This scene is more based on following previously established thriller conventions within our genre.
Therefore, more emotion is required. This is clear in the script and shot list, and the cinematographer and director were able to plan shots that emphasize this. So, as editor, I planned that the coverage shots had to give more impact to the action, in a way that doesn't seem forced but rather an increase of tension and that feeling that we're trying to evoke (confusion, rage, despair) for the audience while maintaining logic.
Notes: -Being the second scene with the most shots, we decided that it wasn't necessary to have many coverage shots. As editor, this seemed like the best decision to me, since I didn't want to pressure or force anything because that would be the opposite of what I had previously learned in "Structure to ensure a successful editing process (Planning)" and my role itself.
-Use the Clapboard to emphasize the only difference with a C.
Plan Structure:
1) Original Scene
2) Scene 2 with the Coverage Shot
Coverage Shot Plan (Idea Shape with the Director): Emphasize a logical transition between feelings, hand actions showing motive, and facial movements showing reaction. Slow but quick transition.
-The image below shows how I put these same thoughts and plan on a slide to remind myself while editing.
In this plan I adapted the OnScreen drafting, since it still has different options to choose from but in a creatively controlled way.
Takeaways & Lessons: By clearly planning when to record (the shot size) and what's the coverage shot, I can prepare to leave appropriate space in the editing and visualize how I can adapt it smoothly.
Context: In my previous blog posts, the Shot List (Planning 1), Shot list-Editing elements (planning Scene #1) and Coverage Shots (Research) and Size Shots (Research), I explained the elements that I must include. This blog post details that implementation of everything above.
In the image below it shows the director include a C to signal when we were doing a coverage shots, and which coverage shot # is, making my editing process easier, since I can visualize and find the shots faster.
Scene 1 Coverage Shot #1 Take 1
Scene 1 Coverage Shot #2 Take 2
In the image below it shows, how I was taking notes with the color code established in the Shot List (Planning 1), analyzing the scenes, make my intuition sharpen, by being in the moment I can feel the tone.
Color Codes
1) The video below, shows how the edited footage was included without the coverage shots (as originally written)
Original Scene #1
2) In the next video, it shows the edited footage with the 1st coverage shots:
Scene 1 With 1st Coverage Shot
3) In the next video, it shows the edited footage with the 2nd coverage shots:
Scene 1 With 2nd Coverage Shot
4) The video below, it shows the edited footage implementing both coverage shots.
Scene 1 With Both Coverage Shots
Notes:
-In the video, you can see two black lines, one above and one below the footage. These lines are not intentional; they are used in the format when transmitting the video in this blog. At the end, the original opening scene will not have these lines, but rather its complete frame.
-The reflection on what works and what doesn't work, regarding the different options will be carried out in a subsequent post, reflecting on the effects and impacts, but above all, it will specify the decisions made as a team for now.
Takeaways & Lessons: Having a narrative, a specific genre for the scene#1, consistency, coverage, thorough research, and a well-structured plan, the foundation of the production is strong enough, and consequently, the implementation of these concepts, elements, and blocks brings the intended vision to life. I've learned that implementing all this unique editing related topics and bringing them into our context specifically in scene #1 step by step, create a concise, organize and more possibilities for a successful opening scene.
Experimenting in a structure/adapting way is the key!
Context: After having investigated the different elements to make coverage shots, this is my plan.
Note: My plan is that The footage was simply inserted and edited; the audio/music in it is not what we will be using, there are not cuts or transitions implemented. This is because I want to analyze the context first before making edits from shot to shot (explained in another blog post coming soon).
-This Scene is more appealing to the mystery genre, and for so the focus is as I mentioned before in the (Mystery - Research studies, and techniques blogs). It can't be wasted in superfluous visual and techniques, because in a world full of short attention spans these minutes decide if the audience is going to hear the whole story. This must be done by focusing in what order should I put the scenes in the editing, changing speed and intensity as appropriate to realize it.
Highlight: this is only my plan for the first scene, it is important to know that each scene will have its own plan and implementation, this with the purpose of implementing what I learned in Tips for The editing (Research) and Structure to ensure a successful editing process (Planning) blogs, focus on one thing at a time and then put the fragments together.
All My planning will have the same base of structure that is to edit it in three sections:
1st - Without coverage shots
2nd- With 1 coverage shot.
3td- With the 2nd coverage shot.
4th- With Both coverages shots.
At the very end when I edit the scenes, and I pick what's better I may intersperse leaving some coverage and removing others.
As you can see, I'm also applying what I learned in OnScreen Drafting (planning), since I'm taking some part of the 3 division strategy, and I'm adapting it to our production, adding necessary steps.
We planned to have two coverage shots, since we infer that is the proper amount for such an important scene, we will not do more to prevent spending to much time, and forcing new ideas.
Specifically in the very beginning, this was done so that I could have several options for which image would best engage the audience immediately, as this is one of our priorities, but in a way that fosters curiosity rather than fear (mystery genre). It also allowed us to visualize which shot best fits the context and brings the narrative to life.
-The first coverage shot, we want it to depict a place, a door opening. What does this refer to? We'll use diegetic credits via a poster, allowing us to move directly to the other shot where our first mysterious character appears. We create mystery because we don't see a person, only a door. What's inside? Who opened it?
-The second coverage, we want it to give a little more context and perhaps engage the audience in the action, since it would be in 1st P.O.V, someone jumps from one place and walks (why are they doing this, are they being chased or are they going to do something else) - always creating mystery and making the audience directly feel the exhaustion and building tension (feeling-Thriller)
The Image below shows the 2-coverage shots plan:
Coverage Shots Plan -Scene #1
Everything is in a format that is easier for me to understand, that's why the cinematographer allow me to do the coverage shots plan in a different format.
