How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?
Before viewing this video on ASMR, each viewer was able to see how many different types of technology are involved in creating a finished film product. In addition to showing the importance of cameras and editing software as tools for producing the film, the video also explained how it utilized various forms of internet based materials to aid in the production of the film. Each of these elements helped provide an environment that allowed viewers to comprehend the way technology could support both creativity and problem-solving through the calmness of the music and the detail provided by the narrator.
How did your production skills develop throughout this project?
Prior to viewing this Get Ready With Me type video, it can be expected that audiences will view the growth of the producer's skill development for a film project from start through finish. The video has made connections between all aspects of makeup preparation (ie. planning out a sequence of events, making sure everything is at hand, etc.) to developing better skills at using the camera, working with an editor, as well as improving one’s ability to tell a story. The video also shows the ways in which practice and experimentation led to improvement of both the producers' technical and creative skills during the filmmaking process.
How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?
Before viewing this episode of "The Podcast", the viewer is going to find out the ways that “The Pub” captured its audience with suspense, filming style, and choice of story. In addition, this podcast is going to discuss distribution options for an independent film like "The Pub" including using new digital platforms as well as social networking to promote the film.
How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?
The directors’ commentary will allow the viewer to see how "The Pub," a thriller film, uses traditional elements of that particular genre in order to break from those traditions. The directors explain in detail how they chose to use cinematography, lighting and characters to create suspense and portray their strong female character.
At last we have our film! Months of planning and hours of filming all tied together, we ar every proud of our end product and have most indefinitely learned from this experience as a whole. Attached Below is "The Pub." Enjoy!
We decided for the opening scene to record an alternative to the original audio of the actors speaking in order to make it easier to hear what they are saying. ADR or Automated Dialogue Replacement using a voice over provided the clarity needed to present the material professionally. The opening scene has very little dialogue and relies much more upon telling the story visually. It is not until the final three lines of dialogue at the end of this two-minute sequence that there is any conversation.
In order to create a sense of tension and suspense through-out the entirety of the opening sequence, we chose to utilize a non-copyrighted background score called "Ticking Tension Trailer" from YouTube. This background score would be the main background score for our film. It also creates an ongoing emotional tone in conjunction with the on-screen action. We were originally searching for a simple ticking clock sound effect to layer over the scene where the spy looks at her watch. However, after reviewing the Ticking Tension Trailer track; it was discovered that it included a rhythmic ticking motif. Thus, we could use this background score to help create the overall atmosphere for our film.
The track incorporates many common elements of thriller scoring, including dramatic percussion and sustained tones, along with a constant ticking, to create an urgent feeling. The ticking also relates back to the concept of time that is central to the story of this spy film. It serves as a type of foreshadowing through sound to emphasize how much time will be critical to the success of the mission.
Creating Suspense Through Audio Motifs
The repetitive "tick-tock" serves as a leitmotif. A leitmotiv is a repeated audio device used to represent an idea or tension throughout the film. When Agent Valeria determines that something went awry with her mission, she hears the tick-tock much louder and this makes it much more meaningful. It implies that the crisis at hand is not resolved and there could be other repercussions for the character. In spy films, the leitmotiv technique is commonly employed to create anticipation among the viewers of what may occur next and keep the suspense going.
Utilizing a suspenseful background music throughout the entire opening sequence, in addition to creating an element of unification of pacing within the sequence itself, aids in producing a rhythm that is both synchronized to the movements of the spy as well as mirroring his precise and secretive actions. The combination of ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) voice over, and a suspenseful, non-diegetic soundtrack create an immersive viewing experience for the audience, while maintaining a sense of tension from the start to finish of the film.
The very beginning of the editing process for our project involved importing each camera clip from the memory card onto our classroom's computer and then into Adobe Premiere Pro. Our group was initially concerned that there would not be enough usable footage to reach the required 2 minutes in length. We were pleased to find when we had imported the footage into Premiere Pro's Project panel that we had collected a large quantity of quality usable footage shot at a number of different angles and moments that would provide us with a wide range of options to organize into an overall sequence.
After having set up our media files in Premiere Pro, we then arranged these in a timeline matching the events in the storyboard. We placed the clips in chronological order using the selection tool (drag and drop). In addition, there were many times when we had to cut parts out of the clips (by using the razor tool) for unnecessary parts of the clip. We also used the trim tool to fine tune the time of some of the shot transitions so that they flowed as smoothly and as natural as possible.
One of the biggest challenges in the editing was recording and syncing Agent Valeria's VO. The time it took to match the timing of her VO with her lips was a lot of work. After we would move an audio clip to better fit the timeline that was showing the characters' mouth movement. We kept adjusting the timing and space on the tracks to get them synced up as best possible. It was a long and tedious process because any difference in timing or space made the scene look fake.
Another time-consuming aspect of the editing process was visually linking all the cuts together by making sure all the footage was in the correct order. The Ripple Edit tool was used often to cut sections of footage to fit in the open spaces between scenes as well as to help with the organization of the timeline. The Slip edit tool was also used often. This allowed us to move certain parts of clips but still have them at the same spot on the timeline.
Transitions were added to transition the audience smoothly from one scene to another. When a cross dissolve or other transitional was unnecessary we would use a simple cut to keep the suspenseful feeling in the film. Due to the amount of time spent on reviewing, cutting and fine tuning each clip it took several class periods to complete our final edit.
Adobe Premiere Pro gave us a lot of tools we could use to take our unprocessed video and turn it into a cohesive film. Syncing dialogue, organizing clips, etc. took a lot of time but both of those processes were helpful in clarifying the narrative of the film as well as making sure the end product looked like something you would see on TV.
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