LO5 1.2: be able to edit cinematic quality footage

 

This short film uses a variety of different editing techniques to help connote the narrative and genre of the short film being a failed romance including the LGBTQ+ community, this is done with a variety of sound editing, lighting, transitions, special effects and the change is colours used. 

Special effects 

This is evidence of cinematic footage being edited, this is shown from the beginning of the short film because there is a masked layered scene for the argument between the male character and the male characters voice in his head shown threw the mirror of himself talking back to him. This scene helped to connote his inner argument which is relatable for the target audience, this scene normalities the idea of someone arguing with themselves and how it can effect them and the idea that the inner voice  and be quite mean and straight forward. This adds to the narrative of the shot film because it explains why the male characters speaks to himself out loud further into the short film. Near the beginning of the footage the special effects of there being the title page and the credits scene at the end of the film show the different editing techniques used and the different transitions that have been used. 

Transitions 

The transitions in the short film are used to help with the flow of the short film and connote the genre and narrative of the short film and how it can be changed due to the transitions used. A transition technique that is used is the VR lens flare, this to change the location and setting of the where the short film is being based when the male characters is telling the storyline as a voiceover. There are quick cuts the used to further show the change in the setting from downstairs in the cafe to then the male character being upstairs with his latte, where he further sees the girl, these short cuts are used to easily change the setting of the scenes without missing sections of the storyline throughout it. When the date scenes are shown there is also the transitions of the different colours and there being a rainbow transition to keep the narrative of the two characters being happy with one another from using the bright colours that connote happiness and warmth. When the two characters are in the cafe the camera movements are used to show where the male character is looking whilst the female character is sat down, this adds to the narrative of the storyline because it shows that the male character found her physically attractive and was mesmerised by her.  

Colour

Throughout the short film there are different colour editing techniques used for example there is a different colour palette used for the scenes the main character imagines, this helps to connote the idea of the short film being imagined by the main character and adds to the storyline of the short film. There is a warmer colour used at the beginning of the imagined scenes to connote the idea of love and warmth, this will help add to the storyline of the film making it easier for the audience to understand. There is further a change in the colour palette once the main character finds out the girl is in fact a lesbian, there has been a black and white filter added to the editing to connote the idea of pain and shock and a sense of misery that what the main character imagined will never happen due to her being a lesbian. On the rest of the scenes there has been a slight blue filter added to the scenes to make sure that all the remaining scenes had a uniform colour palette. 

Lighting 

Due to the different scenes having different settings there is different lighting shown throughout the short film, this adds to the idea of there being different settings in the short film making it seems more professional, we have kept some of the natural lighting in the shot film because the lighting in the certain settings worked for the idea of the scenes such as in the jazz cafe and at the pool table. We have kept the lighting in these locations because they had good natural lighting and added to the genre of the film for the cafe had a warm and gentle lighting and the pool tables lighting was fitting for the location and date scenes atmosphere. We enhanced the lighting used in the outdoor scenes because some of them was quite dull and gloomy because of the time of year the short film was shot, we did this from changing the contrasts we see for example we lowered it for certain scenes to make sure they all matched more efficiently if the lighting was righter than other scenes. From us changing the contrasts of scenes it meant that it assisted with the genre of the scenes and helped to connote the idea of the male character being gloomy without the girl.  

Sound

At the beginning of the short film there is the conversation in the mirror scene happening which follows onto being a voice over with background noise from the cafe, this adds a narration to the short film telling the genre and the basic storyline to the short film. The background noises are further quietens for when the main character is talking, however it is still heard giving the atmosphere of the cafe and it being more natural. When the imagined scenes are being shown there is audio added that gives the impression of it being imagined and gives the scenes a form of date atmosphere, this diegetic audio is used to give the impression if happiness and calmness between the two characters connoting the idea of them being on a date and getting to know one another. When the two characters are talking to one another outside on the bench there is relaxing yet lively audio included, which helps add to the idea of the characters being happy with one another, within these scenes there is sections of the water fountain being shown and the sound of the waterfalls being heard to give the audience an idea of the scene that  was happening. In between the clips of the characters talking with the audio there is footage of the man characters talking to himself in distress with simple dialogue, this infers to the audience that the main characters has no hope of him having the courage to talk to the girl knowing he will get rejected by her. Once the main character is told that the girl he likes has a girlfriend there is dramatic music played to give a sense of his imagined life with her is ruined and hopeless. Once the girl and her girlfriend walk away fro  the main character there is further sad music playing as the main character watches them walk away hand in hand. The sad music continues to play as the scenes of the date scenes are shown again connoting the idea that the male character imagined a life that would never happen. There is further lively music played for when the credit scene is shown and to help connote the idea of the storyline being lively yet shocking, this music is used to relax the audience and give them comfort as the film ends. 

These techniques that have been used have been used specifically to connote the narrative of the short film to the audience and to display modern change in the daring world and how you have to consider the idea of the person being different to what you may believe them to be. This short film connotes the idea of anyone can be something you may not expect then to be due to their appearance.