Also, I know when we're filming it since the Director will specify it in the Clapboard with a C.
C- Sign in Clapboard (Plan)
Takeaways & Lessons: Having a clear idea of what cover shots are we usinf, will not only make it easier for me to identify them, but also to quickly understand their context and validate their importance, creativity and adapting our narrative even more to our genre.
Context: In the previous blog post on Coverage Shot (Research), I explained what this is and why it works in our production.
Continuing, after further research, I've found that a fundamental element for determining a good coverage shot, and how I can choose for editing, is through understanding/identifying shot sizes.
What is the importance of shot sizes in editing?
In the post-production phase, I must combine various proportioned shot sizes and my job is to craft them in the editing process to give their rhythm, perspective, impact/effect, story beats, and focus wanted.
For this reason, in Pre-Production it must be planned with the crew (director and cinematographer) together to be clear about where the coverage shots and their respective shot sizes would be best in all the shots.
And in the production phase, look at and analyze the content to its tone, mood, perspective and see what is best (increase my perception and intuition as an editor).
This type of decision has three outstanding effects:
- It builds visual continuity and a unique perception.
- It intensifies or relieves tension by controlling the shape or degree of proximity given by the shot, since when editing, I choose what to prioritize (perfect for controlling the mystery genre).
- It directs narrative understanding.
- It directs the emotional engagement of the audience (Thriller genre conventions).
Every Shot Size Explained- StudioBinder
Takeaways from the video: A clear difference in mind: coverage is determined by what is captured in the camera frame, while shot size is the composition and relationship of the recorded subject (the shot size is determined by the placement of the camera and the visual storytelling learned in Elements of Storytelling in Opening Scenes (Research)), so I give shape to it.
Lesson: When it comes the time for planning, I must keep in mind the role of shot sizes- specially in coverage shots, to maintain our genre convention, narrative elements, and target audience.
This research work for our production and me, because it help me make decision in editing, but also experiment with shots that can improve our opening scene.
Context: In the first planning post of Shot list and its relationship with the Editing Process blog, I discussed how I was preparing the organization to experiment with alternative shots.
Now, several elements have changed:
1-As a team, we learned that we weren't looking for alternative shots, but rather coverage shots.
How does that change my perspective and my work as an editor?
With this new concept, the approach is different. I'm not trying to include alternative events, but rather to have more concrete events. Playing with the shots to complement the narrative, now that will give me the accessibility to apply what I learned in The Role of an Editor! (Research post) since I can concentrate on giving shape and depth to the shots, instead of planning different movements.
These types of shots need to fit the context and help maintain focus int story we are trying to evoke (Integrity and Creativity Vs. Fame and Plagarism).
How to Shoot Scene Coverage
My takeaway from the video is that: Caution! Coverage shots work to a certain extent; if they feel empty and are just there to fill space, it's best not to include them, especially since our mystery genre driven opening scene should have gaps.
Takeaways & Lessons: Coverage Shots saves us re-shoot time, and fully communicates the purpose and language of the opening scene footage, perfect for improving my skills and perception as an editor, but also for improving gaps in our narrative to follow conventions of mystery, thriller and fragmented story.
Context: In my previous blog post about Casting Documentary (Planning), I was discussing how I should approach this to contribute to my editing.
So, here's my implementation of this plan.
1) The production team decided that the lead actress for this story would be one of the production members themselves.
Reasoning: While it's true that this might be a disadvantage because it would be better to focus on one role, we'll actually use this weakness to our advantage, since this member understands the purpose of the story, the conventions we're aiming for, and, most importantly, the priorities. Furthermore, it's reliable that they'll be on set every day we need them, which would save us time but also create some inconvenience.
2) I was able to implement the decisions explained in the previous blog post, "Discussion and decision of narrative elements for our production (Re-Planning)," in the props and characteristics, to have a clearer visualization of who's who, what they have, how they contribute to the story, and whether they fulfill their priority.
This is important for editing because I can now visualize which colors I should use, and also because knowing the actors allows me to know what expressions they are good at making to plan cuts when we are in the actual film production; furthermore knowing specifically who and what to cut to (clear reference of role of characters) creating a relationship to emphasize the mood created.
This information is supported by providing a picture of the Document that includes the Casting.
Casting Document
This image shows how I analyzed the impact of every factor, and how I reach the decisions explained above.
Takeaways & Lessons: By doing the implementation based on the planning and different research's, the casting document provided one more step closer to a good edited opening scene.
Context: In my previous blog post, "Screen Draft (Research)," I identified an effective way to practice editing.
First, I don't have enough time to recreate the entire narrative in a film draft, so I plan only to do this in the first scene. Furthermore, I can implement what I learned from the shot list and its relation to the "Editing (Planning 1)" blog post to structure it in a way that stays true to the same concept.
So here's the plan: I need to analyze the feeling evoked while shooting the first scene and use the color code(to signal the shots) to plan its structure. I'll take the shots from the first scene and edit them into a preview of how it will look. The idea is to create at least three previews to choose the best one (as implementing one of my takeaways form the video 3 is the magic number to visualize some of your possibilities to be the editor of the story)
Every Edit Matter: Same scene-Different cut /This Guy Edits
1st Time: edit the way it was written
2nd: Include alterations of possible scenes, maybe pauses, change the time frame, make one shot longer or shorter (play it with the footage)
3rd: Pick only necessary alteration that you feel it rights, and that helps to establish relationship, without pressuring the narrative to move or forcing the feeling on the audience.
Other reasons, of why I decided to do this while filming the second scene is because:
1- Since these are the first moments of the opening scene, I need to make sure they adhere to the conventions of the genres (learned from Thriller and mystery study genres blogs).
2- Establish what feels best to provide a foundation for the second scene, in a way that looks cohesive but not complete.
