Editing For iMovie

Techniques that I have used on iMovie

 

The first technique I have used is a zooming/cropping technique called "Ken Burns". I wanted to create a zoom on the bomb in the shot. This technique allowed me to decide where the clip starts and then where I want the clip to finish. The software then will crop or zoom out the clip with zero shake to make a good looking zoom effect.















Another technique that I have used is the manipulation of speed and time. One of my shots was a droplet of sweat dripping of his noise. When I was editing I realised that the drip fell to quickly and it wasn't clear to the viewer. So I cropped the section where the dip left his nose to where it leaves the screen.

Another technique that I have used in my trailer is the 'crop to fill' technique. This allows me to crop a clip and still keep it in the correct size. The example that I have used is my main character defusing a bomb in a low key lighting building, however the shot shows a lot of light behind the character. Then I cropped away his legs and the lighting behind him. This created a much darker scene.  

My trailer so far

Call Sheet

Location: Winford Train station	Scenes: All London shots
Costume: Dark blazers Roll neck Jeans	Scenes: All London shots

Date of Shooting  -1st November 2015	Film Title: - Rouge Asset
Director: -Max Reardon	Director Contact Details: - Mobile number  - 07800 663 633 - Email address  - max.reardon@hotmail.co.uk
Character/ Actor: - Nathan Lingham - Mathew Olsen	Call Time: - 10.30 AM

Finding my locations with Google Maps

As I am producing an action British spy movie, the iconic location i thought i should use was London.
I spoke to my actors and arranged a day where we all can go and get shot all around London using the London underground.
A really helpful web page that I used to find the scenes that I wanted was 'Google Maps'.
using this allowed my to find how to get to the locations of filming and find out what the shot would actually look like.

"Rogue" script

Scene 1 (Man in car and Jenson Speaking)
Man in car:
About an hour ago, the secretary of the world bank was abducted by an un-known terrorist organisation. He is believed to be alive and held for ransom. I've been instructed to take you to MI5, where the abduction will be hung on you and your team.
Jenson:
What now?
Banner:
We'er not gunna let that happen. Are we?


Scene 2 (Banner and Jenson on bench)  
Jenson:
Who are you really Banner?
Banner:
We all have our secrets. Don't we Jensen.


Scene 3 (Banner and Jenson talking over mic)
Banner:
Its not going to work!
Jenson:
You're not helping.

Character list

Jenson Shaw - Nathan Langham
Julia Carter - Ellie Lathrope
Solomon King - Andre Illiescu
Cedric Banner - Mathew Olsen
Man in car - Callum Wiffen
Man fighting in pool - Jamie Cox
Man shutting van door - Leon Babbage

Trailer Reasearch

Shots and scenes that I have found from trailers that I wish to use in my trailer

1.

This is a shot i may use in my trailer to show power using levels. E.G. to show the director of the spy operation.
2.

This is a shot that i may use in my trailer to convey a car chase with out having to show much of the cars exterior. E.G. a gear being irrationally changed from 3rd to 4th gear.
3.

This is a shot I may use to convey the characteristics of my main hero. E.G. A spy with many lovers.
4.

This is a shot that i would use to show the affluent lifestyle of a international spy. E.G. standing in front of his sports car.
5.

I would use this shot to again show the lifestyle and characteristics of a international spy who is considered cool with sunglasses and suit.
6.

I would use this shot to convey the mysterious lifestyle of an international spy. E.G. sneaking around walking up dark passageways.
7.

I would again use this shot to convey mysteriousness as the men clearly don't want people to see them talking to each other.
8.

I would use this pull focus to convey world distress and highlight the dangers of the international spy lifestyle.

Shooting for the Edit Workshop

One lesson for media, I spent an hour learning how to use a camera and the different types of shots that can be used.

I started out by taking the camera and working out the main features. These included;

• Working out how to turn the camera on and off
• Working out how to zoom the lens
• Working out how to focus the lens on an image 
• Finding out how to start film 
• How to check footage that I've just filmed  
• Checking the battery
• Checking the memory on the memory card

After I found the basics of the camera I had a look at all the equipment, that I will have when filming, and finding out how they work. These involved;  

• The tripod that the camera will sit on. I found out how to attach and remove the camera and how I can move the camera when its attached.
• The dolly that the tripod sat on so that I will be able to move the camera on a smooth surface with out it being hand held. I worked out how to assemble to dolly and how to attach/remove the tripod.  

