Flip the Script

 We have a film almost ready to go, but we ran into a snag. After careful deliberation, and asking around for feedback, we discover the fact that we do not have a clear plot. There is no real conflict for our protagonist to eventually overcome, and thus no real story. So it's time for a revision, and I believe we have all we need.

To create some conflict we need an antagonist, someone or something that the against the protagonist. We also need this antagonist to have a real motivation to go against him. So we can use two elements that are already in the script and storyboard, the phone and the stack of papers on the table. There is a phone conversation with protagonist, Carrion, to someone we do not know in the original script. So we can turn that from the fade away into the antagonist's introduction. He can become Carrion's boss from work, and have him berating Carrion for him missing work. This can tie into the big stack of papers he has on his table. Those documents are his missing work that he needs to catch-up on, and he's hard to reach because he uses a house rotary phone as his main phone.

The two aspects used to make the plot in the original storyboard

We can also use this addition as a motivation for Carrion's obsession. The whole film is him falling further and further into his obsession of bugs. Having a poor work life gives a justifiable reason for his descent into the bug obsession as a sort of relief from the work stress.

A shot from the new storyboard showing Carrion looking at his work being stained by spilt coffee

All these aspects I presented here were set up from the very first script, however a big thing that was missing was the cohesion of each element. It could be interpreted that Carrion has a bad work life and is always behind in work, however it is exponentially more difficult to piece that story together the original way we had it. All me and my team did to fix it was to add 9 quick lines of dialogue and now the story and motivations for the characters appear much clearer.

As I am writing this though, it comes before judgement. Truthfully I can show my classmates this and they would still be confused as to what the conflict is and why Carrion is doing what he's doing. As I have the inside scoop in I already understand how the story would go, however it takes an outside point of view to truly see what you have created and how to improve and grow. 

Sound Research - Dialogue Decomposition

Dialogue is almost second to none in level of importance in a film. The dialogue of characters is what helps drive the story, display the personalities of the characters, and draws audiences attention. If your able to both write and place audio well in your film, your film will end up with the best chance at success. However that's easier said than done, and there are several key things to pay attention to when writing and adding dialogue to a film.

When writing dialogue, you first want to strive to make your characters talk like real people. An issue that many writers find is that they write to pass information and move the story along. They loose the real feeling of what people talk like, their varied pauses, mannerisms, and rhythms. A good way to circumvent this is just listen to people talk. Listen for how they vary their speech, what words they use and how they use them, listen for how much they overlap and cut each other off. These are things we humans do when we talk, and putting these in your dialogue will make it feel much more natural

After that, what's next? Well we need to make sure to understand what characters we're writing for. Is the character more meek or more assertive? Are they more of a airhead or are they really aware? How knowledgeable are they on what the discussion is? What is the relationship between the characters talking? These character traits change how people talk to each other and should be implemented in your character's dialogue.

Some of the many character traits that can change how writer's need to write their dialogue

One key aspect that goes with writing is keeping dialogue condensed. Most people don't talk to each other with an over explanation of their thoughts. People condense their thoughts and feelings and use specific words and tones, and do not take a long string of words that can be said in 4. This segment of "Write better dialogue in 8 minutes." by Standard Story Company expands on this with a clear example of how it improves character dialogue.

The Windbag segment of "Write better dialogue in 8 minutes." by Standard Story Company

Character writing is a complex yet simple process, as you have so many things to think of yet you have to keep it simple. Once you have your characters and overall theming, you need to make sure to keep the dialogue simple and quick to feel like a real conversation. 

Sound Research - Filling the Atmosphere

First when researching sound design, I need to find the best way to set the atmosphere and mood by using sound. Atmosphere is set both by the visuals but also the audio, effectively using both is what fully immerses the audience into the world of the film. The goal for today is to research and dissect what makes effective atmospheric sounds.

There are two major factors that makes a film's atmosphere, the music choice and background sounds.

Music: Music does several things within a film, but making an atmosphere is one of its major roles. It does this with the film maker's specified genre and instruments. Different genre's of music exude different emotions, like how Jazz music has a calmness and rhythm compared to Rock's energy and intensity. So different film genre's will use their appropriate music to match. This goes the same with the instruments used as well. 