3- I can determine which color palette to use and why, which cuts I can implement, and most importantly, how long this first scene takes on average so I can calculate the average of the time for the second scene based on this, allowing me to make decisions ahead of time about what to remove and what to keep. I can also practice the features of the new application. More information will be available in a future research blog about the app that will be used.
Takeaways and lessons: Now that I created a plan on how to implement this method, I can be more assured that my editing skills will develop, and that these edits to the editing are necessary to create a good outcome.
Context: In my previous blog I identify a way to improve the narrative.
After discussing and creating with the cinematographer the shot list. These are my takeaways.
First, we realized that the second scene has many more takes than the first, so we decided to add more alternates to this scene.
To maintain an organized structure, we put the potential takes on a separate sheet of paper. This way, during production, I can use a copy of the original shot list and the alternate shot list and make notes which take we're shooting. This will help me implement the organizational skills I learned in the editing tips research blog. (More information about these alternate shots coming in the part 2 of shot List and its relationship with the Editing Process (planning blog).
Principal (original) Shot List Scene1 (Last two are alternates)
Principal (Original) Shot List Scene
Alternate Shot List for Scene 2
I plan to shoot the alternate takes at the same time as the original take, as this allows me to better visualize the surroundings since I can consider what we've filmed so far and how we've done it allows me to identify which take(shot) fits best in the moment and which might disrupt the flow that was created.
To do this, I decided to use a color code to identify each take (as clearly shown in the image below).
Color Code
Takeaways and lessons: I have learned that adapting the organization in a way that is easy for me to understand is essential to be able to implement the shoots more smoothly, in addition to keeping the ideas fresh and writing them down helping me remember the exact moment and feeling, looking for that same feeling when I am editing those shoots.
Context: While the cinematographer was creating the shot list based on the script, I had the idea that I should play with the story.
To be more specific, I suggested including more shots than we needed at key points like the beginning or the end, since having a variety to choose from would allow me to implement my sense of what feels right and/or what's best for the opening scene flow (which can reflect what I've read in previous blogs such as in the Structure to ensure a successful editing process (Planning)) and also to have the opportunity to give shape to the story provided while making sure that the narrative elements are prioritized in the correct order (last blogpost)
Now, after doing some research about this idea, I found out that it actually call Shoot for the Edit, which correlates with the connection of Plan to shoot, shoot the plan.
After asking permission from our instructor and director, the idea was approved. Now I'm working on that plan with the cinematography (planning blog coming).
My takeaway from this video is that preparing extra shots beforehand helps expand my visual and narrative field, allowing the story to make sense but with different possible endings or changes, one advice that I will plan to implement is that not every alternative shot should be try unless I feel to try it, but once I'm confident, I should check with the production team, and if approved I should leave it like that and not second guessed.
How to Shoot for the Edit- Zach Ramelan
Lessons: Playing with editing is experiencing that the "What if?" scenario is real and the outcomes may be surprising, engaging and attractive, however keeping it clean and organize is imperative to satisfy the genre conventions.
Context: In my previous blog post, "Discussion and decision of narrative elements for our production (Planning)," I mentioned that our narrative would focus on the causal agent and wouldn't have a protagonist.
This blog post is to correct that error, since when we uploaded our production proposal, our instructor corrected us, saying that although the story is altered by the book (our causal agent), the story isn't about the book; we need a protagonist whose story is shaped by the existence of that book.
So this is the plan: Upon re-analyzing the storyboard, we noticed that most of the scenes focus on a girl, so after talking with the crew, we concluded that she would be our protagonist.
To ensure we don't repeat the mistake of creating a short film, let's review the purposes of the three narrative acts planned for our story, this is with the purpose of visualizing the whole story, since by doing that we can affectively cut it in the act 1 and avoid telling it completely, but also by now prioritizing the story of the protagonist over the story of the book, so this is the plan:
1) Our protagonist is introduced and her goals too (win an entrance to a recognizable art institutions) this part was build up following the advice of the video below that centers on how the character (in this case the protagonist) motivation keep the focus on her story and give some attention to the things that are shaping it, but it doesn't give the full attention to the other factors (in this case the causal agent), and her encounter with the book is revealed :we know a fragment of where it came from but we don't know why it's messing or helping her (the audience is still trying to determine if the book is a benefit or a destructive tool- the only thing the audience knows is that its altering the protagonist life (specifically her thoughts of creativity and values of originality ) creating a loss of independency.
These events will on the mystery since the unknow origin of the book, however this question is driven by the interaction with the protagonist (since she is the focus and we keep the focus on her because we know her goals) and also will stay in the thriller conventions by altering not her physical but rather her mental/ethical one.
The Secret to a Great Character-How to write Character Motivation - StudioBinder
2) Her life is increasingly affected by the use of this book, impacting her relationships, creativity, honor, and values (we reach the climax of the story). The protagonist wants to get rid of the book but cannot (for unknown reasons) instead she is using it with more frequency even do she knows the consequences of it, she is becoming addicted/completely dependent of it to do her work (she loses control of her own work, but gain fame and award), and now the audience know in their hearth that the use of the book is wrong (ethically) but is given her benefits (this contrast and juxtaposition creates a ethical dilemma in the audience).
-It maintains the focus on how her life (story) is problematic due to the book, keeping the mystery of why she is bond to the book in a mental way (thriller)
3) The book's origin is revealed, and the protagonist decides to keep it but alter its original purpose in order to preserve both her creativity and the book itself (we are led to believe that the book is connected to her heritage). Happy ending for some (the audience that likes and approves the existence and the used of the book) but a bad ending for the audience that somehow didn't want the preservation of it. Or even can create a bitter-sweet polemic ending (audience agree with one part of the ending but not as a whole)
Takeaways & Lessons: I've learned what the priorities are in the opening scene and how to maintain them through planning with a clear structure.
