The Editing Process

Stage One:-
After completing our final footage, we digitized it onto final cut server. We then used a 'check-in/check-out' process to get the footage onto 'pro'final cut, after this we looked through our rushes and began to organise them into the appropriate files using time split cut for the right shot. After completing this, we used an audio file of the song and uploaded the track onto our timeline in 'pro'final cut. We used the audio file which was a wap file to not have the file too compressed for best we needed to sync the according shots into their correct position creating flowing and interesting cuts which would compliment the music.
The initial stages of editing were very challenging as we found it hard to create a visually interesting introduction, that would set up the idea of our star image but also work with the music. As the editing process continued, we began to change our initial ideas from our original storyboard. For example, initially we chose to open with a wide of the band. However, as the process developed we wanted to heighten narrative and the sense of journey throughout the piece, therefore we decided to delay the footage of the band as the band would be revealed later and used close ups of instrumentation and then using a zoom out to create this outstanding image of a reveal and open with Ruby (our solo performer) on her own. By opening the song with the image of our star automatically introduces a relationship between her and our target audience, we demonstrated this by using a series of close ups from her body to her face, especially focusing on her eyes. This allowed us to create a connection between the star and the audience.
However, finding a dominant and appealing first close-up was actually rather challenging as we had issues with continuity, for example at times Ruby (the lead singer)didn’t know her lyrics correctly which, when we were creating our first rough cut was difficult to sync correctly and weakened her power over the screen which was crucial in creating her star image.

After the tunnel for our final section, we had our star climb up a helicopter ladder to escape, to create the idea of the travelling upwards we used a reverse tool on final cut pro. However we came across a continuity issue as we had to hide the ladder from the camera. To hide this we manipulated our editing and used a jump cut between a shot of the band watching her leave and her actually escaping on the ladder.

We then used after effects to add in our images. To create the backdrop for the rooftop section we used a layering device to impose the image of San Fransisco onto the blue screen of each section. At the same time we used final cut to create links between each shot making the continuity as accurate as possible. Once completing the image with the backdrop we saved the image onto our sever and replaced each shot with the after effects one. We found this perhaps the most time consuming aspect of our editing process, although it was quite simple, uploading and rescaling each image became quite tedious.