Development: Task 1 Film

Today I experimented with the editing techniques I wish to employ in my experimental film that will accompany my audio-only project. I have had the concept of the visuals for a long time; these ideas were conceived synchronously with my Audio-Only project. I knew I wanted to represent the nine 'circles' of Hell by using circular masks, and layering them to communicate the idea of going 'deeper' into Hell. This also worked to reflect the evolving nature of my sound piece, as the visuals change and grow as time progresses.

Despite being aware of my artistic intent, I was uncertain as to whether I would be able to technically execute them in the short space of time that I had. I was also unsure if the idea was viable for the project; whilst it made sense in my head, I have no partner for this project and thus lacked a second opinion. For this reason, I decided to create a visual diagram of my concept using images taken from the internet, and show this to Debbie in my tutorial.

The diagram that I presented to Debbie, made in Adobe Photoshop.

After Debbie had seen what I intended to create, she seemed very keen and enthusiastic about the idea . She did suggest, however, that showing both the sin and the environmental shots may make the film too literal, and suggested I look at a more abstract route. As a result, I decided I would not use the environmental shots of stone, water, blood etc as these would be the most difficult to capture effectively. I intend to replace these with abstract shots of colours relating to that layer of Hell. 

Debbie warned me that the project was ambitious in terms of editing and to ensure I was properly prepared. As I was already unsure if I would be able to realise my concept, I took this advice on wholeheartedly and decided to experiment with the technique.

I used pieces of scrap footage left over from my Production Skills module project, as I have not yet filmed the footage I will use for this project. The focus was not on the content of the film, but rather was placed on the way in which it was edited: an experiment to ensure I was capable of realising my vision. I created a simple circular mask in Adobe Photoshop and imported this into Adobe Premiere, my editing software of choice as I own a copy of it personally, allowing me to edit on-the-go. I am also familiar with this software, and as it shares similar functionalities with Final Cut Pro, I decided to stick with what I knew. Using the 'Track matte key' feature, I began to apply masks to the footage I imported, using the circle I created in Adobe Photoshop as a reference. I then began to animate each shot through the use of keyframes, so that they grew in unison and by even amounts. 

I then repeated the process on the second set of shots, but also added a distorting effect through use of the Twist tool. Again using keyframes, I animated this effect so that it became less potent the longer it was used, eventually resulting in an undistorted image before the next shot is shown. I then split this footage into one-second mini clips (a very tedious process) and deleted each alternate clip, resulting in a switching back and forth of images. I opted only to do four of the 'circles' as doing all nine seemed excessive for an experiment, which only served to test functionality and capability. The finished experiment can be viewed below. 

My experiment to test the functionality and possibility of my concept.

I sent this experiment to Debbie and asked for her opinions. She liked the technique and its effect, and offered me some criticisms as to how I could improve it:

"The circle could be bigger"

A very fair point that I had already considered myself. I had given myself additional space as I was unsure as to how much the piece would grow and wanted to ensure I had ample space. I was also unsure as to how many circles I would use in my example. I intend to use a larger circle in my final piece.

"The shots are too rapid"
This point is also very valid. I was initially attracted to and satisfied with the idea of each shot only being shown for a second, however after reading Debbie's criticism I realised that it did feel a little rushed and, as a consequence, quite amateur. To rectify this, each shot will last for two seconds in my final piece. This should make it feel less repetitive as well as making the editing process less tedious.

"The rhythm is too uniform"
Whilst I understand Debbie's reasoning in that this contributes to the piece feeling quite predictable, I feel that the consistent rhythm of my piece is one of the key structural qualities and I intend to retain this element in my final piece. If, after my presentation, my peers also feel that the piece would benefit from a more diverse rhythm, I may reconsider this choice.

"It becomes too predictable"
Perhaps as a justification for maintaining the uniformed rhythm, Debbie suggested that I think of a way to break up the monotony of the piece. Whilst I was keen for it to reflect the 'torturous' nature of Hell by making the audience endure something repetitive and monotonous, I also acknowledged the need for their attention to be maintained and for their expectations to be challenged in order to make a piece I could consider to be successful. I suggested that, halfway through the piece, I begin to reveal Botticelli's Inferno gradually, replacing the black background entirely by the end of the piece. Debbie was interested in this idea and so I will include it in my piece for presentation, however I should think of alternatives to switch it for should my audience dislike it.

Overall, I am both pleased and comforted with the knowledge that I can realise my concept using my preferred software, and I am excited to create my final piece.