As an editor, knowing these priorities is imperative, because now I have to keep the audience focused on the protagonist; that is, the transitions and/or cuts I'm going to use must give importance to the book, but even more so to the protagonist's story.
This blog will discuss about a possible idea of how to develop my editing skills.
After some research, I found that one of the most effective ways to do my editing work more accurately and meet the established standards and objectives is to do an Onscreen drafting.
I decided to use the video below, because it shows the scientific reasons for using this method, but also because it's a reliable source since the person speaking (Karen Pearlman) wrote this method in her book Cutting Rhythms in a Successful Way and has tested it with partnerships of universities.
Evidence that the Book directly speaks to film editing
What it is: Creating a digital representation of the proposed narrative with a low or no budget (in my case I will take it in a different approach, more info in the planning post).
Why it works: This method/resource helps me verify that the script, specifically the script's actions and their execution, will guarantee that when edited, the narrative is logical and has a good flow. This would help me implement what I learned in The Role of an Editor Research Blog, as it allows me to use my voice effectively by giving shape to the movement and helping me feel when it's right (where to cut). At the same time, I would be putting into practice what I learned in The Editor Tips Research Blog, which is that I should watch the scene several times to immerse myself in it, analyze it, feel it, and create it. And what better way to do this than by visualizing it in reality?
The Science Behind Film Editing (OnScreen Drafting)
Takeaways & Lesson: I've learned that doing onscreen drafting gives me the opportunity to reflect, formulate hypotheses, understand structure and rhythm, allowing me to develop my skills as an editor and thus improve the narrative experience when implemented in the official production.
This blog post outlines my plan for creating the casting document in order to implement lessons learned that appeal to me as an Editor.
The main reason I chose this approach, is because it allows me to establish a direct relationship with my role. Previously, I learned in my Editing Tips Research blog that, since we opted for no dialogue, the most important element in our film for connecting the audience with the characters is their expressions. In the storyboard created by the cinematographer, you can see that this connection isn't established until scene number 2 (It's important to know that the storyboard is the 1st draft of the story, the idea still the same but we may include more shots)
Storyboard 1st Draft
Remember, since the opening scene is 2 minutes maximum, there must be a clear quality over quantity approach and structure, one effective way to do is that we need to create a connection with the audience (which also appeal to the conventions learned in the Thriller and Mystery Genres Film Opening blogs) to do so in a subtly yet impactfully. I've planned that the best way to do this is to choose the ideal person for the role.
In other words, the actress for this part should be someone who has a good way of facial expression, meaning that her emotions are clear without being exaggerated(one of the most common mistakes) and to ensure this I plan to choose a person that make them appear well-formed, meaning they feel real which apply what I learn from The Thriller Genre in Films: A research study blog because it will implement the elicit strong emotion while maintaining the reality of them(thriller genre conventions), and in order to do, I plan to choose someone who knows the story, its purpose, and the tone, genre, and representation to allow for a more natural immersion which is implementing what I learn from The Role of an Editor Research log, since I will be given shape to the emotions, for instance I must make sure that those emotions are clear, a way to do this as learned in this same blog is guiding the audience through the eye-trace she's doing, however as stated in the Discussion and decision of narrative elements on our production(Planning) blog, the book is the causal agent and the focus, for so, the character must NOT take all the attention but instead attract the audience to look at the book, while making them feel what she is feeling.
For example, as seen in the image below in the shot when the book catches her attention (her emotions to spark the curiosity "mystery" feeling towards the book not to her, she is telling the audience how to feel towards the book -for this I plan to take the shot where she looks confused(make it a little long to imprint/stick the feeling to the audience and then make a slow eye-trace cut directly to the book (this will be applying what I learn about the importance of the duration of every shot in the blog of Editing Tips(Research)
Storyboard extract
Takeaways & Lessons: I have plan some specific concepts that must be apply in the Casting Document, that will allow my role to take place in a more accurately and impactful manner in the production.
In this blog, I'm going to show my plan for the editing process I'll use, that is, what tools and structure I'll use.
I've chosen this video as a basis and inspiration because it offers a step-by-step guide on how to develop a strong structure, but also because it mentions and implements elements previously learned in (The Role of an Editor, and Editing Tips Research blogs). Furthermore, this video is also credible because the person who wrote these rules has recognizable experience.
The 7 Laws of Film Editing
1) I'm going to watch each footage twice. The first time, I'll understand the context and get ideas. The second time, I'll have my notebook to take notes, especially to understand and immerse myself in the footage before manipulating it (I won't start editing immediately).
Notebook that I will be using
2) I'll maintain constant, effective, and open (comfortable) communication with the director and the team to obtain different points of view. My plan is to edit footage and show them the progress every other day (taking notes on each suggestion).
3) To have good time management to maintain focus while editing, I plan to have a schedule alarm, which is effective: 30 minutes editing, 5 minutes break, 10 minutes reviewing and watching the previously edited footage, and then the cycle starts again. This way, there are strategic breaks that help not only to gain more insights and see details, but also to be productive and meet deadlines (finishing early in case unexpected problems arise).
Time Management Chart
4) Organize the footage using the shot log, so you can find it when needed.
5) Try everything, follow the basics and plans for which editing or transitions to use, but also try things that "don't work" to get a visualization and analyze whether it would look better or not. My plan for doing this is to try, and if I have doubts, I go and report it to the team.
6) Cut the scene so that it makes sense, and fulfills its objectives, but in a way that fits the context of the whole narrative, and fits the tone, the genre and the techniques. To do this, I plan to follow this checklist after editing each scene:
Did I shape the movement of the story?
Did I shape the movement of the emotion?
