Editing, Capturing and Sequencing Blog

Final Cut Express is used to edit, capture and sequence the footage I had filmed. The footage was viewed in the browser after I had captured this. This shows all of the footage I have filmed in the section that I have chose to capture from the camera. I chose the section I wanted to capture being using the Mark in and out buttons. This tells the application where to start the capture from and where it should finish. After I did this, I moved and selected different shots from the footage I had filmed. I did this by using the razor blade tool and cutting the sequence apart according to the shots. I moved the shots around on the timeline and edited it accordingly. I used snapping in my editing as it made it easier for me to create an effective flow through the sequence.

In the sequence I have tested how different effects work.  I used a fade to black in the sequence. This is to create and enigmatic ellipsis in the sequence. A fade to black is at the end of a shot to create a certain effect.

I only suffered one problem in the editing, capturing and sequencing of this sequence. This problem was that Final Cut Express could not find my scratch disk. I fixed this problem by using the manual settings and locating it that way.

Skills Development Blog - Capturing Digital Footage

I set up the scratch disk on the Final Cut Express software for the Apple Mac. I did this by locating the “AS Media Prod 2010” folder and created my own section within there. I then clicked on the scratch disk section and set it to my folder. After I plugged my camera into the computer, I had to format the settings so it was set to PAL. After I did this, I simply clicked File and then capture to get the footage on to Final Cut Express so I could edit it.

After I did this, I needed to mark points in my recording where I want to capture from using the colour bars as a reference. I did this successfully as I captured the footage I wanted with unwanted footage there.

I only encountered one problem when I was doing this project. This problem was that in my group, there was an extra person and didn’t have time to do the full 10 seconds of colour bars and ten seconds of each effect. If I did this again I would have set up the camera quicker so that it was possible for everyone in the group to be able to do the sequence correctly.

Skills Development Blog – Continuity Filming

Using some of the basic skills I need to use a camera, I filmed a short sequence.

At the start of this project, I created a storyboard of my ideas for this short sequence. I did this by sketching where I would like the actors to be in each of the shots identifying the cinematography techniques I wanted to use in each shot. I used these ideas to create a sense of continuity through the sequence and to improve on the narrative.

On the shoot, I used a camera on a tripod for all of the shots. I did this to make my first real sequence easier to do without the need of using the camera as a hand camera. The only other equipment I used on the shoot was the chair in used in the shot. 

While shooting the sequence, I suffered many problems and a variety of different areas. One of these problems was that I had not thought of a suitable place for it to be shot and had to settle for a location that did not suit the background in which I was hoping for in the storyboard. Another problem I encountered was that I ran out of time and had to rush through the whole sequence taking only the shots that I would use and not repeating them if any mistakes were made. I also had problems with the tripod as it was slightly broken and wasn’t level. This meant that I had to try and hold it level while I shot the sequence which wasn’t done successfully and shows a shaking throughout. I also had to shorten the length of the shots in the rush to finish in time so I could not film 3 seconds before and after which means I did not have much room to edit properly.

If I were to redo this project, I would give myself more time to complete it as through the rush I had to skip important parts of the filmmaking process. This would mean I would be able to find a suitable setting, taking more shots and ensure that I filmed 3 second either side of the shot.