However, the sound of the music isn't the only thing that's important. How you place the music in the film massively effects how powerful scenes become. Well placed music sets good atmosphere and makes the action in the scene pop, while overused music makes the scene loose the sense of importance. Also while music can be used to add to the atmosphere, the lack of music can be just as powerful as long as the other element is used just as effectively. 

Background: The background sounds in a scene helps ground the scene to reality and set the atmosphere of the scene. You can use the background sounds as an ambience for the scene, and just like music different sounds can create different effects. A drip of water from a faucet and the sounds of an air conditioner running can build a sense of uneasiness, and the sounds of an owl and crickets builds a serine nighttime feel. All this goes with the side of effective placement, because just like music can get overused so can the effectiveness of sound effects.

With this analysis of standard sounds, why not divulge into a post production side of sounds. We don't have to solely rely on the original sounds, we can edit and morph them into completely different sounds using editing software. They can be sped up and slowed down, you can alter the pitch and alter how loud certain frequencies are, and finally cut and splice them up to the timing you desire. There are several software's both free and paid that can achieve this. "Audacity" and DaVinci Resolve's "Fairlight" are two free options with Adobe "Audition." 

The creator in this video explores how he created the atmosphere in his short film "Pandemic." He goes into the sounds he used, how he placed his music, and more.

"How to Create atmosphere for your film using music" by D4Darious

At the end of all this, this just shows me how deep the rabbit hole goes when it comes to selecting the sound and atmosphere for a film. Something that seems so simple and a side of the film production that most people will never appreciate takes so much effort and can make or break the film.

The Sound has gone Mute!

So, I got a very not happy surprise on the fateful Monday when the Sound designer on our team decided that they did not want to stay in our group. This was thanks to the fact that my team was very, very slow on information and getting the paperwork for the portfolio done. They want to be able to get this project done well without any delay and I respect that.

Me and my team has had this issue of delaying certain pieces of work for later due to our circumstances. While it may of benefited us in the moment, we didn't realize how it affected the rest of our team. We need to me not only more conscious of doing the work as soon as possible, but also to be aware on how our actions effect the people we're rely on.

 
An image of only 2/4 team members communicating with each other

This means though, we need a new sound designer though. So, this means I'm getting promoted! This also means that the visual effects are not the only aspects to research and practice on. I'll need to begin researching what makes effective sound, how sound effects atmosphere and how to properly edit it together to make an effective sound for my film. Finally, I want to combine all my knowledge that I gather into the test project from before as a way to both test my knowledge and see if I can improve it with a much better sound.

However, through everything I must be better with communicating and listening to my team and being on point when it comes to finishing what needs to be done. If i can't do that the entire production can crash and burn into a crispy failure.

Stir and Mix

There is a fare amount of information I have gathered for this film production. From ways of cutting to the color choices used, to even how films begin. So instead of just putting this into solely the production while these skills are dull, why not sharpen these up by recording and editing a recording of something using this knowledge. This should be fun!

So, the aim here is to record a small clip of myself, and use it to create an interesting introduction scene,  while also setting up for a "later plot point." I will also attempt to use color to aid in setting the proper mood and tell the story. With all this work I should hopefully be able to make an intriguing eye catching scene.

After about 1 and a half hours total, I created and edited this together.

My edit of this Introductory scene shows the raise in tension with the raise in cuts. I increased the amount of cuts between my perspective and the hall perspective there was an increase in tension as the question on why the hall's lights flickering. I also used the hallways lighting against my body and into the dark room to increase the intrigue as it illuminates my face when I get closer. So clearly there is a specific way to cut a film and use the lighting to create an intriguing and eye catching scene. This also means that doing the research I did to gain an understanding on editing techniques, is an excellent way to learn how to edit for your film.

However, I did notice that my scene felt more akin to a horror film than a thriller. It seems that I would need more time to make it into my genre, as I only took about and hour and a half to make. If I took more time, I probably would of made a scene more akin to a thriller.

The Old Guard

They're many things you can learn from your elders. Their old secrets and lessons are the foundation for many things in the modern age. Today, I want to find that foundation for my own film project. See what they used and what wisdom they have for our upcoming generation.

Trust the Process: An Interview with ‘Master of None’ Editor Jennifer Lilly

I first began with an interview with Jennifer Lily. She covers many questions of how she learned to edit and the processes she uses when editing shows and movies. Her answer for many of these questions were that she "trusted the process" of editing. The product will not look the best in the beginning, it will be choppy and a mess to follow and understand what is going on. But as long as you keep working on the edit, keep chipping off issues and go through the process of the edit, you'll end up with a well edited scene and film. Ms. Lily describes the need to have patience, and trust yourself to make the decisions and changes necessary for a good edit.