Did I shape the movement of image and sound?
Does the editing and flow feel right?
Does the editing of the scene fit the context of the story?
Takeaways and Lessons: I have learned that by having a planned structure ahead of time, will impact successfully my editing, since I know what to do, and start thinking and looking for these details during the pre-production and production phases.
In this blog, I'll be analyzing tips I can apply to our production. First, understanding the concept of how to do things, before planning and implementing.
I've chosen to use these videos below as a clear and concise guide to answer one of the questions that's been on my mind and that I need to understand before moving forward with this production. These videos are credible because they were created based on the testimonies and experiences of several editors recognized in their field.
How Does an Editor Think and Feel? - Every Frame a Painting
7 Editing Tips that are simple and beautiful.
Fundamental question as an editor: When do I know when to cut?
Answer: When I feel I should.
Basic Concepts: As mentioned in the video, all editing is about the eyes. Om the second video minute 3:37 show how the eyes are the reflection of emotions, the most impactful element, and in my case, since we won't be using dialogue, this is the predominant factor. I always look for the "slightly change" because it changes the tone and can convey the message without any words. Now, I've learned that I have to control how long I let that emotion last; every second counts. For example, I can create intensity in a moment by reducing the number of seconds in the frame, and lower tension or discouragement when the seconds are longer, as shown in the Skywalker extract provided in the video. It's a good way to connect with the audience using the power of editing and fulfill some of the three D's in expectations.
Cuts have their moment and will tell me when I should cut. I have to think: Does it feel fluid? Does it contain or express what the character is feeling? And is it conveying the emotion and/or message I want?
Fundamental Rule: Have a clear plan and take my time, editing one shot and one cut at a time until I feel good, without jumping between them.
Takeaways and lessons: Now that I've learned how to cut at the right moments, I'm going to take my time to analyze everything and sharpen my instinct to feel this. Also, this helped me feel more confident and remove the hesitation of looking for the perfect moment or the perfect second. I learned that quality is better than quantity and I will keep this in mind throughout the process.
In this blog I will discuss what it means to be a film editor, and what mindset and skills I must develop.
Now that I understand more about genre and opening scene concepts, it's time to focus on what's expected of me and the essence of my work. Although I have prior editing experience, I still held the misconception that editing is just cutting images and putting them in order. To change that perspective, I need to understand the mindset and thought processes of a film editor, and what better way to do that than by listening to experts?
I decided to use this video because it explains in detail how editors think and how they are judged (whether they are good or not depends on their actions), and it does so using scientifically based studies and books, which lends it credibility.
The Science Behind Film Editing- This Guys Edits
As mentioned in the video, the basic purpose as an editor is to shape three kinds of movement... Movement of the story, movement of Emotion, and movement of Image and Sound.
First misconception debunked: my role isn't like the others; my ideas are geared towards maintaining movement and flow, not creating, decorating, or dressing up the movement. That's what they do (Movement Editing, Cinematography, Directing). My purpose is to give shape and respond to the movement already given.
Second misconception debunked: I must trust my gut and do what feels right. More driven by feeling than understanding.
Takeaways and Lessons: I've learned that while the most important part of my role is during the editing process (post-production), I need to be involved at all times, from the script stage to begin envisioning its form, through planning and production, understanding and learning the purpose/objective of every shot to be able to shape it. Furthermore, I have three key processes/movements (previously discussed) that I must keep in mind at all times to prepare myself properly for when it's my turn to put everything together.
After conducting research and gaining a much clearer understanding of the genre we were working with, and having the basics of how to do storytelling, we began planning our narrative.
After watching the film excerpts from our research blogs, we decided to focus on certain aspects at a time, what we wanted versus what we needed.
- We wanted a protagonist or an antagonist so that the story would be focused on them, but after realizing that this would be complicated in two minutes, the director suggested that we focus on using a Causal Agent. The cinematographer added that this was a good idea since we could fulfill the need to follow mystery conventions by not explaining the causal agent, which naturally generates questions. With this in mind, we started brainstorming an idea. And I proposed a book as our Causal Agent; this would make sense since it creates confusion in the sense that the story revolves around it, but it also creates tension and anxiety (thriller) about what it contains or what it could do. Furthermore, we said that to maintain the mystery of the book and create even more questions to the audience, we're probably not showing was inside the book, this will help us to maintain the audience engaged since they would feel the necessity to know what is in there.
Image that represent our draft idea.
As we can see in the image above the books is the focus of it, we have questions, who is that? why we can't see the book? why is everything dark? We find this image to be very inspiration for our elements for example we can use darker colors for the mise en scene to achieve suspense or for me as an editor because I can visualize doing cuts to the cover of the books and the characters.
- I wanted to have dialogue to provide more context to the story, however, the director showed me that we could take advantage of not including audio, since we would follow thriller conventions by creating strong emotions through visuals and music instead of dialogue, and this would avoid distracting the audience. This was good because it allowed me to concentrate on giving more intensity to the cuts and transitions of the visuals (thriller conventions), and the cinematographer added that it would be easier to focus on the mise-en-scène and create impact with it.
So, the elements of the narrative we have are:
Driven by visual storytelling over auditory. We are going down the path of circular narrative, as we want the book to be the cause of continuous episodes or multiple perspectives, since several people can have different experiences and opinions on the effects of the causal agent (this will be clarified later, it's just a basis of ideas).
Introducing the causal agent instead of a protagonist or antagonist, this especially allows me as an editor to add more skills since I will have more access to transitions, meaning that whether we decide to use a multiple perspective or a circular narrative, by having the book as the focus of everything I can plan to make cuts between the book and the people, whether it's their reactions, behaviors, or events.
Maintaining everything within the 1 Act since we have the hook: what is this book? and we are working in the inciting incident.
