Evaluation

Sense of Place Evaluation

Our initial idea for this project was to convey a busy area by setting up a static camera in a crowded location and creating a time lapse of the events that unfold in front of the viewfinder. We later decided to altercate this idea however, as we felt that the film would have been too dull due to the lack of camera movement. As such we decided to portray a busy area by placing a character in shot, filming cutaways to annoying sounds and by using rhythmic editing to build a crescendo of noise until the character is forced to block out his surroundings. After a tutorial we were dissuaded to use our first idea of forcing the character back into reality after shutting it out as it was too clichéd. This lead to us arriving at our final idea: we determined to concentrate on the conflict between an internal peaceful space and a busy exterior space. We then began to search for sources of inspiration by searching the internet for images and ideas we both liked. We found a video on youtube called 'Amazing time lapse video' (see bottom of post for video) that inspired us to create our own time lapse as we felt the super fast images would emulate a hectic space. We also found inspiration in the sound effect created by a loop pedal, a good example of this being an Ed Sheeran song named 'you need me, I don't need you' (see bottom of post for video). We both liked the way the effect pedal builds up layers of sound by repeating them over and over in the same pattern, this is an effect we attempted to emulate in our video as the character's surroundings build up to an intolerable level of noise.

One of the most effective aspects of our video in my opinion is our implementation of rhythmic editing. Initially we only used this technique during the build up to the crescendo however, after showing our film to the class, the overwhelming suggestion was to continue the rhythmic editing patten throughout the whole video. We therefore returned to the editing room and altered the film's structure; we introduced the rhythm earlier and continued it throughout the entire film (we had previously not included it in the section that portrays the character's internal space). I feel that this alteration to the film's structure has improved it greatly as a production by creating continuity; before the change the video it felt slightly disjointed which detracted from the ideas integrity. We also decided to introduce the 'calming section' before the crescendo as well as after due to feedback from the viewing in order to emphasise the conflict between the two spaces from the very beginning. Through the earlier introduction of this scene we also established our films main motifs at a prior stage, giving them a much stronger impact. We used the fish tank as a metaphor for entrapment as our character is ensnared by reality whilst he fights to block it out. Our intention behind the record player was to foreshadow the looping rhythm that runs throughout the video and to suggest that the character is himself stuck in a exasperating loop. Finally, we introduced the fire place motif to act as a visual representation of the 'quiet place' that our character is attempting to enter. I feel that all of these motifs work fairly successfully due to the connotations and semiotics they bear; without them our film would be far more literal and the viewer would not be able to formulate their own reading.

I feel that another successful aspect of our video lies in our framing and composition, one of my favourites being the opening shot of the record player at the start of the film. In order to create this shot I had to return home by train as this was the only way we could access a record player. I then waited until dark, closed the curtains and eradicated any source of light in the room so that it was pitch black. I then positioned a desk lamp behind the record player facing towards the camera so that the glare from the bright light would black out the background. I also used a tripod in order to ensure the camera was completely still as any wobble would ruin the framing. I feel by taking the time to set up the light and the room, the shot feels fairly professional and looks as though it could have been filmed in a studio. The only problem we encountered when editing this shot was that the background was just visible which pulled the focal point away from the record player slightly. In order to rectify this small problem we created a matte effect (specifically mask shape) on final cut pro and arranged it so that the backdrop was completely black and all focus was on the player. We also implemented the mask shape effect on the shot where out actor is sitting on a bench outside the train station. We used this effect to fade the background out and dissolve in a time lapse of the busy station exterior whilst keeping the character's head in the composition. We found this effect slightly more difficult as it required for us to create two layers; one for the original shot and one for the background and for us to overlap the two shots. We then created a dissolve and a shape mask and placed them on the first shot of our actor on the bench. However due to the intricacy of this editing technique our first attempt looked to sharp and jarring, a problem we solved by using a mask feather to soften the edges of the image mask. These effects were far in advance of anything either of us had previously attempted and as such provided us with a new set of skills to work with for future projects.

