Editing Process: Video (Verse 1 and 2)

As we are part way through our editing process using the software Final Cut Pro, as a group we decided to record a video so that we could explain whilst showing examples on screen of what has happened during our editing process so far, the below video gives details on the post production effects added to shots, the selection of shots and arrangement of specific shots, as well as details into the content of our first and second verse.

So far within editing we have managed to arrange the shots successfully for the first and second verse as well as the first and partly second chorus.

The main point mentioned within this video are as follows:

• The beginning of this video shows our editing software Final Cut Pro and gives an insight into our editing so far, it is clear that we have used ‘Cartoon’ and ‘Hard Light’ within multiple shots for our music video.
• These post production effects have been added to illustrate shots with the ‘Cartoon’ effect an emphasise the colours scheme through the use of ‘Hard Light’. Making the main colours of within our theme ‘Red and Blue’ stand out within the shots.
• Additionally we were able to adjust and control the level of all the effects on each individual shots, this feature within Final Cut Pro can be found top right of the screen, whereby the ‘amount’ of each effect and ‘pivot’ can be adjusted, allowing us to create continuity between the visual style of our shots as a collective video.
• The contrast seen between the first and second verse is primarily due to the different effect used, as the second verse includes the ‘Graphic’ effect which creates the black and white look onto the shots, we used this initially to hide the face of our mugger and make the shots both more believable and more intimidating for the audience. Although it is significant that as our editing continues we aim to utilise the effects such as ‘Hard Light’, ‘Cartoon’ and ‘Graphic’ in order to maintain continuity and visual style as the creation of our music video progresses.
• Significantly contrasts are also provided from the shots of the protagonist lip syncing within the ‘Drama Studio’ shots as the alternative shots for the content of the first and second verse and chorus were filmed within location of ‘Queensgate’, we feel that cutting from one abstract location to another creates a distinct style of disjuncture, whilst still including narrative within the content of the shots. Allowing us to maintain a balance between disjuncture and narrative.
• Although there are disjuncture shots taken within the ‘Drama Studio’ the majority of footage captured during filming was of the lip syncing, although we have taken lip syncing from 2 different locations (and two variations of lip syncing within the drama studio) in order to create ample footage of the performance element within our music video, allowing our protagonist to ‘tell the story’ through lip syncing as well as the narrative shots introducing characters, as seen within the video above.
• Each cut within our music video has been timed to the beat at the frame rate of “1 second and 13 frames” as within the song the best hits every “37 frames” and as there are “24 frames per second” cutting at every second and 13 frames allows our editing to be in time and therefore look more authentic, although there are variations as some shots last twice and rarely three times this length to create a contrast and vary the speed depending on the part of the song.
• Finally there are shots which are repeated within our video, as the first half of shots are used and then the second half is placed further within the video to create repeatability for the audience as they will slowly pick up on the repetitive shots. Additionally this creates another contrast to the narrative shots whilst also creating a theme of disjuncture through this placement of certain shots.

Further details on our editing process will be given in a future post once editing is finished, as we still have to order shots for the bridge, third verse and chorus, meaning that we must maintain continuity of the visual style and effects, however details into this will be given in a similar video once our editing process has been completed.