Image that showcases the Book as a Causal agent for everything that happens.
Takeaways & Lessons: As an editor, having a better concept of how our narrative will be allows me to start planning appropriate transitions and edits. I also cleared up doubts and concerns such as the audio, and I learned that the research was a fundamental basis for effectively planning the next step, since everything is based on the genre and its conventions.
Now that we have an idea of the genre we will be working on, the next step is to research the elements of narrative, which are a fundamental pillar for creating a story.
But what is a narrative?
A narrative is a sequence of events that provide information and guide the audience to experience and understand the story, whether through actions, decisions, or effects, characters, or causal agents.
Storytelling encompasses cinematographic, editorial, visual (Mise-en-scène) and auditory elements that shape expectations.
The essential components I found for creating a narrative in this hybrid format were based on different studies and articles by Filmmaking Lifestyle, Tele-View, Storytelling Db, Nightscapestories, StoryBreakdown, among others. It is important to note that this research was conducted based on the fact that we will only be creating an opening scene.
1) Plot and Structure: Having a beginning (setup), deciding whether we want to follow conventional structures or alter them to suit our genre. This directly impacts the setting (location, atmosphere, time).
2) Characters and Development: Narratives are based on the characters, whether a protagonist, antagonist, or causal agent; everything revolves around them, their motivations, objectives, conflicts, consequences, actions, and how it all unfolds will give the audience understanding. It is also the moment to create expectations and perspectives on how the audience receives our characters and their story, and therefore decide whether they stay to watch it or not.
*There are different elements that should be considered, such as:
1) Visual Storytelling: The use of cinematography, editing, colors, lighting, framing, angles, Mise-en-scène will establish the tone and mood of our story and therefore also clarify our genre. Including everything that is visually receptive and how we handle it will guide our story.
2) Dialogue and Sound: Everything contributes to the storytelling; the music and dialogue provide context, revealing feelings or things deeper than what can be visually perceived, making the audience connect the pieces to understand if what's happening makes sense or if there's something more. The way we plan and implement the sounds, and when and how we use them, will determine the atmosphere.
3) Themes and Meaning: Narrative is not only about events or characters, but also about ideas, morals, and intentions. What is being told, and what is its purpose? This part is super important because it helps express the way of thinking (the vision and mission) of the creators, but also allows the audience to reflect on the purpose of what they've seen, and it's the perfect moment to show realities without being directly judged.
In this research process, I also found that there are several narrative techniques; I will only focus on four:
1) Linear Narrative: Events develop in chronological order.
2) Non-linear Narrative: Scenes are rearranged in a non-conventional way, showing a sequence with a specific purpose, but also applied to moments of fragmentation or flashbacks, flash-forwards, or even dreams.
3) Circular Narrative: Stories end and begin at the same point, emphasizing cycles, usually used with Red Herrings/MacGuffins.
4) Multiple Perspectives: Shows different characters' viewpoints, leading to a more complex understanding of the events. This also benefits the audience by allowing them to identify with or agree with certain characters—it can often be used for metaphors.
And last but not least I found one of the most effective ways to encompass this elements of storytelling in the opening scene the Three Act Structure
What is the 3 Act Structure- The Secret to Telling a Great Story (StudioBinder)
3 Act Story Structure for Myster Thrillers-Jennifer Dornbush.
As I said before, I'll focus on the opening scene, that is, less than half of Act 1, providing less than the 12% of what happens, the story, the problem, the action.
-This is effective because we don't run the risk of trying to tell the entire story.
-The hook: why should the audience keep watching? To attract them, to grab their attention in a subtly abrupt way. Whether implicitly or explicitly, we have to draw them in This is the perfect timing to bond with the audience and appeal to the thriller conventions.
-The Inciting Incident: this gives motion to the narrative, the conflict is presented for the first time, establishing behaviors and characters that will lead the audience to answer the initial question, but also doing so not at the most critical moment because that happens much later, perfect timing to introduce the mystery and accelerate the suspense to appeal to the mystery conventions.
Takeaways & Lessons: I learned that storytelling is key, but also that we need to consider certain things before writing our story and have a guide to help us plan. I learned an effective method that we can use as a team. As an editor, I learned the importance of development and events, so that I can later identify editing and transition techniques that will bring that less than 12% to life.
In the thriller genre, there are several opening scene styles, but here are the most commonly used ones based on resources such as Ranidance.org, StudioBinder, UVO, ScreenCrafter and more. These openings are:
Emotional Hook: Go for their heart, not just their mind.
What it is: A moment charged with intense emotion that creates an immediate bond with the audience, making them feel as if their emotions are in the world of the story as if it were reality.
Why it works: By having to deal with strong feelings such as suspense, anxiety, and anticipation, as this quickly hooks the audience and makes their hearts race, creating a quick engagement, people gain a unique perspective and create a bond with the character or the situation, if they have feelings for them they will be "stuck'' in the narrative.
How to use it: It is recommended to use a moment that defines the event, furthermore, prioritize visual storytelling and minimal dialogue to have a greater impact, also have high stakes that drive the rest of the film. By maintaining an ongoing risk, threat or danger. Avoid exaggerating the feelings because it becomes a drama or go into "supernatural" situations because if so, that will trespass the limit of the Thriller and instead be a Horror film.
Why does it appeal to me as an editor? As an editor, this style of opening scene appeals to me a lot because I can do many things with it. For the emotional hook, since it's mostly focused on visuals, I can concentrate on the details without worrying about them being overshadowed by dialogue. For example, I can use straight cuts in certain parts to speed up the action or include a dissolve to calm the audience a bit before a match cut. My intention is that with this approach, I can keep the audience's emotions balanced, accelerating the pace but also giving them a moment to understand what's happening. I will also have to be very careful with the timing, since to maintain the ongoing danger, I must do it in a way that feels "realistic" and not mix too many emotions, but rather concentrate on one, identify it, and intensify it. For example, focusing on moments of anxiety instead of cutting directly to happiness allows the audience to connect more deeply and become more invested before the change.