This project also provided me with an entirely new skill set with the programme sound track pro (of which I had previously never used). A lot of the sound effects we utilised in our video required some alteration in order to match the footage. For example the sound effect we recorded for the fingers tapping initially sounded tiny and unnatural, in order to get around this problem we used the channel EQ effect to lower the sound's base and also to reduce the audio file's treble. This gave the sound more depth and as such ensured that it fitted with the video much more succinctly. We also used the channel EQ effect to create unnatural synth sounds to provide jarring dissonance between some shots and their audio in order to highlight the theme of conflict between reality and imagination. A good example of this being the deep base sound that underlays the crescendo. To create this effect we placed a surface mic on a rail in a stairwell at uni. We then banged the rail repeatedly and copied the sound onto a mac from the marantz. After obtaining the sound we completely removed the treble and dramatically lowered the base to create an uncomfortably low rumble that creates unease during the build up sequence. Another synth sound that we created, we used to match the stop sign motif. We moulded an unpleasant, electronic buzzing, tearing sound in order to highlight the idea that our character is being forced back into reality from the quiet space he created. To craft this sound we placed a surface mic on a granite surface and scraped glass bottles across it, the sound it picked up was incredibly piercing and unpleasant. We then lowered the sound's levels on soundtrack pro to make the sound bearable (it was too unpleasant to listen to in its original state) and implemented it every time the stop sign appeared. Having never used this programme before I am very pleased at how much my skills have advanced and I feel I am building a catalogue of sounds that could be useful in future projects.

The main problem that we faced with our sound was that we created the sound scape using headphones and did not think to play the project back using speakers. Because of this error the final project sounds far better on headphones than it does on a sound system; we noticed whilst presenting the film that some of the treble sounds are much too quiet and a couple of the film's base notes did not show up. This is an issue that we could easily of avoided, had we thought to play the audio on a range of different speaker systems whilst editing; then we could have adjusted the levels accordingly. Another issue that arose due to this error was that the sound effects we had panned from one headphone to the other did not work as well as we had hoped. At the climax of the film's crescendo we included two shots of a one way sign, one played forwards and one in reverse (the effect of which was to continue the motif of the 'loop'). To further emphasise these two shots we created a key frame at the start and the end of the image, then panned the sound from the left earphone to the right and back again. We both felt that this technique sounded effective when listening to the project on headphones. However when playing the audio on speakers the panning effect was drowned out by the other layers of audio that were playing at the same time. Whilst this is a small issue it is one that can easily be avoided on future projects playing the film on a range of speakers before presenting.

I feel the process of making this project went very smoothly; we scheduled two shoots and managed to obtain all of the footage we needed first time around. This is because we carefully storyboarded and shot-listed prior to filming so that we knew exactly what we were doing on our filming days, thus making the process flow smoothly. We did however have to go out multiple times to record sound as we either did not have enough or the audio we gathered did not sound right when placed on top of our footage. This niggle did slow down the editing process slightly and taught us to plan out what sounds to record before capturing to avoid having to waist time on multiple excursions to gather audio. Perhaps one of the biggest problems we faced however was in the editing process, neither of us had a hard drive to back up our work with and as such we regularly faced the issue of not being able to access the mac that we needed. We also lost our entire sound project at one stage and had to re-make it from scratch. This is an issue I will avoid in future as I now have a hard drive and as such can prevent this problem from reoccurring.

Throughout the video we cut away to close ups of annoying sounds and road signs. In order to highlight their significance and to provide a wider range of techniques and shot types we used a fish eye lens whilst capturing these close-ups. This lens distorts any horizontal lines and creates a concave image. I feel that this technique work most effectively on the stop sign shot as the concave lens brings forward the bold circular sign and pushes the background out of the centre of the composition. Our main intention behind this idea was to continue the fish tank motif in a more subtle manner, I think we were relatively successful in this aim.

I greatly enjoyed working with Luke and feel that we gelled well as a team. We both contributed a large creative input and our combined knowledge of camera techniques and editing patterns helped our video succeed in its aim of portraying a sense of space.

Inspirations:

Amazing time lapse video

SB.TV -Ed Sheeran- "You need me, I don't need you" - A64