun to layer different audio files, beginning to introduce a more ominous theme to forebode the girl's horrific outcome. However at this stage in the opening, the majority of the soundscape is dominated by neutral forest sounds to immerse the audience and establish that initial false sense of security. It was during this early editing phase that we decided to cut certain shots from our final piece, as some of our ideas confused the overall genre, and our first draft was far too long. 

Using the side bar pictured above, we were able to import all of our audio files and keep them together neatly so they would be easy to identify and use during the editing process. We mostly recorded our own audio- using the 'forest sounds' and screams from the footage we had recorded. However, we did download some royalty free audio to use as non-diegetic sound throughout our opening, allowing us to gradually build a sense of foreboding as the victim's death drew nearer. 

The above screenshot shows the different layers of sound we used during the villain's first entrance. We wanted to emphasise both the villain's power and horror of the moment through sound, and used editing to achieve this. During post-production, we were able to layer various different audio files to build an unnatural and disturbing sound- establishing that the villain is sub-human, and therefore effectively illustrating our Supernatural horror genre. We were also able to increase the volume of some audio files over others, to make that sound dominant within the scene whilst still building the ominous soundscape beneath that. By manipulating certain audio files so they gradually faded in or out (shown by the steady arcs on certain files) to create a gradual build to the victim's ultimate horrific fate.

Once we had imported all of the footage we wanted to use, it appeared in the side bar pictured above, where we were able to quickly review, crop and select footage to use in our opening. From here, we could drag different footage into the main section of Final Cut Pro, where we could apply various filters, affects or transitions. By importing all our footage in this way, we were able to quickly compare various shots and conclude what footage we preferred early on in the editing process. 

The above screenshot shows one of the side bars that displayed all of the filters we had applied to each shot. For example, a lot of our shots had the 'Camcorder' effect applied to it, to establish which shots were from the perspective of our victim, through her camera. We used this effect to properly immerse the audience into the opening, and to prevent any confusion surrounding the plot line and the significance of the camera within our opening.

The above screenshot shows the editing that went into the entrance of the supernatural villain, and the many layers of footage and audio we used to heighten the impact of the moment. The footage is very quick cut- reflecting the panic and horror the victim experiences as they are faced with this subhuman antagonist. The several layers of audio, which overlap and build on one another to emphasize the supernatural and inhuman nature of the antagonist. The audio here is all non-diegetic up until the victim's scream- establishing the fact that the villain has supernatural powers and influence over the human environment, to the point where no diegetic sound is able to penetrate this.

During the editing process, we were able to include our title screen. The above screen shot shows the ending of our opening, and the various audio and transitional effects we used to make our title have greater impact. The 'camera flash' audio and the 'flash' transitions we used here effectively accentuate our opening's focus around cameras, as it was a key theme within our work- allowing us to explore fears of stalking, being watched and the supernatural- all of which were listed as fears our target audience had during our research survey process. Through editing, we were able to manipulate our title screen so that the black text gradually faded onto the white background, reminiscent of a Polaroid photo- which is blank until the picture begins to show. This is also reflective of the Polaroid photos that horrify our victim within the opening.

One aspect of our editing process that was especially important involved adding in our opening credits. We were able to do this quite simply, the screenshots above showing the text applied to our opening (labelled 'echo') and the side bar with which we could edit our credits- based on sizing, font and alignment. Using this side bar, we were able to find an appropriate font and animation for our opening credits that would reflect our genre without being to gaudy or bold. We decided to layer the credits, so a new credit appeared every other shot, preventing the audience from feeling too bombarded with text. We were also sure to only layer credits over 'empty' establishing shots, where nothing important to the narrative was happening- so the audience wouldn't be distracted y the text and miss anything key.