Editing and software techniques used.

We used a wide range of editing technique on the software, Final Cut pro, which we have been familiar with from our AS production. With this familiarity, we have been able to develop the skills used on this software, allowing us to enhance our product for a more successful and professional finish in our product.


One of the first steps we took when beginning the editing of our footage, is we uploaded the song we chose, 'U.N.I', to the software in order for us to synchronise our footage to the song. The steps we took to do this was: File, Import, and then selected the song's file we had saved under Itunes, which then imported into the editing software.

Once the song had been uploaded,  we then uploaded the footage we had recorded from the camera onto Final Cut. The way this is done, is via the USB lead, which then registers and automatically sets up to Final cut. The 'log and transfer' option must be selected in order to upload the footage onto the software, this is found under the 'File' drop-down option. The log and transfer screen then arrises, and we then followed the steps in order to upload our footage and then ultimately edit the footage.

Once our footage had been uploaded, we were then
able to edit the footage to synchronise in with the song that was already uploaded. Once we began to view our un-edited footage, we could then begin the slow process of sorting out which footage we wanted to keep, and which was rejected. The successfully shot footage was then viewed, to the point where we could chose exact moments to cut in and cut out of the footage to enter into our final production.


Because our already shot footage already had audio set on it, we had to remove the audio in order for the quality of the music to be the best it possibly could be. The way we done this, was locking the column where the visuals were on the editing software, leaving the audio section free to be deleted, so we simply scrolled down selected the audio section and removed it. Once it was removed, it gave the illusion to the viewers that the footage we had filmed was linked to the audio from the music, which of course it wasn't, it had only been synced in.


This was repeated until we began to find a good stream in the production, a mixture of both performance and narrative, which is what our genre consisted of typically. Eventually the sequence viewer, acting like a timeline on the editing software, shows us how far along we are with the production and also eventually builds up, filled with transitions, footage and audio. The way we added in a transition into our production is through the effects drop-down toolbar, allowing us to choose from a range of choices, allowing our final product to look more professional and appealing.

We used various different transitions in many different areas in the film, either to show passing of time, a change of thought, a flashback or a change in tone. As you can see from the list above, there are many different effects that a transition portrays, leaving the finished product to suspend the audience's disbelief and also appeal more to them.

Another editing technique we used was differing the motion of the footage, for example, during the editing process of the product, an editor can slow down or speed up the footage and then add it into their sequence for the final product. One of our scenes, shows Max (protagonist), sitting on top of a vehicle while playing the guitar and singing, in this particular scene the camera remains stationary, while the vehicle drives further down the road, into the distance. We wanted to exaggerate the emotion in the parting of the two partners, we done this by slowing down the motion of the protagonist going further down the road. This can be done by selecting the 'motion' toolbar, in the viewing screen, and then scrolling down the 'speed %' section and then changing the numbers to your required pace. We selected our pace through trial and error, which is often the best way.

Finally to synchronise all footage, transitions and audio together, the software requires the user to 'render' the sequence to make the footage viewable. The way this is done is by going to the 'sequence' toolbar, scrolling down to render all and then selecting both at the top. This takes a few minutes, depending on the amount of footage and audio you have.

The footage can finally be saved from a final cut file, into a 'quicktime movie' which is done through the 'quicktime movie conversion' process, which takes about 5 minutes. The way this is done is by saving it under different settings, to allow the video to be shown in a much finer quality and by doing this too, it is also available to be broadcasted on the internet through this method if it is uploaded to internet software such as Youtube. The final product, once converted is available to watch in the following format.


By having it in this format, it is more widely available to a larger target market, and it can be dispersed easily via email or memory stick or can ultimately be uploaded to a website.