Finally i was able to practices some shots. These included;

• Shot reverse shot
• Short,mid and long shots
• Tracking shots 
• Pull focus 
• Zooming in and out 
• Arc shot 
• Tilt 

Finding Music for my Trailer

Experimenting with music

While researching  sound and music for my trailer by started watching many trailers of movies similar to the genre and theme (Spy Action) that I'm trying to portray in my trailer. These included;

• James Bond, Casino Royal 
• James Bond, Skyfall
• James Bond, Quantum of Solace 
• James Bond,Specter 
• Mission Impossible 3
• Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol
• Mission Impossible Rouge Nation 
• Kingsman, The Secret Service 
• The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
• The Borne Identity 
• The Borne Supremacy
• The Borne Ultimatum
• The Borne Legacy 

After researching all of my trailers I figured out the main genres of music that should be used in a Action Spy trailer. These were;

• Fairly quick paced pop music that aims towards an aged 25 and younger demographic. This type of music suggests that the movie will be enjoyable for under 25's with modern themes and slight comical elements.
• Extremely quick paced music (such as rap). this type of music aims to a demographic between 13 and 50 year old men as it hacks into their testosterone and suggests that this movie will be more serious and less comical then if it was using pop music.
• Slow paced music (such as classical or pop chart music that been remade by an artist to create an low tempo piece of music) that presents a serious movie aimed towards aged 18 and above.

After a lot of consideration i have come to the conclusion that i'm going to keep my movie aimed at men aged 15 and above. to do this i needed to find an extremely quick paced music. The trailer that i noticed uses this the most is Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol. This trailer uses the song "Wont Back Down" by Eminem ft Pink. I found that this song worked so well with the pace that i wanted my trailer to be, so i decided that this was the song that i wanted to use in my movie. 

I then had to look on YouTube for the edit that I wish to use in my trailer. I then found an edit that i liked which had in the description of the video that it was copyright to Paramount Pictures. My next step was to contact Paramount Pictures and request permission to use this edit in my trailer. This is the Message that I sent them.

  

Shots that have inspired me

These are some shots that I have found and I think would fit in the genre of my film

A close up shot from the movie 'Spectre'. A close up shot of an angry gear change insinuating that there is a high speed car chase.

This is my close up shot that I've tried to replicate where my main actor also aggressively changes gear. To keep me and all of my actors safe I turned all of the lights on in the cars and switched the engine off and took out the key.

This is a shot from 'Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol'. Its a woman in a fancy dress stepping out of a sporty car. This again gives connotations of my genre and would be a good shot for my film to use.

This is a shot from my trailer where I have my main female actor dressed up and stepping out of a sports car. Again for health and safety reasons the car was switched of and I had control of the key. 

My main characters call sheet

Here is the call sheet I gave to my main character (Nathan Lingham) to let him know his costume, the location and date.

My Trailer Storyboard

This is my final storyboard. My first draft of my story board was much to vague as I planned every window as a scene apart from every shot. I have used many different windows in my storyboard as the main impact I want my trailer to have will be a large amount of clips in the space of little time. This will appeal to my demographic

Spy Trailer Research Collected Data

Spy Trailer Audience Research

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Magazine Cover Analysis - Empire (October 2013)

• The feature article photograph features the main character of the film (Chris Hemsworth) making direct eye contact with the camera. Due to the fact that the character "Thor" is extremely well known and Hemsworth is quite famous, the cover only needs a photo of the actor and just knowing the Hemsworth is staring in this film is enough to promote it to an audience.   
• Under the text of the name of the movie, you are able to see the characters weapon of choice (his hammer). To the right demographic that knows that this is a weapon, this cover will connote that this will be a dangerous action film.
• The smoke, rubble and fire sparks that surround Hemsworth connote danger and destruction that connotes to the viewer that the film

My Poster Analysis (Mission Impossible 5)

• The use of the smoke covering the main hero gives a mysterious vibe to the audience. It gives the connotation that he has secrets that is being covered up or exposed. This is also expressed by his body position. He's standing upright with his head hung in anger or possible emotional pain. The smoke and his body position all synergise to give the idea that he's covering something or theres something thats becoming exposed. I may not have the technology or the budget to create smoke or a technique like this so i will have to find away of expressing the personality and secrets of my heroes past.
• Another technique that has been used is the colour scheme. This red in the colour scheme connotes danger to the viewer which fits well with the genre as it gives the idea of action and violence. The grey used in the poster 

Genre Trailer Analysis (Spectre)

Camera Angles

• Like many other action spy trailers this clips starts with an establishing shot of a city and town centre. This gives instant connotations of the setting and the locations of the movie and the international level of the movie. This would be a strong technique that I could use in my trailer as it would allow the audience to see the main location the will have a strong connection to the main story line.
• Another came angle that is used is the use of close ups. This conveys the sense of closeness the the audience will get with the main character. An example of this would be that in the Movie the audience will get in touch with the pains and struggles of James Bond. This is also a strong technique I should think about incorporating into my trailer.
• Finally another frequent camera angle that is used is the the use of long shots on vehicles to fully present the action quantity that the vehicle is capable of in the movie.