Editing Scream (2022): An interview with editor Michel Aller

This interview mainly covers Mr. Aller's experiences editing "Scream (2022)." He talks a lot on making the movie satisfying and enjoyable to watch. He wanted to create something for both the long term fans of the Scream franchise and newcomers who wanted to watch a tense and enjoyable film. He discusses how he created certain scenes and challenges setting certain moods but the main theme is having a mindset of enjoying your work and the product.

CUT/DAILY meets... Editor Rob Ashe

The message from Mr. Ashe's interview here is to not sacrifice your health to this work. It takes time, it may take days at a time to make progress, so it's ok to go home and rest. You should spend time with family and rest well, as that will allow you to create and edit just as well and get the same results as the    2 AM night trip to get the same scene done. He also talks about being open to asking questions and asking if there is another way to say a certain term. Since there are so many different ways to say the same term, different people will say different things to say the same thing. Ask around to see if a term your confused on means something else.

All of these interviews has one central theming. The veterans all say that you should take your time to create your work. If it's because the end product is better, or because you will enjoy the process more, or if it's to preserve your health. They all agree that you should take the time you need and not to rush the editing process.

Compare and Contrast

 You are either in two camps as a someone who works with video, Adobe or not Adobe. I happen to fall into the Non-Adobe camp of choice, for many reasons which I shall cover today. Also I can see what I am missing and gaining by choosing my particular software DaVinci Resolve.

First off, what was my main reason to stray from the most popular editing software. Well the main concern for me was the cost of the Adobe premium. If we get the Creative Cloud Bundle, it comes out to $55.99 a month with no one time paid version. This includes All adobe apps like Premier Pro, After Effects, Encounter, Audition, and much more. However, Blackmagic's DaVinci Resolve is free and holds similar functionality to all the adobe software I listed. DaVinci's cut and edit page is the Premier Pro, The fusion page is After Effects, the media page is Encounter, and the Fairlight page is Audition. 

All these features are free on DaVinci and have comparable use to adobe, however are missing certain features from the lead software. This is because DaVinci has a paid version with full feature functionality for $295. This is similar to the cost of Creative Cloud for 5 months, and while Adobe has so much more software for that price, most of the software I would have no use for. 

 

The right has Adobe Creative Cloud's prices, Left is DaVinci Resolve 18's prices

Now while the cost itself is a major factor, there is another one that matters a lot more when it comes to production. This being how the software performs. Premier Pro and After Effects are notorious for their frequent and spontaneous crashes. This hampers the work flow of an editor with them constantly restarting the program, slowing them down and harming their creative process. Now DaVinci also crashes, however its is infrequent and much more preventable as it is much easier to tell what specifically crashes the program. This makes DaVinci much more attractive to use rather than one that crashes.

So, if DaVinci is more reliable, and much cheaper, what features am I missing from Adobe suite that make it the most popular and used software? Well it's the integration and compatibility of the entire Creative Cloud software. They have 24 apps, and all of them can intergrade with each other seamlessly. This is a very important feature to those with big and small teams. Big teams can have multiple people work on one project simultaneously, and small teams down to just one person can use each program quick and efficiently. All 24 software's that adobe sells within the Creative Cloud.         

All 24 software's that adobe sells within the Creative Cloud

However, not all features apply to everyone, certain features and aspects matter more than others. For me, I care about the select few features and the reliability that DaVinci Resolve gives. This doesn't mean that the Adobe Suite has no worth, just that it isn't as worth it for me.

Introducing the Intro

Introducing a film is very hard, you need to hit certain beats to have the audience understand what is happening while also making it a captivating experience. So I want to do some research on two film introductions, one animated one live-action, and dive deep on what makes these intros so amazing.

Across the Spider-Verse

This intro uses the striking art style and colors that spider verse is known for to grab all your attention and lock it in. It's splashes of color and painterly style grab you and keep you focus as our narrator Gwen goes over the events of her life and covering the previous film. This serves as both looking back and playing catchup for the previous film, and also seeing what new heights this new installment can reach in terms of style and characters.

