Editing update

I've started the process of editing my video! In fact I have managed to create a quick 1 minute ish rough cut of my video this morning as a starting point for the sort of look/tone I am wanting to create for my music video.

 

Most of the shots haven't needed much editing done to them, I have used a lot of straight cuts between shots, trying to fit to the pace and tone of the song. 

Some of the shots could probably do with being more tightly edited to cut out clunky camera work/movement that didn't quite work when I was filming. 

 

I have tried to include a variety of different shots in this rough cut when I was editing, from close ups, to long shots. Whilst editing I needed to make sure that the shots I was including focused on the alcohol that Ben was drinking to portray his dependency and addiction to it. 

 

The sequence where Ben is trying to contact Elleah was a crucial editing point in the process of this 1 minute cut. I've tried to make various cuts in the long shot of Ben getting his phone out as I thought this created the effect of him looking distressed, confused and tipsy. I've then attempted to do a rough action match to cut from Ben to a close up of him and Elleah on his phone so that the audience can see what he is doing. 

 

I wanted to not make this shot last for too long as the footage was quite shaky and unstable. 

 

Adding additive dissolves!! I decided to add additive dissolves to the transition shots between the present day footage and the flashback shots of Ben and Elleah. I thought this made it more obvious that Ben was remembering what had happened between him and Elleah but this could alternatively be swapped for a cross dissolve for a more subtle effect in later edits. 

 

I didn't do much editing to the actual flashback footage in this cut as I thought I would initially see if the footage could stand for itself. But I may come back to refine this more and chop it up with various cuts in later editing sessions.

 

More use of additive dissolves at the end of the flashback sequence. 

 

This last section was the most difficult part of the rough cut to edit as it is quicker paced and needed to hit the beats of the song. I've tried to cut the footage where the beat drops in the song so that it cuts between close up and extreme close ups of Ben 'downing' his can of beer to cope with the memories of Elleah. Again I may come back to tighten this up at a later date.