Sound

• From the beginning the trailer features diegetic dialogue to give the audience an idea on what the story line will be. In this case the line "You had no authority" give the view an idea that there is a mysterious feeling towards one of the characters. This is a strong technique that i must use in my trailer as it will be an easy way of conveying the story ling.
• Another use of sound is the constant non-diegetic 

Miss-en-scene

Editing

My Genre Trailer Analysis (Spy)

Camera Angles

• Like many other spy trailers, this trailer starts with an establishing shot (in this case it is an affluent shot of  the United States Capitol with the Washington Monument in the background). Starting a trailer with a 2 second shot of this hacks into the audiences subconscious and allows the audience to understand that this movie will be a high quality production with great effects and locations.
• The camera angles then move on to a a group of mid shots (while liked with audio) creates a connection between the audience and the character. Doing this also allows the trailer to present the plot of the film.
• Also the trailer uses a period of long shots to present the action element. This has been created by the way that the long shots have been focused on the fight scenes or on the vehicles used (jets and sports cars). As well as giving the audience and insight to the type of blockbuster this film is, it also conveys the type of action spy movie it is.
• The trailer uses close up shots when focusing on the gadgets or props that have been used in the movie. This confirms to the audience the type of genre of the film and conveys that it is a spy action movie by the uses of guns, gadgets and weapons.
• Mid shots have been used in the trailer any time that there has been a comedy element added. not only is it a mid shot, the hero in focus is positioned the the middle of the screen which adds an awkward and uncomfortable element which adds to the comedy.

Sound

• From the very beginning of the trailer of the trailer, a non-dietetic fast paced beat has been played over the sequence of shots. This allows the audience to understand from the very beginning that this will be a modern, faced pace, feel good action film.
• To express the comedy element of the film the fast paced beat suddenly comes to a stop to create a comic awkward silence while the main hero delivers her comedy line "I'm just cleansing my pallet". Creating this helps the audience understand that this film may be an action comedy but it isn't a spoof of an action film. 
• To fully convey that this is a strong fast paced action film, towards the end of the trailer, a fast paced quick pop song has been used to present a high power film the is full of action. doing this by using the aural element really appeals to the men of the demographic as all of the loud, fast music will build up their testosterone and entice them towards the film.  

Miss-en-scene

• Over the whole of the trailer, it is clear to the viewer that there has been a specific color scheme used in the film. These colors include gold, red and blue. Gold and red has been used mainly in the beginning of the trailer to quickly wealth and express to the audience. This is more of a technique you would see in an american film with a large budget and as i do not have this budget i may have to create a different colour scheme. Due to my film set in London i may use the colours Blue and Grey.
• Another strong piece of miss-en-scene was the use of weapons, action and effects in the film. These include guns, car chases and explosions. This is a strong technique for a trailer to use if it wants to give the impression of action and high intensity. With connection to the story line this is a grate technique to use as it will really give professionalism to my work. I do not have the budget to use explosions in my work so i will have to edit my work in a way that gives the sense of high intensity action. I can do this by increasing the speed of clips and using many clips in a short period of time.

Editing

• This trailer uses many "fade to black cuts" when editing. This gives large connotations of mysteriousness and depending on the speed of the fade it can slow or speed up the pace of the trailer.And example of this would be that if you want a quick montage, you can use 0.2 second fade to black to make it look rounded and well cut. Another example of this would be that a long fade to black (3 seconds) between clips can build up tension and mysteriousness. I will use this technique in my trailer as it will make it look much more professional and give a mysterious personality to it.
• Through-out the clip the trailer cuts the clips to show the reaction shots of the other characters. An example of this would be that it will show a 3 second clip of someone taking and then a 0.5 second clip of the reaction of the person whom they are talking to. These are only slight cuts that art even noticeable the first time but subconsciously allows the personality of the characters to be presented to the readers. This may be a technique that i use in my trailer if i want the audience to connect with my characters.