Matrix (2000)

The Matrix opens up en media res, showcasing a chase to catch a woman in black and dynamic action. It also showcases what these character types are, the cops, the mysterious men in back, and the women doing extreme acrobatics to escape both their grasps. It also sets up questions like what the green text at the beginning is? why she needed to go to the telephone? Both these questions have payoffs later on and are excellently set up in the beginning.

So what can we gather from these two intros that help us understand what makes these so great? Well I gathered 2 consistent things, Dynamic an interesting visuals with information to both establish and set up. Both intros have these two foundational aspects that make these amazing openings what they are.

Collaborative Discovery

Usually whenever I make a video, whether a YouTube Video or my Film, I handle everything that comes with the editing. From the cuts and color to even the minute sound effects and pacing. That changes with this film. This time, not only do I have a competent sound designer, but I know I can both rely and collaborate efficiently with. 

Now, what does collaboration mean here, how does one collaborate on two different computers at the same time. Well if we were on Adobe Premier it would be easy, just use creative cloud and sync the project files to each other. However good that idea is, it wont mean anything since I am using Davinci Resolve. So what does Blackmagic have in terms of collaboration features?

This image highlights Davinci Resolve's Cloud collaboration feature

After some light Digging, I can see that they have their own Cloud solution with Davinci Resolve 18! That's perfect as It allows me and them to send the film project files and work on it at the same time with ease. All we need is just to have the same version of Resolve and communicate together efficiently to send the correct files. It goes to show how easy it is to collaborate as log as you actually try to work towards collaboration.

Process the Equipment

 

With some research under our belt, why not cover what I have to work with. I have an array of equipment at my disposal and it is good to list off what I can use. It's also good to see what the rest of my team has too, then we can work out what we can do with the equipment to effectively make this film.

First, I have the recent iPhone 15, which is able to record high quality video and can transfer said video quickly to a computer. Speaking of, I have a fairly powerful computer, able to edit 1440p video effectively while also having an array of editing and recording software's installed. I finally have a proper film making tripod which we all know how to use effectively and quickly.

Secondly, my team has everything else we need. They all have comparable computers which are able to preform as well as mine, same with the cameras. My cinematographer has both microphones and boom arms to hold them up, as well as SD Cards to hold the recordings for them. 

   

All the equipment I listed above. Phone, PC, Tripod, Microphone and Boom arm, SD Cards.

What does all this equipment do? Well its a simple answer, efficient collaboration. Since we all have similar equipment, we each can fill in for each other's roles and assists wherever necessary. I can use and transfer all files wherever they need to go, and everyone can use them as needed. Each team member is able to assists in setting up camera shots and adjusting audio to perfect levels. My cinematographer and director can easily get my project files and effectively critique mines and my sound editors choices. Being able to collaborate and help effectively is key to a successful production, and my team has that down in lock and key. 

Color me shocked

On that same note of editing tricks, one part that sometimes gets overlooked is the color of a film. Color can be used to highlight certain aspects of characters and their worlds. It also sets the mood for the scene and is crucial in driving the audiences attention. 

Just like with cutting and pacing, each genre has their own style for coloring. Action and adventure films are typically more bright and colorful to help keep viewer attention and add to a more happy mood. In contrast, horror films are darker and have more prominent colors, usually this is done to add a creepy and foreboding mood.

The left has the Adventure film "Sonic 2," The right has the horror film "No one gets out alive"

Since we are creating a phycological Thriller film, i should look at a few films in this genre and observe how they use color. What I saw is that not any of them shared a specific color theme or any correlation. Each film stuck to their own color choices to match their moods. Black Swan had a more studio lighting feel, and had muted colors to reflect the setting of a performance stage. Compared to Jacob Ladder (2019) which can a tint of Green throughout, setting an uneasy mood and aiding in making the feel of a otherworldly feel. American Psycho is different as it's colors are more normal, and it feels the most normal feeling as it wants to portray one person as a psycho in a normal world.

 

The films "Black Swan," Jacob's Ladder," and "American Psycho," listed from left to right

This tells me that there is not just a "One size fits all" for any films, regardless of genre. Each film is different and each is fulfilling their own goal in storytelling their own way, not following a certain type of film. This tells me that finding a certain type of style is not what matters to make a good film. What matters is that our film must match our mood, story, and characters. and not to adhere to a specific genre archetype.