Editing: Day 5

We decided that we wanted to change our credits today so they appear and disappear off the screen more effectively. We added some transition effects so they fade up on the screen and then disperse off the screen. We also changed the way they appear by making two names come up at once as we researched some other film openings and this is what they all did.

An example of our new credits layout.

An example of our new credits layout.

Rough cut 1: Feedback

Some main improvements that our target audience picked up on was the fact that they didn't like that the black and white filter doesn't run consistently throughout. This is something that my partner and I are going to consider and rectify in our next editing session as we agree that it ruins the continuity and professional look of the scene and gives the opening a more dark and eerie atmosphere overall. 

Another improvement that we picked up on was that they didn't like the fact that the music stopped when the scene goes to the back to the bedroom nearing the end as like before, it ruins the continuity of the scene and and doesn't maintain the ominous mood all the way till the end. We will make the music go through on into the bedroom shots as well now in our next editing session.

Rough cut 1

Editing: Day 4

My partner and I added the sound effects and non diegetic incidental music to our opening scene today. This proved to be quite challenging as we found it hard to trim the clip at the right places with the right points in the opening scene. In addition, we found it difficult to change the volume of the track so it gets louder near the end to create suspense and anticipation for the climax at the end of the scene.

Furthermore, we added some dripping sounds for the tap shot. This was quite difficult as it was hard to time the sound effects well with the tap dripping in the shot but once we got it in the right place, we thought it sounded effective and added to the eerie atmosphere that we want to create. Also, we added a really intense short piece of music when the titles appear to jump out at the audience and make up the big climax after the built up suspense throughout the scene. This music was very fast paced, loud and in a high pitch, which is what we wanted to make the audience jump and this is conventional of a supernatural horror.

Editing: Day 3

Today we started working on our credits and our title. We used LiveType to create the credits and titles. At first, my partner and I found it difficult because neither of us have fully used the program and don't know exactly how to get the right effect we wanted.

A credit on top of one of our shots.

We have decided to use a serif font which is in red as serif fonts are conventional of the supernatural genre and gives the opening scene a professional and sophisticated look. The red colour is an icon of the genre and connotes blood and danger and so we decided this would be the best colour to use as it also contrasts well with the black and white filter we have used for the clips.

Today we also had to look back at our film opening analyses to see the order that the credits conventionally go in, in a film opening. This helped us understand what credits should go where and how they should appear.

Editing: Day 2

My partner and I have been struggling to get the right effect for the outside shot to make it look darker and make it look more like it is set at night. We found that a lot of the effects that were available on Final Cut did not make the effect that we would like or didn't make much of an effect on the shots at all.

The outside shot that we wanted to make darker.

The effect that we have chosen to use.

We have decided instead to use black and white throughout the whole of the opening scene as this is the best effect that we could get and based on our feedback from our target audience on our first rough cut, they also thought that we should keep the black and white filter throughout as it created more of an eerie and dark atmosphere.

Editing: Day 1

Today we had some trouble starting with the editing of our rough cut as our re-filmed footage that we filmed on a different camera would not show up on the computer meaning we had to work on our typography analyses instead. This brought back the editing process by two hours and so we will have to stay behind after school to make up for the time that we have lost.

Chosen Sound

My partner and I conducted a survey for our target audience to see which incidental music they would prefer for a supernatural horror opening. These are the results:

Soundtrack 1 - 5 people
Soundtrack 2 - 9 people

As most of our target audience thought that the second incidental music was the best, we will use this for our opening scene. In addition, my partner and I were looking to use this soundtrack more as it fits with our plot of our opening scene well and creates the ominous atmosphere that we want. The track is also long enough to run throughout the whole of our opening scene unlike the first soundtrack.

Sound 2: Analysis

Advantages:
A good thing about this soundtrack is that it slowly gets faster and louder as it goes on meaning we can time this well with when the alarm clock eventually strikes 3:17 am and the titles appear. We wanted the music to get louder at this point to create suspense and create an ominous atmosphere for the audience and so this would be a good track to use.

Disadvantages:
A bad thing about this soundtrack is that the volume and pace doesn't increase in intervals throughout so we couldn't time this well with the supernatural occurrences that happen throughout to create suspense, however my partner and I can work around this and increase the volume in Final Cut when we start to edit our final product.

Sound 2

Sound 1: Analysis

Advantages:
A good thing about this soundtrack is that it is conventional of a supernatural horror film opening. It creates an eerie and ominous atmosphere and the music doesn't climax right at the beginning and so maintains the tense atmosphere that we wanted throughout.

Disadvantages:
A bad thing about this soundtrack is that we wanted some music that slowly got louder and faster nearing the end so it hints to the reader that something is going to happen and create suspense, and unfortunately this track doesn't.

Sound 1

This is the first piece of incidental music that we were thinking of using. The process of finding the music which would be suitable for our plot and the genre was quite difficult and my partner and I found it hard to find the right music that didn't sound too over the top but also find one that created the right amount of suspense with the use of rises in volume and pitch.

Eventually, we found two which we think could be good contenders for our film opening music and we are going to analyse them and ask our target audience what they think of the two tracks and how effective they think they are for a supernatural horror and if they fit the codes and conventions.

Chosen Typography

We surveyed our target audience to see which typography they preferred out of the three options we came up with. These are the results:

Typography 1 - 5 people
Typography 2 - 1 people
Typography 3 - 8 people

As our target audience thought that the third typography choice looked the best and fit the conventions of the film more, we have decided to use this one for our opening scene.

Typography 3

Typography 3 analysis from charliemilne

Typography 2

Typography 2 analysis from charliemilne

Typography 1

Typography 1 analysis from charliemilne