I think this would be a very good option for our production, since we could capture the audience's attention, but also maintain a concise narrative with emotions and satisfy the audience. Since this is expected from a film of this genre, we would be delivering on their expectations, which suggests engagement for the rest of the story.
Media Production Example:
Prisoners (2013)- Opening Scene
In this opening scene, we can observe how the emotional hook is successfully achieved through various elements:
Cinematography: There isn't much camera movement, as this is done intentionally to draw attention and avoid distracting the audience with shaky camera work or zoom-ins. Instead, the camera remains stable, providing a panoramic view from locations where the protagonist and his surroundings are fully visible. This creates an atmosphere of surveillance and an emotional hook of unease.
Mise en Scène: The fact that the scene begins by showing someone alone immediately grabs our attention because who would be alone in a restaurant so late at night, dressed all in black, on Thanksgiving? This creates an emotional hook of loneliness because even when the waitress arrives, she is distant and tries not to interact with him too much. This intensifies the feeling of isolation, and the atmosphere becomes tense as the scene progresses, showing a dark, isolated, and dangerous setting. When more movement finally appears, and we see more cars, they are police cars, indicating that something bad has happened. This hooks us at minute 1:53: what happened? The use of dark colors also adds to the suspense.
Editing: The editing is quite interesting since the cuts are not based on the order of events but on reactions. This applies the convention of realism. For example, we can observe that when the man receives the message about something happening via a radio (presumably a police radio), his reaction is to leave the place, not frantically but quickly. This intensifies the fact that we skip the event itself and only see his reaction. Furthermore, the cuts are used patiently, focusing on and giving time to bodily reactions and facial expressions, without resorting to melodrama but rather maintaining the ongoing sense of danger.
Sound: It's interesting to analyze how, even though there's no music, only silence, this gradually increases the tension, while progressively adding sounds like rain, which intensifies with the unfolding events. For example, the man receives the news on the radio, thunder is heard, he gets in the car, and the storm intensifies further. This is used to subtly connect with and guide the audience's emotions, increasing their anxiety. Also, although dialogue is used, it's realistic; for example, when he's alone in the car, there's no dialogue because he's by himself. Unless there's interaction with other people, there's no dialogue, which simulates reality.
Teaser: Get- Feel- Go
What it is: as an opening scene style that engages the audience through a get & go; awakening emotions of curiosity and conflict.
Why it works: Because it hooks the audience and presents the scene in a striking, controlled way, developing it gradually without slowing down the process.
How to use it: It is recommended to use it cautiously as it can easily become an overdone cliché; however, if executed well, it creates a powerful technique. The idea is to ignite interest by not only raising questions but also structuring it in a way that is coherent yet surprising.
Why does it appeal to me as an editor?
This opening option appeals to me because I can include edits that add weight to the structure, for example, fade-to-blacks to maintain momentum while still creating progress. I can also go against the structure in a logical way by using reverse match cuts, or I can play with the order of events to create a bit of controlled confusion, thus generating interest in what happened while also establishing intrigue throughout the opening.
I think this would be a good option for our production because we could create something that is cliché(predictable) in expectations but not in structure or narrative.
Media Production Example:
Memento (2000)
In this opening scene, we can analyze the elements used to create a teaser opening scene:
Cinematography: Although it takes a while to get started, making it seem a bit boring at first, the unexpected use of extreme close-ups and shallow focus on the blood and objects creates disorientation, which maintains the momentum. Furthermore, the low angles show the vulnerability of the victim, while wide angles create confusion, intensifying the thriller genre.
Editing: The editing here is not only unconventional but also particularly engaging, as the use of reverse footage (not showing the chronological order of act and consequence, but the reverse – the consequence before the act) creates a teaser that plays on the viewers' minds. The jump cuts provide clues, which, interestingly, gradually solve the mystery logically while the audience remains in emotional shock.
Mise en Scène: The decision to have everything take place in one location creates an atmosphere of secrecy and mystery. Seeing the outcome progressively reveals what happened, increasing the intrigue. The photographs that appear help us understand what's happening, but the blood, the body's position, and the props confuse us, as we don't know who is good and who is evil. The use of an old camera suggests that it's not just for taking pictures but also to avoid being traced, which further increases the suspense.
Sound: The lack of dialogue follows the convention of a thriller but also reflects the confusion the audience feels, and the discomfort caused by what is happening. The intensifying music as more is revealed about what happened also reflects the audience's feelings, creating a persistent sense of suspense.
Takeaways and lessons: Now that I've researched some opening scene techniques within this genre, I realize that combining mystery and thriller elements is much more plausible than I initially thought. However, I also learned the limitations of this genre when applied. I learned the importance of prioritizing elements in a scene to drive the mood and tone, and now I have a clearer foundation for developing ideas for our own elemenst in the opening scene.
Defined by tension and acceleration, also by appealing to pathos, it is required to elicit strong emotions. A story becomes part of this genre when the elements used, such as suspense, mise-en-scene, cinematography, and editing, are taken to such an intensity that they define the entire story.
Fun Fact: The term “thriller” became established in the late 19th century, as modern literature and consequently films began to focus on more direct stories that create strong feelings.
Why does it appeal to me as the Editor?