My Genre Trailers Analysis (The Kingsman)

My Genre Trailers

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Camera angles:

• At the very beginning of the trailer there is an establishing shot that immediately informs the audience about the setting and time period of the film. For example the first shot that the trailer shows is an establishing shot of London's Piccadilly circus. this tell the audience that if not throughout then at the beginning, the part of the film will be based in London, England.
• After the audience understands the place and setting of the film, the trailer looks into the characters and understanding their personality's. This is shown by a collection of mid shots (with the occasional long shot or close up) over the next 45 seconds. This intrigues the audience by showing a small preview of their back story thus promoting the film more.
• Then, the trailer focus's on showing the genre of the film (action, comedy). They do this by a 25 second scene of long shots, showing an "action-packed" spy fight. The use of the long shots allows the audiences to understand the type of action film that this film is and how its not a spoof comedy but its an action film with comical elements.
• After the trailer has established the characters and the type of film this is, the next couple of scenes are a mix of mid shots, two shots and group shots involving the main character "Egsey". This conveys to the audience that they are going to be following Egsey in the film through his journey to become a spy.
• At 1 minute 40 seconds, we are introduced to the antagonist. He is shown as the antagonist as this section uses many mind shots on him to provoke the thought that he is the evil opposite to Egsey. Also in this section that focus's on the antagonist group, it shows his main henchman in a fight scene with many long shots that shows the audience that this film will go with the hegemonic representation of the main antagonist being the "brains" of the operation and having someone who is the "muscle" working for him to help with his evil plot.
• The final part of the trailer shows many long group shots of action scenes to emphasise that this is a hard hitting spy film and promoting the film to fans of comedy and deep action.

Sound

• Through out the whole of the trailer sound is used through dietetic dialogue to tell the story without giving away any major spoilers. this has been created by only using one or two sentences from a few scenes. This is a great way that the trailer uses to promote the story.
•  Another way that the film has been promoted as an intense action film, is by the use of he non-dietetic gun shots that have been overlaid on the trailer. This created a violent and dangerous film and appeals to the correct demographic
• Although their is constant music overlaid on the trailer, there is still the sound from the scene in the background. An example of this is when the music shows how the scene is high paced and their is a lot of action taking place. This allowed the audience to feel the action element of the film but also it allowed them to focus on the narrative side.  

Miss-en-scene

• From the very beginning of the trailer the element of action is shown as the boys are dangerously driving a car. From the beginning this shows the audience that this is going to be a thrilling action movie with comical elements as the boys are creating funny hand gestures to show that they are having fun.
• next the trailer shows a sophisticated looking man (stereotypical spy with glasses, nice suit and an umbrella) having a fight (and beating up) men dressed as hooligans. This presents the idea that this film will go back to the old fashioned identity of spy's and fuse it with present technology and culture.
• The next collection of scenes shows many spy related items and objects (for example gun rooms, air crafts, underground trains and people skydiving). All of these objects and activity's connotes action and spying. This then will promote the film to anyone interested in these activity's.
• We then see one of the antagonists with sharp swords replacing her legs. As this is not a normal deformity that you see it makes you want to watch the film and find out how it happened and what she can do.
• Finally the trailer shows many connotations of chaos and destruction. They do this by showing a sequence of scenes that include explosions, weapons of mass destruction and gun fire. Doing this allows the audience to see how everything in the film goes wrong which then intrigues the viewer to watch it and find out if the protagonist beats the antagonist.

Editing

• Towards the beginning of the trailer the music fits with the urban working class street attire that's is being shown. The trailer completes this by overlaying a sound bridge of an urban drum and bass tune that represents inner city estates and lees affluent family's. However, towards the end of the trailer the costume and set changes to more affluent and gives connotations of aristocracy. They do this by changing the costume to mainly tailored suits and well groomed characters. As the type of life style changes, the overlaid music changes to a different upbeat pop song that presents a higher class of the characters.
• Towards the middle of the trailer, where the main objective is to promote the action and spy-filled part of the film, the trailer quickly shows short clips of an action montage from the film so that the viewer doesn't have time to process all of the scenes which then takes them on a quick action packed journey that excites the audience and gives out many connotations of heart racing excitement.
• Many shots that have been used have been slowed down or sped up to create excitement (if its sped up) or interest to the story (if its slowed down). Speeding up a clip is usually used for action scenes such as fights or free running.
• The editor uses a diegetic voice over of the dispatcher talking about how the hero's skill is improving. this shows to the audience that this will be the origin story of the main hero.

Brief

I am going to make a promotion package for a new film, to include a trailer, together with a film magazine front cover featuring the film and a poster for the film.