As an editor, this genre appeals to me because the transitions used must directly create logic with what is happening. The edits I can make in the color or how long something appears on the screen control those emotions in the audience. For example, I can use wipes to create a seamless transition between shots or dissolves that can create continuity of suspense. I think my work has weight here since I can't distract the audience, or the thriller will fail.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo- Opening Scene
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)- First 10 Minutes
To test the research, I decided to use this extract because we can see the elements already mentioned, such as concealment, since we begin with what appears to be a threat amidst confusion, and what is happening is hidden from us; only the effect is shown. However, we also see how the threat gradually becomes more and more involved with one of the protagonists, who seems to be the detective. The reality of the situation is also evident, allowing us to visualize, understand, and become more immersed in the story. And the editing, with its straight cuts, keeps the audience's hearts racing. It also can be seen that the moments are reflected in our feelings, and they intensified progressively.
Why would we incorporate this genre into our production?
This genre has conventions and structures that give us a clearer guide: order-threat-escalation-confrontation-resolution, but since we are focused on creating the opening scene, our job would be to start from order-threat and that's it, without explaining much.
One of the essential aspects of this genre is that the threats and dangers are based on reality, which consequently provokes real reactions. Furthermore, we can "break" and "follow" genre theory—specifically Neale's theory—since we don't necessarily have to start with order but with the threat, which, although it creates repetition and follows the structure of this genre, could offer something "new." This would adapt to our needs since we could engage the audience, "follow" the theory, and the conventions, which would clearly be controlled ambiguity, misdirection, and psychological pressure, and plan how to implement the three C's (thriller conventions), which are:
Concealment – Key information is hidden from the audience, creating tension and suspense.
Confrontation – The danger increases, escalating after an "incident," to confront the protagonist or the new victim directly.
Consequences – The final outcome reshapes the character's life, even when the resolution is partial or ambiguous.
We would focus only on the first two to continue with our goal.
Takeaways and lesson: Now I understand why my Production Team was driven to apply this genre. I have learned that its conventions, structures, format, essence, and anatomy directly affect the audience and are very useful for our needs: to engage, captivate, and present an opening scene that is clear in genre, attractive, and consistent in its elements, and that is plausible to combine with the mystery since its elements can be molded to fit even better for instance maintaining the structure of the Thriller gerne but mixing mystery elements like the intrigue and confusion..
- Now that I understand this genre, my next task is to investigate its opening techniques.
During the planning phase, the Production Team discusses and decides on the Production's genre.
When we had one of our first team meetings, we had something very clear in mind: before starting any brainstorming ideas for our narrative, we had to have a genre.
Why is it important for us to have a clear genre before starting our narrative and production?
As the video below explains, it's recommended to stick to a single genre or, at most, a hybrid (two genres).
Picking the genre for your film-Filmmaking stuff
It's important to understand that having a clear genre is necessary to either follow the conventions of that genre or break them, but not to jump between different genres. Doing so creates confusion, distracts the audience, and harms the narrative. It's important to reiterate that we are making a 2-minute opening scene, and therefore the best way to do it is to have a simple, easy-to-identify genre. Also as beginners, if we weigh in a scale having a baseline and following the conventions of that genre vs. being creative and trying to fit the story into a genre, it's more important to have the genre established first, as a broad focus will allow us to zoom in on the details later and the probabilities that the outcome is better increase significantly.
Why is it important for me as an editor to have a clear genre in our production?
As an editor, having a more appropriate approach and idea of what genre we are doing will simplify the process of doing a better job since I can research more about the transitions, cuts, and editing used in them. Have a blueprint to follow to be able to implement it in production in the near future, and make production adhere more to the genre.
Brainstorming & process of elimination:
To choose a genre, we plan to first as individual conducted researched in our favorite genre, then we met and talked about what attracted us as a team, and we began to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each one according to our needs and goals.
Through the process we eliminated the romance and drama genres, because it's difficult to interact with and attract the audience in just one opening scene, and it requires development to make more sense. Also, one of the most important conventions that almost all productions in these genres have is dialogue, and my skills aren't very advanced. Although I'm honing them through editing and previous projects, the director suggested that we avoid using audio to prevent a lack of understanding and distraction.
We also eliminated comedy, because even do it was one of the best options our team is not qualified to make comedy, we didn't feel comfortable thinking about it, and if we have problem thinking and planning, we would possibly have problem implementing.
Furthermore we also eliminated action, since we want to have more control in the surroundings (mise-en-scene) and that can be complicated when trying to do chases, danger and fights. Also we notice that we may need more actors if we choose this genre, or the contrary the narrative can be affected and don't even fall in an action genre.
After researching for a while, the thriller genre caught our attention because it allows us to pose the question "what happens next?" As an editor, I don't have much knowledge of this genre, so in the following blogs, I'll be dedicating myself to researching it in more depth. The director and cinematographer agreed to choose it because it created a motivational relationship. However, we felt something was missing, so I proposed adding mystery. This genre was appealing to our production, not only because interesting, but also because the director pointed out that we don't have to explain everything, which saves us from the mistake of telling the entire story. The cinematographer commented that it would be effective to use strange or out-of-place elements in the mise-en-scène since it hides a reality behind the events, which can help us have a clearer representation and interact with the audience. She also said that the focus would be more on the visuals than the audio, which would compensate for my weakness as an editor in combining audio and visuals. And I, as the editor, suggested that there were transitions and editing techniques that were more commonly used, and since I had previously researched this genre, I had an idea of what to do and follow the genre ambits,
Crew discussion and brainstorming for genre decision.
After analyzing the situation for some time, our team concluded that we should follow a mystery thriller (a hybrid genre). Our plan not only provides us with a clear direction but also allows us to predict the results and prepares us for the implementation process.
Takeaways & Lessons: This planning process was fundamental in creating a foundation for our production. By evaluating and analyzing, we were able to find something that everyone agreed on. I learned that the team can compensate for my weaknesses, and I can compensate for theirs. Now that we have a starting point, the path ahead seems clearer; a mystery thriller is our foundation
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